MoJoe said:
Hello Everyone. My wife and I (Ontario Canada) have just purchased a motorhome. The nerves are shot, the excitement is high, and, the awkward newcomers move into their new adventure. Looking forward to some good times and good advice from all of you with your years of experience. Thanks in advance.
Joe,
Just to be clear, you do know that most of us were born knowing all about this... Right???
Normally as a part of road travel, there are two big concerns:
Where/What are we going to eat?
Where are we going to sleep?
Those are now answered.
Do you have a nearby friend or relative that you can ask questions of? (Other than here that is.)
Now, first things first. Get to know the coach.
Plan to spend the first night aboard at least very nearby. The driveway is good if you can.
Learn to be very conscious of water and power use. You now have a very limited supply.
You are going to have to learn to fill the potable tank and dump the waste tank(s). This last is not fun, but it does not have to be bad either.
Along that line, make sure that everybody knows that nothing goes in the pot that you did not eat. Dirty toilet paper, but as little as possible can be managed.
When your wife is loading the galley, make sure she knows what she is going to use everything she puts aboard for and when it will be needed. Having too much stuff is a big issue for every body. You should do the same.
You will not be able to maintain the same road speeds a passcar, but that will be value you will have to learn. Ontario is FLAT. But that can end fast and will affect everything. Terrain can slow you way down going up, but also use the transmission to slow descents so you don't burn up the brakes.
Get to know your tank range. (The only time a gage should be trusted is when it says "Empty".)
If it has not been, get the LP system tested and inspected.
If you do not have service documentation for the chassis and the installed things, go on the web and find them.
Start a maintenance log for the coach. This will all soon be a blur if things go well at all.
Most of all, relax and enjoy the journey.
Matt