Maiden voyage a success with a few Rookie errors...

[Beverly]

So our maiden voyage (Rockwood Roo 17, pulled by Ford Explorer), though short was successful. Before going on a longer trip next weekend to NH, we did a quick overnight at a local state park to make sure we knew what we were doing and to have a "dry" run. The forecast was grim, and we were pretty sure we were going to have a "wet" run, but we lucked out and the weather was just fine.

Things we learned:

• After having a brief heart attack thinking we had a defective unit, we realized you have to put the circuit breakers in the "on" position after plugging in. Not sure if this is true of all hook ups or just the park we were in.
• Don't put the heat on the first time without opening all the windows etc. On the plus side, our detectors work wonderfully!
• Bring the rug for outside- even though it may not be a necessity to some, it is for us. Great paved spot, that abutted dirt right outside our front door!
• If you are not perfectly placed, your hitch will not connect to the ball. No matter how many times you raise and lower it!

Questions I still have:

• I read on this forum a lot about the black water tank. Can someone please answer this- when should you empty the black water tank? I get that you do not hook up the sewer hose and then open it- totally understand that.  I read that a lot of people don't empty it until it's 2/3 full. Is that per trip? Or 2/3 full period? I understood that if the tank wasn't full, you should leave it until it gets 2/3 full before emptying. I may have misunderstood that. After a brief argument, we emptied it - black tank first followed by gray. Left a little water in the toilet to keep the seal wet.
• Still unsure about using chemicals in the tanks. So far have not used them, will continue to do so until I see (smell) a need to. Any thoughts on that? We've decided to institute a no #2 rule. For now....
• I found that I am not a huge fan of the mattress- can anyone recommend a mattress topper that can make the mattress a bit more comfortable. My back isn't great and I woke up pretty stiff after sleeping.
• Need to buy blocks for under the stabilizing jacks.We'll be heading to a little more rustic site this weekend. I am going to go with wooden blocks. Any recommendations for size? I'm thinking pressure treated 4x6 beam cut into 12 inch sections?
• So gas mileage is crazy while towing- we expected that. Any recommendations as to whether it's better for our SUV to use premium when towing or does it matter?

Took the advice of starting a Need and Want list. Need list is manageable so far- level, blocks for under jacks, broom and new tooth brushes to fit into holder. Have to decide which pans/cooking necessities to keep in there etc.  The Want list is another story.... I will resist the urge for now and stick with the needs!

Loving the new life and excited for our first real adventure!

 

[Alfa38User]

These comments apply to a standard RV toilet and tank, not the porta-potty style toilet system.

The general rule for the black tank is to dump only after reaching 3/4 full or better. This could be on a bi-weekly basis or even longer but should you wish/need to dump with less in the tank, you can simply add water to reach the ~3/4 level first. In many cases the 3/4 level may be a guestimate based on experience as those gauges provided are notorious for inaccurate readings, especially for the black tank. 

The reason behind the 3/4 rule is that you need a large out rush of water to move any solids/paper out. Dumping with anything less full is likely not going to do this as the liquid always goes leaving behind the other stuff. Eventually you will end up with a dried out block of solids in the tank, often referred to as a "poop pyramid". You really don't want this experience to prove it.

Many do not use any chemicals, just lots of water and no smell results, the tank itself is vented to the outside. Not using the exhaust fan while flushing will help too. We minimize the amount of paper introduced by using a waste paper basket for it for other than "number 2". No smell either.

We use a 1.5" memory foam mattress topper on both our bed and a hide-a-bed (when needed), available at Walmart or other fine store and that made a world of difference for us.

I would think the 2" thick blocks would be more than adequate for stabilizers, there is not supposed to be much weight on them, they are for stabilizing, not leveling!!

 

[vinceherman]

Congrats on the successful maiden.

I wait until the black tank is 2/3 or 3/4 full before emptying it.
If I am preparing to depart, I will add water to get the black tank full enough for proper emptying.

Don't forget to add a few gallons of water to the black tank after you empty.  This serves several purposes.  It gives incoming solids a welcoming committee that helps with the natural breakdown processes.  And it puts in some water that will actively swish around in the tank while you are driving.

We are currently in the no-chemical practice and have not had problems with odor.

We use the plastic stacking blocks, but many use wood.  I like the light weight of the plastic blocks.

Mother camps with us and she is uncomfortable with the mattress in the bunk room.  We are also looking to upgrade the mattress.

For cooking hardware, measure the oven.  Find a cookie sheet or two that fit.  This handles a lot of multi-purpose cooking in our experience.  Bacon cooked in the oven makes much less mess than pan fried.
A few stack-able pans.  Put a wash cloth or other protection between any pans with teflon to protect the surface from scratches while the camper is bouncing down the road.

 

[grashley]

If your tank is not ⅔ full, simply add water until it is!  Vince explained why.

Chemicals should not be needed.  A few gallons of water into the empty tank is needed.

If you have scrap lumber available, use it!  If not, I suggest 2X8 treated lumber.  12" is fine for under the jacks.

 

[NY_Dutch]

One note on the park hookup circuit breaker issue: Always make sure the pedestal breaker is turned off before plugging in to avoid arcing at the plug contacts. Once the plug is solidly in place, turn the breaker back on. When you're ready to unplug, turn it off and leave it that way for the next guest.

 

[Arch Hoagland]

One note on the park hookup circuit breaker issue: Always make sure the pedestal breaker is turned off before plugging in to avoid arcing at the plug contacts. Once the plug is solidly in place, turn the breaker back on. When you're ready to unplug, turn it off and leave it that way for the next guest.

Good advice!!!

 

[viceprice]

I like the plastic "Lego" like blocks for our stabilizers. They are rugged and have no splinters. They are lighter than an equal amount of wood blocks and do not absorb moisture. They come (10) in their own nylon storage bag, they fit together nicely, and can be used to make a progressive ramp if you need extra lift under the tires to level the camper side to side while still leaving enough to place at least one under each stabilizer. We also will use more stacked together under the stablizer(s) that have the most distinct to travel in uneven ground situations to reduce the travel needed to get the stablizers down. Worth the money in my opinion for the versatility and convenience. A small learning: it is easier and quicker to stack them all on top of each other and slip the storage bag down over the stack than it is to try to place them in the bag.  Reverse the process to empty them out of the bag. We yes them all every time. My wife and I have settled into our tasks when setting up and breaking camp. Setting out/picking up the "Legos" and running the battery powered drill to initially move the stabilizers into position is a job she likes.  I follow with the hand crank to adjust the final "pressure" on the stabilizers both in the up and down positions. We have fun with this! We enjoy the different types of teamwork opportunities RV camping provides.

 

[Beverly]

Thank you all for your the good wishes and advice- it is all much appreciated! We are learning as we go and there's a lot to learn! Speaking of which, here are a few more questions:

Do people take off their hitches or use hitch locks? We just realized how easy it would be for someone to steal it and wondering what others do. I'll confess, we paid a lot for a hitch that is more than we need, but as I said, we have a lot to learn. Learned that one the hard way! But now that we have it, I don't want it walking off.

Stupid question alert! What is the adapter called that you would put at the end of the hose attached to the faucet at the dump station? The hose was cut off at the end with no nozzle or anything and there was no way to connect it to either another hose or the flush system.

What is the best place to put a level when leveling the TT? I'm thinking I'd like a mountable one so it's always there, but not sure if that's the best way to go. Appreciate any suggestions!

As always, thank you all for your input!

 

[JDOnTheGo]

Stupid question alert! What is the adapter called that you would put at the end of the hose attached to the faucet at the dump station? The hose was cut off at the end with no nozzle or anything and there was no way to connect it to either another hose or the flush system.

That is definitely NOT a stupid question!  I'm not sure why some dump sites are setup like that - maybe a fellow camper with a pocket knife....  I'm not sure if there is a "standard" fitting to solve this problem but I went to Home Depot/Lowes and picked up a hose barb to garden hose (male) fitting.  I've not yet had to use it but have it when the time comes.

 

[Ken & Sheila]

Stupid question alert! What is the adapter called that you would put at the end of the hose attached to the faucet at the dump station? The hose was cut off at the end with no nozzle or anything and there was no way to connect it to either another hose or the flush system.

The reason they cut off the hose fitting is try to prevent you from using that hose to fill your fresh water tank (sanitary reasons) or to use it to run your tank flusher as this takes time and at many campgrounds (particularly in the AM) they want you to just dump and make room for the next camper. The hose is there just to flush your sewer hose after use.

ken

 

[Beverly]

Thank you for the response to the stupid question! Ken- that makes total sense why they cut the end off. And thank you JFNM- I am going to pick one up and try it. I'll let you know how it goes! 

 

[kdbgoat]

I also use the "lego" blocks. I have the Lynx brand and they work well, but if on dirt/sandy soil, they will sink in. I use a 1' square piece of treadmill belt under each to prevent that from happening.

 

[vinceherman]

What is the best place to put a level when leveling the TT? I'm thinking I'd like a mountable one so it's always there, but not sure if that's the best way to go. Appreciate any suggestions!

https://www.etrailer.com/Tools/Hopkins/HM08525.html

I got a set of these.
Level the trailer.  Use a larger level inside and check several location front to back, and side to side.  The counter is a pretty good surface to use.
Once level, go stick on the adhesive backed levels.  One of the front and one on the side.
Note that they are different, so follow the instructions and put the proper one on the front and proper one on the side.  The graduations are different, since you have to make bigger adjustments front to back than side to side.

When we pull in ot the site, the level tells up how many lego blocks to use under the tires of the low side.

 

[wackymac]

Gas mileage-----Use whatever fuel your tow vehicle owner's manual recommends.  Remember, you are pulling more weight and there is more wind resistance because of the trailer frontal area.  Also, it depends on your speed, the faster you go the worse the mileage.  I usually travel around 58 to 63 mph.

 

[Al Juby]

Using premium fuel is a waste of money if your SUV calls for 87 octain, putting a in higher grade does not help. High octain does not have more power just more antiknock. 

 

[PJ Stough]

Using premium fuel is a waste of money if your SUV calls for 87 octain, putting a in higher grade does not help. High octain does not have more power just more antiknock.

If you could increase the compression ratio of an engine, using higher octane fuel would give you more power.

 

[viceprice]

We are still newbies. After a few short trips close to home, we basically launched our RVing experience with a 5,000 mile round trip - Northeast to Custer SD and back. We learned wind resistance is a big factor. We average between 6 and 8 mpg when towing (65 mph). Sometimes slightly less and rarely slightly more (A good tail wind and more level terrain!). The difference between the numbers was the wind speed and direction. Our TV calls for 87 octane. I could not find any significant difference in mpg when I tried higher octane and certainly not worth the extra expense. In fact, the only difference I did see is the higher octane seemed to make the engine run a few degrees hotter which I did not want since I was at the upper limit of max tranny temp (195 degrees) most of the time. The TV may be 19 years old but is stock with 82,000 well maintained miles and is properly tuned with new intake gasket, coolant, plugs, wires, tranny flush etc. prior to our big trip.

 

[BeagleDad]

Things we learned:

• After having a brief heart attack thinking we had a defective unit, we realized you have to put the circuit breakers in the "on" position after plugging in. Not sure if this is true of all hook ups or just the park we were in.

Literally laughed out loud!  We are also new to camping.  Our first time out in August I was on the phone with the dealer because I couldn't get the A/C to work.  He diagnosed the problem - I need to flip the breaker on the pole!

Our trips have been 2-3 nights.  We empty the black tank at the end of every trip.  I add water to make it at least 1/3 full if it isn't already.  I also run the cleaner the entire time it is draining (when I have sewer on site) and I run that until it is running clear.  (get a clear elbow for the sewer connection end if you haven't already).  When I close the black tank, I let the cleaner continue to spray for a couple minutes to get some water back in the tank. 

We do use chemicals.  I've heard many say they are not needed but it's not much money so I'd rather use and not need than need and not use.

We use 2x6 scraps for the stabilizers and tongue jack.

 

[Beverly]

I'm glad we weren't the only ones who had no idea about the breaker! We're going to stick with no chemicals for now. I did make a few additions to our need list and the clear elbow for sewer hose cleaning was one of them.

Follow up questions:

• Leveling the TT- how important is it to level and how accurately? We do not have slides. Do we really need to worry about driving up on blocks to be perfectly level? How difficult is it to determine how many blocks are needed. On our overnight last weekend we were on a relatively flat paved site. Front to back was off, so we leveled that, but didn't worry ourselves with the slight side to side tilt. I've read the stabilizing jacks are just for that, not for leveling the TT. Yikes...sounds like this could get difficult if we're not on a paved surface. i welcome any tips on how best to go about leveling appropriately.
  
• I ordered this level: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EDSSDO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Waste of money? If not, where should I put it? Front of Trailer in the middle is what I was thinking....
  

Thank you all for confirming what I thought about the gas- 87 Octane it is!

 

[BeagleDad]

We use this for leveling:  https://www.amazon.com/Camco-44573-Yellow-Tri-Leveler/dp/B000BUQOFO

We had issues though on our second outing.  It seems that our Passport axles are connected in such a way that you need one under each wheel so you raise them both at the same rate.  Now that we know that, it's a piece o' cake!  On that outing when we were not level we had issues with the tanks and sleeping was rather uncomfortable.  So, we will do our best to be very close to level.  You could also have issues with the fridge though we did not.  Do not use the stabilizers to try to level.  The dealer installed the small levels that you bought.  they will get you close.  I have a two foot level that we first put on the floor just inside the door when we back in.  If it's on, then we also check the countertop with the two foot level.  If it's off, we put the two tri-levelers on the appropriate side and either back on to them or pull forward on to them.  Don't forget to chock the wheels on the opposite side when you have it level.

It's nice to offer a little help as I have been given LOTS of help by this group!