Where to begin?

[EarlyWanders]

Well, we made a big leap today and signed on the dotted line.....we are now proud owners of a 40ft motor home with four slides. It is beautiful! We have never owned anything like this before and realize we have a great deal to learn. Exciting but a bit unnerving at the same time.
Our plan is to make some short trips around our beautiful state of Michigan. (Perfect time of year for that.) In doing so, hope that will break us in, learn to maneuver the big thing and get comfortable before taking any long hauls. My husband has brothers & sisters around the country which will probably be one of our first long journeys.
We have two adorable grandkids that we'd love to take on a few short adventures this summer.....they will love it, as will we.

Our plan is to travel to places we've always wanted to go, visit friends and family, and just enjoy precious time together and the blessings that come with each new day.

Looking forward to getting to know our new RV Forum friends, learning some of your favorite sites, tips, ideas and helpful information that you would share with a couple of rookies.

We are excited to be part of the new lifestyle of the RV experience and hearing from those of you who have the wisdom we need to learn.

Dianna & Phil Smith
Jenison, Michigan

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Congratulations - you are about to embark on a grand new adventure!  What make and model coach did you choose?

We have a lot of helpful information in the RV Forum Library - there is one whole section just for newbies. And of course, feel free to ask questions at any time.

 

[EarlyWanders]

Gary thanks for the warm welcome.  We picked a new 2011 Berkshire 390rb. We take delivery May 4th. Lots to do before then. We will need storage insurance some type of tow Dollie ect.
Hoping to find info and some friends on the forum.
Thanks again

 

[anemic]

oh my word that is an epic moho! I am approaching my first year anniversary as an RVer. Northeast Grand Rapids.

With a fancy new tall rig you want to be careful with low hanging branches anywhere you may park (or drive). Branches rip & tear the roof material. Mine is quite a bit lower than yours yet I have been surprised at this aspect.

You will learn a lot here and the friendliest RV community will gladly answer every question you may have.

What fun!!!

 

[EarlyWanders]

Thanks for the words of wisdom, anemic. So many things such as low hanging branches, is just one of the many tips we need.

Really looking forward to getting acquainted with our new RV friends and learning all the fun we have to look forward to as well as knowledge we can acquire from the experiences of others.

We booked our first week getaway at Honcho Rest on Bass Lake in Elk Rapids. Would love to hear from those who have explored not just Michigan but other favorites around the country!!

Thanks for sharing the excitement of your RV experiences.

Dianna

 

[winnone]

Read, read, read...this forum is a great help on questions you will have...and you will have a ton of them.  As many have suggested on the forum, when you get a new rig, spend a few days camping in it in your own yard.  It helps you get acquainted with the workings of the RV and where everything is.  Also helps you realize what you might need to purchase before going on a trip...even a short one.  Try to use all the systems while at home to see how they work and if they are working properly.

Something else you might want to do...see if there is a RV driving school in your area...or even a trucker school that could give you a day's worth of instruction.  Also, take the coach to a large open parking lot and set up some cones to practice turns, backing up, watching your spotter, etc. 

Welcome to the forum and hope you enjoy your new coach!!  Be safe on your new adventure! 

Margaret 

 

[anemic]

Last year our son & I did a test camp (when the girls were scouting one weekend) at Wabasis Lake. This actually turned out to be a very neat spot. We got all loaded up, just like the real deal. It was an instructive experience. I recommend trying this, or something along these lines. It is one step beyond driveway camping, which is also instructive.

Among several lessons learned were:
*Checklists are so handy for packing up and unpacking
*I need to begin the process, not Friday after work, but more like Wednesday!
*The fridge needs to be level (in both planes) to function. It will continue to burn propane but it will not actually "make cold"
*Their campsites are not all level, so this continues the theme of finding out how you are going to create a level coach on real world catywampus sites
*This forced my mind to consider how I am going to deal with holding tanks after a weekend (which ultimately resulted in constructing a new driveway next to the house with Turfstone block, a 30 amp power tap, and a thing called Sewer Solution (which you can look up easily, highly recommended & useful piece of kit).
*We had a ton of fun!
*Elk Lake sounds great. Nearby there, you can go to Bay Harbor, for a high end RV experience for beautiful RVs such as the Berkshire.

 

[tstumpf]

Congratulations on your new rig. You will learn so much on this site. Everyone is very friendly and helpful. Have fun!

-Trevor and Roni

 

[ArdraF]

Welcome to the RV Forum and rving.  We have lots of checklists in our Library, so they're a good starting point.  Good advice so far.  It's important to know your height.  I know you've seen those height signs on freeways, but you probably didn't need them before.  You do now!  Most modern freeways won't be a problem, but when you get off the beaten track you need to pay attention.

Enjoy your new motorhome and lifestyle.

ArdraF

 

[EarlyWanders]

Well we still are not offical owners yet. I had a bit of a issue ,evedently I am invisable sometimes,who new. I was minding my own and everyone elses riding my 98 Honda Valkyrie on the 196 in Grand Rapids and this young lady came across 4 lanes of rush hour traffic to take a left exit way to late. She did avoid killing me but 3 broken ribs, crushed collar bone that was now has a 6'plate and nine screws in it and life has changed for the last couple of weeks. We plan on taking care of the paperwork  and doing our limp around this Friday but we will leave the coach at the dealer until I can drive 3-4 weeks. Bikes is totaled which breaks my heart as I have a lot of work into it. Happy to still be here and looking forward to a nice long trip when times get better.

 

[Roadhappy]

So sorry to hear about your accident. 

Glad your still with us and before you know it you'll be driving your RV down the road and having a Blast.

God speed your recovery.

Robin

 

[tstumpf]

[size=10pt]Ouch! That's got to hurt!

We are also glad you are still with us and pray for a complete and speedy recovery![/size]

-Trevor & Roni

 

[anemic]

Gad ZOOKS man. I'm glad to see that you are still with us! Traffic is very scary these days.