I subscribed...just because you were so painfully honest about the price you had to pay for the lessons learned. Stuff like this happens all the time. You don't realize that because most people are too ashamed to admit to anything less than perfection. Don't be so hard on yourselves. Stand tall and smile. Help others whenever possible. Now that you have "fallen off the turnip truck", you can help others through your experiences. Thank you for sharing. Take care.
Hi, Gloria! Thank you for your kind words. I totally agree that most people don't want to project anything less than perfect (especially on social media!) but we thought these things needed to be heard. We are definitely trying to help other behind us on this journey with our RV 101 videos and showing the real side of RV life. Thanks for subscribing, welcome to the getaway gang! :)
OMG You two are great. I'm sorry for all.your trouble. Sharing your problems is so awesome for those of us who are contemplating RV life or just beginning. Thank you so much♡
What really helped me out a lot before actually buying my own 5th wheel was that I would go camping with my friends once in a while and help them set up camp once we get there. After a few times I understood the things you need to do and why when pulling a trailer and setting it up once you get there. On my last trip in late summer 2017 , I chose a route that was on a fairly rough 2 lane highway up into Canada. When I went inside the camper , most of the drawers had moved themselves out on their own but I didn't lose anything. I had 6 ratchet straps holding down my motorcycle in the back garage , when I arrived 2 were left as one of them snapped in half and allowed the others to loosen. Motorcycle was okay. I bought better straps for the next trip. Next thing , I'm also installing the shock absorber kits for the trailer leaf springs. Apparently it bounces around back there a LOT.
“Battle scarred“ 5th wheel plates and tow vehicle body damage make for good stories, it shows you’re having a great time on the road. Y’all be safe out there.
Cheers to a continuous adventuring . I got my first RV just 2 months ago. First time taking it out ripped off the steps. Since then I have ran out of gas, had issues with the carburetor, alternator, and had to get a tow. It's a 77 Chevy, Winnebago, Itasca. You two take care of yourselves, may good fortune shine upon you.
Oh no! I've heard a lot of people rip off the steps though, you'd think they would come up with a better design! Thanks for the comment and happy travels to you!
Keep your chin up, soon you will be experts. We made a check list for hitching and unhitching when we got our fifth wheel and both of us double check each other. It’s so important to be safe. Enjoy your adventure!
You guys were very lucky, But Im glad that you still want to tell your story so others don't get into the same situation. I just purchased a 37 ft travel trailer and realized after I unhooked and pulled the truck forward I hadn't chocked the wheels. Thank God I had a level site!!!!
They are called wheel chocks. Always carry 2 2" x 10" boards, the first is 2' longer that the length of the wheels end to end, the second is 1' shorter than the first. You can stack the boards to level the rig
You two are my heroes. It's hard to admit mistakes but you doing so will really help others. My wife and I are about a year from starting what you are doing. I'll enjoy learning from you experiences. Thanks!
Aww thanks, Steve! We're continuing to share our learning experiences as we go. Congrats on going full time, this next year is going to fly by for you. Happy travels!
Our trailer came off our Range Rover a few years ago. I was so frightened that I froze. Fortunately there was no traffic, no people and no one gets hurt. The people ran down from the nearby camp site when they heard the Big Bang as our unit hit the road. Just minor damage, mostly to my pride, and too many people helping. However, lesson learned to have a check list and double check all the connections. Stay safe, loving your videos. Trev 🇬🇧
Experience will get you into a routine that covers all the necessary steps. I was lucky that my first time out the only 2 problems where running over the sewer cap (broke the plastic in a loud pop that stunned the whole campground!) and I started to unhitch before I checked alignment / clearance of slides and the power pedestal. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, stays on the counters. Part of packing up to move our rig is to clear all loose items and put all appliances (toaster, coffee maker, ice maker) either inside lower cabinets, or just on the floor...everything will get thrown around. I was advised that before my first trip. Also be careful of loose items that can possibly shift and get into the way of the slide outs going back out. We had a cabinet door, which is behind the slide when that's retracted, pop open because of too many linens / pillows stuffed inside. When I ran the slide out the next time, the cabinet door caught the trim on the slide and cracked it loose.
You get your first "official" badge when you discover you've had the steps down all day on the road. Oh, maybe your rig doesn't have that problem. #awesome Keep us up on your travels, please.
The unhitching problems are a pain, but you’ll never do it again. We actually left a campsite last year telling the rangers that they shouldn’t put a big rig on the spot because it is unable to be leveled. People were watching us and it was embarrassing. We have 30 year experience too! But. Kept telling my husband the level wasn’t moving. We use a bubble level inside the door even though we have auto leveling. We left and went to a different campground and I opened the door to drop the level in and sure enough the bubble was stuck. I started laughing. It had somehow popped out of place and once I snapped the plastic cover over h bubble down everything worked. We wasted 2 hours! But hey things happen. We don’t leave anything on our counters either. And even though we have a newer rig with tight latches on our cupboard we bunny many of them closed while are underway. I’m sure now that you are experienced you have your routine.
Oh no 😂while that is unfortunate, it makes us feel better to hear that veterans in the RV world still make silly mistakes. I think we've all wasted time doing stuff like that! And yes, we have a routine in place now and nothing gets put on the counters anymore lol. Love the idea to bunny the cupboard, I'll definitely look into that. Thanks!
So, I've been watching lots of your videos and I wanted to watch some of different channels very first few videos and you guys are the cutest. You are so quiet and timid in this video compared to how lively you are now. I love to see the transformation. Y'all are one of my favorites and we hope to meet you someday. We are starting our pay off debt and head out full time this month.
We saw your review of the Wilderness RV Mattress and I thought that was a great video and we bought one. You were so entertaining I decided to check out you first videos and this was so awesome. It is tough being new but so fun as long as you and your equipment survive. I am looking forward to seeing more of your adventures.
Thanks for sharing all the lessons so far! I can so see you guys quite literally holding onto the sides of that monster trying to physically stop it 🤣🤣 We are excited to hear more of the mishaps and how you learned from them so we can remember them if/when we hit the road!! 😘
Thank you for being honest and admitting your mistakes -- Not everybody would do that! When I was a newbie RV'er I made up a checklist for setting up and breaking down your campsite and went through it every time in the beginning. After a few times you don't need the list anymore, but it makes your routines solid. Good Video!
Thanks, Angus! Totally agree. We did create a checklist after these mishaps, and happy to say that after 5 months on the road we haven't had any other major issues. Happy New Year!
Instead of all those levelers, bring boards and throw them in the back of your truck. They have saved our butt a number of times. I can't even imagine your terror when the rig rolled. It makes our little mishaps seem petty in retrospect. We even started rolling out of the campground with our awning still out. We hardly ever used it and who looks up when you do your walk around! LOL! We now have a note next to the door.
Oh no! How far did you get with the awning out? We rarely use ours as well so now that's another thing for me to worry about lol. And yes, it was so scary when it rolled back! We have literally NEVER forgotten chocks since then though :)
You guys are just too cute.I LOVE the fact you are sharing "real" mistakes...people don't learn from success...they learn from making mistakes. Keep up the content!
Welcome to the world of RV'ing. What a week for you two!. So glad you did not lose the trailer or get hurt. Hoping for better days for you,, don't forget to ask for help, everyone who is livng and traveling in RV's wants to help with advice. Nice video. Good luck!
Hey, Bob! Thanks so much for your kind comment. We’ve actually been on the road 6 months now and are loving it! We’ve learned a thing or two so it’s going a lot smoother 😉
Great, time in the coach really makes a difference, and problems solved make one aware of hazards to be avoided, like buying wheel chocks. LOL! We know how it is. Our first year in a 2001 Pace Arrow we had a broken water pipe in the wall of the bathroom, had some minor roof issues, but we had strangers that turned into friends that helped us through. We hope to get back to full time in 2018 with a class c. Thanks for the return comment!. Any help we can be to you let us know.
Thank you so much! We’ve definitely had some help and advice on the road from others. This community is amazing. We hope to see you back on the road soon! We will definitely reach out with any question ☺️
RVing is very humbling. Especially to us Newbies. I’m new to it also. I absolutely love the lifestyle and the ability to move around and see different places. I think it’s very nice of y’all to make the video. It’s good for thought to other newbies that might not think of something and they’ll learn from others “don’t do this” experience. Good luck in the future and keep on keeping on! Thanks for the video. Good watch and good lessons! Clay
Thanks, Clay! We've definitely grown a lot over the last 6 months and learned a ton. You're right though, the perfect word for it is humbling. We love the lifestyle as well and are glad that people are learning from our mistakes lol. Happy travels and maybe we'll see you on the road! 😀
Have stayed at that KOA, with a 38ft Raptor, very tight kampground...we had our water tank fall out headed South on 101 to Paso Robles....craziest thing ever occured
We had similar bad days while RVing in Alaska a couple of years ago. That turning around in narrow cities/streets is the absolute worst! It makes for rising tensions, that is for sure! Be safe and keep on going!
I've got one for you-- bringing home the motorhome. first night went great - got up the next morning and got the rig ready and pulled away and left one of three slides out!!! two lane road - guy honked at me - disaster avoided! YOu should watch me double/triple check now!
Oh my gosh! So glad that person flagged you down lol. Yes, we now have it ingrained in our heads to chock our tires! We haven't forgotten since lol. Happy travels!
I've watched a bunch of your more recent vids (2021) and somehow stumbled on this oldie. WOW! You guys are amazing. Good for you for coming so far in your adventure. I would bet that the honestly presented in this video, sharing like you did, allowed you to learn everything you needed to in order to get where you are today. You should be very proud! Keep up the great vids. All the best!
I had both chains come off of distribution hitch of off of a 33-foot mallard tag along I was coming off the on-ramp and it was kind of a tight turn and it fell off I heard it dragging got stopped and got it put back on before I got on the interstate
Welcome to RVING !! Are we having fun yet? Your not the only ones this has happened to !! I’ve done the same thing. It really makes you laugh. Not to mention your video will help other people. Wish you the best. Ric in nor cal.
Thanks for having the guts to share your mistakes. You have, no doubt, saved others from making some, just by causing them to be more aware. My beginner's mistake knocked out the power to my real house and cost over $300 to repair. And it took three days to get it fixed. Here's to happy travels from here on out. Have fun.
Thank you! The whole point of sharing was to help others so hopefully we have done that. That sounds rough about losing the power in your house but we're glad you got it fixed and learned from it too 😊
Thanks for sharing we all can learn from what we see and hear. I definitely can relate to the wrong turn traffic story. You don't need to be straight with the trailer to hook and unhook using your equipment. I'm wondering if you lifted the kingpin up out of the hitch vertically, which would be incorrect. there are lots of vids about how to hook and unhook fifth wheel trailers. you might find that carrying a ground contact (pressure treated lumber) 2x6 with you will be useful for those camp sites that are not level. Leave your trailer harness connected when you pull out from under the trailer so you can use the trailer brakes from the cab of the truck if the trailer moves when you unhook. pull up a few feet and then disconnect the harness.
We all make those beginner mistakes. I have tripped my breakers 50 times because I forget I cannot use the fire place and the microwave at the same time. This life style definitely comes with a learning curve.
The 30 amp will work fine with one air conditioner or when not needing air at all. 50 amp is for bigger rigs that have 2 roof air conditioners... that your intend to use both at the same time. if you are not in hot country where you need that extra amperage ...i.e. want to use both air conditioners just for the 30 amp spots it is usually a little cheaper also. Heavier things on the counter I put in the sink and stuff a towel around it. don't trust the "it will be fine scenario" secure everything for those bumps... In regards to what Tim Jeandrevin said in your comments below... he is correct; as a newbie things that freak you out at the time are just little irritations or steps you forgot to check or do, most are really no big deal and we all went and still occasionally go through them. I just got back on the road again after a few years of staying in one location got another trailer. I had been on the road for 7 years before and... point is I was surprised on how many small things I forgot that had become routine in the set up and precautions storage habits etc. So don't be embarrassed to make yourself a check list to go by... a pre-flight and post flight plan and a emergency or repair plan, trouble plan etc.
It's hard to admit it when we make mistakes but you have probably saved a lot of people from making the same mistakes. Thanks for your candor and willingness to share your experiences with us.
I'm sorry you had bad experiences but I'm so thankful that you made this video and I hope you keep making more so we can learn from your experiences, good and bad! I learned a lot just from this one video. We are considering buying an RV and this was extremely helpful!!
Thanks, Angelica. It's always a little scary sharing your mistakes with people. Things have been a lot smoother and a lot of folks have been really nice about it. Thanks for your kind words!
Oh my gosh. I'm glad it all worked out and you didn't lose your home! I love the video, you guys are hilarious. Keep posting and don't worry about anyone making fun of you! Everyone makes mistakes and Hopefully will learn from them!
Aww, thank you!! We're used to people poking fun (especially after this video) but it's folks like you that make us keep moving forward and sharing our mistakes! Thank you for your positivity! 😊
I pray for you a guiding angel to help you with your travels. We all learn deepest from our mistakes. I am glad you survived it & learned along the way.
Welcome to RVing,loved your story. Always check your air pressure on your trailer, and lugs while traveling. . Lugs come loose, tires loose or gain pressure. Good luck on your trips.
The best quote about storing things while you are under way is. There is a hurricane on the outside, and an earthquake on the inside. Stow everything every time. We have the same unit as you. When every we move it seems the drain pipe under the sink comes undone. So now I leave the panel covering it off. Its just one of those things that happens when you are rolling down the road at 75mph. Keep up the vids I love watching . Thank You
Hey, George! That is a great quote, we might steal it for future use lol. Since you have the same unit as us, we just noticed the panels under our slides are getting water in them. We found a blog article that explains where to caulk them so this stops but apparently it's a big issue with GD. Are you experiencing this?
Thanks for sharing. On the positive side, consider all the lessons you learned in the span of a couple days. At this rate you'll be seasoned pros in just a few weeks. Happy trails:)
Well you guys are refreshing. Really, these are the stories from hell that we as potential RVers want to hear. I'm going to check back and see if you smile in your other videos, because you would probably look fantastic with a weeee bit of a smile. Good luck in your travels and I am number 150 in your subscriber list. :) :)
Hey Brett, thanks for being subscriber number 150! Welcome to the gang :) So glad you got value out of the video, even though we are getting some heat from other experienced RVers, we wanted to share these mistakes with fellow newbies! We definitely have a smile on our faces in other videos, and plenty more smiles in the videos to come!
We made a similar mistake when we started as well. We lifted the jack without chalks and the only thing that stopped our RV from making it to the next county was our safety chains.
You guys are GREAT!!! Love your honesty....The hits just kept coming....Had a great laugh with you. It will all get easier...we've ALL had our share of mistakes...keep on RVing!
haha thank you so much!! It was definitely a rough week for us. Happy to report that things have been (mostly) great since then! We're fully adjusted to this lifestyle and even got our amazon business back up and running :)
Haha yup, definitely rookie mistakes. We are definitely okay now. This video was made 8 months ago and we are happy to report we are loving this lifestyle now! Glad we got the mistakes out of the way early :)
The wife and I have been traveling around with our fifth wheel for the last couple years and it kind of makes me feel a little better knowing the others learn the same way. Once you get into a routine you'll be fine. Check out the Levelmatepro 2 and Anderson leveler chocks. Both will make leveling and chocking so much easier. I really have a problem with getting the trailer level. This unit works every time and shortens our set up by quite a bit. Have fun and enjoy the journey.
Yeah, we're getting a lot of comments with people saying they've made mistakes (and even bigger ones than us) and that made us feel a lot better too. No matter how much research you do before hand there are just some things you have to learn by doing. I think we are considering the Anderson chocks now as a couple people have recommended them. Thanks for the tip!
Awesome video and I've watched many of these: 7 hour and 20$ plus gas mistake is the sort of thing that cummulatively when added with mistake at campground and how she found out about that are sooooo really important..."I've worked here 4 years and I never knew you couldn't book something or other on our website" !!! can you believe it? never would have expected it. ..other things, like crowdedness of site and slope ALL IMPORTANT especially cumulatively....number of leveling blocks etc. super important and they are clear concise speakers who do not interject "Like" "You know" or other extraneous stuff.
Oh, if it makes you feel any better. We are newbies, but in our 60’s, we will go on our next big trip in May and I hope things go better for us than the first. 1st truck blew up with 200miles over the warranty, no towage insurance, grandbaby on the way and we needed to get from NM to VA ASAP, put the truck in the garage with no hope of getting it back for months,(small town USA). We decided to just buy another truck and once the other one is fixed we will sell it. Crashed into a cement block in Walmart parking lot, so see newbies should travel with a mentor for at least 6 months. All is well now but Aug through October was just not good for us. Happy Trails from NM
Oh no! Of course, that happens right after the warranty expires 😨There really should be a mentorship program! Glad all is well with you two now, thankfully things are good with us too. Glad we got those big mistakes out of the way early in our journey. Congrats on the new grand baby as well! 🎉Happy travels!
Thank you guys for the honest video most of that's just newbie stuff but the trailer rolling would have been terrifying glad everything turned out okay for you
😨 That's awful! We had heard of folks doing that so that's why we opted for the long bed. Only to then just hit the trailer directly and dent it 😂 Oh well, you live and you learn!
New to RVing with a 29' 5th wheel toy hauler 3 years ago.Went on 3 trips with it so far out of the country to Canada. Worst thing that happened to me? Had to turn around and go back as I missed my turn at night in a downtown gas station while it was raining. Didn't see the steep driveway approach while I was driving out and turning at the same time. The bottom side of the 5th wheel contacted the top of my box on the inside above the box wheel well and put a nice crease in it about 1 inch deep and a foot long where it hit. Didn't hurt the camper.Hurt my pride though. Didn't see it until the next morning and said WTH. The remedy was to set that 5th wheel plate up higher so it wouldn't hit again. Also be more careful when going INTO and OUT of gas stations. The good thing is that I normally run a topper on the truck so it is never seen until I remove it.
Yikes! That's awful. We're too scared to travel at night lol. It's been 7 months since this video and we're doing a lot better though. Actually happy we learned these lessons early on.
Live and learn. I run a standard cab pickup truck with the long box and large 34 gallon fuel tank. "What I really do like is that I can do a U-Turn right in the middle of an intersection with it , turns on a dime.
Hang in there guys. I'm 60 but a rv newbie as well. I bought a older [94] 36' Newmar RV and have not been camping in it yet. 4G for a new rubber roof. [should have walked] so im 10 g into a 94 motorhome. That money was suppose to go toward a lot of different things associated w/ hitting the road......LOL now the thought of hitting the road scares me to death. Wish you guys the best. Im onboard w/ ya!
Good video. We all make those kinds of mistakes. I made a similar one with a truck/camper combo where I accidentally left the truck in neutral. I was up in the cabover bed before I realized, Yep, we're rolling downhill. In a parking lot. With cars in front. My wife at the time said she didn't know how I got through the crawl-through window so fast! This was decades ago, and I still vividly remember that moment. No harm done though. Here's another mistake I made I want to share for your benefit: I pulled into a gas station, and didn't realize the shade overhang for the pumps was lower than my camper...put a nice gash in it. Most of them these days are high enough, but you might want to look out for those when looking for fuel. Ahhhh...good times...;-)
haha, oh no! Those stories made my stomach drop a little. We have been super paranoid about height since the day we bought the trailer so thankfully that's always on our radar. I'm always looking up lol. Thank you for sharing your stories and the kind words. Happy travels!
Some of these stories are just rich! So much can happen. Thanks for the laughs and for helping us remember to go over everything more than once! Great video! :) We're going full time this summer, and no, you didn't sway us from it! LOL!
Haha, glad to hear we didn't sway you! We've been on the road 5 months now and LOVE it! It was actually good to get these issues out of the way early on. Congrats on going full time! Happy travels!
Lol . Welcome to full time rving. I’ve seen seasoned RVers make the simplest mistakes it’s what camping is all about learning..I once forgot to remove the trailer chock and couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t make it out of the site, so I put the truck in 4 wheel drive and gunned it. I’d never seen a trailer literally bounce in the air. Luckily no damage and downright embarrassing..to this day my wife reminds me every time we pack to leave....enjoy and happy trails
I'm new at hauling camper too..lot of steps to follow when setting up or packing up.. If you're tired it's easy to make errors.. So far , I have set up 3 times with no issues, but setting up last night , I almost pulled tow vehicle away after unhitching, as I sat there in driver seat I recalled I didn't unhook safety chains .. I fortunately, caught that error.. I was tired ..
Oh I feel for you! Cheer up, we all have days like that! Thanks for sharing all this. Though I'm sure it was painful and embarrassing to relive, it may help others learn by your mistakes.
Thank you, Sue! We are definitely hoping people will learn from our mistakes. A few have reached out and said they have so that makes it all worth it. Thankfully, this was 7 months ago and I'm happy to report we are doing a lot better and totally loving this lifestyle.
Once you said you were going to Petaluma and turned on 580 West I thought Oh No. Then you released the 5th wheel and I thought of the time I did that on my brothers and lucky the tailgate stopped it from rolling down the hill. Remember the first time you don't do something or forget it is a lesson, the second time it is a mistake and the third it is a sign to give up. I'm glad to get as many lessons out of the way as possible without harm!
Yes, we learned a lot of lessons that week! But I'm happy to say that we haven't made those mistakes again and I think it taught us to be safer RVers. We've been on the road 6 months now and love it! Thanks for your kind comment 😄
Great story guys, it get's better. Remember to have fun, stuff like you are describing are the 'trailer war stories' you will tell to others when they become newbies. 20+ years towing trailers with my wife, six trailers, etc. there are plenty to tell. Love each other, don't ride the other too much and look out for each other. Oh, and don't leave anything on your counters when you are traveling with a trailer, it's not as smooth of a ride that you would get with a coach - there is a lot of moving and shaking going on back there and there are not seatbelts - that is why in most states it's illegal to carry passengers back there when you are traveling down the road. Recommend watching the Long, Long Trailer with Lucille Ball and Ricky Ricardo, you will laugh your tails off.
Hey, Dave! Thanks, for the recommendation, I will definitely watch that! I LOVED "I Love Lucy" as a kid lol. And yes, we've learned to take everything off the counters now. And not to get on each other's backs lol. We've been on the road 8 months now and are finally feeling more in the groove of things. So glad we didn't give us as this lifestyle is amazing!
You two remind me so much of myself and then wife long ago, young, but honest and capable of learning from the mistakes that young folks make. Ah to be young again! Well maybe not. Don't worry, as older folks you'll still make some mistakes but not as frequently since you'll have more accumulated wisdom. Those dents and scratches will serve as future cautious warnings before you act, so they served a purpose! My advice from my boating years, before pulling into your slip or spot, survey the whole layout and plan ahead, visualize it, then execute your plan but be prepared to keep from pushing a bad approach or situation and making it worse! You'll have better experiences with better planning. Good luck!
The learning curve at first is very steep. It gets better, but I am still learning after several seasons. Some experienced 5ers don't always chock their tires unless they are on an extreme slope (and I have seen them move). I always do - even on very level ground.
Yeah, that initial curve is a rough one. We are feeling a lot better about traveling now and some things are becoming second nature. We're right there with you about always chocking your tires, we do it no matter how flat our ground is now. Happy travels!
so scary... that thing with the trailer moving by itself... but... the mental picture of you two trying to keep it from rolling by hanging on to it made me ROTFLOL big time! Glad it worked out!
Yowsers - rough start. Trailer rolling is always something that strikes fear into any RVer. I double check that often. Driving near Frisco is never easy! Best wishes!
You guys are sweet to share your stories. Be sure to keep a diary or ship’s log as I call it. I’ve been RVing for over 30 years and have a ton of what are now but not then funny stories.
Hey Carl, thanks so much. And that's a great idea! Jason does have a log of things we do and the vlogs that we post are a great visual log for us. I like the idea of keeping a general diary just for us though!
Question guys, is this your first RV? And if so have you ever seen RV that leak after the first year? What the average monthly rent at a RV camp/resort?
Hey there! Yes, this is our first RV. We actually just had a leak under our kitchen sink after 6 months of ownership. It was an easy fix though. Or were you referring to the roof? We have seen some people in Facebook groups talk about the roofs leaking in their brand new rigs. And the average monthly rent varies from park to park and state to state but we've mostly seen them ranging from $400/month to $1200/month. The more expensive rates are in places liked California and Florida. Hope this helps!
Just figure what else can go wrong ?? Good luck and stick with it . We have a motorhome and have had issues but we learned along the way to fix and have fun !!
Thanks, Susan! Things have been much better. Actually glad we got these mistakes out of the way early because now we're better travelers because of them. Happy travels!
I felt so bad for you, but at the same time, I couldn't help laughing either. You guys definitely went through the non-typical learning curve, but you came out of it in one piece and together. It gets better. This is the first time watching your videos and you two are the cutest newbies. looking forward to more of your newbie adventures.
Haha, don't feel bad for laughing! This was 6 months ago so we even laugh at ourselves now. You're definitely right about it getting better. We're loving this lifestyle and everything it has to offer now. We have plenty of newbie adventures for ya lol
Getaway Couple....I had a 2019 Open Range on order. Get it tomorrow. Like you guys I went with a large one out of the gates at 40 ft. Our first trip is to Clear Water British Columbia on June 29th. I might try posting a video on UA-cam....:)
Every one has made mistakes with trailers. Ive had two over tht yearrs. The owner of the company i work for bought him a new diesel GMC truck and a huge fifth wheel with a super slide. I got to work on monday and it was parked in the company parking lot. Seems he was going to spend the weekend away but after trying three times to back it in the slot he gave up and drove back to the shop. I tried to teach him but he just parked it behind the office and there it set. We all got to enjoy it.
Oh wow, I can't believe he didn't try to learn how to drive it! We've been on the road now 6 months and feel a lot more comfortable with it. Thank you so much for your kind comment!
I think we have all lived a tale or two of woe in getting up and going and it sounds like you had your share in 1 week. Best of traveling to you. We are partially started into our FT venture. We still have a furnished home in Montana we are wanting to sell but are living this winter in Vegas and may just stop by our house to check on it while traveling this summer. Maybe we will run into you someday...somewhere :)
Hey there! That would be fun to run into each other. We've been on the road 6 months now and are loving it. I think learning those lessons in the first week of travel happened for a reason. We're much safer travelers now 👍
We started full timing in August 2018, and we can relate to the mistakes, that must definitely be a newbie initiation. We would love to meet you both and share stories, or should I say nightmares? We would like to know more about Thousand Trails and I read your blog to my husband John. I'm Linda
On our second trip, our new truck pulling our new trailer broke down in the desert on a day over 100 degrees F. We were lucky we didn’t die. It took 2 weeks for a dealership 30 miles away to repair our truck. We had an angel of a friend in that small town take us in and loan us a vehicle. Maybe someone was watching over us that day.
If your trailer ever starts to roll while unhitched, pull the cable that you attach to the hitch or truck. This will apply max trailer brakes and stop it. Keep in mind it will be draining the house battery, so secure the trailer and put the pin back in ASAP.
Awesome tip! We've learned so much in the last 3 months and haven't had any other major scares but this is a great tip to have in our "toolbox". Thank you!
I bought the leveling kits for mine and got more than one. Also bought the chocks that snap into those same leveling kits. Once the tire puts any pressure on them , they cannot come out. I was a bit worried once when I had to use up both my kits on one side of the camper as the site was so out of level , yes it was a KOA. I carry extra pieces of 1x6 lumber scraps just in case I run out of the leveling blocks. I also carry the individual chocks that are to be used on their own. I'm thinking those wedge type wheel chocks would also be a good idea to lock both tires to each other.
@@2009mechanic Just an FYI, If you ever decide to go over the border to Canada, you will not be allowed to take 'raw' lumber. If you are using wood for chocks, make sure it's pressure treated.
Cheer up, we all learn the hard way. Always ask for level lot, easy access, height restrictions and width for slides on both sides. Call rather than rely on e-registration. Have the person you talk to check before you hang up.
Omg, I loved the video! Glad you guys are ok, and haven't called it quits. My partner and I started Full timing roughly 7 months ago, in our 30 ft TT, and have made some very similar mistakes... We have a massive stock up of Lynx Levelers as well, lol. Enjoy the adventures you two! :-)
Thanks, Cody! We've been having a much better time since this video was made (back in August) and are loving it now. I think everyone needs to go through some growing pains when they first start out full timing. Glad to hear you made it through your rough times on the road as well. Happy travels!
Just subscribed! We are not new to RVing but even a seasoned people **** happens to us all. We are going to be buying a bigger rv (toy hauler 2/decks etc) so it’s going to be a little different than our 34 footer. Y’all are doing a great job and keep at it. Best of luck and safe travels. May see y’all on the road someday. Did I mention we will be spending most of our time on the road as well lolol. Cheers 🍻
You're welcome! Glad it helped. Definitely learn from our mistakes lol. We've been on the road 8 months now and it's been going a lot smoother 👍Happy travels!
Getaway Couple , we was watching your video about how you experienced a little anxiety when downsizing then a little bit of that, oh no what have we done! My wife says, " That's me I'm just like her " ! We're really looking forward to it, researching what truck and trailer to buy, I'm a truck driver so I have some knowledge but none in rv's.
Haha aww I’m glad she relates! I feel like it’s a side of RVing people don’t talk about. But it does get better! Let us know what trailer/truck you end up getting! We’d highly recommend a Grand Design 👍🏼
Getaway Couple we have looked at the Grand Design, only online, and really like it. Right now we are leaning towards the Openrange by Highland, 387RBS, she really likes the floor plan specially the kitchen and 1 1/2 bath and I really like the king pin, suspension and 3 inch walls. The Chevy is out of the running cause of the towing capacity, so leaning towards the Dodge 350 dually but that Ford is really nice too. Taking vacation next week and going to rv show, so we'll see grand design in person and test drive some trucks !!! Thanks again for the info!!
Thank you! If our mistakes help one other person avoid the same thing then that's all that matters! Also, you don't happen to be from Australia? My brother in law is an Aussie and says "good on you" a ton!
I am new to your channel, & want to tell you that I really appreciate your story of the not so glamorous side of RVing. We all have stories of oopsies we've done. My husband & I have a saying. Use it. Break it. Fix it. Stuff still happens to us, we've been rving for over 15 yrs.
I subscribed...just because you were so painfully honest about the price you had to pay for the lessons learned. Stuff like this happens all the time. You don't realize that because most people are too ashamed to admit to anything less than perfection. Don't be so hard on yourselves. Stand tall and smile. Help others whenever possible. Now that you have "fallen off the turnip truck", you can help others through your experiences. Thank you for sharing. Take care.
Hi, Gloria! Thank you for your kind words. I totally agree that most people don't want to project anything less than perfect (especially on social media!) but we thought these things needed to be heard. We are definitely trying to help other behind us on this journey with our RV 101 videos and showing the real side of RV life. Thanks for subscribing, welcome to the getaway gang! :)
OMG You two are great.
I'm sorry for all.your trouble.
Sharing your problems is so awesome for those of us who are contemplating RV life or just beginning.
Thank you so much♡
What really helped me out a lot before actually buying my own 5th wheel was that I would go camping with my friends once in a while and help them set up camp once we get there.
After a few times I understood the things you need to do and why when pulling a trailer and setting it up once you get there.
On my last trip in late summer 2017 , I chose a route that was on a fairly rough 2 lane highway up into Canada.
When I went inside the camper , most of the drawers had moved themselves out on their own but I didn't lose anything.
I had 6 ratchet straps holding down my motorcycle in the back garage , when I arrived 2 were left as one of them snapped in half and allowed the others to loosen. Motorcycle was okay. I bought better straps for the next trip.
Next thing , I'm also installing the shock absorber kits for the trailer leaf springs.
Apparently it bounces around back there a LOT.
“Battle scarred“ 5th wheel plates and tow vehicle body damage make for good stories, it shows you’re having a great time on the road. Y’all be safe out there.
Cheers to a continuous adventuring .
I got my first RV just 2 months ago. First time taking it out ripped off the steps. Since then I have ran out of gas, had issues with the carburetor, alternator, and had to get a tow. It's a 77 Chevy, Winnebago, Itasca.
You two take care of yourselves, may good fortune shine upon you.
Oh no! I've heard a lot of people rip off the steps though, you'd think they would come up with a better design! Thanks for the comment and happy travels to you!
Keep your chin up, soon you will be experts. We made a check list for hitching and unhitching when we got our fifth wheel and both of us double check each other. It’s so important to be safe. Enjoy your adventure!
Very true! We're glad these mistakes happened early because it made us safe RVers. Thank you for your sweet comment :)
I think you two are great. I like how you are "in it together" . Great attitudes. Have fun and enjoy your lives!.
haha, we are most definitely in it together! Thank you for your kind words, truly appreciate it 😄
You guys were very lucky, But Im glad that you still want to tell your story so others don't get into the same situation. I just purchased a 37 ft travel trailer and realized after I unhooked and pulled the truck forward I hadn't chocked the wheels. Thank God I had a level site!!!!
Ahh, yes! You were lucky it was level. We always use our chocks now, even on paved sites lol. Congrats on your new purchase! Happy travels! :)
They are called wheel chocks. Always carry 2 2" x 10" boards, the first is 2' longer that the length of the wheels end to end, the second is 1' shorter than the first. You can stack the boards to level the rig
You two are my heroes. It's hard to admit mistakes but you doing so will really help others. My wife and I are about a year from starting what you are doing. I'll enjoy learning from you experiences. Thanks!
Aww thanks, Steve! We're continuing to share our learning experiences as we go. Congrats on going full time, this next year is going to fly by for you. Happy travels!
Our trailer came off our Range Rover a few years ago. I was so frightened that I froze. Fortunately there was no traffic, no people and no one gets hurt. The people ran down from the nearby camp site when they heard the Big Bang as our unit hit the road. Just minor damage, mostly to my pride, and too many people helping. However, lesson learned to have a check list and double check all the connections. Stay safe, loving your videos. Trev 🇬🇧
Totally a lesson learned! That sounds terrifying. So glad to hear no one was hurt (except your pride lol, we totally get that).
Thanks! Thanks for being honest and upfront about the challenges we'll all face or have faced.
You're welcome! And thank you for the kind comment 😄
Experience will get you into a routine that covers all the necessary steps. I was lucky that my first time out the only 2 problems where running over the sewer cap (broke the plastic in a loud pop that stunned the whole campground!) and I started to unhitch before I checked alignment / clearance of slides and the power pedestal. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, stays on the counters. Part of packing up to move our rig is to clear all loose items and put all appliances (toaster, coffee maker, ice maker) either inside lower cabinets, or just on the floor...everything will get thrown around. I was advised that before my first trip. Also be careful of loose items that can possibly shift and get into the way of the slide outs going back out. We had a cabinet door, which is behind the slide when that's retracted, pop open because of too many linens / pillows stuffed inside. When I ran the slide out the next time, the cabinet door caught the trim on the slide and cracked it loose.
You get your first "official" badge when you discover you've had the steps down all day on the road. Oh, maybe your rig doesn't have that problem. #awesome Keep us up on your travels, please.
Thanks for helping the rest of us out by sharing what you've learned. That was very brave of you!
The unhitching problems are a pain, but you’ll never do it again. We actually left a campsite last year telling the rangers that they shouldn’t put a big rig on the spot because it is unable to be leveled. People were watching us and it was embarrassing. We have 30 year experience too! But. Kept telling my husband the level wasn’t moving. We use a bubble level inside the door even though we have auto leveling. We left and went to a different campground and I opened the door to drop the level in and sure enough the bubble was stuck. I started laughing. It had somehow popped out of place and once I snapped the plastic cover over h bubble down everything worked. We wasted 2 hours! But hey things happen. We don’t leave anything on our counters either. And even though we have a newer rig with tight latches on our cupboard we bunny many of them closed while are underway. I’m sure now that you are experienced you have your routine.
Oh no 😂while that is unfortunate, it makes us feel better to hear that veterans in the RV world still make silly mistakes. I think we've all wasted time doing stuff like that! And yes, we have a routine in place now and nothing gets put on the counters anymore lol. Love the idea to bunny the cupboard, I'll definitely look into that. Thanks!
So, I've been watching lots of your videos and I wanted to watch some of different channels very first few videos and you guys are the cutest. You are so quiet and timid in this video compared to how lively you are now. I love to see the transformation. Y'all are one of my favorites and we hope to meet you someday. We are starting our pay off debt and head out full time this month.
We saw your review of the Wilderness RV Mattress and I thought that was a great video and we bought one. You were so entertaining I decided to check out you first videos and this was so awesome. It is tough being new but so fun as long as you and your equipment survive. I am looking forward to seeing more of your adventures.
Thanks for sharing all the lessons so far! I can so see you guys quite literally holding onto the sides of that monster trying to physically stop it 🤣🤣 We are excited to hear more of the mishaps and how you learned from them so we can remember them if/when we hit the road!! 😘
Thank you for being honest and admitting your mistakes -- Not everybody would do that! When I was a newbie RV'er I made up a checklist for setting up and breaking down your campsite and went through it every time in the beginning. After a few times you don't need the list anymore, but it makes your routines solid. Good Video!
Thanks, Angus! Totally agree. We did create a checklist after these mishaps, and happy to say that after 5 months on the road we haven't had any other major issues. Happy New Year!
Instead of all those levelers, bring boards and throw them in the back of your truck. They have saved our butt a number of times. I can't even imagine your terror when the rig rolled. It makes our little mishaps seem petty in retrospect. We even started rolling out of the campground with our awning still out. We hardly ever used it and who looks up when you do your walk around! LOL! We now have a note next to the door.
Oh no! How far did you get with the awning out? We rarely use ours as well so now that's another thing for me to worry about lol. And yes, it was so scary when it rolled back! We have literally NEVER forgotten chocks since then though :)
You guys are just too cute.I LOVE the fact you are sharing "real" mistakes...people don't learn from success...they learn from making mistakes. Keep up the content!
Welcome to the world of RV'ing. What a week for you two!. So glad you did not lose the trailer or get hurt. Hoping for better days for you,, don't forget to ask for help, everyone who is livng and traveling in RV's wants to help with advice. Nice video. Good luck!
Hey, Bob! Thanks so much for your kind comment. We’ve actually been on the road 6 months now and are loving it! We’ve learned a thing or two so it’s going a lot smoother 😉
Great, time in the coach really makes a difference, and problems solved make one aware of hazards to be avoided, like buying wheel chocks. LOL! We know how it is. Our first year in a 2001 Pace Arrow we had a broken water pipe in the wall of the bathroom, had some minor roof issues, but we had strangers that turned into friends that helped us through. We hope to get back to full time in 2018 with a class c. Thanks for the return comment!. Any help we can be to you let us know.
Thank you so much! We’ve definitely had some help and advice on the road from others. This community is amazing. We hope to see you back on the road soon! We will definitely reach out with any question ☺️
RVing is very humbling. Especially to us Newbies. I’m new to it also. I absolutely love the lifestyle and the ability to move around and see different places. I think it’s very nice of y’all to make the video. It’s good for thought to other newbies that might not think of something and they’ll learn from others “don’t do this” experience. Good luck in the future and keep on keeping on! Thanks for the video. Good watch and good lessons!
Clay
Thanks, Clay! We've definitely grown a lot over the last 6 months and learned a ton. You're right though, the perfect word for it is humbling. We love the lifestyle as well and are glad that people are learning from our mistakes lol. Happy travels and maybe we'll see you on the road! 😀
Keep your heads up, guys!!! Everything will be OK. You live-you’ll learn. Have a great fun traveling!!!
Thanks!! We've been on the road 5 months now and loving it 👍🏼
Have stayed at that KOA, with a 38ft Raptor, very tight kampground...we had our water tank fall out headed South on 101 to Paso Robles....craziest thing ever occured
Yes, very tight! And that's crazy about the water tank. Hopefully, you got it fixed rather quickly!
We had similar bad days while RVing in Alaska a couple of years ago. That turning around in narrow cities/streets is the absolute worst! It makes for rising tensions, that is for sure! Be safe and keep on going!
Thanks so much, Sheila! We’ve been on the road 5 months now and are happy to say things are going much better. So glad we didn’t call it quits 😊
I've got one for you-- bringing home the motorhome. first night went great - got up the next morning and got the rig ready and pulled away and left one of three slides out!!! two lane road - guy honked at me - disaster avoided! YOu should watch me double/triple check now!
Oh my gosh! So glad that person flagged you down lol. Yes, we now have it ingrained in our heads to chock our tires! We haven't forgotten since lol. Happy travels!
I've watched a bunch of your more recent vids (2021) and somehow stumbled on this oldie. WOW! You guys are amazing. Good for you for coming so far in your adventure. I would bet that the honestly presented in this video, sharing like you did, allowed you to learn everything you needed to in order to get where you are today. You should be very proud! Keep up the great vids. All the best!
Thanks so much! Thanks for the compliments Kent! We really do appreciate it!
@@GetawayCouple You're welcome!
I had both chains come off of distribution hitch of off of a 33-foot mallard tag along I was coming off the on-ramp and it was kind of a tight turn and it fell off I heard it dragging got stopped and got it put back on before I got on the interstate
Welcome to RVING !! Are we having fun yet? Your not the only ones this has happened to !! I’ve done the same thing. It really makes you laugh. Not to mention your video will help other people. Wish you the best. Ric in nor cal.
Thanks for having the guts to share your mistakes. You have, no doubt, saved others from making some, just by causing them to be more aware. My beginner's mistake knocked out the power to my real house and cost over $300 to repair. And it took three days to get it fixed. Here's to happy travels from here on out. Have fun.
Thank you! The whole point of sharing was to help others so hopefully we have done that. That sounds rough about losing the power in your house but we're glad you got it fixed and learned from it too 😊
Thanks for sharing we all can learn from what we see and hear. I definitely can relate to the wrong turn traffic story. You don't need to be straight with the trailer to hook and unhook using your equipment. I'm wondering if you lifted the kingpin up out of the hitch vertically, which would be incorrect. there are lots of vids about how to hook and unhook fifth wheel trailers. you might find that carrying a ground contact (pressure treated lumber) 2x6 with you will be useful for those camp sites that are not level. Leave your trailer harness connected when you pull out from under the trailer so you can use the trailer brakes from the cab of the truck if the trailer moves when you unhook. pull up a few feet and then disconnect the harness.
We all make those beginner mistakes. I have tripped my breakers 50 times because I forget I cannot use the fire place and the microwave at the same time. This life style definitely comes with a learning curve.
The 30 amp will work fine with one air conditioner or when not needing air at all. 50 amp is for bigger rigs that have 2 roof air conditioners... that your intend to use both at the same time. if you are not in hot country where you need that extra amperage ...i.e. want to use both air conditioners just for the 30 amp spots it is usually a little cheaper also. Heavier things on the counter I put in the sink and stuff a towel around it. don't trust the "it will be fine scenario" secure everything for those bumps... In regards to what Tim Jeandrevin said in your comments below... he is correct; as a newbie things that freak you out at the time are just little irritations or steps you forgot to check or do, most are really no big deal and we all went and still occasionally go through them. I just got back on the road again after a few years of staying in one location got another trailer. I had been on the road for 7 years before and... point is I was surprised on how many small things I forgot that had become routine in the set up and precautions storage habits etc. So don't be embarrassed to make yourself a check list to go by... a pre-flight and post flight plan and a emergency or repair plan, trouble plan etc.
Your embarrassing situation just helped a lot of people. Kiddos to both of you for sharing this experience.
We hope so! That’s why we share these experiences. Thanks so much!
OMG, I could not believe your bad luck. I could not imagine going through all that in a 3 day span. Thank you for sharing.
You're welcome! Thankfully, we got all of that bad stuff out of the way early on and are loving this lifestyle now!
It's hard to admit it when we make mistakes but you have probably saved a lot of people from making the same mistakes. Thanks for your candor and willingness to share your experiences with us.
Thank YOU for your kind comment. I do hope that we helped others avoid the same mistakes. Everyone had to learn somehow lol.
Oh my goodness....you two had such a bad time....we have all been there.. Thanks for sharing. Hang in there.....life on the road is really fun!
We're 8 months in now and totally loving it! So glad we didn't quit, things have been much smoother since this video as well lol.
I'm sorry you had bad experiences but I'm so thankful that you made this video and I hope you keep making more so we can learn from your experiences, good and bad! I learned a lot just from this one video. We are considering buying an RV and this was extremely helpful!!
you should not be embarrassed. you're just getting started. be easy on yourselves.
Thanks, Angelica. It's always a little scary sharing your mistakes with people. Things have been a lot smoother and a lot of folks have been really nice about it. Thanks for your kind words!
Oh my gosh. I'm glad it all worked out and you didn't lose your home! I love the video, you guys are hilarious. Keep posting and don't worry about anyone making fun of you! Everyone makes mistakes and Hopefully will learn from them!
Aww, thank you!! We're used to people poking fun (especially after this video) but it's folks like you that make us keep moving forward and sharing our mistakes! Thank you for your positivity! 😊
I pray for you a guiding angel to help you with your travels. We all learn deepest from our mistakes. I am glad you survived it & learned along the way.
Thank you, Cheryl! We have learned so much since then and are doing great now.
Wow you guys! I've followed you a little over a year but never saw this one. Sure glad you kept going.
Welcome to RVing,loved your story. Always check your air pressure on your trailer, and lugs while traveling. . Lugs come loose, tires loose or gain pressure. Good luck on your trips.
Thanks for the tips! Luckily we have both of those on our checklist. We also purchased a TPMS that has been so helpful!
The best quote about storing things while you are under way is. There is a hurricane on the outside, and an earthquake on the inside. Stow everything every time. We have the same unit as you. When every we move it seems the drain pipe under the sink comes undone. So now I leave the panel covering it off. Its just one of those things that happens when you are rolling down the road at 75mph. Keep up the vids I love watching . Thank You
Hey, George! That is a great quote, we might steal it for future use lol. Since you have the same unit as us, we just noticed the panels under our slides are getting water in them. We found a blog article that explains where to caulk them so this stops but apparently it's a big issue with GD. Are you experiencing this?
We have not had any issues like that. We do have slide toppers. Do you?
Thanks for sharing. On the positive side, consider all the lessons you learned in the span of a couple days. At this rate you'll be seasoned pros in just a few weeks. Happy trails:)
haha, that's very true! Looking back, I'm glad this all happened right away. It's made us more organized and safer travelers for sure.
Well you guys are refreshing. Really, these are the stories from hell that we as potential RVers want to hear. I'm going to check back and see if you smile in your other videos, because you would probably look fantastic with a weeee bit of a smile. Good luck in your travels and I am number 150 in your subscriber list. :) :)
Hey Brett, thanks for being subscriber number 150! Welcome to the gang :) So glad you got value out of the video, even though we are getting some heat from other experienced RVers, we wanted to share these mistakes with fellow newbies! We definitely have a smile on our faces in other videos, and plenty more smiles in the videos to come!
We made a similar mistake when we started as well. We lifted the jack without chalks and the only thing that stopped our RV from making it to the next county was our safety chains.
eep! Glad to hear we're not alone lol.
You guys are GREAT!!! Love your honesty....The hits just kept coming....Had a great laugh with you. It will all get easier...we've ALL had our share of mistakes...keep on RVing!
haha thank you so much!! It was definitely a rough week for us. Happy to report that things have been (mostly) great since then! We're fully adjusted to this lifestyle and even got our amazon business back up and running :)
You guys are soooo right- stupid rookie mistakes. But- we've all been there and done that! Hope you're okay now. Good luck to you!
Haha yup, definitely rookie mistakes. We are definitely okay now. This video was made 8 months ago and we are happy to report we are loving this lifestyle now! Glad we got the mistakes out of the way early :)
Gentle, harrowing, perfectly done video of this couple’s experience.
Aww thank you! 😊
The wife and I have been traveling around with our fifth wheel for the last couple years and it kind of makes me feel a little better knowing the others learn the same way. Once you get into a routine you'll be fine. Check out the Levelmatepro 2 and Anderson leveler chocks. Both will make leveling and chocking so much easier. I really have a problem with getting the trailer level. This unit works every time and shortens our set up by quite a bit. Have fun and enjoy the journey.
Yeah, we're getting a lot of comments with people saying they've made mistakes (and even bigger ones than us) and that made us feel a lot better too. No matter how much research you do before hand there are just some things you have to learn by doing. I think we are considering the Anderson chocks now as a couple people have recommended them. Thanks for the tip!
Awesome video and I've watched many of these:
7 hour and 20$ plus gas mistake is the sort of thing that cummulatively when added with mistake at campground and how she found out about that are sooooo really important..."I've worked here 4 years and I never knew you couldn't book something or other on our website" !!! can you believe it? never would have expected it. ..other things, like crowdedness of site and slope ALL IMPORTANT especially cumulatively....number of leveling blocks etc. super important and they are clear concise speakers who do not interject "Like" "You know" or other extraneous stuff.
Oh, if it makes you feel any better. We are newbies, but in our 60’s, we will go on our next big trip in May and I hope things go better for us than the first. 1st truck blew up with 200miles over the warranty, no towage insurance, grandbaby on the way and we needed to get from NM to VA ASAP, put the truck in the garage with no hope of getting it back for months,(small town USA). We decided to just buy another truck and once the other one is fixed we will sell it. Crashed into a cement block in Walmart parking lot, so see newbies should travel with a mentor for at least 6 months. All is well now but Aug through October was just not good for us. Happy Trails from NM
Oh no! Of course, that happens right after the warranty expires 😨There really should be a mentorship program! Glad all is well with you two now, thankfully things are good with us too. Glad we got those big mistakes out of the way early in our journey. Congrats on the new grand baby as well! 🎉Happy travels!
Thank you guys for the honest video most of that's just newbie stuff but the trailer rolling would have been terrifying glad everything turned out okay for you
Thanks, Davin! It was definitely scary but all it took was one time for us to learn our lesson :)
There first time I ever tried to back our 5th wheel into a type spot(I had a short bed) I creased the cab on the left side.
😨 That's awful! We had heard of folks doing that so that's why we opted for the long bed. Only to then just hit the trailer directly and dent it 😂 Oh well, you live and you learn!
New to RVing with a 29' 5th wheel toy hauler 3 years ago.Went on 3 trips with it so far out of the country to Canada.
Worst thing that happened to me?
Had to turn around and go back as I missed my turn at night in a downtown gas station while it was raining.
Didn't see the steep driveway approach while I was driving out and turning at the same time.
The bottom side of the 5th wheel contacted the top of my box on the inside above the box wheel well and put a nice crease in it about 1 inch deep and a foot long where it hit.
Didn't hurt the camper.Hurt my pride though.
Didn't see it until the next morning and said WTH.
The remedy was to set that 5th wheel plate up higher so it wouldn't hit again.
Also be more careful when going INTO and OUT of gas stations.
The good thing is that I normally run a topper on the truck so it is never seen until I remove it.
Yikes! That's awful. We're too scared to travel at night lol. It's been 7 months since this video and we're doing a lot better though. Actually happy we learned these lessons early on.
Live and learn.
I run a standard cab pickup truck with the long box and large 34 gallon fuel tank.
"What I really do like is that I can do a U-Turn right in the middle of an intersection with it , turns on a dime.
UA-cam just bought this video up and so I am just seeing it. Thank you for your tips!! Great job sharing your mistakes.
Glad it was helpful!
Hang in there guys. I'm 60 but a rv newbie as well. I bought a older [94] 36' Newmar RV and have not been camping in it yet. 4G for a new rubber roof. [should have walked] so im 10 g into a 94 motorhome. That money was suppose to go toward a lot of different things associated w/ hitting the road......LOL now the thought of hitting the road scares me to death. Wish you guys the best. Im onboard w/ ya!
Good video. We all make those kinds of mistakes. I made a similar one with a truck/camper combo where I accidentally left the truck in neutral. I was up in the cabover bed before I realized, Yep, we're rolling downhill. In a parking lot. With cars in front. My wife at the time said she didn't know how I got through the crawl-through window so fast! This was decades ago, and I still vividly remember that moment. No harm done though. Here's another mistake I made I want to share for your benefit: I pulled into a gas station, and didn't realize the shade overhang for the pumps was lower than my camper...put a nice gash in it. Most of them these days are high enough, but you might want to look out for those when looking for fuel. Ahhhh...good times...;-)
haha, oh no! Those stories made my stomach drop a little. We have been super paranoid about height since the day we bought the trailer so thankfully that's always on our radar. I'm always looking up lol. Thank you for sharing your stories and the kind words. Happy travels!
I'm still in the "research" phase of my escape journey. It's interesting hearing stories from newbies. Good luck and safe travels.
Some of these stories are just rich! So much can happen. Thanks for the laughs and for helping us remember to go over everything more than once! Great video! :) We're going full time this summer, and no, you didn't sway us from it! LOL!
Haha, glad to hear we didn't sway you! We've been on the road 5 months now and LOVE it! It was actually good to get these issues out of the way early on. Congrats on going full time! Happy travels!
Love your transparency and willingness to teach others...we've all done similar things being newbies...
Thank you so much!
Lol . Welcome to full time rving. I’ve seen seasoned RVers make the simplest mistakes it’s what camping is all about learning..I once forgot to remove the trailer chock and couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t make it out of the site, so I put the truck in 4 wheel drive and gunned it. I’d never seen a trailer literally bounce in the air. Luckily no damage and downright embarrassing..to this day my wife reminds me every time we pack to leave....enjoy and happy trails
Thank you for sharing your story! That makes us feel better lol. We've gotten much better since this video and now have a checklist for everything 😀
I'm new at hauling camper too..lot of steps to follow when setting up or packing up.. If you're tired it's easy to make errors.. So far , I have set up 3 times with no issues, but setting up last night , I almost pulled tow vehicle away after unhitching, as I sat there in driver seat I recalled I didn't unhook safety chains .. I fortunately, caught that error.. I was tired ..
Yes, we all make mistakes, especially in the beginning. Good on you for catching your error before it caused any damage. Stay safe and happy travels!
Oh I feel for you! Cheer up, we all have days like that! Thanks for sharing all this. Though I'm sure it was painful and embarrassing to relive, it may help others learn by your mistakes.
Thank you, Sue! We are definitely hoping people will learn from our mistakes. A few have reached out and said they have so that makes it all worth it. Thankfully, this was 7 months ago and I'm happy to report we are doing a lot better and totally loving this lifestyle.
Awesome, hope to see your pup in more videos too.
You two are a lot of fun and I really enjoy your videos... thanks!
Thanks so much!
Once you said you were going to Petaluma and turned on 580 West I thought Oh No. Then you released the 5th wheel and I thought of the time I did that on my brothers and lucky the tailgate stopped it from rolling down the hill. Remember the first time you don't do something or forget it is a lesson, the second time it is a mistake and the third it is a sign to give up. I'm glad to get as many lessons out of the way as possible without harm!
Yes, we learned a lot of lessons that week! But I'm happy to say that we haven't made those mistakes again and I think it taught us to be safer RVers. We've been on the road 6 months now and love it! Thanks for your kind comment 😄
Great story guys, it get's better. Remember to have fun, stuff like you are describing are the 'trailer war stories' you will tell to others when they become newbies. 20+ years towing trailers with my wife, six trailers, etc. there are plenty to tell. Love each other, don't ride the other too much and look out for each other.
Oh, and don't leave anything on your counters when you are traveling with a trailer, it's not as smooth of a ride that you would get with a coach - there is a lot of moving and shaking going on back there and there are not seatbelts - that is why in most states it's illegal to carry passengers back there when you are traveling down the road. Recommend watching the Long, Long Trailer with Lucille Ball and Ricky Ricardo, you will laugh your tails off.
Hey, Dave! Thanks, for the recommendation, I will definitely watch that! I LOVED "I Love Lucy" as a kid lol. And yes, we've learned to take everything off the counters now. And not to get on each other's backs lol. We've been on the road 8 months now and are finally feeling more in the groove of things. So glad we didn't give us as this lifestyle is amazing!
You two remind me so much of myself and then wife long ago, young, but honest and capable of learning from the mistakes that young folks make. Ah to be young again! Well maybe not. Don't worry, as older folks you'll still make some mistakes but not as frequently since you'll have more accumulated wisdom. Those dents and scratches will serve as future cautious warnings before you act, so they served a purpose! My advice from my boating years, before pulling into your slip or spot, survey the whole layout and plan ahead, visualize it, then execute your plan but be prepared to keep from pushing a bad approach or situation and making it worse! You'll have better experiences with better planning. Good luck!
Thank you so much for your kind words!
The learning curve at first is very steep. It gets better, but I am still learning after several seasons. Some experienced 5ers don't always chock their tires unless they are on an extreme slope (and I have seen them move). I always do - even on very level ground.
Yeah, that initial curve is a rough one. We are feeling a lot better about traveling now and some things are becoming second nature. We're right there with you about always chocking your tires, we do it no matter how flat our ground is now. Happy travels!
so scary... that thing with the trailer moving by itself... but... the mental picture of you two trying to keep it from rolling by hanging on to it made me ROTFLOL big time! Glad it worked out!
Haha, yes it was quite a sight for all the other campers watching! Glad we got that embarrassing moment out of the way early lol.
Yowsers - rough start. Trailer rolling is always something that strikes fear into any RVer. I double check that often. Driving near Frisco is never easy! Best wishes!
Thank you! We double and triple check things now. I guess it's good it happened early because it made us safer travelers. Happy travels!
You guys are sweet to share your stories. Be sure to keep a diary or ship’s log as I call it. I’ve been RVing for over 30 years and have a ton of what are now but not then funny stories.
Hey Carl, thanks so much. And that's a great idea! Jason does have a log of things we do and the vlogs that we post are a great visual log for us. I like the idea of keeping a general diary just for us though!
Question guys, is this your first RV? And if so have you ever seen RV that leak after the first year? What the average monthly rent at a RV camp/resort?
Hey there! Yes, this is our first RV. We actually just had a leak under our kitchen sink after 6 months of ownership. It was an easy fix though. Or were you referring to the roof? We have seen some people in Facebook groups talk about the roofs leaking in their brand new rigs. And the average monthly rent varies from park to park and state to state but we've mostly seen them ranging from $400/month to $1200/month. The more expensive rates are in places liked California and Florida. Hope this helps!
Just joined you after seeing your TC Michigan vid. Glad you kept going
WOW! Thank God you didn't loose it, thank you for sharing
Yes, thank goodness! That would have been horrible.
Just figure what else can go wrong ?? Good luck and stick with it . We have a motorhome and have had issues but we learned along the way to fix and have fun !!
Thanks, Susan! Things have been much better. Actually glad we got these mistakes out of the way early because now we're better travelers because of them. Happy travels!
Always nice to see what people go through when first starting out! Thanks for sharing your journey. :)
You’re so welcome!
the KOA in Las Cruces NM has the most incredible night lights vista ever...amazing!
I felt so bad for you, but at the same time, I couldn't help laughing either. You guys definitely went through the non-typical learning curve, but you came out of it in one piece and together. It gets better. This is the first time watching your videos and you two are the cutest newbies. looking forward to more of your newbie adventures.
Haha, don't feel bad for laughing! This was 6 months ago so we even laugh at ourselves now. You're definitely right about it getting better. We're loving this lifestyle and everything it has to offer now. We have plenty of newbie adventures for ya lol
Really appreciate your videos.....I am a newbie....haven't even got our rig yet. Doing the research up front as much as I can. Thanks again!!!!!
Thank you! Good luck on your search, I'm sure you'll find the perfect rig. So glad to hear you like our videos, that means a lot to us! 😊
Getaway Couple....I had a 2019 Open Range on order. Get it tomorrow. Like you guys I went with a large one out of the gates at 40 ft. Our first trip is to Clear Water British Columbia on June 29th. I might try posting a video on UA-cam....:)
Every one has made mistakes with trailers. Ive had two over tht yearrs. The owner of the company i work for bought him a new diesel GMC truck and a huge fifth wheel with a super slide. I got to work on monday and it was parked in the company parking lot. Seems he was going to spend the weekend away but after trying three times to back it in the slot he gave up and drove back to the shop. I tried to teach him but he just parked it behind the office and there it set. We all got to enjoy it.
Oh wow, I can't believe he didn't try to learn how to drive it! We've been on the road now 6 months and feel a lot more comfortable with it. Thank you so much for your kind comment!
I think we have all lived a tale or two of woe in getting up and going and it sounds like you had your share in 1 week. Best of traveling to you. We are partially started into our FT venture. We still have a furnished home in Montana we are wanting to sell but are living this winter in Vegas and may just stop by our house to check on it while traveling this summer. Maybe we will run into you someday...somewhere :)
Hey there! That would be fun to run into each other. We've been on the road 6 months now and are loving it. I think learning those lessons in the first week of travel happened for a reason. We're much safer travelers now 👍
All of the KOA campgrounds on the eastcoast you can request 50amp sites.
We started full timing in August 2018, and we can relate to the mistakes, that must definitely be a newbie initiation. We would love to meet you both and share stories, or should I say nightmares? We would like to know more about Thousand Trails and I read your blog to my husband John. I'm Linda
Thanks for being honest. hope it goes better in future.
On our second trip, our new truck pulling our new trailer broke down in the desert on a day over 100 degrees F. We were lucky we didn’t die. It took 2 weeks for a dealership 30 miles away to repair our truck. We had an angel of a friend in that small town take us in and loan us a vehicle. Maybe someone was watching over us that day.
What a nightmare but glad to hear it turned out for the best!
If your trailer ever starts to roll while unhitched, pull the cable that you attach to the hitch or truck. This will apply max trailer brakes and stop it. Keep in mind it will be draining the house battery, so secure the trailer and put the pin back in ASAP.
Awesome tip! We've learned so much in the last 3 months and haven't had any other major scares but this is a great tip to have in our "toolbox". Thank you!
I thought to do the same thing as soon as they got to the part "It Started Rolling"
I bought the leveling kits for mine and got more than one.
Also bought the chocks that snap into those same leveling kits.
Once the tire puts any pressure on them , they cannot come out.
I was a bit worried once when I had to use up both my kits on one side of the camper as the site was so out of level , yes it was a KOA. I carry extra pieces of 1x6 lumber scraps just in case I run out of the leveling blocks.
I also carry the individual chocks that are to be used on their own.
I'm thinking those wedge type wheel chocks would also be a good idea to lock both tires to each other.
@@2009mechanic Just an FYI, If you ever decide to go over the border to Canada, you will not be allowed to take 'raw' lumber. If you are using wood for chocks, make sure it's pressure treated.
Cheer up, we all learn the hard way. Always ask for level lot, easy access, height restrictions and width for slides on both sides. Call rather than rely on e-registration. Have the person you talk to check before you hang up.
Omg, I loved the video! Glad you guys are ok, and haven't called it quits. My partner and I started Full timing roughly 7 months ago, in our 30 ft TT, and have made some very similar mistakes... We have a massive stock up of Lynx Levelers as well, lol. Enjoy the adventures you two! :-)
Thanks, Cody! We've been having a much better time since this video was made (back in August) and are loving it now. I think everyone needs to go through some growing pains when they first start out full timing. Glad to hear you made it through your rough times on the road as well. Happy travels!
Just subscribed! We are not new to RVing but even a seasoned people **** happens to us all. We are going to be buying a bigger rv (toy hauler 2/decks etc) so it’s going to be a little different than our 34 footer. Y’all are doing a great job and keep at it. Best of luck and safe travels. May see y’all on the road someday. Did I mention we will be spending most of our time on the road as well lolol. Cheers 🍻
It happens to us all, Some days are diamonds and some days are rocks
Thanks! And that's very true, we've definitely had some diamond days too.
This is a great video! I loved the self-deprecation...very funny!
Thanks for the info, thanks for doing these videos it's good info for when we get out there!
You're welcome! Glad it helped. Definitely learn from our mistakes lol. We've been on the road 8 months now and it's been going a lot smoother 👍Happy travels!
Getaway Couple , we was watching your video about how you experienced a little anxiety when downsizing then a little bit of that, oh no what have we done! My wife says, " That's me I'm just like her " ! We're really looking forward to it, researching what truck and trailer to buy, I'm a truck driver so I have some knowledge but none in rv's.
Haha aww I’m glad she relates! I feel like it’s a side of RVing people don’t talk about. But it does get better! Let us know what trailer/truck you end up getting! We’d highly recommend a Grand Design 👍🏼
Getaway Couple we have looked at the Grand Design, only online, and really like it. Right now we are leaning towards the Openrange by Highland, 387RBS, she really likes the floor plan specially the kitchen and 1 1/2 bath and I really like the king pin, suspension and 3 inch walls. The Chevy is out of the running cause of the towing capacity, so leaning towards the Dodge 350 dually but that Ford is really nice too. Taking vacation next week and going to rv show, so we'll see grand design in person and test drive some trucks !!! Thanks again for the info!!
Good on you for a sharing. Lots of people need to hear these experiences!
Thank you! If our mistakes help one other person avoid the same thing then that's all that matters! Also, you don't happen to be from Australia? My brother in law is an Aussie and says "good on you" a ton!
Getaway Couple Not from Australia, just a weirdo! Haha I'm in Alabama this week actually.
Lessons learned, good advice for first time 5th wheel RVERs
Thanks!
I am new to your channel, & want to tell you that I really appreciate your story of the not so glamorous side of RVing. We all have stories of oopsies we've done. My husband & I have a saying. Use it. Break it. Fix it. Stuff still happens to us, we've been rving for over 15 yrs.
Thanks for the kind words, Lori! We've definitely grown a lot since this video and are so glad we stuck with it.
Thanks for posting.. learning myself. I will definitely try to remember the chocks, that was a close one. Just laugh and move on.