If this newbie can do it...

[LuckyDuck]

Eighteen months ago, DW and I were raw newbies with a first-time trailer and a long bucket list. For all I knew, a gray tank was something you saw on a battlefield, but thanks to the many wise and experienced folks here on the JOF, I’ve learned a ton. For the past year, we’ve logged a lot of shorter trips within four hours of home. But the holy grail was a trip from N. California to my childhood home in Montana, and on up to Glacier National Park. The JOF gave us the confidence to finally make that three-week, 2,400-mile trip recently, which was a blast. We just got back, and thought sharing some of the lessons learned on this trip might also help and encourage other newbies. Nothing here that you experienced JOFers don’t know, but thanks for indulging. Apologies for the length...

— Book and plan early. We sacrificed some spontaneity by plotting out the full trip and booking RV parks last December. Glad we did. We got great sites by booking over the phone and asking for specific criteria. Many of the parks were full when we got there, confirming the decision.
— Make lists and more lists. They tended to grow as the trip got closer, but helped us remember almost everything. And I referred to my set-up/takedown checklists every stop.
— Plan and pack for emergencies. I loaded up with Gorilla Tape, Eternabond, Dicor sealant, spray lubes, jack and and a full tool bag. Never really needed them, but it was cheap insurance. I’m sure if I didn’t have it, I would’ve needed it.
— Based on rave reviews of JOF members, I bought a Viair 88P compressor and used it several times to top off TT and TV tires. What a beautiful piece of equipment! I highly recommend. Definitely get the 6-foot extension hose.
— I’ve never been happier to have my Andersen WDH. We hit winds of 30 mph and higher gusts in Eastern Washington and Oregon. It kept the TT rock solid.
— You can’t have too much truck. The crazy winds had me saying thanks over and over that we got a heavy old F250. It swayed more than the trailer but still felt in control.
— You can’t have too much diesel tank. Having a 50-gal. auxiliary tank allowed us to pick our fill-up spots after we unhooked the TT. Easy to fuel up in congested areas. (Averaged 12.5 mpg for the trip.)
— Get a Gas Buddy — app that is. It’s great for zeroing in on the cheapest fuel. I prefer Chevron, and it made finding them simple.
— I almost bought a Garmin RV GPS, but cheaped out. I found the app RV Parky does a good job of noting hazards (low clearance etc.) and it maps directions via the Apple map GPS, which never led us astray. And for an extra measure, I mapped the trip on the Good Sam trip planner and compared.
— For a newbie’s first long trip, we kept each travel leg to 3-4 hours. That gave us time to explore the next town a bit rather than pull in dead tired late in the day. And staying a couple of nights or more at spots helped reduce the fatigue of set-up/takedown.
— Watch your weight — in cupboards. Our only TT “breakdown” was a collapsed pantry shelf that DW loaded up with canned goods. Those staples don’t hold and I’m now adding structural supports.

Thanks JOF for all the past info. I hope there is something here that helps other newbies ready to chase that holy grail!

[wabirch]

Don't see a lot of 3.73 with diesel, bet it just purrs along. You certainly planned well, a three trip sounds like fun

[JFlightRisk]

Nice write up! It's awesome to hear of such a positive experience. You were as prepared as a Boy Scout, planned, took the time to smell the roses, and had a wonderful trip. It just doesn't get any better than that!
Congratulations on the graduation. You're not a newbie any more!!

[LuckyDuck]

Thank you! I was plenty nervous about that long a trip as we’ve never been away for more than a week. Reading so many great tips — and hearing of some of the horror stories on JOF — was invaluable. Still learning a lot here. I hope it gives other newbies confidence to take the plunge.

[LuckyDuck]

Originally Posted by wabirch

Don't see a lot of 3.73 with diesel, bet it just purrs along. You certainly planned well, a three trip sounds like fun

Thanks! I was very lucky to find it from an elderly family friend original owner. He took great care and it only had 92k miles. Just turned 100k. Doesn’t sprint up the hills but gets ‘er done.

[JFlightRisk]

Well, now you're a veteran. Remember, if it's broken, whether you fix it or not, you're not going to make it any more broken. At least you gave it a shot.

[LuckyDuck]

Originally Posted by JFlightRisk

Well, now you're a veteran. Remember, if it's broken, whether you fix it or not, you're not going to make it any more broken. At least you gave it a shot.

Lol. Yeah, that pantry shelf is definitely broken. Should be fixed tomorrow.

[JFlightRisk]

That's the spirit!