5 Signs You're An RV BEGINNER

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Come walk with us through some of the campgrounds  we’ve been to as we share 5 things we see that   let us know you’re still a beginner. Let’s get  started! We’ve been through a lot of campgrounds   and there are a number of things we see that  are beginner mistakes. Even some of the most   seasoned campers still make these mistakes. Have  you seen RVs set to takeoff and ready to fly? Do   you know what we mean? It’s when a motorhome  is setup in a campsite with their tires in the   air. We’ve noticed so many motorhomes with  their front end up in the air. It makes us   think there’s still a beginner running that RV.  Every once in a while we see the rear tires off   the ground. The RV forums are filled with the  debate as to whether it is ok to have your tires   off the ground when parked at campgrounds. But,  we’ve heard of enough damage done to RVs to know   that when parked, keep your tires on the ground. We never talk with an RV owner about this issue   though because everyone has their opinion. We  can’t wait to hear them in the comments! But, if   not for the benefit of the RV then for the benefit  of your camping experience. We’ve noticed when   tires are up in the air the RV moves a lot more.  A kid rolls over in bed at night and the whole RV   shakes. The more surface that is on the ground  the less the RV shakes and moves. So, for that   we keep all six of our tires on the ground when  camping. But there are parts of the RV you can   damage if your tires are off the ground. We know  there are a lot of parts that keep your tire on   the RV. All of these parts can get stressed when  the RV is left in the air for days. If the rear   tires are off the ground then the parking brake  is useless. Yes the jacks are on the ground but if   the RV is swaying due to a storm the jacks could  bend or break. If the tires are off the ground you   are putting stress on the leveling jacks and may  damage them. If that is not enough to change your   mind, most RV manuals say to never camp with your  tires off the ground. But one thing you can easily   do so that you don’t have your tires in the air  is plan ahead. Review campground videos to see the   sites in the campground and see whether the sites  are level. That is why we do our reviews like this   in a walk and talk format. We want you to see as  many sites as you can to get a good look at the   campground so you know what you are getting into.  If you have any concerns you can ask a question in   the video comments for the creator or you can call  the campground office and talk them through your   request, to have a level site reserved. But if you  feel like you’re still going to have this problem,   get a set of leveling blocks. We use these  blocks often to deal with both front tires   off the ground. We’ve also used them when one side  is lower than the other side. You really need two   sets of these blocks if the rear tires are going  to end up off the ground. But these pads aren’t   that durable. We recommend if you need more under  the tires to take 2x12 or 2x10 lumber, to setup as   your base and put the leveling blocks on those  if you need a lot of height adjustment. With a   little care you can look like a seasoned pro with  all your tires on solid ground. Or maybe you’ve   seen the Kite Runner camping. Another beginner  mistake is when you leave your awning extended   out when you leave the campground without checking  the weather. We’ve seen this many times. In fact,   we watched this awning on a Thor Palazzo get  destroyed at Wahweap RV Park and Campground on   Lake Powell. The weather was 110 degrees and there  were sustained winds of 20 miles per hour with   gusts over 50 miles per hour. The wind was so bad  that we were getting sandblasted on the beach and   we weren't allowed to take a boat out on Lake  Powell. So, when we came back to the campground   and discovered the Palazzo, it pained us to watch  but you just can’t go into someone’s RV when they   aren’t there. But before you get upset we did  try to help. A police officer cruised through   the campground and we flagged him down. We have  a Palazzo, too and know that the awning switch   is just inside the door. But even the police  would not touch the RV due to the current state   of things between them and the community. It makes  sense. You never know if there is a dog inside or   stuff that might cause problems. We also called  the campground office and let them know. But,   for your sake, when you leave for the day, put  your awning away and other stuff and know the   weather. We have three more to go. What do you  see that lets you know someone is a beginner   in the campground? We’d like to know. Join the  conversation and let us know your advice in the   comments. Have you ever seen an RV that looks like  it needs a glass of V8? There’s a lot of beginner   RVers that come into the campground and set up  their RV unlevel. Most of the time this happens   with trailers as their axles are in the middle of  the RV. We saw this trailer at the United States   Space and Rocket Center campground in Huntsville,  Alabama. The trailer has leveling jacks and they   pulled in earlier in the day. They just chose not  to use them. Beginners may not know that there are   a few issues with this. One is your comfort.  When you sleep you will want a level surface   so the blood doesn’t rush to your head if you are  sleeping down hill. But you may be putting stress   on the RV that doesn’t need to happen. When an RV  is unlevel and you are using it, you can damage   door hinges and door frames. Door latches may not  work well. Refrigerators need to be level in order   to function properly. Water systems need to be  level so the water flows well. Your black and gray   water tank gauges will take incorrect readings  and you may overflow your tanks. But slideouts   may be the biggest problem. If you try to use  your slideouts when the RV is unlevel chances   are they will break and you will have a disabled  RV to repair. Additionally, you will put stress on   the frame and other parts and cause damage when a  little time leveling will create a better camping   experience. The leveling blocks are great for  travel trailers, too. We’ll put links in the   video description to give you examples of what we  are talking about so you can get more information.   Walking around the campground we see a lot of RVs  that need a visit from the Super Mario Brothers.   This is a true beginner's mistake. Especially,  if you are out West, in a drought, or in the   desert like here in Trailer Village at the Grand  Canyon’s South Rim. I walked through the park a   few times to get these views and noticed a handful  of beginners based on their water hookup. If your   water is leaking at the RV you are damaging your  walls and floors and materials in the RV and will   quickly have rot and mold to deal with. RVs are  big sponges when they get wet due to the particle   board and insulation they use to build them. But  if you are leaking at the campground water hookup,   you are just wasting electricity and water  resources. When we have a leak with the   water hookup we fill our fresh water tank and  disconnect from the campground. This keeps the   water from leaking and prevents the destruction  of your RV and wasting resources. Campers create   a lot of waste that can destroy the environment  that we are enjoying. Using water as a precious   one we’ve been to, you will see our campground  review in your search results. Without wasting   anymore time let’s get to the next one. Water  and Electricity don’t mix except when identifying   someone new to RVing. So, let’s bring out our  inner Benjamin Franklin. It took us a while to   learn this one and wasted a warm sunny afternoon  in a campground because we were beginners. Never   again. We had a travel trailer and a class A Gas  motorhome before this became a problem and we   learned our lesson. We were camping in our brand  new to us Class A Diesel motorhome on our first   trip out and ran into trouble. When we arrived and  went to setup camp we dropped our leveling jacks,   turned the engine off, and plugged into the  campground. But, the slideouts wouldn’t work.   I pulled out the user manuals and did my best  to troubleshoot the issue. I checked fuses and   circuit breakers. The slideout motors had power  and it didn’t make sense. So, I started making   phone calls. Roadside RV assistance wouldn’t help  because I was parked in a campground and not broke   down on the road. I called Thor and the service  tech wanted to work the issue with a volt meter. I   didn’t have one. We were stuck with the slideouts  in. Not the worst problem but still an issue when   you’ve been on the road all day in a tight RV.  and oh by the way this day was the best weather   day of the week and we wanted to play instead  of deal with this. I decided to make another   call to Thor and I got another service tech. He  shared with me the information I needed to solve   my problem. Nothing I tried or heard over 4 hours  worked. But he had the solution. There is a 5 amp   fuse for the switch that I didn’t know about and  it had blown due to power from the campground. I   know it was the RV park because the fuse blew  two more times that week. Beginners don’t want   to spend the money on a surge protector. These  expensive little pieces of equipment are good   insurance from an electrical issue that will ruin  your camping trip. Since using a surge protector   we have not had any issue with blown fuses  or electrical issues from storms or from the   campground power. We’ll put in the description the  less expensive surge protector that has kept our   electrical system safe RVers who have camped any length of time will   run into bad power at a campground and will buy  a surge protector. Save yourself a break down and   look one up today. To keep learning about campgrounds  and camping with your RV watch this video next.
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Channel: CampBrood
Views: 255,525
Rating: undefined out of 5
Keywords: beginner rv mistakes, rv living for beginners, tips for new rv owners, beginner rving, beginner rv, beginner rver, rving for beginners, first time rv, things every new rv owner should know
Id: LDzCphffagg
Channel Id: undefined
Length: 8min 9sec (489 seconds)
Published: Tue Nov 07 2023
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