Getting a travel trailer in a week. I didn’t know you shouldn’t leave the black tank open, so thank you for mentioning it. Newbies are out there all the time looking for info. We don’t know what we don’t know!
Another great informative content! Thanks again for all you do making your videos, always enjoy your channel! I would add to make darn sure you chock your tires. I had backed our Travel Trailer to our seasonal campsite alongside the elevated wooden deck. The door side of the trailer’s jacks were too close to the deck to use my drill/socket set. So, I crawled underneath & my nephew helped me manually to put my jacks down. I’d turned 180 degrees (12 o’clock to 6) & he turned 180 degrees (6 o’clock to noon). Well, we both (seasoned campers but in a hurry, another mistake!) forgot to chock the wheels! After a few turns the turning motion had the trailer rolling backwards with me under the 9K lb trailer! I tried to roll out but wasn’t fast enough! I was pinned by the hitch I-beam, on my back with my left wrist/arm across my chest! I screamed to get it off. Thankfully, many of the other seasonal campers were there, as well as my wife, my GSD, & my extended family! The guys worked on getting me out while I stayed calm & focus on my breathing which was getting more & more difficult to do. After the longest 2 mins of my life, I was dragged out by my neighbor & his wife both firefighter/paramedics. Rushed to the hospital via his fire company’s truck. After 5 hours in the ER & many tests, I walked out with 5 stitches (I-beam had cut into my wrist, very sore ribs and a long lecture on how lucky I was from the ER doctor. My camper friends had secured our trailer for us to sleep & the next day came over to set it alongside the deck. ***ALWAYS securely chock the tires! Lesson learned! Sorry for the long post but I hope it makes you & viewers think before going camping.
Great tips Jared. Here's a couple more. (1) Watch out for overhanging trees on backroads (2) motorhome generator won't run if tank is less than 1/4 full (not broke, it's a feature) (3) Don't plug in too many high-powered things when on generator (4) practice taking wide turns around your rear wheels (5) watch your tail swing when turning. That's it. Funny: I was going to make a similar video, but I think you covered it :)
THANK YOU FOR #5! As a professional truck driver, I see this way too often. People drive a Prius fifty weeks out of the year, jump into their RV, drive it the exact same way as their Prius, then wonder why they've ran into the back of someone else or how they wound up in the ditch. Just slow down a little a save yourself a major headache (or heartache). Anywho, thanks for the RV PSA. Blessings on you and the family!
A few to add... 1) Unhitching, raise the coupler off the ball LAST, and only AFTER you've unhooked the safety chains, power cord, etc. Ask me how this became part of my routine. (It was hot, I was tired...that's my excuse...and that's why to make this a habit.) As an added safety measure, my truck keeps the rear view camera on as I creep forward, so I shift to reverse to turn the camera on and WATCH as I pull away, to make sure the trailer isn't coming with me! 2) Do another walk around the empty site after you pull out. 3) Measure the height of your rig, and mark it on a label somewhere you can see in 2 seconds as you're driving...because that's about how much time you have to decide if you'll fit under that low bridge.
Thanks. Good points. Add one more. Walk around when you park before you level or hook up. Got a nice spot. All level. Hooked up. Next day I decided to put the awning out. Nope, too close to a tree. I was with my two young grandkids and didn't want to start all over again.
The walk around is so, so, important. Sounds like a no-brainer but I’ve seen a lot of folks leave tools, pressure regulators, leveling lagos, axe, unbelievable! The most important and and most beneficial reward from a walk around is seeing that overhanging tree branch again, that thorny bush, that post with your space number! Last weekend after group camping while I was hitching up to leave I heard a loud crash! A brand new motor coach made a sharp left turn and dragged the post inside his wheel well and totally destroyed the side of his rig! Six passengers and no one stayed outside to guide him. My friend is devastated...10,000 dollar estimated repair. He is not a newbie. He’s been Rv’ing for many years. Great tips in this video, listen up people!
He was probably too proud to get help with outside help...I've personally come across one of those...tried to be nice and offered some outside help and I got yelled at because I hurt his pride offering help because he had 20 years experience driving trucks...Oooo he came so close to backing over a water main...
Excellent video. We are guilty of learning the hard way. To counter our errors, we developed checklists for arrival and pre-departure “to do’s.” The Wife and I have an agreement that double checking each other is not about mistrust, it is about quality assurance. The checklists are living documents and updated as necessary. The last update was to include verifying the location of the extra RV keys. Someplace in Texas there are keys to our outside bays laying on a picnic table.
I actually retired from a Quality Assurance background, where checklists are routinely used to ensure that necessary tasks are done. So that's one of the first things I did, after our maiden voyage when we were flagged down leaving the campground with the TV antenna up! We now run the checklist every time the RV moves, start to finish. As Jeffery said though, it has to be updated as you acquire or think of new things. Even with the checklist, our "Y" valve for the fresh water hookup ended getting left on our last trip. Add that to the list...
Amen amen I tell you. My wife has saved our bacon on more than one occasion because I forgot something in our procedures in my walk through, that she caught in in her final walk through after I did mine.
Thank you for the reminders. Hubby and I have a system, but we each check each others work just to make sure that we haven't left anything undone. We also do a light/signal light check to ensure that our trailer is in sync with the turn signals and brake signals of our truck. Before we leave camp, we make sure that the area that we were in, is cleaner than when we arrived.
Good point about the travel trailer tires. When I purchased our used RV it came with the Goodyear Marathon china bomb tires, only rated for 65mph. We immediately replaced them with Made in USA Goodyear Endurance 10-PLY tires rated at 86mph - not that we drive that fast. Excellent point, it is a bit scary though when following behind someone with a single axle and/or with 14" tires and they are going 75mph and you just know those tires aren't rated to go that fast. Be careful out there folks.
Ive also learned if a friendly neighbor stops by to say good bye while your breaking camp..do TWO walk arounds ..just yesterday I nearly left my wheel chocks
My honey and I have our own parts of hooking up our trailer and then setting up, securing the doors and drawers and things on the counter tops inside, we have a toy hauler, and making sure our toys are anchored correctly. Then we check each other’s work make sure it’s right. So far we’ve only had a problem with one of our scooters falling over. I hate it when that happens. Thank you for your video, they’re very helpful.
Learned the awning the hard way. We did every thing right, according to my scout training. We had the door to the east, most storms come out of the west, and had the awning pitched about 30% down. Cane back to find our awning had blown across the top of the trailer, damaging the AC in the process.
Just 2 weeks ago I had my fellow neighbor camper leave his awning out during a storm. We literally have 4 feet in between our campers. During the storm his awning was blown over the top of his camper and crashed down on top of my slide out. Cant make this stuff up.
Definitely secure your sewer hose. We were camping along the Colorado River when a monsoon came through, and unbeknownst to me, it blew my sewer hose out of the waste pipe. When it was time to dump the black tank, I pulled the handle and dumped the entire thing onto the beach.
Developed check lists, specific set by step procedures with hitching up, trailer setup and tear down. For instance, Electric first, fresh water second, sewer line third. Always try to be consistent in the order of how things are done This seems to work.
We had a 24ft forest river. While returning home from a vacation out west we were passing a semi truck on I 80 during a thunderstorm, between Raeling and Laramie. The suction caused by the semi ripped the awning completely off our motorhome, leaving just the brackets. Be careful passing any semi, and make sure the awning is secure by large zip ties or bungee cords.
When you think you're finished, have double-checked everything and are ready to go... I like to crawl ahead about ten feet, stop and do one more final look around and complete circle check (trailer connections, doors, storage doors locked?) etc. etc. . Have found the occasional item left behind (often under the trailer) even though we thought we had everything!!
I think the walk around is one of the greatest inventions ever. From running Heavy Equipment in military to piloting. I treat RV same as airplane. Before leaving for goodness sake just walk around it. That's when I recheck all the compartment locks doors windows etc. Takes 2 mins and can save you money big time..
Thanks for your service man. When I was in, I thought all of the rules and safety checks where stupid, however, I realized how beneficial it is for everyday life.
Great tips! Especially the driving too fast tip, I have talked to so many people that go 70+ on the highway towing and they are not aware of the tire limitations.
I have a fifth wheel and the “tug test” saved me a big and expensive problem. Just 3 days ago. I am a newbie. Saw it on you tube. Have been using it and thank God I did.
Quality reminders, thank you. I would add: 1. Don't turn on your water heater until you have filled it with water and gotten the air out of the lines. 2. Secure all doors and drawers inside the RV before traveling. 3. Make sure you have the equipment necessary to change a tire in case help is far away or not available.
Definitely on the tire change tools, especially a jack that with work on your trailer. It's easy enough the throw a 4-way lug wrench in the trailer, buts its a good idea to get a little bottle jack as well.
Absolutely correct on doing the speed recommended on the tire I was in Texas and the speed limit was posted at 75 so that’s what I was doing when a tire blew and besides the hassle of changing the tire when when one blows it can do a lot of damage to your rig
Good stuff! Learned the awning thing the hard way . Left camp for site seeing and came back seeing it over the top of RV. Now when we leave it’s rolled up. I am amazed when we snow bird in Az & South CA how many RV go by us at well over 65 mph with tires not rated above. A lot at >75-80 mph.
Glad he mentioned the 65MPH trailer tires. I see everything from RVs to construction and lawn trailers traveling at 70 and above all the time. Probably those same guys who don't tie things down and say "it ain't going nowhere."
Yes. My rule is that you must do a CLEAN walk around. That is a walk around when you have to take no action. So, you may end up doing this 3 or 4 times, because each time you will find something that needs attention. Yes, this takes time, but so do mistakes and they often cost lots of money. It is easy to put away the lawn chairs and forget that you had other things as well. Do not get in a hurry. A RV is not a car. They are complicated large vehicles and the movement and operation of them is done with deliberation and care. Furthermore, you take far more items with you and all of this has to be managed. I would also add that when you move your slides you should inspect the travel of the slide inside and outside before you move them. It is easy to forget that a storage bay door is open or a cupboard door is open inside. Things will break, that's life, but you as a good manager of your RV need to minimize the careless mistakes to help keep your budget reasonable. Travel Safe. Henri
As a pilot I count on check lists. I developed one for my specific motor home that addresses items in the same order as walking around the rig. An easily over looked item is the TV antenna. It's on the check list but I still use a 4" square card I bought that says it's up that goes on the steering wheel before I put the antenna up.
While we were living stationary before we launched fulltime we witnessed people do the things you mentioned all the time. Every couple and every family should get to set up and teardown process in order and practice it before you adventure out.
Oh my, newbie here with about 30 camp nights this year. I have the same elbow drain line connection you showed in the video and I never realized I could secure it to many of the the campground receivers by simply screwing it in. Doh!
A fellow RVer told us a story of how a squirrel stuffed twigs and a pinecone in between the slide out and the rubber seal on the wall of his coach. At the end of their week long vacation in the mountains, he pressed the switch to bring the slides in...and that's when he heard crunching sounds! Unbeknownst to him, he discovered a treasure trove of yuckiness that was quite expensive to have repaired. So, after some advice of a wise RVer, my husband now climbs onto the roof of our 5th wheel to sweep off and inspect the tops of the slides before we pull them in. I highly recommend that you do it, too!
I do the same.... if am going out, the awning is coming in and I also turn the water off. I close all compartments except where my power cable is. This is just in case someone needs to disconnect my coach in case of an emergency and we're not around.
have a list never leave until its checked off. Stabilizer jacks we upgraded to 7500 pound jacks so i get it with in an inch and use the jack to do the rest.
Great info. Even with a good (double walk around-wife and husband) we have missed something. Water regulator and door mat sitting on picnic table. Both were recovered but they came to the top of the list to check. Stabilizers. I have the power ones and do put enough pressure on them to "trip" the overload. They are not strong enough to lift the RV anyway. Awnings, septic and Speed are great points too. Hope your viewers understand the speed rating one. We get waved too being passed by other RVers only to see them 30 minutes later with a blowout. Don't worry, we wave back!
These are a bunch that I could think of that I personally have made in the past. When first pulling into a site make sure before leveling or disconnecting that your slide (or slides) will not hit anything when fully out. Plus also make sure your water, electric, and sewer hose are going to reach where they are suppose to be connected. Close all of the vents on the roof before leaving. Turn off your 12V water pump while towing. Secure your roll of toilet paper (otherwise the motion of the road can easily unravel a good amount all over the floor). Make sure there is no debris on top of your slides before retracting them into the trailer. Don't store anything heavy in the upper cabinets. Make sure you've broken down any table that needs to be stored flat. Turn off all interior lights. If you have a microwave that has a rotating glass dish inside wrap that in a towel while towing. If you were dry camping make sure you've turned off the propane switch to the water heater. Connect your water regulator before your water hose (not in between the hose and the trailers water inlet). Lastly make sure your shower and fridge doors are securely shut.
I think everybody makes mistake #4. Once. As they say, experience is the best teacher. We carry a long brick in our drain hose compartment for dump stations or hookups that have no threads. Even with the donut, it helps keep things in place.
From another full timer, this is all good advice. Especially the speed your towing. I have talked to people who have had blowouts on new rigs so they aren't immune to tire failures. I don't drive over 65 except for small distances only, passing on the interstate, but am often passed by people going much faster. I use a tire pressure monitor system and keep close watch on it
Hi Jared - I wish you had done this video a couple of months ago - lol. Our awning was trashed by a brief gust while we were out. Our old trailer had a 'manual awning that was quite robust, but the new trailer has (had) the electric awning and is a lot more 'bendy.' I also was just discussing the tire speed rating with some friends (one of whom drives about 85mph on his ST tires), this was definitely new information for them and something I suspect most drivers don't know. Driving over the tire limit will wear the tire faster, the tire will be less able to grip the road (gets greasy) so cornering becomes a bit more of an issue and, as you mentioned, the risk of a blowout increases. As usual, I learned a couple of things - thanks for putting these out.
Oh bummer! We left ours out one time and came back to it in. Thankfully, one of the neighbors saw that we were going to lose it and put it in for us. We were so grateful! So now we put it in most of the time when we leave.
I do a final walk around and push on every door that locks, after almost losing the awning if we leave it comes and the water is shut off, I will make sandbags to help hold the drain hose stable, I get passed ale the time on highways. Good stuff :)
One thing i found out is if you are connecting a hose to empty your black tank, make sure hose is secured properly. Failing to do this will make a very big mess. This happened to me when i was using my portable tank.
Wouldn't have helped with the portable tank but on the camper, I always pull the grey valve first and let a bit of it run out. Then, after this grey water test, I close the valve and pull the black and lastly the grey again to flush out the black.Would much rather find the problem with grey water over black water.
1 thing I learned with a new RV. RV dealers left the grey and black tanks open. Went to drain the grey on our maiden voyage/hunting trip, and guess what, I got to try the new shower in the new RV in about 2 minutes. Didn't really care if the water was hot or not at the time.
Funny awning story (kind of). We were at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park in NM on a hot sunny weekend when I realized I hadn't put the awning out. I told the wife, "hey, there isn't any wind I'm going to put the awning out". Literally as soon as I got the awning where I wanted it a huge gust of wind, almost like a bomb drop hit and bent my awning bracket. It was about a two second burst and then dead calm again. Welcome to New Mexico.
Can you make a video on how to run your AC properly and if you have more than one AC what amperage is the minimum required to use also how does your refrigerator switch from gas to electric in order to be used?
Wow you really have issues with stabilizers lol. I’m pretty sure you spent twice as much time on them as you did any other item lol. I have to agree with your black tank comments. I’ve seen way to many people hook up the hose to the dump fitting and then leave their valve open 24/7. They end up with a tank full of solids and a big problem lol. The other thing I’ve seen a few times to many is people driving away with the drain hose still hooked up. That’s a fun one lol Thanks for another informative video. Cheers mate and happy trails
Here's one of my biggest gripes,rver's not pulling over in turn outs with they are slowing down traffic. I see it all the time on one lane roads with many turn outs. Hardly anyone will pull over. Doing 25 mph when the rest of the traffic is trying to do 55 plus.
That first mistake mentioned is something that's just habit for me now. I'm a OTR driver and I'm in flatbed. I've got tons of tools, straps, chains, winches, binders, and such. One thing I always do before I ever move my rig is a walk around inspection, and I don't look for just loose items. A pre trip and a post trip should be something mandatory for anyone who operates a vehicle of any sort, even a bicycle. Your inspection doesn't always have to be super thorough, we've all got things to do, and no time to do them. But pop the hood, take a quick look at your fluid levels, look under the vehicle for any fluids that may have leaked, look around your tires for any nails, gashes, or bad tread wear. Turn your lights on and check them, it only takes maybe 5 minutes or less, and can save you a lot of anxiety if you spot a problem before you leave out. It's a daily ritual for me, and my 18 is a lot bigger than a car or pickup, and has a lot more equipment to go over. Not only is my rig bigger, but everything is more expensive on it too. It's never good to get too complacent and think all is well, because unless you verify it then you don't know.
Don’t leave both outside shower valves open with the nozzle valve closed. This let’s cold water circulate with your hot water and you will think your water heater isn’t working!
Rule F’n 1: before you take the cap off to hook up your hose and dump, make sure the valves are closed!!! Rule 2: make sure your better half knows the walk around steps you have in place after you have hitched up before you leave so she can double check you didn’t miss anything! She will guaranteed save your backside a few times. And own up to it when you missed something! She will be more apt to speak up next time if something seems out of place.
You want both tanks closed off most of the time, because if you don't have some gray water saved up you can't use it to rinse through the hose after the black tank dump. Ideally we want at least half a tank of gray water when we dump black. We often leave the dump hose packed away until we're ready to open the valves. In a one week stay at a park, we usually only do it once.
As usual you have great information for us travelers. Definitely left stuff behind in the past Advice when getting ready to leave, and your stowing and getting things ready try not to chit chat with others...can be a big distraction
Scott Gorman lost a friend over that , my first time out , getting ready to leave and he kept interrupting my step by step walk around . Telling me how to do it and mad that I wouldn’t let him distract me .
So far my only dump tank mistake is that I left the black valve open from the last time I was at the dump station. Well the next time I camped I was boon docking and didn’t see the black tank valve was still open until I went to dump. So the best I could do was close the valve and minimize what came out. It’s just attention to detail.
There is so much information out there and I am having a hard time figuring out the best product for resealing out side parts of your RV. What is your recommendation for sealing seams on the body of the RV? Do you need to reseal windows? What do you use? What about the roof??? How can you tell when you need to reseal any of it? Just bought a 2008 5th wheel and want to do the right thing. Also, can you use that expanding spray foam insulation around your plumbing pipes when some of it is missing? Want to get things sealed up to help with pests before winter.
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I'm retired an I'm not in a hurry to go anywhere, 65 or less is it, one other point to make is keep your wheel bearings packed with grease an air pressure correct...
I would like to see your list of mistakes and/or shortcomings manufacturers are guilty of in the build of trailers. Your list would help me decide which manufacturer is best at avoiding your critique when I buy my trailer.
That would be very helpful but I think every manufacturer falls short in some way or another. There aren’t too many trailers out there that don’t have some sort of issue to them.
@@AllAboutRVs I was not thinking of a list that would be manufacturer or model specific.. One example would be, too many use cheap Chinese tires. Look for American GY Enduros. Or stick built vs aluminum. Or how to tell if materials or fixtures are too cheap or of acceptable quality. I do not trust the rankings or reviews by those whose livings are too closely tied to advertising, etc. At the moment I am thinking of buying a Lance 2185 TT. But have difficulty determining if the price is justified or do others have the same quality and reliability as Lance. They all make the same claims no matter the price point.
When we had all the kids with us (4) we started our “walk around rewards” system! After the adults did a walk around, the kids got a chance to win MONEY by trying to find our ‘forgots’ It worked like a charm! Now that it’s just hubby & me? We have a reward system too. Points system for nice little ticket items... 👍
I would not drive any type of RV , motorhome or truck and trailer without a tire pressure monitor system. I use a Pressure Pro . It has saved me 2 time's . So it's paid for it self.
New to your channel and I have learned a lot. Will begin full-time in about three months. Just wondering if you you could say something about how to adjust the generator when in high altitude? I traveled once before for 8mths and I didn't know about the generator 🙄
Your second item made me chuckle. Nearly every weekend we witness someone using their stabilizer jacks to level. One weekend right next to us, the camper was easily out left to right by over an inch and they dug out their impact wrench then proceeded to level their camper. Quite entertaining.
So... How DO you fine tune your leveling? I have a 2004 Tahoe transport fifth wheel, I think it has automatic leveling, but sometimes it's off and it's annoying to have cabinet/bedroom doors that won't stay open or water in the shower won't drain from bad angling. I'd love a tip 😊
@@candacebroomhead6639 I carry many, many blocks of wood. I have a Hoppy level that tells me how many inches I need to raise the left or right side, the place the necessary number of blocks and pull the trailer wheels up on em. Then, level fore/aft, and only then put the stabilizers down.
After cleaning your black tank and flush and everything out it's always good to pour in some dish soap in your toilet so that dish soap can sit in there while the black tank fills up and it breaks up the material easier. Also the sewer pipe that goes out to the drainage I found it easier to put a half a piece of 3-inch PVC pipe under the hose so it would have a straight run to the sewage pipe that's in the ground. If you don't put the CPVC pipe underneath it snake will be crooked and dipped and it's just a big hassle whenever it's clumped up full of bacteria and then you have to do it by hand and flush it down the pipe.
One I would add is leveling your trailer when it's hooked up. Or at least get it close. There is no reason to be driving down the highway with the hitch way up in the air or the tongue jack practically dragging on the ground.
ps,. The carpet inside RV gets wet too..currently drying out carpet and put duct tape over area until I can get the floor dry and re-seal the outside slide floor..Thanks
I started to go one time with my audning out. I only went about one foot. Then trying to get it back in it would not work. Friends came over to figure out the problem. After 30 minutes I realized what was wrong. When I took off I released the brake. Most automatic audnings will not work when brake is released.
I hear buying your RV from Camping World is also a bad RV Mistake we often see too. Jared, great video. Have you helped Marc with his solar set up on his new rig, Ginormous Ginger?
Getting a travel trailer in a week. I didn’t know you shouldn’t leave the black tank open, so thank you for mentioning it. Newbies are out there all the time looking for info. We don’t know what we don’t know!
We were all newbies once!
Another great informative content! Thanks again for all you do making your videos, always enjoy your channel! I would add to make darn sure you chock your tires.
I had backed our Travel Trailer to our seasonal campsite alongside the elevated wooden deck. The door side of the trailer’s jacks were too close to the deck to use my drill/socket set. So, I crawled underneath & my nephew helped me manually to put my jacks down. I’d turned 180 degrees (12 o’clock to 6) & he turned 180 degrees (6 o’clock to noon).
Well, we both (seasoned campers but in a hurry, another mistake!) forgot to chock the wheels! After a few turns the turning motion had the trailer rolling backwards with me under the 9K lb trailer! I tried to roll out but wasn’t fast enough! I was pinned by the hitch I-beam, on my back with my left wrist/arm across my chest! I screamed to get it off.
Thankfully, many of the other seasonal campers were there, as well as my wife, my GSD, & my extended family!
The guys worked on getting me out while I stayed calm & focus on my breathing which was getting more & more difficult to do.
After the longest 2 mins of my life, I was dragged out by my neighbor & his wife both firefighter/paramedics. Rushed to the hospital via his fire company’s truck. After 5 hours in the ER & many tests, I walked out with 5 stitches (I-beam had cut into my wrist, very sore ribs and a long lecture on how lucky I was from the ER doctor.
My camper friends had secured our trailer for us to sleep & the next day came over to set it alongside the deck.
***ALWAYS securely chock the tires! Lesson learned! Sorry for the long post but I hope it makes you & viewers think before going camping.
Great tips Jared. Here's a couple more. (1) Watch out for overhanging trees on backroads (2) motorhome generator won't run if tank is less than 1/4 full (not broke, it's a feature) (3) Don't plug in too many high-powered things when on generator (4) practice taking wide turns around your rear wheels (5) watch your tail swing when turning. That's it. Funny: I was going to make a similar video, but I think you covered it :)
Excellent ideas Brian!
Great info Jared, mistakes we've all made at some point in time. Plus input from Tito as well, I'd say we're in very good hands indeed!
#3 depends on your generator size.
THANK YOU FOR #5!
As a professional truck driver, I see this way too often. People drive a Prius fifty weeks out of the year, jump into their RV, drive it the exact same way as their Prius, then wonder why they've ran into the back of someone else or how they wound up in the ditch. Just slow down a little a save yourself a major headache (or heartache).
Anywho, thanks for the RV PSA. Blessings on you and the family!
A few to add...
1) Unhitching, raise the coupler off the ball LAST, and only AFTER you've unhooked the safety chains, power cord, etc. Ask me how this became part of my routine. (It was hot, I was tired...that's my excuse...and that's why to make this a habit.) As an added safety measure, my truck keeps the rear view camera on as I creep forward, so I shift to reverse to turn the camera on and WATCH as I pull away, to make sure the trailer isn't coming with me!
2) Do another walk around the empty site after you pull out.
3) Measure the height of your rig, and mark it on a label somewhere you can see in 2 seconds as you're driving...because that's about how much time you have to decide if you'll fit under that low bridge.
Great points to add, thank you!
Thanks. Good points. Add one more. Walk around when you park before you level or hook up. Got a nice spot. All level. Hooked up. Next day I decided to put the awning out. Nope, too close to a tree. I was with my two young grandkids and didn't want to start all over again.
Good point! We keep a tape measure in the truck so we can quickly pull it out to measure for our slide but hadn’t thought about the awning.
The walk around is so, so, important. Sounds like a no-brainer but I’ve seen a lot of folks leave tools, pressure regulators, leveling lagos, axe, unbelievable! The most important and and most beneficial reward from a walk around is seeing that overhanging tree branch again, that thorny bush, that post with your space number! Last weekend after group camping while I was hitching up to leave I heard a loud crash! A brand new motor coach made a sharp left turn and dragged the post inside his wheel well and totally destroyed the side of his rig! Six passengers and no one stayed outside to guide him. My friend is devastated...10,000 dollar estimated repair. He is not a newbie. He’s been Rv’ing for many years. Great tips in this video, listen up people!
He was probably too proud to get help with outside help...I've personally come across one of those...tried to be nice and offered some outside help and I got yelled at because I hurt his pride offering help because he had 20 years experience driving trucks...Oooo he came so close to backing over a water main...
Probably a good idea to have a set-up and pack-up check-list...
Excellent video. We are guilty of learning the hard way. To counter our errors, we developed checklists for arrival and pre-departure “to do’s.” The Wife and I have an agreement that double checking each other is not about mistrust, it is about quality assurance.
The checklists are living documents and updated as necessary. The last update was to include verifying the location of the extra RV keys. Someplace in Texas there are keys to our outside bays laying on a picnic table.
That’s perfect and so true that it isn’t about mistrust! This is a great idea to have!
I actually retired from a Quality Assurance background, where checklists are routinely used to ensure that necessary tasks are done. So that's one of the first things I did, after our maiden voyage when we were flagged down leaving the campground with the TV antenna up! We now run the checklist every time the RV moves, start to finish. As Jeffery said though, it has to be updated as you acquire or think of new things. Even with the checklist, our "Y" valve for the fresh water hookup ended getting left on our last trip. Add that to the list...
Amen amen I tell you. My wife has saved our bacon on more than one occasion because I forgot something in our procedures in my walk through, that she caught in in her final walk through after I did mine.
Thank you for the reminders. Hubby and I have a system, but we each check each others work just to make sure that we haven't left anything undone. We also do a light/signal light check to ensure that our trailer is in sync with the turn signals and brake signals of our truck. Before we leave camp, we make sure that the area that we were in, is cleaner than when we arrived.
Good point about the travel trailer tires. When I purchased our used RV it came with the Goodyear Marathon china bomb tires, only rated for 65mph. We immediately replaced them with Made in USA Goodyear Endurance 10-PLY tires rated at 86mph - not that we drive that fast. Excellent point, it is a bit scary though when following behind someone with a single axle and/or with 14" tires and they are going 75mph and you just know those tires aren't rated to go that fast. Be careful out there folks.
Ive also learned if a friendly neighbor stops by to say good bye while your breaking camp..do TWO walk arounds ..just yesterday I nearly left my wheel chocks
Good point. Also, often "helping hands" can throw a person off their normal routine.
My honey and I have our own parts of hooking up our trailer and then setting up, securing the doors and drawers and things on the counter tops inside, we have a toy hauler, and making sure our toys are anchored correctly. Then we check each other’s work make sure it’s right. So far we’ve only had a problem with one of our scooters falling over. I hate it when that happens.
Thank you for your video, they’re very helpful.
Great advice!
Learned the awning the hard way. We did every thing right, according to my scout training. We had the door to the east, most storms come out of the west, and had the awning pitched about 30% down. Cane back to find our awning had blown across the top of the trailer, damaging the AC in the process.
I didn't think about keeping track of wind directions... Thank you!
Just 2 weeks ago I had my fellow neighbor camper leave his awning out during a storm. We literally have 4 feet in between our campers. During the storm his awning was blown over the top of his camper and crashed down on top of my slide out. Cant make this stuff up.
Definitely secure your sewer hose. We were camping along the Colorado River when a monsoon came through, and unbeknownst to me, it blew my sewer hose out of the waste pipe. When it was time to dump the black tank, I pulled the handle and dumped the entire thing onto the beach.
Developed check lists, specific set by step procedures with hitching up, trailer setup and tear down. For instance, Electric first, fresh water second, sewer line third. Always try to be consistent in the order of how things are done This seems to work.
Yes, me too!
We had a 24ft forest river. While returning home from a vacation out west we were passing a semi truck on I 80 during a thunderstorm, between Raeling and Laramie. The suction caused by the semi ripped the awning completely off our motorhome, leaving just the brackets. Be careful passing any semi, and make sure the awning is secure by large zip ties or bungee cords.
When you think you're finished, have double-checked everything and are ready to go... I like to crawl ahead about ten feet, stop and do one more final look around and complete circle check (trailer connections, doors, storage doors locked?) etc. etc. . Have found the occasional item left behind (often under the trailer) even though we thought we had everything!!
I think the walk around is one of the greatest inventions ever. From running Heavy Equipment in military to piloting. I treat RV same as airplane. Before leaving for goodness sake just walk around it. That's when I recheck all the compartment locks doors windows etc. Takes 2 mins and can save you money big time..
Thanks for your service man. When I was in, I thought all of the rules and safety checks where stupid, however, I realized how beneficial it is for everyday life.
Thank you, I didn't know about not leaving the black tank open. Makes sense!
Great tips! Especially the driving too fast tip, I have talked to so many people that go 70+ on the highway towing and they are not aware of the tire limitations.
I have a fifth wheel and the “tug test” saved me a big and expensive problem. Just 3 days ago. I am a newbie. Saw it on you tube. Have been using it and thank God I did.
Quality reminders, thank you. I would add: 1. Don't turn on your water heater until you have filled it with water and gotten the air out of the lines. 2. Secure all doors and drawers inside the RV before traveling. 3. Make sure you have the equipment necessary to change a tire in case help is far away or not available.
Yes, these are perfect to remember!
I've never thought about number 1! Thank you for this 😊
Definitely on the tire change tools, especially a jack that with work on your trailer. It's easy enough the throw a 4-way lug wrench in the trailer, buts its a good idea to get a little bottle jack as well.
I'm going to "borrow " this for my next video.
Absolutely correct on doing the speed recommended on the tire I was in Texas and the speed limit was posted at 75 so that’s what I was doing when a tire blew and besides the hassle of changing the tire when when one blows it can do a lot of damage to your rig
matt harper Scary!!!
Good stuff! Learned the awning thing the hard way . Left camp for site seeing and came back seeing it over the top of RV. Now when we leave it’s rolled up. I am amazed when we snow bird in Az & South CA how many RV go by us at well over 65 mph with tires not rated above. A lot at >75-80 mph.
Glad he mentioned the 65MPH trailer tires. I see everything from RVs to construction and lawn trailers traveling at 70 and above all the time. Probably those same guys who don't tie things down and say "it ain't going nowhere."
Yes. My rule is that you must do a CLEAN walk around. That is a walk around when you have to take no action. So, you may end up doing this 3 or 4 times, because each time you will find something that needs attention. Yes, this takes time, but so do mistakes and they often cost lots of money. It is easy to put away the lawn chairs and forget that you had other things as well. Do not get in a hurry. A RV is not a car. They are complicated large vehicles and the movement and operation of them is done with deliberation and care. Furthermore, you take far more items with you and all of this has to be managed. I would also add that when you move your slides you should inspect the travel of the slide inside and outside before you move them. It is easy to forget that a storage bay door is open or a cupboard door is open inside. Things will break, that's life, but you as a good manager of your RV need to minimize the careless mistakes to help keep your budget reasonable. Travel Safe. Henri
As a pilot I count on check lists. I developed one for my specific motor home that addresses items in the same order as walking around the rig. An easily over looked item is the TV antenna. It's on the check list but I still use a 4" square card I bought that says it's up that goes on the steering wheel before I put the antenna up.
You have the Best RV Channel on UA-cam. Very informative and easy to follow. Can't wait for the next video. Thank you.
Thank you, that’s very kind of you!
While we were living stationary before we launched fulltime we witnessed people do the things you mentioned all the time. Every couple and every family should get to set up and teardown process in order and practice it before you adventure out.
Oh my, newbie here with about 30 camp nights this year. I have the same elbow drain line connection you showed in the video and I never realized I could secure it to many of the the campground receivers by simply screwing it in. Doh!
A fellow RVer told us a story of how a squirrel stuffed twigs and a pinecone in between the slide out and the rubber seal on the wall of his coach. At the end of their week long vacation in the mountains, he pressed the switch to bring the slides in...and that's when he heard crunching sounds! Unbeknownst to him, he discovered a treasure trove of yuckiness that was quite expensive to have repaired.
So, after some advice of a wise RVer, my husband now climbs onto the roof of our 5th wheel to sweep off and inspect the tops of the slides before we pull them in. I highly recommend that you do it, too!
It's just not Saturday without an "All About RVs video" we wait anxiously for the next one. Love you guys!!
I do the same.... if am going out, the awning is coming in and I also turn the water off. I close all compartments except where my power cable is. This is just in case someone needs to disconnect my coach in case of an emergency and we're not around.
have a list never leave until its checked off. Stabilizer jacks we upgraded to 7500 pound jacks so i get it with in an inch and use the jack to do the rest.
Great info. Even with a good (double walk around-wife and husband) we have missed something. Water regulator and door mat sitting on picnic table. Both were recovered but they came to the top of the list to check. Stabilizers. I have the power ones and do put enough pressure on them to "trip" the overload. They are not strong enough to lift the RV anyway. Awnings, septic and Speed are great points too. Hope your viewers understand the speed rating one. We get waved too being passed by other RVers only to see them 30 minutes later with a blowout. Don't worry, we wave back!
Speed is one of the biggest factors in RV accidents. Just slow down and arrive alive. Stay safe.
We are brand new to RVing. In fact we pick up our Class A on Friday. Your videos have been so helpful. THANKS!
Leveling the RV is also highly recommended before extending or retracting the slideout(s).
👍🏼
These are a bunch that I could think of that I personally have made in the past. When first pulling into a site make sure before leveling or disconnecting that your slide (or slides) will not hit anything when fully out. Plus also make sure your water, electric, and sewer hose are going to reach where they are suppose to be connected. Close all of the vents on the roof before leaving. Turn off your 12V water pump while towing. Secure your roll of toilet paper (otherwise the motion of the road can easily unravel a good amount all over the floor). Make sure there is no debris on top of your slides before retracting them into the trailer. Don't store anything heavy in the upper cabinets. Make sure you've broken down any table that needs to be stored flat. Turn off all interior lights. If you have a microwave that has a rotating glass dish inside wrap that in a towel while towing. If you were dry camping make sure you've turned off the propane switch to the water heater. Connect your water regulator before your water hose (not in between the hose and the trailers water inlet). Lastly make sure your shower and fridge doors are securely shut.
This is great. Thank you for these tips.
Yes, excellent points to add, thank you!
I think everybody makes mistake #4. Once. As they say, experience is the best teacher. We carry a long brick in our drain hose compartment for dump stations or hookups that have no threads. Even with the donut, it helps keep things in place.
From another full timer, this is all good advice. Especially the speed your towing. I have talked to people who have had blowouts on new rigs so they aren't immune to tire failures. I don't drive over 65 except for small distances only, passing on the interstate, but am often passed by people going much faster. I use a tire pressure monitor system and keep close watch on it
Hi Jared - I wish you had done this video a couple of months ago - lol. Our awning was trashed by a brief gust while we were out. Our old trailer had a 'manual awning that was quite robust, but the new trailer has (had) the electric awning and is a lot more 'bendy.'
I also was just discussing the tire speed rating with some friends (one of whom drives about 85mph on his ST tires), this was definitely new information for them and something I suspect most drivers don't know. Driving over the tire limit will wear the tire faster, the tire will be less able to grip the road (gets greasy) so cornering becomes a bit more of an issue and, as you mentioned, the risk of a blowout increases.
As usual, I learned a couple of things - thanks for putting these out.
Oh bummer! We left ours out one time and came back to it in. Thankfully, one of the neighbors saw that we were going to lose it and put it in for us. We were so grateful! So now we put it in most of the time when we leave.
Great video. Checking rig and rv tyre pressures before taking off from home and campground.
I do a final walk around and push on every door that locks, after almost losing the awning if we leave it comes and the water is shut off, I will make sandbags to help hold the drain hose stable, I get passed ale the time on highways. Good stuff :)
Good info. Driving too fast is probably the biggest offender I see on the road.
Mind blown 🤯 I had NO IDEA the sewer elbow threaded into the waste pipe . 🤦🏻♂️
Hello Jared, I use disposable gloves also. Get mine at Harbor Freight. Box of 100 is 5.99 with coupon or 7.99 without.
This comment hasn't aged well. 😄
a walk around in both directions is my way of not leaving something behind. come enjoy Missouri's camping opportunities
We want to get there on this trip!
One thing i found out is if you are connecting a hose to empty your black tank, make sure hose is secured properly. Failing to do this will make a very big mess. This happened to me when i was using my portable tank.
Oh no, so sorry that happened to you but good reminder for all of us.
Wouldn't have helped with the portable tank but on the camper, I always pull the grey valve first and let a bit of it run out. Then, after this grey water test, I close the valve and pull the black and lastly the grey again to flush out the black.Would much rather find the problem with grey water over black water.
Yes make sure there are no Obstructions when you pull your slides in !😉
Thanks. I just watched this entire series and learned a lot. We are looking for our first full time 5th wheel.
Lots of great information. Yes, a walk around at the end is a great idea. We left our TV antenna up once.
1 thing I learned with a new RV. RV dealers left the grey and black tanks open. Went to drain the grey on our maiden voyage/hunting trip, and guess what, I got to try the new shower in the new RV in about 2 minutes. Didn't really care if the water was hot or not at the time.
Oh wow, that’s the worst!
Funny awning story (kind of). We were at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park in NM on a hot sunny weekend when I realized I hadn't put the awning out. I told the wife, "hey, there isn't any wind I'm going to put the awning out". Literally as soon as I got the awning where I wanted it a huge gust of wind, almost like a bomb drop hit and bent my awning bracket. It was about a two second burst and then dead calm again. Welcome to New Mexico.
As usual, great information. Common sense for the most part, but it never hurts to be reminded. Thank you!
Can you make a video on how to run your AC properly and if you have more than one AC what amperage is the minimum required to use also how does your refrigerator switch from gas to electric in order to be used?
Wow you really have issues with stabilizers lol. I’m pretty sure you spent twice as much time on them as you did any other item lol.
I have to agree with your black tank comments. I’ve seen way to many people hook up the hose to the dump fitting and then leave their valve open 24/7. They end up with a tank full of solids and a big problem lol. The other thing I’ve seen a few times to many is people driving away with the drain hose still hooked up. That’s a fun one lol
Thanks for another informative video.
Cheers mate and happy trails
Always get help when backing in.
Here's one of my biggest gripes,rver's not pulling over in turn outs with they are slowing down traffic. I see it all the time on one lane roads with many turn outs. Hardly anyone will pull over. Doing 25 mph when the rest of the traffic is trying to do 55 plus.
Where I live most RVs would be toast if they tried to pull over on our side roads. The edges are soft.
@@gaelengesser9484 That's why I used the word"turnouts".
@@Cptstokes Nope, nothing so useful here!
Not opening the black tank valve when flushing the black tank with the tank wand. Yes that happened.
Oh no!
Thank you for sharing some great tips...especially for us newbies.
As always, good tips. We look forward to your videos. Take care and be safe!!!
Excellent video fast, hit the common ones, great coverage. Going to share link with newbie friends
Thank you for the reviews on being safe and taking care of your rigs and leaving stuff behind. Always great info!!
My ST tires are rated for 65mph. I set the cruise to 60 and only hit 65 on steep grades. I'm in no hurry.
That first mistake mentioned is something that's just habit for me now. I'm a OTR driver and I'm in flatbed. I've got tons of tools, straps, chains, winches, binders, and such. One thing I always do before I ever move my rig is a walk around inspection, and I don't look for just loose items. A pre trip and a post trip should be something mandatory for anyone who operates a vehicle of any sort, even a bicycle. Your inspection doesn't always have to be super thorough, we've all got things to do, and no time to do them. But pop the hood, take a quick look at your fluid levels, look under the vehicle for any fluids that may have leaked, look around your tires for any nails, gashes, or bad tread wear. Turn your lights on and check them, it only takes maybe 5 minutes or less, and can save you a lot of anxiety if you spot a problem before you leave out. It's a daily ritual for me, and my 18 is a lot bigger than a car or pickup, and has a lot more equipment to go over. Not only is my rig bigger, but everything is more expensive on it too. It's never good to get too complacent and think all is well, because unless you verify it then you don't know.
Don’t leave both outside shower valves open with the nozzle valve closed. This let’s cold water circulate with your hot water and you will think your water heater isn’t working!
Rule F’n 1: before you take the cap off to hook up your hose and dump, make sure the valves are closed!!! Rule 2: make sure your better half knows the walk around steps you have in place after you have hitched up before you leave so she can double check you didn’t miss anything! She will guaranteed save your backside a few times. And own up to it when you missed something! She will be more apt to speak up next time if something seems out of place.
Great idea to have someone else know the steps also!
Can you do one about insulating the "basement" and organization.
I’ll put it on the list, thanks for the idea!
Sound advice, as always. Keep 'em coming.
Unfortunately, I did not know about the closing of the black tank while hooked up to a camp site. That was a smelly lesson to learn.
Aww that’s a bummer
You want both tanks closed off most of the time, because if you don't have some gray water saved up you can't use it to rinse through the hose after the black tank dump. Ideally we want at least half a tank of gray water when we dump black. We often leave the dump hose packed away until we're ready to open the valves. In a one week stay at a park, we usually only do it once.
As usual you have great information for us travelers. Definitely left stuff behind in the past
Advice when getting ready to leave, and your stowing and getting things ready try not to chit chat with others...can be a big distraction
Scott Gorman lost a friend over that , my first time out , getting ready to leave and he kept interrupting my step by step walk around . Telling me how to do it and mad that I wouldn’t let him distract me .
Good stuff as usual. Thx..
Great tips.
First trip ever slew started to drive off with our swing out.
Now we have a check list
RV stabilizers can damage the frame and body when you use the to level.
Thank you!
Newbie here. Thanks so much. I love your channel.
So far my only dump tank mistake is that I left the black valve open from the last time I was at the dump station. Well the next time I camped I was boon docking and didn’t see the black tank valve was still open until I went to dump. So the best I could do was close the valve and minimize what came out. It’s just attention to detail.
There is so much information out there and I am having a hard time figuring out the best product for resealing out side parts of your RV. What is your recommendation for sealing seams on the body of the RV? Do you need to reseal windows? What do you use? What about the roof??? How can you tell when you need to reseal any of it? Just bought a 2008 5th wheel and want to do the right thing. Also, can you use that expanding spray foam insulation around your plumbing pipes when some of it is missing? Want to get things sealed up to help with pests before winter.
I'm retired an I'm not in a hurry to go anywhere, 65 or less is it, one other point to make is keep your wheel bearings packed with grease an air pressure correct...
True!
Good information !
I see these mistakes all the time!
I would like to see your list of mistakes and/or shortcomings manufacturers are guilty of in the build of trailers. Your list would help me decide which manufacturer is best at avoiding your critique when I buy my trailer.
That would be very helpful but I think every manufacturer falls short in some way or another. There aren’t too many trailers out there that don’t have some sort of issue to them.
@@AllAboutRVs I was not thinking of a list that would be manufacturer or model specific.. One example would be, too many use cheap Chinese tires. Look for American GY Enduros. Or stick built vs aluminum. Or how to tell if materials or fixtures are too cheap or of acceptable quality. I do not trust the rankings or reviews by those whose livings are too closely tied to advertising, etc. At the moment I am thinking of buying a Lance 2185 TT. But have difficulty determining if the price is justified or do others have the same quality and reliability as Lance. They all make the same claims no matter the price point.
Thanks
Jared, great info and reminders, as always. Oh, yeah, liked the intro to this vid a lot!! Y'all Be Safe!
Thanks!
Always always do a walk around! It’s saved our behind many times
Great Video. Thank you.
When we had all the kids with us (4) we started our “walk around rewards” system!
After the adults did a walk around, the kids got a chance to win MONEY by trying to find our ‘forgots’
It worked like a charm!
Now that it’s just hubby & me? We have a reward system too. Points system for nice little ticket items... 👍
I would not drive any type of RV , motorhome or truck and trailer without a tire pressure monitor system. I use a Pressure Pro . It has saved me 2 time's . So it's paid for it self.
Best rule on awnings... never leave your campsite with an awning out. Freak winds do happen.
As always. Good advice.
Great advice 👍😎🎥🌎🚌 thanks for sharing and safe travels
New to your channel and I have learned a lot. Will begin full-time in about three months. Just wondering if you you could say something about how to adjust the generator when in high altitude? I traveled once before for 8mths and I didn't know about the generator 🙄
Umm crap I'm going to have to look up what you're talking about now lol I'm glad you commented!!
Your second item made me chuckle. Nearly every weekend we witness someone using their stabilizer jacks to level. One weekend right next to us, the camper was easily out left to right by over an inch and they dug out their impact wrench then proceeded to level their camper. Quite entertaining.
So... How DO you fine tune your leveling? I have a 2004 Tahoe transport fifth wheel, I think it has automatic leveling, but sometimes it's off and it's annoying to have cabinet/bedroom doors that won't stay open or water in the shower won't drain from bad angling. I'd love a tip 😊
@@candacebroomhead6639 I carry many, many blocks of wood. I have a Hoppy level that tells me how many inches I need to raise the left or right side, the place the necessary number of blocks and pull the trailer wheels up on em. Then, level fore/aft, and only then put the stabilizers down.
Good video! Very helpful for newbies. 😀
After cleaning your black tank and flush and everything out it's always good to pour in some dish soap in your toilet so that dish soap can sit in there while the black tank fills up and it breaks up the material easier. Also the sewer pipe that goes out to the drainage I found it easier to put a half a piece of 3-inch PVC pipe under the hose so it would have a straight run to the sewage pipe that's in the ground. If you don't put the CPVC pipe underneath it snake will be crooked and dipped and it's just a big hassle whenever it's clumped up full of bacteria and then you have to do it by hand and flush it down the pipe.
Thanks for the tips!!
One I would add is leveling your trailer when it's hooked up. Or at least get it close. There is no reason to be driving down the highway with the hitch way up in the air or the tongue jack practically dragging on the ground.
ps,. The carpet inside RV gets wet too..currently drying out carpet and put duct tape over area until I can get the floor dry and re-seal the outside slide floor..Thanks
I started to go one time with my audning out. I only went about one foot. Then trying to get it back in it would not work. Friends came over to figure out the problem. After 30 minutes I realized what was wrong. When I took off I released the brake. Most automatic audnings will not work when brake is released.
Good one. I really enjoy your videos.
I hear buying your RV from Camping World is also a bad RV Mistake we often see too. Jared, great video. Have you helped Marc with his solar set up on his new rig, Ginormous Ginger?