First Trip Tips

Try to arrive at campground before dark! If not, be sure to have plenty of flashlights. Some use rope lights to mark at least one side of camping area.

There is an interesting app called RV Checklist. Costs .99. Check it out, you might like it.

I too am a first timer, and have been developing a checklist. Our first inaugural trip is this coming weekend. Its a short 30 minute trip for an overnight campground. Our biggest hassle has been in organizing the trailer, making sure we have everything we need, but not overdo it and add too much weight. Think about what we will use, what would not be used, what is a must have, can all add up to frustration. Hopefully the frustration pays off by not forgetting something.

Many people over pack for their trips, and I am trying to avoid taking more than we will ever need. Don't need a fully stocked pantry, a few canned goods for the first couple days until we reach our destination, where there is a grocery store nearby. Same for bulk food items, and perishables. Only take what we think we will use the first few days, after all, Walmarts do have large parking lots.

The #1 thing though, leave the electronics home. No TV, no DVD, just a radio, board games, cards, etc. The only thing I am taking is my laptop, provided I get the utility for my camera to work, and only for taking night shots of the sky, otherwise it stays home too.

It's a vacation, a time to get away from it all. Enjoy it.

BTW, like the clothespin approach, consider it stolen.

One other thing that is worth consideration, invest in research time before your trip. Find campsites along the way that appeal to you, reserve the spots, but verify you have everything you need to camp there. For example, you can go to reserveamerica.com and reserve camping spaces at state parks, but read the fine print before you click accept and submit, there are details in there that can prevent you from getting your space, and forfeit your fees. Some state parks require a daily park pass, so where do you go to get one. Some will tell you, or have links, others are not posted, so call the campgrounds and ask. I did that before booking two sites in Colorado, and in Nebraska, you purchase them online, for the day you plan to use it. Call it your pre-trip itinerary. It's one less thing to be on your mind as you leave(just dont forget the paperwork on the printer).

My top two:

#1 You can never have too many rolls of paper towels.
#2 Open the cupboards / fridge / med cabinet SLOWLY, it may save you some paper towels :W

Make sure all the interior faucets are turned off before turning on the water.

Don't rush anything and be sure you chock the tires before unhooking that trailer even if it looks level. Be sure to have cash or credit card because you will forget something.

toedtoes wrote:
Breathe and relax before you do anything. If you're stressed/nervous/anxious, that is the most likely time that something will go wrong. Better to leave 20 minutes late than to forget to unplug the shore power cord...

For routines, when I had my TT, this was my routine:

Before leaving house and Before leaving campground:
1. Go inside trailer and ensure all cupboards are closed properly, all items are properly stowed away, fridge door is secured, and windows are closed (I had the louvre windows).
2. Go outside and lock the trailer door (this reminded me that the trailer interior had been checked and nothing else done).
3. Hitch trailer to tow vehicle.
4. Walk around trailer and verify: hitch is properly hooked up; propane tanks closed; windows closed; door locked; tires in good condition; outside storage compartments and appliance access doors properly closed and latched/locked; no loose parts; POWER CORD UNHOOKED FROM SHORE POWER and properly stowed away; hitch is properly hooked up (yep, I checked it twice).

Upon arriving at campground:

1. Level trailer and chock tires; unhitch trailer from tow vehicle
2. Unlock trailer door and check inside for any problems (cupboards opened, things fallen, etc.)
3. Set fridge to gas
4. Go outside and turn on propane
5. Light stove burner to get propane flowing; then light fridge, then light water heater
6. Unload camp chairs, etc. as needed, get drink out of fridge, and sit back and relax.

Upon return home:

1. Level trailer and chock tires
2. Unhitch trailer from tow vehicle
3. Unlock trailer door and check inside for any problems
4. Set fridge to electric
5. Connect power cord to shore power

Removing perishables from fridge, dirty clothes for washing, etc., could then wait until I took a nice hot shower and relaxed for a while.

Except if you have electric hook up run fridge on electric and don't use stove ,I wouldn't worry about turning the on propane use their power

Read your Haynes manual - setting up is simply the reverse of breaking camp. Easy...

The first thing you should always do is put the chocks down and should not be removed until after hooking up. Before using jacks or moving the slide, I like to hook power up first so the battery doesn't get unnecessarily discharged and get a little more power to the motors. Always turn the pedestal breaker off before plugging in.

When breaking camp, emptying the black tank is the first thing I start with. We have a built-in tank flusher and once the black tank is empty, I run the rinser for 10 minutes or so while doing the rest of the packing up. I periodically peer down the toilet to see how clean it is.

Stay focused while setting up or breaking camp and don't let someone distract you or rush it. You don't want to forget something and do some damage or leave something behind. Making a permanent list is a good idea and can stick it on back of a cabinet door. Even after years of camping, you can still forget something. A couple of trips ago, I didn't have the fridge properly closed before heading home. It *looked* closed from the entry door...

Always use a spotter when backing up, but get out and scope out the site first. Get some walkie-talkies or learn hand signals. Took a couple of years for us to perfect hand signals and we no longer use the walkie-talkies. Hardest part was getting DW to move over to the "short" side so I can see her in the sideview mirror. Keep an eye out for stumps, etc. hidden behind bushes and for overhanging limbs. I've been a victim of both. Pffft...

Oh if you have a back in site and need a helper and if you partner hasn't done it before, ask someone in the campground to assist you and show your partner how its done. Don't move unless you can see him or her in your rear view mirror. Make up the hand signals before you back up. And tell them to watch for tree limbs above, the electric post and any trees in the back. It takes a bit to get your signals down.

I live my life with lists. Camping is no different. I have a separate list for leaving the storage lot, arriving at camp, leaving camp, and dropping the trailer back off at storage. I put everything on the lists that I think off. It is easy to add things as needed. Even though I know the lists by heart, I run through just in case every time. Just last week, I forgot to put my hitch footplate in the storage compartment. I caught it when I double checked the list. I had hidden it under the trailer when I pulled up to free the chocks. Would never have missed it without the checklist.

I keep my lists on an app called Ultimate Checklist. It is easy to use. There are others out there, but I liked this one the best.

Lots of useful tips. I second or third the use of clothespins. A clothespin on the ignition key in the truck will avert the tv antenna left up; we store this clothespin on the crank in the motorhome/trailer. Also, a final walkaround is critical to ensure that the jacks are up/retracted. When disconnecting water supply hose put filter away and this completes this step. And when disconnecting or connecting sewer hose ALWAYS wear gloves and store in area separate from drinking water hoses. Avoid distractions when breaking camp, this is when steps get skipped or things get left at campsite. As others have stated "enjoy the journey".