RVing TIPS and IDEAS

RVing TIPS and IDEAS

Whether you're a newbee or a seasoned full-timer tips and ideas are always a good thing. Pamela and I started our journey to full-timing over three years ago. We had both had camping and trailering experience before that, BUT we always listen to a good tip or idea. Never turn down a tip/idea. If you already know it, do it, or feel your way is better, just say "thank you". If you're a newbee, most seasoned travelers won't mind in the least if you excitedly tell them about a tip you received or something you discovered. It might remind them of something they had done for ages and suddenly stopped. If you do run into a snotty camper, just ignore them. The vast majority of us enjoy and appreciate your enthusiasm.

So here's a start.

Don't take a chance on your electrical system. Campgrounds - even the best campgrounds - are infamous for power surges. A power surge can find your unit in the nearest shop and you spending your days in a hotel. Can you say "expensive". We have had a couple of friends whose rigs were fried. It was a disastrous and expensive for both - $1000 or more. We had a very basic surge protector for Willy - our 35 year old 16 foot trailer. There was almost nothing to fry except the converter/inverter, but that was more than we were will to risk. When we bought our 20 foot 2017 model Springdale we realized how many things inside were dependent upon computer chips. We went with this much heavier surge protector. We hadn't had the heavier protector two months when it went off and protected us against a surge in a campground's power. $300+ well spent.

Our poor water systems get very little consideration. I would suggest that you have someone watching spigots when you turn on your water. You can't bounce anything down the road for hundreds or thousands of miles without plumbing joints starting to come lose. I actually find that drain lines are more common that water input, but you need to watch both carefully. When you are hooking to ANY source of water be sure your pressure regulator is the first thing on the spigot. Campgrounds generally have unbelievably high water pressure. Your RV just can't handle that high a pressure. If you don't have a pressure regulator, get one NOW. It will seem like you have very little water pressure but you will adjust and, if you use good equipment, you will do fine. For example, a high quality shower head with on-off switch by the head will give a great shower while saving water. But one trick that I don't see used very often, but which will avoid expensive repair, is the use of an L at the water input. This trick takes the weight and pressure of the hose off the side of your unit and off your water lines. It also makes a lower profile that gets the hose down to the ground immediately and less likely to be pulled or tripped over.

Here's a very simple idea that can save you the price of new trousers. How many of you have ruined your trousers with grease from your hitch ball? If you haven't, and don't use some sort of ball cover, you will. Hitch ball covers can be clever but almost always expensive. Besides, I always lose them. I use aluminum foil. It wraps tightly around the ball giving complete protection. It doesn't look bad and totally disposable.

How many of you know the actual height of your unit. If you never get away from interstates you probably don't have to worry about knowing, but, if you're like us and travel a lot of state and even county roads, you want to know when you see a bridge height warning - 12 FT. Are you going to hit? Don't trust what's printed on the side of your unit - if it's new enough to have size information on it. It probably didn't consider your A/C unit or TV antenna. I measured Sinni from the highest point to the point at which the tires touch ground. I don't care if I can remember, I put the measurement on a piece of tape and affixed it to the dash near the driver's instrument cluster. This way I'm reminded to check as well as not having to rely upon quick recall when confronted with a low bridge.

Pamela and Russ

www.followsinni.com