Hi Folks! Newbie from Vancouver Island looking for help with my novice questions, as well as hints and sound advice, from the more experienced.With a great deal of persuasion from the Wife, I have now dipped my toe's into the world of Rv'ing with a motorhome. I've owned a truck camper for near twenty years, but this Class C unit is a whole other ball of wax. I have already read the manuals for the on-board equipment, and tried my hand at operating them..so far so good..least it didn't blow up!:) Since winter temps often drop below freezing in my neck of the woods, I have recently worked on winterizing the unit, and hope I did it all correctly.With Christmas approaching rapidly, I suggested to my wifey that perhaps instead of socks and underwear, or perfume and a new nighty, we should buy ourselves some accessories for the RV. She seemed very receptive to the idea! Trouble is, I have no idea what to get. I saw this thing called a Sewer Slinky, which is used for under the sewer hose. It seems like a practical idea, but do they actually work, and are they really needed? Is one type better than another?After my Wife drove the unit a few times, she felt a back up camera would be quite practical. The Class C rental that I had for a short holiday had this feature, and it was pretty handy. Is there some models I should beware of, others that you could recommend? (I have already been told to forget the license plate frame type.)Other suggestions are most appreciated, as to the practical things we would make use of in our future travels.

Under perfect conditions the Slinky might work just fine but we prefer the `Easy Slider' from Camping World which works under virtually all conditions and folds up to fit into the back bumper.

I've not used anything and have only once felt it might be useful. With 2 sewer outlets on my camper, it would be tricky to use anyway.

My priorities for accessories would be:1) A good high quality surge protector2) .....Have a Sewer Slinky - use it sometimes - especially when camping for longer periods. I really don't leave my grey water open most of the time - preferring to have a good bit of water in the tank for flushing the black tank. I assume you know that you do not want to leave the black tank valve open. Many parks even prohibit that.Backup-cameras are very nice - but you have to remember that you can't see everything and still need a spotter.You can get some of those parking pads, lego type levelers - or a 2x8 piece of treated lumber and cut it into several short sections and four sections which will fit under the rear tires to level the trailer. I'm sure you will be leveling it a lot.You are ahead of most of us if the DW is willing to learn to drive the rig, how to park it, etc.

Welcome to the world of RVng!Several brands/models of sewer hose supports.We have a plastic one that accordion folds for easy set-up/take-down.Many CGs that we have been in require them so they are handy to have.

Sewer Slinkies are "iffy-iffy", I guess it just depends? It depends upon how far from the ground your sewer outlet is on the RV and it depends upon how far off the ground the top of the campground sewer pipe sticks up. On my last camper, at one particular campground, because of the fall of the ground and the height of the pipe in the ground, I had problems with enough down hill slope drain. When I dumped the tanks, I had to walk the hose to get everything to drain. One of those slinkies under it would have been a nightmare.Still, I've seen many campers use them successfully on more level terrain or even when the ground pipe was down hill slightly. I've been the owner of RV's for quite a while now. We've had 1 pop-up and 3 travel trailers, and still have not purchased one of those slinkies. Probably never will either.If you want to get anything for the sewer hose system, get a 4 or 6 inch section of clear extension. You connect to your camper and the hose connects to the other end. When flushing the tanks, you can see what's coming through. I think you'll find this MUCH more beneficial! I use mine 100% of the time at full hook-up campsites and at dump stations. (They don't cost very much either).Here's some "little" things you might think about to help outfit your new camper. You may think, "what will I do with that", but once you're at a campsite, you'll find dozens of uses:A bunch of various sizes of bungee cords.A couple 25 foot utility style electric extension cords.A 50 or 100 foot of light weight rope, (not like a ski rope for a boat - too heavy, not needed), something light, 100 pound test or less. You can use it to cut into different lengths and won't feel bad about cutting it. You'll be surprised how many items you'll be tying down on windy days.A decent camping hatchet, that can double as a hammer ... priceless!A small carpenter's level (like the 9 inch ones)... why? Well, it comes in handy for a lot of things. Not just to help level the camper, but if you decide to get a flat griddle for frying eggs on the picnic table, it's real important the griddle is level all directions. Otherwise the eggs will drip away before they get solidified by the heat! (and pancakes too!). You'll find dozens of uses for a level. I know these items are not "camping glamorous" items, but they are very functional items that you will want and need eventually.The list is gigantic of all the things you "could" get, everything from dedicated camping clothing, to new pots and pans and dinnerware dedicated for the camper. Tools, games, you name it.But of everything I have in the camper, the items listed above are the ones I use all the time, every time!

Newbie Questions | Good Sam Community

Canadian_Rainbi
Explorer
Dec 28, 2013
ac bill wrote:
Thank you all for some excellent suggestions and ideas!

I'm going to start a My Documents RV file folder, and start listing all these for future reference. . . . . .

. . . . . Good point about the RV having two dump valves! I kind of figured that the sewer hook-ups in the campsites were actually for both systems..lol. So if they are for the grey water only, perhaps the need for a slinky type device is pointless. Just walk the hose when you are packing up, as it's not like there would be the potential for plugging the hose, as a flat laying black water drain hose would be. .. . . .

The campground drain is for both, The two dump valves he mentioned are common on some long trailers that have an extra sink in the rear. MOST motorhomes have two valves (one for black and one for gray) but only one drain point.

. . . . John Wayne, I'd love a GPS with back up camera, as that would kill two birds with one stone! After reading several reviews, it appears that some wireless ones can sometimes be an issue, as the camera signal gets dropped. I see the Garmin GPS model you mentioned has the larger 7" screen which I like..I'll have to check the reviews on that one..

We bought the Garmin RV760 (without the camera)before out winter escape to Mexico. So far we're pretty happy with it.
Roy_Lynne
Explorer
Dec 23, 2013
Welcome to the forum. Glad you found us and joined.
My list for a new to RV'ing gift I think would be a water filter, a GPS, a backup camera, maybe a set of levelers, a good tire air pressure gauge, a nice plastic table cloth for the picnic table outside, a small electric heater and a Little Buddy propane heater cause I like being warm. I would get some rugs for the floor, ours is half and half
PastorCharlie
Explorer
Dec 23, 2013
Allworth wrote:
Smitty mentioned the fire extinguisher.

Get a second one (at least). Meduim size, Class A-B-C, and mount it in the bedroom at a location of your choice. You may not be able to get to the manufacturer's chosen location, which is usually by the entrance door.

If you have a generator, you might want to mount a small bottle in the gen compartment.

It is not wise to mount a fire extinguisher in the area that is suspected to be on fire....how will one reach it without getting burned? Mount it in a convenient area away from any potential fire hazard.
Monaco_Montclai
Explorer
Dec 22, 2013
Just be sure there is water in the hwt , before u cut it on , now it's all. Happy-camping
gotsmart
Explorer
Dec 22, 2013
Get a 10 foot drinking water hose and two 20 foot drinking water hoses. When the water spigot is right next to you, use the 10 footer. When it is farther away then connect them together - as needed.

All images are clickable.

For rinsing the sewer hose, get on of these, and one of these - or whatever hose you want as long as you don't confuse it with drinking water hose or store it with the drinking water hose(s). It's not a good idea to rinse sewer hose with a drinking water hose. You don't want to risk contaminating the drinking water hose with waste:

...and some dump gloves for the squeamish and OCD.

Get a pair of pliers for when the cap on the sewer pipe at your site is misthreaded or cranked on really tight.
gotsmart
Explorer
Dec 22, 2013
When I started RVing I was told that WA and OR required that the sewer hose be supported - as in: there must be something between the sewer hose and the ground, even if that 'something' is merely lying on the ground. Since I have a low-to-the-ground sewer outlet, a trolley would make the hose run uphill. My solution at the time was to take 2 of the cheapest 10 foot long vinyl gutters I could find and cut them in half. I have 4 five foot sections that collapse together as 1 and easily fit in my pass-through. I lay them on the ground or support them with leveling blocks to create pitch. I use 3 or 4 thirteen inch bungee cords to contain the hose in the gutter sections. If I had known about the Easy Slider I probably would have gone that route. click each image for larger photo.
ac_bill1
Explorer
Dec 22, 2013
More newbie question..
I read in the FAQ's that you must male sure there is water in your black water tank vent trap, to prevent odors in the coach. The post didn't elaborate on how one is to do that.
So after you dump the black water tank do you always add some fresh water to it? If so, how much is usually needed to fill the vent trap?

Wandering the RV parts store the other day, and I spotted these tank cleaning wands. There were a few different types, and a range of prices. Are they actually a good investment, and if so, what type is the better one to go with?
Would the use of these help prevent failure of your in-tank monitors, or could they potentially cause damage to them?
Would you use these wands at full water pressure?
Is it best to use a wand each time you dump the tank, or is it more a yearly maintenance thing?
ac_bill1
Explorer
Dec 22, 2013
Googled RV surge protectors and see there is quite a variety of them available. 30 amp and 50 amp being the common ones.

Is there a way to determine which size one should get? Is it based on the campsite power provided or the maximum draw that the RV would use?

Probably quite rare, but some campgrounds only have the typical 3 prong 115 volt receptacle, so would you still be able to even use one of these?
Any one brand, or features better than another?

Great advice on fire extinguishers.. Having one handy for the generator compartment would be smart..
Jim_Shoe
Explorer
Dec 22, 2013
I have one like This. I don't need it often, but when the tank outlet(s) and the sewer inlet are both higher than the ground between them, this is a big help. It collapses for storage.
wannavolunteerF
Explorer
Dec 22, 2013
Lots of folks take old linens from their house, I preferred to buy new for my new RV. I bought good sheets and bed linens since good sleep is priceless. I bought towels from discount store and didn't buy the thickest I could find. The thinner ones dry quicker hanging to dry. But they are new and match, which makes me feel like they are special.

Another thing to consider is a memory foam mattress pad. Four inch pad makes cheap mattress sleep so much better.

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