Son of hawgguy seeking some RV advice

[HawgSon]

Hi y’all I am the son of the late @hawgguy and I need some advice, I have found myself now working full time in parts at a RV store (I know what are the odds) and I am think about moving into to a 2020 Jayco Eagle 319MLOK fifth wheel full time, what should I expect? What are some things I need to know and that sort of thing.
I hope y’all have a great day - Aleksei

[Old-Biscuit]

Where will it be parked............or will you be traveling?
*Cold Weather----whole different ball game living in an RV

Yourself alone or others going to be living in the RV?
*Others....are they 'for it' (if not...not good)


Parts.......do you get an employee discount?

Living in an RV is not necessarily less expensive then an Apt/S&B living
RV Park Long Term sites usually have metered sites ....you pay for the Electric separate from site fee
Electric can be higher then Apt/S&B but water/sewer included in site fee.

Don't need as much....basics work very well.
Don't need lots of STUFF......not used/no space for it etc

Leave Waste tank drains closed until tanks full...dump/add few gallons back in so things stay wet---repeat
*out of courtesy to neighbors I never left sewer hoses out/connected except when dumping Plus didn't want them getting holes from birds/weed whackers

FT RVng is not for everyone.....but can be quite the adventure
Course we traveled vs parking

[HawgSon]

Would be parked full time at a park
Living in College Station Texas so i am more concerned about the heat
Just myself
Family is good with the idea

Yes, i am not sure how much yet, that discussion is happening tomorrow


Appreciate the advice especially about closing the waste tanks I was definitely thinking that I would leave them open all the time

[Old-Biscuit]

Fast flowing high volume river can move boulders
Slow flowing low volume creek can hardly move a pebble

Leaving dump valves open is a slow flowing creek and the boulders remain behind, stack up, dry out, become harden and then you got problems
Poop Pyramid in black and nasty goo in grey.


A/C Units running full out....$250/mo in electric bills

Looks like Monthly rates are pretty reasonable in that area.
Some even include the electric .

[HawgSon]

Makes sense!
Was just doing some research on what my electric bill might look like, 150-250 seems to be the zone
Monthly rates do seem pretty reasonable down here, once I decide the price they offer works it'll be time to visit some parks and see if they might give some kind of deal for a 6-12 instead of just a month to month

[Old-Biscuit]

Check out RV Full Timers Insurance also
Auto/RV/S&B home owners policy

When parked the RV is Home so need coverage for guests/workers
Plus regular collision/liability/personal effects etc
Also 'agreed value' or Full replacement coverage if totaled

Check out Explorer RV Ins Agency for FT'rs
https://www.explorerrv.com/rv-insura...insurance.html

MAIL......Domicile....Legal address
Check out Escapees RV Club
Mail forwarding services, legal domicile for Vehicle Registrations/DL etc
https://escapees.com/about-escapees/

[HawgSon]

Thank you so much Old-Biscuit! And please if you (or anyone for that matter) have any other suggestions please let me know.

[Taylortreker]

Old-Biscuit has provided you with some good advice and living styles considerations so kudos. While we travelled extensively for the past five years, my wife and I have been full timing for just one year now so we would be considered novices in that department. Having lived in Houston years ago and now Winter Texans down in the Rio Grand Valley for 3 years, here is some additional feedback.
Power: Reliable, clean power is a must. RV’s can heat up very quickly w/o AC and if you have a pet, they can perish quickly. Make sure your power post is in good condition and the 50 amp plug is clean and undamaged. With recent history with power outages in your regions I would invest in a separate power monitor (not just a surge protector) that protects your AC & other 110V devices. You can read up on that subject more but invest wisely here (OEM’s provide the bare minimum – sometimes). If you have a pet that is home all day, you may also want to invest in a WIFI device to alarm your cell phone of abnormal temperatures in your rig (power outage, equipment failure etc).
Sun:
The UV rays in Texas are intense and with a newer unit, you have a chance to protect you rig before it gets damaged. There are some great Utube vids out there comparing Ceramic / Graphene paint protection coatings. Proper preparation and application are key. I have waxed my rig a few times & its lots of work so I really wish I would have learned about these products sooner and had something that would last a few years.
I treat my fiberglass roof 2X per year with Protectant 303 for UV protection. Its takes a couple of hours using a Swiffer with a microfiber towel attached.
I clean & condition my rubber wiper seals on the slide outs 2-3 times per year.
Cover your tires if you are parked extensively. I also put 2”x12” treated wood under my tires to prevent settling and sitting in water if you are parked on gravel or dirt. While on the move, I use Protectant 303 on my tires for UV protection.
Water:
Typically, the water in your area has very high grain hardness and I would invest in some added filtration and conditioning. We use a disposable prefilter (20 micron) at the supply spigot which requires replacement every 60-90 days. That feeds into our rig that has a 2”x10” canister filter with a replaceable cartridge (5 micron). Finally, our rig has a residential refrigerator with a 0.5 micron filter we use for drinking. While these do a good job for contaminants, that does not help with the calcium and magnesium that makes your water hard. While we winter in South Texas, I use a portable water softener (Brand: On-The-Go). This really helps prevent scale build up in plumbing, fixtures and especially on your water heater element and tank lining. After 3-4 months in Texas, I cool, drain and use a flush wand to clean my water heater. I also check my element for build up and replace my water heater anode (some heater heater models do not have an anode). In your area, use a magnesium anode. While they may not last as long as the aluminum model, we have found they are better at preventing the formation of sulphur dioxide gas in the water heater which will that offensive rotten eggs smell.
Here's wishing you the best of luck whatever decision you reach.

[HawgSon]

Appreciate the advice Taylortreker. I am not bringing any pets they will stay at home with mama, excellent point in making sure whichever park I stay at has a good conditioned outlet and a surge protector was already on the list, could you elaborate more on the power monitor? Not exactly sure what I would need to search for but it sounds like a excellent idea. Good point with conditioning the roof and slide seals especially in this Texas heat will definitely be something i do when i first get it. Currently tire covers and slide toppers are on the list of things to add before it leaves the store. Great point about the water down here, it's not good, a water softener seems like a fantastic idea to me. That's good to know about the magnesium anode rods! We only have the aluminum ones so I did not know anything about them the magnesium ones. I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure all Suburban water heaters have that anode rod while Dometic water heaters do not, I believe it is because of the material that the tank is made out of.

[HawgSon]

I have also started to begin thinking about insurance, what companies in the United states provide full time RV insurance?

[Old-Biscuit]

Originally Posted by HawgSon

I have also started to begin thinking about insurance, what companies in the United states provide full time RV insurance?

Did you check out the INS Agency LINK in post #6?


Suburban Water Heaters come OEM with magnesium anode rods
Aluminum anode rods are Optional
***Magnesium rods have a 'teat' in center of hex head/Aluminum has a smooth hex head

[HawgSon]

Originally Posted by Fridge Defend

If you have a Dometic or Norcold absorption fridge, it is a good idea to protect it by installation of a Fridge Defend.

You will not meet many guys like me, I have aligned classic Harley crankshafts with a huge brass sledge hammer! I must admit, it took me much longer than the guy that had been doing is for 15 years

Life is good, worked in a Harley-Tatoo-VW shop for a while

Look like a nice product but this one has a whirlpool fridge, good idea tho

[HawgSon]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

Did you check out the INS Agency LINK in post #6?


Suburban Water Heaters come OEM with magnesium anode rods
Aluminum anode rods are Optional
***Magnesium rods have a 'teat' in center of hex head/Aluminum has a smooth hex head

Yes i have! just trying to get all my options.

[twogypsies]

For full-timer's insurance we used this company. They will search for the best rates. Many full-timers use them. Every 2 yr we had them check again for the best rate as all insurance companies reel you in and then slowly raise rates after a time.

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