# Share Your Expert Advice!



## webmaster1

To all the Expert RVers out there, do you mind sharing some tips for our newer RVers on the forum? Just share some tips or tricks you’ve used over the years, favorite destination spots, RV do’s and don’ts, proper etiquette, etc. Anything that might aid them with their new RV and help them begin the RV journey!


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## C Nash

Always make a walk-around the RV before pulling out.  I didn't and tried to take my shore power with the motor home and a 50 amp cord will pull the electrical post  down.    Sorry to admit this happened after 45 + yr camping LOL.    Look the site over before backing in.    Don't forget to look up.  Try to always be in the cg before quite time.   If late just get in the site as quite as possible.   Amazing how many times we can shut doors when sitting up.   For all you out there that are 62 get the Senior national Park pass.   Only 10 dollars , price when I got mine, but that was a long time ago.  COEs will honor it and it gives you 1/2 price on camping.  Gets you in National park entrances free.   Try winter camping, no bugs or varmints out then.   My pet peeve is owners leaving their pets in their rv and the dog barks all the time.    Don't let your pet do his thing in my campsite, that includes wetting.   Clean your site when leaving, this includes cigarette buts on ground.  Do not burn cans in fire pits.   Well just a few that comes to mind.  Good thread Webmaster


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## C Nash

55 reviews and just one post!!!  Come on rvers


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## C Nash

27 members online now and no advice.


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## C Nash

Give me a reason you want post?


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## webmaster1

Thank you Chelse for encouraging the other RVers out there and giving some great advice! Hopefully some of the other members will help out with and give some advice to the newer RVers out there, they could use your help!


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## C Nash

I know there are a lot out there that want to know which is the best Type rv for them.  No one of us can answer that for them.  You have to decide which will serve you best.  I have a Motor home now and it is best for our type camping at present.  We do not stay in one place long.  If I stayed in one place a 5th wheel may serve better.  The 5 tag TT served us well when we had kids.  Pop up was great when we were younger.  Tent was great when we were much younger LOL.  Even had a 49 Ford bus that I installed a V8 chevy engine in and took off to Disney World.  Had a great time.  The 3 Airstreams towed very well.  We were going to sell out and full time but glad we didn't sell.  GKs live in our home and I kept my Dads Mobile home on old homeplace with 45 acres that is great to come back and reload and age is also catching up with us.  The light at the end of the tunnel is getting larger.  No regrets at all.  Met a lot of friends and great memories.  Is it cheap, no but there are ways you can do it.  Find the cheaper campgrounds,  Volunteer at cgs, get one of the 1/2 price like Passport America or escapees ,but be sure it will surve you.  No need to buy into if you don't use.  Tires are one of the biggest problems with rvs so check air pressure before you get on the road.  Weigh your RV easy to overload.  Try to travel while roads are not hot.  Tire Pressure really goes up when roads or hot.  Keep your speeds under 60.  55 is a great speed.  What is your hurry.  Just notice how many rvs will pass you when you are driving 60  WOW.  +Guess some think it is a ego thing when they pass you.  I did my racing on the drag strip LOL.   Well i have rambled enough for "now" LOL


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## webmaster1

Thanks for your help Chelse! Your advice helped us with two of our most recent blog posts!

http://blog.rvusa.com/what-type-of-rv-should-you-buy/


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## C Nash

Great information and articles on the blog webmaster 1.  Just a thought don't store your rv and forget it till next outing.  Always be on the lookout for leaks and varmints.  Amazing what a water leak can do between camping seasons.  If you have a generator exercise it at least ever month.  Run it under load for at least 30 mins.  For motor home, vans, etc best to drive them for at least 15 miles monthly .


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## SCcamper

Campgrounds/RV parks that provide full hook-up sites with only gray water dumping.

Yes, they do still exist. If you are not familiar with them you may not have the proper connection to hook-up your drainage system to them. In this link there is a picture of the sewer line connector needed. A 5/8” garden hose is recommended.

http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=27433

We have stayed at a couple of these sites around the country. With just the two of us we can stay about 7-10 days before our black tank needs dumping. That’s going to depend on how much we used the black tank on the road before we got to the gray water parking site. On our last night we close the gray tank valve and use that nights gray tank water supply to flush our sewer hose after dumping the black tank at a dump station.


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## Valerie Draper

C Nash said:


> Always make a walk-around the RV before pulling out.  I didn't and tried to take my shore power with the motor home and a 50 amp cord will pull the electrical post  down.    Sorry to admit this happened after 45 + yr camping LOL.    Look the site over before backing in.    Don't forget to look up.  Try to always be in the cg before quite time.   If late just get in the site as quite as possible.   Amazing how many times we can shut doors when sitting up.   For all you out there that are 62 get the Senior national Park pass.   Only 10 dollars , price when I got mine, but that was a long time ago.  COEs will honor it and it gives you 1/2 price on camping.  Gets you in National park entrances free.   Try winter camping, no bugs or varmints out then.   My pet peeve is owners leaving their pets in their rv and the dog barks all the time.    Don't let your pet do his thing in my campsite, that includes wetting.   Clean your site when leaving, this includes cigarette buts on ground.  Do not burn cans in fire pits.   Well just a few that comes to mind.  Good thread Webmaster



Hi.  I am a new member and am looking for some input on makes of an RV.  We currently have a Jayco travel trailer and are looking at a Durango Gold fifth wheel.  Do you know anything about them.  All we know is that they are made by a subsidiary of Thor Inc.  Thanks in advance for any help.


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## C Nash

No knowledge on the Durango Valerie.  You may find this site helpful http://kzfamilyforum.com/thread/847/new-durango-gold-370rlt.  It seems to be top of the line RV.  I have looked at KZ products before and was impressed with them.  keep us posted and just do your homework.


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## Michael Mahan

When traveling its always comforting having roadside assistance coverage.  In all reality break downs do happen and sometimes its something you might not be prepared for.  Flat tires, broken belts, dead batteries, running out of gas, these are just a few.  You may find this site helpful.  I carry their roadside assistance and it is top of the line for people like us.  http://roadsideassistance247.net


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## SCcamper

RV Park/Campground discounts. How many is enough? How often per year do you use a particular discount like “Good Sam’s”, “Passport America”, “KOA”, “AARP” etc.?

When we started full timing we loaded-up with discount cards. Some were very beneficial but after about a year we had learned that almost every place where a discount card is accepted so is some sort of military ID card. So, being retired military we narrowed our memberships down to those that we used on a regular basis. Good Sam’s because we also belong to their roadside assistance services. AARP because it’s also good for a lot of other benefits. 

We are members of the VFW and American Legion. Some of them have RV Parking sites with hook-ups at minimal cost and others may have a spot where you can park overnight for free.


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## SCcamper

Nomadic traveling. That would best describe our full time traveling adventures. We had no set agenda except for avoiding cold weather. We traveled the northern part of the country in the summertime and worked our way south as the seasons changed to fall & winter.

One of the things we highly recommend is an onboard washer/dryer. Stackable if you have the room. We did not have the room so opted for the single unit. With ours we washed just about every day, even if we were just staying somewhere for the night. If we stayed somewhere that only had 30 AMPS we would switch the fridge & water heater over to propane so we could run the A/C & washer at the same time without popping a CB.

Our unit was on the main floor level just forward of the axles so it didn’t add much to our pin weight.  Here is a pix.

http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showfull.php?photo=19889


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## Shorty

Analog Duotherm
Had an issue with my thermostat in switching zones
Found a guy that repairs them and is reasonable
email William at whendrix@aol.com


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## NORTHENDBUCKEYE

To keep out the varmints(MICE)  out I have had great success using Irish Spring soap in my RV.  Take a bar and cut it in half and put them in little baggies (keep Open) and place in your cabinets and drawers.  It makes your camper smell good too.  Also, make sure your fire extinguisher is current as I had a fire in my RV and my extinguisher was old.  Lucky me we were able to put fire out with minimal damage !


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## SRT8man

C Nash said:


> Always make a walk-around the RV before pulling out.  I didn't and tried to take my shore power with the motor home and a 50 amp cord will pull the electrical post  down.    Sorry to admit this happened after 45 + yr camping LOL.    Look the site over before backing in.    Don't forget to look up.  Try to always be in the cg before quite time.   If late just get in the site as quite as possible.   Amazing how many times we can shut doors when sitting up.   For all you out there that are 62 get the Senior national Park pass.   Only 10 dollars , price when I got mine, but that was a long time ago.  COEs will honor it and it gives you 1/2 price on camping.  Gets you in National park entrances free.   Try winter camping, no bugs or varmints out then.   My pet peeve is owners leaving their pets in their rv and the dog barks all the time.    Don't let your pet do his thing in my campsite, that includes wetting.   Clean your site when leaving, this includes cigarette buts on ground.  Do not burn cans in fire pits.   Well just a few that comes to mind.  Good thread Webmaster


thanks for the reminders


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## SCcamper

*Gray Water

*

When new to full time RVing we were not familiar with RV Parks/CGs that provided gray water dumping. The first one we used was in Bozrah, CT. W/E hook-ups were standard but the gray water dumping required a special fitting for your trailer’s dumping connection. The park had standard sized sewer dumping connections. However, they had a special cap glued onto the sewer dumping location. The cap had a garden hose fitting. The park office would sell those without a connection fitting similar to the one pictured below. Since that first experience we have been to a number of other parks that only allow gray water dumping. 

We added the garden hose connector and a 50’ blue garden hose to our trailer’s inventory.


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## jfjoefaison

In my RVs Camping, I always try to do something different. Yellowstone National Park, the crown jewel of the National Park system, is my personal favorite. For that season, I purchased the bed lifts from Hatchlift. My application was for a partial platform queen bed. It was difficult for me to implement the configuration. But I think Overall, this is a high-quality product, and I'm happy with the results.


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## ARCHER

webmaster1 said:


> To all the Expert RVers out there, do you mind sharing some tips for our newer RVers on the forum? Just share some tips or tricks you’ve used over the years, favorite destination spots, RV do’s and don’ts, proper etiquette, etc. Anything that might aid them with their new RV and help them begin the RV journey!


Well, what I have always done is prior to actually hooking up and heading out to the campgrounds, was make a LIST or several.  Sit at your computer and just think of what do you need to do prior to leaving, what do need to take with you, what do you need to with your tow vehicle prior to leaving (gas, oil, etc), what do you need to do at the house prior to leaving, what do you need to do to regarding any appt you may have, and then once your at the campground, what do I need to do to set up, then after you have had a great time, what do I need to do to pack up and get ready to hook up to leave, and finally, what do I need to do after I get home with the unit to make sure it is all set for the next trip.   May sound a little silly, but referring to a LIST(s) may just save you from a really bad experience.   Enjoy and safe travels.


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