Arrival & Setup Sequence

[cmhbob]

Can someone point me to the idiot's guide to campground arrival and set-up? We're making our first jump to our fulltime lifestyle Tuesday, and I'd like to review something before we get there and I look completely stupid.

For example..
Level it first, then run the slides? Or slides first. Seems like it should be level fore & aft first, and stabs down too.
Run the slides from TV or shore power?
Does it matter if you hook up water first, then sewer (full hookups, but the tanks will be empty).

It's a brand-new rig, still "winterized." That is, according to FR, all the systems were air-tested, not liquid, and since we picked it up in the winter, no liquid systems were tested at delivery, either. Maybe not the best way to do it, but that's where we are. I'm working on the assumption that RVW didn't fully "winterize" the rig, just poured some antifreeze through the toilets, since there was a little bit there. I'll verify that before we leave though. Assuming that's all they did, I don't need to flush the system much, right?

Sooooo much to do between now and Tuesday...........

[Herk7769]

Our first camping trip was to the driveway. I drove around the block and backed in. The neighbors got a laugh but they were friends and we had a beer while I decided I did not need that rose bush anyway.

Then we spent the night while we found out what we forgot and could not live without. We cooked and slept there the weekend.

Drank from a fire hose that weekend. Our first "away" trip had its own share of problems but most of the big ones in the driveway were not repeated.

[BOBFIDY]

Welcome to the site Bob.

Not that I'm a pro...We just started this travel trailer thing ourselves in October...But here is the sequence that I use to set up.

First thing I do is get level side to side...set up the leveling blocks and pull forward to get the rig level. Before I unhitch I make sure I block the wheels so there is no movement. Might sound silly...BUT.....I have the wife watch as I run the slides out to make sure they clear trees, power pedestals etc.

Unhitching, running power cord, hooking up water etc...not sure there is any REAL order. I do at least 3 walk arounds when we are pulling out...1 looking high...for tv antenea, 1 trip looking mid level, 1 trip looking low...Stabs, all hitch pins attached, steps in, etc.

After our first 3 week trip we kinda have it all down pat...but by Aprils first trip we will have to start all over again.

Something that took us a couple stops to figure out was turning the water heater on and running enough water thru the syatem to get hot water to the taps. MAKE SURE THE WATER HEATER IS FULL OF WATER BEFORE TURNING THE HEATER ON.

Hope these tips help. Welcome again and ask any other questions anytime.

BOB

[donn]

Locate the fiver on the pad making sure it is level side to side. Then block the wheels and unhitch. Depending on how far out of level it is front to back I will drop the landing gear 1 or 5 inches first. Get the truck out from under the hitch. Now level front to rear. Once you are level, drop the rear stabilizers and make then tight. Hook up water/sewer/electrical first. As it is sometimes easier to do it at this point depending on where the hookups are located. Now, you can run the slides out. That is as long as you allowed enough room for the slides and not hot trees,electrical poles etc. Before I left home the first time, I leveled the trailer to the refer and stove and placed bubble levels outside the trailer at the front and rear corners, plus a really big one on the hitch itself which I use for side to side from the drivers seat.

[cmhbob]

Thanks, all. Makes sense to level it before the slides, so you can easily get to the wheels and such.

You know the saying "Go big or go home?" That's us on this trip. Nervous. Excited. Yoiks!

[BOBFIDY]

Originally Posted by cmhbob

Thanks, all. Makes sense to level it before the slides, so you can easily get to the wheels and such.

You know the saying "Go big or go home?" That's us on this trip. Nervous. Excited. Yoiks!

Another thought Bob.....If I start a task and get interupted.....I have to restart or get my self lost.
I've not torn up anything...YET.....except dragging the rear stabs in a rest. driveway. anothing hurt that $100.00 new set could not fix.
Good luck on your first of what will be many trips

BOB

[06nighttrain]

Originally Posted by BOBFIDY

I have the wife watch as I run the slides out to make sure they clear trees, power pedestals etc.
BOB

I use a precut piece of pvc that is the same depth as the slideouts and place it against the sidewall to make sure the unit is clear of any obstacles before leveling or unhooking. I used this system when I had a 5th wheel and still use it for the MH.

[SaskCampers]

A couple notes for you. If you are using the BAL-X chocks to lock you wheels, don't put them on until the trailer is leveled front to back just use a set of chocks on 1 set of wheels (this is mentioned in the manual for them) Also when you put the slides out after leveling if the trailer has slides on 1 side only it will sit slightly low on the slide side which is good because if it rains the water will flow to the outer edge of the slide and not back into the slide seals on the trailer. If it is a TT jack the nose of the trailer with the tongue jack while still attached to the TV to make it easier to remove the weight dist bars. We always hook up water, sewer and power prior to the slides coming out and the wife runs the slides out while I watch to make sure nothing binds or gets hit. FRS radios are a must in my books as well as the DW talks me into our sites when we don't get a pull through. We can be setup pretty much anywhere now in under 10 minutes. Another thing, make a check list you follow religiously when setting up and breaking camp as there are alot of little things that are soo easy to miss and everyone is different as to what needs to be done. I would highly recommed doing as Herk did (we did the same as we didn't want to look like newbies when we first started out with eithr of our TT's) and do some practice runs in your yard prior to the real deal.

Good luck and enjoy.

[BigDTx]

I level it out first, put down all stabilzers second, hook up elec then open the slide. then after a walk a around I hook up the water and sewer. Awning is last.

when you are ready to leave fill your black and gray tanks atleast 3/4 full with water before you dump the tanks, then I refill with fresh water and flush them out again. then I will add a few gallons and some RV DIGEST-IT. Then it is ready for its storage spot as far as the tanks go.

Close canopy/close slides/retract stabilizers/unhook elec-H20-sewer/hookup to truck/go home!