😲43 RV SETUP MISTAKES YOU SHOULD KNOW (& HOW TO AVOID THEM)

[@EnjoyTheJourneyLife]

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[@maxinesquillace6861]

It's something they say some places in the south...I grew up saying lend or lent. When we moved to TN I started hearing borrow me one, and exactly what Tom said 😂 no matter how it's said, the fact that he helps others out is awesome. Enjoy your life💖

[@terrafirma9328]

If your tired of hitting your head get a simple bike helmet to wear while working around your RV. 😁

[@craignewman8330]

one of my tips on the refrigerator cool down time. I try to plug the RV 24 hours before departure and turn the Refrigerator on. I then put a frozen gallon of water in a jug in the freezer and in the refrigerator to help assist in the cool down, I then rotate the jugs between the refrigerator and freezer to take care of the times when the refrigerator is not running while driving down the road.

[@robwestley7370]

Sandra Westley from the UK our fridge works while we are travelling, from the on board battery, we get it nice and cold at home first and load it up the next day, then travel the next day, but the battery keeps it on trickle charge, while the tow vehicle is running.

[@bobphelps7744]

If you notice leaves and small branches on the ground after a storm, check on top of your slide-outs before closing them.

[@cjcj6945]

Great tip!

[@GiftHorse123]

If you don't have slide out toppers like I don't, I'm going to bring my Ryobi blower using a charged battery to blow off the roofs of the slideouts and the sides of the slideouts. It had rained the morning of our departure and when I brought the slide out IN, the water started to drop down the walls inside the unit. A handy towel was helpful.

[@kennethcurry8025]

What I enjoy most about your channel is that you’re down to earth. You’re not afraid to talk about and show the mishaps, that we all have from time to time. Good fortune follow you and cheri in your travels.

[@Flyboytr]

Good video. Great for newbies and a good refresher for the old-timers. I wanted to add a comment about the PVC pipe (cut in half) for the stinky slinky support. In our bus, we used the 4" PVC rain gutters (the cheap ones)...basically just a trough with a square bottom (sits easily on boards, sticks, rocks, etc). They overlap easily and come in 10' sections. We cut them into 5' lengths. The will stack together. Just another option that has worked for us. Again...thanks for the video!

[@marymenant9661]

I really have enjoyed your videos. I have what I call “point system when I’m hooking up and and unhooking. When I’m pulling our horse trailer I have 6 points to go by and the camper 12 points. Before pulling out I go back and count.

[@terryhenry2272]

You mentioned altitude and temp differences affecting containers (mustard, ketchup, mayo, etc.). What I have done for years is to make sure the container is not quite full, leave a little air space and then squeeze the container so that it creates a small vacuum in the container when you close the lid. It's much better to have a slightly smashed mustard bottle than to have an exploded one.

[@richardcrowe7146]

I've been living in my rv for a couple of years now and I have been able to keep my awning out and not have to retract it with two simple items. I get 2 long dog ground tie down stakes and either a bright color rope or a small comealong. Just attach them to each outer corner of the awning and snug them down. Make sure to angle them slightly away from the rig and make sure to flag them or put some small lights etc down them so you can see them at night for safety reasons (i learned that the hard way 😖 lol). If you check them periodically they will keep the frame from twisting and from being destroyed. But will also prevent the awning from turning into a sail and quit possibly flipping your rig or ripping the awning material. Mines been out for almost 2 years now w/out any incidents and is pretty nice to be able to come home or go out w/out getting soaked or even just being able to sit and enjoy watching the rain sometimes and not getting soaked is kinda nice lol

[@truckingkaiseradventures2366]

We are always amazed at some of the stuff we see when we are out camping. People will leave their awnings out when they leave the campground on days where there are obviously storms coming in. They are also in very shaded areas and actually put their awnings out as it is apparently just habit. Thanks for all the helpful info in many of your videos.

[@jonathangoglin4047]

Yes! My most common mistake, rushing around the outside of our RV and smashing my head off the slides. Our momentum has 5 slides and 3 of them are perfect head height for a good head ache. Slow down y’all and happy ventures

[@fitnessforhealthandhappine1746]

After you pull out, stop and do one last check of campsite for your stuff, I have brought many things to the campground office that the previous camper left...

[@CalvinGordon]

Super good advice

[@solvend]

I really felt your "dont get distracted" advice. It's so easy when you're excited to get setup, sometimes visiting with other travelers etc. I gotta stay focused, too many steps to mess up on if you arent 100% present.

[@alvenatgolden1781]

Thank You I am new to this and will review this often.

[@jpharleyguy172]

You did good.... I have been RVing for 5 years now... I was saying yep, yep, yep... we have a 47.75 ft Voltage.... I'll be showing this to my wife...good job !

[@lrwalters14]

We take our RV to the KOA that is near us (closest campground) first time out so we are close enough to home to pickup any items that we forgot.

[@timmurr1672]

Great information thanks. One mistake you did not clover is always have enough beer.

[@jsl5570]

We always turn our LP fridge on the night before. One thing you MUST do is be sure all the items you put in are precooled so it doesn't heat up the fridge, especially for an LP unit. We have a lot of precooked meals, as well as frozen meats and other foods. You can use those frozen items to help cool the fridge part by putting the frozen food for the next day in there to thaw.

[@cjcj6945]

This video is a positive message to all, and will be very helpful to others who are looking to hit the roads! Thanks for sharing! 😊

[@stillwatching3255]

When you turn your propane off you are turning your fridge off when you travel.

[@donm1668]

Great video, we even took notes. As for the "I got to borrow them one..." That is a Minnesota thing, much like a casserole is not something you eat, it is the (usually) glass vessel with a lid that you make hotdish in. That stretchy thing used to keep objects together is a rubber binder, if you aren't sure if someone will accompany you, the phrase is "Are you coming with?" When something looks, smells or tastes unpleasant you'd say "ish", and the proper name of the game is "Duck, Duck, Grey Duck." That use of "borrow" is perfectly acceptable: "Ya, da grass in my yard is getting pretty tall, but my mower's busted. Could you borrow me yours for a bit?" "Ya, sure, go ahead and take it. Fill the tank with gas when you're done and we'll call it even for that $5 I borrowed you last week." >Source - grew up in Minnesota.

[@rameylewis7730]

I love your tips man, but I always travel with the propane on to keep the refrigerator cold. I have since the 70's and never had an issue. Each family member has been issued a headlamp. I bring a complete tool kit and I usually end up helping people with their RV problems. I use tension rods in refrigerator and med cabinet. I have 50 foot cable extension and I'm glad to see you have the 10 foot cable of the proper wire gauge. I never thought about using a surge protector. I just figured the breakers would handle a bad electrical hook up. I agree with you about getting that. I run a Berkey water system too!!! I'm surprised you don't use wheel scissor chocks. All in all you do a great job and I can tell you have been doing this for some years. I'll leave you with one tip in case yo don't do this. Bring lysol or bleach or some disinfectant to clean off the spout from the water hook up which is usually near the electrical pedestal. People use them to clean out their black and gray tanks, animals will lick on them ie.. deer etc.... So cleanse the water spigot first before you hook up your white fresh water hose. Glad you kids are out having fun especially since you only live once. Thank you for making the video.

[@jdice6868]

Great tips. I bet you have a packing up checklist as well. Perhaps you can make a video on common mistakes made when leaving the campground. Viewers, click like if you want to see that video to let Tom and Cheri know.

[@EnjoyTheJourneyLife]

Great idea!

[@julianfresquez2489]

Best camping advice video i have seen.

[@michaelhendricks7117]

After a bad dump experience, I make it a habit to open the grey tank briefly at first, before opening the black tank. Then if connections are secure and grey water flowes correctly, I shut off grey tank, dump the black tank, then use remaining grey tank water to rinse the hoses.

[@RVMiles]

Our very first night of camping (years ago) I put a dent in our rig hitting the site number marker at the campground. Great tips!

[@EnjoyTheJourneyLife]

😲 Thanks for sharing!

[@scottkaitchuck4361]

Great video!! Been traveling in 5th wheel RV and motor homes the last 5 years and still a must watch after a break. Always learning new tricks and forgetting at times. Thanks for the best pre trip video out there.

[@geocacherny7030]

My 21QB had a white board and after setting up and taking down I decided to put the check list on it... It's still there to this day. Even when you get used to the habit, it's still good to have the list right there

[@WILDEBILL308]

You should have a clear section of sewer hose up where the hose connects to the RV. That way you can tell when you are dumping that you have flushed it clean.

[@CalvinGordon]

True. You get to see things that you may not want to, but you should.

[@suzbone]

Genius!

[@tac2thunder]

Great video for beginner and experienced RV’ers alike. I am fairly new to RVing but videos such as this have helped me to know what items to have and things to do and not to do. My biggest blunder to date was disconnecting the rig with the tow vehicle torqued at an extreme angle and with only one side of the RV chocked. As soon as the hitch cleared the ball the rig pivoted and nearly fell off the support blocks.

[@jaydog9508]

Oh man, no fair, I didn't have a video like this when I started. Making mistakes is part of the fun...lol. But seriously, great tips!!!!

[@robwestley7370]

Sandra Westley you’ll still make plenty of mistakes believe me, even season people like us for 30 years, we have sail by the gas station, when the car bleeped to tell us we had 1 gallon left, and no idea when the next gas station is, only 25 max miles in the tank. After that experience we always keep our vehicle a quarter full, no letting it get too low.

[@kathypaolucci6008]

Thank you for showing this video. We are two senior citizens just getting into RV living and we learned a lot from this.

[@MrRotag33]

Great video! We are 2 months in as 5th wheel owners. We did our “shake-down trip” at a local campground and learned about inline circuit breakers for the slides. (Nobody seemed to know about them, but found out how to reset them in some forums.) My wife also learned about locking the refrigerator/freezer. We had to cook a lot of meats after they thawed. :) I think I made most of the mistakes you mentioned. Great to learn more and see that I am not the only one making mistakes as I learn.

[@jimblair2692]

Just shared with a friend that got a new RV Monday. I had went through most the information with him last night since we have had RVs for 30 yrs and go every weekend. Thanks for the information to share to others.

[@brianhubler7324]

LOL Tom....great video. I had a lot of check marks in the ‘did that’ column. Two things I really appreciate on my RV is the wind sensors that automatically pull in the awnings and the fancy toilet flushers that blink yellow & red when the black tank is nearly full. Thanks for all the great videos.

[@ericbrandenburg8583]

Can I add one... Never leave your water pump on traveling or leaving the trailer for long extended periods. A friend of our left their pump on during travel only to find all 180 gallons of water dumped on the floor from a disconnected kitchen sink pex fitting.

[@juliaedwards-dake6870]

I 'horse-camp' with my living quarters horse trailer with my horse and corgi. I do not full time, yet! My rig is much MUCH smaller than your 5th wheel rig (which I hope to transition too when my beloved horse passes and I no longer ride). Your experiences are invaluable.

[@charlotterohde7383]

This is a great review for those of us who have been on lock down to check that everything is in proper order.

[@timzeh5585]

Thank the lord I have a Truck Camper! It is simple, pull up , back in, sorta level with blocks, run the slide out and pop the cork on the wine and enjoy. We have only been in one Commercial Campground in three years and 80,000 miles. Most of the time we boondock in the middle of no where. Great video and ideas. Thanks!

[@lindagolden9892]

Definitely a worthy 🎥 for rv newbies and a great refresher for all others. 🚌

[@Barb929]

So true on the shakedown! We took ours out right after we got and I was so stressed!

[@1man1woman65]

Tom, regarding black sewer hoses you should check out a Waste Master RV Sewer Hose that has camlock fittings. More expensive but you'll probably never have to replace it and NO LEAKS. Also the Anderson Manufacturing Camper Leveler is a pretty cool system. Great video, thumbs up. Stanley in Md.

[@orvjudd1383]

Very good checklist of mistakes. My big peeve however is when other RV’ers leave all of their frigging exterior lights on after bedtime. It’s like living in a well lighted parking lot.

[@maryhartsock7792]

I also like to keep two fire extinguishers handy. One easy to reach inside the rig and one in an unlocked storage compartment outside.

[@johnmclaren7059]

Lol Tom!!!! Swatting bugs comment brought back a fond but comical memory. We arrived very late at our camp ground around 11:30 at night , while I was backing in my wife was spotting for me with a flashlight and yes we had no Walkie talkies and no cell reception! The wife was attacked by mosquitos and swatting like a mad woman and all I could see 40’ back was her flashlight doing circles! All I could do was stare into the side mirror I disbelief wondering what in the world she wanted me to do! 😂!!! Thanks again guys , good tips🇨🇦

[@klouism1]

All good information. Probably the most common is like you said when you get in a hurry, then that's when you make a mistake. 😊

[@roberthill4928]

Great video Tom. We’ve been full timers for over a year now, and we have watched your channel for about 2 years. We sold off everything and our rig is our home. The one issue I would disagree with is, propane. I know it’s a controversial topic, but it’s only my opinion. I am insulin dependent and require an insulin pump. As such I have thousands of dollars in insulin and other injectable medications I must keep at a constant temperature. Placing these meds inside an ice chest, even the more expensive units, do not hold a consistent, low enough temperature. I have Always left my propane on, UNLESS, I go through a tunnel that strictly prohibits such things. Now.... you mentioned the pilot light. The pilot or thermal couple is really a valve. When the pilot is lit, it heats the thermal couple which in turn opens the valve allowing gas to flow. When there is no heat, the gas will not flow. Now we are talking about the oven pilot light, furnace, and the water heater, not the stove top. The principle is the same.We always check that the knobs are in the correct position before exiting the rig. The knobs are the valves, they are either on or off. If you smell gas when the oven pilot light is NOT lit, then you have a faulty thermal couple, and should be replaced. Love you videos, keep up the good work. And remember, Life is too short to sit on a porch! (tm) Rob and Katrina Hill R-Harvee Adventures.

[@n2sport1]

I find it funny every time I hear someone say turn off the propane when traveling. My fridge is loaded with food and I don't have anyway for it to run other than propane until we get to the site, it was designed to run this way. Also the lines on the RV are required to actually restrict gas flow to almost nothing if they experience a fast quick rush of gas like them being cut from an accident. Many contribute RV fires to gas leaks, which you shouldn't have to begin with traveling or stopped, but what the fires are actually from are faulty fridges. The lawsuit states that every gas absorption refrigerator manufactured by Dometic since 1997 shares common technology, common cooling unit design and common defects, including the propensity of the refrigerator's cooling unit boiler tube to corrode, crack and expel hydrogen gas at high pressure, which can spontaneously combust, or reach other ignition sources, causing a fire. So if someone has solar and batteries to run their fridge and they don't use gas and think they are safe, the fridge should be carefully inspected often for any type of corrosion.

[@jamesglenn520]

If your stuff is pre-cooled or frozen you should be able to travel many hours with the refrigerator turned off. I have had frozen meat in a cooler with no ice take 3 days to thaw out 👍

[@n2sport1]

@@jamesglenn520 Regularly inspect your fridge for boiler tube issues, no issues...If you don't it could cause the fire issue even when not traveling...

[@jamesglenn520]

@@n2sport1 Luckily I now have a 12volt only. So no messing around with the unreliable propane temps and issues 👍

[@emmanuelleallen]

This is interesting. I never knew that they used thermal couplings like that. I feel much better about lighting an oven now. Lol

[@clarkmcchesney134]

Great video. I appreciate your honesty!! Regarding slide depth and obstacles like the pedestal, water connection, picnic tables and trees we have a pole with tape marks. On the tape written with a "Sharpie" are the applicable slides. Hold the pole up to the RV and you can determine clearances to most any obstacle. Sometimes it requires a little adjustment in the space to make things fit, but that's cheaper than fiberglass and sheet metal damage when you open your slide into an unmovable obstacle. And the pole is one we can also attach a broom or wash brush for other uses around the camp site! Pool noodles are a must for me. I generally wear a ball cap. When I'm in close the brim limits vision and BAM, I've hit my head again on a slide near a storage compartment!! And if you decide to use pool noodles be sure to add the removal of said devices to your checklist so you don't retract the slides without removing them.

[@BuzzedKitty]

Is there anything available that could be put on the slides that would be more permanent? Even if they would have to be adhered some type of way?

[@pennywickstrom2202]

Ok, you asked for it! My RV mistakes: 1. Driving up the freeway with my antenna up. 2.Forgetting to put the steps up before almost pulling out of the park (another camper was gracious enough to stop me). 3.Forgetting to flip the handrail in. 4.Pulling too far to the side of the road not realizing the ground was too soft and almost tipping my RV. 5.Over filling the trailer tires which caused a huge bubble in a weak spot of the tire wall. 6.Not protecting my water filter in freezing weather which caused it to freeze solid and crack. 7.Forgot the grey tank wasn’t open when I left the water trickle run to keep from freezing and overflowed the grey tank which caused the sink to fill and overflow into my RV. 8.Left the Berkey water filter on the counter which fell off during bumpy road travels and dumped all the water and broke the expensive filters. All of this in just two years! But I still love my full time RV life!

[@rosekransconst.2495]

Make sure you put your antenna down before you leave

[@allonsy9808]

The best piece of advice was the last one! I typically RV alone, and I was afraid it would all be too much, but I did it anyhow and have had no regrets. I grew up RV'ing and wish I could go back and thank my dad for all the gross stuff he did so we could have fun. lol Now I do it. My dog never thanks me. LOL

[@EnjoyTheJourneyLife]

Thanks for sharing!

[@cjcj6945]

Aaaawwwww... he knows!💙

[@maryhartsock7792]

Don’t we all wish we could go back in time and thank someone? My late husband knew all this stuff/or learned along the way. Still when I started out on my own, I made a number of these mistakes! But I’m getting the hang of it.

[@thelonestarranger]

My awning, when extended, will rub against the top flange of my kitchen slide if there is a slight breeze. To eliminate the risk of wearing a hole in the awning, I bought a section of water pipe insulation, which already has a slit in it from end to end, and slide it on the top flange of the slide out before I extend the awning to prevent the awning cover from rubbing the slide top flange.

[@tonyvanderboon2564]

Yep did the using the washer with the grey tank closed. Woke up with the tank full and the shower had 4" also. Dodged a bullet , 36 gallon grey tank didn't dislodge. Lesson learned. One more , don't open or close slides until you check both outside and inside. Crushed our pantry door . Woops!

[@raymondschneider5217]

A fun video, IMO. Some super valuable reminders, and, great campfire conversation on the ones "everyone" makes and how terrible they seemed, at the time. Thanks for sharing, guys! Y'all Be Safe!

[@mikebishop4346]

Well I’ve made all of them but a good thing is you learn from them we bought a new Montana in January and between the Covid19 our break and have some of our reservation canceled we are finally getting out this weekend in NH for our late shake down cruise . We’ve done most of it in the driveway in between snow storms but can’t wait to hit the road running.been camping over 30yrs and I still get butterflies which is cool keeps me sharp anyway that was a great video I sent it too all my friends that camp because no never know . Thanks guys hopefully we’ll meet up 😀👍🏻🇺🇸

[@danielglenn4066]

I noticed that you mentioned in this video that a common problem is that the tank sensors often don't work. Thy this as a friend told me what they do when they go rving. He said he got it off of KZbin published on February 22, 2019 (TR Bolin The video was titled "RV How To - Easily get rid of black tank smells in your RV!" He said odors can be really bad from the grey tanks as well. Plus this method gets the sensors clean so you can get more accurate readings. Black tank cleaning After dumping the black tank and refilling 1/3 with water 2 to 3 times Water 1-2 Gallons In toilet Borax Soap 1/2 cup in toilet It has water softeners and provides oxidation (by way of water and Borax soap creating Hydrogen peroxide for oxidation) to break down particulates Dawn soap 1/4 cup in toilet Then clean your toilet and flush mixture into black tank. If traveling go ahead and fill black tank 1/3 of the way so everything sloshes around to clean off all your sensors while traveling down the road. Grey tank cleaning Same as blank but also add Zep citrus orange cleaner 2 cups Helps break down fats and oils from skin and whatever oils left over on dishes, pots and pans.

[@heariam7557]

Thanks! Good info on cleaning tanks while traveling..let the sloshing begin! Also got a tip to include ice just as you're leaving, to help with the sloshing! Thanks again, will bring borax onboard!

[@philipshields1183]

Also dump some of your leftover ice in the toilet, it really works wonders and you don't need as much if you don't want the extra weight.

[@dondartt684]

Great advice you have a lot of experience I will learn from your mistakes. And trust me we have our mistakes, our tires were wearing fast- we discovered an alignment for the trailer is possible. That was after tires blown, one problem affected the fender and some of the side of the RV. We broke a leaf springs shortly after the alignment and was told be the mechanic “ these things weren’t made to be hauled all over the country.” He also told me that he was not impressed by the alignment shop because they should have caught the leaf springs.

[@babranson1]

In forty some years of camping I have probably made most of them. My biggest one though was not pulling out prior to the lake coming up and submerging the lower step. Around 0330 I woke up to to find that we needed to move ASAP. Luckily there was an unoccupied pull through directly across the access road. The worst of it was unplugging the power. The water was up to the connector. Spooky!

[@johnmather1408]

Very helpful! My wife and I just got our first travel trailer, and this is exactly what we needed to see. Subscribed

[@blakecouch]

Good info. One thing I would recommend is tossing that tow rope you have. At a minimum get a flat nylon tow strap rated appropriately with 2 soft loops and 2 separate clevises. Better yet get a dynamic rope.

[@EnjoyTheJourneyLife]

Great tip!

[@mustangman4291980]

yankum.com/ is a good source for dynamic tow ropes.

[@sugarbear7315]

I like Your comments & thoughts..When I first started camping.I was Adviced to write up a Punch list of items to ck prior to leaving home... Tire pressure, propane level , all driving lights as so on...

[@lindafahey7585]

Hi I live in Florida I just bought a van so my husband and I could start going to the camp grounds just to see if we like them get into an RV I've been watching you for two years subscript to you also love watching you every chance I get no one understands why are we gonna do this but Love it also good information thank you thank you God Bless!!

[@lancewulfers2502]

You should use the caps on your sewer hose even when you have it in the storage box. A nice trick is to compress your sewer pipes and then cap them. This will keep them shorter. Also if your hoses do have a leak, they will suck air in and keep expanding. This helps to determine if your hoses are ok before you start to use them to handle the waste water.

[@2009mechanic]

A small tool box with 1/4" and 3/8" drive standard and metric socket sets , screwdrivers ,combination wrench sets , hammer , vice grip locking pliers , various pliers , torx driver sets , tin snips , hacksaw , electrical wiring connectors , strippers , crimpers , a digital multimeter , basically any tools you'd need to not only fix your camper but also your tow vehicle and any problems with your motorcycles you brought with you. I also bring a 7 gallon compressed air tank with me for topping off tires and tow vehicle leveling air bags. I also carry 2(TWO) spare tires for the trailer AND the tow vehicle.That's 4 total. Equipment for changing your tires like a 3 ton aluminum floor jack inside of its own storage case as well as some 18" square pieces of 1/2" plywood to set the floor jack onto or your leveling jacks , landing gear etc. These new campers are very heavy so a 3 ton jack is the minimum size you should have. Now here is a REALLY BIG ONE!!!! Get a torque wrench and applicable sockets and extensions and double check ALL OF YOUR WHEEL LUG NUTS to the correct torques on your camper AND your tow vehicle. The lug nuts on those fancy aluminum wheels WILL LOOSEN UP!!!! At each fuel stop , quickly put your hand on each of your wheels and check the temperatures of every wheel rim to look for a hot wheel bearing or brake. Or get an I.R. temperature reader.

[@rejeanpaquet4375]

Tom, WoW that's quite an extended list of mistakes, lot of research went into this video, thanks for sharing. I like the ending in Cheri's hammock and Corona, Cheers !

[@docwells4747]

Never knew ,about the circuit breaker being "left on" when connecting......Great Video.

[@dougnash2610]

Nice video, the only one I can think of is leaving outside shower valves on can really throw off water pressure inside your rig. If pressure is strange, the first culprit to investigate is outside shower valves being left on by someone.

[@lynnhoward955]

Check your tire pressure, check oil, trany fluid, windshield wipers & washer fluid

[@12thDecember]

The RV gray tank burst? That's wild. I've had a couple occasions of too much water in my gray tank, but all it does is to begin backing up into the bathtub. When there's standing water in the tub, I know I better dump that tank or at least get some of it out. Good video. I started walking around my fifth wheel to check for potential problems that I was unaware of.

[@jerrytalley802]

Excellent tips, love the one to check water and electricity before setting up. The only challenge is it’s hard to even get a site, so if I get there and the water or electric isn’t right, unless they can fix it, may not be a site to move to, lol. Great tips though, thanks. We even toured the last campground a month ahead, marked acceptable sites. Sadly we marked one as ok, and low and behold, it was one of only 2 sites out of level, and it was 12” side to side, 18” out front to back. Naturally, I didn’t have that many blocks, but at a state park, the host had some treated wood scraps

[@michaelforget1823]

I see a lot of people ask about how to keep your food cold.as you are traveling. If you have a 3 way refrigerator put it on Auto.so when you are going to your destination your trailer will be running on Battery an that will keep your food cold.an your truck will charge your battery as you go down the road.if you just go camping the way I did it was the day before I went I would cool the refrigerator down the day be for.then After it was cold then I would put the food in.an how that I am full time I have a residential refrigerator an it runs off an Inverter an the refrigerator will work off of the battery as we go down the road..

[@neomayad]

"You can handle it" I love that part of the video. great info. I'm getting my 1st rv soon. will use your wisdom. thank you

[@smorervfun]

There are so many good tips in here. First timers here, a lot to learn. Thanks for putting this together!

[@cynthiaincolorado3373]

Miss Cheri... hope she is feeling better...smooch to you both! Great vid!!

[@robertmartin4821]

Thanks, one of the very best RV videos that I've seen on need to know if you're going to go camping with a trailer or fifth wheel unit.

[@maintenanceisreal9893]

Loved this video. The microwave vent cover was a new one on me.. been using the vent for a week now with the cover locked closed...doh.

[@jimmyhuston1140]

Also a good idea to keep a roll of RV roof tape for a quick and easy Repair if need be, tree limbs or just wear and tear.

[@ramonabennett1973]

This was the most comprehensive video to date. (Believe me, we've looked at a lot of them!) Just brought our camper home 2 days ago & looking forward to our part-time journey. Hopefully we won't make too many of your mistakes. But I see an update in your future from us! 😁

[@donwat91]

This was a great video. I would hope a lot of people would pay attention to this video. It's been said , you can tell who the new RV'ers are . Peoole sit at there site and watch others park and set up. Practice practice practice is really the way to go. If they practice the setup and the tear downs the rest is easy. They will save a lot of headaches. Thanks again for this video.

[@endofsociety]

Great tips! Thanks! Hopefully sooner or later I’m going full time rv. As I’m watching though, and you’re showing your outside hose connections, I’m just listening to you at the same time I’m listening to the breeze going through all the vegetation and palm trees I can see. So calming. You guys are living it up in paradise. 😌🌴🏝

[@melindahutchinson196]

We've made a few of those mistakes. Let see....1) Forgot the toolbox at home but we were not concerned until our passenger side mirror starting falling off as we were going down the interstate with not even a screwdriver in the camper.2) Rushed so much the whole trip was miserable and we just kept making mistakes all day. We are adapting a new rule 2/2/2. Drive 200 miles (+/-), arrive by 2:00 pm and stay at least 2 days. 3) Forgot to bring leveling blocks (never do that again) 4) Forgot to put the water pressure regulator we got lucky on that one). All great advice given and all very important pieces to the journey. Still we have our moments don't we :)

[@maryhartsock7792]

2-2-2 that’s great advice!

[@debralind9062]

Great tips for “what not to do”. Done very well. I too love the beer and hammock at the end.. the one thing we do, we keep the fresh water hooked up to our coach. Once we empty the black water, then the grey water. We then run water down the kitchen drain and once more empty the grey water to further clean that hose. Then, we disconnect the water from the spigot and put that hose away. We put the fresh water hose away last in case we need it to hose off anything prior to putting everything away (sand, mud).

[@alanbailey1696]

We use an old piece of left over house gutter to support our black hose which works great. Lots of good info thx! Also one mistake that I hear all the time is referring to your travel trailer as a "camper." A camper is an RV that sits in the bed of a pickup. :)

[@PamelaBigelow]

Oh my gosh, this is so incredibly helpful Tom!!! Wow there is a LOT to this RV/camping thing! We just got the new camper & now trying to learn how to use it! Thanks for the great videos!

[@michellekoonce3191]

yes, yes and yes, after 2 decades of hauling horses to horse shows, I agree on everything you put in this video. LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP

[@billpiersol874]

Y'all always have great information and tips. Really enjoy watching and always take away valuable tips. Thanks for sharing

[@brendabardell-resch6869]

My husband and I don't rv but I live your channel. Great tips for those that do like my in-laws before they passed. Hope you are staying safe and well.

[@adventureswithhaunani2806]

I like the last one .... thinking you can’t handle it. Because you can. 👍

[@debidavidson1691]

Want to let you know we enjoy watching your videos. This was a great video...wanted to mention a couple of lessons we have learned. We use quick connections on our water hose and our black tank fill hose. Speaking of the black tank should mention how important it is to have water in your black tank and putting in some type of drop in toilet treatment. We have also invested in a quality water meter so we know how much water we're putting in our black tank...don't want to overflow it...think of the movie RV. My husband and I are full time for 2.5 years. We have a 43' Momentum 397th 5th wheel toy hauler.

[@GizmoGuy620]

Home depot has a 2-Stage Auto Changeover Propane Gas RV Regulator Kit with Two 12 in. Pigtails. Switches automatically from one tank to the other.

[@ThePackDad]

#44 - Don't pull through a "Pull through" spot if there's a short steep drop that "looks fine" (they said). Otherwise, you'll be replacing a stabilizing jack the following week.

[@sheilawilliams8193]

Absolutely loved the video (and bloopers)! Found it so helpful and made a list throughout. Thank you!

[@peterossi9496]

I’ve made quite a few of them... I like the idea of a shake down prior to taking a trip...

[@richlondon4661]

Great pointers! There were lots of tips that it took me years to learn, and some I learned just now. Thanks.

[@robwestley7370]

Sandra Westley from the UK very good advise, it’s so easy to leave things behind also.

[@marc1marcio267]

One huge camping mistake you did not mention maybe because you have not done it yet , but it is devastating is forgot the hammock and cold beer at home . And that beer looks really cold LOL nice video .........

[@maartena6283]

Hey Tom and Cheri, great video! Thank you for sharing all your tips. Wood boards have always been my personal favourite for leveling - strong and simple. We have a bike rack on the back of our rig and when we take the bikes off we put pool noodles on the arms that stick out. Like you slide, it sucks when you walk into them 🤕

[@carolwilcox8415]

We love you guys! We have learned so much about RVing!! I love your chemistry you have together. Keep up the good work!! We can’t wait for the next video

[@danasalvatore1876]

So - I’ve been living in my RV full time for 7wks now. In my driveway during covid! New mistake is thinking fridge broke or power issue. I always go to icecream when I have upset tummy - discovering liquid in tub I realized I ate food from fridge that went bad. Please save others the worry and $$$ concerns. The fridge regulator on my RV is connected to a wire and propped up against the fridge cooling fins. Well- not that well. I must have pushed my strawberries basket and dislodged the wire. The fridge immediately thought I no longer required it to cool the inside. Oops food poisoning myself! But no need to replace fridge 😜

[@kodayapi]

I use a binder clip to hold the thermistor in place

[@pamelamargroff5836]

One of yiur best videos...I have watvhed this many times!! Thank you

[@philipshields1183]

A piece of house gutter works GREAT for supporting sewer hose. A coucle different lengths can be easily stored beneath most rigs with a little ingenuity.💪

[@larjam3866]

Don't forget to lower the truck tailgate before backing in to connect or disconnect....Damage sucks! 5th Wheels or Goose Necks.

[@donaldfrazier5244]

When we rveed I always dumped a bunch of ice in the black tank it seemed to help keep it clear and Odor free

[@rvfinder7997]

this is the most educational RVing video on the internet

[@EnjoyTheJourneyLife]

Wow, thanks so much!