so new to this i feel stupid :(

[Kiwimg]

Hi, newbie here as well so don’t ever feel embarrassed to ask. I’ve learnt so much just taking my time and researching online, I even changed out my converter the other day and didn’t electrocute myself! (Lots of pics and took my time).
I’m guessing the battery boiling thing could be an overcharging situation with little to no “water” in the battery if it’s not a sealed battery. If you’re charging your battery and you smell sulphur (rotten eggs) type smell then definitely shut it down. Your A/C will only run on shore power and if you plan on using anything like your microwave or a hairdryer then turn your A/C over to fan only or off while doing so.
The best research you can do in my opinion is on how RV electrical systems work. Mostly, even though you’re plugged into shore power you are still running everything through your battery, the shore power is just there to keep battery charged and convert the energy. Look up how to convert watts to amps so you can get a good idea of how many Amps you’re drawing at any one time, don’t use power as you would at home even when plugged to shore power, i.e. don’t have three lights on when one will suffice etc.
Get yourself a good battery charger/tender for both shore power, and I also got an excellent 10w solar charger/maintainer both of which were Battery Tender models which came up well on my research of these products. If you don’t have a generator then get the Honda 2200i if you can, I got this one and a Hutch Mountain soft start so I can run my A/C with it. Honda generators are a little more expensive but well worth it, they are quiet, light, exceptionally reliable, and they put out what they claim because the engines are 121cc vs 89cc on similar models that claim same output.
Get yourself a good set of tools (research tools for RVing).
Most importantly, though, have fun learning and try to do as much repair work yourself as long as you can do so safely.
I’ve learnt so much in the few months I’ve been living in my travel trailer and am enjoying the improvements and repair work I’ve been doing myself, it’s a great sense of accomplishment and boosts your confidence knowing that you’ll be ok should you get in trouble out in the sticks! Lol
Hope this was helpful, remember always to have fun it’s why you got your RV!

[Whitehat]

Originally Posted by pconroy

Hey Fellow Denverite!


Don't feel embarrassed at all!!! Someone told me that the best way to do the Dealer Handoff is to have the wife video everything while the husband makes notes.


A/C question - I'll have to leave that to someone else. I'm not sure where your thermostat is, or if you have one. Ours works just like a home thermostat:
1. Be plugged into electrical power. AC units required a lot of power, you can't run one off batteries
2. I flip the thermostat switch to "Cool" and the Fan to "Auto"


Then ours starts up.




Batteries boiling water. I have some thoughts on what he could have meant, but I'm not 100% sure. I will tell you that 99.9999% of us RV owners have batteries that don't boil. I'd say forget about that one, until we learn more about what he could have been referring to.




Yeah - a gazillion youtube channels. I started with RV Geeks. I liked those guys. He's got a great personality and really covers the basics slow and easy.


Just remember, this isn't hard. Black is poopy, gray is shower and sink drains. When you need to empty the waste tanks, you'll go to the campsite dump.


You'll hook your sewer hose (also called a Stinky Slinky) to the spout on the RV. The other end goes into the sewer opening.


Pull the Black Tank valve open first - SLOWLY. Odds are the hose might jump out of the opening and you'll need to close the valve quickly if that happens! Once things look good - open the Black valve and let the poop drain.


When done, close the black valve and open the gray. The gray water also rinses the hose out.


Close the gray valve, put the cap back on the RV spout and your done.


You're gonna love this thing!

When dumping, open the gray first only to see if you're hose is attached properly. If you don't have it attached properly and open the black, you'll be covered in poo. Once you see that it's all good, close the grey and proceed with the black.

[Whitehat]

Originally Posted by pconroy

Speaking of mistakes - this is year 5 or so for us in the RV.
I went out to hook up the sewer hose at this campsite...


"Hey, looks what's missing!"


Yep - I forgot to put on the travel sewer cap. It's somewhere on I-70 outside of Moab.


We all make mistakes.
Some of us still do.

Went to dump the tanks early one morning. I was in a fog having just woke up and forgot to check my valves were shut. Fortunately it was the grey that was open (no clue why it was open) and not the black and when I removed the cap, all hell broke loose. Dang near tore off my shoulder trying to shut the valve.

[Guid]

I would first try going to you tube and search for “ 2020 jayco feather ... walk through” put the model number in the search. Chances are you will find a good video on your specific model. Or even google search the same. Hope this helps.

[dbvano]

I'm on my fifth camper and my first night in this one i had no idea how to turn the lights on on my first night in it so don't feel bad about not ignoring anything. Every dealer walk through I've had was a joke and honesty a waste of time. I was fortunate to be camping with friends my first few times out who had much more experience than me so had on hand experts. I wish i had known about these forums when i first started out, they're definitely helpful. Best advice i can give is to keep doing what you're doing, ask questions, watch videos and practice at home. Best of luck and welcome to the world of RVing.

[KCSA75]

Originally Posted by TonyCO

Ha. That’s the same link I put up. I guess that guy has a following!

. I ran across that a while back while looking for how to do something. I just thought the guy was very thorough and explained everything well.

[wags]

Felt the same way four years ago...and still do sometimes. YouTube is your friend. I have solved many issues getting advice there.

[saunterr44]

I also rinse out the sewer tube with tap water, after the gray is done emptying.

Another added measure to make sure you don't get crappy water is to buy and install one of these, it's an extra valve for the black/gray: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[saunterr44]

buy one of these, it's a great safeguard against that: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[marciaandre]

The day after we picked up our new Jayco, I made a one night reservation at our local KOA about 5 miles from home. I told them that it was our first time out, and they offered help. They helped us pull into the campsite, chock and level, and hook everything up. Every couple of hours they stopped by to see if we had any questions. We did! Another thing we found is that campers are the nicest people, so as long as you are in a campground, there is probably someone nearby who will be glad to help you out.