Tips for reducing set-up time?

[HydroGeo]

Does anyone have any tips to shorten set-up time (besides just pulling into a WalMart parking lot!)? At the end of a day of driving, we usually spend about 1.5 hr setting up, which makes for a very long day. Hubby is very particular about checking the site, making sure power and water work, then we level, put slides out, etc.Then it's either unhook the toad and go out for dinner or microwave some leftovers. Reverse the process in the morning and we spend a lot of time on a travel day not traveling.

[dieharder]

Man, an hour and a half has got to be OCD when it comes to setting up. Even in a campground I've never been to before, I can stop on the road and check out the site in a minute or two for obstructions, know where I want to set up, get in, level, slide out, hook up, get out the ground carpets and the chairs and pull out the awnings in around 10 minutes. What is he doing? Raking the site, getting on his hands and knees with scissors making sure the grass is cut to exactly the same length? The best way to shorten set up time - stop overthinking it.

[Busskipper]

Executive wrote:
Maybe I'm confused...does your hubby share the same feelings as you? In other words, does HE feel the set up time is excessive?..:h.

It usually takes me between an hour or two to set up. Of course this is on sites where we are going to be there for a few days or a week. I park the coach and set up the outside. Debi cleans and sets up the inside.

My routine is to park the coach, level it, and deploy the slides. I hook up the utilities and push the button for the TV dish. I then wash the front of the coach to get rid of any bugs and dirt. Next comes a complete raking of our site. Install the window covers on the windshield and side windows, put up the American flag, put out the lawn mat and chairs and put out all the solar lights. Finally I wash all the rims and any excessive dirt on the coach. If we're going to be at least a week, I install the wheel covers. Finally, I deploy all the window awnings and set the main awning. Then I'm done....I've never felt my routine to be difficult. In fact, I find it therapeutic..your hubby may feel the same......Dennis

Dennis,

Do you do all of this when just staying the night?

HydroGeo wrote:
Does anyone have any tips to shorten set-up time (besides just pulling into a WalMart parking lot!)? At the end of a day of driving, we usually spend about 1.5 hr setting up, which makes for a very long day. Hubby is very particular about checking the site, making sure power and water work, then we level, put slides out, etc.Then it's either unhook the toad and go out for dinner or microwave some leftovers. Reverse the process in the morning and we spend a lot of time on a travel day not traveling.

I thought we were talking about a "Travel Day"

I, probably like you, enjoy the complete set up, when we "move in" and stay, not only do I carry a Rake but also a SNOW shovel.

I remember once watching a fellow RV'er pull in, do the normal set up, then do the full wash down out of a bucket, then after 2 hours finally sitting down to have a Beer. In talking, he said the wash down was his way of getting the kinks out after a long drive -- and he did it every time he stopped.

We all have our own routine - usually takes me a week to get fully set up - not in a hurry - but for one night - 5-10 minutes is all it takes.

JMHO,

ps. always enjoy your comments.

[JetAonly]

I was a military aviator, too. So I understand. Check list are not "Do" lists. Check lists should only contain those items which are going to cause damage or injury. Admin items are on another list.

[Executive45]

Maybe I'm confused...does your hubby share the same feelings as you? In other words, does HE feel the set up time is excessive?..:h.

It usually takes me between an hour or two to set up. Of course this is on sites where we are going to be there for a few days or a week. I park the coach and set up the outside. Debi cleans and sets up the inside.

My routine is to park the coach, level it, and deploy the slides. I hook up the utilities and push the button for the TV dish. I then wash the front of the coach to get rid of any bugs and dirt. Next comes a complete raking of our site. Install the window covers on the windshield and side windows, put up the American flag, put out the lawn mat and chairs and put out all the solar lights. Finally I wash all the rims and any excessive dirt on the coach. If we're going to be at least a week, I install the wheel covers. Finally, I deploy all the window awnings and set the main awning. Then I'm done....I've never felt my routine to be difficult. In fact, I find it therapeutic..your hubby may feel the same......Dennis

[rockhillmanor]

HydroGeo wrote:
Both DH and I would like to reduce set-up time so we can travel further in a day. He isn't really happy with the amount of time but doesn't want to skip any steps either. As some of you have mentioned, OCD or perfectionism or whatever you call it does enter in. Also, he is a former military aviator, so he has checklists for a lot of things! Granted, if we skip a step RVing probably no one is going to die, as they might in flying, but on the other hand, we spent more for our coach then we did for our house , so we won't want to screw anything up. We take it out 5-6 times fee year and the longer between times, the slower things go.

Don't tell me nobody out there has never left a water pressure regulator on a spigot or pulled out without stowing the microwave tray!

:B
Been THERE done that!

1. At least 4 pairs of Sears robo grips left on bumper and somewhere down the road.

2. One power surge cord.

3. And one temp replacement micro that needed to be taken down before take off......came flying off of shelf on first left hand turn and exploded.

4. Fridge door flew open and spewed and broke all glass bottles I left in the door before departure.

You could have a thread a million pages long if everyone fessed up to their mistakes. List or no list, 10 minutes worth of checklists or 2 hours! :W

It really is the pilot checklist mentality. THAT he will never get rid off. All my pilot friends have the same disease that drifts over into their normal life also.

[xctraveler]

We threw a wine bottle through a velcro latched cabinet drawer onto the floor (red wine 😞 ) the microwave tray never moved!

If I take over an hour it includes washing the bugs off the front of the coach and cleaning up other messes we may have driven through. The only checklist we run - in our heads now - is disconnecting the tow'd. Must set the brake AND put it in gear before doing anything else on the site if we have to disconnect. Had it roll away from me twice many years ago. Wish I had the picture of me hanging onto the towbar screaming for DW to come with the keys to set the brake - maybe I'm glad I don't have that picture.

When friendly neighbor greets me during setup or departure prep I stop work and focus on being nice then resume from beginning of checklist after he leaves (it is never a woman).

We are on our present site for a month. It took 15 minutes to get the coach situated, leveled slides out and hooked up upon arrival. Camp furniture has come out and been put away a couple of times as weather and our needs have changed. We are leaving in 2 days. Most of the outdoor stuff is stowed because the weather is cold and wet. Will complete stowing the night before departure.

WE do live full time on the coach and seldom stay more than a week anyplace so we are setting up and taking down at least weekly. It gets to be routine. When we were at Red Bay having work done, we had to be ready to close up and move from site to bay with 15 minutes notice most every day. Our last day they finished the last project as closing time was approaching. We had 5 minutes to get it together, get out of the bay and through the gate. We did stop alongside the road to double check our departure routine and be sure everything that wanted to be latched wouldn't be talking to us down the road.

In normal life we seldom roll before 10 AM and are usually off the road by 3 PM allowing an hour for stops including lunch and a driver change. The journey IS the destination.

[2oldman]

HydroGeo wrote:
Of course, he was probably just tired of replacing turntables broken by renters, but he sure scared the heck out of us!

Maybe. I've towed thousands of miles and that turntable might get slightly nudged off its track, but never hard enough to open the door and jump out.

It can happen, but it's not a real common occurrence.

[HydroGeo]

Thanks for the ideas. I think a shorter checklist for overnight stays will help.
An electric reel for the power cord sounds great-- that sucker is heavy.
RE the microwave turntable: before we bought our coach, we rented. The guys we rented it from was adamant that only an idiot drives around with the glass tray inside the microwave, because a big bump could make the tray whack the door hard enough to open, sending the tray flying out to smash into a million pieces. Of course, he was probably just tired of replacing turntables broken by renters, but he sure scared the heck out of us!

[rolling_rhoda]

I set up and take down by myself. Without a tow car it takes me about 15 minutes, more if I drag out the patio stuff. If I walk to the site it adds another 5-10 mins. I like a checklist because I don't yet have the steps in my head and it saves me from running in and out.
Park and unlock basement
Place jack pads
Hook to shore, but not if just one night
For longer stay set up mat, grill, chairs
Level
Slides out
Satellite TV
AC on or open windows

[holstein13]

Here are my suggestions:

• For an overnight stay, get a pull through site and don't unhook the toad.
• 
  If you don't have an electric reel for your power cord, get one. It's easier to pull out the electric cord and hook it up and then push a button and the line pulls back in. Also requires a slot in the basement floor so you don't have to thread the electric cord through the floor.
• 
  Don't hook up water or sewer. For an overnight stay you don't typically need it.
• 
  Skip the TV setup or get a universal antenna for the roof that doesn't require setting up.
• 
  Use the air level on you coach (if equipped) rather than the hydraulic level. It's much quicker.
• 
  Only put out the slide/s you need.

For an overnight stay when passing through using these guidelines, I can be setup in 10 minutes or less.

For an extended stay, I'd recommend the sewer solution or even a macerator that can stay connected and a hose reel for the fresh water.

[Wrong_Lane]

Ask your husband if he can work the list to the point where he has the motorhome arrival and departure status at "Alert 30"

It would allow him to spend more time executing the mission (camping) and less on logistics.

[valhalla360]

HydroGeo wrote:
Don't tell me nobody out there has never left a water pressure regulator on a spigot or pulled out without stowing the microwave tray!

We fill the water tank when we need water, so no problems forgetting the regulator.

The microwave just lives in it's space. No special attention. We do use the microwave as a bread box so maybe that helps muffle any rattling.

It sounds like you have the opposite problem to needing a checklist. You've tried to make a checklist that is so detailed that it's taking the fun out of life.

Isn't there a saying, perfect is the enemy of good?

[hershey]

I think that perhaps your husbands check list is the bigger part of the problem. I'd be interesting in seeing it...I'm bettin' that we can do a better job of helping cut down the setup and return to travel for you. The more I think about it the more I just can't see any way one could spend that much time in setting up. A friend of ours takes about a half hour to setup and return to travel but he has two satellite antennas on tripods, and several tubs of sewing stuff tht his wife carries, extra tables get setup inside the RV for sewing etc. Table cloths, chairs and extra tables for the outside.

[2oldman]

Trackrig wrote:
The DW can hear the glass tray rattling in the microwave tray so she made a spring loaded "thing" from a toilet paper holder to put inside of the microwave putting downward pressure on the glass tray so it doesn't make so much noise.

I'd be tempted to simply put some sort of weight on it.

The OP is making it sound like this is part of setup time, and nobody's going anywhere until it's done. Seems like this chore, if necessary, could be done en route.

[Trackrig]

2oldman wrote:

HydroGeo wrote:
..don't tell me nobody out there has never...pulled out without stowing the microwave tray!

Seriously? You take the MW tray out and put it somewhere else?

Yes, we have microwave issues also. The DW can hear the glass tray rattling in the microwave tray so she made a spring loaded "thing" from a toilet paper holder to put inside of the microwave putting downward pressure on the glass tray so it doesn't make so much noise.

I couldn't hear it at all. Who says being hard of hearing doesn't have its advantages????

Bill