Why didn't anyone tell me?

[Boat Bum]

So, I thought this might be a fun thread that chronicles some of my, and I hope others, follies with new RV ownership. I have just acquired a 2015 Newmar Bay Star 2903. Obviously it would serve to educate the newbs from other newbs in hopes of saving them from their mistakes whilst giving the more seasoned RVers a chuckle and perhaps a memory.

My hope is that it uncovers the more obscure peculiarities of RVing than your run of the mill issues.

So, to start:

Why didn't anyone tell me the reason the paper towel dispenser was in the drawer was because under way it will unravel nicely in an accordion fashion on the counter below? Yes, i found it in the drawer and put it back up only to roll it up by hand at my destination.

 

[LarsMac]

We found that a vertical towel holder solved that problem rather nicely.

 

[Isaac-1]

We have one similar to this mounted under a cabinet and almost never have an issue with it unrolling. https://www.amazon.com/Prodyne-M-913-Stainless-Cabinet-Holder/dp/B0006TZMOE/ Very rarely it will unroll 1 or 2 sheets while in motion, but that is it, the end grippers provide just enough friction to keep it in place.

 

[DonTom]

We found that a vertical towel holder solved that problem rather nicely.

I use those also. Can be ordered here.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Lou Schneider]

Squeeze the roll so the center tube becomes oblong. Stops it from unrolling on it's own. Works for TP, too.

 

[CharlesinGA]

In April, while you were busy shopping for an RV, I asked the question, what were people using for a paper towel holder. This was in part due to some rather experienced Youtubers discovering what you discovered about paper towels and holders.

Anyway, here is the discussion on what others did and what I finally settled on.

Charles

 

[Octodad]

Squeeze the roll so the center tube becomes oblong. Stops it from unrolling on it's own. Works for TP, too.

Ooh, I hate that. I often try to squeeze the tube back into a circle. I like a smooth roll.

 

[Octodad]

Why didn't anyone tell me that just because tires have tread on them, they can be in need of replacement?

I have been driving cars and trucks for 40 years, tires wear out from use before they ever wear out due to time. It never occurred to me that 7 year old tires with 95% tread on them would need replacement (unless they showed visible road damage).

I did tons of research before buying our first TT a few years back. Missed that one.

 

[Boat Bum]

Why didn't anyone tell me that just because tires have tread on them, they can be in need of replacement?

I have been driving cars and trucks for 40 years, tires wear out from use before they ever wear out due to time. It never occurred to me that 7 year old tires with 95% tread on them would need replacement (unless they showed visible road damage).

I did tons of research before buying our first TT a few years back. Missed that one.

My tires are original (2015) and have great tread, however, some cosmetic dry cracking around some raised lettering has me getting them inspected/replaced. The inspection is only to advise how soon I should replace, certainly before our maiden voyage.

 

[Boat Bum]

Why didn't anyone tell me the windshield shade does not go all the way down when the key is on?

Sitting in the coach with the dash AC blasting I think, let's shut the shades as it has been 90+ degrees (hitting 100) for the past couple days and that would keep things cooler. Well, after the shade descended about 2/3 the way down it stops.

I should have prefaced this thread with the fact that I received no orientation on my coach, the woman I purchased from put less than 1,000 miles on it since she titled it in 11/2020; suffice to say her plans changed almost immediately after buying, she really knew nothing about what she had; I believe this is partly why I got such a great deal.

Anyway, this was the first time I used the shade and thought, oh great, it doesn't work, but then remembered she showed us. As I'm pondering my next move, as I start to get out all the documentation, I think to myself, wait a minute, it makes sense that it would not go all the way down while driving (i.e. key on).

I turned the key off and voila!

The nice thing is I have every piece of documentation and sales literature in a nice Newmar logo'd briefcase.

 

[SeilerBird]

If there are things nobody told you it is not anyone's fault than your own. You did not do enough research before and after you bought the RV.

 

[Boat Bum]

If there are things nobody told you it is not anyone's fault than your own. You did not do enough research before and after you bought the RV.

Like replacing the broken antenna mast on the passenger side roof only to find a brand new replacement from Newmar under the step storage that was never installed?

Yeah, I went into this blindly. You understand this was meant to cover some of the more obscure things you only find out through use, right? Sheesh...

 

[Skookum]

We had an Atwood propane gas range/oven in our first RV; something I actually kinda miss. On our first couple tries at "baking" (a frozen lasagna, I think it was), the oven was wildly inconsistent, leaving some parts of the lasagna cool, and other parts, mainly the bottom, singed. This is also when we decided to take a few backup meal plans with us in case we ended up staying out longer, or had a cooking malfunction.

Then we got the bright idea to find a ceramic tile almost as large as the oven rack to put in there, and started cooking on top of that. It did a great job of evenly distributing heat, and gave us the ability to bake anything to perfection including freshly made pizza.

Our new one has a convection/micro and no oven. I don't have any sage advice there...yet

 

[Boat Bum]

We had an Atwood propane gas range/oven in our first RV; something I actually kinda miss. On our first couple tries at "baking" (a frozen lasagna, I think it was), the oven was wildly inconsistent, leaving some parts of the lasagna cool, and other parts, mainly the bottom, singed. This is also when we decided to take a few backup meal plans with us in case we ended up staying out longer, or had a cooking malfunction.

Then we got the bright idea to find a ceramic tile almost as large as the oven rack to put in there, and started cooking on top of that. It did a great job of evenly distributing heat, and gave us the ability to bake anything to perfection including freshly made pizza.

Our new one has a convection/micro and no oven. I don't have any sage advice there...yet

That's the spirit!

You know you should have done your homework on this first, right?

 

[Skookum]

That's the spirit!

You know you should have done your homework on this first, right?

The only visual acuity that gets better with age is hindsight, I'm afraid. Some of the people on here have the ability to see 20/10 in that regard.

I still prefer winging it--with things that don't matter, learning first-hand is more fun, sometimes.

 

[Boat Bum]

The only visual acuity that gets better with age is hindsight, I'm afraid. Some of the people on here have the ability to see 20/10 in that regard.

I still prefer winging it--with things that don't matter, learning first-hand is more fun, sometimes.

Absolutely, sometimes ya just have to jump in feet first.

 

[CharlesinGA]

If there are things nobody told you it is not anyone's fault than your own. You did not do enough research before and after you bought the RV.

In all fairness to Boat Bum, he just got the RV home last week and I don't know anyone who bought their first RV, be it a trailer or a motor home or a van conversion, who spent days on end researching details like he is discovering. His entire thread is designed to help others as much as himself and anyone who has owned and maintained a boat can, with a little doing, find their way thru and RV. However, a little help and advise never hurts.

The one thing you do need to know, is when to run away from a "deal".

Charles

 

[Octodad]

Like replacing the broken antenna mast on the passenger side roof only to find a brand new replacement from Newmar under the step storage that was never installed?

Yeah, I went into this blindly. You understand this was meant to cover some of the more obscure things you only find out through use, right? Sheesh...

That's the first thing I check for when buying any new vehicle.

 

[niget2002]

Don't forget to raise the tongue jack before trying to drive off.

Years and Years of owning boat, jet ski, and landscape trailers... you'd think I'd remember the simple stuff.

First trip with the new travel trailer. So worried about all the other stuff that needed to be done to get the trailer ready to leave. Went to pull out and couldn't figure out why the trailer wasn't moving. Then the jack rotated off of the block I keep the trailer on and smashed into the concrete...

Tore something up inside the electric jack as it made a nice grinding sound when raising and lowering the last 1/3rd. Ordered a new one while on the trip and it was at the house when we got back ready to be installed. Now I have a backup tongue jack I can use for parts when switches wear out

 

[Bearcatrp]

Here is a good one. Never let a salesman do most of the opening and turning things on. I watched him open the refrigerator and freezer. Ok, works. NOT. The security latch was broken from the factory. We loaded up the refrigerator. Drove 3 hours to our camp site. Opened it up to see everything in the refrigerator was on the floor. Plus the door swung open to hit the counter and put a dent on the door. It’s getting replaced by keystone. You check everything. You open everything. Oh, btw, who would have thought the electric water heater didn’t work. They don’t hook that stuff up at the dealer. Figured new camper, shouldn’t have been an issue. They fixed that too. New or used, check everything!