Must Have Items (new to TT's)

[Hwkscr]

Greetings All,

We just purchased a new to us 2017 Apex Nano 193BHS. We are new to TT's and we purchased the unit from out of state and had it delivered, so I didn't get to do a walk-through of the unit to see all of the "how to's". None the less, I feel confident in our ability to figure things out.

I am assuming the unit is still winterized, are there any steps that need to be done to unwinterize?

Does the refrigerator cool while going down to road? Does it switch automatically from propane to electric?

How to I initiate the water heater? I know water heaters in homes need to be full prior to turning on the unit.

What are the must have items for a new TT?

Thank you for the tips.

[wmtire]

Welcome aboard.


The below is a copy and paste of useful information, and I usually recommend it to those just starting out. Some of it, you may already know, or may not be applicable to your particular RV. You will be able to filter out what pertains to your situation or not. I would suggest you read the electric threads and energy management first, and then the converter thread. This will help explain your different electrical systems of your RV, and how they operate...as well as what the converter does. The very first link will explain what operates off what system.

You can just peruse at your leisure as you get to know your RV:

Basic electric:

Basic RV Electricity - RV Information (RV Maintenance)

RV Electric

Your very important converter:

Converter or Inverter (they are different)

RV Converters and Amp Draw - RV Information (RV Maintenance)

Installing a dedicated 30 amp RV outlet at home (Make sure you understand it's 120 volts ONLY):

How to wire a RV 30 amp outlet

12 volt DC:

12 Volt DC Circuit Breaker with Manual Reset

The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1)

Suburban water heater (if applicable to your RV):

Suburban's electric switch and much more

Suburban Water Heater Video Guides

Water Heater bypass/crossover valves:

NO (OR LUKEWARM) HOT WATER -Please read first

And the newest additions to help understand what constitutes a true full cylinder in refilling vs exchanging propane cylinders... as well as how the automatic propane changeover regulator works:

Propane Cylinders (Refilling vs Exchanging)

Propane automatic changeover regulator

Inverters and residential refrigerators in RV's:

http://rveducation101.com/articles/rvinverters.pdf

Hope it helps

[wmtire]

These FAQ's may help on the dewinterizing question:

Winterizing - Forest River Forums

[Hwkscr]

Great! Thank you.

[schaffer05]

Put the refrigerator on auto and turn your propane on and it will cool going down the road. Water heater, there is a spigot under the vent cover, when you hook it up to water, open that to let air out until you get water running out. Then there is a switch tucked behind all of that stuff (hard to see) flip that on. That is your electric heater. Then I always flip the heater switch on my panel as well, so I get electric and gas heat going together. Longer hot water that way. Make sure you turn both off when you leave though.

Must haves(for me):

—better black water hose-I like the rhino hose because it collapses well, and doesn’t sag when you let discharge though it.
—sewer hose rinser (I like my stuff clean)
—black water flush hose (separate from your drinking water hose)
—water pressure regulator
—leveling blocks
—surge protector
—propane torch (easier to start fires with than a regular lighter)
—hatchet because a lot of wood sold is wet and hard to catch on fire. I’ll cut a chunk into kindling to get the fire going
—tool set
—can’t think of what it’s called, but makes it so your black water hose goes downhill the whole way rather than down and back up at the sewage hole
—good flashlight for when you get to camp late
—converter for 50/30 amp connections as well as the regular outlet converter.
—screens for your exhausts so wasps and other insects don’t nest in them

I’m sure there is stuff I’m missing, and stuff you’ll figure out you want for your family. Those are just some that come to mind right away.

[Hwkscr]

Thank you! Most of the stuff you listed is already in my Amazon cart [emoji6]!

Originally Posted by schaffer05

Put the refrigerator on auto and turn your propane on and it will cool going down the road. Water heater, there is a spigot under the vent cover, when you hook it up to water, open that to let air out until you get water running out. Then there is a switch tucked behind all of that stuff (hard to see) flip that on. That is your electric heater. Then I always flip the heater switch on my panel as well, so I get electric and gas heat going together. Longer hot water that way. Make sure you turn both off when you leave though.

Must haves(for me):

—better black water hose-I like the rhino hose because it collapses well, and doesn’t sag when you let discharge though it.
—sewer hose rinser (I like my stuff clean)
—black water flush hose (separate from your drinking water hose)
—water pressure regulator
—leveling blocks
—surge protector
—propane torch (easier to start fires with than a regular lighter)
—hatchet because a lot of wood sold is wet and hard to catch on fire. I’ll cut a chunk into kindling to get the fire going
—tool set
—can’t think of what it’s called, but makes it so your black water hose goes downhill the whole way rather than down and back up at the sewage hole
—good flashlight for when you get to camp late
—converter for 50/30 amp connections as well as the regular outlet converter.
—screens for your exhausts so wasps and other insects don’t nest in them

I’m sure there is stuff I’m missing, and stuff you’ll figure out you want for your family. Those are just some that come to mind right away.

[ependydad]

For the MUST haves, the list is pretty short. The SHOULD HAVES gets a little longer. And the WANTS... well, yeah- you can imagine!

Here's a breakdown that I wrote for that very first trip:
Newbie – First Trip Essentials | Learn To RV

[MillMitch]

Welcome to the forum from MN.

[67L48]

Originally Posted by Hwkscr

[...] I am assuming the unit is still winterized, are there any steps that need to be done to unwinterize? [...]

Either connect water to city line or fill up your fresh water tank with water. You can add small amounts of bleach, if you want to sanitize.

Then, just run water to flush out the pink antifreeze. If you sanitize with bleach, you may want to let the chlorinated water sit in the lines for a few hours ... and then you'll want to flush that out.

That's it.

Originally Posted by Hwkscr

[...] Does the refrigerator cool while going down to road? Does it switch automatically from propane to electric? [...]

Depends on the fridge. Some are 3-way: 120 VAC, 12 VDC, propane ... and the user switches. The one on my trailer now is auto. Presumably it selects the proper power source or propane (if available).

Fridges will run off of 12 VDC, but they are power hogs. Make sure your TV is set up to power your battery during tow, or you'll arrive with a dead battery. Ford trucks, for example, do not come from the factory set up to supply power out the 7-pin. The customer has to installed a factory-supplied 30A relay in the fuse box.

Originally Posted by Hwkscr

[...] How to I initiate the water heater? I know water heaters in homes need to be full prior to turning on the unit. [...]

First, thanks for referring it to a water heater and not the dreaded hot water heater. Much appreciated. If you run the water heater when empty, you will either burn up the electric element (electric heater on) or can damage the water heater (propane heater on).

When de-winterizing, you need to make sure that the water heater bypass lines are in the proper position. When bypass activated, the cold water line just loops over to the hot water line, bypassing the hot water tank. This is great, because it prevents antifreeze from going through the hot water tank when you winterize.

After de-winterizing, there are usually three stopcocks that look something like this (the knobs may be different):


You can see that the blue (cold) line enters the bottom of the hot water tank. The red (hot) line leaves the top of the tank. Then, there's a connection in the middle. This is the bypass. This particular picture shows the tank in winterized/bypass setup. The blue line into the hot water tank is stopped ... the valve is closed to prevent water into the tank. Similarly, the red line is stopped. Nothing is leaving the tank (or entering the top of the thank). The line in the middle is open. Thus, any water coming in the blue (cold) line will just circulate up into the red (hot) line.

You'd reverse this after you de-winterize. You want cold flowing into the tank. You want hot flowing out of the tank. You don't want the bypass to be open ... you want to force cold water into the tank.

When you do this and either connect city water or turn on the water pump (which are mutually exclusive options ... don't connect city water and turn on the water pump!), the hot water tank will automatically begin to fill. Once it does, you're ready to start heating.

My tank has two switches. The first is outside in the water heater panel. There's a pressure relief valve and the anode rod (which is also the drain). There's also a switch in there. Looks like this:


I have to turn this on first. Then, on the inside of my trailer, the electrical panel has two switches: one for propane water heater and one for electric water heater. The propane water heater is automatic ignition. Flip a switch and I'm done.

Alternatively, you might have a manual propane water heater. It would look similar to this (and you can see the pilot/run knob that you would use when manually lighting the propane burner):



And, that's it. Make sure you have water in the tank. Make sure the switches are in the right position. Ignite and wait.

Originally Posted by Hwkscr

[...] What are the must have items for a new TT? [...]

Whatever you need to have a fun time.

For inside comfort and living: bedding, cookware, towels (extras), blankets, pillows, toiletries, clothes, paper towels, nonperishables for backup food, utensils (both for cooking and for eating), dish soap, cleaning items (tubs, drying racks, etc.), soap and shampoo, bath mats, toilet paper, hygeine products, earplugs, electric heater.

For emergencies: try to keep a set of hand tools (wrenches, screw drivers, pliers, hammer, etc.), first aid items, duct tape, extra fuses, wire, wire stripper/crimper, etc.

For general maintenance: keep a broom around, trash bags, a receptacle for trash, something to manage dirty clothes that pile up, a means to access the top of your trailer (if not equipped with a ladder), various lubricants (WD-40, graphite lubricant, grease, etc.), portable air compressor (I don't have one, but want one), fresh water hose, black/grey water rinse hose, black water tank hose, attachments that make grey/black water tank flushing easier (many products from which to choose).

For setup and tear down: a means to level the trailer side to side (leveling blocks, wood planks, etc.; search on this for more options), 4x6 or 6x6 block for the tongue jack (I use 4x6), maybe blocks for the stabilizers (I use 4x6 here, too), I love the 3/4" socket that allow a drill to be used to lower/raise stabilizers, wheel chocks (at least 2, preferably 4), and any additional stabilization devices you want (valterra makes a cheap one; others offer rigid triangular approaches that tie into frames and such; I have no experience with any).

For outdoor comfort and convenience, consider an outdoor rug, tables, chairs, lanterns, flashlights, awning lights, bluetooth speakers, outdoor games (goodminton is our family favorite), supports for your awning (common, but I don't have any), leashes for dogs, outdoor stove (if that's your thing), shovel (great for fire management and dogs ... I don't handle dog crap with my hands), firewood (obey state regs, don't transport wood across state boundaries or other restricted boundaries), water container (I like to keep a 5-gal jug on the picnic table). This really starts getting dependent on the type of camping you do, who is with you, and the things you specifically enjoy.

Then, there are the consumables: food, water, drinks, clean clothes, propane, battery (ensure it's charged and in good shape), etc.

As much as possible, try to get trailer-specific items. Get pillows that stay in the trailer, deodorant that stays, toothbrushes that stay, your favorite camping shirt/coat/hat/knife that stays, bedding/sheets, blankets, and so on. To the extent that you can have trailer-only items, you simplify your life and minimize forgotten items.

Finally, there are the custom convenience items: upgrade analog thermostat to digital, add a push bar to the screen door, change locks on the CH751 doors, add electrical gauges, add solar, add multiple batteries, add inverters, add generators, and the list is infinite. Read and browse. Search the web for RV customization to get ideas on what is possible and what is interesting to you.

Good luck.

[Hwkscr]

Originally Posted by 67L48

Either connect water to city line or fill up your fresh water tank with water. You can add small amounts of bleach, if you want to sanitize.

Then, just run water to flush out the pink antifreeze. If you sanitize with bleach, you may want to let the chlorinated water sit in the lines for a few hours ... and then you'll want to flush that out.

That's it.


Depends on the fridge. Some are 3-way: 120 VAC, 12 VDC, propane ... and the user switches. The one on my trailer now is auto. Presumably it selects the proper power source or propane (if available).

Fridges will run off of 12 VDC, but they are power hogs. Make sure your TV is set up to power your battery during tow, or you'll arrive with a dead battery. Ford trucks, for example, do not come from the factory set up to supply power out the 7-pin. The customer has to installed a factory-supplied 30A relay in the fuse box.


First, thanks for referring it to a water heater and not the dreaded hot water heater. Much appreciated. If you run the water heater when empty, you will either burn up the electric element (electric heater on) or can damage the water heater (propane heater on).

When de-winterizing, you need to make sure that the water heater bypass lines are in the proper position. When bypass activated, the cold water line just loops over to the hot water line, bypassing the hot water tank. This is great, because it prevents antifreeze from going through the hot water tank when you winterize.

After de-winterizing, there are usually three stopcocks that look something like this (the knobs may be different):


You can see that the blue (cold) line enters the bottom of the hot water tank. The red (hot) line leaves the top of the tank. Then, there's a connection in the middle. This is the bypass. This particular picture shows the tank in winterized/bypass setup. The blue line into the hot water tank is stopped ... the valve is closed to prevent water into the tank. Similarly, the red line is stopped. Nothing is leaving the tank (or entering the top of the thank). The line in the middle is open. Thus, any water coming in the blue (cold) line will just circulate up into the red (hot) line.

You'd reverse this after you de-winterize. You want cold flowing into the tank. You want hot flowing out of the tank. You don't want the bypass to be open ... you want to force cold water into the tank.

When you do this and either connect city water or turn on the water pump (which are mutually exclusive options ... don't connect city water and turn on the water pump!), the hot water tank will automatically begin to fill. Once it does, you're ready to start heating.

My tank has two switches. The first is outside in the water heater panel. There's a pressure relief valve and the anode rod (which is also the drain). There's also a switch in there. Looks like this:


I have to turn this on first. Then, on the inside of my trailer, the electrical panel has two switches: one for propane water heater and one for electric water heater. The propane water heater is automatic ignition. Flip a switch and I'm done.

Alternatively, you might have a manual propane water heater. It would look similar to this (and you can see the pilot/run knob that you would use when manually lighting the propane burner):



And, that's it. Make sure you have water in the tank. Make sure the switches are in the right position. Ignite and wait.


Whatever you need to have a fun time.

For inside comfort and living: bedding, cookware, towels (extras), blankets, pillows, toiletries, clothes, paper towels, nonperishables for backup food, utensils (both for cooking and for eating), dish soap, cleaning items (tubs, drying racks, etc.), soap and shampoo, bath mats, toilet paper, hygeine products, earplugs, electric heater.

For emergencies: try to keep a set of hand tools (wrenches, screw drivers, pliers, hammer, etc.), first aid items, duct tape, extra fuses, wire, wire stripper/crimper, etc.

For general maintenance: keep a broom around, trash bags, a receptacle for trash, something to manage dirty clothes that pile up, a means to access the top of your trailer (if not equipped with a ladder), various lubricants (WD-40, graphite lubricant, grease, etc.), portable air compressor (I don't have one, but want one), fresh water hose, black/grey water rinse hose, black water tank hose, attachments that make grey/black water tank flushing easier (many products from which to choose).

For setup and tear down: a means to level the trailer side to side (leveling blocks, wood planks, etc.; search on this for more options), 4x6 or 6x6 block for the tongue jack (I use 4x6), maybe blocks for the stabilizers (I use 4x6 here, too), I love the 3/4" socket that allow a drill to be used to lower/raise stabilizers, wheel chocks (at least 2, preferably 4), and any additional stabilization devices you want (valterra makes a cheap one; others offer rigid triangular approaches that tie into frames and such; I have no experience with any).

For outdoor comfort and convenience, consider an outdoor rug, tables, chairs, lanterns, flashlights, awning lights, bluetooth speakers, outdoor games (goodminton is our family favorite), supports for your awning (common, but I don't have any), leashes for dogs, outdoor stove (if that's your thing), shovel (great for fire management and dogs ... I don't handle dog crap with my hands), firewood (obey state regs, don't transport wood across state boundaries or other restricted boundaries), water container (I like to keep a 5-gal jug on the picnic table). This really starts getting dependent on the type of camping you do, who is with you, and the things you specifically enjoy.

Then, there are the consumables: food, water, drinks, clean clothes, propane, battery (ensure it's charged and in good shape), etc.

As much as possible, try to get trailer-specific items. Get pillows that stay in the trailer, deodorant that stays, toothbrushes that stay, your favorite camping shirt/coat/hat/knife that stays, bedding/sheets, blankets, and so on. To the extent that you can have trailer-only items, you simplify your life and minimize forgotten items.

Finally, there are the custom convenience items: upgrade analog thermostat to digital, add a push bar to the screen door, change locks on the CH751 doors, add electrical gauges, add solar, add multiple batteries, add inverters, add generators, and the list is infinite. Read and browse. Search the web for RV customization to get ideas on what is possible and what is interesting to you.

Good luck.

@67L48 - thank you! Great info!!

[CurtPutnam]

To all of this, I would add checklists. Develop a list for departure from home so that you don't forget necessary items such as meds or toothpaste. Develop a separate list for departing camp. There is at least one such list available someplace here.

For the 1st couple trips, consider writing down the hitch and unhitch steps. A setup list for camp arrival is good too, especially if you order events in their necessary sequence; i.e., level, stabilizers, hookup electrical and water, then slides, stc.

[Jakieboy]

Great advice from all contributors. The only thing I would add to the list is to travel to your favorite campgrounds with some good friends who also have RV's. We've been doing this for more than 40 years, and would not trade the memories for anything. Make sure some of your friends are good cooks!!

[Teetime]

One other suggestion if you store your camper at home. Wire up a 30 Amp RV outlet so you can run your fridge/freezer on your home shore power. We get it cooled down and load food, etc several days before a trip. When you hitch up and unplug, it will switch to propane for your travel time until you plug back into shore power when you camp. This saves the need for extra coolers, ice, etc.

[My17Ram]

Originally Posted by Teetime

One other suggestion if you store your camper at home. Wire up a 30 Amp RV outlet so you can run your fridge/freezer on your home shore power. We get it cooled down and load food, etc several days before a trip. When you hitch up and unplug, it will switch to propane for your travel time until you plug back into shore power when you camp. This saves the need for extra coolers, ice, etc.

Just to be clear, you don’t need a 30 amp outlet to plug your camper in. Just use an adapter and plug into a 15 or 20 amp outlet. You are only limited to using a lower amperage draw. No big deal.

[Hwkscr]

Thanks so much everyone! I have the 15amp adapter and my wife also found out that the A/C unit on and a hairdryer in the house equals a popped breaker [emoji51][emoji23]

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by Hwkscr

Greetings All,

We just purchased a new to us 2017 Apex Nano 193BHS. We are new to TT's and we purchased the unit from out of state and had it delivered, so I didn't get to do a walk-through of the unit to see all of the "how to's". None the less, I feel confident in our ability to figure things out.

I am assuming the unit is still winterized, are there any steps that need to be done to unwinterize?

Does the refrigerator cool while going down to road? Does it switch automatically from propane to electric?

How to I initiate the water heater? I know water heaters in homes need to be full prior to turning on the unit.



What are the must have items for a new TT?

Thank you for the tips.

Attachment 170404

Bought with no walkthrough,,,
You are One Brave Soul !!!

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by Hwkscr

Thanks so much everyone! I have the 15amp adapter and my wife also found out that the A/C unit on and a hairdryer in the house equals a popped breaker [emoji51][emoji23]

I would say something is not right @ Home ???

[donanddona]

Lots of good information here. 1st modification (screen door handle) and most likely most used.... They should come with one but....

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by donanddona

Lots of good information here. 1st modification (screen door handle) and most likely most used.... They should come with one but....

Right ON !!!

[Teetime]

It depends on what else is running, the adapter will not let you pull 30 amps like the RV outlet. You should not run the AC on the adapter, and if you have the fridge running along with anything else like the blow dryer, you may get a surge to trip the breaker. If you are only wanting to get your fridge cold and run some simple AC stuff, the adapter will do the trick. But if you want to have full service, including AC while at home, wire up the 30 AMP RV outlet.