Shakedown

[bruceh]

I want to repeat the advice about 'dry camping' at least one night. Run everything that you can on battery, turn on everything, truly hammer the batteries. When I got mine, the batteries crapped out on the first trip and the dealer gave me a lot of lip about maintaining the batteries (yes, they were dry). Needless to say they replaced the coach batteries but they got me by sticking in cheap group 24 batteries that I then had to replace on my nickel.

[777 Driver]

Originally Posted by Seajay

One more thing that I havent seen anyone mention yet.

GET YOURSELF A TOOL BOX.

DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK YOUR FELLOW CAMPERS FOR HELP.

THERE ARE NO DUMB QUESTIONS.....
ONLY DUMB ERRORS ...........
Seajay the sailor man
God bless our troops and bring them home soon and safe
God bless our vets ..... ALL GAVE SOME .......... SOME GAVE ALL ..........
nothing owed for this worthless information my brother Sailor .........

Hi Seajay,

Oh, yes...TOOLS! Been working on a kit that I'll keep in the coach full-time. Don't want to try to haul stuff back and forth from home to the coach and back. I've got a basement full of years worth of 'stuff' that proves very handy when things break. I think I read somewhere that a toad can function as a rolling 'basement', suitable for storage of all kinds of stuff??? Could that be true? Do you have ANY experience along those lines?

I fully realize that, even though my coach is new, there will be lots of things that need just a little tweaking to be properly adjusted. I kinda enjoy those little challenges. Opportunities to excel. I work in an environment that can be extremely unforgiving of error. We all work very hard to minimize our exposure to all the known hazards. Stuff happens, though; so, we ALWAYS try to have a plan of how we'll deal with any situation that doesn't play out exactly as we planned. Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

My favorite axiom has always been, "A superior pilot is one who uses his superior judgment to avoid situations which might require the demonstration of his superior skills."

I haven't, yet, developed my superior RV skills (completely NOVICE). I do have enough good judgment to seek the advice and counsel of many who have traveled this path before me. This follows your advice to "ASK A FELLOW CAMPER".

I GREATLY appreciate the kindness shown me by you and all the others on this forum.

Thank you, Seajay (and others, too).

I look forward to crossing paths with many of you in the future.

Take care,
Stu & Cindy

[777 Driver]

Originally Posted by bruceh

I want to repeat the advice about 'dry camping' at least one night. Run everything that you can on battery, turn on everything, truly hammer the batteries.

Hi Bruceh,

For sure...one night 'dry'. I'll make sure during the PDI that we inspect the batteries. Do you think that a simple voltmeter reading of each battery is sufficient, or, should I insist on a specific gravity check? I don't have a hydrometer (yet). I'm sure the dealer's service department would have one for the PDI.

Do you have an opinion of Thermoil? It looks like I could do the house batteries for $60 and the chassis batteries for $30. It would seem to me that, the best time to make the $90 investment is when everything is new. Hey, it looks like you even get a "FREE" hydrometer (let me do the math...spend $90 and get a free $5 tester...whoopee!).

Thanks for your advice.

Take care,
Stu

[bruceh]

I don't think that a voltmeter test will tell you much except that the batteries are starting off fully charged. A load test would be much more useful.

I don't have an opinion on thermoil.

I didn't mean to test only the batteries. The whole DC system needs as much shakeout as you can give it in a short time.

[777 Driver]

Below, you’ll see a compilation of the advice given in response to my request for recommendations on taking delivery of a new coach.

For each of the contributors to this thread, I offer my sincere thanks. As this is my first adult RV experience (lots of trailer camping as a child), my inexperience leaves me eager to learn from those who have gone before me.

What a varied wealth of advice you all have offered me.

Cindy & I will leave in the morning to take delivery. Our station wagon is packed full of dishes, bedding, tools, notebooks, and lots of other stuff. My mind is full of thoughts of things to check. We’re excited!

We’ll spend the first night on the dealer’s campsite. We’ll be connected to water and electric and have dinner & breakfast there. We’ll be trying to use everything. IF there are any issues, after the first night, we’ll have the dealer address them.

We’ll then spend three nights at a campground about 35 miles away. Although all hookups will be available, I plan on disconnecting from the power and living on the DC system (truly hammer the batteries, was the phrase).

After those three nights, IF there’s anything else that needs to be addressed, we’ll swing by the dealer on our way home; otherwise, we’ll likely spend a couple more nights out on our way home.

It was suggested that we will “meet the nicest people”. We haven’t yet spent one night in our coach and, already, I feel like we’ve met some of the nicest people! We can’t thank you enough for the help.

We’ll let you know how it all goes.

Take care,
Stu & Cindy
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++
Carry a few cooking tools and dishes along with food to cook for dinner plus a few towels and whatnots for the bathroom.

get yourself a legal pad and write down everything that won’t work, works some of the time, works while it is raining, won’t work while it is raining, kinda works but not exactly like you thought it would....etc....etc....etc..... the important thing is to WRITE IT DOWN AS YOU FIND IT BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT REMEMBER EVERY LITTLE THING........

… water heater will only hold less than ten gallons of water. TAKE SHORT SHOWERS. Always keep at least half a tank of fresh water. You never know when you might have a blow out or some other trouble that will leave you stranded for a couple of days.

…motor homes will always have a ''problem something''. That is just the way it is. Something will always need attention in some manner

You will meet the nicest people and see the most wonderful places and get to know your ''significant other'' better than you ever have in all your life. You will have GOOD TIMES that you will never forget and you will have Bad times that you wish you could forget immediately.

GET A GOOD ROAD SERVICE POLICY..... GET ONE WITH UNLIMITED USAGE COVERAGE AND UNLIMITED MILEAGE for towing.

Run everything too. Even if it is cold out, run the heat until it is too warm then put on the air. Might want to call them and ask if they can turn the fridge on a day or two before you get there since they take some time to get cold.

When we bought our present TT, we video-taped the PDI.

If you don't have a toad be really, REALLY careful in parking lots and other close maneuvers. The swing and tracking of the rear is considerably different then a car.

When it comes to the entertainment center you need to get especially detailed on the notes.

… try staying at least two nights in the coach, first one without electrical hookup so you check everything running off the batteries only. Second w/electrical hooked up so you check charging, etc. Helps to take a voltmeter to check stuff out (just in case), and a 3-prong outlet checker to see if any of the outlets are wired correctly.

If you can find an old DirecTV receiver, even if it isn't still subscribed, unless the access card is very old the preview channel (100) will still work to test your dish.
GET YOURSELF A TOOL BOX. By that I mean get one of those ''fold out, multi tool, plastic thingies'' that has a good variety of tools including metric and standard sockets and wrenches. Also, get yourself a couple of hammers. One large (three pound) and one regular (small), get yourself a ''set of vise grips, long nose and standard, very handy. Get yourself a flash light that you can ''recharge'' and leave it hooked to the charger.

DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK YOUR FELLOW CAMPERS FOR HELP.

Also I have a jar full of odds & ends like screws, bolts, nuts, electrical connectors, cotter pins, washers.

I want to repeat the advice about 'dry camping' at least one night. Run everything that you can on battery, turn on everything, truly hammer the batteries.

[sknight]

Good luck and have fun! One thing about the batteries, giving them a workout is a good idea but check the voltage before you leave. Charging however many dead house batteries can be rough on the alternators. If they're way down then just plug in for a while to bring them up some before leaving. Just my inner mechanic talking.

[Seajay]

With all respect to you and your lady triple seven. I would give twenty dollars to be a ''fly on the wall'' to watch you guys on your first few nights camping. Yep, its gonna be interesting. Everything new. Every''thing interesting and a lot of things that you are ''unsure of''.
''Did that guy say we should flip this switch ''UP or DOWN'' to make the hot water come on''............
''Do you hear a funny noise?........ I do, Wonder what that is?''
''HONEY,,,,,, I SEEM TO HAVE LOCKED MYSELF IN THE BATHROOM''
''OK........ Is it the little remote that turns on the big TV or does it turn on the DVD player?''
''I can get only one station on the radio............... How did you put it on FM?''
'' We could fix a meal but we forgot the silverwear and the salt. Oh we have knives but no forks or spoons and all we have to eat is garden peas''.
''Someone is knocking on the door and telling us that we are in the wrong campspot and we need to move''.
''Ok, that funny noise was the water pump running''.....
''WHAT THE HECK DOES THIS LITTLE SWITCH DO?''
GOOD LORD......... DO YOU SEE HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO FILL THESE TANKS......GOOD LORD..........
Enjoy, We have all stood in your shoes .........
Seajay the sailor man ....
God bless our troops and bring the home soon and safe.
God bless our vets ........ALL GAVE SOME ....... SOME GAVE ALL ......
ps. 777 driver ..... keep a sharp eye and if you see a white over tan 33 foot Pace Arrow with an Nc tag with CJ&WILLA on it please come over and introduce yourselves . We can have a ''single malt'' and sit and lie to each other ...........cj......

pps.... I normally charge ten cents for my learned advise concerning life and love and camping and other important stuff but since you guys are ''Newbies''........... Its free for now ....cj....

[Cletus]

We just purchased a new 2011 5er this past Oct. The walk through in my case was extensive and the tech knew the unit. We stayed in the unit for a week ( camped nearby ) and checked out all the appliances etc. in prep for our first little trip in Jan. Everything worked just fine. This was our first towing trip ( we stayed in seasonal always ) so we went 7,000 miles on our shakedown, neat eh. Well, things do show up and you should take pictures of everything you encounter ( water leaks, etc ) to support what issues your discovered, if possible. It is the manufacturer that you need to substantiate claims with and the pics will help your dealer to get warranty support. During our trip we had 20 issues which the dealer is now in the process of getting resolved and the pics really help. Like I said this was my first long tow and the unit is 37' but I didn't have any major issues getting around gas stations etc. Yes I said gas not deisel so the pumps aren't as convienently located, no major issues though. One thing, when u r practicing make sure u get your wife some time behind the wheel in case she needs to drive sometime. Enjoy.

[777 Driver]

Originally Posted by Seajay

With all respect to you and your lady triple seven. I would give twenty dollars to be a ''fly on the wall'' to watch you guys on your first few nights camping. Yep, its gonna be interesting. Everything new. Every''thing interesting and a lot of things that you are ''unsure of''.

Sipping some scotch right now!

Already a few chuckles...

So, there were a couple of issues discovered during the walk through. We took off for a while while they fixed those. They moved the coach to their "camping" area.

OK, start the engine to do an autolevel...try it from memory. NOT level front to back...green LCI light illuminates, BUT, we're definitely NOT level front to back and both the left and right jack lights are flashing. Get out the "book"...follow the instructions...still not level.

It's only about 2:30; still lots of daylight AND the dealer's "people" will be around for consultation. Let me try getting hooked up to electricity before I go in and ask for leveling help.

So, I hooked up the electric (50 amp) and went back inside the coach. Only A/C was from the generator or inverter off the house batteries!!! Hmmm, why can't I get A/C from the hookup outside??? Do some book review and still can't figure out what's wrong with the A/C.

Time to ask for help...it's now about 3 p.m.

The guy that did the walk through is busy doing another walk through so one of the regular service guys takes pity and comes out to help. It seems that the spot they parked the coach on is too out of level for the leveling system to cope with AND the reason for no external A/C is due to NO POWER to the box outside (yes, I did cycle the circuit breaker at the box; just didn't take the time to find my voltmeter to actually check the box).

Anyway, lights, water, TV, heat and air conditioning are working. Gotta figure out what my "sleep number" is.

Still a few problems to be addressed in the morning. The biggest one seems to be a water leak in the freshwater line to the commode. Some puddling coming from behind during the flush cycle. I'm inclined to try to get a look back there to see what's loose, BUT, I paid a lot of money for this stuff to work and it's not leaking too much...SO, they'll get it in the morning.

More adventures to follow, I'm sure!

Take care,
Stu & Cindy

P.S. Seajay, I'll look for you guys when we're parked. I'm guessing that for the first few thousand miles, I'll be focused on trying not to hit anything.

[Elkhartjim]

First purchase should be this... Master Catalog

BTW..the a/c will not work off the batteries unless of course you're towing a trailer load of them.

[sknight]

The toilet line is probably loose. The plastic fittings tend to loosen up after they've been installed for awhile. It's normal and the rest will loosen up too so get the service guy to show you so that you can touch them up yourself.

I went over mine twice and they've been tight ever since, so it's not a constant problem.

[777 Driver]

Originally Posted by Elkhartjim

First purchase should be this... Master Catalog

BTW..the a/c will not work off the batteries unless of course you're towing a trailer load of them.

As the technician was puzzling through why he couldn't get signal from the satellite receiver through the home theater system to the TV, I asked him about a surge supressor...I got a definite YES from him.

That's on my list; near the top. Tire pressure monitoring is near the top, too.

Oh, probably a miscommunication on my part...A/C = Air Conditioning OR A/C = alternating current electricity. In my case, the problem was with alternating current electricity. I should be more precise in my description.

Take care,
Stu & Cindy

[777 Driver]

Originally Posted by sknight

The toilet line is probably loose.

Turns out it was the "nozzle kit" on a Tecma Silence Plus. Seems like I've read something about that being a common problem on another thread. It was a common enough problem that they had a spare in their supply store.

Take care,
Stu & Cindy

[no18yes]

Well! Stu, you got a lot of good info. These guys know what they are talking about.
Hope you and Cindy did not find too many hang ups in the coach. I like the gentleman's comment about the walk through. I guess it is kind or like the walk through of a 777 and then they turn it over to you to fly.
Have fun!! Rick