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LPVagabonds · 03-06-2019, 09:43 PM

Greetings! Thanks for the add. My wife and I have been contemplating the RV lifestyle for about a year now. Recently, we inherited a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 and 2014 Coachman Freedom Express travel trailer. Only problem is, the rig is in Florida, and we live in Montana. We've never owned an RV, never stayed in one, and of course never pulled one. In 2 months, we fly down to Florida and cross all those items off our list! We'll pick it up, and after a couple days going over everything, we start a long road trip back to Montana. I'm apprehensive about having no experience in any of this, but excited for the possibilities. This will be our stepping stone to full time RV living. I'm sure we'll be asking LOTS of questions in the next few weeks!

Pilot2Driver · 03-06-2019, 10:01 PM

Welcome aboard!

I lurked and browsed for years while renting and shopping to buy. Excellent resources and people available on this site.

You will find enthusiasts for every variant of the RV lifestyle and every price point.

Question: Where in Florida and where in Montana? We depart Orlando in two weeks to slowly meander toward Alaska. We will pass through Montana in late May.

LPVagabonds · 03-06-2019, 10:14 PM

Hi Pilot2driver,

Sounds like we'll be following you! We pick up the travel trailer in Melbourne (southeast of Orlando), and driving back to Kalispell, MT (near Glacier NP). Tentatively we'll head north thru Georgia, cross Tennessee, graze Kentucky, then Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, then north thru Idaho to Montana. Due to work, this will be a turn and burn, without much time for site-seeing :( We'll hit the road about May 14th, with a goal to be home before Memorial Day weekend.

IBTripping · 03-06-2019, 11:01 PM

Welcome and congratulations. Sounds like you'll have a fun time making the long road trip. If you haven't used an RV in the past, you'll need to educate yourself on the black and gray water tanks, travel trailer (TT) tire pressure, and some other basic items. Also, when towing a TT, you just can't drive as many miles in a day as you might assume nor drive as fast. Figure an average speed of 55 mph and 300 to 350 miles a day. A 400 mile day is a very long day. So, plan to take your time and have fun. And, of course, feel free to ask lots of questions.

momdoc · 03-07-2019, 05:31 AM

Welcome to the forum and the new life style. Congrats on the new rig. The learning curve is long but thankfully only steep in the beginning.

You are joining a good group of folks here with good info to share. Read the various threads here and ask questions as they come up.

Enjoy the adventure!

MSHappyCampers · 03-07-2019, 12:29 PM

Hi ! Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!

Congrats on the new rig! Have fun and keep her between the ditches!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

CoachDitka · 03-07-2019, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LPVagabonds

Greetings! Thanks for the add. My wife and I have been contemplating the RV lifestyle for about a year now. Recently, we inherited a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 and 2014 Coachman Freedom Express travel trailer. Only problem is, the rig is in Florida, and we live in Montana. We've never owned an RV, never stayed in one, and of course never pulled one. In 2 months, we fly down to Florida and cross all those items off our list! We'll pick it up, and after a couple days going over everything, we start a long road trip back to Montana. I'm apprehensive about having no experience in any of this, but excited for the possibilities. This will be our stepping stone to full time RV living. I'm sure we'll be asking LOTS of questions in the next few weeks!

Best of luck! If you want to stop in Vegas on your Trip I can be sure to extend some local hospitality although I understand it's a little out of your way!

I think you will find that it's a fantastic experience.

Sorry to hear that it is coming through an inheritance, but if the deceased owned an RV I am sure they lived a long and full life!

1bigmess · 03-07-2019, 12:46 PM

Just remember, if you're not having fun, then check to see why you're not having fun.

Some things that will save you money in the long run:

A tire pressure monitoring system for the trailer so you know if your tires are properly inflated
when stopped with the fridge running on propane park in as level a location that you can find. Your fridge will last longer and reduce the risk of fire.
There are many resources on the internet for places to park to rest that cost nothing. AllStays.com is one of them.
If the mattress isn't more than a cheap layer of foam, you can get a really good mattress at Ikea for not much money.
The furnace will drain the batteries more than they should be if you use it a lot without being hooked up to shore power. Google "12 volt side of life" to learn a lot about RV batteries so they last a long time.
The trailer will move a little when you are in it unless you go to great lengths to prevent motion. See if it bothers you before spending a bunch of money on this issue.
When you aren't using it, you need to keep the inside as dry as possible. When you are using it, if it's cool, there will be some condensation, and that is pretty normal. When not in use though use something to get the moisture out of the air.
The best toilet chemical is *water*. The more the better. You do not need to use really expensive RV/Marine toilet paper, I use walmart brand cheap TP or Angel Soft.

stinger608 · 03-08-2019, 07:25 PM

Welcome to the forums!!!!! There are many many members with great ideas such as 1bigmess pointed out.

Kalispell?! Awesome! I spent several years in the area. Kalispell, Whitefish, and Columbia Falls. Spent several trips floating the Flathead river fishing and camping. Awesome area.

That will be quite a drive from FL to Kalispell.
As mentioned, tires are a biggie! Make sure they are not weather checked and as stated, install a pressure monitoring system if possible. If that isn't in the cards then at least stop every so often, say every 100 or so miles, and check pressure.

LPVagabonds · 03-09-2019, 10:36 PM

Thanks for the tips, especially 'keeping it between the ditches'

I've read horror stories about tires on TT, and vowed I'd never get one, but here we are. The current owner informed us they had to plug a tire to get it home from Oklahoma to Florida, so I'm arraigning to have new tires put on before we get there, plus new brakes if needed. I'm told it has anti-sway bars, but she's not sure if it has a WD hitch, breakaway switch, or tire pressure monitor. I'll purchase and ship down a TPS system and install it when we get there, and have a breakaway system and trailer brake controller installed if it doesn't have one.