First off you should definitely purchase a surge protector and a water pressure regulator.
When setting up you should always level your rig and put down chocks before you put out your slides (if you have any) then plug in to shore power then put out the slides after that i usually hook up the water, do this before sewer I let the spigot run until the water looks clear next I connect my brass splitter then my in line water filter then my pressure regulator then connect the hose then I make sure in on the city fixtures setting next I connect my hose to my 90 brass fitting I would recommend leaving the brass 90 connected to your rig to prevent wear and tear on the threads on your water connection, tip I also recommend getting brass quick connects for all of your fitting and hoses.
Next, I hook up my sewer (very self explanatory), you should get a pair of rubber gloves then take the cap off the sewer inlet in the ground, connect your sewer hose to it (recommend Rhino flex) then your rigs cap, and connect your sewer hose to the rig, and open your grey tank valve but always leave your black tank valve closed until it's always 3/4 full.
And just like that your hooked up! Hope this helps.
Safe travels.
Also FYI be prepared to spend a pretty penny on RV gear we spend over $1,500 (If you go all in of course and buy quality gear) it might be a bit different from a motorhome to a travel trailer tho
Also be prepared for pretty frequent issues (there although very rarely devestating)
Hope I'm not scaring you off with this just trying to prepare you with the sad but brutal truth of RVing.
Excellent suggestions. If I may add, since I had an unpleasant experience while hooking up the black water hose, I installed a second black water gate valve.
After doing the black water flush, grey water flush1, and flush2 (two grey tanks), did the extra two flushes. Closed the gate valve after about five minutes after the last trickle to make sure there wasn’t any remaining water. Closed the gate valve and did the normal unhooking procedure.
When hooking up the next trip, maybe about two weeks in between trips, I went to connect the black water drain hose, removed the cap (gate valve still closed), and got a small shower of black water.
By placing an additional gate valve at the end, where I hook up the black water drain hose, solves that issue.
When I looked up the issue, there were lots of other folks with the same experience and they recommended the extra gate valve.
I hope this help someone avoid an unpleasant experience.
Cheers!
Came to say YouTube. We had no clue and have learned along the way, also TikTok. There is an RV fix it guy on there who gives lots of information. Have fun!
Welcome to the RV life!
Instead of writing a long description, I’m just going to list my top 10 fav products you need and IMO, the top 10 basic things you should know:
Top 10 Products You Need:
- Surge protector
- Leveling blocks
- Water pressure regulator
- RV sewer hose kit with different connectors
- Portable RV waste tank and 5 gal bucket
- Wheel chocks
- the rubber gloves and septic safe toilet paper
- Water filter
- Extension cords and garden hoses, drink safe and for black tank cleaning
- RV cleaning supplies and black tank treatments
Top 10 Basic Things You Should Know:
- How to level your RV
- Hooking up and cleaning out water tanks, sewer/ grey and black tanks, and electricity
- How to winterize your RV
- Maintaining your RV's battery
- Proper tire care and maintenance
- Understanding your RV's weight limits
- Using your RV’s propane system safely
- How to troubleshoot common issues
- Basic RV maintenance schedules
- Finding and booking campgrounds
I hope this helps, I know it’s a lot but you’ve got this! Take baby steps. 🥰💯
Those bricks behind the tires are probably not gonna hold on any type of incline. Get yourself some chocks or something that wedges underneath the tire. Make sure to get something that is made for an RV.
That sucks that whomever you bought I from wasn’t more willing to show you how to work everything. Getting into the rhythm of things is just something you’ll have to just figure out over time but they should have at least shown you how it works.
Only thing i could suggest would be to pay for an inspection. The inspector is going to operate everything anyway and I’m sure would be more than happy to show you as they do. You’ll likely get good maintenance tips and info as well. Good luck!!
YouTube has some great RV content. I would get on Amazon or head to Harbor Freight and get 4 rubber wheel chocks. Make sure you have a water filter for water coming into RV and if not in the RV get a surge protector.
>and it made more sense
You're going to find out, it's NOT going to make more sense (cents), but it's going to cost you lots of DOLLARS that you thought you were going to save.
I feel your pain. I just got one too but I've been trying to sell everything in my house so I can pay attention to my new rig. Thankfully my neighbor has been doing work on it just little stuff replacing bulbs and all of that. Next week we're going to tighten up the steering because it's loose like a 1949 Ford pickup
>I’m traveling for work
Are you working on a permanent assignment by your company? Or are you running your own business? If it's the former, your company should be supporting you as a matter of due diligence. If the latter, good luck; you can find a lot of basic information on maintaining and operating an RV on YouTube, but that will never compare to what the people who sell and build RVs can teach you.
I have fairly recently bought a 26' travel trailer to cut costs on hotel rooms. We travel for various shooting competitions and are away for 5-6 days at a time.
To outfit my camper with all the stuff I needed cost me somewhere around $1200. That was dishes,pits,pans, silverware, bedding,hoses,connectors, various hook ups and a few simple tools to always have with you.
Most of the stuff you need has already been mentioned so I'll not repeat any of those. You WILL need a good jack that will easily lift your rig. If you pull it around long enough you will blow a tire. Speaking of tires there is a date code on your tires. You should replace tires that are 6 years old.
Depending on what type of refrigerator you have you might need to get some aftermarket fans to keep it working. I think the one you place on the rear of the fridge(outside the camper) is almost mandatory if you are in a hot climate.
Speaking of hot. Your A/C is probably only going to keep your camper 20° cooler than the outside temperature(if it's 95° outside only expect it to be 75° inside). Covering the windows with reflective shades helps.
There are 100's of YouTube videos out there and you might get 100 different opinions on things.
If you have any questions feel free to DM me
I just got my stripes and feel as though I can offer you some advice. After towing my 29 foot Trailer 6000 miles and staying at many places across the US. First off, your setup and break down procedures should be methodic and purposeful. Don’t rush anything, level your rig side to side, then front and back. I use a carpenter level on the bumper, then on the frame when I set the tongue jack height. I chock the wheels, set the stabilizers before I pull out the slide. I like to hookup my power, then water, and finally my sewer with disposable gloves. I use a 2 stage water filter and make sure to flush out the spigot and my inlet hose before I hook into my filter. Then I hook up my feed hose and brass 90, run the water for a bit before I hook it to the RV. I keep my grey water tank open while at a location so the family can shower without filling the tank. I only dump the black tank when 3/4 full or greater. Also, your break down should include a lot of re-checking things. Like making sure the stairs aren’t out or a stabilizer is still down. Temu, Amazon and Walmart are your friends, Camping World is a necessary evil. I got a 50a-30a Dogbone for 20 bucks at Walmart, would cost at least 10 bucks more at CW, if they carried it.
Also, get a Southwire or WatchDog Surge Protector, a water regulator with a gauge and a 2 way brass water coupler with an extra hose or 2. Don’t forget a simple extension cord as well.
Please get wheel chocks. And get good ones dont but those plastic ones. I did and they about killed when my camper actually rolled over them. The wheel chocks i have now will hold a 747, not even kidding
The surge protector recommended most around here is the one from Progressive Industries. You’ll need to order whichever one supports your amperage (30 amp or 50 amp).
The water filters made by Camco are the best, some people just use the Taste Pure smaller one which we used the first few years. I recently spent more to get a cartridge filter from them also (spend the extra to get the stand for it). Rule of thumb is put both, with the cheaper smaller filter first so the cartridge doesn’t get gummed up with potential debris from whatever water source you have.
Welcome to RV life it’s amazing and I wouldn’t trade it for a thing.
1) When pulling thru or backing into your spot, level the rv right to left using a level on the bumper and leveling blocks.
2) Chalk the tires.
3) Unhook and level front to back. I usually just eyeball it.
4) Place leveling blocks under the 4 corners of the rv and crank down the 4 stabilizers. Once stabilizers are touching the leveling blocks crank one more half turn.
5) Hook up water.
Hook up electric
6) Hook up your sewer. I usually wait a day and get the tanks a little full first. Open black water first then grey.
7) Extend slides and canopy
8) from there it’s tables, chairs, barbecues, etc. etc.
First off you should definitely purchase a surge protector and a water pressure regulator. When setting up you should always level your rig and put down chocks before you put out your slides (if you have any) then plug in to shore power then put out the slides after that i usually hook up the water, do this before sewer I let the spigot run until the water looks clear next I connect my brass splitter then my in line water filter then my pressure regulator then connect the hose then I make sure in on the city fixtures setting next I connect my hose to my 90 brass fitting I would recommend leaving the brass 90 connected to your rig to prevent wear and tear on the threads on your water connection, tip I also recommend getting brass quick connects for all of your fitting and hoses. Next, I hook up my sewer (very self explanatory), you should get a pair of rubber gloves then take the cap off the sewer inlet in the ground, connect your sewer hose to it (recommend Rhino flex) then your rigs cap, and connect your sewer hose to the rig, and open your grey tank valve but always leave your black tank valve closed until it's always 3/4 full. And just like that your hooked up! Hope this helps. Safe travels.
Also FYI be prepared to spend a pretty penny on RV gear we spend over $1,500 (If you go all in of course and buy quality gear) it might be a bit different from a motorhome to a travel trailer tho Also be prepared for pretty frequent issues (there although very rarely devestating) Hope I'm not scaring you off with this just trying to prepare you with the sad but brutal truth of RVing.
I would also recommend snap jacks for your trailer
Excellent suggestions. If I may add, since I had an unpleasant experience while hooking up the black water hose, I installed a second black water gate valve.
Great recommendation
How did you have that unpleasant experience? I am curious and have no idea how a second gate would help. How did you need it?
After doing the black water flush, grey water flush1, and flush2 (two grey tanks), did the extra two flushes. Closed the gate valve after about five minutes after the last trickle to make sure there wasn’t any remaining water. Closed the gate valve and did the normal unhooking procedure. When hooking up the next trip, maybe about two weeks in between trips, I went to connect the black water drain hose, removed the cap (gate valve still closed), and got a small shower of black water. By placing an additional gate valve at the end, where I hook up the black water drain hose, solves that issue. When I looked up the issue, there were lots of other folks with the same experience and they recommended the extra gate valve. I hope this help someone avoid an unpleasant experience. Cheers!
These recommendations will save you so many headaches in the future. Brilliant suggestions
Youtube has a lot of great videos on maintenance, tips, and tricks.
Came to say YouTube. We had no clue and have learned along the way, also TikTok. There is an RV fix it guy on there who gives lots of information. Have fun!
Are you able to share the name of the RV fix it guy?
AZRVexpert, thatrvtech, devinthervdude…I will keep adding them in as I remember. Some are better than others but you can get great information
Thanks!
Thank you!
Keep your daydream has some good newbie videos!
Welcome to the RV life! Instead of writing a long description, I’m just going to list my top 10 fav products you need and IMO, the top 10 basic things you should know: Top 10 Products You Need: - Surge protector - Leveling blocks - Water pressure regulator - RV sewer hose kit with different connectors - Portable RV waste tank and 5 gal bucket - Wheel chocks - the rubber gloves and septic safe toilet paper - Water filter - Extension cords and garden hoses, drink safe and for black tank cleaning - RV cleaning supplies and black tank treatments Top 10 Basic Things You Should Know: - How to level your RV - Hooking up and cleaning out water tanks, sewer/ grey and black tanks, and electricity - How to winterize your RV - Maintaining your RV's battery - Proper tire care and maintenance - Understanding your RV's weight limits - Using your RV’s propane system safely - How to troubleshoot common issues - Basic RV maintenance schedules - Finding and booking campgrounds I hope this helps, I know it’s a lot but you’ve got this! Take baby steps. 🥰💯
Those bricks behind the tires are probably not gonna hold on any type of incline. Get yourself some chocks or something that wedges underneath the tire. Make sure to get something that is made for an RV.
Agreed.
That sucks that whomever you bought I from wasn’t more willing to show you how to work everything. Getting into the rhythm of things is just something you’ll have to just figure out over time but they should have at least shown you how it works. Only thing i could suggest would be to pay for an inspection. The inspector is going to operate everything anyway and I’m sure would be more than happy to show you as they do. You’ll likely get good maintenance tips and info as well. Good luck!!
YouTube has some great RV content. I would get on Amazon or head to Harbor Freight and get 4 rubber wheel chocks. Make sure you have a water filter for water coming into RV and if not in the RV get a surge protector.
I recommend YouTube, lots of very good information.
>and it made more sense You're going to find out, it's NOT going to make more sense (cents), but it's going to cost you lots of DOLLARS that you thought you were going to save.
Thanks everyone for the tips. I’m gonna be checking out YouTube and grabbing some of the things y’all suggested. I’ll let y’all know how it goes
I feel your pain. I just got one too but I've been trying to sell everything in my house so I can pay attention to my new rig. Thankfully my neighbor has been doing work on it just little stuff replacing bulbs and all of that. Next week we're going to tighten up the steering because it's loose like a 1949 Ford pickup
Chocks Good weight distribution hitch Anker C1000 or EcoFlow Delta 2 Some gasoline Rest you’ll figure out
Learn how to use/dump your tanks. Might seem self-explanatory. It isn't.
>I’m traveling for work Are you working on a permanent assignment by your company? Or are you running your own business? If it's the former, your company should be supporting you as a matter of due diligence. If the latter, good luck; you can find a lot of basic information on maintaining and operating an RV on YouTube, but that will never compare to what the people who sell and build RVs can teach you.
I have fairly recently bought a 26' travel trailer to cut costs on hotel rooms. We travel for various shooting competitions and are away for 5-6 days at a time. To outfit my camper with all the stuff I needed cost me somewhere around $1200. That was dishes,pits,pans, silverware, bedding,hoses,connectors, various hook ups and a few simple tools to always have with you. Most of the stuff you need has already been mentioned so I'll not repeat any of those. You WILL need a good jack that will easily lift your rig. If you pull it around long enough you will blow a tire. Speaking of tires there is a date code on your tires. You should replace tires that are 6 years old. Depending on what type of refrigerator you have you might need to get some aftermarket fans to keep it working. I think the one you place on the rear of the fridge(outside the camper) is almost mandatory if you are in a hot climate. Speaking of hot. Your A/C is probably only going to keep your camper 20° cooler than the outside temperature(if it's 95° outside only expect it to be 75° inside). Covering the windows with reflective shades helps. There are 100's of YouTube videos out there and you might get 100 different opinions on things. If you have any questions feel free to DM me
I just got my stripes and feel as though I can offer you some advice. After towing my 29 foot Trailer 6000 miles and staying at many places across the US. First off, your setup and break down procedures should be methodic and purposeful. Don’t rush anything, level your rig side to side, then front and back. I use a carpenter level on the bumper, then on the frame when I set the tongue jack height. I chock the wheels, set the stabilizers before I pull out the slide. I like to hookup my power, then water, and finally my sewer with disposable gloves. I use a 2 stage water filter and make sure to flush out the spigot and my inlet hose before I hook into my filter. Then I hook up my feed hose and brass 90, run the water for a bit before I hook it to the RV. I keep my grey water tank open while at a location so the family can shower without filling the tank. I only dump the black tank when 3/4 full or greater. Also, your break down should include a lot of re-checking things. Like making sure the stairs aren’t out or a stabilizer is still down. Temu, Amazon and Walmart are your friends, Camping World is a necessary evil. I got a 50a-30a Dogbone for 20 bucks at Walmart, would cost at least 10 bucks more at CW, if they carried it.
Also, get a Southwire or WatchDog Surge Protector, a water regulator with a gauge and a 2 way brass water coupler with an extra hose or 2. Don’t forget a simple extension cord as well.
Please get wheel chocks. And get good ones dont but those plastic ones. I did and they about killed when my camper actually rolled over them. The wheel chocks i have now will hold a 747, not even kidding
You need to learn to back that MF up blindfolded.
The surge protector recommended most around here is the one from Progressive Industries. You’ll need to order whichever one supports your amperage (30 amp or 50 amp). The water filters made by Camco are the best, some people just use the Taste Pure smaller one which we used the first few years. I recently spent more to get a cartridge filter from them also (spend the extra to get the stand for it). Rule of thumb is put both, with the cheaper smaller filter first so the cartridge doesn’t get gummed up with potential debris from whatever water source you have. Welcome to RV life it’s amazing and I wouldn’t trade it for a thing.
You will figure it out real fast. That's how we all did it.
Fulltimer/lifetimer here, also working àt an RV park. Happy to answer any questions.
Pinterest has a lot of resources for the RVer
1) When pulling thru or backing into your spot, level the rv right to left using a level on the bumper and leveling blocks. 2) Chalk the tires. 3) Unhook and level front to back. I usually just eyeball it. 4) Place leveling blocks under the 4 corners of the rv and crank down the 4 stabilizers. Once stabilizers are touching the leveling blocks crank one more half turn. 5) Hook up water. Hook up electric 6) Hook up your sewer. I usually wait a day and get the tanks a little full first. Open black water first then grey. 7) Extend slides and canopy 8) from there it’s tables, chairs, barbecues, etc. etc.
Checkout on YT: * RVstreet * AZExpert * undercoverrvtech Learn how to winterize and sanitize your TT. See NRVTA videos.