Quote:
Originally Posted by Isaac-1
I have yet to see a good complete pre-trip check list, it seems most fail to focus on all the details, ie they focus on the direct mechanical stuff like, make sure slides are in, jacks are up, etc. but fail to say check expiration dates on license plates, insurance, roadside service, inspection stickers, etc.
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That is why I recommended the CheckList+ app in my post above.
YOU make the checklists the way
YOU want them. You are not forced to use pre-defined, cookie-cutter checklists that don't fully apply to your situation. As to your suggestions about expiration dates, etc. that is an annual checklist item for me, not a per-trip checklist.
The ability to make several checklists for each stage of a trip is what I really like about the CheckList+ app. In aviation, we had several different checklists to run, depending on where we were in a particular flight. There were checklists for:
- Preflight
- Engine Start
- Pre-Taxi
- Taxi
- Takeoff
- Climb
- Cruise
- Descent
- Approach
- Landing
- Off the Runway
- Shutdown
- etc.
I've built separate checklists for each phase of a motorhome trip, similar to what I did in aviation.
There is an important concept to discuss here, no matter what tool you use to build your checklists, and that is the concept of
"flow." Your checklists should follow a logical flow pattern so you are not bouncing around the coach checking this, checking that, all over the place.
An example...
My "Campground Departure" checklist starts in the back of the coach, in the bedroom, where I bring the slides in and make sure loose items are secured. I then move forward to the bathroom, making sure everything there is secured and ready for travel. Then it's forward into the kitchen/living room are where I check things there, bring in the front slides, and take care of the other items that are done up front, including starting the engine, raising the jacks, etc. Then it's outside, where I start at the entrance door and work my way clockwise around the coach. If I've used blocks under the jacks, I can stow them because the jacks are coming up. I check the towed hookup, disconnect power, water, sewer, check the tires, make sure all the basement doors are secure, etc. I will complete this checklist back at the entrance door. Once I get back to the door, I know the checklist is complete and we're ready for the road.
Checklists are
absolutely necessary when operating any complex machine. Our motor homes and other forms of RVs certainly qualify as "complex machines."