Checklist for family to break-up daily tasks

[AirstreamCSH]

I've gone through all the posted checklists and others from various sites and have started the process of doing our own. My problem with most checklists is they are too comprehensive and become overwhelming yet you need to do all this stuff. Moreover, we will be doing this as a couple yet sometimes with up to 3 additional adult children helpers so I'm breaking the checklists down into discrete tasks that can be assigned rotationally and fit on cards so each person can follow the checklist in their own time.

The plan is to have 3 cards for (Departure & Arrival) where 2 are permanently laminated and 1 is issued daily because it contains all the metrics the first driver of the day would need to know before leaving. Metrics card gets stored in a small card file box so we can go back and see if a tire has been a problem, etc.
One card would be for whenever we do a dump.

DEPARTURE - Interior (everything except metrics)
DEPARTURE - Exterior including Hitch/Utilities/Stabilizers excepting Metrics
DEPARTURE - METRICS

ARRIVAL - Campsite Setup (Table, fire, grill, wood, hammock, etc)
ARRIVAL - Exterior including Hitch/Utilities/Stabilizers
ARRIVAL - Interior (Meal or Hiking Food Prep)

EVENING PRE-DEPARTURE - group discussion assignments on the fly

DUMP - All the detailed steps

So I'm curious if
(1) anyone else has a system to do setup/takedown by a group this way
(2) your thoughts on the DEPARTURE METRICS card below.

Expect to finish this by the end of the week and will follow the format for the INTERIOR CHECKLIST with everything fitting on an AVERY postcard size.

Thanks,

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Some of the stuff you have really is better put on a "daily" card. If you want to get more specific, a "lockup before we leave for the day" and a "check up for the night" routine are what I'm getting at. Things like awnings, fan vents, power, and locks are a "when we leave for a hike" issue. Things like tank fill level, trash empty, milk in fridge, and the like are sort of a once a day set of checks. The theory here being that smaller lists, done more often are generally a better way to go. If you miss an item today, you likely will catch it tomorrow. If it rains today and the vent was open ... oopsss. More likely it won't rain today and you'll catch it tomorrow

The thing with any set of lists is making sure they have been done. People get distracted when running through this stuff. It gets done but not checked. It gets checked, but not done. That part is tough to deal with. Some do a "no talking during checks" rule simply to reduce the distractions. This has *big* issues as well ... (why didn't you mention the flat tire ...).

Next layer to the onion: Any manual inspection process is only about 80% good. Pick up any QA text book and that will be in the first couple of chapters. If you want to bump it up, inspect multiple times. A check list is very much a manual inspection process. The way to fight that is to turn it into a routine. This person always does this that person does that. Still not ideal ....

Bob

[rmkrum]

Good set of ideas here, thanks!

[Piggy Bank]

We find that often times the interior and exterior tasks need a good degree of coordination, depending on set up and weather conditions.

Also what needs to be done can depend on if you goal is to move onto the next day, or put away and go home.

Examples are that the dishes need to be done and kitchen and bathroom cleaned before water can be disconnected. Now turn off water heater. Then run taps and empty water heater and water holding tank to empty into gray and black. After that open water heater plug to drain water heater.

If it's hot, then last thing done is to disconnect electric so that the AC can run.

If not hot, then can be done sooner.

Also a bug-out if bad weather is approaching is good to consider. By that I mean only essential tasks for hitching up and moving. Cleanup later at next stop.

We find that the best result comes from every member of the party knowing all of the steps, and asking one another have you done this yet?

[StreamDog]

We like to keep it simple, but safe, so we have departure only checklists - one for the inside (0n the bulletin board) and one for the outside (under the propane cover lid). These checklists only list task that need to be done to avoid disasters, i.e. "raise stab jacks" will be on the list, but not "wipe down counter".

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Another way to break things down into smaller chunks is to do it by time. Stashing everything inside the trailer comes before setting up the hitch.

The real way to optimize the lists is to use them. You will forget stuff. Analyze why you missed it. Work out which list it goes on (or moves to). Not everything should be on the "last check high priority" list. Often it's a good idea to move an item off a list each time you move something onto it.

Bob

[FishByFly]

AirstreamCSH, I may have something you can work from. My checklist is on three cards. One side is the interior and the other is exterior. The cards are for departure, arrival, and winterizing. My wife laminated ours today and gave them to me for our wedding anniversary; a great and thoughtful gift! If interested, the file is on my computer and I'll find a way to post it.

[Doc Foster]

Originally Posted by Piggy Bank

Then run taps and empty water heater and water holding tank to empty into gray and black. After that open water heater plug to drain water heater.

Am I missing something here?
I don't empty the taps or the water heater until the end of the season or the end of a long trip?

[eggman]

If your family is so used to schedules, checklists , and chore charts... jump right ahead and good for you! Mine , on the otherhand, would
a: ignore
b: laugh
c: refuse with the "I'm on vacation" wail"

Have everyone learn no more than 3 essential tasks , age and strength appropriate , that they are responsible for every time. After these are mastered , switch up. Have the expert teach the newbie. As for the "wipe down the counter " type chores, EACH streamer needs to take responsibility for his own needs, areas, activities, etc. at all times . Same as home.
Its not a fun trip if one person is doing all the work while the others play and vacay; it is slso no fun if the Captain is barking orders and checking boxes.

[AirstreamCSH]

All good ideas here. We made up three 4x5 index cards: Metrics/Driver where info is written down, a Departure Inside/Outside card and an Arrival/ Dump card. Logic of wipe down is that while we are all responsible to clean up, reality is people don't always do a great job. So at least upon each departure, we know the counters are Lysol clean for when we arrive.

[Piggy Bank]

Originally Posted by Doc Foster

Am I missing something here?
I don't empty the taps or the water heater until the end of the season or the end of a long trip?

We store our rig clean and dry, so we drain everything on day of departure

[demijac]

We like to keep it simple stupid. Here's how we do it. She does the inside; he does the outside. Before we leave, she asks him if he put the jack up (the worst thing he sometimes forgets) and he asks her if she turned the pump off (the worst thing she sometimes forgets). Very unprofessional, we know, but it works well for us. Also, there's never a question about who was supposed to do what which is great for any marriage in tight quarters.

CAVEAT: We are full-timers and mostly on the move so it is easier for our checklists to be permanently etched in our heads and muscle memory. If, however, you Airstream infrequently, we definitely see the value of checklists - especially for getting your rig out of storage mode, departure, putting back in storage mode and any periodic maintenance.

Cheers!

[babybeluga]

Yesterday we wanted to drink a fruit smoothie and enjoy the ocean view as long as possible. We were paying (gulp, $200. A night for that prime real estate). But we also did not want to pay the additional $20. for every 15 minutes past check out time. So we did cut our close up camp time.
We do have our husband/ wife assignments that fluctuate if someone has extra time.
We so far get the preventing disaster things done. On the way home we realized we did not convert the refrigerator from electricity and I did not replace the bars for holding things in place. The food was fine and some (dry) coffee spilled in the cupboard. It probably would have even if the bar was in. Should have been in a Ziplock. We are starting to feel the need for a simple checklist. I'm always instinctually wiping things down, but it would definitely not be on a checklist. I always clean pretty good when we get home and a touch up before we go the next time. Oh, I'm not sure we will remember where we put those darn cards. I do have an RV checklist App. Guess I will start there.

When leaving for a hike or outing things that will be on my list......

Adjust the awning
Make sure the fold down kitchen faucet is in the proper position so it will not turn the hot water on and run til it fills up the gray tank.