Hi All, I am new to all of this!

[Awiggs]

Good morning. I am new to RVing and happy to find this forum. I hope RVing will become a big part of my retirement lifestyle. It's a literal dream come true.
I am up and online early because I am taking my first RV road trip from Sacramento to Tucson in only a few days. I am excited and nervous. I am especially anxious about going through the Tehachapi Mountains (although it seems a better option than the Grapevine right now). I have a small pop-up, an older Coleman and I am towing with an older Toyota Tacoma. Does anyone have any tips, tricks or advice I should remember along the way? Thanks in Advance!

 

[Oldgator73]

Welcome to the forum. Tips? At all times while you are towing make sure your trailer is right behind you. Nothing worse than looking behind you and your trailer is not there.

 

[Boat Bum]

Nothing worse than looking behind you and your trailer is not there.

How about looking to the side and it's passing you?

 

[rvlifer]

How about looking to the side and it's passing you?

Watching one of your rv tires fly by you is worse i think. The rv has brakes lol

tires are a big thing. Blowouts can cause major damage. Make sure you have decent tires, inflated properly, and the lugs are properly torqued. Dont trust rv places to take care of that for you.

Welxome to the forum. Tons of tips in other threads. Read a lot. Good luck and safe travels

 

[Larry N.]

When going downhill, be sure to downshift to reduce the load on the brakes, and don't EVER ride the brakes- they'll fade and leave you without. Instead, if you're too fast brake to get slow then release the brakes completely, giving them time to cool. Gearing down reduces the problem.

 

[Dusty Traveler]

Welcome to RV Forum! Here, you will find plenty of expert tips and helpful information. I hope you have an enjoyable trip out west. However, I am concerned about the wintry weather you may encounter as you head into the hills. Regarding fuel, you will find many Flying J's, Love's, and other stations along the way. Each of these has useful map information available on their websites. Consider how many miles you plan to travel each day. I'm sure you have packed all the necessary supplies, and I hope you're not traveling alone. Remember to keep track of your miles-per-gallon and the size of your fuel tank. Should you need any assistance, we're all here to help!

 

[LarsMac]

Every time you stop, and get out of your vehicle, do a walk around, look for anything out of the ordinary. Check cables, and connectors, and kick the tires. It will seem like overkill, at first, but you get used to how everything looks, and pretty soon, it's second nature. Then you'll be able to spot anomalies quickly.

 

[Oldgator73]

Way back when I was pulling a fifth wheel (25 years ago) we were traveling out west where you drive for hundreds of miles and not see another vehicle, I was blowing tires on my trailer. I was at gas station getting diesel when a guy pulled next to me with a car hauler. We got into a friendly conversation and I mentioned my tire problem. He asked how fast I was going and I said about 80 (out west they have those long, straight, flat roads with no traffic). He said slow down to 65 and you won’t blow anymore tires. He said your trailer tires are 15’s and your truck tires are 18’s so your trailer tires are going faster. I slowed down and didn’t blow anymore tires.

 

[Awiggs]

Wow! Thanks so much for all the advice! I will heed it all - especially want to see the trailer in my rear view at all times!

 

[tlmgcamp]

My first rig was a 2004 Tacoma with a 2006 popup. It was 4 of us with the girls in the 9 to 15 year old range while we had it. Itbehaved well.

OP doesn't define "older" but the things to get serviced on a popup are fairly limited. I would recommend that an RV tech check brakes, wheel bearings and tires before venturing out. Then do a dry run in the driveway of the appliances

 

[tlmgcamp]

Oh...one more thing. I am not a good sleeper and the canvas did little to dim the morning light when I preferred to sleep in. I got a silver/black tarp from Northern Tool and used the large Adco binder clips to attach it to to top of the canvas over the bed. It made a huge difference

 

[ziplock]

I have a small pop-up

Sounds fun. Will you need to worry about cold weather and water lines?

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

Welcome to The Forum.

As others have posted, keep an eye on the weather apps when driving your route through the higher elevations. There is a great free app called Drive Weather that you punch in where you are starting out and your destination and it will show the weather systems along the route. There is a pay-for upgrade if interested but I just use the free app.

How old are the tires on your pop-up? And, what condition are they in? Under-inflated tires, along with being overloaded, might be the number one reason for blow-outs. Also like was posted when was the last time the wheel bearings were re-packed with grease? Do you have a spare tire for the pop-up?

Good luck in your travels and don't be a stranger on the forum.