7 Biggest RV Life Mistakes That Cost Us Thousands - Full-Time RV Living

[@mikeweis5925]

After 18 yrs of quite a bit of 5th wheel travels nothing you said surprised me. This is just the stuff that happens. I commend you on your bravery to do this without any experience. And - electric dump valves can malfunction/break too. Keep at it - I loved this one.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Thanks, we definitely had a learning curve. We're glad you liked the video.👍

[@toddgoffoy7601]

Nicely done, Thanks for sharing real life experiences. This is much more helpful than those trying to push products.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

You're welcome! We try to keep it real. It’s a slippery slope sometimes but we sure appreciate your support. 👍❤️

[@2Miles2Go]

We are now 7months into our full time Rv travel life and LOVING IT. Catching up on all our footage, (finally decided to put them on KZbin) our 4th video will be out Friday.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Cool! We’ll have to check ya out.

[@travelingwithtroyandrhoda]

Good video. I had spent 7 years watching KZbin before we jumped into this. Yesterday was actually our 2 years anniversary of when we moved into it to go full time. Same as you, no prior experience, etc. I did learn a ton by making it my hobby to learn but definitely there are things you can only learn by doing it. I always appreciate the people who openly share mistakes. Keeps it real!

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

We’re right there with you! Learning as we go is the name of the game. Thanks for watching. We appreciate the support.

[@chistinemartel9043]

You guys have a nice vibe together. Can’t wait to be out there in a few years, but it would be just me in my Van.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Thanks for the kind words and we hope you enjoy the van life and also hope to see you on the road!

[@blness1957]

You all do such a good job with your videos and make them very relatable. My wife and I would like the lifestyle much like you are living. Hoping to make that happen this next year. Thanks again

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

That's awesome! We hope you make it happen and that our videos are helpful. ❤️

[@maxabdovies5161]

As always informative,helpful,Zesty,funny and sincere. Thank you for sharing.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Thanks! We try to keep it real. Love “zesty”

[@aflyr]

You guys are awesome, love your videos and hope we can meet in person some time. I can certainly relate to these, definitely got a chuckle out of them and remember some very similar things. One thing to consider about leaving things behind, I like to hardwire/mount things if possible to avoid this. For example I hardwired my Hughes Watchdog and have installed a Blu Tech water filter system. Great point on solar and boondocking solutions. Our current rig is all electric and has a great solar/battery config, no need for generator or propane. I love the freedom this gives us not having to hunt for solar or lug a generator or have to listen to one. You nailed that! Could you comment on how difficult it is for you with a big rig to find spots in State Parks/Nat'l Parks/boondocking. We have a small class C and are considering going up a bit in size but we love the ease of getting sites at virtually any campground.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

You might checkout our State Park video (if you haven't already"). I think we talk about it in that video kzbin.info/www/bejne/rF6xeYOtj910qJY In a nutshall, we don't usually want to stay in most Nat'l parks due to crowding, but I doubt at 44ft we could fit. I have seen other channels at 30-35 and they did in some. You'll just have to research some and see. State parks we have not had any problem. We make the reservations well in advance so we can pick and choose a larger site where we can fit. I talk about how we do that in the video I believe. Look for overhand in the back of the site to gain more length. If we can do it at 44ft and long bed dually, I'm sure you can too.

[@GIMRRC]

Great video. Thanks for sharing some great info. My biggest mistake when we were new full timers. Brand new GD Solitude, unhitched without using my checklist. Didn’t disconnect the 7 pin cable. Pull the wires out of the junction box, electrical short started a small fire in the front storage compartment. Melted hydraulic lines, shorted out control panels, burnt up wiring harnesses and ended up costing over 19k to repair. Luckily Progressive Insurance covered all but the deductible. Unfortunately it threw off our plans for over two months due to parts shortages during the pandemic. Lesson - Always use checklists.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Always😜❤️

[@shabadabadoo4326]

Mommadabado and I have been dreaming of RV'ing pretty much the entire decade we've been together. Well, we got the kick in the pants it took to make us make the leap, a couple weeks ago, when she got a call from her work saying "we want you to be a 1000 miles away by this saturday", for a 3-4 month gig. She didnt want to be away from the 4 y/o, so we spent 6 days scrambling to buy a truck, and rv, pack, then move halfway across the country. Mistakes so far: -- Rushing through buying an RV with very specific needs, under a very limited budget, without getting a 3rd party inspection, basically sight unseen. -- The quintessential poopsie -- Leaving the waterheater switches on, without water running to it(I read the WH bypass label wrong. -- Not having all the equipment we should have Never mind the insanity of financing all of this, to facilitate what amounts to a seasonal job for my wife. But c'est la vie, ammirite?

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Wow, that was a super quick change of plans. It's all an adventure, right? 😂 we wish you the best (and no more poopsies😜)

[@ShellyDeming]

It's great that you both share the necessary info.... thanks 😊

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

We are glad you found the video helpful!

[@carsonantoine4101]

we are in the same boat as your intro. never been in an rv. but going to be working form one full time starting next feb

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

It’s a big decision and we are so excited for you!

[@rickphillips4966]

Great meeting you guys tonight at Romp it Up. A couple mistakes we’ve made is taking out the truck back window turning too tight and damaging the front cab and truck bed rails when trailer leaned one way and truck the other way.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Ouch. That’s a tough one! We did something similar. Always painful and lessened learned. We feel ya😜 it was so great meeting you in person!

[@chuckgoetz1699]

Hi Barry and Darlene, you are BOTH fantastic. It was great meeting and you @ the Romp It Up festival in Sonoita, AZ this past weekend. Why we don't have immediate plans to full-time RV, I'm finding a level of obsession in watching your channel. Love how real you guys are, descriptive and super informative. See you again very soon I'm sure!

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

It was great meeting you too! We're so glad you're enjoying the channel! 😄 please keep in touch.

[@jasonlinda8891]

I pulled out with the tail gate down. Had to buy the lower 2 front door hatches on my Valor 43v13 and get my tailgate fixed on my new Ford F450. Also, if you have a new Valor without the solar package, I recommend getting at least a second 100 ah battery with your purchase. I boondocked, weekend camped for the first 2 years, and learned fast I needed more than 100 AH to camp without running the gen every day.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Ouch! Solid tip on the battery. Thanks for watching.

[@loriejohnson8706]

Tornados can happen 6 months out of the year and it overlaps with camping season almost completely in the northern half of midwest

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

You are totally right. You sometimes just can’t avoid that. I think having a plan and being aware is the most important thing. We were clueless what to do at the time. Now we are much more aware.

[@Journey2Everywhere]

Very well done and thank you for sharing those personal experiences to help us semi-newbies who will be hitting the road early next year. We appreciate all the time you take with your videos and giving us these great tips! Oh, our second camper we had at our property, but needed to take it to "dump". Someone went on his way quickly before dark down the steep gravel uneven driveway in a huge hurry and ripped the septic right off the bottom and "&^%$" spilled all over!! That was a jaw drop mouth open event and words exchanged because "someone" was in a hurry! Safe travels to you!

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Oh man. I hope you forgave that “someone”. lol

[@Journey2Everywhere]

@@liketheresnotomorrow Eventually! LOL You are so right though; you need to have a little different mindset going into this fulltime travel and there will be new challenges and different stressors but work as a team! You guys have great advice! Thanks again for sharing!!

[@Dronerangerspro]

“Yep, same here! Took me less than a week towing my side-by-side to introduce my new RV to its first battle scars. Turns out I didn’t have the clearance I had with my old van-who knew? Now the back corner looks like a ‘modern art’ piece, and the quotes to fix it are a lovely $3,000 to $5,000. Oh, and let’s not forget my slide-outs-they’ve already had two run-ins with, well, me. Let’s hope I’ve finally learned my lesson… but who am I kidding!”

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Oh no. So painful, but like you said, it Can and will happen. 😜

[@melodygrandinetti5016]

Hey guys what a refreshing video...we tryed leveling our new fifth wheel for the third time after we got it and lifted the rv wheels off the ground. Needless to say we couldn't go in to get the manual to rectify it. So my dear husband seen another fifth wheel down t a few site and it so happened the owner was outside, so he asked him for any suggestions and we learnt the hard way . Lol

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Ah yes, we’ve had wheels off the ground before. Always a struggle. lol

[@nicholephillips7319]

How do you rectify this? We're brand new with a 44ft valor and our wheels always seem to be off when we auto level

[@healthydarlene]

@@nicholephillips7319 first I’d check to make sure your auto level is actually calibrated to be level. You may need to reset it. You’ll need to get the old manual level out to check. Or if you are in a spot that is just unlevel and the tires go up off the ground, get some boards or level plates. Raise the tires up even higher on that one side, then relevel or just set that side back down. Then the tires are supported on that one side. When boondocking we’ve even had to drive up on the plates on one side to not get the error code that we were way too off level. If it’s bad off, the lippert pane will just error out.

[@shirleydevers583]

Thank you for sharing. This was very helpful.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

You are so welcome!

[@BradDavis-gw7do]

I’ve learned to never get in a rush when hooking up. A couple of months ago we were hooking up at the storage facility where we keep the camper & it was starting to rain. I quickly slapped the RV’s lights & brakes cable into my truck’s receptacle & took off. Somehow I shorted it out when I did that. The receptacle & cable both melted. Fried wires & pigtails on the truck & camper. I even melted one of the camper battery posts clean off the battery. So I needed a new camper cable, new camper battery, new truck receptacle, and new wiring on both the truck & camper. $2300 screw up.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Ouch! That is a hefty lesson. So sorry…

[@mikeweis5925]

I promise I’m NOT laughing at you but I am smiling as I think of my blunders over the past 18 yrs. I think of the time my wife was not available to help me back in and a jagged tree limb made a beautiful 4 foot incision down my roof. Go Eternabond. I still carry it for emergencies.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

You’re so right, Eternabond for the win! Always have some handy, you just never know when a tree will jump out in front of ya. 😜

[@4wamiadga4]

Love our Paradigm 385 FL! Alliance has been great when we’ve had questions.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Awesome. Great to hear

[@sherryarcher4832]

OMG! I love your videos. You do a great job with your content.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

We're so glad you're enjoying the channel! Thanks for the compliment❤️😜

[@Darnabymom]

Currently listening to tornado 🌪️ 🚨 this morning here at home in Tulsa, OK. Apparently we now have two tornado seasons. Spring and fall😬 We arrived home yesterday from our maiden voyage with our new to us 2023 Escape 5.0. Of course we had oopsies. Thankfully they were all minor. Cheyenne WY❄️🥶-Down I25 CO-NM-Palo Duro Canyon TX State Park😍(AKA mini Grand Canyon)-5 hrs of downpouring rain 🌬️⛈️to home. Love your videos! Thank you for sharing your real life! ❤️

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Weather is certainly challenging the drive weather app helps to allow you to know what to expect when driving. Glad you made it safely… and thanks so much for watching.

[@mazie65]

Thanks for sharing. Things break no matter what it is. We learn from mistakes. Been hungry and stressful site can be challenging as well. Getting level is challenging at times. Auto level is great but why does it go so high then level. Seems crazy.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

It does seem a bit crazy sometimes. Like a nose dive.

[@jerry-381]

Once we were packing up to leave a campground. I went to back up to the travel trailer to hook up to the truck. As I was backing up my brand new floor mat somehow slid forward into the gas pedal and the truck came shooting straight back bam right into the camper. Fortunately the tongue of the camper hit the hitch and glanced off so nothing was bent and no one was hurt. It made a loud noise and of course half the park came to check on us. 🤦‍♂️I still had the stabilizers down I think that helped some. That’s something I never could have prepared for.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Oh my goodness, that’s a close one! Sounds like you got lucky there. We’ve done some weird ones like that too. Now we are extra cautious with certain travel day steps. lol

[@alexiscasazza4939]

Thank you for sharing.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Thanks for watching.

[@geraldlindsey1]

We did #1 as well and I heard my wife make that exact scream. It’s funny now but not so funny back then lol.

[@turnbullstravels735]

I think our biggest mistake was switching from a 30’ gas class A to a 38’ diesel pusher. It’s a much better driving experience, and more luxurious than our old rig. But it has reduced our willingness to boo dock, because at 40,000 lbs, we rarely want to risk getting stuck. As a result, our average nightly cost has risen, and our ability to be more spontaneous has evaporated. I am really interested in seeing if we could ft in a 25’ rig, while still staying married, lol.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

lol yea. Well, if it makes you feel any better, we are 44 ft and pretty heavy and boondock most of the year. With proper research, you can do it. If you want.

[@WanderlustAdventureCompany]

Found you on Facebook. Subscribed!

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Welcome aboard!

[@Kim-3204]

Even though I've camped my whole life, I'd never driven an rv and knew NOTHING about what you're supposed to do with them. In the early 2000's, my dad bought a 1988 21' C class and wanted to go North (we live in Southern California). Buuutttt....he suffered from emphysema and couldn't drive anymore and no on wanted my mom to drive so I was elected. I loved driving it. Picked up a sister along the way and then my dad said it was time to empty the tank. I had no idea what that was but my sister & I went to a dump station and as soon as we put the hose down and released the valve it splashed up all over me 💩🤮. Lesson learned, make sure you wear gloves and have the hose inserted all the way. ~Kim

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Once you have a poolside you become hyper aware and careful after. NO ONE wants that to happen again. lol

[@drs3055]

Thank you for openly sharing. Your insights are sooo helpful. When you need help, how do you find a mobile tech that you trust?

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

We usually go to the NRVTA and ask for a certified tech in our area. There’s also the RVTAA and they have a tech locator in their site. There’s also google reviews. Sometimes that’s all we have to go off of.

[@JoeT.1960]

I had 3 flat tires on my rv and it rip's your rv apart , I had to change the tires bye hand fun ! 😒

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

The tire blow is one of our biggest fears. We do what we can, but sometimes crap happens.

[@CherylRennie-n8z]

Awesome video! What are your plans when you want to retire from the road?

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

We have invested the money from our last house and when we are ready we will buy or build another house. My guess is that it may be a airbnb type property that we can also park our rig on. That way we can rent it while we travel seasonally. Maybe. It’s hard to say.

[@maxhicksarmor21]

Lol, you guys that’s probably one of the most irritating but one of the coolest things you can do is make mistakes. Like you said it’s a real challenge to keep your cool when it happens but afterward, it’s really cool that you’re able to laugh about it. That’s what makes the both of you Absolutely fantastic as a couple. Lol and I’m definitely learning a lot of things to do but so many more things not to do when I finally get my camper. Being a travel nurse opens up doors for my wife and I to go different places with a small camper. Especially here in Coloradonow that it’s starting to snow and look so very beautiful with the trees changing. I’ll definitely send pictures when we finally get our travel trailer. Love you guys and as always if you’re ever up here, let me know. Margaritas on me.😊.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Deal! And yes, let us know what rig you get. It’s an exciting process.

[@garycryder3688]

Another informative video. Wife and I have watched many of your videos and we have begun the process of downsizing and selling much of what we don't need before we transition to the RV living. I have put much thought into boondocking because of what you two have shown, so that's a big concern of mine. Ironically I met with a Brinkley rep and when we were discussing solar he recommended an external system. He said the cost would be much less and with some of the new systems just as powerful. Just curious on what you think? Thanks again for all the videos and honesty.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

He’s not too far off. If you just get something to get you started so you can test the waters, it will give you an idea if you want to go bigger. If you don’t really love boondocking then you aren’t all in yet. I think that’s smart.

[@garycryder3688]

@liketheresnotomorrow I'm retired Army so no doubt that I'll be fine with boondocking. Lord knows I lived it for over 20 years😂😂. I just have to make it as comfortable as possible for my wife. Thanks for your help

[@sierrar1999]

My husband and I are planning on full time rving with a smaller trailer and truck within the next couple of months. Any tips on what research to do to know how to actually live in an RV? I did it as a kid but obviously my parents dealt with the maintenance!

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

We have soooo many videos on the realities of fulltime. Go look back through and take your pick. From emotional, to maintenance, to he stuff you wouldn’t know until you get out there… we try and be real about it all

[@NatKekuna2012]

My Husband is an RV Service Manager. The stories he comes home with 😮so don’t you feel bad at all.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Oh yeah! I’m sure he’s seen it all! 😩😂

[@QuadTap]

Why is the washer and dryer not worth it?

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

We boondock way too much. Plus, we don’t want to give up Room for separate washer and dryer. We had the combo vented and just hated it. Small capacity made it so we were constantly doing laundry. It just wasn’t worth it to me.

[@sissinoklahoma2057]

No one asked, but for me, In our house, I was tied down to daily, or every 2 days, running laundry loads at the house. Now, I go to a laundromat every 2 weeks. I can wash the clothes using multiple washers at the same time, and dry using multiple dryers at the same time. Total longest amount of time from arrival, wash, dry, folded or hung clothing put away is 2 hours. My old washer took 2 hours for just the sheets and towels load. It's a Win/Win to use a laundromat. Less trips, less time spent, and less money spent. Avg is $15 every two weeks.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

@@sissinoklahoma2057 yes! 100% truth. Same for us

[@QuadTap]

@@sissinoklahoma2057 thx for the response as we have been limiting our RV search to WD capable units only.

[@sissinoklahoma2057]

@QuadTap wish you all the best, whatever you choose! But I wanted to add that since water is an RV's kryptonite, any water you can limit exposure is good. Tricks such as installing shutoff valves under each sink and toilet (which should be standard, but isn't) can help avoid issues. Bonus tip is to buy a rig built before 2007 for best build quality if you're handy enough to update the wall covering and carpet yourself. Enjoy the journeys ahead!

[@kar-r5i4f]

First issue is owning a 5th wheel, They are nothing but MONEY PITS

[@GIMRRC]

Great video. Thanks for sharing some great info. My biggest mistake when we were new full timers. Brand new GD Solitude, unhitched without using my checklist. Didn’t disconnect the 7 pin cable. Pull the wires out of the junction box, electrical short started a small fire in the front storage compartment. Melted hydraulic lines, shorted out control panels, burnt up wiring harnesses and ended up costing over 19k to repair. Luckily Progressive Insurance covered all but the deductible. Unfortunately it threw off our plans for over two months due to parts shortages during the pandemic. Lesson - Always use checklists.

[@liketheresnotomorrow]

Wow that is a scary and expensive lesson! Glad you’re ok and it wasn’t worse but…. Dang 19K! Glad you had insurance too.