Two Ladies RVing for the first time!

[MelissaD]

Welcome. Look on You Tube there are video's on how to do most anything and some are put up by RV dealers as educational and might actually help. We camp in Wapakoneta, OH so we are not too far away. Like others have said, it's not rocket since.

The hitch cover on my F350 reads "Silly boys trucks are for girls" heck if they can do it, we should be able to do it better..

[rvgrammy1953]

Welcome and congrats on joining the wonderful world of RVing/camping....

The hitch that goes into the truck is called a "ball hitch"....we still have ours even though we haven't had a TT for quite a long time...it comes in handy when using a "dump tote" to empty the gray and black tanks....we just hook the tote handle to the ball hitch and off to the dump station we go....When in a Water/electric only site for longer than a week, this little trick comes in handy as we'd have to pull in the slides and drive to the dump station if not for the dump tote....(Did that all make sense to you?? )

Anyways, enjoy your 1st trip out...just relax and take your time...you'll get the hang of it...

[Azusateach]

Azusateach, I have an equalizer hitch....so I don't think I remove anything when backing up, do I? I think it's the equalizer hitch which is so heavy to remove. We have a Viewfinder 24SD. You know, that Starcraft 265RLB was one we really looked at too! I think it had a pantry I liked and rear chairs. We went with the Viewfinder because we really like the front kitchen. We looked at so many trailers we were going cross-eyed. It was SO hot..running in and out of those un-AC'ed units.

You're right about the equalizer hitch. It doesn't have to come off. I think you'll find with the bigger trailer that it'll be much easier than you think to get it backed into sites. One thing I've learned is that there is no substitute for going very, very, very slowly and getting out to spot where you're pointed. Even with someone directing you it's good to have an idea in your mind about where to point the trailer.

We LOVE our pantry! That was the reason we chose our trailer over several others. Isn't it fun to hear why folks choose one floorplan over another -- our tastes are so individual! Have fun "nesting" in it and making it your own.

Laura

[Princess]

We were very tempted by your big pantry, Azusateach!!!

Yes it's cool to see what people are looking for in a floorplan and why. For us we wanted a bit more kitchen counter. We were all about the kitchen. We do a lot of cooking and don't eat much processed food, so counter space was important. I wanted a walk-thru type of bathroom..so when I'm diffusing my long curly hair I won't be shut in a tiny little bathroom. lol We are a little disappointed in the amount of storage we have underneath. It's kinda cramped. I was also surprised how short the shower is. It has a domed thing for tall people's heads, but being 6ft tall, I am taller than the shower nozzle! I have to squat and hold it in hand to wash hair. I'm thinking about using a tiny little shower chair to wash hair...(and use the camp's shower when I can) I don't know what the heck a 6'4 dude has to go through to shower in these things.

Speaking of hair dryers. Will I blow any fuses blow drying if I only run the AC? I know it sounds ridiculous, but I have to diffuse the hair. My hair takes like 2 days to dry naturally and looks like sasquatch unless I diffuse.

Melissa, yes we love seeing women hop out of big-as*ed trucks! Now men, we assume are just compensating for something, but when girls drive them, it's just plain cool!

[mitch5252]

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Ditto on the disposable gloves - grab a pack of like 10,000 at Sam's Club for $2.00
(okay, so those numbers are SLIGHT exaggerations!)

I also have an Equalizer hitch. Those WD bars weigh 35# EACH! I certainly don't carry both at the same time! Now the ball part (I THINK it's called a draw bar) I leave in year 'round...bending over and getting that thing out could burst a blood vessel, seriously.

You can do all your backing up without removing the bars (Equalizer; I can't speak to other brands/types)

Whew. That drained my brain before a first cup o' joe...

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[Azusateach]

Speaking of hair dryers. Will I blow any fuses blow drying if I only run the AC? I know it sounds ridiculous, but I have to diffuse the hair. My hair takes like 2 days to dry naturally and looks like sasquatch unless I diffuse.

I think it's tripping a circuit breaker that you're thinking about. You could also do it if you're diffusing and using the microwave or the toaster or the coffee pot. It all depends. The way it was explained to me is that whatever produces heat creates a bigger draw on your power. So the more you have on the more likely you are to trip a circuit.

Speaking of power ... you might think about investing in a really good surge protector. Progressive Industries has one of the best out there. It'll help protect you against all sorts of things.

AND another little "thing" I swear by is my Sewer Solution. Forget big slinky-type hoses. This thing is the best! You never have to worry about dumping black before gray or hoses ripping or having the right drainage angle. Check them out. Pretty neat!

Laura

[Princess]

Ok. We will bring a box of disposable gloves. Sinces she's a cop, she comes home with a lot of them. Will keep the heavy duty rubber gloves for emergencies.

Yes trip a circuit breaker. derrrr!! Blow a fuse. Trip a breaker. I'm pretty clueless as how things work! She's a bit sharper in that department. Good news! When her brother found out we made reservations without him, he decided he wants to go for at least the first day. Not sure if he was jealous we were going, or assumed we'd probably wind up calling or texting him so much that he might as well just go with us. I'm pretty relieved. I've been having insane RV-mares at night. Last night we spitted poo all over a park and then our tires sunk into the mess.

http://www.amazon.com/Sewer-Solution/dp ... r+solution Is this the sew solution you are talking about?

I will be adding that to my RV wishlist too.

Yep, Mitch. That's the piece I am talking about. It was a BEAR to get out and weighed a ton. We were told not to leave it in because if you get rear-ended you will do some serious damage to the other person's car and that people like to steal them for the metal.

[mitch5252]

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Laura, I remember looking at the Sewer Solution when we first got our little trailer.

Could you please explain just how it works? You hook it to your drain pipe, hook up a water hose to the side of it, and then what? I never noticed - do dump stations have a place for you to hook a hose?

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[Azusateach]

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Laura, I remember looking at the Sewer Solution when we first got our little trailer.

Could you please explain just how it works? You hook it to your drain pipe, hook up a water hose to the side of it, and then what? I never noticed - do dump stations have a place for you to hook a hose?

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It works by using high water pressure. Think of it as a water macerator. Here's a YouTube video on how it works:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsdfUXoOxrw

If I have to use a dump station I'm mindful of "traffic" as the Sewer Solution takes a bit longer than a regular slinky -- it needs time to macerate things. I carry a slinky and only use it if I have to use a dump station. And yes, most dump stations have a hose bib. Sometimes it's non-potable water & they have their own hose hooked up. I just don't like using the SS there if I think people are waiting. It takes a bit longer as the high water pressure has to do its macerating "thing" and I don't like having (usually) crankly men tapping their foot while I do my dumping.

If you have a sewer cleanout at home you can even hook it up and dump there. I've got one at my townhouse and while I've never used it, it's nice to know that I have that option if I need it. Another good thing is that it'll work on an uphill slant because the water pressure is pushing things through the hose. So I don't need anything to support the hose (which looks like a "husky", clear garden hose).

When I hook up I often add a "Y" to the hose bib so I can run 2 hoses -- one for my white drinking water and the other for the SS hose. If you don't want to do that you can just disconnect the white hose and then hook up your SS hose when you're ready to dump your black.

At full hookup sites I leave my gray tank valve open all the time because I don't have to worry about trying to flush out the slinky. I just make sure that I use LOTS of water when flushing the toilet so that there's actually something to dump -- a good practice no matter what kind of disposal system you use.

I purchased a 4" clear extension tube in addition to what came with the SS, largely because the trailer I had at the time had really awkward handles and I couldn't position the SS so that it worked easily. A good thing about the clear tube is that it's really, really easy to see when I've cleaned the black tank out. The SS has the ability to shoot that high-pressure water jet back into the black tank and help clean it a bit after you've dumped everything. Couple that with the trailer's sewer flushing system and my black tank stays really clean.

Let me know if you need more information. Frankly, I don't know why more people don't use them. Yes, they're definitely more expensive than a slinky hose, but for anyone staying put for any length of time they make so much more sense. Even if I'm only weekending I use it over the slinky. I just like not having to worry about filling up the grey tank and having a slinky malfunction on me. There's really nothing to go wrong on the Sewer Solution.

Maybe I ought to sell these little suckers!

[carolb]

You'll be fine! Practice is the key, & you will be amazed at the "petite, OLDER ladies" who manage those big rigs But I too am a wimp, so I have a class b, Roadtrek 170 (17ft) that drives just like a van (which it really is)...And this forum is the place to have all your questions answered & to meet great people. Hope to meet you down the road someday Happy travels!

[Colliemom]

Princess, welcome to the forum. I see you have plenty of questions and I too am reading what different answers you are getting. No matter how long you are into RVing, you can never learn enough. I had an 18 ft. Rockwood Mini Lite and sold it two years ago due to lack of time and financial constraints. I am however now retired and looking at the RV scence again.

I didn't know a lot about towing a TT, so asked a lot of questions of the ladies here too. I had experience with boat trailers, snowmobile trailers and also a pop up with my parents, so towing a trailer wasn't new in that respect, bu towing a bigger and heaver trailer was. Had to get over having that thing behind me and feeling it pull on the truck. But it towed well and never did I have a sway issue. My first trip was at a State Park near home here that I worked at. Had to learn everything as I went along. Got a nice wide site so I could back in without worrying about hitting trees etc., for the first time and knew about leveling from the pop up trips. But in this case it was different cause of having a fridge that needed to be level. Make sure you park your TT on a level surface and then attatch a couple of those stick on levels to the front and on one side. They help greatly in making sure you are level. I also carried a regular level with me and would set it on my TT's bumper and again on it's hitch frame to see if it was level as well. As to the draw bar hitch. I took mine out for the reasons that you described and yes, they are heavy. I have seen some people who will put a bolt and nut through their's which makes it a bit more work to get off Somebody interested is going to have to have a wrench and take a few minutes to do it.

Yes, you can back in with the Weight Distribution bars hooked up, but if you have a sway bar attatched as well, it is better to unhook that first.

Take a clipboard or a notepad along and write down things you notice you need but don't have. Remember to watch your weight. The TT's not yours You don't want to overload. I bought as much lightweight stuff as I could when I got things for my TT. And I carried no more than I knew I would use. People who come by to visit can bring their own coffee cup. Also, put some non skid shelf covering on your shelves, so stuff doesn't go sliding around while you are on the road.

One could go on and on about what to take etc., but somewhere down in General Talk there are a couple of threads regarding this topic. And as to the dump station, there's usually others waiting to dump and if you have a problem, don't be afraid to ask. Everybody has that first time with everything jitters.

So just, go, take it one step at a time and enjoy. That's the whole fun of it.

[cpatinjones]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

[Princess]

Well we made it! I am not sure the way everyone is suppose to post pics on here..if I am doing it in a a way I shouldn't, please let me know!

Here's our rig. We got those little back-up balls and she had no problem backing up to hook-up the trailer. Yay! At the campsite, she did a good job parking, but she had her brother giving her directions on what to do. When I gave directions and spottedwhen she had to back up to park in the driveway back at home..it was an entirely different story. We went back and forth, hitting curbs, almost got the mailbox--and she went into spazzy panic mode. I am an awful spotter because I haven't a clue when she should start turning! It was a mess! The equalizer bar is LOUD! I mean loud! So there is no quietly sneaking in to the neighborhood to struggle with back-ing in. The entire neighborhood hears us coming. I hope it gets less squeaky with time. This thing is a screecher! So we figured out she does MUCH better backing LEFT and I am a better spotter when she is backing left too. She slid right in the driveway after going around the block and trying again from the other direction.

(removed several pics)

Dumping was disgusting. This parkground was PACKED and the dumping area smelled PACKED too. Peeeeeeeeeeee....U!
This park had no cable or wifi. I didn't really dig on using the shower rooms although the other couple we went with were all about it. Wash houses had a lot of traffic, although they weren't dirty, they did smell a bit mildewy. Otherwise we enjoyed the park and it's right next to a big lake. We had a lot of fun although the weather was kinda bluck. First it was blistering hot and humid, then it rained for a few hours.

Few things we had troubles with--getting the trailer off the hitch. Ours seems to want to get stuck there. Her brother says it's because the parts are all new. He had to jump all over it to get it off the ball. When her and I unhooked ourselves back home, it took us like 20 minutes to get the two separated after much jumping on and yelling at the trailer hitch. Dumping the sewage wasn't as hard as we as imagined, but stinkier than we envisioned. lol! Refrigerator took forever too cool! Started it the night before and our drinks didn't get really cold until the next night! What's up with that!?

Probably Coco's first and last camping trip. What a brat. She growled and barked every time she heard a dog in the park and woke us up early with her racket.


All in all, we had fun and look forward to trying again on our lonesome! Everyone's advice here helped us so much! We were much more prepared than we would have been if I hadn't snooped out this site. And we love our "back-up balls"! Everyone had fun at those back-up balls' expense. Few things we need for next time--awning clips for our lights, an outside rug and some rugs for inside. We tracked in so much muck! A level!

[BirdbyBird]

Congratulations. You made it out and back, you are still speaking to each other and the rig is not posted for sale on Craig's List!

Stuff that might help...or not ....few State Parks, National Forests or National Parks offer WIFI....Don't give up on Coco. Sometimes with experience camping (and a handy water spray bottle! ) dogs get used to the idea and get better socialized and learn the new limits expected behavior. You two are still young (which is a relative term) compared to many of us in our 60's and 70's....we gave up on worrying about camp hair a long time ago... and sport the short grey trims that wash and rise easily with limited water supplies....

Keep having fun.....and I always find the better campsites after I am set up on the one I have..... But for one weekend I can tolerate most anything for a weekend. The ones to avoid are like the one Sarah had in KY, which was impossible to get level, the one next to the family of 8 that refused to monitor their kid's behavior and manners, the one with the large aggressive dog that looks like it is going to eat either you or your dog ever time you go in or out of your rig.....

I am thinking of last winter at the Hillsborough GTG and wonder if some of those people thought they should have avoided the campsites where 30 people showed up with chairs and dinner. Good thing we usually always invited the "neighbors" to join us!

[mitch5252]

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Here is a FAQ site for your equalizer hitch:

http://www.equalizerhitch.com/Equal-i-zer%20Support/faqs.php

If my latch gets stuck (can't lift it up off the ball), I have to move the van SLIGHTLY forward or reverse to unstick it.

Good job for your first time out!

What George and I did with Abby when we first got the little trailer - took Abby out there and we sat with her and watched tv for a while. Did that a few times and then Mommy left for a few minutes, then both mommy and daddy left for a few minutes. Then longer and now she's fine. She has also gotten MUCH better about barking at everyone going by...just takes time.

Keep up the good work.

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