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Old 05-23-2022, 05:44 PM   #1
RVNewb
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Question Looking for E/W/S tips to cope with crippling anxiety about fist outing

Howdy!



I've made either a bold, brave decision, or a crazy one - you tell me.



We are going out this weekend (Memorial Day weekend) for our first RV experience: a 25-day, cross-country trip in a 2022 GulfStream Conquest 6280. I looked at maybe 100 or more RVs online before picking this one based on it having enough seatbelts and just barely enough sleeping area for our crew (2 adults, 5 kids aged toddler to a junior in high school). I really wanted a 24-footer so it would be easier to drive and park but those just weren't big enough inside for our family to buckle up, or sleep without a tent. I made a bit of an impulse decision here, as I usually would spend a year researching something before making any big decisions, but, I just sort of fell lin love with this RV. Now I have a million questions and feel panicked.



I have this 30-foot behemoth and I'm now dreading the first time I have to load it up with kids and groceries and roll out bound for a campground 8 to 12 hours away. Did I mention, I've never driven anything larger than an SUV?


What advice and tips can you offer on these concerns:


  1. Camping Reservations. We're not finding any campgrounds within a 10-hour drive that have spots available for our first 3 nights (which fall on Memorial Day). How important is a reservation? Do you have any luck just rolling in without a rez and hoping for the best, at the end of a full day of driving? Does it work or do you end up boondocking? Would you not even consider heading towards a specific destination unless you have a rez? My main concern is that we may not have full hookup, or might have only E&W with no S, or might end up boondocked unexpectedly.
  2. Electric. Picturing 7 people boondocking in a Walmart or truck stop parking lot (if we can't find any campsites), if we're in a very hot area in summer (say, over 80 degrees F at night), should we be running our generator all night long for AC? Or what do you do, just open the windows and try to sleep through the heat?
  3. Electric 2: If I do boondock it and try to sleep through the night with AC running off of generator, this model RV will shut down the generator as soon as we hit a quarter tank of vehicle fuel left, to prevent us from getting stranded. So at that point, does everything in the fridge spoil? Do you hit that point at midnight, or at 5am, or...? I've just no idea if the generator and 55 gallon fuel tank will run all night, half a night, a quarter night, etc.
  4. Water. 7 people and 1 toilet in an RV with a 37 gal freshwater tank. How many flushes are we going to get before that tank is full and we can't use it again until we find a dump station? If we've used it some while driving, and stop where we can't refill it, then 7 people use the toilet again before bed (probalby two or three times per person!), and one or two of us use it once or twice again while people are sleeping, are we going to fill up that black water tank before dawn arrives? And then what, no more using the toilet until we find a dump station, which could be half a day's drive away, is that right?
  5. Campsites that aren't full hookup. Traveling with kids, is it realistic to try to camp anywhere that doesn't have full E/W/S? I'm finding some options on our route that have the water and electric, but only a dump station at the exit. If they don't offer campground bathhouses and toilets, then am I going to find myself moving the RV twice a day to empty out our black water tank?
  6. No Toad. We will not have a towed car, by the way, so please let me know how crazy that decision sounds. I'm mortified of the 30-foot length as it is, and can't imagine adding to it by pulling our SUV behind it. Plus, I think that adding to the length would eliminate maybe 15 or 20% of campgrounds due to exceeding their max length; I already had to give up on one I wanted that only accepts up to 25 feet total length. We plan to find campgrounds that are within walking distance (of about a mile; we walk a lot) to an attraction like a river or lake. If we need groceries or want to go sightseeing, we'll have to take the RV. How much of a pain will it be to break camp, go get lunch and see an attraction, then come back and reinstall E/W/S, twice a day? We don't have slideouts or exterior gear to set up.
  7. Abandoning Campsites. I'm concerned that when we load up and drive off from our campsite, that even if I paid up 2 or 3 nights already, when I come back, there could be someone parked in it. Is there some sort of camper code, like, a cooler in the driveway, or something, that will tell other drivers, "Hey I'm gone but I'm coming back in a little while?" I'm considering a single folding chair, or a folding table and chairs, or just a clothesline with wet clothes on it.
  8. Propane. How do you get more propane in an RV that doesn't have removable propane tanks, but it's built-in/permanently attached under the RV?
  9. Sewage. When you go to a dump station at a campground (that doesn't have Sewer hookup at the sites) or a public rest area, is the area around the dump pipe covered in black water? I'm a little concerned about walking in a damp area, or an area that has a brown, standing puddle around it, then getting right back into my RV's living area with a toddler who eats off the floor.
The specs on Betty are:

Sleeps7Length 30 ftExt Width 8 ft 4 inExt Height 11 ft 3 inInt Height 6 ft 11 inGross Weight 12500 lbsFresh Water Capacity 37 galsGrey Water Capacity 38 galsBlack Water Capacity 31 galsFurnace BTU 25000 btuGenerator 4.0 kW OnanFuel Type GasolineEngine 7.3L V8Chassis Ford E350Horsepower 350 hpFuel Capacity 55 galsNumber Of Bunks 1Available Beds RV QueenTorque 425 ft-lbRefrigerator Type Double DoorRefrigerator Size 10.2 cu ftCooktop Burners 3Number of Awnings 1LP Tank Capacity 42 lbs Water Heater Capacity 6 galWater Heater Type Gas/ElectricAC BTU 13500 btuAwning Info Electric w/LED LightsShower Type StandardElectrical Service30 amp





Thank you so much!!! Any/all tips are appreciated!
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Old 05-24-2022, 08:04 AM   #2
ezdriver
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Lots of questions there - without a shakedown cruise first, I'd be sure to hook up everything at home first, test every system for function before leaving if you haven't already done so.
Driving - swing wide on corners.
Holding tank capacity. I think you will be fine with the black water tank. My tanks are all 37 gallons but we are only two people and are careful with our water use, and we go 4 or 5 days between dumps. Although yours is only 31 gallons, it should easily get you through at least 24 hours - hopefully someone else with a large family can comment on this aspect. The fresh water capacity also should not be a problem, flushing does not take much water.

Now the other items. A holiday weekend without reservations - I'd plan for the worst and hope for the best. Plan on boondocking somewhere safe, and also phone ahead as you get close to a destination just to see if they have space available, you might get lucky.
Running the generator overnight. Be sure the exhaust won't get blown back into the RV, depending on wind conditions where you park. The manual cautions:
"Never sleep with the generator running unless the RV is equipped with an operating carbon monoxide detector."
I'd expect running the a/c will use between .5 and .7 gallons per hour, so if you have more than half a tank of gas, overnight should be covered. If the generator does shut off, the fridge will continue to operate, assuming you have the two way gas/120v fridge. It will switch over to gas automatically, only requiring 12v to be available to run the control circuit.
As for a campsite without a sewer connection - showering will take the most water, so if everyone uses the campground showers you should be able to go a few days without dumping.
Filling inbuilt propane tank. You can fill up at most RV dealers, some hardware stores, many campgrounds, etc. They will use a long hose that unrolls from a reel next to their large supply tank.
No toad. We (only two of us), travelled the length and breadth of the U.S. of A in a BT Cruiser 5270 (28'), on trips taking as long as 7 weeks with no toad. But we did use our bicycles a lot. Lots of folks travel this way. In some places we used public transportation. Although availability is more difficult these days, when needed, you could rent a car for a few days.
I made a sign, cut out of plywood in the shape of our RV, that says "OCCUPIED". I place that on the site when we leave for the day and have not had a problem.

Good luck, and I'm sure everyone will have a great time, and those times that aren't that great will make good stories later.
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Old 05-24-2022, 10:53 PM   #3
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Hey ezdriver, I can't tell you how much that helps! It's a big relief to hear those estimates (I'm very surprised that it's at least possible we could end up boondocking an entire night without running out of fresh water, black water storage, grey water storage, generator power, etc.). And in general, the encouragement to just try to enjoy it without being able to predict or control every little thing that we might run out of, is also a great tip.



The RV was tested today and road-tested and seems to be ready to go.



Picked up a carbon monoxide detector today.


Will plan to fill up with gas towards the end of each day where it looks like we won't have an electric hookup.


Really like the 'occupied' sign idea and I found a suitable plywood scrap today in our shed so I'll paint words on that and find a place to store it in the RV. Will add "occupied sign" to the departure checklist I'm trying to develop.


Thanks so much! I'm open to further answers/opinions too if anyone else is reading, but ezdriver was a great help!
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Old 05-26-2022, 03:04 PM   #4
Vinnie
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Check out www.campendium.com for help finding places to camp. They don't always have all the "big" sites but lots of out of the way places that are sometimes free.
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Old 05-26-2022, 08:49 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vinnie View Post
Check out www.campendium.com for help finding places to camp. They don't always have all the "big" sites but lots of out of the way places that are sometimes free.

Cool! Thanks! Free is always nice!
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Old 05-29-2022, 10:17 AM   #6
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Although we haven’t used it yet my family uses harvest hosts. Usually no hookups but for an overnight stay could be good. Also connected to vineyards, farms, etc Fun things for the family
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Old 05-29-2022, 10:51 AM   #7
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Okay, by now, you have no choice but are figuring it out. How's it going and can I assist further? We have been full-timing for the past 2.5 years and are bouncing around the country with no reservations this weekend.....THE weekend. Shoot me a private message if you'd like and I'll send you my digits so we can talk on the phone if that will make it easier.

Some answers:
1. Harvest Hosts is a great option. Don't forget Cabelas, Cracker Barrels, and other RV-friendly overnighters if you're just en route as well. DO ABLE!!
2. If you guys have a fantastic fan in the rig, turn that on and open the windows for airflow if you don't want to run the genny all night.
3. Electric 2: Yep, plan on topping off the rig when you hit 1/2 tank and you'll be fine. If pulling in for a longer boondocking stay, fill beforehand to full.
4. Water. All about training the crowd and managing expectations. There's a way to wash your hands without too much water. Same with the black tank. DEFINITELY, put a measure 5-6 gals of water in your black tank after you dump (they usually have a connection there) to keep you from accidentally creating a 'poop pyramid' in the tank. Then flush with just enough water and you should be fine.
5. Campsites that aren't full hookup. Just see how it goes but bet you can make it every other day depending on your tank size. Again, judicious and not wasteful use of water keeps the gray from filling up too fast too. PLEASE don't dump your sink water out of the rig to save space in the tank. That's just poor etiquette and is prohibited.
6. No Toad. Don't factor your toad in the future for campsite length limits. Most ask for your rig size and there is often parking for your toad elsewhere. 30ft is a GREAT length for parks. Hey, we're 43' and 65' total length!
7. Abandoning Campsites. The sign idea is novel but most facilities place or have you place a reservation placard on your site number post or pedestal. Leaving some basics at your picnic table, etc clearly tells someone the site is 'occupied.'
8. Propane. Flying J truck centers, Tractor Supply's, and Ace Hardware stores often have 'BULK' (the operative word) propane. Check ahead to see first in your travel plan. Also, you can buy a 4-port adapter for your propane connection to run a hose to a portable tank when you know you'll be remote camping and don't want to break camp.
9. Sewage. People suck and waste outside of the dump connection is possible yet rare but use of gloves and if you want, disposable booties can mitigate this. Also, keep a pack of antibacterial hand wipes handy by the driver's seat just incase.

Hope this helps. SAFE TRAVELS and have a blast!!
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Old 06-04-2022, 12:25 PM   #8
Seadog63
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Let us all know how it goes after the fact, maybe we all can help you tweak some things. There’s a lot of good knowledge on this site and experience.
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Old 06-09-2022, 06:59 PM   #9
Dora's explorers
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First off... There were only 2 of us and we went for 7 months across USA, Canada and Alaska.

First... Have a fantastic adventure! Being flexible is the key to having fun.

We peed in a jug and flushed once a day
#2 mostly waited for gas stations
We used paper plates when we thought we wouldn't have enough water
.we used 12volt fans and open windows ( made screens for cab windows) never used a. c. at night... Did our share of ��
Put fridge on automatic... Only lost our food once because fridge died ( hint... Don't let anyone power wash your rig... They might spray into the fridge vent!)
Most campgrounds had a "corner" somewhere for a quick overnight... With all those kids you'll find many sympathetic places!... Just be very very appreciative and tidy!
No... Dump stations are reasonably clean ( or used to be!) Wear gloves... And shoes!
We never lost our paid-for campsite if we took the rig away for a day trip.
Hated most Walmart lots because we were sandwiched between big rigs that ran all night and blocked breathable air.
Town police stations can help you find a spot in a pinch for a quick overnight.
We were more careful not to fill up the black tank so the grey got full first... Then we would empty dishwater I to the black tank when dump stations weren't easily available!

We made a few people aggravated because we drove at "our speed" but figured that was "their" problem.

Again... Have a wonderful trip!

Our rig was a 2003 By cruiser... 21' ( measures 23 bumper to bumper).
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Old 06-19-2022, 08:43 PM   #10
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Smile Trip Followup, and lessons learned...

Howdy!


We’re back! Thank you so much for the awesome, helpful answers, everyone! I didn’t take time to respond from a smartphone during the trip, but I was reading your responses from time to time while we were traveling. Now that I’m back I want to let ya’ll know how it went. Also in case future readers are finding this page by performing an online search for one of the same questions I asked, I’ll detail here what worked for us. In many cases, it was the answers on this forum that made all the difference!


ITINERARY First off, driving 4,100 miles in 24 nights (we came back a day early due to the heat wave), with 5 kids onboard, was just way too much driving. For better planning I should probably have just picked about 4 or 5 really good destinations, and planned to stay at least nights in each one of them. I’d avoid trying to cross nearly the whole country and back in so short a journey.


DRIVING TIMES I found that every Google Map estimate of driving times was highly inaccurate for us given our slow speed in an RV. We were in a 30 ft, Class C motorhome going up and down winding mountain roads, and sometimes struggling against very high wind gusts on the Central Plains. It was my first time driving an RV, plus, with 5 kids onboard, we had frequent stops. Just a “quick” lunch from a fast food restaurant would hold us up for an hour, sometimes 2 hours. One time we set out on a “5 hour” journey and it took 11 and a half hours. Every time I pulled over so someone could use the restroom (without danger of falling over while they were walking around in the moving RV), that turned into a 15 minute stop. Then we’d stop for gas literally 10 minutes later. On another example day, a 3 hour journey took 6 hours. Eventually we just started doubling all GPS estimates, and that turned out to be pretty accurate. By the end of the trip I was pretty tired and focused on getting home (and I was much more comfortable driving the rig), so I did the speed limit (rather than 10 or more miles under it) and on days like that, a 3 hour journey would only take us about 4 hours, with stops for gas or something to eat. But my advice for someone new to driving an RV is that if you want to travel, say, only 4 hours per day, then plan your route using GPS driving time estimates that show 2 hours per day.


SPACE It is inadvisable to try to cram two teenagers into the top (twin) bunk or onto the (roughly a twin) fold-down couch/futon. They fought and elbowed one another incessantly and it was a real pain point for the entire trip. If I had it to do over again, I’d probably pack a tent and insist on the older boys sleeping outside every night. But then again, with this summer’s heatwave (100+ degree heat on multiple days in June 2022), that would not have been practicable on several nights of our trip. We didn’t have enough room for 7 people in a 30 footer, so there is no way we would have pulled it off with a 24 footer. Also, if you’re thinking of putting a teenager into a dinette fold-down bed, use a tap measure on it and then on the teenager. The person I was planning to put into that bed is 3 inches longer than the bed space, and the bed space is enclosed by plywood on both ends, so just having the feet hang off the end is impossible. Oh, the master bedroom had a similar problem: there is a supposedly “queen size” bed there, but, it is about 5 inches shorter than the queen size bed we have at home, meaning my feet hung off the bed all night.


NEWBIE MISTAKES If it helps, make yourself a little sign for the inside of the sewer panel door on the outside of the rig. When you squat down to mess with the septic system and open the access door, on the inside of that door there is now a hand-written message that I added in sharpie: CLOSE ALL VALVES BEFORE UNPLUGGING CAP OR REMOVING HOSES! After dumping a gallon of grey water on the ground at 3 separate campsites, I finally made myself that big note. I almost added “DUMBIE” to the end of it. Also, make yourself a paper checklist: Arrival Checklist, and Departure Checklist, and use it, every time.

Regarding my pre-trip questions, here’s how that worked out:


  1. RESERVATIONS. If trying for a same-day site, many places won’t take a “reservation” but consider all same-day arrivals to be “FF” (first come, first serve). If you don’t have a reservation and it’s a summer weekend, try calling and asking if they had any cancellations or no-shows. If that fails, try lesser-known parks (Army Corps of Engineers parks) or just boondocking for one night. I ended up spending 1 or more hours every day trying to figure out (and reserve) a spot for the next day. We found a lot of very, very full campgrounds - especially among the national parks and state parks, which often book well in advance. Weekdays were easier but reservations were the only way to get into some places, on weekends.
  2. ELECTRICITY FOR BOONDOCKING. This depends on where you are, but yes, if I was starting the night with a full tank of gas, I could have probably run the AC most of the night. I never needed to try it because we only boondocked in the more northerly states where it was quite chilly with the AC off and the windows just barely cracked a little. In Wyoming I had to run the heat (the furnace) for a while.
  3. POWER FOR FRIDGE. My info online was that my model of fridge/RV did not have a propane backup, but it turns out it does. So my fridge ran at all times. There was also a selector button so I could instruct the fridge which type of power to use (the button is on the fridge, but only visible when both the fridge and freezer door are opened simultaneously). My kind just switched automatically (I assume) as I never gave it any instructions. I had to make sure to check my propane level every 2 to 3 days since we did a lot of driving which meant a lot of time with the fridge operating off of propane (I think).
  4. WATER. I was worried we’d run out but we never did, even once, because we discovered the kitchen tap water was pink; there was a sticker about “food safe” anti-freeze being in the tank (yum!), so we only used it for washing dishes or brushing teeth, or very rarely, for showering inside the RV. I also flushed the fresh water tank about 2 days into the trip until it started running mostly clear. It remained cloudy for the entire trip (not pink anymore, but never clear either, just a greyish cloudy color) so none of us ever filled up a glass with it and just drank it. We went through numerous cases of bottled water during the trip (plus soda, gatorade, juice, etc.) and mostyl avoided cooking things that require water (like rice, pasta, etc.). Flushing the toilet took surprisingly little water (you get numerous flushes per gallon of fresh water...perhaps 10? 15? I don’t know). We limited how much water we used (and how much black water space we used) by putting most toilet paper (if it wasn’t for a #2) into a small trash bin near the toilet rather than flushing it. Also, newbs: be sure everyone gets into the habit of flushing, every time. There is a risk that the pot will fill with urine then slosh out on some mountain road or some particularly bad pothole, if kids are all taking turns using it on a driving day. In our model we could click the panel button to turn on the water pump, and then the bathroom sink, toilet, and kitchen sink would all have water provided via battery power, even with the generator off, while driving. On our trip we used the bathhouses whenever available, and only our youngest and my wife used the RV toilet with any regularity. The rest of us would use it for a 2am bathroom trip, or if we were in motion. It would take at least 2 to 3 days for the black tank to fill up. I actually never saw it hit full during the trip because I dumped it when it was 2/3 full and we were changing sites (although the instructions say to only dump when full). After a few days, my sensor never indicated empty again; it always says 1/3 full now, even though I added an orange bacteria packet after every black water dump (or did so within 3 to 12 hours – as soon as I could remember I was supposed to do that step).
  5. NOT FULL HOOKUP? Not a problem! By far, the most important thing for us was electric. If there is a showerhouse, then electric only was just fine. Electric and water, and we were golden. Full hook up was barely more convenient that E/W with a dump station near the campground. When the dump station is 7 miles away in the wrong direction, that’s a bit of a hassle. Also full hookup is way, way more important for stays of more than 2 nights. A 1-night stay can be totally fine with just electric, if you arrive with empty or 1/3 grey, empty or 1/3 black, and full fresh water. I never once had to move the RV just because a grey or black water tank was getting too full.
  6. NO TOAD (NO TOWED CAR). This was extremely inconvenient at times but also convenient in other ways. We could not go up the road to the summit of Scott’s Bluff (no RVs allowed). We could not explore two of the cool mountain roads in Custer State Park (low tunnels, no RVs allowed). We had to plan ahead so that we never had to unhook the RV just to drive out to a grocery store or swim beach. We had to organize our days around an arrival at a campground being the only/final arrival. The benefits were: an overall shorter vehicle (30 foot rather than 30 plus the toad), meaning we fit into way more campsites than a larger rig (making it easier to find a place to camp in general), being able to be done driving for the day once we arrived somewhere, getting to walk more (if we had a car, sometimes we would’ve used that for getting to a swim beach or distant bathhouse), etc. At one point I took an enjoyable 2-mile roundtrip walk to a park office, to extend our stay at the campground in person and pay the fee. When exploring any town or city (which we really didn’t do much of, since we had no toad), we had to be very mindful about parking, and about the incline on the driveways of the entrances (would we scrape bottom?, etc.). I sometimes had to park half a block from the restaurant I wanted to visit, then hike back to get takeout, then hike back to deliver it to the Rv. If I had it to do over again, I still would not bring a toad.
  7. ABANDONING CAMPSITES. I was concerned that if I loaded up the RV and drove away, someone else would occupy our empty campsite while we were sightseeing. After about the first week, I never drove away once I was hooked up anyway. I did bring an “occupied” sign and used it, but as others mentioned, the campgrounds generally have a marker on the post to show which sites are occupied vs unoccupied.
  8. PROPANE. I left with “90” out of 100 showing (pounds, I guess??). After the first 3 weeks or so we were at 20, and the needle was wobbling wildly. I got it filled up to 55 for $16 at a Love’s truck stop. This involved about 30 minutes of waiting. The employee did it for me while I watched. Love’s also had septic dumps available for $10 a pop.
  9. SEWAGE CLEANLINESS. I did find a few dump stations that were wet. It looked like someone had an accident somehow, like they had closed the trap, then spilled some water (or used clean-up water) that couldn’t get down the trap. In both cases, it was at a spot where two dump stations were available, and I was able to pull forward to a clean(ish) dry one. Generally I still consider the entire area to be at least potentially contaminated with e-coli and other fresh bacteria from fresh sewage, so I got in the habit of using my “septic shoes.” I had a pair of boots behind the driver’s seat that I only used when using a public dump station (like at a park entrance). Before I got back into the rig, I’d switch to my tennis shoes. This was probably overkill but I was traveling with a toddler who eats off the floor every chance she gets.



Thanks so very much to everyone who responded on this forum. Your help was greatly appreciated! Happy travels!
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Old 06-19-2022, 08:44 PM   #11
RVNewb
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Smile Checklists for rv travel

P.S.

For any other newbs out there, here are my checklists. Your mileage may vary; these are specific to my Class C Gulfstream Conquest motorhome so be sure to customize it to your particular needs and rig…



ARRIVAL CHECKLIST
Always have groceries for dinner/breakfast ready or packed on arrival day; don’t arrive to a campsite with an empty fridge


Get partner outside with a walkie talkie for all back-in sites, especially if it’s night


No kids allowed to go outside rig until parked, satisfied with level, and engine is off


Check if level; adjust with tiles before hooking up anything.


Parking brake engaged, engine off, and then kids can go out of the rig


If you used leveling gear, put its storage bag near your gas/brake pedal; makes it harder to forget the level gear at the site and drive away without it.


Hook up electric


Get a person inside the rig to wait near an open window (or use a walkie talkie) for remaining steps


Ask person inside to turn on AC (high blast, cold as it will go) and close all other windows and roof hatches.


Ask person inside to turn on hot water heater.


Ask person inside to (carefully) open fridge and freezer and catch falling items


Hook up water (Turn on campsite’s water once, turn it off. Turn it on a second time, turn it off. This gives you feel for water pressure if you don’t have a regulator. Watch how far you are turning or pulling the handle, to get an acceptable water pressure. Connect your water filter and hose to the site but not to the RV. Turn on water a third time and let it run a moment, to clear your hose of old, hot water inside that hose from the prior campsite. Connect water to RV.)


Ask person inside to test water


Advise person inside that their part is done


Reusable gloves on, then connect sewage. If black is full, dump it. If grey is 2/3 or more full, dump it. Reclose grey valve to save up some grey for flushing line after tomorrow’s black water dump.


Awning out, if you are in an area of no or low wind. Look around. Does anyone have an awning out? If no one does, this may be a warning about wind gusts that can rip your awning right off. If you’re only there one night, consider skipping the awning.


Ask a kid to grab a clothesline (if park allows it) and hang up any towels, swimsuits, or other items that are still wet or damp and need to be dried before being packed away as dirty laundry


Send another kid to the bathhouse to find out if showers require coins or tokens etc. and whether there is a laundry facility


Start dinner


************************************************** **********


DEPARTURE CHECKLIST
Advise passengers: go store all shoes (other than the ones on their feet) in the designated “shoe closet” (downstairs/exterior storage). Clears up walkways and makes getting out for a hike about 20 minutes faster.


Advise passengers: Last chance to brush and/or flush


Retract awning


Turn off hot water heater


All countertops clear


All windows shut, all blinds/curtains open


Double-check all roof hatches are shut and all roof fans are off (if it rains, you’ll know if you skipped this step, if you find your bed is wet with rain water)


Securely latch/click-shut the freezer and fridge (and in our case, add painter’s tape because those worthless latches broke about a week into the trip)


All seatbelts pulled out of couches and ready to use

Driver and all passengers have water they can reach without stopping the rig

All kids inside before you remove leveling gear (since this will involve rolling forward or backward a bit).

Return leveling gear to RV storage.

Turn A/C off before unplugging electric

Unhook water, drain lines, connect ends to each other to keep dirt/dust out of line

Septic: Check inside gauges (or have someone call them out to you) before going to septic area. Gloves on; dump black if full, then dump grey. If black is not full, just dump grey. Spray septic hoses with disinfectant. Connect sewer hose to itself so remaining liquids stay in hoses rather than spilling in RV. Store all septic items; gloves off. Keep a bottle of sanitizer and a bottle of pump liquid soap handy by the septic area; wash hands after removing gloves.
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Old 06-25-2022, 12:24 PM   #12
ezdriver
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 27
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RVNewb - I enjoyed reading your great trip report and your checklist.
..." (carefully) open fridge and freezer and catch falling items".
Yes!

I particularly like the "all kids inside if RV will be moving" while setting up or leaving. This eliminates distractions and possible tragedy.
One addition to your Departure list - antenna down.
If you have the crank up batwing. I wrap a string (or similar item) around the antenna crank handle while in the down position, when I raise it, I wrap the string around the top of the steering wheel as a reminder.
If you still have the gray water coming from your taps, it may be dissolved air. It looks unappetizing to drink, but is harmless. Take a clear glass container, fill with water, wait a few minutes. If it clears up and there is no residue in the bottom, and no odor, then it was simply dissolved air.
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Old 06-26-2022, 03:04 PM   #13
RVNewb
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Hey EZDriver - thanks! Good tips! I had never heard of the dissolved air issue but that's probably all it is! Thanks!
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