About four months ago I knew relatively nothing about RVs beyond the fact that the guy in Shazam drove one on TV when I was a kid. We were moving from Ct to Ca and I had the crazy idea of buying an RV, driving it across the US to show our kids the country (or some of it) and then selling it (that?s why I say Ex-Newbie). While I haven?t quite finished the journey (just selling it now), I have, in the past 4 months, purchased a used RV, purchased a used Tow Dolly, made sure both were ready for the trip, and driven 4200 miles over a two week period.
I?m mechanically inclined by nature but the whole learning curve was extremely steep, sort of like the Matrix where Neo comes out of it and says ?woah, I know Kung Fu? with the exception that I don?t think I know RVs as well as he knew Kung Fu. But having said that, I?ll post my musings and learnings here, in no particular order, in the hope that they may help someone else down the road. It's by no means all inclusive and basically off the top of my head whilst I have my morning coffee.
It?s been a fun adventure and this forum has been a life saver so thanks for that.
Peace.
? Know your systems - all of your systems - because at some point there is going to be a problem and you will be in the middle of nowhere, and if you are lucky, you?ll be able to figure out the issue yourself or at least know what needs to be done. Spend a good deal of time going over every system in your vehicle and understanding how it works.
? Make a check list for mounting your car on your tow dolly and tape it to the yoke. Go over it every time you mount your vehicle no matter how used to doing it you get. You?ll be glad you did.
? Duct tape
? Take everything slow, wide and easy. You will get used to driving this thing, but still, take everything slow, wide, and easy.
? Bring a good set of tools and a good multi-meter
? Get something like Good Sam or other type of roadside assistance and spring for the over the phone assistance. It can be a life saver.
? Bring extra bungee cables and ratchet straps
? Slow down. You are not in your car and you are now a much greater danger to you and everyone else on the road.
? Know that if you are careful, dumping your tanks really isn?t that big of a deal
? Everything will move and if it can fall it will fall. Everything will shake loose, will come untied, will open up, will tumble out. It?s just the way it is.
? If you have an older RV, don?t ever, ever, ever ask to see the inside of a brand new RV and if you do, don?t ever, ever, ever, ask how it rides because they may be nice enough to demonstrate and you can?t unlearn anything, ever. Trust me, ignorance is bliss.
? Know that the pothole you just hit didn?t crack your frame in two, it just sounded like it did?but it also might have?but it probably didn?t?but you should check at the next stop anyway.
? Check your oil. I know that seems simple but you are putting on a lot of miles in a short time and it?s miles that burns oil not time. Check your oil.
? Take wind seriously. A good gust can change your from one lane to the next in a split second. Watch the trees for cues and slow down if the wind starts kicking up. It can save your life as well as that of others on the road.
? Check the straps on your Tow vehicle EVERY TIME YOU STOP. You?ll be amazed at how the road can move the tires and the straps will get slack. Especially within the first 30 miles or so.
? If you have a swivel type tow dolly, only drop the car once the ramps are really straight with the tire pads. Otherwise remounting is a pain. Pulling into a pullthrough usually won?t cut it so you may want to drop the car before you turn into the campground.
? Your teenager isn?t dead, he/she has just been sleeping for six hours because there is a couch in the vehicle. Perfectly normal.
? If you don?t have a back up camera, get one, and get a wired one. Not only will it help for the obvious reasons but you can keep an eye on your tow as well.
? Know that just because you are in Idaho, and the road is newly paved, and the speed limit is 80, you don?t need to go 80. That?s just dumb.
? Learn how to back up with your tow dolly and accept that you will still never get it right or understand how to do it. Then get really fast at dropping the car, unhooking and moving the dolly, and then putting it all back together again.
? Be flexible.
? You know those funny signs that show the truck turning a corner up on two sets of wheels that always made you laugh? Yeah, well that?s you now. Pay attention to ALL signs, especially the yellow ones.
? RV folks are really nice and helpful and 9 times out of 10 they are happy to answer your questions if you are nice.
? Accept that things are going to need to be fixed and look at them as challenges rather than nuisances. Otherwise you?ll lose your mind. It?s a house that drives along poorly paved roads for crying out loud. What did you expect?
? Zip ties.
? Hills are rough. Take your time going up them AND going down and don't go down in any higher gear than you went up. When using the breaks, slow down and let them up repeatedly as opposed to riding them the whole time. This will allow them to cool.
? Yes, I know the teenager is still asleep, he/she is fine, it?s normal.
? If you have kids, limit the amount of time they spend on devices a day. Make them look out the window and make them set up and breakdown camp. They will hate you for it and isn?t that reason enough?
? Tape a note to your dash with the height, width, length, and weight of your vehicle.
? Install an ?aaaaoooooogggggggaaaahhhhhh? horn, just because.
? Bring flypaper. It?s nasty, but necessary and you?ll be glad you did.
? Get a Garmin type GPS that takes height into account. But still watch the road signs for bridge heights. Different states do it differently but if there is no sign you are probably all right. Most interstates will be fine but pay attention.
? Your bearded dragon will love the front dashboard and will sit there for hours watching the world go by, silently judging you?.always judging.
? The fire alarm above the stove will go off every time you cook even if you are just boiling water. And it will always go off as soon as the kids are going to sleep, even if you aren?t cooking, and even though it?s new. It just does that. But it won't wake the teenager.
? The fridge works great but is not like your fridge at home. The stuff on top will freeze while the stuff on the bottom may get wet. Deal with it and pack it accordingly.
? Walk around your entire vehicle before pulling out of any campsite. Trust me, you?ll thank me for this.
? Don?t sit at your swivel driver seat and do work while parked in a campground. Inevitably you will hit the horn and you won?t make many friends that way.
? Just accept that the sink is basically storage for things that will fall while you are driving.
? Wake the teenager up. Yes, I know he/she will be angry but he/she always is and you?re in Bryce canyon for crying out loud. He/she will thank you years from now.
? Have fun
I?m mechanically inclined by nature but the whole learning curve was extremely steep, sort of like the Matrix where Neo comes out of it and says ?woah, I know Kung Fu? with the exception that I don?t think I know RVs as well as he knew Kung Fu. But having said that, I?ll post my musings and learnings here, in no particular order, in the hope that they may help someone else down the road. It's by no means all inclusive and basically off the top of my head whilst I have my morning coffee.
It?s been a fun adventure and this forum has been a life saver so thanks for that.
Peace.
? Know your systems - all of your systems - because at some point there is going to be a problem and you will be in the middle of nowhere, and if you are lucky, you?ll be able to figure out the issue yourself or at least know what needs to be done. Spend a good deal of time going over every system in your vehicle and understanding how it works.
? Make a check list for mounting your car on your tow dolly and tape it to the yoke. Go over it every time you mount your vehicle no matter how used to doing it you get. You?ll be glad you did.
? Duct tape
? Take everything slow, wide and easy. You will get used to driving this thing, but still, take everything slow, wide, and easy.
? Bring a good set of tools and a good multi-meter
? Get something like Good Sam or other type of roadside assistance and spring for the over the phone assistance. It can be a life saver.
? Bring extra bungee cables and ratchet straps
? Slow down. You are not in your car and you are now a much greater danger to you and everyone else on the road.
? Know that if you are careful, dumping your tanks really isn?t that big of a deal
? Everything will move and if it can fall it will fall. Everything will shake loose, will come untied, will open up, will tumble out. It?s just the way it is.
? If you have an older RV, don?t ever, ever, ever ask to see the inside of a brand new RV and if you do, don?t ever, ever, ever, ask how it rides because they may be nice enough to demonstrate and you can?t unlearn anything, ever. Trust me, ignorance is bliss.
? Know that the pothole you just hit didn?t crack your frame in two, it just sounded like it did?but it also might have?but it probably didn?t?but you should check at the next stop anyway.
? Check your oil. I know that seems simple but you are putting on a lot of miles in a short time and it?s miles that burns oil not time. Check your oil.
? Take wind seriously. A good gust can change your from one lane to the next in a split second. Watch the trees for cues and slow down if the wind starts kicking up. It can save your life as well as that of others on the road.
? Check the straps on your Tow vehicle EVERY TIME YOU STOP. You?ll be amazed at how the road can move the tires and the straps will get slack. Especially within the first 30 miles or so.
? If you have a swivel type tow dolly, only drop the car once the ramps are really straight with the tire pads. Otherwise remounting is a pain. Pulling into a pullthrough usually won?t cut it so you may want to drop the car before you turn into the campground.
? Your teenager isn?t dead, he/she has just been sleeping for six hours because there is a couch in the vehicle. Perfectly normal.
? If you don?t have a back up camera, get one, and get a wired one. Not only will it help for the obvious reasons but you can keep an eye on your tow as well.
? Know that just because you are in Idaho, and the road is newly paved, and the speed limit is 80, you don?t need to go 80. That?s just dumb.
? Learn how to back up with your tow dolly and accept that you will still never get it right or understand how to do it. Then get really fast at dropping the car, unhooking and moving the dolly, and then putting it all back together again.
? Be flexible.
? You know those funny signs that show the truck turning a corner up on two sets of wheels that always made you laugh? Yeah, well that?s you now. Pay attention to ALL signs, especially the yellow ones.
? RV folks are really nice and helpful and 9 times out of 10 they are happy to answer your questions if you are nice.
? Accept that things are going to need to be fixed and look at them as challenges rather than nuisances. Otherwise you?ll lose your mind. It?s a house that drives along poorly paved roads for crying out loud. What did you expect?
? Zip ties.
? Hills are rough. Take your time going up them AND going down and don't go down in any higher gear than you went up. When using the breaks, slow down and let them up repeatedly as opposed to riding them the whole time. This will allow them to cool.
? Yes, I know the teenager is still asleep, he/she is fine, it?s normal.
? If you have kids, limit the amount of time they spend on devices a day. Make them look out the window and make them set up and breakdown camp. They will hate you for it and isn?t that reason enough?
? Tape a note to your dash with the height, width, length, and weight of your vehicle.
? Install an ?aaaaoooooogggggggaaaahhhhhh? horn, just because.
? Bring flypaper. It?s nasty, but necessary and you?ll be glad you did.
? Get a Garmin type GPS that takes height into account. But still watch the road signs for bridge heights. Different states do it differently but if there is no sign you are probably all right. Most interstates will be fine but pay attention.
? Your bearded dragon will love the front dashboard and will sit there for hours watching the world go by, silently judging you?.always judging.
? The fire alarm above the stove will go off every time you cook even if you are just boiling water. And it will always go off as soon as the kids are going to sleep, even if you aren?t cooking, and even though it?s new. It just does that. But it won't wake the teenager.
? The fridge works great but is not like your fridge at home. The stuff on top will freeze while the stuff on the bottom may get wet. Deal with it and pack it accordingly.
? Walk around your entire vehicle before pulling out of any campsite. Trust me, you?ll thank me for this.
? Don?t sit at your swivel driver seat and do work while parked in a campground. Inevitably you will hit the horn and you won?t make many friends that way.
? Just accept that the sink is basically storage for things that will fall while you are driving.
? Wake the teenager up. Yes, I know he/she will be angry but he/she always is and you?re in Bryce canyon for crying out loud. He/she will thank you years from now.
? Have fun
