These Are The Dumbest Mistakes That RVers Make -- DON'T MAKE THEM!
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 4. 07. 2024
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In this video, we talk about 9 common mistakes that will destroy your RV. By taking some simple steps we discuss in this video, your RV will last much longer.
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IZZY, MJ, AND JASON
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On the subject of maintenance...I used to have a horse boarding barn with lots of people coming and going, including trainers. One day, one of the trainers was rushing to finish up and said it was because he had an appointment to get his oil checked. I laughed and said, "You mean changed, right?" Nope, he meant checked. So, I clarified that he was paying a mechanic to check the oil in his half-ton pick-up. Yep. Now, in his defense, he was a Dutch Count from South Africa who had migrated here as a young adult and he'd grown up with servants, so it's understandable that he didn't know anything about vehicles. But, as a woman, I was still flabbergasted. I spent the next couple hours showing him how to check all the fluids, belts, hoses, grease zerks, and how to change a tire. ....and I still can't believe that some mechanic was taking his money to check his oil. Jerk. But on the other hand, the guy could be a little arrogant and demanding and expected to be served, too, so the mechanic might have been teaching him a lesson. I know one time he kept asking me if he could have a hitching post in the center of one of the paddocks he rented for $75 p/month and my response every single time was to show him where the posts and post hole digger was and tell him to help himself. He became very frustrated and angry, but I stood my ground. He wasn't paying me enough to be his servant, LOL! He eventually dug his own hole and put the post in himself and that night his (American) wife called me, laughing, and thanked me for not letting him push me around and for making him learn to do things for himself. LOL
I'll share, when were relatively new having only stayed in sites with full hookups we were in Santa Barbara with just water and power. We had rescued a kitten days before the trip so he had to come with. While cooking and cleaning up after dinner we put him in the shower so he wouldn't get stepped on. I was cleaning up outside wife was doing dishes. I poked my head in and she asked me to see what the kitten was upset about. Poor little guy was swimming! Wife thought we had sewer so she wasn't paying attention to water usage, oops. Now she verifies! No kittens were harmed during this lesson learned
Here's a few I can think of:
Not packing enough emergency gear - or underestimating what you think you need. Stow a tarp big enough to cover most, if not all of your roof. Bring a very strong jack (not just the stock questionable grade stuff). Keep a bunch of sharkbite fittings that fit your plumbing, plus a small section of PEX. A couple of rolls of duct tape. A cartridge of sealant and a caulking gun. Think about those things that can likely break and bring some 'rescue' stuff. Things like that can go a very, very long way in not only preventing a lot of damage to your rig should something go wrong, some of it can absolutely save a vacation trip - or your life.
A lot of emergency lighting and either regular or e-flares. We carry 4 rechargeable lanterns, 3-4 illuminated hazard triangles, and at least 4 small flashlights - all with rechargeable batteries and a recharger - in the event we are sidelined on a highway. We were once stuck in an opposing lane of traffic after nearly losing a tire on our tow rig, and being able to set up a very well illuminated hazard zone not only went a long way to keeping us protected, it set up a safe zone for the tow rig to get us out of danger. Don't be the person who tries to furiously wave a flashlight to keep a sleepy tractor trailer driver from bifurcating your rig!
Your right about speeding. Yesterday we watched a video where a SUV was towing a TT in the fast lane, the trailer started fishtailing, the driver didnât know what to do, it got so bad the trailer flipped along with the SUV, the trailer broke loose, stuff in the trailer scattered everywhere along with the trailer. As much of non trailer items that scattered, it was probably overweight,Their plans got ruined because of stupidity. Weâve been traveling (non towing) doing speed limit of 75 & get passed by someone towing a RV. Izzy & MJđđđ great video keepâm coming.
Thanks guys.
I have an oak stick that I made that is the same length as the distance from my tires to the outside edge of the slide when it's fully extended. It's painted red on the ends so It's easy to see. (wish I could post a picture)
This is the first thing we do before we pull into our site.
We lay the stick down against whatever protrudes the farthest into our site. (Power pedestal, water faucet, whatever)
As I pull into the site, all I have to do is too makes sure I don't run over the stick and I know I have enough clearance to fully extend my slide.
It works perfectly every time.
Thanks again for the tips!
Great idea I will try that.
Also we all have a broom. Take the handle of the broom and wrap a piece of tape that show how far out the slide goes. You can also do the same for your steps.
inexpensive 12 ft tape measure marked on it for what (slide / awning).
Just a quick note. I had a horrible experience with Good Sam's Roadside Assistance. We were on Tybee Island, GA and our tow vehicle had a differential problem and we had to drop it off in Savannah at a Ford Dealership. Back on Tybee Island, we had to move our Travel Trailer 100 feet to another campsite, for our remaining three days. The Campground, due to policy will NOT move an individual's equipment under any circumstances. I contacted Good Sam immediately and was assured they would send a wrecker to move it by our deadline. As the deadline approached I received a call from the wrecker to verify the type of trailer and ball size, he may be 10 minutes late. The deadline came and went, and the campground was getting nervous as the new occupants were on their way to Tybee Island. Finally, the wrecker company called and said. "We will be on our way there as soon as Good Sam pays us"
I cannot emphasize enough that Good Sam messed this up wicked! The discounts offered at Pilot Camping World etc. are just not worth it.
I will add a bag of ice to the BT before dumping to scour the sides of any debris. As I drive it agitates and cleans any clinging material. Works to clear the sensors for a more accurate read.
This is such a good idea! I thank you for sharing it. I will definitely use it!
I totally agree with speed. People drive way to fast. I keep it under 65 MPH. I think they need to make people take a driving class for whatever weight class there in
65 is still way too fast! especially in a big vehicle.
Theyâre *
YES! Scary how anyone is allowed to drive an RV!
An old RV friend of mine used to do drills. What to do in a fire. Or if they have to emergency pull over to the side. How to quickly disconnect the tow vehicle if its on fire. Where are the fire extinguishers. Where are the important papers and get them out fast.
Loved the video. I need to start doing some of the things that you talked about. One note though on Coach net. I have it from when we bought our TT. We are on the last of a 5 year plan. I will not be renewing. My son was in an accident where my car was disabled. It had to be towed. They refused to tow it. They said that their service didn't include towing due to an accident. I had to pay almost $200.00 to have it towed 5 miles to my house. I now have AAA with RVplus. no worries. Just my 2 cents worth from personal experience.
I made a checklist for myself for things to check, and secure, and turn off, unhook, close, etc. before I leave my campsite and start driving. I'm sure it's helped prevent me from doing something stupid. I learned a few new things from this video, so thanks!
Itâs all about checklists.:)
Donât forget to retract the stabilizing jacks, before hooking up the trailer hitch. Costly bill of replacing a set of jacks due to this mistake. Especially if your retracting the tongue jack.
You made some good points for campers to heed. We never extend our awning unless weâre going to be sitting under it. Itâs so easy to hit the button and close it, we never want it out when weâre out and about because wind/weather can change unexpectedly.
Thanks for sharing
LOL, we're not all spoiled with automatic awnings, some of us serfs have to deploy ours old school!
We live in Florida and travel 75 quite often itâs amazing to see how many people have no idea what they are doing when towing a vehicle. We have seen so many things that we just cannot believe they have made it 10 miles down the road. Not hooked up properly unlevel no sway bars no chains, you name it weâve seen it. It makes it for a very scary driving sharing the road with these types of people, they have no concern for not only themselves and their families but other people on the road. I wish cops would do more or could do more to stop this, by maybe handing out big tickets to those people who take such a risk such as going 80 miles an hour while towing a travel trailer.
Hi. I am doing research for our retirement plan for full time rving and I feel like you are a gold mine for me. Love your humor. Thanks so much for the tips!
Hi, if you have not brought an RV...... do focus on the roof, there are heaps of youtube postings on leaking roofs and slide outs.....
The simple fact is you cannot join two different material, that have different expansion and contraction rates on a roof and expect the joint if it lays flat never to leak...eventually the sealant fails and the roof leaks and your RV turns to trash....manufacturers know this, service mobs know this and customers don't seem to know this..... If I buy again it would be a one piece roof...more important than most other considerations!
I totally agree on having road side assistance. We had a flat near the beginning of a three week trip. Trying to get a spare tire out from underneath a truck with a camper attached is a bear. In our case the AAA driver was awesome. A lot can happen the farther from home you go. We were lucky where we had our flat, we had cell phone service. Most of our trip we didn't have service.
Always enjoy watching you guys! I finally got my new Class C, a few weeks ago. ordered a Winnebago Navion last September, they said Feb, then May, then July, and then maybe in December. The dealer I ordered from had a Tiffin with the same floor plan, so didn't want to wait and I'll be heading out in a few weeks full time. Your videos are practical and will help me be a better RVer. Keep up the great content
Great tips. One I always check is tires. Check pressure and condition and know what speeds there rated for before you do 80 down the road. Donât forget the lug nuts, know the torque spec.
adding to number 4; the speed rate on rv tires are lower, that's the reason people blow so many tires at a higher rate of speed...
Oh CRAP! ! ! Okay, over 30 years ago, we were just learning and starting to RV. Bought a Coachman Pop-up camper. After each use I would light all the burners, turn off the propane tanks and let the burners die out. Then close the knobs on the burners. EXCEPT, the time I forgot to close the burner knobs. We went out camping, got set up and I turned on the propane tanks. The wife said she could smell the propane and I ignored her and lit the burner! ! ! KA-WHOOMP. All the hair on my legs, arms, hands and eyebrows singed, and happily that was the worst of it. That taught me a VALUABLE lesson. ALWAYS listen to your wife! ! ! Embarrassing and was dangerous too boot.
WOW! Two of the items you mentioned, I already did! Not turning off the water, had a leak but easy and cheap repair. The other was leaving the awning out while we went shopping. Very bad mistake, somewhat costly, $160. but easily fixed. Thanks for your knowledge on RVs. Ours is a TrailManor and we still get issues like everyone else.
i cut a broom stick to the width of my slide outs. before i extend out my slides, i walk around my camper with that broom stick to see if there is enough clearance to extend the slides to keep the slides from hitting trees, or shore power stations, ect.
Thank you so much for posting videos like this. My wife and I have yet to buy our first RV but are so thankful to have all this information before we are in it.
Happy to help!
Oh my gosh - it drives me nuts when I see someone driving too fast in any type of RV. So dangerous and why in such a hurry. As for the propane, we don't, we use Cooler Shock ice packs in the fridge and freezer on travel days (we never travel more than 350 miles or 5 hours on travel days) and we've never had an issue. Things in the freezer are still frozen and the fridge is still cold - love those things! Also, saw the All About RVs use a small tape measure that he has marked the slides and awning lengths so he can just grab that and check each measurements before setting up. As someone who has two different sizes of slides, that's a great way to not have various "measuring sticks". Definitely going to use that method from now on!
Thank you for taking the time to instruct us with lots of good and excellent points.
Appreciate it.
Great tips. As for leaving the gray tank open, we pull a small tear drop with only a 15gal gray tank and 12 black. There have been times when my wife needs to wash her hair that i've left the gray tank open. You are correct, on dumping you open the black then gray and it's the gray water that helps flush the system. We are lucky to have the added bonus of having a black hose hook up so we can connect a hose and it feeds water directly into the black tank so we can get a good wash/flush. As one comment below - having a check list and sticking to it is vital. On at least one occasion on each trip, we've waved down fellow RVers as they've left the camp grounds with vent covers open, storage doors open and on one occasion the actual trailer door was locked open. There is one thing we do that we rarely see others do and this is a system/light check before departing. We check signals/brakes/headlights, pull forward about 6 ft then do another walk around and check both the power box and water source. Tried to encourage a family friend who also RVs a lot to do a final walk around but they were insistent it wasn't necessary. Then, they told us they left an expensive item on the picnic table and had to pay to get it shipped to them. Just takes a few minutes and it's a peace of mind.
Hello, first time subsciber. I'm 74 and been in the RVing world for about 35 years. These are all great tips, I'm only surprised so many don't already know most of this. Like when you leave don't forget to put the antenna down, the step in & unhook the sewer line. I too have made mistakes along the way but learned from them. The only thing I've always been a little fuzzy is winterizing. I simply drain All fluids out & leave open all valves so there's no fluids to freeze & never had a problem yet. I live in Washington with snow every year too..
Thanks for sharing
I do the same with my winterizing and I live in Colorado and never had a problem myself
I have a different colored rope for the extension of each slide. If there is any question about clearance, I check with the appropriate rope.
We donât want to leave the propane on but we have a old 2 way fridge that only runs on propane or shore power. We installed a gas stop.
In over forty years with RV,s We have forgotten to unplug the 50 amp. That was a mess. Then you look at your rear view mirror to see you have left the slide out. Running down the highway with the storage bay open. Hitting low branches. Ouch! Backing up with your car still attached . The list is endless ( no punt intended ) . The worst was leaving the black water hose loose at the RV when dumping. There are no words for that. Good news is we normally learn the first time.
Thanks for sharing !!
Thank you so much for this video, MJ and Izzy. We let our previous roadside assistance membership lapse, but after your comment, we just signed up with Coach Net. Being stranded on the side of the road would be bad enough but lacking a plan to get help would be a nightmare! We've heard of Coach Net before, sounds like one of the better plans available, so thank you! As for mistakes - HA - I could write a book! How about pulling in too close to the pumps in a gas station and crushing the metal pump number sign up against the side of the coach! Always pay attention to strange noises, especially the ones that sound like fingernails scraping a blackboard!
Definitely peace of mind!
Hi Wes, we have had Coach Net since 2015. There is no cap on towing distance, plus the coverage will include all other vehicles you own too.
@@michaelt2961 Thank you for your response, Michael T, I did not know that about towing! Great to know!
Great tips! Perhaps you have covered this but one thing I find helpful is a written breaking camp/unhooking procedure AND following it. Especially if, for whatever reason, you find yourself in a rush. Under any stress things can easily be overlooked. I have overlooked things and immediately kick myself in the butt for not checking my list! When I follow my list, everything goes perfectly.
Great tip, my Marine pilot son has inspired me to make my own laminated book,( slightly smaller than a typical binder), with setup, tear down, and procedures for turning on all systems.
Awesome info as always ! I learned the hard way about roof top things like the crank up antenna and/or dish. First time out ours took up residence in a tree when we left for home. Not a cheep fix but a valuable lesson learned.
Thank you guys! I love watching your videos and appreciate all great advice!
Back in my younger days my family and I were avid campers and I have done some dumb things. We were big pop up campers and I have gotten in a hurry and forgot to retract the stabilizers. Camping is fun but you have to use your noggin and what's in it. Great video.
Thank you Izzy and MJ! These tips are good. I notice that out here sone rvers are driving a bit fast. One about cut me off. Youâre right they need to slow down.
Thank you for your comment about fast drivers. I see so many of them, I start to think that I'm the one who doesn't know how to drive because I'm going slower. I feel validated now! đ
I just think I'm in California where the speed limit for trailers is 55, keeps me out of trouble, remember just because you can afford it doesn't mean you can drive it.
Oh boy. You just hit the third rail talking about traveling with Propane tanks open. I get both sides of the argument, however, I recommend those running with propane tanks open, use a GasStop propane shutoff valve to add a layer of protection.
Had to do it when the 110 side failed. Didn't want to but wasn't going to lose a fridge full of food on day 1 of a 10 day trip. Steaks aren't cheap!
Iâm just beginning my RV adventures so this was very helpful thank you
Thanks we never thought of turning water off . We will do that from now on
BTW, we carry a spare tire on our class-a. And yes, we have changed tires on the road. I'd rather change the tire in 3-45 minutes than wait on road side assistance for hours. Not saying that you should not pay for a road side assistance program, (for towing) but be self sufficient people.
When you run an older RV, get on top of all maintenance (house, engine, chassis). Remember, "You are the Warranty".
1) ALWAYS have sway control!!! 2) MaxxAir fans don't require rain sensors, as they are designed with
the vented portion facing down. Using those covers on Fantastic Fans cuts way down on the air.flow. (I've done it both ways, finally switched to MaxxAir).
You Guys are awesome đ
Great ideas and great reminders.
Don't forget make that CHECK LIST!
If you live/rv in the south west make sure to clean the a/c unit coils on the the roof and inside air filter!!
Wonderful advice and information. Thank you both so much. đ
Well I forgot to pull the awning in.
Yep was very embarrassing a little boy about 13 was yelling at us.
We were soo lucky his parents and another rver help up untangle the mess. Good thing we had ins. Only paid for the deductible. Never made that mistake again.
I have been guilty of not winterizing soon enough. Had to replace commode. I also have been guilty of driving too fast, trailer started to hydroplane. I keep both black and grey tank valves closed. Once you get sewer flies/gnats you'll learn to keep them closed. I also loss an awning in a pop-up storm in 1989. That was before wind sensors existed.
I have a little 20â, no slide, travel trailer. Three times a year I spend $800 to have it specially detailed with focus on the front cap. Four times a year Iâm on the roof checking seals. Itâs a 2020 and it looks just as good as it did the day I bought it. Good points in this video!!
Yes well worth the effort as it pays off and you know what you have
You pay $800 X3=$2400 Pls tell me I misunderstood And your on the roof 4 times a year your likely to cause problems by over maintaining your rv
you guys are the best i studied your videos and taht really alleviates little mistakes that you talk about ⊠You guys are extremely helpful to the RV community keep it up pretty soon you guys will be enjoying your RV once you guys retire a lot more I know Izzy canât wait Thank you for your service brother
Thank you
Thank you... your content was very informative... Just starting out and needed to hear every bit...
Thank you
Really appreciate you guys and all your very useful and smart info!
Yah.. I had a $900 tow bill for my truck& 2 ft camper.. so glad I have nationwide towing coverage on my insurance
Roadside assistance, worth every penny! I've had AAA since I was a kid on my parents plan. RV came with 5 years of coach net, when that expired I added RV to my AAA. Used it for the first time this week, fuel pump died. After 20 phone calls trying to find someone who would work on a chassis I had it towed 16 miles. Would have cost $675 for the medium duty rig, I didn't pay a dime, just bought the driver a nice lunch for being very professional and careful! As a side note I also ride a motorcycle and the RV plan also covers it too. Only used it for running out of gas so far but it gives me piece of mind
Thank you for this!! As a new RVer, this was extremely helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
RV is do and learn. It's really a crash course. I asked as many experienced people as I could for pointers. Unfortunately what got me in the end, nobody told me about. It could had been from putting wood in my RV that was left over and Termites ate my floor. Or it could had been from maybe parking in a site where they were already, but they destroyed it. So fumigate every winter.
After buying a new RV and going on several trips we decided to sell it. We live in a nice home out away from the city and every time we traveled, we felt like we were living in a mobile home park. The last two trips we stealth camped way out in the sticks and felt like Boney and Clide until we got home. We also found that a lot of places along the east coast made us leave if we parked in their parking lot just to go in and eat. We now drive a large SUV and stay in nicer hotels and enjoy ourselves a lot more. Plus, we don't spend time cleaning the RV inside and out every time we stop, and it's a lot cheaper.
Our trailer fridge only runs on propane while traveling. Itâs a touchy subject. Some rvâers leave them on, some donât. I bought valves for the propane tanks that immediately shuts off the gas if there is a leak. They arenât cheap, but weâll worth the price. Around $75 a piece.
Very interesting. I do all my own maintenance and can't imagine not doing proper maintenance. I do need to do a better job of receipts and documentation as the the maintenance. đ
Don't forget to take TV antenna down before traveling, we have a hang down tag to remind us
As a trucker, I have to say this... For the love of the Michelin Man, *DO NOT* extend your slide(s) when parked in truck parking. Those spaces are barely big enough to pull into with a big rig, and we need the extra bit of clearance your slide is using. I have seen where a truck pulling out clipped an RV slide with the overswing of the trailer. The slide didn't fare so well.
Love the fire special effects at 5:10 in the video.
Lots of really good tips
Kool couple. You complement each other. I am just studying, dreaming, hoping to find a way to find the RV that fits me. You spoke of things I think are of great value and that I had not heard before.
Experience talking huh.
Thank you for sharing your time and wisdom.
Have fun, be safe.
thanks for watching and the comment
My first RV we left the awning out and went out to eat , BIG MISTAKE ! Came back laying on ground $$$$$$$$$
Another great video. Our fridge runs off propane or 120vac. We didn't have an inverter so running with the propane on had been a staple for us. I did put in an inverter, but we've had several inverters fail on us. Also traveling with an almost 98 year old M-I-L is difficult and running the heat is necessary for her. Trying to find better alternatives to the propane.
Good tips! Enjoy your channel. Take care.
To me taking care of an Rv is like taking care of a house or a car. They all need tender loving care. And maintenance. Thank you Izzy and MJ for this video. Hope you have great Fourth of July weekend and Fourth of July! đșđžđșđžđșđž
My dumbest mistake was to develop an oil seal leak on the water pump, and falsely diagnosing it to be the vacuum pump above it. Then at the same time have someone steel one of my rear wheel valve extensions with the presume sensor.
This resulted in me suddenly having a massive increase in fuel consumption due to the flat tire which the tire pressure monitoring was still indicating all tires correctly inflated...... I did not investigate more as I assumed failing vacuum pump which not only boosts the brakes but also controls the engine turbo veins was the cause of the bad fuel consumption.....the tire of the dual back wheels which was flat looked normal when stopped.....so I was nursing what I thought was a sick vacuum pump home and did not pick up on the flat tire. It was not till I got home some 1000 miles latter and started washing the RV I discovered my valve extension and sensor missing....
Moral of the story is do not trust tire pressure sensors to much go around and still inspect your tires and wheels...... as for miss diagnosing the oil leak, I ended up replacing both the water pump and vacuum pump, since I removed them anyway....new ones are not that expensive considering labor costs, and the new parts have a three year warranty.
Dumb mistake was putting to much trust in tire pressure monitoring, cost hundreds of dollars in extra fuel! ( tire turned out not to suffer any damage, so could have been pumped up while on the road, as a I carry a compressor).
Thank you MJ & Izzy!
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thanks again amazing video.... for us as new RV'ers....
Glad it helped!
Fortunately my stepdad was a Beet Truck driver (and farmer) before he acquired a used Class A motorhome.
I can't say that he never had any mishaps, but he never had any major mishaps with it.
Voice to Text screwed up my content, "Fortune" instead of "Fortunately."
We keep a weekly, monthly, and quarterly list of different types of routine maintenance for our rig. It may seem like over kill but we have very few issues that Iâve seen to be common issues with fellow RVers. And we keep full warranty and road side. Itâs worth every penny.
I am about to take on full time RVing and would love to have access to the knowledge in these- are you willing to share?
Excellent. Tks for sharing.
Thanks for recommendations especially on !propane
izzy and aj, another great video to say the least,all common sense statements, sadly, there are numerous people lacking common sense have a great and safe holiday to you both
I have 3 campers that I rent out. On 2 of them the fridge takes upwards of 18 hours to get cold. They have to be run on propane while under way. They thaw out within three hours, probably less. One can run on battery, but it's very easy to kill the battery that way. Turning off propane is not really an option for me.
I'm not an owner yet. I'm gleaning as much as I can before I buy. Soooo much to remember, but I'm determined to live this part of my life in an RV, for a while.
Love your videos. One thing that we do is to carry a piece of 1/2" pvc cut to the length that the slide extends so we can check before we ever setup.
Great idea, thanks for sharing. No slides currently, but the retirement one will
Dumb thing I did as a rookie, we pulled away from our campsite to go a few hundred yards away to a better one. Told the wife, Feels kinda weird. We forgot the GD awning was out! Fortunately we didn't hit anything or got on the highway.
Excellent real world advice.
Take an old broom handle and mark on it the slide depths. When you get to the site, hold the stick up and you know if you have room. No guessing.
We've done alot of not big dumb things. But I see awning thing, I just saw one today ripped off a class A if your not using it why have it out, another thing is a extended powertrain warranty on your tow vehicle as we were almost out $11000 after our trucks transmission almost blew insurance paid for a new Trans, rental car, and tow to our final destination with $500 in deductibles cover your butt it's worth it, agree with everything y'all saidđđ
I have a truck camper. I have replaced all the fuses with the next size up, assuming they fit. No more raising the jacks in cold, pouring Canadian rain, when they stop because the manual says a 10 amp fuse will suffice.
Not sure itâs a good idea to replace fuses that were used by the manufacturer at a specific amp rating with a fuse of a higher rating
enjoyed the info...I actually have a checklist that we follow setting up and leaving...close enough to power & sewer , slide out space , etc. etc ..leaving , awning , power , hose , propane , storage locked , even check fuel to see how soon to plan a stop...because of issues in past trips , we find the checklist very helpful ...airline pilots do it !!! make your list very detailed , it helps ...Thanks again for your tips...
Would you be willing to share your checklists with others?
Excellent. Should be required viewing.
Yeah I can see MJ being a speed demon. That and being a little too giddy smacking bugs with her bug zapper.
All good points. Especially basic maintenance and speed. Most common failures I see roadside are trailer tires and wheel bearings. Just because an engine can propel a rig to 85 doesnât mean the chassis can respond to an evasive maneuver or short stop from that speed. Both the ignored maintenance and high speed are even more hazardous when weight is high and incorrectly distributed. Maybe that is a good future vid topic. Too common that RVrs fail to understand many important weights. What is the empty weight of YOUR rig? The manufacturers weight on tag isnât YOUR rig. How much does ALL of your stuff and people weigh? Do a tally of EVERYTHING or drive your loaded rig on a truck scale. Either way most people are going to be surprised how all of the âfew more thingsâ that âdonât weigh muchâ add up.
I one forgot to check the vents before leaving, even though I do a pre trip check. The wind caught it and flipped it back. Another motorist signaled to me something was blowing off the roof. Had to ratchet strap it until I got home. Fortunately it was a easy fix. And didnât cost anything
Here's incident for discussion. I'm in Montana rest area sitting on picnic table feeding about dozen squirrels. When big, beautifully painted RV stops, with elder couple an a pink French poodle mix. She's really dyed pint with what looks like diamond necklace! I was thinking, I don't think I've seen diamonds so big, when she sees squirrels an momma puts dog away. She comes back an we have nice lunch together. Remember calling dog, "Missy"! I get ready to leave but elder couple says good bye an their on Hwy first. I'm not far behind them an when I pull up too their RV I see something dangling an swinging from RV's trailer hitch. I see what it see an pull up to the driver window. He smiles down at me while I signal for him too open his window, which he does. "I don't think Missy can keep up with you doing 70+ mph"! Missy was swinging around by her leash from the trailer hitch ball. She was bouncing an gyrating like she was dead roadkill, which she was. To make matters worse he realizes his diamond clad dog is ground meat. I pulled over with them an helped them bury they precious Missy! One lapse of thought can get people killed even your best friend!
I made the mistake with my slide and put a nice dent in the slide. Another mistake I made is not having a wide enough gate in my fence and putting a nice gash in the back of the trailer. I also had a problem with the awning blowing up. I have started bracing it with a dog anchor and a rope. Fortunately I only paid 5 k for the trailer so I don't feel so bad.
#4 I totally agree!!!
The price of fuel hasn't slowed them down yet! We just started full-time, traded our TT in for a 9600lb 5R Yes it's lighter then most but we only have a RAM 2500 diesel and don't want to be those people that overload the tow vehicle. We wanted a 3500 or better but new was way out of our price range, and we just couldn't find one in good enough shape. So we are limited to 20k GCVW yes we checked the true capacity for the truck and verified the gear ratio.
Ty for your insight. My 1st. R V. An iam 65 ,Ronnie in orange county ca. So wife an I bought r v. Yeah doin alot of home work iam a hands on guy so it's all good . I will be following u guys for more tips again thx
Right on
I like the part of Maintenance my grandpa use to say a Stitch in time saves nine
So if you think about it it saves slot of money
Buying sewer plugs for the elbows (without lugs) and putting them in the ends of the sewer hose. Then forgetting them until I pulled the dump lever. Ever thought about how you would get a clear elbow of black tank unplugged without dumping it all over the pad?
I agree to all of what your saying.
Leaving awning out in the rain.
My class A has a spare tire. But the previous owners never rotated the tires. When I bought the 1998 Fleetwood in 2019 I immediately took it to a tire shop for them to inspect all the tires. 6 of them were five years old and the rig had 34,000 miles on the odometer. But the Spare tire was mfg in 1997 and was never used. I replaced it immediately for less than $300.00. in 2021
I had a flat inner duly. I was able to pay just 25.00 to have my spare put on.
I just learned more good tips. Thank you, great content
Glad it was helpful!
For my slides. I have 1 Cargo door that is longer than slide goes out.
Open door and better than guessing.
My tip.