PITFALLS to AVOID before You Purchase an RV (2023)
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- čas přidán 18. 01. 2023
- We made the mistake of purchasing an RV without knowing what we were doing. If you're thinking about buying a camper, avoid these pitfalls because they are costly!
These are hands down the best tips when buying an RV and helping you to avoid ending up in a situation like ours.
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Pretty good video. I work as a tech for a major dealership, cant say who and ive been doing this since moses crossed the red sea. I like what you said and agree with it. The biggest thing I want newbies to remember is you are buying something that was put together in days, never meant to be lived in fulltime( most carry the caveat "not intended for full time residence") and most have a life expectancy of 10 years before real problems arise. I've camped since I was barely two feet tall in every kind of camper made, still got the pics-love the bowl haircut, thanks mom :) Anyways if I can put this very simple, all flash, little gash, remember I work on these things for a living and I have alot of work all the time. There are two kinds of campers, ones that are broken and ones that will become broken at the worst time - have a plan B when things break and extended warranties are nothing more than extended grabs at your bank account-youre still gonna be forking out some cash overall. dont settle for flashy things or salesman that want you to buy because you have outdoor speakers - theyre usually crap anyways and sound like crap when you turn the volume past 5. Salespeople are there for one thing, to earn a commission 10 to 15 percent of the price. I couldnt agree more with the space thing, make sure you arent planting your face in the vanity cabinet every time you want to pee....One thing i noticed with the layout on most of them, if you want to watch tv you better be a good contortionist or very flexible, and the furniture, who invents some of this, the Marquis de Sade, absolutely horrible for the most part and make sure the furniture is fastened down, nothing like tipping a recliner and having it come unhooked from the center section. The tables are usually fastened down with 1 inch screws so dont lean on the table getting up or junior is gonna have his dinner in his lap when the table breaks loose from the floor - the best designs are now fastened to the walls. Residential fridges are great but have at least two betteries for you boondockers and unless they are winterized properly the icemaker valve will shatter in winter, very expensive repair. Storage space is paramount, especially with smaller campers, you can never have enough storage space unless youre a minimalist and like to wear the same pair of undies all week, ick... Now they do try to design them to appeal to people but the workmanship is usually the first casualty. the factory has to move so fast and they drive screws into things and then give them a little extra twist to strip the screws out so cabinet doors will fall off. Trim is fastened with nailguns set for a zillion psi so expect trim to pop off all the time. Like you said the arctic package thing is tricky, all they have is foil bubble wrap lining the underbelly and rely on the furnace to duct heat underneath, this takes away from interior heating and a cold camper takes about 6 hours to heat til its livable at best. Remember this isnt your house furnace but a suitcase sized furnace that puts out about 25 percent of the heat your houses furnace will. The AC's work pretty good but depend solely on the exterior ambient temp and are rated to cool 20 degrees below that temp unless you want them running all the time. At night run the main AC and not the bedroom AC, it will duct into the bedroom and wont be so loud you cant sleep, during the day I like to use the Bedroom AC so I dont have the noise right above me. When you get a new camper, the first thing you want to do is camp in your driveway for a weekend, set it up, make it do its thing, check out all the features and make sure they work. A major part of my job is warranty work because the crack addict at the factory didnt install the sink traps or forgot to hook up the toilet water line. Check all the windows, make sure they open and close properly as well as the blinds and shades. You just financed this thing over the next 15 years and the unit depreciated 20 percent as soon as you took it over the curb from the dealership. I'm not downing on the manufacturers but their sole purpose is volume over quality. Ive seen several brands that were put together well and several that were basically glued together by a 3 yr old. this is the nature of the business and dealerships job is to sell these things even though they should be set on fire and sold for scrap metal. As for the customers, information is your biggest weapon, reviews, complaints, compliments all will help you, but all that aside dont settle, dont fall for high pressure from sales people. When you buy a camper, the onus is on you to learn everything you can about its operation and requirements. Many dont know but manufacturers require all the exterior seals to be checked every 90 days, water is a campers worst enemy since 90 percent of the interior is compressed paper and manufacturers will go to great lengths to shift the blame on the customer than themselves. I would rather spend my time repairing campers that suffered from genuine problems and not manufacturers callousness and carelessness. If something breaks and I fix it I establish a reputation with the customers and have many that insist I work on their unit, but if its a warranty or workmanship issue from the factory, Im dealing with pissed off customers who feel theyve been ripped off and taken advantage of - no happy camper there plus they dont want the camper they are paying 500 bucks a month on sitting in a shop over the summer. I've watched a few of your videos, just discovered your page, so im gonna look thru some more. Keep the good stuff coming you guys.
Thank you Rick. If you have a CZcams channel I’d love to follow you and your advice.
or buy school bus or box truck to convert to rv and add lots of insulation in it to make it full time living
Really great information.
It would be easier to read if it were broken up into paragraphs though.
Great and informative reply; would be interested in an RV repair CZcams channel if you have one :-)
Rick, what are your thoughts on Airstreams and the price for them now, is it worth it? Thanks for the above info, very helpful.
I was all with you until you said get rid of the DVD players. Many of the state parks my wife and I frequent, there is no cell service and DVDs are a great form of entertainment when we just don't want to talk to each other anymore
Agreed a cold and rainy night I can do a dvd line up. Signal is often a thing in state parks where the beauty is. Old school sometimes rules!
Ya where I camp there is no cell signal or anything. Love the DVD player.
We had to buy a portable dvd player for our camper. Sometimes you can’t pick up over the air tv stations and no cell service, it’s nice to watch a DVD movie.
But, what decade are they going to finally switch those to Blue Ray which will also play DVD?
I bought a DVD projector, I pull the curtain at the end of my bed, it separate's the bed from bathroom lol it a great screen:)
Just bought a new travel trailer for our family. My number one piece of advice is this: While you're still in the shopping process, and once you think you've found "the one," flip your POV and pretend you're trying to talk yourself out of buying it. Look for every possible downside -- quality control issues, missing features, things that could go wrong or be difficult to repair. Pretend you're an RV inspector trying to save your client from making a mistake. This will force you to find all the problems and look at them objectively. If you can look at all those issues honestly and are still ok with buying it, go for it! You won't have nearly the buyer's remorse that you'll have when you discover them later.
After the emotional high of buying our "perfect" travel trailer, I immediately started noticing things that made me uncomfortable or just didn't make sense. For example, ours is a bunkhouse, but it didn't come with a ladder to get into the top bunk. My plan was for the kids to just step on the bottom bunk to climb up into the top one. But not until after we bought it did I realize that the padded bumper on the edge of the bottom bunk was flimsy plastic wrapped in foam. Stepping on it would crush it. So I had to end up building a custom ladder and figure out how to mount it. After a few weeks of projects fixing, reinforcing and rebuilding things that were not installed properly, I'm finally starting to feel good about this travel trailer again. But those first few days I had MAJOR buyer's remorse. And honestly, I think we might have gone with a different model or manufacturer if I had been more diligent and objective during the buying process.
It was a rainy cold day in PA
The mood was bad in every way
Then I remembered it was Thursday
HANKS DAY !
you don’t say !
POOF 💥 Bad mood gone away 😂
I found this video 2 weeks after i got my first RV. I'm not disappointed, my salesman wasnt pushy and we got the right RV for our family.
I'm a travel lab tech and try to stay in my 36ft travel trailer as much as possible, but RV parks in my current working area are super expensive. Can't believe some places want almost $1000/mo and they ARE NOT beachfront. Happy trails!
Supply and demand
Love love love our dinette! My husband cut holes in the ends of each bench, installed long tracks, built drawers on rollers, and now we have two huge, long drawers that pull out from under each bench. Tons of storage and we don’t have to remove cushions and wood panel to gain access to the storage.
Spot on Guys, We have a 2015 Silverado with 58,000 miles Gas Dually with 4:10 rear end. It gets 12 mpg empty and 6 MPG pulling a 9,000 lb TT
and it HATES Hills. Diesel is the way to go
I totally agree about all the crazy LED lights. We’re the designers thinking I was going to have a freaking rave every weekend in my 23 foot camper?!? They’ve been on once in 2.5 years of full time living.
I disagree about the DVD player. Our RV doesn't have a built in one, but we have a separate player that we installed. We camp at a lot of state parks in remote areas that have sketchy or no cell service and no antenna reception. Having a DVD player allows us to still have family movie night or pass the time on a rainy day watching old seasons of sitcoms that we have on DVD.
I had to pause and rewind 10 times to get all the advice Dexter gave. He packs in so much in such a short amount of time. Total Boss. As always #ThanksHanks
Dexter😂😂😂😂😂😂way to stay PAWsitive Dexter!
IM OLD. 68. I drive a Class A Winnebago Adventure with no problem. Fulltime
so your old !!! I'm 69 just saying :) I am just starting full time any hints ? my biggest worry is where to stay .
My dogs are always turning on the sofa lights seat heater and massage. They use it more than I do 🤣
😅
Dang it #happilyeverhanks I wish I would have seen your content - specifically this video - before we walked onto that big box dealer floor ‘just to look’ last September and ended up signing the contract on our 37’ behemoth the same day. We jumped into the #weekendrvlife with both feet. While I don’t regret buying AN RV, I would urge everyone to get out and look A LOT so you don’t make a $60K impulse purchase like we did. Great advice, love you all!
I'm planning on doing Travel Nursing after I finish college and I'm saving up for an RV to Renovate. I want to live debt free as well and save money to buy me and my parents a plot of land! Thank you so much for making these videos to help Newbies like me! 😊Keep doing what you're doing!
Very heartwarming to see u taking care of ur parents, too. Wishing u a bright future. ❤
honestly guys, I was absolutely terrified after I saw the issue that you had with water twice underneath your RV. I would be a single 70 year old woman or 71 or 72 whatever trying to manage all that and maybe not have that handy mobile RV, troubleshooter like you did.
Hi guys, love this video, I just want to say that on our 2018 Jayco HT T/T, I use the outside shower to flush out our black tank. I take the fresh water curly hose, and connect it to the black tank flush inlet, after connection on the quick release coupler, then turn on the pump for the shower, and it sends that fresh water to the black tank to flush it out. So easy, peasy.. Have a good day. Safe travels...
Our advice (hanks have it right, just to emphasize)
For full-timers, ladies, when you walk the bathroom, get in the shower. Move around. Can you bend over to shave your legs? Most ladies miss having a tub. So newer RVs seem to have the seat, but it is something to look at. Also in the bathroom, have your hubby put both hands under the faucet in the sink. Is there enough room for him to do so? In our current one, he cannot wash his hands without the water splashing up (a lot of it). As to the dining area, we are larger than most, and neither of us would be able to sit in the seats and pull into the table. So we don't even know if they were comfortable. Now there is a kitchen cart in that space, so we have more storage and counterspace. If you are fulltime, consider closet space, in our first RV we had a bunkroom for the kids, that had no closet and our bedroom had the stacked cabinets the had very little hanging space but no drawers. Also the 30/50 amp is important for fulltimers. With 30 amp, you can only run so much. Likely with a/c on no microwave or definitely not a second a/c. Thanks Hanks, we love you guys. Don't think I didn't notice the beginning in the Buc-ees parking lot.
Thanks Hanks!! We made all the big mistakes as well then after 14 months of full time we determined that it wasn’t for us, purchased a house sold our 5th wheel. Long story short we found a 21 year old Airstream and rescued it, No frills, No Bells and whistles, we added our own bells and whistles to make it the way we wanted and what works for us. Wish we had done more research before we purchased the first one thank you for this video.
I drove from Tennessee to Tampa, got a hotel room for a few days, and went to the RV show. I was there for hours and didn't see you all and the tickets for the meet-greet were sold out. I just wanted to meet you guys and shake yall's hands. I've been with you since before 13k followers. 😢
I loved and can relate to so many of the glitzy items on the RVs not being useful, or even necessary. The one item you missed on the whole truck size issue is the payload. Too many people do not take that into account. Your insurance company sure will if you're in an accident and over your maximum payload. Great video. Keep them coming.
We have a 20' trailer and travel with our cat Mango. We cut a large hole in the bottom of one bedroom closet. She jumps down into the pass-thru where we have a cat bed and her litter box. She has her own cat room and litter stays out of the RV.
Great advice! Liked learning about the numbers and letters. We're part timers for hubby's job, have a Coleman 2515RL. It's perfect for us except for the teardrop shape for the bed. We're in our 60s and it's really hard to make the bed. So that Will be a consideration next time. Also, Next time we will have a fifth wheel and we like the size of yours. We had already decided to get the larger truck anyway because he does commercial construction and it's just easier to pull a camper with. Our indecision comes with whether or not to get diesel. We are also bikers and it interrupts our riding lives to not have a toy hauler. His job takes us to extremely small towns, sometimes with little to no access for groceries and other essentials. For instance the town we are in now we had to get a post office box for to get our Amazon deliveries. The local Walmart has absolutely no clean foods never mind organic. Sometimes the only available food is a Dollar general or gas station!
Totally agree with most of what you said. Less lights, more plug ins! I will say with the outdoor showers, our new rig has a spray port by the front door. It’s nice for spraying off muddy boots and the steps. Also the DVD player and CD players are handy for us full timing homeschool families! Great advice for people. Your videos helped us a lot when we first got started for sure!
If you want to save a little extra space, you can always buy a PS4 or XBox One which allows for streaming, music, movies/tv shows (it has a Blu-Ray and CD player built in) and of course, gaming. It's a simple hookup to any TV/entertainment system and you really don't need anything else and you can sell the DVD and CD players. You can also hookup a portable hard drive to it so all of your media can be stored in one, compact place
Well done Hanks!! This should be mandatory viewing prior to any RV purchase. You knocked it out of the park!!❤
😂😂😂 what exactly they covered that is required before buying one 🤡🤡🤡
Thank you!!! We entered the dealership without knowing anything. We didn't decide on anything. We escaped!!! Lol.
It's great to take a few tours before deciding! Best of luck to you guys :)
Loved hearing you talk about a “Murphy Bed”. We had a camper picked out that had a Murphy bed in it…we had already named it “Murphy”. Went to an RV show in Kansas City to visit it…went around a corner and saw a different camper that we liked better! Instantly changed our mind and put a down payment on the one we actually bought. As we were driving home I said to my husband…”Well, now what am I going to name this new one? It doesn’t have a Murphy bed, so OBVIOUSLY it’s name is Not Murphy!!!” And…. BAM 💥 our camper earned its name…Not Murphy! 🤣🤣🤣
Sooo funny!
The sales folks I met also pumped the outside speakers and sofa lights. Lol. I told them, don't be one of those... "sharing" your music with me. 🧐
Cheers, Eric
You get it, Eric haha!
I liked the outdoor shower. I agree that the cord is very short but a compromise to that is that I went to Home Depot and got two things. One a short plumbing cord that screwed onto the shower box where the hose connects. Next I got a shut off that fit on the end of that hose in case while traveling you would no have a water leak. Lastly I got a 6 foot home shower head that I stored in the basement. We used it for washing dogs at the lake or beach and other personal items of ours.
Also we did not have an outdoor Kitchen sink so we had two plastic tubs that we used the shower for to rinse and wash dishes when we cooked outside. We were not full time but weekend and some weekly travel trips that we often had up to 8 people in and out of a 28 rbbh.
The Rear bathroom had its own entrance so travel days the bathroom was accessible and wet swimmers had an entrance to get to the shower. Your point on bathroom size was a good point. We had a small but useable vanity and toilet area but the offset to a little less room was we had a double size shower that had plenty of stand up room.
The rear. Bath door also gave us a door to separate the living space so camping with dogs made it easier to come in the back without them charging out the front door.
Love your videos! Your advice is spot on. Our first RV was a very small tow behind camper. We quickly outgrew it. I wish we would have sat down and listed all of our needs before diving in.
I love the hanks. They break up the monotony of traditional "walk through" type videos.
Great info video with good thought points for what do you really want/need in your Rv. I bought Open Range RL212FB travel trailer, foldable stow-able dining table, front full queen bed, rear wall bathroom, refrigerator, and pantry, one small loveseat slide-out, store in doorway steps. And able to tow with current 1/2 ton pickup. First season did not use the outside hose connections, the outdoor speakers or the under awning LED lights. We do seasonal summer camping with cooking and eating outside most days. This is the Ritz Carlton from the popup camper we enjoyed for ten years. Thanks hanks for keeping it real and simple for many of us.
Another awesome video, you rock. Too many people buy their RV and have buyers remorse after they get it home.
Great video!!! We purchased our fifth wheel in 2012 for vacationing and have been snowbirding since 2014. Spending 5 months a year living in it. You hit on so many points that people really need to consider and take into account when purchasing an rv. Once again great job!!
My husband and I have been RV dreaming since about 2020. We have looked at rigs and what we thought we wanted has changed many times due to many of the things you have talked about here. We didn't have a tow vehicle yet which was the main thing that kept us from seriously considering buying anything (and learned a lot about that in an RV show workshop). We finally got our vehicle late last year so I'll definitely print out your checklist to take with us as we move from the dreaming stage to the buying stage!
Been watching you guys for a few months and I love your energy!! This video timing was perfect because the annual RV show is in town this weekend and I really want to go now to see if I can find exactly what I want. Thanks and keep it up Hanks
You two are amazing! We have an RV show coming up in Atlanta, and I have my list of things I am looking for in a class A. One big thing that nobody ever talks about is access with the slides in! We have a great Pyr who will need some room to be able to lie down and this is something I have been looking for.
For real tho, I got my super tiny RV thanks to you guys. (we have a half ton truck) We rented an RV and we decided it was WAY too big for our needs and now year #2 with our tiny RV we are super happy. :D Thanks for your help!
I totally agree with the let it rip. The only thing we use sparingly is the outside shower. We hook up a hose and rinse the dog with warm water. It’s also handy for washing the truck because of the water softener- less spotting.
Great tips! It was so nice to meet you at this show. I appreciate you accommodating us and allowing us to take a photo! Safe travels and hope to see you on the road again soon!
Perfect video to watch right before the Tampa RV show! Great job guys! ❤
I run solo so i added a vhs/dvd player to my rig , i do not have any under lighting just the spice rack under the stove , my outdoor coiled hose is 15 feet and on the entrance side , i have a portable bluetooth speaker i can use whereever needed ... lots of good info for the shopping trip thought , good job as usual .Hope i can meet you two sometime
Have been subsided with for about 5 months now
Another great video and thank you for kerping it real. The outdoor speakers and all the lights you talked about are things Ive wondered about myself. I appreciate what you have brought out. Stay safe
You guys got such good chemistry and provide great insights. Sorry that you had to make the mistakes for us but thank you for making those mistakes for us!❤
Love your ideas! I’ve been binge watching from the beginning. My husband and I and our two boys are planning to go full time in the next year or two.
Great job! You did a great job telling the important things to look for! Especially for those like me who get distracted by shiny objects 🤣. No outside speakers or outside showers (people forget to winterize them.☔️💧💧💧 (Jane in SC ❤️ 🙏)
One of the most information fill videos yet. Outstanding! Thanks.
Dexter's advice was as always invaluable. Love you buddy!
Great job, as usual! We have been full-time for 1-1/2 hrs. Thinking of making the jump to a fifth wheel, so this was timely.
you always think you know almost everything and you still keep learning new stuff. Thanks for the great content!! If the camper doesn't have tank heaters it is not an all season.
Great tips!!! We never used our outdoor speakers or the recliner lights either!! We are old school and have a ton of DVD's so we still would want that but noticed the new 310 didnt have a DVD player. We got to meet you today at the GD section of the Tampa show and I have to say my life if now complete lol!! We love the Hanks!!
the slide out advice seems particularly valuable. I'm watching youtube videos from RV places where they give the tour with the slides out, never showing slides in, and on SOME of these it's so obvious that it's practically unusable with the slides in. I think I'd prefer either no slides at all OR slides that are more for extra space and not always necessary.
I want to say thank you for your videos I have not shopped for a rv in 20 years and now I need one for full time and your tips are awesome cause salesmen are like car salesmen after your 🤑 & as a single woman I don't like being taken advantage of .. thank you keep it coming 😁🤗
I wish we had done more research before we bought our last camper. Thanks for sharing all this information so others can be better informed before buying a camper. I also wish we would have bought a bigger truck! It is very limited on what you can really tow with a half ton truck!! #ThanksHanks! Happy Camping and Safe Travels! ❤️❤️
So agree with you guys on the outdoor speakers. But we have used the outdoor shower. My son uses it when he has to give the litter box a good cleaning. Also the very first time we ever used it was when we got our new RV and we were driving it back home we got in late to the Fair grounds that we were staying at and went to hook up our black tank and the valve hadn't been shut all the way or it vibrated loose don't really know and hate thinking about it. after the several days of traveling to get home this was our first time to hook up and my poor hubby oh it was so bad. I used that outdoor shower on him for sure that night. What a nightmare.
My GeoPro is basically perfect for my needs. I typically go on trips of 2 weeks or so, which is fine. It doesn't have nearly enough storage for full time use. The tradeoff is that I can pull it with a full size SUV, and get into places you'd never dream of with a 5th wheel. I've never used the outside shower, but I recently got a dog, so I probably will in the future. The one thing on mine that I completely scrapped was the audio system. It came with the cheapest 2 zone unit Furrion sells, with even cheaper speakers. I looked up the factory speakers, out of curiosity. The indoor ceiling-mounted ones retail for $13 a pair, and the single outdoor one goes for $7. Sounded like the old transistor radios from the '60s. I installed a much nicer 3-zone head unit, replaced the ceiling speakers with a pair of Sony marine speakers on Zone 1 and added a sound bar under the TV on Zone 2. I got rid of the outside speaker, and ran a cable through the pass through storage that lets me plug in a pair of residential-style weatherproof speakers when I want music outside. I generally only use it when I'm out boondocking, though.
Thank you for all the great information! I am a nurse also and I appreciate the opportunities to work and travel like you guys. I look forward to doing this soon.
Outdoor speakers . Great! I have to listen to your music or TV instead of the birds and other nature sounds that I actually came to experience.
An added tip that we did was add a bidet to the toilet. Sounds a little boujee but saves on toilet paper, and as someone who enjoys a wet wipe they are not good in the tank. Bidet works great.
You guys nailed it on the outdoor speaker zoning! lol We do use ours, except I actually rewired the outside zone to a separate head unit in my outdoor kitchen so I can listen to whatever I want while the kidos are watching their shows inside. Great video as always guys!!
This is such a good idea
@@_pnjtravels It’s great when you want to chill outside and bbq with a beer and your tunes and the kids can still watch what they want with the main House entertainment unit.
We use a Bluetooth JBL for our music. We can take it anywhere.
@@vincentgonzales8917 those are great too, I have one to take with me, but I’m also a bit of an audiophile, so I like it so sound good a higher volumes when we’re out boon docking in desert type locations. Plus it was a fun project🤣
I dont know how to turn off the outside speakers. Or how to play my own stuff from my cellphone. But then again, the neighbors probably don’t wanna hear about the 4 babies found in the wardrobe from an audible book.
Definitely helpful video.
However, as a long timer RVer since 1986, I do take some issue with the comment on half ton PUs. Yes, many do not consider payload and hitch weight, but what many in social media seems to forget is weight distribution in the TRAILER!
There are excellent videos proving this point. Our current 30-foot Cougar pulled by a Tundra has performed incredibly well for years with zero breakdowns (which I can not say the same for a 350 that broke on most every long trip).
What people need to consider is not traveling with a full sewage if it is at the rear of the trailer as well as an empty FW tank if it is forward of the CG. Most issues with trailers taking control of the truck are the result of poor trailer weight and balance. Even a 1 ton can succumb to poor trailer loading or even a trailer that is much to heavy for the tow vehicle (IMO one should not exceed by much the truck weight with a travel trailer, rather go with a 5th wheel).
For me, vehicle reliability is extremely important, so I will likely stick with my current half ton.
Also, on a side note, I am also a long-time pilot where weight and balance is also important.
Thank God for Thursday and the Hanks!
Hi Hanks!! We began living in a heartland pioneer a month ago while building in Ohio. Gets cold. We wanted to share that we’ve completely eliminated condensation on our large windows by draping a tarp from the roof over the entire pop out. It’s so surprising that we had to share. So far the lowest temp is 13 degrees. FYI. We have loved your videos. We knew nothing of camping before this. Thanks Hanks!!! The Dunaway’s
Great video guy's! Now just one thing, wait till you have kids and you will figure out how handy that outdoor shower comes in. Safe travels Hank's.
You guys make a great video - relaxed, amusing without trying too hard, and lots of 'telling it like it is'. Very watchable and good info.
We appreciate you, Jarah!
I just retired and started to look into the RV's. In just two days I have learned so much and thanks for explaining the letters after the numbers. Yesterday I was asking my self that the heck those letters are for, because no one took the time or initiative to explain their meaning. Thanks again!!
Way better than another "Tamp Bay RV show" video.
Thanks Hanks
Wow! I never really knew what the RL stood for in the type of RV I own! Thanks for explaining that.
Love the tips. Thank Dexter for the help 😃
Loved the video! U2 are adorable and informative! I actually have under cabinet lights. A great mood lighting and don’t affect my TV. You’re absolutely right, it all depends on what you’re looking for and what you’re using.
Great video - wish we had done more research before we got our TT.
We lucked out when we got our Venture Ultra Lite because of the thousands off. Had a few hiccups on first 2 trips but got all fixed myself. We travel with 2 small and 1 big furkids. We got the TT for us to be able to take them camping with us.
I must admit we only checked out a few TTs before we decided on one but reality hit when the suspension in my older GMC was not sufficient for towing.
Week later newer truck and better payload. Thousands saved went towards the purchase of the truck. Lesson learned. Stay safe ! 😎
We recently went through the loss of our dog tootsie of 16 years and Dixie of 21 years . A great loss to our family. Thank you for sharing how you guys got thru it.😇🙏
I wish I saw this last year too!!! We bought a new trailer. And so far has been a pain. The kitchen sink drains into the black tank. Cheap materials we do love traveling once a month with our kids but oh boy if I knew now… thanks for the great videos!
Great job well done 👏 and I agree with no lights on the recliners .... Thanks again for great information Blessings
Great video, you covered a lot of important points. Especially in regards to the tow vehicle, the rv dealer will always insist whatever truck you have, it will tow this rv just fine. Buyers need to do their own research to determine their trucks towing capacity, gross vehicle weight ratings, and gross combined weight ratings are. Base these ratings on the GVWR of the rv and not the curb (dry) weight. And make sure the tires on it are the correct load rating for that truck. The truck may have had its tires replaced at some point with a lower load range tire than what was OEM.
Oh my gosh great video timing guys.👊
Myself and my wife full time in a Nexus Rebel 30 R 4x4 and are currently in Quartzite AZ for a show Saturday to geek out. We are looking at going 26 feet full time but bare minimum essentials and bike garage a must.
We found out so much of this on the fly but thank you so much you two be safe have fun🙏💃🕺🌲⛰🪨🌵
We bought our first one last year. We basically focused on mileage, price, drivable, size and condition. We ended up with one a little older, but with super low miles. And we are only just over 23 feet long. We are doing some of our first BIG trips this summer! This would have been helpful for sure to watch prior to us buying our first one.
Nicely done! 45+ years of rv-n and NEVER have used the outdoor shower in any rv we’ve owned. We just took delivery of a new trailer and as you stated way to many small led lights on things that are not necessary. First few outings when we have hit the rack the Boss will ask if I left the light on in the kitchen or living area. Yes to the issues with the outdoor speakers as well.
Great video! There are a lot of videos out there that provide this type information but, you guys make it informative and entertaining at the same time. And, I'm with you on the speakers, lights and radio. Our radio is located in the bedroom and the light on the clock is so bright we have to find a way to cover it or it's like sleeping with the lights on. Keep on keeping us informed and entertained!!
Very entertaining. Loved Dexter!
Another excellent and informative video - thank you both! 100% agree on the outdoor speakers! I remember, four years ago, when we were researching to buy a small travel trailer, seems like every sales person and tour video made a fuss about the blue backlit stove knobs. Just one of the dumbest features to make a fuss about to potential buyers, imo. It screams of bad salesperson or bad product when a major selling point is a blue light behind a stove knob. The trailer that we decided to purchase three years ago, has a rear bath closet big enough for an adult to sit in and yet, that was not pointed out during the tour, but the blue backlit stove knobs were!
Have been full timing for 2 yrs now and love it and love your videos ❤️ Very helpful and funny ❤️
So much great info!We bought a remote control for the cup holder recliner heater controls and vibrator controls, so they don't get turned on by accident ALL the time.
#ThanksHanks
Always enjoy your information and your sense of humor. Another consideration I would add is to determine what quality of build do you need in an RV. Many RV's are assembly line construction coupled with "ultralight" (aka ultra cheap ) materials resulting in a rig with overt defects when brand new that are not really designed to last the test of time. If you are looking for a weekend warrior for some family summer camping trips and you plan to own your rig for only a couple years you may be well served by a lower quality rig that is full in features, lower in weight, and lower in price. If you plan on using your trailer more often or plan on owning it for many years to come you may be better served spending a little more for a better built rig with higher quality materials and better workmanship in construction.
I researched for 5 YEARS!! Bought the RV with all of my wants and needs list. But now I realize what I didn't realize lol. I can't even brush my teeth in the bathroom because the medicine cabinet comes it so far I can't spit in the sink 😐. I have a closet slide but it's soooo small! I can't even hang shirts because there's drawers! I would rather the full front closet with bed slide. And blackout blinds! Cool right?? No. They are LITERALLY black and attract/hold the heat. Bad when you live in the desert... You literally can't outthink yourself. Oy vey
Great video. Watching the clips from the leak that caused the water in the bottom made me curious to if anyone considered installing a bilge pump that works off of a float or water sensor. Maybe a good idea if a leak ever happens while sleeping or away from the RV.
This was great timing we watched this last night before heading to an RV show to see what we liked. These tips gave us some helpful things to think about while we walked around today. #thankshanks
Everything you guys said is so true. Very informative and entertaining video. Thanks for sharing.
Heated seats sounded amazing, by really only the bottom of the seat is heated and burning hot. Not what I am looking for after a long hike. Controls for lights, vibration and heat are way too sensitive too. But still love our Grand Design Imagine RBE 22. Perfect couples camper for empty nesters!
Love your channel! Such a fun couple. Wishing you a lifetime of adventure and happiness!
We installed an outdoor remote control outlet to plug our recliners into. Easy to turn the bright lights off at night, and no chance of activating any of the (too easy to activate) buttons when not using any of the features. 22MLE
@@BToddL how did you do that?
@@diverm2371 Here is what I used: DEWENWILS Outdoor Remote Control Outlet. I plugged it into one of the outlets the recliners are plugged into, and then plugged the recliners into it. I keep the wireless remote in the storage space between the recliners. Easy on/off.
Hey, you hit on great points. I totally agree, we walked away from campers that you couldn't access if the slide was in. Our 2015 Rockwood 2109s is ideal. We didn't want all of the bling that we saw in a lot of the campers. Totally agree, outside speakers are unnecessary. We do use the DVD player because we camp in a lot of places where service is sketchy to nonexistent. Love watching your videos and all of your advice. Keep them coming!
Hey HANKS Great video and information on what to look for when looking to buy an RV. Something I want to mention is the Toy Haulers will have a generator in it and there is also a fuel tank so boondocking in one with those can last you a full week or a little more depending on weather conditions and how much you use the generator and the fuel for your toys. I've been looking at them and if i find one like i want I will trade my Jayco Eagle in. Have a great week safe travels Hello Dexter.
Great video Hanks! Always entertaining and informative! Love to Dexter 💞
My wife bought a used trailer, 19-foot Prolite Classic, last year over Facebook and they delivered it to us about 630kms. She just went from the pictures on Facebook. Guess we were lucky.
Great info, still on fence if we're buying RV! Thanks Hanks!
Well Hanks, you've done it again. You schooled me on some things I didn't know or think about. Thx Hanks!
Great video. You guys are very entertaining. We have used our DVD player, but I agree the outside speakers - and even the second TV in the bedroom - not needed.
Another thing to look for is the cargo capacity. At the Florida RV show one of the solitude Bunkhouse models only had a little over 600 pounds of cargo capacity....what the heck!
Good seeing you guys today (RV Pilot shirt guy)
Just found you two a week ago, we were weekend warriors camping with a pop up
And we went on vacation with are car finally moved up to a 2022 springdale 260hb and we are stepping up to vacationing in are new travel trailer to new places like national parks etc no more Disneyland and universal parks
So didn't need anything really big just enough to do the job and new summer vacations spots
Thanks for all the info in your videos
Thank for another great viedo.. our first camper we bought , we'll we had no idea and what sold us was the Murphy bed. Five years latter after much research and many shows later my wife found the camper of her dreams. Like you pointed out don't let the shiny stuff make your decisions. We waited several years for the right floor plan and items we wanted in our new rv. Also price should never be a factor in my book. Getting a entry level camper you will grow out of real quick and the quality may be not what you may expect. For a few grand more you can get a brand with superior quality.
Nice to see you. Great info Hanks