RV Newbie

[Jaymz]

Hello everyone.

Almost 50 years on this earth, but newly born into the RV life just 2 weeks ago. I just purchased a 2019 North Point 381FLWS. I went big because I'm primarily going to be using it as a home away from home when working 400 miles away. Initially, I won't be driving it around as much.

I live in Charlotte, NC... but I work with the federal government and spend 1 to 3 days a week (occasionally 4 or 5 days a week) in the DC area for over 40 weeks a year. I've been renting in the DC area for over 10 years now. I have been growing tired of the ever rising rates of renting in the DC area, and I certainly can't afford to purchase a home in the DC area, much less a 2nd home.

After much research, I realized that purchasing an RV would benefit my lifestyle in many ways. I have a friend who lives in Maryland (about the same distance from DC and Baltimore) with a large property in a beautiful rural area where I'll be able to set up a somewhat permanent spot for my RV while I continue to make a living in the DC area.

We're currently prepping the site for plumbing and electric and I expect to be able to move the RV (and me) in within a couple of weeks.

You can imagine I've been spending many hours watching YouTube videos and reading books on RV life and maintenance. I welcome any advice anyone might have to share.

Things that many of you take for granted is all new to me. Since I do not plan to haul the RV back and forth between NC and MD each week, something as simple as "how to leave the RV" when returning home to NC for a 4-day weekend (both summer and winter) is something I want to figure out. There are occasional times where I might leave the RV for 3 or 4 weeks... especially between mid-December and mid-January when my work slows down OR if my work takes me elsewhere across the country for a week or two.

Feel free to send me any messages with web links to "must read" or "must watch" RV material. And please forgive me in advance for asking any stupid questions. I spent over a decade jumping out of airplanes and flying helicopters in the Army in my younger days, and that's where I learned that asking stupid questions was much better than making stupid mistakes.

Cheers to all of you... sincerely,
James

[Mustang65]

CONGRATULATIONS on the JAYCO!!!

...and WELCOME TO JOF!!! The members here are GREAT!!! There is a lot of GREAT information to be found here. I am sure that you will have information and pictures to share with us... so please do!!

Read as much as you can on WINTERIZING your 5er.

Don

My Registry

RVing with SOLAR

[robkelly]

Congratulations and welcome!

[Midnightmoon]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new Jayco.

[2naEagle]

Welcome from Alabama.

[fochman]

Welcome from York County, South Carolina!

[oldmanAZ]

Welcome to the forum and to a new lifestyle.

[wiscampsin]

Welcome from Wisconsin and congrats on your North Point 381FLWS.

[Jaymz]

It's a pleasure to be here and to join your ranks!

[Ohiofinlander]

Welcome from Ohio! Wish you well! First thing I thought of was your heat during the winter months. Will you heat the rv during your long periods of not being there? Or, do you plan to winterize for these periods?

[Jaymz]

Thank you!

I plan to be hooked up through the winter, so I won't be winterizing the tanks. I'm leaning towards not having water permanently connected during the winter as well. It's just me (not a family), and I think my fresh water tank is large enough where it won't be that much trouble to temporarily connect a hose and refill my fresh water tank when I'm running low.

Also, until I have a chance (in the Spring) to connect with the property septic, I just plan to hire the local honey wagon to come out and empty grey & black water tanks when necessary.

I'm just not familiar with what else needs to be winterized or what heat settings (both electric and gas) I should leave the RV if I'm gone for a week or two in late December or early January.

I'm still researching and studying as much as I can, so I welcome any advice or feedback you might have for me here.

Cheers,
James

[2edgesword]

You will need to have the all of the tanks (fresh water, black water, gray water, water heater) AND all of the water lines in the RV empty unless you're going to be keeping the RV heated during the winter.

[Ohiofinlander]

Know of anybody that can check on your rig while you're away? Hate to see you come back to a mess if your furnace fails or you run out of propane which doesn't last long. Maybe invest in a 100 lb tank or two.