COMMON RV SETUP MISTAKES TO AVOID | Things Every RV Owner Should Know
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- čas přidán 13. 06. 2024
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In today's episode we cover a bunch of common RV mistakes that we've seen during our 18 months on the road and ways we've learned to avoid them. Learn about everything from how to look over a new campsite to safe ways to level and secure your RV. We also go over a lot of the equipment we use for hooking up to campground water, sewer, and electric hookups and share a few tips on how to establish a routine for setting up camp safely.
Whether you're brand new to owning an RV or have been camping for years, you're sure to learn something useful!
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How We Set Up Camp: • How To Set Up an RV Ca...
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UPDATE! We just released a video covering all of the gear and accessories that are essential to a successful camping trip in your RV. Some of the items are covered in this video, but there's a whole lot more on our list! Check it out here: czcams.com/video/f0MWmVdPfvo/video.html
Great video very informative. My only suggestion is a surge suppressor that also protects against high and low voltage. #1 cause of burning up ac units. Disconnects power if voltage to low or to high.
@@SKANK_HUNT49 why do people like you have to be so negative? Hopefully you know this guy and you’re joking with a friend. Otherwise try following the rule of “if ya don’t have anything nice to say, or polite constructive criticism, then don’t say anything.” Part of the trouble in this world is “bullying on the internet” and your comment falls into the bullying category. It’d be better for you to keep those comments to yourself, please. I don’t know the guy on this video and I don’t know you either, but this guy is trying to be helpful in this video and your comment is unnecessary.
"Theses are not load bearing, they are leveling only!"
As the rigg is completely suspended off the truck.
Where's the load if it's not hooked to the truck must bo on the levels 🤔
@Ecoscienceczar The 4 tires and the tongue jack hold all of the weight of a travel trailer, the stabilizer legs are just four extra points of contact on the ground to stiffen things up.
You can buy a 50 amp splitter cord It's s Y adapter for 50 amps
My dad kept a small clipboard with a laminated card on it, the size of the clipboard, with a checklist and clothes pins. As he completed each task he put the clothes pin on the item (i.e. when he connected the power, he put the clothes pin on the power post box). If he didn't do the task, like no water hook up, he left the pin on the clipboard. When the camping was done he would go over his check list and as he completed the take down/disconnect process, he would put the pins back onto the clipboard. He also had certain things that he merely checked them off with a grease pencil like putting the stabilizers down/up. This worked great for him and was great for me when I was starting out. Now, as mentioned in the video, I have a routine to follow, but I have never forgotten my dad's check list and it runs through my head. Great video and great advice. Thank you.
When you curl up your drinking hose, screw the two ends together and dirt, bugs etc can’t get into the ends.
Yeah, I was surprised when I saw the open hose ends.
We don't like moldy and musty hoses so we leave them open. I run water through the hose before attaching it to the rig to blow any bugs or dirt out.
If leaving open, or even if you're not, screens can help keep things out too.
Is 0g drinking water safe? I just got something similar at Wal-Mart and after opening, see it is super hazardous even to a garden! Going back!
We have cheese cloth squares and rubber bands on our hoses.
THANK YOU. I'm a woman on her own with my first travel trailer, and I'm starting with zero understanding of what to do and not to do. Your video was very helpful to me!
Single Canadian guy doing the same thing for the first time.Just bought a 2022 Rockwood 37 footer
I’m considering FT RV’ing by myself as well. It’s nice to hear I’m not alone in this adventure!
@@kerileahy8296 I just started on my own as well and I don't know squat which became very evident once I went to move my rig for the first time and began realizing the things the seller screwed me on :( live and learn...good luck to us all!!
@@American_couture would you be willing to share the things you learned for those who are considering a purchase?
I am a single woman just getting started too. This was very helpful!
Bit of addition if i may, been full time in my 5th wheel for almost 10 years. dont go for perfectly level, have the end of the rig that your tanks feed out slightly (1/2" or so) lower than the other end, helps with drainage immensely.
what if you tanks are in the middle of the rig? mine are
@@dougmedeiros5636 it'll still work. Most tanks are in the middle or close. Also tipping to the drain side just a hair helps
Doesn't this effect the functionality of the fridge?
I want to add one thing that I learned from an "RV mechanic" that I know: put down the stabilizing jacks AFTER slides are out. He stated that doing it before is the biggest reason that the slides mess up and the number two reason that the stabilizer jacks bend.
The slides, once out, change the center of gravity for the trailers and add leveraged weight on to the side slide of the trailer, causing the stabilizers to bend. He also pointed out that most people who do it the wrong way notice that their trailer still shakes when they walk around inside, he pointed out that by doing slides first, then stabilize, you will have less shake. Great vid though!
Nope. Putting slideouts or even awnings can and will mess up your side to side levelness. Slideouts are best run when it is level. Very bad advice from your RV mechanic.
@@americansfirst1095 then what is the point in levelling prior to slides coming out?
Slide outs... RV Repair shops bread and butter. Only owned Airstreams and yes its a tradeoff for a bit of space but have seen so many people with slider issues over the years I wouldn't own one.
So is the surge guard brand a good protector
Says right in the manual to stabilize prior to slide out operation
I lived in my RV for 20 years, moving the RV every 1-3 weeks. I used a 20-1 diluted Clorox in a spray bottle on the water faucets at each site. I have seen people wash their sewer hose by putting the sewer hose end over the faucet. I stopped using gloves after a year when dealing with sewer. I assume my hands are dirty and wash them with soap and water. I will even walk to the campground restroom to wash my hands after installing or removing the sewer. Then return to setup or finish the process of leaving. I never use hand sanitizer -- it may kill the bacteria and organisms on my hands that protect me. I just use soap and water. I use a written checklist for setup and another for tear-down. I go through each step by doing it or imaging doing it and visually checking. Nothing is skipped. I learned mostly from my own mistakes and occasionally the mistakes of others. 20 years gave me a chance to make all the mistakes at least once.
I’m with you on the sewer hoses and hand washing. I see people spend so much time changing gloves and sanitizing multiple times, wearing goggles, and scared to death of the sewer hoses. Get it, get out and wash up. I’ve never had a problem in 5 years of full time RVin.
Yep me too
EWWWW! I'm going out and buying a spray bottle for the faucets. Never again without.
Whatelse.....
Oh, ugh! I will get my spray bottle ready, too! I did see some dumb things this time out, but mostly tenters...many, who did not check the forecast before coming...or were stuck with reservations. We had torrential rain! I felt badly for them, but must admit i laughed as i saw them emerging in the morning, none too happy. They tried to wring things out but finally just started tossing things into bags or just wet into their trunks and leaving ASAP! By 10 am, not a tent left! I offered to help any way i could. But one guy just grumbled that they were fine. Next time, i will get hot chocolate ready!
My plumber lived to be 98. I watched him dig out a bunch of cotton balls from a tenants toilet, and yes, it was full of poop. He "didn't" wear gloves. He did wash his hands after. He also doesn't chew his fingernails. lol Personally I believe folks, (not me,) have become germaphobes and weaken their resistance to germs. -keith
I do have a small suggestion on dumping both black and grey water tanks. I will dump my black tank first and rinse the tank. Then I dump my grey water which contains bath and dish soaps in the water. While I’m not saying it cleans perfectly but does a pretty good on cleaning out the sewer hose. Just my thoughts. Great video!
Excellent video! I think the top reason lots of folks fail at setup (too far from utility, forget to chock the wheels, etc.) is that they get in too big of a hurry because they think everyone I watching them and judging them. Take your time and don't sweat someone thinking you're taking too long or don't know what you're doing. Proper, safe set up is far more important than being the hot shot.
4:55 learning curve for me, toasted my truck alternator when plugging shore power and not disconnecting my truck power. So I always wrap the shore power 3prongs with electrical tape to remind me to disconnect truck before plugging in shore power.
watched a lot of vids and no one ever mentions that... good tip. we are about a year out, still in planning stages, son to graduate and me retire
I'm not a guy but hence I'm living in an RV full time I need all the information you can always share. Thanks
Great info! We have been RV’ing for 21+ years now and we all can learn something new from each other!
This year (hubby retired) we are going to hit most all states. Thanks to you, I learned here that some states require the hose raisers. We also did not know about the power surge you use, with more electronics in rigs that is a great piece of advice.
I would love to add that back 20 years ago we found ‘walkie talkies’ are a MUST HAVE! It saves couples from the screaming directions back & forth, with an argument later. 🤦♀️. When we travelled with all four kids the two older ones would work together to guide us into a spot!
One time I did a 6 weeker with just me (mom) and the kids and our parking was such a quiet breeze that some guy runs out of his unit YELLING to HELP us 😂
My teens on the ‘walkie’ says “who the heck is this guy?” (His impressed wife the next day apologized to me as she really tried to stop him💁🏻♀️)
ALSO when we went from 23 class C (our first rv) to a 36’ TT a wonderful man gave me a very prudent piece of advice. “ Honey, you & the kids need to know how to do everything, including driving it. You may need to get your family home sometime.”
Hence our 6 week ‘mom & kids’ road adventure!
We also had a check list that every family member would review and follow up on!
Blessings on your new adventures!
What a fun story! We started off using walkie talkies but the delay got too frustrating so we just switched to using our phones. Having to constantly take one hand off the wheel to hit the communicate button really slowed things down too. We only ended up in one place with zero cell service out of almost 150 campgrounds, and that one time it was a nice wide spot that was super easy to park in, so I guess we got lucky there.
Arbonne-TeachTrainTether LAUNCH! m
Blue tooth 🦷 so you don't start messing with sewer and have to touch your phone .
Newbie here, I am obsessed with these how to videos and yours is the best one I have watched. Thanks for the great straight fax's. A lot of good advice.
And to ad to your suggestion of everything being a routine, make sure that everything you use for setup has a specific place to store it. That way you don’t have to search around for the accessories you need when setting up.
that's a good idea
I’m still new to RVing so, although I knew most of what you were saying, it’s good to know I’d been instructed well in the past to learn a good technique. What I like about this video, and I’ll watch more, is that you are very easy to understand, you don’t go on and on about WHY your making this video, and it is an “easy to stay interested” length. Looking forward to watching more.
Thank you so much! We're going to make a few more episodes like this one as we're getting a new (to us) motorhome in the next month or two and have to outfit it and learn how to use it. 👍👍
Dude, you’re video was a big help to me. We are looking to upgrade to a larger rig with slides (currently pop-up owners). The surge protector, water filter are spectacular ideas. Some thing we will have to learn, but enjoyed your video. Preventative instead of reactive is some much easier. Keep up the good work and be safe brother!!!
Great vid. Very helpful... we’re new at the RV thing and the CHECK LIST is a thing of truth and wisdom. My golden rule... and it only took one time... before you unhook walk around check out your distance to electric water and sewer.... nothing like unhooking moving the truck only to find out .... your still 10 feet away from from things. You learn real quick .....
thanks again. Good stuff.
We usually walk the site before pulling in, or hop out and check the hookup locations as soon as we're clear of the road if it's a busy campground. We've gotten pretty good at eyeballing the distances for our electric and sewer. Funny enough, the two times we had to re-hitch were because we put two blocks under the tongue jack like normal but actually had to bring the nose down lower than that to be level. So back on the truck to take a block out! 😂
@@Five2Go I am a big proponent of carrying a bottle jack and wooden blocks. Happy Camping!
@@Five2Go I always have a floor jack with me when I'm on trips, so you could put that on the tongue of the trailer to lift it up and slide a block out from under the trailer tongue jack and set it back down.
@@RickysHP Good call! I have a bottle jack that I carry around but using it didn't even cross my mind the two times we've had to re-hook because of height issues. I'm not sure why, I guess the truck was sitting there so it was the first thing that popped into my head! 😋
@@Five2Go yep, either way works. Just might be a time saver for you.
Thank you. For new RV'ers, even if you think you know your routine by heart, it's good to have a checklist because sometimes a task can get overlooked. Better safe than sorry.
My wife and I rely on a checklist both for arriving and departing. We have assigned duties just like you mentioned. We revised our list several times when we first put it together to make sure we caught every detail. The list really helps to put our mind at ease. Thanks for the great video and others from the past. Happy camping.
Thank you Paul! 👍👍
For those that don’t do this many times per year, I strongly recommend a practice of a walk around reality check. Before you unhook, before you move, etc. If you are going to move, look at all connections and walk around one more time. That is the hitch, all pins, load bars, safety chains, water, electric, sewer, stabilizers, steps, wheel chokes, windows, gas, everywhere. A slow walk around the entire rig and touch every single thing you can think of. The same thing before you unhook it from the tow rig. Make sure it will not move when it is disconnected. I envision the worst case that I kill someone if I miss something. It is too easy to get distracted in your routine and skip a step. Two more minutes can save you thousands of dollars or in a worst case, someone you can not replace.
Even after stopping in more than 150 campgrounds in two years we would both do a walk around every single time. I made sure to touch everything, not just look at things. Slides in all the way, door locked, stabilizers and stairs up, bays locked, hoses stowed, chocks up, etc etc etc. You can never be too safe when talking about 10,000+ pounds on wheels.
Thank you for sharing, you explained everything perfectly! Me and my husband bought an Rv and to honest I wouldn’t know what we would do without watching videos like yours ! Thanks for sharing again!!
As newbies, my hubby and I made a habit of doing one last walk around after we sat down in the front seats. That quick walk around the rig has saved our bacon a time or two! It’s was irritating to do, but we were glad we got into the habit.
Great information. One thing you might consider is using totes to store water hoses and electric cords I have 4 totes Water, Electric, Sewer, and one for Stuff. This helps keep things in their proper place. It keeps your rig clean and no cross contamination. Thanks again for the info.
I would use more totes if I had more room. All of the sewer stuff goes in a tote in the back of the truck but the water hoses just get stacked in the basement when they're not in use.
I use separate compartments for fresh water and for sewer hoses. No chance of contamination
Maybe if totes take up too much space then the plastic IKEA duffel bags might be useful since they are more playable. Might be good to keep things grouped together but not occupy extra negative space.
Great video. One tip: Connect the ends of your hoses when you coil them up. I noticed you coil them neatly and attach wraps to hold them tight. If you connect the ends, you will never have residual water spillage.
But you _will_ promote mold growth and funky tastes because they'll never dry out. I leave them open and just run water through the hose before hooking up the rig end just in case any dirt or bugs work their way in while they were stowed. I'd much rather have a little bit of water in the bay (that air dries) vs funky hoses 😉
Stuff I already knew but delivered in such a clear and straight forward manner I wound up watching the whole video. Thumbs up 👍!
Thanks Christopher, I really appreciate that!
Perfect timing on this video... we head out on a 3 week trip tmrw!!
This is so damn intimidating. Just bought a 35ft camper. Never owned one before.. I travel for work painting water towers. Usually stayed in motels. Go back to work in 4 days. Wish Me luck.
Yes, I agree. This is my first RV too. Hope it works out well for you
You'll be fine, I've been fulltime for 9 years my biggest and most expensive lesson was tires.... stay a bit under the speed limit when distance driving, trailer tires get really hot when going fast and blowouts will blow holes in your floor and ruin your skirting. Most say get new tires every two years on a trailer because the weight causes stress and soft spots. Good luck and happy camping.
Yall hireing?
Very well done! My wife and I are picking up our first travel trailer today. I know there's a lot to do to make sure you're setup correctly. I'm saving this video for later. Thank you.
Have a fantastic trip! Take your time, double check everything, and you'll have a great time 👍😁👍
Something I recently learned, is to not pull the sewer levers open and leave them open. Let the black and grey tanks fill up and only empty as needed. Otherwise you can end up with the solids not flowing out. Over time, as sludge builds up it can result in plugging up your sewer system. I had no idea! As a noob, I would have probably left them open thinking that's how it worked. Apologies if you mention this in another video, just a good thing to note on hookup.
When you learn more from comments than you doo. Actual Vidio
Spot on! I bet 75 percent of the campers I see each trip have there valves open! You want them tanks nice and full when you empty up. Black tank and then grey(s) to rinse the sewer line. I don’t need a poop stalagmite growing in my black tank 😂😂😂
@@kingrider75 hahaha stalagmite is a good word for it. I’ve also heard it called a “poo pyramid”
We're looking into our first travel trailer, and this video hit on so many things that I've been confused or nervous about. Thank you!
Excellent video. I am a 40 year RV enthusiast and believe a checklist is a must have. It can prevent a disaster,
This video is the bomb! Most camper videos are of negative topics, problems and are so general in nature. You get right to the point and show a lot of good tips.
Just got back from a weekend trip. This was a state park close enough yet far enough to make a forgotten item a nuisance. Point is - make a standard check list as recommended in this vid. One for going and coming home.
Sitting here watching this and making notes for when our new rig arrives next year. So much to learn! Thanks for the advice
Awesome - we're happy to help! We're actually shooting an "RV 101" series that will be released here soon, so you'll definitely want to keep an eye out for that. It's going to be full of everything we wish we had known before we started two years ago!
Hi Brian! So glad to have an older video of you showing how to do the sewage and water and what you need to do for when you camp. This all great to know! Thank you so much. So glad Aaron Hell’s as well. And you have a routine. Looking forward to your next video. Sherri Weber
Honestly this is the absolute best video of its type I've seen so far. I just bought my first camper (2016 jayco pop up) and I've been watching a bunch of these to see what i should and shouldn't do. Thank you. Definitely got my subscription
Thank you so much Ed!
A decent video for the neophyte, well done! I will say that your suggestion that the stabilizing jacks shouldn't lift the coach at all is a bit misleading. Clearly they are not to be used for leveling or any significant lifting. But if you only let them touch the ground gently, then they won't do much if anything at all. If the owner stops the jack motors just as the coach starts to lift very slightly, it won't overload the jack system, and the system will actually provide stability. I know you were trying to get people to not over do it, but if I was a noob, I would do as you indicate in the video and then wonder why the jacks aren't doing anything.
You’ve got this process locked down! I don’t even have a trailer but I watched your entire video hahaha! Thank you
Great video man! My wife and I are on our first month full-timing in a travel trailer and are still learning every day. Really great tips in this video, thank you for posting.
Thanks Tyler! Feel free to reach out through Facebook or Instagram if you have any questions. Save travels!
I really like your video… it’s clear & to the point… no skits or acting. I could watched the entire video anticipating your next point. Thank you
Thx for great Video .. The Zero G hose ... and orange sewer hose .. Great recommendations I was so tired of fighting with the white water hoses. 👍👍
The Zero-G hose is literally life-changing. You'll spool and unspool it just for fun because it's so easy! 😋
@@Five2Go i
Thank you. Some great ideas. I knew that about stabilizing jacks but I didn't know to use our blocks. I have lifted the trailer slightly but know I know better. One point you kind of missed. First time I camped this year, I checked the slide outs. Got all set up. Next day I wanted to extend the awning, to close to a tree. Could only extend a few feet. Check both sides of your rv
We pretty rarely use our awning so it didn't even pop into my head, sorry! As for the blocks - you should definitely build them up to minimize how far down you have to run the stabilizing legs. The less of an angle they have to open up to, the better they'll fight the rocking. Same goes for the tongue jack too, but there's only so much building up you can do under those sometimes.
Great video good info. Another tip about checking the site when you pull in. If it’s a site with trees and you have awnings make sure you can extend them without hitting the trees. We were in one campground were we asked for a different site since we had no room for the awnings. In another one where we couldn’t get another site since they were full.
This video is especially good because you can see the mistakes the neighbor is making. Thank you for sharing!
heading out camping next monday with our new trailer...been watching your videos and others...been learning ALOT...thx
We're happy to help! Have fun! 👍😁👍
We're about to be 'newbie's' and all this info is so appreciated! Don't want to make mistakes we can avoid simply by doing a 'whole bunch' of homework, thanks to people like you!!!!!! Thank you! :)
Thanks Audrey! You'll do great!
Old milk crates work great
My wife and I have just bought our first camping rig (28-footer, tow-behind, not as big as yours), after 10 years of camping with a pop-up. We close on the new rig in a few days. I found your video very informative and succinct. Many things I haven't thought about yet. Thank you! Subscribed.
I know....it is 2021 while I watch this but I have to say that in my opinion the information you provide is very valuable to a new rv enthusiast and I appreciate it. I have subscribed and look forward to watching more so that I can learn about all the things to be learned about rv'ing. Thanks
thank-you! never hurts to have a review!
We're happy to help - thanks for watching!
This is an excellent video and I'm sure it's helped so many avoid costly mistakes. I don't know how anyone could thumb it down.
Thanks Bruce!
Thank you! Very informative especially to campers new to rv-ing!
Great pace w/ video!
Great video. I appreciate its brevity and clarity. Good job.
CZcams suggested your videos a couple of days ago. I am hooked and subscribed. Great information! Thanks for not having the unnecessary music as a lot of channels do. Once I started RVing I realized the black tank was not a big deal as some made it out to be. Take the necessary precautions and take your time-Easy Peasy. Great channel, thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much! You'll find a few music-heavy B-roll sequences in our older travel videos, but we've moved away from that in the past few months. There are plenty of other channels out there where you can find beautiful nature shots and sweeping drone cinematography but you don't learn anything from those and we think that sharing our knowledge is far more important than just having pretty stuff to look at!
Five2Go I couldn’t agree more. Keep doing what you’re doing.
You can attach a check list to the back of a storage door. You can even write on the door with something more permanent and then use a dry erase marker to check it off as you go.
We Velcroed a white board on storage door and check everything off one at a time never forget anything and each task is accomplished
Aspiring Noob RVer here; thanks for posting your marvelous vid! Currently reviewing most if not all, of your RV videos.
I found this video by accident researching travel trailers. I'm so glad I did! Very informative. I'll be sending this video to my husband. My husband, daughter, and I are a little tired of hotels. We are ready for a new adventure!
I see it's a older video, but thanks me and my wife are picking up our first rig this weekend. Good info thanks for taking the time to make the video, very helpful!
So relieved!!! I have been a lance camper guy for over 30 years. Believe it or not I have been using all of your safety devises for years on. I just bought a Outdoors RV trailer late last year and have only taken it out 4 times now. I really regret not buying one sooner --- sooooo much room with a pop out!!! Great information to people starting their own adventures.
Sounds like you need to go camping a bit more... 😂 Thanks for watching!
Very good video, very informative, I thought I knew something about campers and camping but your video was the first one I have seen that recommends a water filter and a surge protector. Keep up the good work!!
Great job, you highlighted some important stuff that a newbie can really use and made it easy to understand.
Thanks fellow Brian! 👍👍
This video was GOLD! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! We're happy to share! 👍👍
Rookie, here. Very helpful; one of the more helpful videos. One person mentioned hooking hoses together to keep them clean. I also put a baggie over each end.
That works too! There are lots of ways to keep hoses clean. Thanks for watching!
I put washing machine washers in my hoses, they have a screen to catch debris.
Good stuff, thank you. I use a checklist so I don't forget anything! It's always useful to watch these videos before I head out to refresh my memory since I'm new to it and haven't been out much! Thank you and happy camping:)
Simple. Honest. Helpful. Well intentioned and very well done.
Thank you!
this was a really great video. we learned a lot, as we just bought an RV. thank you for sharing your tips! :)
Two of my take aways were how much pressure to apply to the back stabilizers and to purchase a power serge.
Amen on the checklist for us newbies!! Expecting to have that in a plastic sheet so we can mark them, then clean them off for the next time.
Really appreciate all of your great info!
Excellent video. About to get a first fifth wheel and these are kinds of videos that really help us to get ready.
Kept waiting for you to forget something but you didn’t 😀. Great video, good to see someone go into detail about the stabilizing jacks. Stabilizing not leveling. I’ve seen a lot of people make that mistake. Thanks for spreading the word
My wife and I Love to camp and are a little jealous of you to be able to go for such long periods of time. Took us a while to get the routine down but we made a checklist, used it a few times and now it’s all good
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience
Hah! I'm sure I missed *something* in there! 😂 Thanks for watching - happy camping!
It's very easy to think that those are for leveling unless someone explains it. I am guilty of doing this with my first camper trailer we lived in. The spot I was given was su unlevel that the driver side tires were off the ground about six inches to make it level until I was able to get some lumber under them
The stabilizing legs is such a pet peeve of mine! People just don’t understand. Nice video
@Dania Ann I didn’t call anyone stupid. I said that people don’t understand because they aren’t taught. Calm down
We just picked up our new trailer and this was very helpful. Thanks!
Thanks for the video. I have been doing a lot of travel for work and using my TT instead of staying in a hotel. Gives me a good feeling that I have been doing things right.
New RVer here and I've burned up you tube since I've gotten it and this has been the most informative video this far. Well done sir.
We're very happy to help! The RVing for Newbies series that we're putting together should have some good info for you too, so keep an eye out for those. Happy camping!
Very informative, paying attention to details can make your life much simpler. One thing we always do is near the end of our camping stay we shut off the grey water from draining and we take long showers to build up the level in the grey water tank. Then before we unhook from the septic we dump the grey tank into the black water tank. This “backflushes” the black tank so after it is dumped it is pretty clean. Simple practice, gives me more peace of mind.
That's one way to do it. We have a built-in "tank wizard" so I can just hook a hose up to blast water straight into the tank to help empty it out. It definitely makes dumping a much easier process!
#jonfairbank, Did you get that tip from KeepYourDaydream, Marc & Trish?
@@Five2Go We had a 2013 Cougar 5er which had the tank flush. We used it once to flush then used the flushing wand going through the toilet bowl stopper and ended up getting quite a bit more sewage out of the black water tank. If you're just emptying it out and will be using the rig again right away, using the tank flush works fine but if the camper is going to be sitting around for a while, you'd want to make sure everything is out. We pour a 5 gallon jug of water into the toilet to really flush it clean after using the wand. Hope this helps someone.
Very good video. I'm getting an older Winnebago Chieftain to use as I'm a travel nurse. This was VERY helpful even tho you show a towed one. And your check list routine is extremely appropriate: that I'm also a pilot means I'm used to issuing them! Very good. Thank you and safe travels to you!!!
Thank you so much! 👍😁👍
First camping video for me .... very straightforward and informative
Very good video, easy to understand. We been out with our Rv just a couple time, and video was helpful to us, thank you
Thanks Jamie!
Great tips all. Only thing I do differently is with the sewer hose. I use disposable gloves. Having come from a medical background I understand that most E coli and other germs/diseases found in sewer water generally do not survive long when exposed to air, but I still like to practice good handling technique when touching the sewer hoses. I use the mechanics orange "latex" gloves because they are relatively inexpensive and hold up better than the blue gloves. I put them on, do all my connections or disconnections, clean offs, etc and then pull the gloves off in a manner that turns them inside out as I pull them off so the dirty side is inside...then I toss them in the garbage. In theory, once the hoses are completely dry, they should not be harboring any "germs", but I handle the hoses as if they are always carrying germs since the preventative is far cheaper than getting sick. I guess cleaning the gloves off each time as you do, does the same thing but you have to touch the hose, faucet or other things first to clean the gloves, so I am not sure that makes sense...technically. Think food service....everything you touch is now exposed.....Yes I use lots of hand sanitizer after the fact! I also carry bleach and if I have an incident, I take a bucket and put in water and small amount of bleach and drench any areas that were exposed to the sewer water. Maybe overkill but I feel better about it!
I have read comments that some people will fill up a 5 gallon bucket with water and bleach solution and drop there fittings, elbows, etc into the bucket to sanitize before they put into the rig. I actually saw one camper run the hose through a bucket solution as well, then when done poured the solution around the sewer fitting in the ground......Maybe overkill but certainly not a bad idea if you are concerned about putting sewer "equipment" into the holding area of your rig. I read another RV'er carries a light bleach and water solution and sprays the water facets before they connect....I guess they assumed the person prior may not have been as vigilant!
And yes, I know we have all seen the camper who wears no gloves, does not wash their hands and basically seems to not be concerned.....
A bleach bucket for all the fittings every time seems a bit overkill, but that's definitely better than doing nothing at all I guess! None of my sewer equipment gets stored in the rig, only in the back of the truck and in its own bin. In the few times I've needed to wash the gloves I actually had my wife come out and turn the water on for me so I wasn't touching anything I didn't need to.
@@Five2Go Yeah, I dont do the bucket thing. My rig is a little smaller than yours so I do have to store some of the ugly stuff in the outside storage, but that goes in a bag then in a plastic storage box with lid. I use the disposable gloves because I am on my own with the poop duty :-)
I camp solo, so it's only "my stuff' coming out of the sewer hose. I don't worry about gloves and am careful not to touch the campground's dump hole.
@@eileenglick9436 Everything around the dump station is infected with other peoples "stuff". Sewer lid, non-potable water faucet/hose, the ground, and more.
Excellent video, thanks for all of the tips! We pick up our first TT in a few days and will immediately hit the road so this video is a great help. We've been buying supplies ahead of time so I have the white water hose you mentioned.... it helps knowing in advance that when I encounter troubles with it, it's not just me!
100% informative. You're the man.
Very good tip about the stabilization
Thanks Linda!
Best advice I can give after 7 years of camping (not full time) is to have a checklist and follow it. Pilots that fly the same aircraft over and over still follow a preflight checklist. I had to redo mine last month when I traded for a new 5th wheel that was different inside and out from our previous one. Have a list for setting up and departure. Also, don’t get in a hurry. Know when you are required to check out and give yourself plenty of time. It really sucks when doing this in the rain but have proper attire and don’t skip steps. Lastly, before you pull into a spot, get out and walk around it looking for obstructions, low hanging limbs, etc. pay attention as to where the hookups are and where in the spot you need to position your rig. It’s very important if you are going into a pull through to look at how you’re going to exit it. I recently pulled into one and later another camper pulled in to one across from me. Due to the way he did I had to back out of mine. Safe travels!
Having a checklist, even a mental one, is definitely a requirement. Even more so if you're NOT a full-timer and doing it a couple times a week. Your recommendation about taking your time is SUPER important though. If you start rushing anything you're going to make a very expensive mistake. We try to tell newbies that it's ok to block the road while getting into your site safely, take your time at a dump station, and generally be in the way if you're taking your time to be safe. Other campers should understand, nobody wants to see someone hit a tree or spray their black tank all over the place...
Agreed. We have been at it for 6 years PT, and we always use the check list. IF we ever fail to do this we ALWAYS invariably miss something. Just like a good pilot. You need to always go over the list.
I found this super easy to follow and very helpful! Thank you!
Hi Brian and Erin!
Just watched this video I had found. It was great. Liked how you showed how to use the power and the hook ups. The Amos and all that. Very good job showing all that and you showed the stablizing jacks. You and Erin do a check list. That’s a great idea then you don’t have to worry if you forget anything. Thank you for this video. See you soon! Stay safe.
Thank you so much. always a good reminder on what to do when watching this video.
Thank you!
Awesome content. I like to spread Amdro around the site before I even unhook. I had fire ants crawling on me while I was leveling my trailer. Not a fun time.
Thank you very much. This was our first time out with our new travel trailer. I was nervous about going out without the right stuff. You covered items; surge protector, filter, regulator, etc; that our dealer did not even mention. After watching this video, we went out and got these items and after watching this and some of your other videos, it made our setup successful and our first outing great. Thanks.
That's awesome Scott! We're glad we were able to help! Thank you so much for letting us know 👍👍
Not sure how old this video is, but I've got some tips for you and others.
We've used our RV's over the years mainly for Dog Shows. Any dog show person who camps is prepared !
Have at least 2 25' cords for your amps and not just for your amps. We have 3 25' for 50 amps, 4 25' for 30 amps. We've had to stretch out to 100 feet for a hookup before. You CAN go from 50 to or use 30 (with adapters) and to 20 amp if need be. We have adapters (pig tails) to 50 to 30, 30 to 50, 30 to 20 or 15 amps. Do NOT use 2 30's joined together to use for your 50 amp rig though, most camps/fair grounds are not wired correctly for that.
40 to 50 foot of sewer hose is nothing when you have to share or reach to dump.
100 foot of water hose is standard for us and we can go as far as 200 feet.
Great info!!! Thank you for taking your time to inform others of the proper way to do everything.
You're welcome Karen - we're happy to help! 😁
Love these kind of RV parks. Your neighbor hangs out right next to sewer hookup. Time to flush😀😀
Pretty much. The worst part is that they've been in that site for three months now so they've had all sorts of people coming and going with that sewer connection right there.
Korbe Brenner time for them to redesign their set up or get what I’ve seen in British camps-wind breaks/privacy screens.
Thank you so much for this video. I’m just getting into RV travel. Outstanding information. God bless.
GREAT JOB, everytime i go out i learn something new!!! Great pointers!! the zero G hoses are the best, i bought the white ones and use them twice, i keep 2-25' and 1 -10', love them
Thanks Rob!
Nice video. Good information, especially to the newer camper. One question/ discussion point is:
Regarding the pressure regulator and filter. I’ve seen the filter and regulator placed at the hookup and at the inlet to the RV. Speaking as a plumber, I’d actually recommend the devices last. That is to mean at the RV. This is for several reasons. If the regulator has a back flow preventer, as a lot do, and the RV is left in the heat without the water being ran, the exposed hose can build pressure as the heat builds. The regulator may prevent this pressure from reducing, leaving an unintended high pressure situation to the rig.
With the regulator plumbed last, and the pressure builds in the hose, the regulator will prevent the high pressure from entering the RV. You also have a better higher pressure water supply to the RV.
Lastly next to the RV, the equipment tends to be a little more protected for the elements and clumsy people.
Your method (as far as I’m concerned) not wrong! Regulators differ among manufacturers as to what they do and don’t do. I believe my method hedges my bet.
Safe Travels!
As a Royal Ranger Cmdr., I taught camping, "life skills", & Bible to kids several years. Among the primary "no brainer" things we ALWAYS use when camping is check lists. It is surprizing how many important items are missed when not using check lists. I use mental check lists for many daily things, too. Folks who never return keys to pockets are a mess for everyone else around them. I refuse the drama. The same is true with refueling truck, mower, & generator; putting tools away immediately after use; cleaning messes; replenishing toilet paper & paper towels.
Putting things back in their place after using them saves so much time and headache! I try to stay on top of things and clean/organize as I work through projects, whether I'm working in the garage, the kitchen, or anywhere else. It's even more important when RVing because of the limited space and the extra danger when things go wrong!
Thanks, we are newbies. Your videos are great. Keep up the good work!
Super Information and thank you so much for taking time to make our lives better!
Thank you Mark - we're happy to help!
51 YEARS of Setting up RV's,.... So didnt teach an OLD dog anything new here,..... This Video was WELL DONE! (side note: I keep Ant-Spray handy, just incase a "nest" is nearby, I spray around My Wheels, Jack and Stabalizers, And Wipe the cord & hose near the ground. I do NOT try to kill off their nest. It is NOT my propperty. THANKS
Thanks Mark!
Not my propperty ?????
@@robertbenthal9396 a campground???????
Level mate pro is an awesome piece of equipment that makes leveling so easy especially if you go boondocking. It has saved me so much time and headache from the bubble level days of old. Also, a backup camera can save a marriage 😂
And walkie-talkies also help save a marriage. My wife is outside helping guide me as I back into a spot. The walkie-talkies are the best way to communicate what she wants me to do...better than shouting.
Nice video! I do use the drill to lower my scissor jacks. And I don’t raise the trailer with them, but I do make them plenty tight. Otherwise they do move around and seem to loosen up with movement of the trailer over a few days.
Excellent video, full of great tips!!