From PUP to TT - 2013 Wildwood FS Series T195BH

[arracado]

Hi all! Happy to be part of the Forest River owner's community!

Yesterday we brought home a 2013 T195BH and are super excited to get some trips under our belts. Our first camper was a '95 Coleman Rio Grande pop up that isn't perfect, but we love it a lot (especially that old-school canvas). Like most, we wanted a few more amenities and in the end decided that a bunkhouse was the right format for our family. This model fit the bill perfectly.

Moving from an older PUP, there are several aspects to a TT that I'm not familiar with and was hoping for some pointers, or links to reading materials to help me learn the essentials. I have downloaded the generic FR manual and find that a lot of it is focused on larger fifth wheels. Anyway, here are a few things I need to learn more about:

Storing/Emptying/Flushing water systems: our pop-up didn't have a bathroom, nor a fresh-water or grey-water tank. I am not familiar with the proper use and maintenance of these systems. There is a box on the wall in the kitchen that seems to be some sort of diagnostic or monitoring system, but we didn't receive a manual so I'm not sure exactly what it tells me.

Electrical: Our PUP ran the interior lights off the battery, and a couple of times we connected to power, which ran the outlets as well. This unit seems similar...it specifically says on the outside where the plug lies that it's for a 30 ampere supply. I get that campsites offer different amp ratings, but is it safe to connect this to my household power supply? I'm sure it is, but don't want to go frying stuff.

Weight ratings: I understand basic weight ratings and distribution. My feeling is that I'm highly unlikely to overload this thing, however in reading the generic manual it gets into going to the scales, weighing your vehicle, the trailer, cargo, etc. Is that necessary with a trailer this size, or is that more of a fifth-wheel type of thing? BTW my tow vehicle is a 2008 F150 FX4 SuperCrew, so I'm less concerned about overloading the truck and making sure that I don't overload the trailer. Water certainly plays into this, and that's something I want to understand better.

Anyway I appreciate any links or pointers you all have, and look forward to getting to know everyone!

[laurarice26]

I'm no expert but we have has our 18.5 x-lite for four years. We plug in to a friend's house occasionally and don't have any trouble.

The monitoring box is for the capacity of each tank. They aren't reliable but you will learn how long you can go before dumping. You want to dump on a full black tank. There are many posts to describe the process. You definitely need to winterize for the winter otherwise you risk cracked pipes.

[MSgt Rick]

We just moved up from 19 years with a pop-up to a TT a few months ago. We had a great time in the pup, but how nice it is to just back into a site, get the trailer level, put down the jacks and be done! Luckily, there is a plethora of info on this site to get you going, plus tons of Youtube videos. The biggest thing I am having to get used to is backing a longer trailer, and driving with no rear visibility. But, it's a sacrifice that I am willing to make

[Wa11y757]

Prolly need that adapter to plug in to the house. If you draw more that 30 amps, which you prolly won't cuz the house is prolly on a 20 amp breaker, it will trip in the house load center. I plugged up at the house all the time. Ran the window shaker a/c and had the fridge plugged in. ( we had dorm refrigerator not 2 way). Box is indeed tank and house battery monitor. White is fresh water, grey is shower and sink waste water and black is poopy water. Prolly has a water heater switch and a water pump switch too. We had a 12 volt tv which was nice when the campground lost power.