What Are Your Top 5 Recommendations for a Newbie?

[theadventuresix]

Hi! I'm new to the forum. Our family (2 parents, 4 small kids, 1 small dog) is selling our house this spring and heading out on an open-ended-travel-the-country road trip. We homeschool and telecommute, so we've got an ideal set up, and we really want our kids to see the amazing beauty of our country.

After reading lots of horror stories about water damage issues, we've decided to buy new to try to avoid water problems. We love the 17xfd model, especially the mix of outdoor camping and TT conveniences. This is our first TT, and we're transitioning out of tent camping. We're aiming for a simpler life and aren't looking for a hotel room on wheels, so a hybrid seems like a great fit for us. Our TV is a 2008 Toyota Sequoia.

Before we head out on the road, I'd love to hear what 5 things you'd recommend. Are they things we need to bring with us? Things to do to our HTT or TV? Things to watch for on our HTT as we purchase/head out? What "top five" advice would you give to your friend who was selling it all and heading out to explore our country? I've researched and researched till my head is spinning, so I'd love a short and sweet list to help us focus as we count down to our departure date!

Thanks in advance!

[tdk2765]

We don't full time so a list might differ but I did lots of homework and it's paid off with very little stress on our trips.
1. Things I don't leave home without: water pressure regulator, surge protector, 2 lengths of Rhino sewer hoses (just to make sure I can always reach) and the sewer elbow for the drain, box of stackable Lego style leveler blocks, water filter (attaches to outside water source and brass elbow so it will lie flat against trailer, dedicated drinking water quality fresh water hose, cable coax
2. Extras that are really helpful: clear sewer elbow for trailer side to see when tanks are empty and clean, expandable hose and spray wand to clean black tank from inside since I don't have black tank flush on outside, small folding table we place outside trailer door for all sorts of handy uses, headlamp so I have light hands free, small tool collection that stays with trailer (pliers, screwdrivers, crescent wrench, small hammer), extra power cord in case shore cord on TT doesn't reach
3. I keep all these things divided in 3 tubs stored in outside compartments, one is tools and stuff related to hooking up trailer for towing, one is the electric and water stuff (sewer hoses are in our bumper and I keep elbows in plastic bag) including box of disposable gloves, and another is some camping supplies (small propane bottles, small axe, folding hammock, wind proof lighter, lantern mantles, etc)
4. As you can see, we still are CAMPERS even though we have a TT. We kept all our camping gear and much of it's in the trailer: my Coleman stove and lantern, collapsible camp kitchen, folding chairs, etc. I still like cooking breakfast and dinners outside a few times each trip, and so forth.
5. All that was outside, which is my domain. My wife has done a great job inside with storage containers, door hooks, Command Hooks, linens, and decor to keep things organized and homey. So whoever has that gift, turn them loose!
That's plenty; others will have good tips too. Take what is most applicable to your set up. Don't skimp on having a great hitch set up and brake controller, even on lighter hybrid model like yours.
Happy Camping and Safe Travels!

[Ed Brodt]

1. Sway control

2. More than the basic AAA package. you need a plan that will cover long
tows for both the trailer and the tow vehicle. We use Coach Net

3. An electric space heater. This will usually keep you warm without having
to use your propane supply. You will be using campground electricity
instead

4. Ability to use internet when not on wifi. You will want the ability to search
for campgrounds that are ahead of you on the road.

We are not full timers, but we typically take 1 to 3 month trips. Have traveled coast to coast and border to border including Alaska. It is wonderful out there. Enjoy!!

[RVhiker]

The most important thing to me is safety. Boring stuff, but the most important.

1) Remember that both your trailer and tow are vehicles and they must operate safely to keep your family safe. Is the tow big enough and powerful enough for your trailer? Is your tow in good condition - are the tires good and kept properly inflated? Are the engine and transmission up to the task? All the lights work? How about the trailer - how are the tires? Do the brakes really work? Do the lights work? Do both the tow and vehicle tires have a TPMS? Will you check the hitch and the connection to the trailer, all the tire pressures, and all tire conditions and lights daily? Will you drive conservatively, or are you in too big of a hurry to get somewhere? Do you have a way to put a spare tire on?

2) Electrical safety - you gotta have some method of checking campground 30 or 50 amp outlets for proper electrical connections. A bad ground or reversed neutral/hot can kill you or your family. Both issues are not nearly as uncommon as they should be.

3) How will you maintain contact with the world? Do you have a weather radio? Will you keep current on weather forecasts? How high a wind do you want to drive in? What will you do to keep your family safe in really bad weather? If there is a tornado warning, where will your family evacuate to?

4) Do your trailer smoke and propane detectors actually work? Does your family have an escape plan in the event of fire?

Beyond safety, the most important thing to me about owning a modern trailer is the necessity to keep it dry inside. Not for user comfort, but to keep the trailer from disintegrating around you. Every penetration into the roof or sides of you trailer needs to be checked regularly, like at least monthly. Will you seal with caulking, Eternabond, or something else? As you know, if water gets into the roof or walls, damage is difficult and $$ to fix. Any leak needs to be fixed now, not tomorrow.

I know this listing looks long, complicated, and scary. But you asked. Lots of folks operate and tow trailers safely and you thinking about important trailering issues is proof that you want to do so, so you will. I'm sorry that this list is neither complete, short nor sweet, but there is a lot of stuff to keep in mind. And more that others will call attention to.

[Mustang65]

There are some basics that you will need.
Electrical:
- 3 prong outlet checker (insure CG pedestal is wired correctly)
- 110VAC Digital Voltage Display (insure proper CG voltage)
- Surge protector (protects against CG voltage spikes/improper wiring)
- 12Volt Digital Voltage Display (insure batteries are ok)
- Good small ceramic heater (we use the oscillating type)
- 12Volt table top fan (get the one that uses the TT battery.. has adapter with it)
- Voltage/Amp meter (to troubleshoot electrical issues)
- Extra fuses
- Good High intensity LED rechargeable flashlight
- Extra COAX cable and connector - just in case

Water:
- An inline water filter (Walmart has them)
- Water pressure regulator
- Extra 3/4" white water hose

Keep them out, before they get in!
- Foam spray (crawl under TT and spray EVERY little/big opening - Don't wait until you have a critter in the TT)

Reflective Roadside warning triangles (just in case)

A good Roadside service plan Good Sam (we had to use ours last summer for a flat tire AT THE CG - lucky us.. they were out and plugged the tire within the hour)

IF you plan on doing any dry-camping (no electric, water, dump) that is another list.

The other posts all have GREAT additional suggestions also.

Glad you asked before your started your NEW LIFE!!!

Don

[Desert RVers]

Welcome to the forum! It sounds like you have a great idea to travel full time.
1) Stay within your weight limits including the cargo capacity of your Sequoia.
2) Use a good weight distribution hitch with built in sway control. We use an Equalizer brand 4 point hitch. Easy to hook-up and disconnect, plus it works great.
3) Emergency road side service. We had AAA, but cancelled that and went with Good Sam's service.
4) Take your time! We usually drive 55-60 mph and try to scope out in advance where we are going (Thanks Google maps & Google Earth).
5) Have fun!

[Bassdogs]

First thing that comes to mind is the old 10lbs in a 5lb bag. You said you are not looking for a hotel room on wheels but I would describe what you are proposing as pretty much a hotel room on wheels with a kitchenette. The set up for a family of your size would be great for weekends and summer vacations to where ever, but for full timing it seems like a bad idea. Admittedly I am not a tiny house kind of guy, but just seems like a constant swap of use purpose each day as you switch from sleep mode to eat mode to teach mode to eat mode again and then evening mode in a small single space living area. My wife and I [3 kids and a couple dogs] cut our teeth in a pop up, taking countless fall outings and vacations all over the lower 48; BUT full timing would have lasted less than 48 hours as DW, Dkids, Ddogs, and me wouldn't be speaking in a friendly way.

If you move forward with your plan, you can forget most of the stuff others have suggested since you will not have room for it. You will need sewer hoses, extension cord, water hose, etc but there isn't a huge storage area in the hybrid and your TV will be taxed in tow weight and overall capacity even with the basics. Your set up will basically be a tiny house on wheels pulled by a small Tv that is packed to the gills with stuff, people, and the dog.

Recommendations? I would start with a bigger TV probably a 1500 crew cab pickup with V8 or ecoboost power. You will have a more appropriate TV with space for your stuff in the bed. Personally I would step up to a larger TT with bunkhouse and more room / privacy for the parents. Its the full timing plan that causes me to ?? your plan. Wish you the best!

[Seann45]

OK I am going to be different here... 4 small kids.. they are going to grow.. For the length of time, I perceive, you are going to be in this rig I think you will find your better off with a bunkhouse model..

[BuddyRay]

Before you spend a lot of money on this rig, I'd suggest you see if you can rent something similar and take a 3 or 4 day weekend trip.
I think you'll very quickly see the wisdom in BassDogs post above.
And if it's a rainy, cold weekend so you have to stay inside for 4 days - even better (or worse) :-).

[Mustang65]

As BuddyRay mentioned... see if you can rent one THAT SIZE first, for a few days. Size will be an issue... or it may not. Better to be sure first. Give a local dealer a call and see if he has any good trade ins that you could rent.

Don

[MzLiz]

Wow, been there done that! 3 months in a tent trailer (I looked at pics of the 17 fxd and it brought back memories) with 3 kids under 7 and a medium sized dog, one end of the country to the other and then back. I think BuddyRay had a very good idea. I'd add try to go somewhere different every day. The constant "setting up" and "tearing down" gets old.

[MzLiz]

PS - don't mean to discourage you - we all love rv'ing and I imagine there are many who would love to be in a position such as yours and able to do exactly as you are proposing. Just hoping to help make the experience enjoyable and memorable for you and your family.

[RAurand]

We met a family of 6 that home schooled ( as do we) that had a 23 foot trailer and they were also traveling Missionaries, living full time in the trailer. Kids were all under 10. I was surprised at all the plastic boxes of stuff they had to keep outside all the time so they had room in the trailer for everyone. When they moved and all the boxes were put in the trailer, the family couldn't get in.

So, I agree with the post above, don't get stuck with something that will be too small, It will add to frustrations.

[IamKnadn]

Hi, first time poster. I'd like to put in my $0.02

First, thanks to everyone who responded to theadventuresix. I found this to be fantastic thread and got some great ideas for myself.

theadventuresix: are you planning on setting up/tearing down every night? You say you are selling your home and hitting the road, so I have it in my mind that you plan on setting up camp somewheres for weeks at a time and explore the area from there, then move on. How long of a road trip are you planning, a few months, a year, or more?

I too am look at the same model, but for leisure. Excellent choice. We took our first long road trip (2 weeks) with a family of 5 in a pop-up... I was ready to come home after 9 days, lol... quarters were to close, and no where to put gear. Dinning shelter was a saviour.

I would throw in the thought of packing a pup tent and possibly a dinning shelter for the extra room, especially if you plan on being in one spot for a week or more at a time...

Get a slow cooker and learn to be creative and actually use it.

Get solar panels for those times you can't get a site with hookups.

I can't think of anything else that hasn't already been said.. keep us posted on your adventures!

[oldmanAZ]

Originally Posted by IamKnadn

Hi, first time poster. ...snip

Welcome to the forum. Keep us posted on your trailer search and your adventures.

[SloPoke]

Originally Posted by Bassdogs

First thing that comes to mind is the old 10lbs in a 5lb bag. You said you are not looking for a hotel room on wheels but I would describe what you are proposing as pretty much a hotel room on wheels with a kitchenette. The set up for a family of your size would be great for weekends and summer vacations to where ever, but for full timing it seems like a bad idea. Admittedly I am not a tiny house kind of guy, but just seems like a constant swap of use purpose each day as you switch from sleep mode to eat mode to teach mode to eat mode again and then evening mode in a small single space living area. My wife and I [3 kids and a couple dogs] cut our teeth in a pop up, taking countless fall outings and vacations all over the lower 48; BUT full timing would have lasted less than 48 hours as DW, Dkids, Ddogs, and me wouldn't be speaking in a friendly way.

If you move forward with your plan, you can forget most of the stuff others have suggested since you will not have room for it. You will need sewer hoses, extension cord, water hose, etc but there isn't a huge storage area in the hybrid and your TV will be taxed in tow weight and overall capacity even with the basics. Your set up will basically be a tiny house on wheels pulled by a small Tv that is packed to the gills with stuff, people, and the dog.

Recommendations? I would start with a bigger TV probably a 1500 crew cab pickup with V8 or ecoboost power. You will have a more appropriate TV with space for your stuff in the bed. Personally I would step up to a larger TT with bunkhouse and more room / privacy for the parents. Its the full timing plan that causes me to ?? your plan. Wish you the best!

Agree 100% here ^^

[BCK]

Interesting post and comments. The only thing I would add is to echo other comments about space and weight. I think you will find that many of the items suggested are nice-to-haves rather than must-haves. I suggest getting the required items and putting the rest on a list to buy if and when needed - pretty much everywhere you go will have stores.

Only item on my must-have list not already mentioned is duct tape. I've used it when camping for everything from holding the table cloth on the picnic table to an emergency patch on a fiberglass canoe.

[bansai]

I like that camper a lot, one of my favorite hybrids.

Here's a sales video for it if anyone is curious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4Fv1_sCnhY

Great advise in the above replies, especially the guys that suggested you rent one first. I'm sure you have had the conversations about what your life will be like living in something that small, and you've come to terms with how difficult it can and will be. It's hard to ignore the facts here though. Your kids may be too young to truly understand or appreciate what you are asking of them. Not my place to second guess your decision if you guys are comfortable living that way for extended periods. I will say my family would start killing eachother off within 3 weeks.

Only point I'd make that I didn't see above... may have missed it... none of these hybrids are designed for full timing and your camper is going to take a serious beating doing so. Officially, your warranty is shot when you full time, unofficially, I'm not sure how that can be enforced, but plan on lying about your full timing use when stuff starts breaking if you want it covered. I'm a little envious of what you guys are planning on doing, we also telecommute and could, if desired, give up our 3000 square ft home for my 30+ foot camper, but someone would die. Wish you the best of luck!

Nothing to add on the top 5 items to bring... other than what has already been suggested, you are going to learn first hand what you need in short order.

[Jagiven]

My Brother's family, which is about your size, and maybe the kids are a bit older, have looked at the 17xfd with them. We liked the X23F a bit more, as the dinette slideout, gave a a lot more interior floor space, and had a bit more interior storage.

I like our X23B, which is the two bunk version of X23F. I have traveled for up to 3 weeks at a time in ours. I could not foresee living in it for months at a time. One of the things I do love about the hybrid is the bunk windows opening up and being tent like.

A couple things I would recommend doing. Is visiting the dealer, ditching the dealer, dig through all the cabinets and such, think about where will you place all your items. How will you use the space, in different conditions, such as during school hours in bad weather. I would spend about an hour in each tt, that you are seriously considering. with 4 kids, it would not be a bad idea, to bring them possibly on a second trip to the dealer, and let them crawl around the units, and see if you could live in a tight space for days on end in poor weather.

One of the things that lead us to the X23B, as a family of three with a dog, was the ability to "turtle", which is to live in the htt with out opening up the bunk ends. This way we can roll in late at night, stop for lunch, overnight in a Walmart Parking lot without opening up, stay in bear country without worry. If you are just spending the night it is a nice ability especially when you roll into camp and its raining.

HTTs are nice campers, but to live in it for an extended period(s), I'm not convinced it would be the right choice. I know if I had a seasonal site, it would not be my first choice due to the tent ends.

Ultimately it could be a fun adventure, and if you enjoy the life style I could see you up sizing in the future.

Good luck, let us know how else we can help, and ask lots of questions.

[rockaw]

Lot of good points.... my 2.5 cents (more than 5)

1. NAVIGATION... check you're course, you don't want to get under an overpass you can't fit, it'll wreck your trip. there are many apps truckers use to make sure you fit, same if you're stopping to eat. If I can, I google the area to see if I can fit in the parking lot.>>> ALSO keep to the main roads....GOOGLE LIES, the fastest route once put us on a narrow road with our right tires on the white line and the left over the yellow.

2. FUEL (gas/diesel), especially if you have a diesel, don't wait to E to find a source,
A) you might have trouble finding diesel/gas station if you're off the main highways,
B) again you have to fit.

3. SITES Don't always rely on first come first serve or no reservations needed, you might end up being the ones needing a site. Do homework, look at the reviews, look at the Google aerial view, Major Highway / train tracks next to the RV site?? do they have utilities.

4. TANKS, while you save gas mileage by running tanks empty, you/family might have to make an emergency pit stop, having some water will enable use to use the toilet and sink if needed. Also is you're black/grey tanks are full, you might not be able to empty them before you need to use them, empty before you leave a site.

4.5 PROPANE TANKS - if you have 2, run off 1, keep the other one full, once empty switch and get to empty one refilled.

5. INSURANCE Check into road / trailer insurance plans (tires, damage, towing/transportation if you or someone in your party gets sick/injured on the trip and you.

6. Get a system/routine for setting up and take down.

7. WEATHER, hot, cold, rain freezing, high winds etc.

7. Have fun