practice practice practice

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papag

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Joined
Sep 17, 2017
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6
hey everyone, we are newbies and was wondering if anyone else had the idea of going to a local place hooking up breaking down, etc. or just go for broke and do it the first night out at the camp site - I think i saw it mentioned some where that flyin j's had a place to dump waste water going to verify that one.

thanks all
 
Water and electricity are available in most driveways, but the sewer connection may be a problem.  ;)

Most people recommend spending your first night or two in a campground close to home.  Not just for the setup aspects, but so you can run home and get whatever you forgot to pack ... the can opener, utility adapters, butane BBQ starter for the oven and stove top, etc.

While you're in that full hookup site it's a good opportunity to explore the boondocking capabilities of your RV.  Fill the water tank, then turn off the water and electricity, close the dump valves and live on your self containment.  Go about your daily routines and get a feel for how long the batteries last, what works and doesn't work on them, how long it takes to drain the fresh water tank and fill the waste tanks.

When you run out or fill up something, just go outside and turn the utilities back on.
 
The other advantage of practicing at a full hook up campsite is that there will be lots of people there who can help you thru a tough spot. Don't remember whether to dump black before gray? Just ask your neighbor they're all pros. And nearly all will be willing to help.
 
When we first purchased our 5th wheel we lived on base at Lackland AFB. There was a big parking lot just down the street from our house. I would go to the lot and practice backing into a parking spot, unhooking, putting the slides out and then reversing the process.
 
Lou Schneider said:
Water and electricity are available in most driveways, but the sewer connection may be a problem.
Click to expand...

It doesn't take much practice to stick a sewer hose in a pipe sticking out of the ground.  ;)
Where the practice comes into play is the tow vehicle to the RV. Hooking up the safety chains if required, the WD hitch bars etc. on a tag along RV. They have a 5vr so they need to learn how high to raise the front jacks in order for the king pin to connect to the hitch properly.
 
First time out we just hooked up and went to a campground and set up. Took us over two hours and I?m sure we provided plenty of entertainment for the fellow campers, and one of the very few times we ever argued. Now we can set up usually in less than 20 minutes, depending on the campsite. In retrospect, I vote for practice, but we made it anyway. ?
 
Practice is good. Set a routine to follow and learn to stick with it. This is very important when tearing down to leave. Things like make sure all compartments are closed or locked, hitch is connected properly, lights work, awing secured, stairs in, air in tires is good, oil is checked ect, ect, ect. This is only a start on the list. Dont get distracted in the middle of your routine. You might get something half done and forget. If you are new, make a list and use it every time until it becomes second nature. The last thing you do is a circle check and make sure everything looks good. We were at a rest area one time, and a C class came in behind us with his stairs out. He clearly forgot his circle check. Would have been bad had he encountered any bicyclists on the road. Good luck and happy trails.
 
I used a label maker and made a bunch of labels like "jacks", "steps", "ATV trailer", etc. I applied them to the left front windshield pillar of our "C", so when I sit down, they are staring back at me. Kind of a last minute reminder. Also have a label with the unit's overall height attached above the windshield. Our rear view camera, which is on all the time when driving has 3 lines, "red, yellow, and green" that indicate distance objects are behind us. I have a label next to that with the distances listed so I don't have to "remember" what each is.
 
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