One big tip for your sewer for the brandnew newbie. Make sure when you setup that your holding tanks are closed. If not, when you take the cover off to hookup your sewer, you will be in for a surprise (and a not so pleasant one). Don't ask me how I know.
One thing I would add to the beginning of this video: Make sure to check the electric and water connections from the campground BEFORE DOING ANYTHING! You don't want to go through all your leveling and setting up your slides before you find out there's a problem with either one of them. Read about this happening to another newbie after they were all set up and found out they had no power at their site. May not happen often, but well worth 2 extra minutes to check BEFORE you've set everything up.
Great idea! For ordinary 110VAC household outlets I have a very simple plug-in device, bought at a big-box home improvement store for cheap, that immediately tells me if a circuit is good, has a floating ground, floating neutral, reversed hot & neutral (my father-in-law thought nothing of doing this), etc. I haven't checked, but it seems it would be easy to get a similar device for the RV outlets, which appear to be 220VAC. Of course, checking water is even easier.
Thanks for the great video for those of us who are just starting out. One thing I noticed from my many moons working as a building inspector is that if you are going to connect both the black water tank purge hose and the clean water tank hose to the same tee at the same time, the black water hose needs to have a back flow prevention device at the tee connection to eliminate any possibility of cross contamination of your clean water supply.
A little tip I learned from a seasoned RV'r... fresh water hose ideas. I used to store my hose like you, but he taught me to screw the ends together so nothing can gets in like dirt or little bugs. Then flush out before connecting it to the camper... you did that while testing for leaks. Great job and we are super jealous of yall! We will be taking a trip like that some day after we retire God willing!
Thats a good idea. I started doing that a couple months ago to my gray water hose because I store in my truck. I'm sure you'll make it happen! It's worth the wait...
Just bought my first REAL travel trailer and between your channel and "All About RV's" I've been learning TONS. I can't thank you guys enough for all of the informative, and entertaining content. Keep up the fantastic work!
Mark, I’m from the future, and I want you to know that your videos were great 3 years ago, but damn you get so much better at this over time. Thanks for great content!
Thanks for the information! We will be new to RV-ing and looking for this exact information. Maybe one on how to break down would be great. Thanks again!
Heres a tip. To clean my black water tank hose I shut off the grey water drain for the last few showers and then when I have emptied my blackwater, I shut that tank off and then open the soapy water from the grey tank. It flushes out the gunk in the sewer hose and then after disconnect attach a Camco fitting that allows for the black water hose to give it a final flush. After that its squeaky clean.
That's a great idea. Funny you should mention that... with 5 people in the trailer, I've been leaving the grey tank open and then close it on the last day to do exactly what you said. This way I don't have to run out and open it after the third long kid shower. :)
I am really learning so much from your videos. I am sitting with my notepad, taking down all your helpful tips and making a lists. The only thing I would suggest is that you keep everything in order. You have "making sure you back up into a spot that has no barriers for slide-outs and awnings" in your third step. I would think this would be the first step, then chocking, and then leveling. Besides that small whine, each step you mentioned was very helpful and I really appreciate the videos.
It's pretty hard to get my wife to watch anything informational on the internet, but she got a kick out of u guys and actually learned alot. So thanks to u both for the informative and entertaining RV videos. 👌👍
How fun it is to go back and rewatch some of the early videos. I have restarted the entire How-To playlist, so much more to refresha and remember. Thanks to you and your family for sharing your memories.
Being a newbie RVer myself, and attempting to do it as correctly as possible, I agree with the others about the Surge Protector, to protect your rig, and the anti-siphon or backwash regulators to avoid cross contamination. Also being a RN, I have one more suggestion regarding the handling of your fresh water hose, I recommend you don't throw the open ends on the ground, even if you end up getting caps for it because one never knows whose puppy peed or pooped in that exact spot last lol. Great video though, very informative. Thanks for sharing it, and safe travels.
I like to have the faucets open when I hook up my fresh water so I don't have trapped air in the lines which could pop lines and also the faucets don't have stress when you turn them on.
I loved this video as a newbie RVer it is absolutely educational, also i got just as excited as the young sir was when he was telling his mom about the air trampoline 😊, i love kids, and love to see their little faces light up when they're excited about something 😊
Very good video. I have a 39 foot fifth wheel with the 50 AMP connector on the back of the RV. Before I unhitch my truck, I plug the power cable in, and stretch it to the power pedestal to make sure it reaches.
I can't tell you how much I enjoy your video series! I've recently retired from the Army, and we are getting our first 5th wheel in the very near future. I literally take copious notes while watching your series. We keep Amazon in business by buying parts and pieces you highlight (Robust Gloves, Y Splitter, water regulator etc) a little at a time so we'll be ready on day one. Absolute great job and much appreciated information! You have a beautiful family--we love the window into your adventures!
I love watching you guys! We have doing the RV thing now for 7 years.. Not full timers.. just long weekend warriors.. Couple of tips 1) , we have bright LED awning lights.. We typically get to campgrounds at night as we travel a lot on a Thursday after work. So when I get to the campground.. I turn on the awning lights, and it provides some extra light to help me see the campsite as I am parking.. One other tip.. If you take a fuse, bend the prongs inwards a little.. stick in the two connections at the top of your 7-pin connector, it jumps the power to the marker lights. We always do that. It really helps at night when you walk away from the camper.. then when trying to remember where you are parked at.. you will always know which camper is yours because odds are, you will be the only one lit up.
We are new to owning a camper and you all have been a life saver and make my husband a little less nervous about going out on our own..So much fun to watch your journey!!!🤗 thank you sooo much- DEBBIE from Michigan
After fighting with that accordion thing for the sewer hose, I bought brown plastic guttering from a hardware store. Cut into several different lengths an use small 2x4 wood blocks to adjust the height. Also, I now use quality quick connects on all my water lines, from Lowes. They cost a little, but make set up easier and a bit faster. I use a 4 way splitter on the water spicket so I have one for fresh water, one for the black tank clean-out hose, one for an extra hose that I sometimes use to clean the RV or spray off the outdoor carpet. I always leave one un-used. Some campsites (although few) share waters spickets between sites. I assume your black water clean out has a built in back flow preventer, which I keep on mine. Another tip, I always turn off the water before leaving camp when visiting places because RV water lines, connections & fittings are what they are and can fail, you can imagine the rest. Only takes a second to turn that little valve. Ask me how I know, or don't...
We just purchased our travel trailer and are preparing for our first trip. This is the best video I've seen so far to help prepare, and I've seen a bunch. Thanks.
I always put 5 gallons of water in the cleaned black tank. This is helpful while you continue to camp or when in storage. I never leave the black tank completely dry to cake up or harden.
Great how to video!!! Another great idea is to have an anti backflow valve connected to your grey water hose. That way there is no chance of fresh water contamination at the fresh water bib.
Chuck Lawson by all means a backflow preventer they also make pressure regulator you put that at the hose bib at the shore they're kind of expensive so you wouldn't want to forget it
Chuck Lawson Read my comment above about an external backflow preventor. My new RV already had one built into the factory clean out system with paperwork stating not to add another preventor.
One thing we would definitely suggest adding to your setup is a surge protector. You never know how reliable the electrical hookups will be. One power surge can take out all of your appliances & electrical system. Enjoying y'alls videos. Safe travels & happy camping!
My only suggestion is to have a bleach water spray and quickly spray down the water connection prior to hooking your hose up. You won't believe what people will do (rinsing the stinky slinky out using the fresh water spicket, yuck! I'm sure your 409 would work too, just spray and rinse before connecting. Great video! Safe travels.
Hey guys! Love your videos... probably the most professional out there. :) It may have been mentioned before, but BEFORE you connect your fresh water filter to your trailer, run water through it. The initial blast of water will send out a cloud of charcoal that won't be settling in your fresh water tank.(and clogging up your water pump when you use it)
very informative video, wish i would have watched something like this when we got our first travel trailer about 5 years ago. we dont do much camping at places with hook ups, but the first time out we went somewhere that did, boy there is so much to learn when starting out. the only thing i would add to anyone new, anyone with a new or older trailer is to switch to led bulbs in everything and add solar panels. panels even from harbor freight (bigger 3 panel ones) saves you so much hassle with generators or reconnecting to vehicle to recharge batteries. i havent had to worry about draining batteries using the heater when its colder at night or having low or dead batteries leaving a light on while out for the day. anyway, i look forward to watching your other videos and maybe learn something new.
Thanks for taking the time to make this excellent video. 😀 We haven't camped in years. Just bought a 29 ft travel trailer and taking off Monday for a few days. A great refresher video. Safe travels.
FYI, You realize the water filter short white spring covered adapter is to support the hose coming off the rig. The 90’ adapter is great but that’s the purpose of the short white hose that comes with the filter.
Sir, you and your wife are so amazing for doing this video. I've yet to find a video like this one on YT. My fiancee and I are purchasing a trailer within the next 30-60 days and had no clue on how to do these processes. Thank you so much for sharing. Your have a beautiful family. You just got a new subbie. 😀
Welcome to the channel. Thanks so much for the comment. Yes, it wasn't very long ago... I was in the exact same situation as you and found very little on TH-cam. I said to myself, at the point I think I know what I'm doing... I'm going to make a video start to finish! I've since learned even more and need to update it! There is much more to learn if you watch our other videos. More how to videos coming too. -Marc
TamLa B there are a lot of videos on TH-cam on how to buy a travel trailer and how to inspect it specially roof leaks no one wants to buy something that has black mold and rotting floors I would love to buy a used trailer from Arizona it's dry wood would be good
Mark great video. the surgical rubber gloves a very good thing. Some folks do cross contaminate them selves when taking the gloves off. A good thing to practice is too see how well you do removing them. Apply shaving cream, lather them up, now remove them to see that you can remove them without getting any shaving cream on you and you're hands.
I accept your shaving cream challenge! Now I just need to find shaving cream... stopped shaving after Michigan (which should be next weeks video). I usually do take them off carefully, but we're going to find out. Thanks for the comment.
I suggest adding quick disconnect hose fitting to all the hoses. It will save the plastic connectors on the RV from getting stripped and will speed up your connecting & disconnecting. Lowes has quality brass disconnects cheaper than Amazon. I also carry a spare drinking water hose which I connect to the 'Y' valve with a hose sprayer attached. That gives you & the family an easy way to wash things outside the RV.
That is a brilliant idea. Amazon has them too :) And they'll be delivered to our next destination. Do they stick out very far? Can they be left on while driving? I guess that would be the point if they don't stick out to far.
I was stationed on a submarine for quite a few years. Whenever we were in port, our mechanics would connect our sanitary tanks (black water) to the shore services. In addition, we were required to wrap the connections in clear plastic bags (think garbage bags) and secure to the hoses with duct tape. In the event of a leak or blown hose, the bags would give us just enough time to stop the pumping evolution and correct the problem before we sprayed the pier and water with black water.Just a thought.
That's too much extra effort for an almost daily job when your hand is on a manual level. I think you were pumping a lot more with electrical pumps. However, here is what I do to double check the connection. I pull the grey first to check for leaks, drips etc. If all is good, I pull the black and then go back to the grey to flush it all out.
He did good getting a regulator for the water. But one thing you should also get is a surge protector that goes on the line (The surge protector would go into the tree and your RV's main line would plug into the surge protector) coming from the power tree because as you travel from campground to campground, you can never be sure of the quality of the power coming out. Especially since so many rigs have sensitive electronics in them these days. It would be similar to installing a stage 2 surge protector in your houses circuit breaker panel. And when you get one, don't get the cheapest one. Get a good one.
I keep a small jack stand too if you changing tire jack won't go high enough use jack Stand I work on a race car we have flat metal plate welded on the bottom. nice chunk of plywood helps too every change a tire in the mud change Tire right front in mud now that's fun
We have not had an RV for years, like 18 and are going to purchase a TT and this really helped jog my memory and did learn a few new tricks. Thanks for the great video.. I am hitting the subscribe because I love watching you guys and learn also.. I was amazed to learn you are full timing it with the five of you. That is so awesome for your children. Thanks and God Bless..
Thanks so much for this video on dumping! We just bought our 1st RV today and there was someone that talked through how to do this but watching it actually done is extremely helpful! We are hoping to take our new " home on wheels" out for the first time this week! Wish us luck xxxx😉
Great video!!! Since the electrical service at most campgrounds is not "clean" electricity and prone to brown outs and black outs, spend the money for a HIGH QUALITY surge protector. It will save your rig. Research what you need and do it sooner rather than later.
Finally trying to catch up to ur early days...so funny to hear u say “6 month tour”. Your family is now on year 3 or something! Love u guys. Absolutely great edits even on ur early stuff. Thanks
when setting your awning, there is a nut on the arms that extend out, loosen one of those and push the spring loaded arm in on one side a couple inches. This will cause your awning to be a little at a slanted angle from one side to the other. Doing this eliminates your awning from becoming a kite in breezy conditions and makes the air flow right thru. Didn't believe it til i saw it, but it works like a champ even at 20 mph winds.
I can't tell you how hopeful your videos are. getting my first camper in two weeks and knowing so much of this stuff in advance is nice... Thanks guys. :)
So glad i found your channel.. my wife an di are about to change up everything, selling our house in South Africa, and buying an RV trip around the US before settling down... i think your videos are gonna save a LOT of trouble!
Looks like you pretty much have everything under control. I do some things differently. We use walkie talkies so we can clearly hear and understand each other when maneuvering our travel trailer in and out of spaces. I use heavy solid rubber chock blocks as I've seen plastic ones get blown away by wind. I use a block of wood under the tongue jack as I personally don't trust plastic. A stabilizing jack when extended just a little too far can cause the trailer body to torque and have had an occasion when the door wouldn't latch because of that. Something I learned from another You Tube channel is to position the sewer hose with a dip in it (homemade "P" trap) which enables me to keep the grey (gray?) water handle open all the time so that tank doesn't fill up while camping. These are things I've learned, sometimes the hard way. Looking forward to your travels!
Great suggestions. I'll find a rubber chock block. I like that. I haven't had an issue with the plastic for the tongue jack, but would rather have wood too. Simple to keep in the bed of the truck. We travel with so much less stuff now there is plenty of room. Good idea too on the P trap. Thanks!
Awesome video- we have been watching and learning about the RV lifestyle for the last several years as we will be retiring part time in the RV lifestyle. After much debate , studying and research we have gone from first thinking of a Class C, then a class A full timing it and were pretty jazzed watching Gone with the Wynns, but now we moved cross country , bought a small bungalow home by our Daughter and grandson and have opted to go travel trailer part time of the year. This video shed a lot of light on our soon to be life style and is much appreciated! Great job and look forward to more of your videos!
Did not see this in comments. We always spray the campground water outlet with bleach . Have seen people too many times put their sewer hose over the outlet to flush out. I would NEVER hook up the hose to flush the black tank. One accidental turn on and a totaled RV from black tank overflow. I only hook up when using and NEVER leave the hose while in use.
Someone mentioned this a while back... but the way you put it was very compelling. I need to start doing this. I assume everyone hooks-up like I do and that's wrong. Spraying everything down is a good habit to get into. Okay, another good point about the grey tank. I actually don't leave it connect, but I may have implied that in this video. I think I'll go back and add the annotation so others don't make that mistake. Good comment. Keep in touch. I'll be doing more how-to videos.
I do the same hookup with my flush line except I've added a little backflow preventer on the flush line. Idea of those is that if for some reason there's a flow of water back up the flush line, the little device stops the water getting into my splitter, and leaving it screwed onto the Y let's me know which side of the Y is my 'dirty' side.
Andrew Kay Be careful, my new 2016 keystone hideout has a back flow preventor already installed in the flush system and the mfg paperwork actually specifically states NOT to add another one. I presume two might cancel the effect, I don't know. Of course I read this after I already purchased an external preventor like you. Thought you and others reading this should know. Btw, my dealer of course was clueless to this or why I would be asking. I even asked my RV manufacture and they said one was not built in. I trust the guys who built the part more then the guys installing it let alone selling it. Take it for what it's worth.
*shrugs* MFG paperwork on mine is silent so I'm comfortable with having an extra if there is one. Theory behind how it works suggests you can add any number inline with little ill effect so saying otherwise is mostly just CYA in case the end user breaks it and demands warranty.
Andrew Kay You could be very much correct. I really don't know, just relaying what my paperwork said. More that nobody seemed to even know that preventor was already there which would have saved me the purchase. Functionally I don't know if you can actually have multiple inline without consequences.
I put about 5 - 10 gallon of water in my black tank along with some dish detergent before leaving for the next stop. Drain it when I hook the sewer line. Does a good job of keeping the tank clean and even with a back flush, there is still junk in the tank.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! SO HAPPY FOR THIS VIDEO!! So grateful for a newbie to find a video with what some may call "obvious" tips but so essential to those of us who are RVing for the first time, first RV after years of dreaming of retirement and heading out on our own to see all of the places that we'd dreamed about on our schedule. We appreciate you so much!
Marc, doubt your looking at comments from videos that are really old, but I just wanted to say "Thank You" for posting not just this easy explanation video for a person who is in the early education stage of buying my families first RV. The list of things that are needed to set up all in one place with direct links to them is pure genius and I cannot thank you enough for navigating these waters for me and so many others. Love your families adventures, keep them going!
Your comment was well timed... I'm online ready to post a video. Thanks for your comment. I really need to make a new one... we've learned a lot in the last two years!
You guys are great. I'm retired, and my wife has eight months to go until retirement. We are considering an RV to "Snowbird" in FL. (Cheaper than a condo). We started watching your videos to learn. Not only are we learning, but we are entertained. We are going to watch all your videos. Your son is a hoot as he describes that free air trampoline. Somehow, he found money that is going to allow him to get a, well, I don't know, so I better watch again. Anyway, thanks for the great videos. I'm 65 and it might be a little late in life to start this way of life. On the other hand, perhaps 65 is the perfect time to start a new adventure. With watching your videos, I guess we will find out in about eight months. TY, and safe travels!
Husband is retiring real soon and we're planning on buying our first RV. Your videos are very informative and honestly they take some of the fear away. I've been going back n forth with do I or dont I want an RV.But now I definitely do,thanx to you guys!! Safe and fun travels
Let me be the first to say, Well Done! Very informative and great camera shots also great background music and editing. Congrats on living the dream! I've subscribed for the journey & wishing you all a safe trip.
I have learned that putting the water filter before the pressure regulator will make the regulator last longer due to crappy water, especially on a adjustable regulator.
Marc great videos. I just found you guys and I am trying to catch up. I am still just a weekend warrior but someday I hope to travel across the US. I have almost the same rig set as you. f250 and tt. One thing I might add is when placing the wheel chocks I back onto the rear one then place the front one before letting off the brake on the truck. For me it just helps the tt from rocking back and forth. Safe travels.
on your waste line you need the hose to create a trap ( down up with water in it ) this will stop gasses from getting into your system if you leave the gray water open and in extremely rare cases rodents from getting in threw the system. extremely rare but it can happen. also you could mention tilting the awning to run off heavy rains it looks like rain. just some observations. dave
Great video and just noted one particular suggestion with regards to your 30 AMP plug.... You turned on both the 50 and 30 AMP breakers but only plugged into the 30 amp service. If you haven't tripped any breakers yet you will. You could use (when available) the 50 amp service with a reducer to 30. You would plug your 30 AMP into the reducer to give you more juice! Especially during the summer when you have AC running, TV, hot water, Fridge, all sorts of accessories, and when you turn on the Microwave......POW! Safe travels on the road and fantastic set up video
Omg. You're right. I always flip them up without thinking and I should be flipping up only what I'm using. Great suggestion on the reducer. More to buy! Thx for the comment.
mark as someone else said..done like a pro....the only thing we do different is pull the slides out before we level side to side. Incidentally were also we just at Rushmore...cool place!
Thanks. Interesting... you're suggesting to pull the slide out and then level? Do you have a Class A or trailer? If we needed to level side to side, it would require moving the trailer.
We have a trailer... Cougar Xlite 31RLT we were advised by the dealer to level with slides out...it has 3 slides though so maybe that's why we level side to side with the slides out before unhooking the truck and bars..Also if you guys frequent some of the RV/trailer forums you'll find you can put together a hearty brass adjustable water regulator to improve flow (shower) but not overwhelm your trailers plumbing. I also on this last trip learned that having plumbers tape and several replacement rubber o-rings for the water service/hose connections are beneficial as they fail pretty frequently
Good job! Just one suggestion... don't put the stabilizing jacks down until the truck is pulled forward from the tongue. You may have to raise the tongue to clear the ball putting unnecessary pressure on the rear jacks. Then you may have to lower the tongue for final leveling, which should only be done with the jacks up. Can't wait for the next episode!
That's a good point and something I've done accidentally many times. Even forgetting to retract the stabilizers and lifting the tongue jack. Err. Thanks for the comment.
I saved your video to my 'favorites' as I am looking to buy next spring and start my adventure in the early summer. Thank you so much for your video. It was incredibly well done.
ROCKIN' VIDEO GUYS!!! :D I simply LOVE getting to watch you two learn what to do and what not to do, and get the benefit on your clear, well-made videos. As you know, we don't HAVE an RV, and won't have for a while, but we ARE listening to podcasts like Roadtreking to become familiarized with the lifestyle and industry as a whole. It's especially nice to have you as our inside posse because I consider you part of my online family and friends who we fully intend to meet at some point. Thanks for all of the interesting explanations from start to finish. I've listened to many hours of Roadtreking, but haven't actually SEEN what is been discussed, so getting the chance to watch is fantastic. You guys are really up on the tips and tricks, and you've been so smart all along. I love this because we are very much into R&D before we do something--just like you. I will have Steve watch your video, and I know he's going to love it! :) Love the little details like cleaning up around germy areas. That's just good sense. Steve and I take Emergen-C on every trip and we have one each day as a precaution. And yet, Steve got extremely sick on the last part of our Vancouver trip last year, and he attributes it to not being diligent enough about washing surfaces and not taking Emergen-C after being in a restaurant with an obviously ill person who was coughing. (Didn't help that he was very stressed and wasn't getting enough sleep, poor guy) Stinky Slinky...*ROFLMAO*...I love how officially he talks about it! *cackle* COLLAPSIBLE TRASHCAN? OMG HOW COOL IS THAT?! Air trampoline....EVERYONE GIT OUTA DA WAY!!! ALL YOUR BASE R BELONG TO MEEEEE!!!! (I took Trampoline as a college PE course...TWICE!! What fun!!! If you ever actually wondered if I might just be a grown up kid...now ya know!! :D) Your son is adorable! I would, however, beat him to the trampoline! :D Colored hoses to coincide to the job of the hose: GENIUS! :) LOL the last bit where your son rented the self-propelled go-cart was AWESOME!!! :) Your kids are super cool...it's neat to take a peek into your world. Looks like they are having a good time too! Hey, I did have ONE QUESTION: How long does it take, on average, to level the trailer and to all of the necessary chores before you can walk away? 20 min? 30? An hour? Kind of hard to judge from the video. Does the time vary wildly from one place to the next? THANKS for the great show, Marc and Tricia (and you crazy kids!)...I'm delighted for you that you're getting so many views and comments. WAY TO GO!!! *high five* You deserve the attention, and I hope it will turn into an eventual money earner for you! :)
Hey Janet! Thanks for comment... as always! Great point about the time. That would have been great to include. It takes roughly 30 min, but I take my time. I have found/learned that when it comes to setup and teardown of RV or boats... it's still enjoyable when I take my time and even have a beer. When I try to do it fast... it makes the process seem like an obligation and takes the fun out it. Yes, I love the roadtrecking Podcast. Mike does a great job. I learned a lot from him. Sitting at a sbux right now uploading Episode 8. Screaming fast Internet makes uploading more enjoyable too :)
Hey, thanks for the reply! It's such fun to hear from you, and nice to know how long the process takes. I can't agree with you more...trying to hurry all the time makes us very crabby indeed. And I'm not surprised that you are a fan of Roadtrekking, it's so pro, and easy to zip past the advertising. LOL, how nice to be at a fast internet spot...you must REALLY appreciate that these days! :D
You may want a Hose Thread Backflow Preventer by Drip Depot on your gray hose so there will be no water out to the black tank into your water system. Amazon have them for less then $7. Where you have your gray tank connected into the water source, we connect a hose to wash things. Enjoy your videos.
Exactly - as a AA licensed water/waste operator that was my husbands first comment you need to put a backflow to prevent any possible cross contamination flowing back down - not likely but can happen, also very very important to change the water filter according to the manufacturer specifications - that is a leading cause of bacteria if not changed timely. Gread video - love watching your channel, your boys look like they are a riot - must drive your daughter crazy.
Great video thanks! My Family and I are getting ready to take or new class C out for the first time next weekend and your channel has been full of great tips and info! There also lots of fun to watch! Cheers!
5 years later and my wife and I just purchased our first travel trailer. Did my first hook-up last night after a late start and just realized I forgot the pressure regulator on the fresh water hose. Great idea with the Y-adapter though and will be getting one of those as well! Thanks for the helpful tips!
Thanks for walking us through your hook up. One thing I added was a shut off valve at the trailer end of the hose. You can check for leaks on the whole set up and adjust water pressure if necessary before hooking it up to the trailer. $10 well spent I think. We use Clorox spray for our disinfectant.
Mark when you buy a floor jack get a aluminum race car jack it cost a little more but they're well worth it they got a hand on the side of them and they are lite the handle has a pin detachable just remember 2 foot by 2 foot piece of plywood for a jack stand 2 foot by 3 foot for the jack it's always to be a little better prepared than not at all I like the tire gauge with a dial on it I have with me a battery charger a tire pump 50 foot cord tools too it's nice to have a soft pad for your knee caps too lol remember the tire kit one that has the drill bit in it pull the nail out grill it slap some glue on the plug cut off plug with one sided razor blade air up Tire rock and roll
I was at home depot last night and had my hand of a floor jack. Surprisingly only $60. But I didn't pull the trigger. Too many other things to buy right now... so my truck jack will have to do for now. I'll keep this in mind when I buy one.
I'm not sure if there is a comment on this, I turn the water on with the filter connected to the hose but not connected to the RV. I like to make sure that the water runs clear before I attach it to the RV connection. 🙂🇺🇸
Oh, by the way, as new as your camper trailer is...do you have a inside water filtration system? They are usually hidden under a cabinet or behind a access panel close to the main water inlet. It is a cartridge type filter.🙂
Great video, try calgon water softener in your black tank. helps keep your sensors clean and break everything down and smells good. We have been fulltime Rving for 5 years now and still learn something new at each stop. You already know more than we did our first year. Y'all be safe
Will def give it a shot! We might have some build-up in our gray tank pipes... heard a gallon of Lysol de-greaser works well for that. Any input there?
Occasionally we would drop one of those pellets for dishwashers in the black and grey tank, fill them half way and then drive to the next location and drain ... cleans the sensors.
Watching on a beautiful Friday night in St. Louis. Out on our patio...drinking wine and appreciative of your information! Looking at buying a travel trailer almost identical to yours!
Great video. Another suggestion that I would like to make to you is on your sewer discharge pipe I bought a 3 in shut off that fits right on in place of the cap giving you an extra layer of protection from accidental leaks, and then the cap fits over the discharge valve.
I didn't get through all of the comments here and I know it's been a year since this video and you may know by now, but the "stinky slinky" as you call it goes in the bumper. Pull the cap off that has the hole in it and it slides in there. just thought I would make your sanitized life a little easier. My wife and I wish we were you, but we don't have an income to support it. Great job!
You should never drop any end of your fresh water hose on the ground, especially not close to the hookups....:-) Great video. You mentioned that you have the black full before you dump it. We have seen so many fellow campers and there are some videos even on TH-cam recommending to keep the valves of grey and black open, when you are on full hookups. Thankfully this myth starts to vanish. You can ruin your tanks, clog up your sensors etc. Keeping the valves open drains the liquid and makes sure that the solids build up in the tanks. Even in the grey water tank once soap and grease dries on it is very hard to get rid of and the grey tank will start smelling worse than the black tank. We love your videos and followed your journey. You guys have clearly fun and don't try to spread doomsday stories of the "dangers of the road" like some others here. Great job, keep on going.....
First time on the road with a trailer and the family. Your video helped me get ready to set up on the park. Thank you for taking the time to make it. Cheers
Awesome to watch this video and your more recent ones. You can see the differences in what you’ve learned from then to now in both how you hook up to the products you use. Thanks for the uploads!
You did a great job covering all the basics. Different rigs and parks may require a few tweaks. I find that every time we go out and set up the rig, we get a little better at it. Happy Camping
I believe Home Depot Arlo's has a really good Tire plug kit really heavy handle Google that he might be a little pricey but when it's hot as hell out you want to get it done quick you have to do that good equipment has a way of saving your bacon check your tires every time you stop you could get something like a bar and smack those tires without having to get the tire gauge out if you got 1/2 flat it will tell you right now
We just started watching your family. Your blessed man Mark. We love your videos so please keep putting them out. We are planning to follow your trip plan next year. The views are just incredible.
Thanks Larry. Yes, very fortunate right now and taking adventure of the little time left with our kids. Glad to hear you're preparing to hit the road. The podcast might offer some good inspiration too. Lots of stories of people changing priorities and living on their own terms. Thanks for joining us!
Great videos and looking forward to looking at the rest.We pick up our new travel trailer this weekend and FedEx and UPS have been making deliveries of camping goodies . We're so excited to get started.
Didn't read all the comments but wanted to point out that I do not open the black water valve until I'm ready to leave, if you leave the valve open all your chemicals are gone down the sewer and your waste is going to pile up in the base of your tank with nothing to break it down, you can't assume your waste is going to go straight down the sewer just because you leave the line open.
Thanks so much for all your videos!! I just bought a heartland bighorn 3985 rrd for my wife and i to full time rv in and have used your channel to learn from. I cant wait to pick it up next month and put all the research to work.
One big tip for your sewer for the brandnew newbie. Make sure when you setup that your holding tanks are closed. If not, when you take the cover off to hookup your sewer, you will be in for a surprise (and a not so pleasant one). Don't ask me how I know.
One thing I would add to the beginning of this video: Make sure to check the electric and water connections from the campground BEFORE DOING ANYTHING! You don't want to go through all your leveling and setting up your slides before you find out there's a problem with either one of them. Read about this happening to another newbie after they were all set up and found out they had no power at their site. May not happen often, but well worth 2 extra minutes to check BEFORE you've set everything up.
Great idea! For ordinary 110VAC household outlets I have a very simple plug-in device, bought at a big-box home improvement store for cheap, that immediately tells me if a circuit is good, has a floating ground, floating neutral, reversed hot & neutral (my father-in-law thought nothing of doing this), etc. I haven't checked, but it seems it would be easy to get a similar device for the RV outlets, which appear to be 220VAC. Of course, checking water is even easier.
Thanks for the great video for those of us who are just starting out. One thing I noticed from my many moons working as a building inspector is that if you are going to connect both the black water tank purge hose and the clean water tank hose to the same tee at the same time, the black water hose needs to have a back flow prevention device at the tee connection to eliminate any possibility of cross contamination of your clean water supply.
Best add on comment I would add is before you remove the sewer cap is to double check the drain valves are closed.
A little tip I learned from a seasoned RV'r... fresh water hose ideas. I used to store my hose like you, but he taught me to screw the ends together so nothing can gets in like dirt or little bugs. Then flush out before connecting it to the camper... you did that while testing for leaks. Great job and we are super jealous of yall! We will be taking a trip like that some day after we retire God willing!
Thats a good idea. I started doing that a couple months ago to my gray water hose because I store in my truck. I'm sure you'll make it happen! It's worth the wait...
TheKeatons4 that's what I do... And an annual vinegar and water bath each spring.
I always say Keep It Clean !!
Just bought my first REAL travel trailer and between your channel and "All About RV's" I've been learning TONS. I can't thank you guys enough for all of the informative, and entertaining content. Keep up the fantastic work!
Please do a how to disconnect from full hookups video! This intimidates me more than actually hooking up 😂😂😂
Mark, I’m from the future, and I want you to know that your videos were great 3 years ago, but damn you get so much better at this over time.
Thanks for great content!
He started off good but I agree-- he's a pro now
Great "How to" video, probably one of the best that I have viewed. Clear, concise and very easy to follow. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much!
Davie. H i
Thanks for the information! We will be new to RV-ing and looking for this exact information. Maybe one on how to break down would be great. Thanks again!
Regarding gh6glnio
One of the best 'How To' videos I've seen for first time RVers. Thanks a million times over!!!
Heres a tip. To clean my black water tank hose I shut off the grey water drain for the last few showers and then when I have emptied my blackwater, I shut that tank off and then open the soapy water from the grey tank. It flushes out the gunk in the sewer hose and then after disconnect attach a Camco fitting that allows for the black water hose to give it a final flush. After that its squeaky clean.
That's a great idea. Funny you should mention that... with 5 people in the trailer, I've been leaving the grey tank open and then close it on the last day to do exactly what you said. This way I don't have to run out and open it after the third long kid shower. :)
Keep Your Daydream ...I only just found your channel, but enjoying it very much. I have some catching up to do. Happy travels.
I am really learning so much from your videos. I am sitting with my notepad, taking down all your helpful tips and making a lists. The only thing I would suggest is that you keep everything in order. You have "making sure you back up into a spot that has no barriers for slide-outs and awnings" in your third step. I would think this would be the first step, then chocking, and then leveling. Besides that small whine, each step you mentioned was very helpful and I really appreciate the videos.
It's pretty hard to get my wife to watch anything informational on the internet, but she got a kick out of u guys and actually learned alot. So thanks to u both for the informative and entertaining RV videos. 👌👍
Awesome. I'd like to think we have better videos than this now :)
How precious to watch this video from years ago. Love your family and your channel. You make a difference!
How fun it is to go back and rewatch some of the early videos. I have restarted the entire How-To playlist, so much more to refresha and remember. Thanks to you and your family for sharing your memories.
Being a newbie RVer myself, and attempting to do it as correctly as possible, I agree with the others about the Surge Protector, to protect your rig, and the anti-siphon or backwash regulators to avoid cross contamination. Also being a RN, I have one more suggestion regarding the handling of your fresh water hose, I recommend you don't throw the open ends on the ground, even if you end up getting caps for it because one never knows whose puppy peed or pooped in that exact spot last lol. Great video though, very informative. Thanks for sharing it, and safe travels.
Dude, that was an excellent video. The splitter, black tank, grey hookup were great. Seeing the kids excited was a bonus.
I like to have the faucets open when I hook up my fresh water so I don't have trapped air in the lines which could pop lines and also the faucets don't have stress when you turn them on.
I loved this video as a newbie RVer it is absolutely educational, also i got just as excited as the young sir was when he was telling his mom about the air trampoline 😊, i love kids, and love to see their little faces light up when they're excited about something 😊
Very good video. I have a 39 foot fifth wheel with the 50 AMP connector on the back of the RV. Before I unhitch my truck, I plug the power cable in, and stretch it to the power pedestal to make sure it reaches.
I can't tell you how much I enjoy your video series! I've recently retired from the Army, and we are getting our first 5th wheel in the very near future. I literally take copious notes while watching your series. We keep Amazon in business by buying parts and pieces you highlight (Robust Gloves, Y Splitter, water regulator etc) a little at a time so we'll be ready on day one. Absolute great job and much appreciated information! You have a beautiful family--we love the window into your adventures!
I love watching you guys! We have doing the RV thing now for 7 years.. Not full timers.. just long weekend warriors.. Couple of tips 1) , we have bright LED awning lights.. We typically get to campgrounds at night as we travel a lot on a Thursday after work. So when I get to the campground.. I turn on the awning lights, and it provides some extra light to help me see the campsite as I am parking.. One other tip.. If you take a fuse, bend the prongs inwards a little.. stick in the two connections at the top of your 7-pin connector, it jumps the power to the marker lights. We always do that. It really helps at night when you walk away from the camper.. then when trying to remember where you are parked at.. you will always know which camper is yours because odds are, you will be the only one lit up.
We are new to owning a camper and you all have been a life saver and make my husband a little less nervous about going out on our own..So much fun to watch your journey!!!🤗 thank you sooo much- DEBBIE from Michigan
My wife and I just purchased our first travel trailer and know nothing about RVing. Your videos are very helpful for newbies. Thank you very much.
I always use Lysol Disinfectant Spray on the water fittings before hooking up the water hose.
After fighting with that accordion thing for the sewer hose, I bought brown plastic guttering from a hardware store. Cut into several different lengths an use small 2x4 wood blocks to adjust the height. Also, I now use quality quick connects on all my water lines, from Lowes. They cost a little, but make set up easier and a bit faster. I use a 4 way splitter on the water spicket so I have one for fresh water, one for the black tank clean-out hose, one for an extra hose that I sometimes use to clean the RV or spray off the outdoor carpet. I always leave one un-used. Some campsites (although few) share waters spickets between sites. I assume your black water clean out has a built in back flow preventer, which I keep on mine.
Another tip, I always turn off the water before leaving camp when visiting places because RV water lines, connections & fittings are what they are and can fail, you can imagine the rest. Only takes a second to turn that little valve. Ask me how I know, or don't...
Right-on. Yeah, I fight with it all the time. Good idea! Thanks for the comment.
I also use the gutter system. Makes life simpler.
Great Idea !!
We just purchased our travel trailer and are preparing for our first trip. This is the best video I've seen so far to help prepare, and I've seen a bunch. Thanks.
I always put 5 gallons of water in the cleaned black tank. This is helpful while you continue to camp or when in storage. I never leave the black tank completely dry to cake up or harden.
Great how to video!!! Another great idea is to have an anti backflow valve connected to your grey water hose. That way there is no chance of fresh water contamination at the fresh water bib.
Chuck Lawson by all means a backflow preventer they also make pressure regulator you put that at the hose bib at the shore they're kind of expensive so you wouldn't want to forget it
Chuck Lawson
Read my comment above about an external backflow preventor. My new RV already had one built into the factory clean out system with paperwork stating not to add another preventor.
Backflow Preventer-Vacuum Breaker www.amazon.com/Mueller-108-904RP-Backflow-Preventer-Vacuum-Breaker/dp/B000DZHA7S/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1503450495&sr=8-3&keywords=anti+backflow+valve
One thing we would definitely suggest adding to your setup is a surge protector. You never know how reliable the electrical hookups will be. One power surge can take out all of your appliances & electrical system. Enjoying y'alls videos. Safe travels & happy camping!
Ordered one based on the comments in this video. Thank you!
My only suggestion is to have a bleach water spray and quickly spray down the water connection prior to hooking your hose up. You won't believe what people will do (rinsing the stinky slinky out using the fresh water spicket, yuck! I'm sure your 409 would work too, just spray and rinse before connecting. Great video! Safe travels.
Good point! I have done that but not every time. Would have been good to include that in the video. I'll go back and add an annotation.
Hey guys! Love your videos... probably the most professional out there. :) It may have been mentioned before, but BEFORE you connect your fresh water filter to your trailer, run water through it. The initial blast of water will send out a cloud of charcoal that won't be settling in your fresh water tank.(and clogging up your water pump when you use it)
Good practice. Thx
Too late for me. SMH.
very informative video, wish i would have watched something like this when we got our first travel trailer about 5 years ago. we dont do much camping at places with hook ups, but the first time out we went somewhere that did, boy there is so much to learn when starting out. the only thing i would add to anyone new, anyone with a new or older trailer is to switch to led bulbs in everything and add solar panels. panels even from harbor freight (bigger 3 panel ones) saves you so much hassle with generators or reconnecting to vehicle to recharge batteries. i havent had to worry about draining batteries using the heater when its colder at night or having low or dead batteries leaving a light on while out for the day. anyway, i look forward to watching your other videos and maybe learn something new.
Thanks for taking the time to make this excellent video. 😀 We haven't camped in years. Just bought a 29 ft travel trailer and taking off Monday for a few days. A great refresher video. Safe travels.
Thats great Patty. Enjoy your trip. Glad this video helped.
When storing water hoses.... connect the ends together thus keeping hose completely clean inside.
That's a good idea. Thanks for the comment.
FYI,
You realize the water filter short white spring covered adapter is to support the hose coming off the rig. The 90’ adapter is great but that’s the purpose of the short white hose that comes with the filter.
Sir, you and your wife are so amazing for doing this video. I've yet to find a video like this one on YT. My fiancee and I are purchasing a trailer within the next 30-60 days and had no clue on how to do these processes. Thank you so much for sharing. Your have a beautiful family.
You just got a new subbie. 😀
Welcome to the channel. Thanks so much for the comment. Yes, it wasn't very long ago... I was in the exact same situation as you and found very little on TH-cam. I said to myself, at the point I think I know what I'm doing... I'm going to make a video start to finish! I've since learned even more and need to update it! There is much more to learn if you watch our other videos. More how to videos coming too. -Marc
TamLa B there are a lot of videos on TH-cam on how to buy a travel trailer and how to inspect it specially roof leaks no one wants to buy something that has black mold and rotting floors I would love to buy a used trailer from Arizona it's dry wood would be good
Larry Fries : A friend told me to be careful. Those trailers can have dry rot and can leak the first time they get wet. Always something.
Mark great video. the surgical rubber gloves a very good thing. Some folks do cross contaminate them selves when taking the gloves off. A good thing to practice is too see how well you do removing them. Apply shaving cream, lather them up, now remove them to see that you can remove them without getting any shaving cream on you and you're hands.
I accept your shaving cream challenge! Now I just need to find shaving cream... stopped shaving after Michigan (which should be next weeks video). I usually do take them off carefully, but we're going to find out. Thanks for the comment.
I suggest adding quick disconnect hose fitting to all the hoses. It will save the plastic connectors on the RV from getting stripped and will speed up your connecting & disconnecting. Lowes has quality brass disconnects cheaper than Amazon. I also carry a spare drinking water hose which I connect to the 'Y' valve with a hose sprayer attached. That gives you & the family an easy way to wash things outside the RV.
That is a brilliant idea. Amazon has them too :) And they'll be delivered to our next destination. Do they stick out very far? Can they be left on while driving? I guess that would be the point if they don't stick out to far.
+Keep
at most they stick out 3/4". I leave them connected all the time.
I was stationed on a submarine for quite a few years. Whenever we were in port, our mechanics would connect our sanitary tanks (black water) to the shore services. In addition, we were required to wrap the connections in clear plastic bags (think garbage bags) and secure to the hoses with duct tape. In the event of a leak or blown hose, the bags would give us just enough time to stop the pumping evolution and correct the problem before we sprayed the pier and water with black water.Just a thought.
That's too much extra effort for an almost daily job when your hand is on a manual level. I think you were pumping a lot more with electrical pumps. However, here is what I do to double check the connection. I pull the grey first to check for leaks, drips etc. If all is good, I pull the black and then go back to the grey to flush it all out.
That makes sense. I was just adding my two cents. Your system seems to work for something on a slightly smaller, although no less important, task.
He did good getting a regulator for the water. But one thing you should also get is a surge protector that goes on the line (The surge protector would go into the tree and your RV's main line would plug into the surge protector) coming from the power tree because as you travel from campground to campground, you can never be sure of the quality of the power coming out. Especially since so many rigs have sensitive electronics in them these days. It would be similar to installing a stage 2 surge protector in your houses circuit breaker panel. And when you get one, don't get the cheapest one. Get a good one.
I keep a small jack stand too if you changing tire jack won't go high enough use jack Stand I work on a race car we have flat metal plate welded on the bottom. nice chunk of plywood helps too every change a tire in the mud change Tire right front in mud now that's fun
We have not had an RV for years, like 18 and are going to purchase a TT and this really helped jog my memory and did learn a few new tricks. Thanks for the great video.. I am hitting the subscribe because I love watching you guys and learn also.. I was amazed to learn you are full timing it with the five of you. That is so awesome for your children. Thanks and God Bless..
Thanks so much for this video on dumping! We just bought our 1st RV today and there was someone that talked through how to do this but watching it actually done is extremely helpful! We are hoping to take our new " home on wheels" out for the first time this week! Wish us luck xxxx😉
Good luck! But you won't need any luck if you just take your time ;) Check out our RV Newbies video. More to come.
Great video!!! Since the electrical service at most campgrounds is not "clean" electricity and prone to brown outs and black outs, spend the money for a HIGH QUALITY surge protector. It will save your rig. Research what you need and do it sooner rather than later.
That's a great point... will add to my next Amazon order. Far cheeper than chasing an electrical issue after getting bad power.
Finally trying to catch up to ur early days...so funny to hear u say “6 month tour”. Your family is now on year 3 or something! Love u guys. Absolutely great edits even on ur early stuff. Thanks
Very needed information. I do remember our first hook up and we pulled it to a KOA, Leander TX, and yes, people helped us. I guess we looked lost!
when setting your awning, there is a nut on the arms that extend out, loosen one of those and push the spring loaded arm in on one side a couple inches. This will cause your awning to be a little at a slanted angle from one side to the other. Doing this eliminates your awning from becoming a kite in breezy conditions and makes the air flow right thru. Didn't believe it til i saw it, but it works like a champ even at 20 mph winds.
I can't tell you how hopeful your videos are. getting my first camper in two weeks and knowing so much of this stuff in advance is nice... Thanks guys. :)
So glad i found your channel.. my wife an di are about to change up everything, selling our house in South Africa, and buying an RV trip around the US before settling down... i think your videos are gonna save a LOT of trouble!
Sweet Brad. We'd love to visit South Africa.
Looks like you pretty much have everything under control.
I do some things differently. We use walkie talkies so we can clearly hear and understand each other when maneuvering our travel trailer in and out of spaces. I use heavy solid rubber chock blocks as I've seen plastic ones get blown away by wind. I use a block of wood under the tongue jack as I personally don't trust plastic. A stabilizing jack when extended just a little too far can cause the trailer body to torque and have had an occasion when the door wouldn't latch because of that. Something I learned from another You Tube channel is to position the sewer hose with a dip in it (homemade "P" trap) which enables me to keep the grey (gray?) water handle open all the time so that tank doesn't fill up while camping.
These are things I've learned, sometimes the hard way. Looking forward to your travels!
Great suggestions. I'll find a rubber chock block. I like that. I haven't had an issue with the plastic for the tongue jack, but would rather have wood too. Simple to keep in the bed of the truck. We travel with so much less stuff now there is plenty of room. Good idea too on the P trap. Thanks!
Awesome video- we have been watching and learning about the RV lifestyle for the last several years as we will be retiring part time in the RV lifestyle. After much debate , studying and research we have gone from first thinking of a Class C, then a class A full timing it and were pretty jazzed watching Gone with the Wynns, but now we moved cross country , bought a small bungalow home by our Daughter and grandson and have opted to go travel trailer part time of the year. This video shed a lot of light on our soon to be life style and is much appreciated! Great job and look forward to more of your videos!
Did not see this in comments. We always spray the campground water outlet with bleach . Have seen people too many times put their sewer hose over the outlet to flush out. I would NEVER hook up the hose to flush the black tank. One accidental turn on and a totaled RV from black tank overflow. I only hook up when using and NEVER leave the hose while in use.
Someone mentioned this a while back... but the way you put it was very compelling. I need to start doing this. I assume everyone hooks-up like I do and that's wrong. Spraying everything down is a good habit to get into. Okay, another good point about the grey tank. I actually don't leave it connect, but I may have implied that in this video. I think I'll go back and add the annotation so others don't make that mistake. Good comment. Keep in touch. I'll be doing more how-to videos.
I do the same hookup with my flush line except I've added a little backflow preventer on the flush line. Idea of those is that if for some reason there's a flow of water back up the flush line, the little device stops the water getting into my splitter, and leaving it screwed onto the Y let's me know which side of the Y is my 'dirty' side.
Andrew Kay
Be careful, my new 2016 keystone hideout has a back flow preventor already installed in the flush system and the mfg paperwork actually specifically states NOT to add another one. I presume two might cancel the effect, I don't know. Of course I read this after I already purchased an external preventor like you. Thought you and others reading this should know. Btw, my dealer of course was clueless to this or why I would be asking. I even asked my RV manufacture and they said one was not built in.
I trust the guys who built the part more then the guys installing it let alone selling it. Take it for what it's worth.
*shrugs* MFG paperwork on mine is silent so I'm comfortable with having an extra if there is one. Theory behind how it works suggests you can add any number inline with little ill effect so saying otherwise is mostly just CYA in case the end user breaks it and demands warranty.
Andrew Kay
You could be very much correct. I really don't know, just relaying what my paperwork said. More that nobody seemed to even know that preventor was already there which would have saved me the purchase. Functionally I don't know if you can actually have multiple inline without consequences.
I put about 5 - 10 gallon of water in my black tank along with some dish detergent before leaving for the next stop. Drain it when I hook the sewer line. Does a good job of keeping the tank clean and even with a back flush, there is still junk in the tank.
Great idea. I've done that a couple times, but I could easily do that more. Thanks for the comment.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! SO HAPPY FOR THIS VIDEO!! So grateful for a newbie to find a video with what some may call "obvious" tips but so essential to those of us who are RVing for the first time, first RV after years of dreaming of retirement and heading out on our own to see all of the places that we'd dreamed about on our schedule. We appreciate you so much!
You might want to check-out our how-to playlist. We have more updated videos.
Best How To video that we have watched so far! Better than our walk through training at the dealer. Thank you!
Marc, doubt your looking at comments from videos that are really old, but I just wanted to say "Thank You" for posting not just this easy explanation video for a person who is in the early education stage of buying my families first RV. The list of things that are needed to set up all in one place with direct links to them is pure genius and I cannot thank you enough for navigating these waters for me and so many others. Love your families adventures, keep them going!
Your comment was well timed... I'm online ready to post a video. Thanks for your comment. I really need to make a new one... we've learned a lot in the last two years!
You guys are great. I'm retired, and my wife has eight months to go until retirement. We are considering an RV to "Snowbird" in FL. (Cheaper than a condo). We started watching your videos to learn. Not only are we learning, but we are entertained. We are going to watch all your videos. Your son is a hoot as he describes that free air trampoline. Somehow, he found money that is going to allow him to get a, well, I don't know, so I better watch again. Anyway, thanks for the great videos. I'm 65 and it might be a little late in life to start this way of life. On the other hand, perhaps 65 is the perfect time to start a new adventure. With watching your videos, I guess we will find out in about eight months. TY, and safe travels!
Welcome John! 65 is perfect. The same age as the Colonel when he started KFC :)
Husband is retiring real soon and we're planning on buying our first RV. Your videos are very informative and honestly they take some of the fear away. I've been going back n forth with do I or dont I want an RV.But now I definitely do,thanx to you guys!!
Safe and fun travels
Great to hear. Check out our playlists and Q&A video too.
Let me be the first to say, Well Done! Very informative and great camera shots also great background music and editing. Congrats on living the dream! I've subscribed for the journey & wishing you all a safe trip.
Thanks for joining us! More to come...
This was a great video and followed when we went on our first camping adventure with my family ! I think I watched it a dozen times !!
Nice! Thx.
I have learned that putting the water filter before the pressure regulator will make the regulator last longer due to crappy water, especially on a adjustable regulator.
Marc great videos. I just found you guys and I am trying to catch up. I am still just a weekend warrior but someday I hope to travel across the US. I have almost the same rig set as you. f250 and tt. One thing I might add is when placing the wheel chocks I back onto the rear one then place the front one before letting off the brake on the truck. For me it just helps the tt from rocking back and forth. Safe travels.
ExploringKY welcome to the channel! Don't catch up too fast! Good idea on the wheel chocks. Keep in touch
on your waste line you need the hose to create a trap ( down up with water in it ) this will stop gasses from getting into your system if you leave the gray water open and in extremely rare cases rodents from getting in threw the system. extremely rare but it can happen. also you could mention tilting the awning to run off heavy rains it looks like rain.
just some observations.
dave
What a great idea. Easy to do. Thanks!
Great video and just noted one particular suggestion with regards to your 30 AMP plug.... You turned on both the 50 and 30 AMP breakers but only plugged into the 30 amp service. If you haven't tripped any breakers yet you will. You could use (when available) the 50 amp service with a reducer to 30. You would plug your 30 AMP into the reducer to give you more juice! Especially during the summer when you have AC running, TV, hot water, Fridge, all sorts of accessories, and when you turn on the Microwave......POW! Safe travels on the road and fantastic set up video
Omg. You're right. I always flip them up without thinking and I should be flipping up only what I'm using. Great suggestion on the reducer. More to buy! Thx for the comment.
mark as someone else said..done like a pro....the only thing we do different is pull the slides out before we level side to side. Incidentally were also we just at Rushmore...cool place!
Thanks. Interesting... you're suggesting to pull the slide out and then level? Do you have a Class A or trailer? If we needed to level side to side, it would require moving the trailer.
We have a trailer... Cougar Xlite 31RLT we were advised by the dealer to level with slides out...it has 3 slides though so maybe that's why we level side to side with the slides out before unhooking the truck and bars..Also if you guys frequent some of the RV/trailer forums you'll find you can put together a hearty brass adjustable water regulator to improve flow (shower) but not overwhelm your trailers plumbing. I also on this last trip learned that having plumbers tape and several replacement rubber o-rings for the water service/hose connections are beneficial as they fail pretty frequently
Always check the power supply for proper voltage 30 AMP OR 50 AMP Proper Ground !!
Good job! Just one suggestion... don't put the stabilizing jacks down until the truck is pulled forward from the tongue. You may have to raise the tongue to clear the ball putting unnecessary pressure on the rear jacks. Then you may have to lower the tongue for final leveling, which should only be done with the jacks up. Can't wait for the next episode!
That's a good point and something I've done accidentally many times. Even forgetting to retract the stabilizers and lifting the tongue jack. Err. Thanks for the comment.
I saved your video to my 'favorites' as I am looking to buy next spring and start my adventure in the early summer. Thank you so much for your video. It was incredibly well done.
Thanks. I have a playlist with how-to video. More to come. Glad to hear you have a date to start.
ROCKIN' VIDEO GUYS!!! :D I simply LOVE getting to watch you two learn what to do and what not to do, and get the benefit on your clear, well-made videos. As you know, we don't HAVE an RV, and won't have for a while, but we ARE listening to podcasts like Roadtreking to become familiarized with the lifestyle and industry as a whole. It's especially nice to have you as our inside posse because I consider you part of my online family and friends who we fully intend to meet at some point.
Thanks for all of the interesting explanations from start to finish. I've listened to many hours of Roadtreking, but haven't actually SEEN what is been discussed, so getting the chance to watch is fantastic. You guys are really up on the tips and tricks, and you've been so smart all along. I love this because we are very much into R&D before we do something--just like you. I will have Steve watch your video, and I know he's going to love it! :)
Love the little details like cleaning up around germy areas. That's just good sense. Steve and I take Emergen-C on every trip and we have one each day as a precaution. And yet, Steve got extremely sick on the last part of our Vancouver trip last year, and he attributes it to not being diligent enough about washing surfaces and not taking Emergen-C after being in a restaurant with an obviously ill person who was coughing. (Didn't help that he was very stressed and wasn't getting enough sleep, poor guy)
Stinky Slinky...*ROFLMAO*...I love how officially he talks about it! *cackle*
COLLAPSIBLE TRASHCAN? OMG HOW COOL IS THAT?!
Air trampoline....EVERYONE GIT OUTA DA WAY!!! ALL YOUR BASE R BELONG TO MEEEEE!!!! (I took Trampoline as a college PE course...TWICE!! What fun!!! If you ever actually wondered if I might just be a grown up kid...now ya know!! :D) Your son is adorable! I would, however, beat him to the trampoline! :D
Colored hoses to coincide to the job of the hose: GENIUS! :)
LOL the last bit where your son rented the self-propelled go-cart was AWESOME!!! :) Your kids are super cool...it's neat to take a peek into your world. Looks like they are having a good time too!
Hey, I did have ONE QUESTION: How long does it take, on average, to level the trailer and to all of the necessary chores before you can walk away? 20 min? 30? An hour? Kind of hard to judge from the video. Does the time vary wildly from one place to the next?
THANKS for the great show, Marc and Tricia (and you crazy kids!)...I'm delighted for you that you're getting so many views and comments. WAY TO GO!!! *high five* You deserve the attention, and I hope it will turn into an eventual money earner for you! :)
Hey Janet! Thanks for comment... as always! Great point about the time. That would have been great to include. It takes roughly 30 min, but I take my time. I have found/learned that when it comes to setup and teardown of RV or boats... it's still enjoyable when I take my time and even have a beer. When I try to do it fast... it makes the process seem like an obligation and takes the fun out it. Yes, I love the roadtrecking Podcast. Mike does a great job. I learned a lot from him. Sitting at a sbux right now uploading Episode 8. Screaming fast Internet makes uploading more enjoyable too :)
Hey, thanks for the reply! It's such fun to hear from you, and nice to know how long the process takes. I can't agree with you more...trying to hurry all the time makes us very crabby indeed. And I'm not surprised that you are a fan of Roadtrekking, it's so pro, and easy to zip past the advertising. LOL, how nice to be at a fast internet spot...you must REALLY appreciate that these days! :D
You may want a Hose Thread Backflow Preventer by Drip Depot on your gray hose so there will be no water out to the black tank into your water system. Amazon have them for less then $7.
Where you have your gray tank connected into the water source, we connect a hose to wash things.
Enjoy your videos.
Exactly - as a AA licensed water/waste operator that was my husbands first comment you need to put a backflow to prevent any possible cross contamination flowing back down - not likely but can happen, also very very important to change the water filter according to the manufacturer specifications - that is a leading cause of bacteria if not changed timely. Gread video - love watching your channel, your boys look like they are a riot - must drive your daughter crazy.
Good point. I'll look into that!
Great video thanks! My Family and I are getting ready to take or new class C out for the first time next weekend and your channel has been full of great tips and info! There also lots of fun to watch! Cheers!
Great information. I have never seen the clear elbow, that's on my trailer list! Thank you!
Thx for the comment!
Totally picked up the all American log ride window for both ends of our hose after watching this video. Lol. Such peace of mind knowing all is clear.
5 years later and my wife and I just purchased our first travel trailer. Did my first hook-up last night after a late start and just realized I forgot the pressure regulator on the fresh water hose. Great idea with the Y-adapter though and will be getting one of those as well! Thanks for the helpful tips!
Yes air trampoline...he knew how cool it was to have that fun
Thanks for walking us through your hook up. One thing I added was a shut off valve at the trailer end of the hose. You can check for leaks on the whole set up and adjust water pressure if necessary before hooking it up to the trailer. $10 well spent I think. We use Clorox spray for our disinfectant.
Thanks for the comment Slim. Good idea on the leak check. I'lll keep that in mind.
Mark when you buy a floor jack get a aluminum race car jack it cost a little more but they're well worth it they got a hand on the side of them and they are lite the handle has a pin detachable just remember 2 foot by 2 foot piece of plywood for a jack stand 2 foot by 3 foot for the jack it's always to be a little better prepared than not at all I like the tire gauge with a dial on it I have with me a battery charger a tire pump 50 foot cord tools too it's nice to have a soft pad for your knee caps too lol remember the tire kit one that has the drill bit in it pull the nail out grill it slap some glue on the plug cut off plug with one sided razor blade air up Tire rock and roll
I was at home depot last night and had my hand of a floor jack. Surprisingly only $60. But I didn't pull the trigger. Too many other things to buy right now... so my truck jack will have to do for now. I'll keep this in mind when I buy one.
Ok good aluminum 😂
Great news! It's okay to use periods! Do not be afraid, no one will hurt you if you use periods and upper/lowercase letters too!
Good point. I couldn't make any sense of the original comment. There is a reason for punctuation/capitalization.
A quick tip on the water. Open the valve for a few seconds first before hooking anything up to it to flush any bugs or junk out first.
Did that tonight based on your comment. Thanks!
I'm not sure if there is a comment on this, I turn the water on with the filter connected to the hose but not connected to the RV. I like to make sure that the water runs clear before I attach it to the RV connection. 🙂🇺🇸
Yeah, that's a good point. I suppose I only do that when I replace the water filter, but it's a good practice. Thanks for the comment.
Oh, by the way, as new as your camper trailer is...do you have a inside water filtration system? They are usually hidden under a cabinet or behind a access panel close to the main water inlet. It is a cartridge type filter.🙂
Interesting. We had a thorough walk-through and delivery and it didn't come it. I'll check, but doubt it. That would be nice.
P J
The added benefit is you wash out any loos carbon from the filter 'before' you run water into your RV.
Excellent video, and the comments answered the only two remaining questions I had! Thank you for making it!!!!
Great video, try calgon water softener in your black tank. helps keep your sensors clean and break everything down and smells good. We have been fulltime Rving for 5 years now and still learn something new at each stop. You already know more than we did our first year. Y'all be safe
Will def give it a shot! We might have some build-up in our gray tank pipes... heard a gallon of Lysol de-greaser works well for that. Any input there?
Occasionally we would drop one of those pellets for dishwashers in the black and grey tank, fill them half way and then drive to the next location and drain ... cleans the sensors.
Watching on a beautiful Friday night in St. Louis. Out on our patio...drinking wine and appreciative of your information! Looking at buying a travel trailer almost identical to yours!
Sweet. Check out our top 10 things RV newbies should know too! We have more RV info vids coming!
Mark, i'm about to sell my house in Hawaii, move back to the mainland to become a full-timer! Your wonderful family is a total inspiration!
Congrats Brent. Stay on it.
I’m new to RV life this year and I appreciate your videos greatly! Thank you.
Great video. Another suggestion that I would like to make to you is on your sewer discharge pipe I bought a 3 in shut off that fits right on in place of the cap giving you an extra layer of protection from accidental leaks, and then the cap fits over the discharge valve.
That's a good idea. I'll def. look into it.
+Keep Your Daydream Camcorder makes the shut off valve and can be purchased at Amazon or other RV parts stores
@@KeepYourDaydream Funny, your son will appreciate it in the bird. This was a 5 year old comment.
I didn't get through all of the comments here and I know it's been a year since this video and you may know by now, but the "stinky slinky" as you call it goes in the bumper. Pull the cap off that has the hole in it and it slides in there. just thought I would make your sanitized life a little easier. My wife and I wish we were you, but we don't have an income to support it. Great job!
You should never drop any end of your fresh water hose on the ground, especially not close to the hookups....:-) Great video. You mentioned that you have the black full before you dump it. We have seen so many fellow campers and there are some videos even on TH-cam recommending to keep the valves of grey and black open, when you are on full hookups. Thankfully this myth starts to vanish. You can ruin your tanks, clog up your sensors etc. Keeping the valves open drains the liquid and makes sure that the solids build up in the tanks. Even in the grey water tank once soap and grease dries on it is very hard to get rid of and the grey tank will start smelling worse than the black tank. We love your videos and followed your journey. You guys have clearly fun and don't try to spread doomsday stories of the "dangers of the road" like some others here. Great job, keep on going.....
We are about to head out on our first trip... to Mount Rushmore! This video has been SO HELPFUL!! Thank you!
Thanks. We have a playlist with other how-to videos.
How did it go? We are going in a few months. Can’t wait!
First time on the road with a trailer and the family. Your video helped me get ready to set up on the park. Thank you for taking the time to make it. Cheers
Awesome to watch this video and your more recent ones. You can see the differences in what you’ve learned from then to now in both how you hook up to the products you use. Thanks for the uploads!
You did a great job covering all the basics.
Different rigs and parks may require a few tweaks.
I find that every time we go out and set up the rig, we get a little better at it.
Happy Camping
Thanks. This is so long ago! We have a how-to play list now.
I believe Home Depot Arlo's has a really good Tire plug kit really heavy handle Google that he might be a little pricey but when it's hot as hell out you want to get it done quick you have to do that good equipment has a way of saving your bacon check your tires every time you stop you could get something like a bar and smack those tires without having to get the tire gauge out if you got 1/2 flat it will tell you right now
Im a first time rv buyer and great advice. Plus love your guys approach to life.
Thanks!
We just purchased a new 5th wheel this weekend and I learned so much from your video. I love the extra thought you put into your connections.
Nice. We have a much newer video and check-list. th-cam.com/video/4-JQ7rnj7kM/w-d-xo.html Check it out. We also have a how-to playlist.
We just started watching your family. Your blessed man Mark. We love your videos so please keep putting them out. We are planning to follow your trip plan next year. The views are just incredible.
Thanks Larry. Yes, very fortunate right now and taking adventure of the little time left with our kids. Glad to hear you're preparing to hit the road. The podcast might offer some good inspiration too. Lots of stories of people changing priorities and living on their own terms. Thanks for joining us!
Great videos and looking forward to looking at the rest.We pick up our new travel trailer this weekend and FedEx and UPS have been making deliveries of camping goodies . We're so excited to get started.
Didn't read all the comments but wanted to point out that I do not open the black water valve until I'm ready to leave, if you leave the valve open all your chemicals are gone down the sewer and your waste is going to pile up in the base of your tank with nothing to break it down, you can't assume your waste is going to go straight down the sewer just because you leave the line open.
Now looking for one on how to flush out the black tank, and how to do it at a dump station. This was very helpful.
Thanks so much for all your videos!! I just bought a heartland bighorn 3985 rrd for my wife and i to full time rv in and have used your channel to learn from. I cant wait to pick it up next month and put all the research to work.