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JohnG4706's avatar
JohnG4706
Explorer
Apr 29, 2015

First Trip....Checking Things Out

Well I did it! First trip to check things out. Very apprehensive. I decided to stay close to home and went to Huntington Beach Stare Park. Checked in and drove to my campsite. Now for my first back in experience. I lined myself up and a woman came along and asked if I needed help. Beth must be a mind reader! Three or four backups, overturned the wheel and turned the wheel opposite to what I needed, but I did it. Next time will be easier.

I tried setting up the TV and ran into a problem. I raised the Winegard roof antenna, turned on the amplifier and rotated the antenna. In every position I got, "Weak or No Signal."
I plugged into the TV position,the other connection was for Aux/Sat. How do I check it out. I'm only 12 miles from Myrtle Beach.

Kept checking the refrigerator to see if it was getting cold. Nothing. When I opened the door no light. Blown fuse was my first thought. No, all fuses intact. Then I saw the push button to turn the refrigerator on LP or Auto. Works fine.

Went to bed. Boy was it quiet! Then around 4am, little drops of rain on the roof and skylight. It's amazing how noisy through rain was compared to the absolute quiet.

Great start! I can see why so many people enjoy camping!
  • Tvov's avatar
    Tvov
    Explorer II
    We love when it rains while we're camping... just makes us remember the times we used a tent in the rain...

    Speaking of which, remember to vent, vent, vent! Crack open a window and hopefully a roof vent if you can - I can open our bathroom roof vent 1-2 inches and the rain won't come in, but allows fresh air to flow in from another window.

    You want to avoid a build up of condensation in the camper, and allow venting for propane appliances. And... it is nice having fresh air!
  • When I first set up shop at a new site, I usually look which way other rv' s have the antennae facing
    That get me close for a finer adjustment.
  • Did you set your tv to antenna instead of cable, and then run a channel scan?
  • Congratulations on your first trip. The backing into the campsite will get easier. The key is to take your time. Don't want to get in a hurry and run into a tree or post.
    For the TV, we had a similar issue once and I found where the cable screws into the antenna up on the roof was loose. Once I tightened it up everything was fine.