WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW TO JUMP IN YOUR NEW RV AND START HAVING FUN ?
Want to know some of the need-to-know RV basics ? How would you like to skip the speed bumps and head straight for the adventure ? These tips are from lessons learned from traveling over 25,000 miles in the US , Canada and Mexico . Skip the speed bumps and head straight for the fun by following these 10 tips .
You don ’ t need as much as you think .
If you wait until you ’ re 100 % ready , you ’ ll never go ! Start with just the essentials ( check out # 2 for what ’ s essential ) and your safety equipment , and get going ! Once you hit the road , you ’ ll quickly figure out what else you need . This will not only get you started sooner — it will save you money , too .
What tools are essential ?
Speaking of essentials , here ’ s what you ’ ll need : sewer hose , fresh water hose , power cord , a way to level your RV , and maybe some power adapters ( to go from 50 amp to 30 amp or 30 amp to 110 volts ). Everything else falls into the “ nice to have ” category . You ’ ll learn along the way what ’ s important to you , and you can add items to make your trips more comfortable .
Also , make sure you have everything you need to change a flat tire . It ’ s helpful to do a mock tire change in your driveway , just to make sure you have what you need .
Trailer tires
E3 Camping has an entire course that covers everything you need to know about proper inflation and tire safety , but here are the basics . While they ’ re cold ( meaning , you haven ’ t done any driving yet ), Inflate your trailer tires to max pressure for the highest load rating of the tire . If you ’ ve taken the time to weigh your RV and know how much weight is on each tire , you can look up the proper inflation on the tire manufacturer ’ s load inflation table . Most blowouts are due to tires with low pressure , so it ’ s better to air them up to the max if you aren ’ t sure .
Consider adding a Tire Pressure Monitoring System ( TPMS ). This device will monitor the pressure of your trailer tires and give you a live reading from inside the cab of your tow vehicle . It will also detect any loss of pressure , and will alert you if tire pressure goes outside set parameters . Blowouts can be expensive , and a TPMS can help you avoid a flat .
Mind the dip
The reality of RVing is that things don ’ t always go as planned ! The dip is that point when reality doesn ’ t match our expectations , but things will improve . In a way , this is part of the adventure . Dips become the stories you ’ ll be telling later , but it likely won ’ t feel like it in the moment . Bad weather can change plans , mechanical issues might set you back and one cancellation can have a domino effect on the rest of your trip .
Know before your trip starts that there will be setbacks , and you ’ re not alone . Knowing you ’ re in a “ dip ” will help , and having a plan to get out of it helps too . ( Maybe it ’ s time for ice cream !)
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