Newby needs help

Thank you all so very much... all kind words and good advise... I'm about to depart on my first adventure... leaving Old Town Florida will take the 129 route to the Barnyard RV park.. Lexington, SC... then the following day... to visit with friends in WV... lucky me.. they have a RV park ... so hope to learn allot there also... From there to Virginia where my children live...

Now Cloud driver.. you mentioned checking my house battery if I'm plugged in at the house... I thought I was disconnected from the house battery when plugged in... there's a switch at the door... if I unplug from my house current.. I have to hit that switch to be connected to the house battery.. does that sound right to you?

Bordercollie.. after seeing your comments.. I think I'll take he RV down to my mechanic .. who takes care of my car... he also works on RV's.. I can have him check my tire pressure.. the tires are new... I have all the maintenance records on the RV... oil was just changed 500 miles ago..

All good advice above. I'll just add that our class C with the V10 averages 9.6 mpg. I usually drive 55-60.

You mentioned that the RV is plugged in when in the driveway. Some converters, which convert 120 volt AC to 12 volt DC, have too high a "float" voltage output for continuous battery charging and can boil the water out of the house batteries. If you are plugged in at home all the time, it would be a good idea to keep an eye on the water level in the batteries on a monthly basis and top them off with distilled water as needed. If you find after a few months that the batteries don't need water added, you probably have one of the newer converters that don't have this issue.

While we talk about Fridge, Understand that though the actual cooling is 120 Volts AC **or** LP Gas, it must ALWAYS have 12 Volts DC (your coach battery and converter) to control its operation.

Congratulations and welcome to the scrum! Best wishes for many years of joyous camping in your new (to you) MH.

Expect to get 7-9 mpg and be pleasantly surprised if you ever get 10mpg on flat lands with tail winds at 55mph. RV's are heavy and have a lot of rolling resistance and are not streamlined. Have tires inflated to proper pressure, usually 65-70 psi in front and 75-80 psi in rear duals. Have tires inspected and make sure that your tires are less than five years old by date codes on each tire and that they don't have sidewall cracks. A tire coming apart or blowout can result in loss of control and damage to things under the RV due to whipping steel belt. Have brakes and engine cooling system checked and serviced as needed. Brake fluid should be flushed and changed every couple of years to prevent brake fade on long downgrades. Front flex brake lines may need replacement, can rupture inside causing sudden pull to right or left . Safe vehicle and safe driving are most important.


Good luck with new adventure/hobby.

The fridge, when in use, whether on electric or propane needs to be level, within 3 to 5 degrees! Of course the closer to true level the better. I have always traveled with fridge on, as stated you are moving and the fluid gets josseled around as you drive. As far as "the sweet spot" to drive at, you will find it by driving! Each rig, including how much is stored inside will be a little bit different. One thing to keep in mind is the V10 likes to rev. I had one years ago and it was a little scary until I just accepted the beast. 55 on an interstate is a good place to start.

Whether on propane or electric the fridge needs to be level to prevent damage. Damage can happen in as little is 15 minutes.

I added this to my unit: https://www.arprv.com/

Welcome, Jeannie!

For the fridge - Propped open between uses is good. Just be sure it's OFF. What Bumpy said above is correct. Underway, the fridge passes "through level" a lot of the time, but stopped, should be level or close to it. Some say "If you're comfortable, the fridge will be comfortable too," but I've seen too many cockeyed rigs on campsites to endorse that message. I consider the FRIDGE the VIP Customer when leveling. Get your coach level someplace. Then check level several places. The Fridge may not be mounted true to the rest of the coach. Ours is, but the Stove isn't. Hard to fry the perfect Sunny Side Up Egg.

Once you find the Sweet Spot for leveling, you need check only there. Do this in the HOUSE, not the Cockpit. You'll be surprised how much the chassis twists, making the cockpit level when the house isn't. Side to side I mean...

EDIT: Forgot the V10 part. MPG is probably best right where it drops into Overdrive, around 45. While 55-60 is good, I'll say you may want to run a little faster if the terrain is hilly. Not mountains, just hills. Reason: With the engine spooled up to a little higher RPM it may not downshift from OD to Third as much. I used to try to hold a steady 58. Then I tried steady 62. Still a fair amount of downshifting. The cruise on these is way too touchy. Of late, I find I'm happier driving without cruise and trying to stay between 60 and 65, trying to work with the hills. Or, in FL, the OverPasses!

if you are moving the refer gets jostled enough so level doesn't matter much. but if you stop for lunch, etc. try to get it level.
and 55-60 is a good place to keep a V10.
bumpy