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Old 07-25-2016, 05:38 PM   #1
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If I Only Knew Then What I Know Now...

After reading another post in another forum about a flooded RV...I thought I would start a general discussion for this C Class Group. Veteran RV'ers, here is the chance to tell us newbies the things that you wish someone had told YOU when you were starting.

I will start, based on my recent experience with my refrigerator door falling off:

:If I Only Knew Then What I Know Now...:
I would have never put so many pickle jars and Snapple bottles on the door of my Norcold refrigerator.

Okay, your turn...

If I Only Knew Then What I Know Now...
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Old 07-25-2016, 05:45 PM   #2
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Well for me camping from tent, to a truck with a cabover, to a class A motorhome , to a travel trailer my main wish is that I had paid more attention to the area between tread on my tires. One blowout can cause problems that ruin a trip. Mine came on a motorhome trip to Virginia and the blowout took out 7 strands of wire and wrapped them around my rear axle, killed power to the fridge and all upper lighting in the motorhome, power steps, and broke the drain on the tub all in one fell swoop. Not to mention having to change 2 tires in a matter of less than 10 miles traveled on the road and the other 4 the next morning
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Old 07-25-2016, 06:24 PM   #3
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I'd have gotten out of the RV and looked ****up**** before backing up into a branch and smushing the awning.

Get out.
Walk around.
Look up and down.
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Old 07-25-2016, 09:00 PM   #4
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I'd have gotten out of the RV and looked ****up**** before backing up into a branch and smushing the awning.

Get out.
Walk around.
Look up and down.
I've had plenty of those occasions after 12 years and three motorhomes.
Just this summer I forgot to check the camera but only the mirrors and missed the solidly-built wood roadside forest road sign directly behind me trying to back up on the side of a dirt road after missing the turn by six feet. Duh!
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Old 07-25-2016, 09:01 PM   #5
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I heard you need to walk around the RV three times. Two times clockwise and once counterclockwise.
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Old 07-25-2016, 10:43 PM   #6
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I heard you need to walk around the RV three times. Two times clockwise and once counterclockwise.
Good idea and I'm going to start doing that in two days when I leave Pismo Beach.
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Old 07-26-2016, 01:51 AM   #7
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Two Footitis

I wish I had known Two Footitis is an actual disease... I could have saved thousands by just starting with the Big Rig instead of "Upgrading" every couple of years... Of course even now, loving my Greyhawk, I still find myself pondering the "Next One!"
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Old 07-26-2016, 03:16 AM   #8
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I'd have gotten out of the RV and looked ****up**** before backing up into a branch and smushing the awning.

Get out.
Walk around.
Look up and down.
This....
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Old 07-26-2016, 09:31 AM   #9
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I wish I had known Two Footitis is an actual disease... I could have saved thousands by just starting with the Big Rig instead of "Upgrading" every couple of years... Of course even now, loving my Greyhawk, I still find myself pondering the "Next One!"
I'll second that !
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Old 07-26-2016, 09:54 AM   #10
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Pilots like myself are required to do pre-flight inspections of the aircraft. We also very often use check lists. I avoided a shredded tire because I inspected them prior to a trip and found one with the tread beginning to separate. Check carefully... I went ahead and swapped the other 3 out a bit later. Two of the three were beginning to separate, but I didn't actually see that. Had I looked more closely, I would have.
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Old 07-26-2016, 01:50 PM   #11
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Always check that your awning is in and secure before you leave. Also I agree with the above..always check your tires!!
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Old 07-26-2016, 02:11 PM   #12
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There's just SO much that I've learned over the last couple years that belongs on this list!

I'd say the number one thing I wish I had known was how to properly determine the towing ability of my truck. We ended up with a trailer right at the tippy top of our capacities. And while it worked fine in the short-term, it was no good for long-term. But then, we did start with the "big rig" first.

Beyond that, I'm probably learning something new every time we take our trailer out, and we've been doing it for over 2 years. There's just SO much to learn!
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Old 07-26-2016, 02:32 PM   #13
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In the southern states, for summer camping, two air conditioners is just about a must! Or... just camp in the cooler months.
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Old 07-26-2016, 02:41 PM   #14
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Denial.... classic Symptom!

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Originally Posted by Camper_bob View Post

I'd say the number one thing I wish I had known was how to properly determine the towing ability of my truck. We ended up with a trailer right at the tippy top of our capacities. And while it worked fine in the short-term, it was no good for long-term. But then, we did start with the "big rig" first.
Ah... Camper Bob... Denial is quite commonly the first symptom of Two Footitis. Many survivors will tell you they started with the "Big Rig"... Mine was a 23 foot Hybrid, bought oversize for our growing family and two large Golden Retrievers. We would swear for all to hear that we had gone Big and that this was the only trailer we would ever need.

Sadly we also fell victim to denial, we never saw the other signs creeping up on us. In men the next symptom is quite often Truck Envy, you find your self contemplating reasons other then pulling the trailer to justify that shiny new F350 while at the same time drooling over Ram truck commercials. The ladies on the other hand start to wonder about storage options. It was my bride who fell victim to the evils of the Internet, soon she was surfing floor plans online, looking to optimize capacity while still having room for a Chef's kitchen.

The final and often most dangerous stage... Beware, the dreaded RV Show. If you find yourself falling into this trap... Well it is likely to late!

The only positive side... JOF. Is full of other Survivors who will ask to see the pictures of your shiny New Big Rig and congratulate you on the purchase.

Have fun out there! And enjoy that great looking rig of yours!
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Old 07-27-2016, 10:37 AM   #15
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Ah... Camper Bob... Denial is quite commonly the first symptom of Two Footitis. Many survivors will tell you they started with the "Big Rig"... Mine was a 23 foot Hybrid, bought oversize for our growing family and two large Golden Retrievers. We would swear for all to hear that we had gone Big and that this was the only trailer we would ever need.

Sadly we also fell victim to denial, we never saw the other signs creeping up on us. In men the next symptom is quite often Truck Envy, you find your self contemplating reasons other then pulling the trailer to justify that shiny new F350 while at the same time drooling over Ram truck commercials. The ladies on the other hand start to wonder about storage options. It was my bride who fell victim to the evils of the Internet, soon she was surfing floor plans online, looking to optimize capacity while still having room for a Chef's kitchen.

The final and often most dangerous stage... Beware, the dreaded RV Show. If you find yourself falling into this trap... Well it is likely to late!

The only positive side... JOF. Is full of other Survivors who will ask to see the pictures of your shiny New Big Rig and congratulate you on the purchase.

Have fun out there! And enjoy that great looking rig of yours!
Nope, no denial here!

I already traded for the bigger truck. Needed it to tow my really big trailer that was too heavy for my first truck (common mistake, but I bit the bullet and it was worth it).

We have storage in our trailer we're not even using, quite a lot of it actually. AND we have at least one extra full-time bed. If I want to use the couch and the dinette (which I don't), then we have 3 extra sleeping spaces. So nope, space is not even a consideration in the slightest, we have GOBS of space. And we're not even getting creative with it yet (we have crap tossed everywhere all willy-nilly; if I went in and organized everything, we'd have gobs MORE space).

DW doesn't even want to go to RV shows with me any more (her knees hurt climbing in and out of all the trailers). The past 2 we've been to (the only 2 since we bought our trailer), we've come to the conclusion that we still have the perfect trailer for us. If she sees me looking at trailers, she just rolls her eyes. I even tempted her just this week with the idea of getting rid of my truck (that I just paid off 3 years early) and our trailer and buying her dream motor home (I even found one lightly used for sale!); she didn't even flinch!

Now, this I will give you; we do have the perfect "TRAILER" for us. But I have since found a fifth wheel I wouldn't mind having, but the 2016 model will be the last year of production for that particular floor plan. It was to date the only fifth wheel I would actually consider trading into (that's assuming I could convince DW to get on board; highly doubtful). And DW still has dreams of owning a motor home, but from a money standpoint, it's just not in the cards to get the one she wants (Super C).

I will admit to daydreaming about a nice diesel Super C, but unless we come into a serious windfall of cash, it's going to be just that, daydreaming. Some day we might get one, but it will likely be long after our son (or kids) has decided camping with mom and dad ain't cool any more.

So yes, we have the perfect setup for us now and for the foreseeable future. I guess I'm just immune to the good ol' "two footitis" ... for now...
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Old 07-27-2016, 11:09 AM   #16
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This....
I would add to this: I wish I was a better judge of 13'.
On two different occasions, I got out and looked, and still hit tree branches.
One allowed me to upgrade my TV antenna.
One bent one of the arms of my ladder. (still bent)
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Old 07-28-2016, 04:13 PM   #17
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Valve Extender

I now know that my rear tires need valve extenders. Otherwise, you have to remove a tire to check the pressure.
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