new to rv-ing

[JourneytoRet]

we're about 5 days away for our first rv. been busy reading the manuals and posts on this website - great resource as well as entertaining. we're gonna listen to the salesguy go over the info. what else is important for us newbies to know/do so we don't destroy the rv before we even get a chance to travel/camp? previously, we had a popup, then moved to a hybrid and now this! sorry for being so wordy, just excited i guess!

did purchase a rv gps...

[RocketManKen]

Welcome. New to Moho myself. I have driven / towed all kinds of stuff from pop-up to dump truck so my learning curve may have been shorter than some. Kind of like towing, square off turns. These things have incredible wheel cut angle. Have fun. I can't wait.

[n2916s]

Checklists are your friend. Especially before getting underway. In our case both the bridal unit and myself do the whole checklist separately. So far, knock on wood, we haven't torn off the antenna or pulled out a power pedestal or ripped away a sewage tube...

Don't let impatient drivers intimidate you. Take the space you need in a turn, go the speed you feel comfortable at, with the caveat that it is courteous to pull over and allow others to pass occasionally if you can't maintain the posted speed limit.

Don't let "get there-itis" push you. Better pull up short rather than prang something because you are tired.

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. Fix stuff later...

Mike

[wvabeer]

Welcome

[JourneytoRet]

great common sense info, thx. is there anything in particular i need the sales guy to go over while we're going over the rv? anything i need to listen/look for on the test drive?

oh, my parents are thinking of buying a rv! do they make a 2 bed version or is that just an ugly urban legend?

[Paul Dobbin]

Welcome. Make sure the dealer has somebody knowledgeable walk you through all the operations of the coach functions, and BOTH of you should pay attention. Manuals give information but practical hands on learning sticks better. Get the gas stove an furnace down pat from the beginning because this time of year it's to cold to do it the first time via the manual.
The check lists suggested are a must, that you will add to regularly. You will also learn form fellow RV'ers in campgrounds as you go. RV'ers are innovators and you'll see all kinds if good and bad ideas. One thing we enjoy is watching others set up in a new site, most people hook up way to much stuff for overnight stops. ( do only electric and TV for overnight, no flamingo's)
You didn't say if you were looking at an Airstream, if so, this is the place.

[Protagonist]

Watch your tailswing. There's more overhang in the back than you think, and you're more likely to sideswipe something with the rear quarter panel than any other damage.

Watch your height, too. Find out how tall it is, and make a label for the dashboard saying, "Height xx feet yy inches" as a reminder. You probably won't have a problem with most overpasses or other bridges, but you may snag low tree limbs because the average non-RV driver hardly ever looks up except at traffic lights.

[JourneytoRet]

we're about to get a 2000 ly. is there any merit in getting the good sam warranty/coverage? what have you "old hands" found to be the best? most likely, we'll stay at a location for 6 months at a time, but during that time, we'll make a 300 mile trek back every couple of months to check on my and side seat driver's parents.

[JourneytoRet]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

Watch your tailswing. There's more overhang in the back than you think, and you're more likely to sideswipe something with the rear quarter panel than any other damage.

Watch your height, too. Find out how tall it is, and make a label for the dashboard saying, "Height xx feet yy inches" as a reminder. You probably won't have a problem with most overpasses or other bridges, but you may snag low tree limbs because the average non-RV driver hardly ever looks up except at traffic lights.

i'll check out the sideswipe. i'm also worried about getting the undercarriage caught on the road where there's ungentle transition (between the main road and the road our house is on). how do you know other than driving really slow while someone watches?

[JourneytoRet]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

Watch your tailswing. There's more overhang in the back than you think, and you're more likely to sideswipe something with the rear quarter panel than any other damage.

Watch your height, too. Find out how tall it is, and make a label for the dashboard saying, "Height xx feet yy inches" as a reminder. You probably won't have a problem with most overpasses or other bridges, but you may snag low tree limbs because the average non-RV driver hardly ever looks up except at traffic lights.

i like the reminder of the overall height. snagging the roof would just ruin my day, methinks.

[jrkeef]

Welcome to the Airstream MH Community. We have been camping with an Airstream travel trailer for years but just acquired our LY. Best advice we got was to drive it around roads you know to get used to it. Practice backing up and parking a big parking. Check the front air bag pressure. Ours was down and putting it back to 80lbs psi really helped the drive. Great advice on the check list. Just like a pilot goes thru a preflight check do the same with your MH. Do it everytime. Good luck!

[mimiandrews]

If possible, have someone video the salesman's walk-thru. Then you'll have something to review a few times when you're newly out on your own.

[Protagonist]

During the walk-through, also go through ALL of the owner's manuals. When I received my owner's manual packet, a few manuals were missing, notably the water heater and LPG detector (both Atwood products, by the way, which may or may not be significant as to why the manuals were missing).

I didn't go through the owner's manual packet during the walk-through, and didn't realize that those two manuals were missing until I had problems with both items and wanted to refer to the manuals.

Also during the walk-through, check how everything works on shore power, and again on battery power. This same reasoning applies to anything with multiple power sources. For the water heater and refrigerator, check them on both electric and propane.

Make sure you also check on municipal water and on the fresh tank. You can't check the water pump on municipal water, so unless they at least partially fill the fresh tank, you can't tell if the pump is working.

[AdamB]

Congratulations on getting an Airstream motorhome!

We purchased our 1996 Cutter almost two years ago and take it out about 6 times per year on all kinds of trips. I'm going to quickly talk about all the repairs we made to ours so far so that you get an idea of what could happen with a 13 year old rig that has been kept in decent shape:

• New shock absorbers all around (Bilstein)
• New rear brake rotors & pads
  
  • Previous owner did tell me that he didn't use any braking system whatsoever when he towed his Jeep. Although I always towed my car with supplemental brakes, I learned the hard way ($$$) that his not doing so ate up the rear rotors.
• All three deep cycle batteries replaced
• New Fantastic Fan (falling apart due to old age)
• New marker lights (old age, broken and leaking)
• New converter (old one barely working)
• New shower head
• Replaced all conical washers in the fresh water system (leaks were occurring everywhere - most RV parts dealers won't have them)
• New fresh water pump (old one old and leaking)
• New plastic hardware for Winegard antenna (old, yellow and broken)
• New Dometic awning handles (old age again and broken)
• New black and grey water drain valves
• New water inlet
• All kinds of drawer hardware, latches and mirror tabs have been replaced, like almost everything else made of rubber or plastic, the age of these items make them brittle and fall apart

Here's what's immediately on hand for replacement right now

• New skylight (ordering from Maxim Skylights this week)
• New powered vent fan over shower
• New refrigerator vents (both roof and side)
• New range hood vent
• New bathroom powered vent
• Reseal front windshield
• Reseal & refurbish all windows
• New front tires
• Install headlight relays
• Replace kitchen, bathroom and outside water faucets

Back burner issues:

• The fridge is a bit wonky, it works but will need repair sooner or later
• The previous owner had it set up for satellite tv and I have to resort the wiring

All the repairs I've made so far probably cost less than $1000. The stuff I have going on right now is probably going to be about the same. I can't even think about upgrades (like new flooring, new upholstery and new stereo) until I tackle the other stuff first.


Since it looks like you are purchasing from a dealer, I would insist that they do an extremely thorough inspection, with you doing a follow up inspection, and have them correct as much as possible before you take possession. While we had our unit inspected by a reputable repair facility who took care of a lot of maintenance before we bought it from a private owner, we did have to take care of a lot more issues once we hit the road. And on the road, you'll find out that there are very few Airstream parts centers out there. You'll also get a lot of grief from general RV parts centers because Airstream uses a LOT of parts that are uniquely Airstream. So be sure to get yourself a set of extra fuses, washers, mirror tabs, door parts and others. We keep these extras in one of the drawers under the tv. For example, I needed some extra parts for drawers and got them here.


Leaks of all kinds have been the most frustrating for us and usually aren't very expensive to repair (unless wood rot has started). Make sure they pressurize the coach with air and use soapy water over all of the roof vents (skylight) and side windows to identify & repair leaks. Turn on the generator and put a load on it (A/C, fridge, lights) and observe that it is functioning correctly (like for at least a half hour). Have them test the converter as well. In short, observe the operation of every single plumbing fixture, appliance, electrical outlet, heating and air conditioning, light, tv, radios and so forth.


We really love traveling in our Airstream motorhome and you will too. However, we were so used to the simple reliability of our small Bigfoot travel trailer, that it took us a while to realize how much a big class A needs in terms of TLC.



Enjoy!

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by AdamB

Make sure they pressurize the coach with air and use soapy water over all of the roof vents (skylight) and side windows to identify & repair leaks.

A motorhome doesn't have to be airtight in order to be weather-tight.

I've heard of people taking the motorhome to a truck wash and aiming high-pressure water at windows and skylights to see if they leak, but this is the first I've heard of pressurizing it and using soapy water, as if the motorhome was a flat tire.

[AdamB]

Hi Protagonist,

Having a similar coach which is a similar age as the original author of this thread, I was trying to get across that the number one problem that will most likely be experienced are leaks from many sources. Identifying and repairing the sources of these leaks will be crucial to a happy and less troublesome motorhome experience. I did not state anywhere in my post about the necesity of having an airtight motorhome.

This service is increasingly available at many rv repair shops. For example:

RV LEAK FINDERS - Home
Sealtech Manufacturing Inc. - RV leaks bubbles recreational vehicles
Seal Tech Rainwater Leak Test

Cheers!

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by AdamB

Hi Protagonist,

Having a similar coach which is a similar age as the original author of this thread, I was trying to get across that the number one problem that will most likely be experienced are leaks from many sources. Identifying and repairing the sources of these leaks will be crucial to a happy and less troublesome motorhome experience. I did not state anywhere in my post about the necesity of having an airtight motorhome.

This service is increasingly available at many rv repair shops. For example:

RV LEAK FINDERS - Home
Sealtech Manufacturing Inc. - RV leaks bubbles recreational vehicles
Seal Tech Rainwater Leak Test

Cheers!

I misunderstood when you said "pressurize". I stand corrected.

[BAB]

Everything in life that's worth anything has challenges...that includes leaks!