New RV setup?

[lovliefam]

Hi all!

We have just purchased a 2014 Greyhawk 31FS, and my hubby is picking it up today. Wooo hooo! I am so excited and really cannot wait to have it in my driveway!

I'm curious to know what I could or should do to get it all setup once we have it home. Obviously hub is going to get a good run down of everything at the dealer, and they seem pretty thorough and knowledgeable, but I want to ask here as well. I am planning to disinfect the potable water tank with bleach and I'd really like to ventilate it and try to begin to air out some of the fumes that are inevitable with new construction. We have three very young children, so I want to be especially mindful of anything that I can do to give us a healthy and comfy home away from home. Any tips or suggestions? We are starting from zero with RV knowledge and experience - any advice is much appreciated!

Thanks!

[RoyBraddy]

Best thing you can do is just camp out in the driveway just like you would be camping on the road...

Always remember no matter where you go you will be close to a WALMART or LOWES and can pick up anything you need from them.

[The Hawk]

The week end driveway camping is great! But when you do go out for your real first trips have a small note book to write down all the little things that will make it a home, then after you have it all on board and everything possible has been included, wait about a year and then take off all the things that you have not used that are just taking up space.
HAVE A GREAT TIME WITH YOUR NEW GREYHAWK!!!!!!!!!
Jim

[rugerguy]

x2 on the notes,I have a list of things to make sure we have everything and check it every time we go. I also have a list (and this because of my increasing forgetfullnes) of steps for breaking camp IE: put down the antena,raise the stabalizers,unhook water and power,etc,etc,
Depending on how you are going to camp,If we are going to a place that will have water hook up,I still put 10 gallon or so in the tank to flush the toilet get a drink etc, while on the road.
Most important: HAVE FUN!!..... my grown kids and even myself say our fondest memories growing up were the times spent camping.

[TX_Arvee]

Ditto....Camp Driveway.

Excercise your generator, oil should be changed after 20 hours, which comes pretty fast. If you have not owned an RV before, do research before buying a bunch of crap. Some things can be done simply and more cost effective than some fancier things. We bought a few things before measuring the spaces available and realized we could have done better in our choices. I would highly suggest a power surge suppressor/monitor for your rig. Ask questions!

[Ladywendolyn]

The 3M hooks, that stick to the wall and can be removed without damage, are great for hanging things without coming to a hole in the wall. Dollar-store baskets are excellent for organizing everything from food, clothes, toys etc. and they keep things from flying around when you travel. The foldable lightweight outdoor nylon ground mats come in sizes up to 20 ft long and they make even a muddy campground instantly civilized. When I first started, I went onto online camping supply stores like Tweetys and camping world and just looked around at all the fun things that were available. The only other things I would mention, is that if you have very young children, beware that the screen door on these units can pop open with just a little pressure and your child will then fly out of the camper. Jayco needs to come up with a better lock, but in the mean time, you may need to add one of your own. Enjoy your camper.
Here is a link to a tour of our camper, it shows some fun organizing and decorating ideas that are great for the bunkhouse area.

http://mycoolcampingcaravanadventure...-glamping.html

[sailor]

With pets or small children I would suggest a screen door protector such as the one in this link. http://www.amazon.com/Camco-43991-Al...door+protector

[krackeer]

Originally Posted by sailor

With pets or small children I would suggest a screen door protector such as the one in this link. http://www.amazon.com/Camco-43991-Al...door+protector

I simply measured the size of the bottom of the screen door added about 1/4 inch and had a pc of thin plexi glass cut to size at lowes, works perfect and under $15!

[oobedoob]

I thought an Uno card game was a standard feature in every RV but we had to buy our own. We also stocked up on glow sticks and bubble soap. Have to stay entertained!

[donellen30]

Just a thought, but when we first turned on our furnace, there were bad fumes and burning smells. We opened windows and it went away after about 10 minutes. Not a problem since, but it might be a good idea to run your furnace the first time without the kids in there.

[msturtz]

What problems have you had?

[Oscar Mike]

I hope that you enjoy every moment of your new lifestyle...My sons still talk about our camping adventures decades after the event.

[lovliefam]

Thanks for all of the tips and encouragement! Great tip on adding a grill on the screen door - I can definitely see that being very handy!

[MyBrokenJeep]

One recommendation we would give is this... furnish the RV like it were a second home. Remember too that the things you may want/need can be found at places you normally wouldn't think of like Ross, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, etc. We saved a ton of money shopping at those types of stores.

[Dave & Deb]

We love our new used 2004 Jayco Granite Ridge, Been a Jayco owner since 1983. Started out with a Jayco Jay Thrush Pop Up. Two more pop ups and then a 5th wheel before the Granite Ridge.
All companies have issues. We are Happy Campers!

[fidalgo66]

Did your Greyhawk come with a "Sidekick" grill? I put ours away, and bought a Nexgrill stainless steel grill from Costco. I use a portable tank, and it works great.

[lovliefam]

It did come with the grill. Makes me a little nervous to use it so close to the truck, but we'll give it a go a few times and see

[lovliefam]

Oops! ...and see if it suits us. Can't wait for our first trip coming up soon! I've been getting it stocked and ready, but one thing I don't have yet is any sort of leveling system. Should I go ahead and get some sort of blocks or just wait and see? I have been reading about fridge performance and leveling...my driveway has a grade to it, wondering if I will have problens getting the fridge cold before we leave. I haven't tested that yet. Any thoughts?

[Doug]

Lynx blocks, set of 10 is a necessity for me.
Walmart has them for about $38 with bag.

Doug

[msturtz]

Originally Posted by donellen30

Just a thought, but when we first turned on our furnace, there were bad fumes and burning smells. We opened windows and it went away after about 10 minutes. Not a problem since, but it might be a good idea to run your furnace the first time without the kids in there.

We had the same problem in our 2014 Greyhawk 31 FS. The first time we turned on the furnace it burned all of the crud off of the coils and stank up the entire motorhome. We had to turn on the exhaust fans to clear out the smell.