First time TT owners

[MarcovSalem]

Hello there folks, first time TT owner here.

DW and I have been camping every year together for the last ten years and now that we have three kids, 4 year old son, 2 year old daughter and 1 month old daughter, we decided to take the plunge. We have been tent camping and both my son and daughter have been out camping every year. My son went his first time at 4 months old for two weeks.

Well last year the DW asked a close friend of ours if we could borrow their trailer to see how we liked it. Well that started the process, especially seeing the first day and a half it was absolutely pouring rain.

After about 6 months of on and off research we settled on a 2015 FR Salem T32BHDS. It fit our needs and budget and we are definitely looking forward to having some good times in the trailer. I pick it up this Monday, any suggestions of things to look for, for the walk around?

Glad to have been able to find this forum; it has already come in handy, thanks everyone in advance.

[Capt. Mike]

Congratulations on the new Salem and welcome to the forum. There are lots of helpful, friendly folks on here, so don't hesitate to ask and all questions you might have. Chances are somebody has faced the same issue and you'll get lots of practical, real-world experience and advice.

As far as the PDI, there are several checklists on the forum and elsewhere, just search for one. The biggest thing I can tell you is make the tech explain and demonstrate every system on the trailer. If you don't fully understand what he is saying or doing, make him repeat it. This is especially true for electrical, gas and water systems. A good, thorough PDI can/should take two hours at a minimum.

Once you get through with that and you are ready to take your trailer home, find yourself a big, empty parking lot (a church during the week is good) and practice turning, backing, and maneuvering the unit. TAKE IT SLOWLY when backing and/or turning and you'll be fine.

Most of all, go and

[MarcovSalem]

I found a couple of PDI sheets on here that appear to be pretty thorough, so I'll read through them and print them out. File it into the trailer binder with all the other paperwork.

Thank you for the quick reply!

[SKnight]

Welcome!

Follow the checklists, ask all the "stupid" questions you can think of. If there's a switch or button, push it. If there's an appliance, turn it on. A good dealer will let the tech work with you long as necessary.

[GlenZ]

Welcome from Dawsonville, GA!

[Wiscampsin]

Welcome from Wisconsin and congrats on your 2015 FR Salem T32BHDS.

[Terier]

Congrats on your Salem! I know that it has been said but keep asking questions until you really understand it. My PDI lasted between 4-5 hours and the tech went over everything. The second walk-through was quicker as he reviewed what we did earlier. The third walk-through was on areas I wasn't sure about. With my lack of knowledge & experience I found the progress doing the PDI by myself very draining.

Taking notes and pictures/video can be helpful to refer to later on. This is where a smartphone can come in handy. Also a bit of driveway camping can be a great way to refresh your memory when you bring home the Salem.

[rockfordroo]

When you sign in, there's a heading titled "Library." Under that, go to "Miscellaneous documents" and the PDI checklist is there.

[MarcovSalem]

Thanks everyone, I pick her up tomorrow!

[Wiscampsin]

Originally Posted by MarcovSalem

Thanks everyone, I pick her up tomorrow!

[GATRAID]

Welcome from Illinois and enjoy! We are heading home right now from the Wisconsin Dells in our 2014 Salem 32BHDS. This is our 6th trip since we picked it up in March and every drive home we comment how happy we are with this model. Hope you enjoy it also!

[MarcovSalem]

Oh ya!!

[MarcovSalem]