Batter up, swing and.....hit! First RV, Fifth Wheel.
Bought a 2009 Keystone Laredo 265rl. We were looking at a 2006 Jayco, but it sold before we could get to far along. Seems a good fit for the wife and I and dogs. Dropped off the truck today to have the hitch installed and we take delivery tomorrow.
I feel confident that we did well on the whole deal from the walk around inspection to the price and included necessities and accessories. Started off with new tires (Goodyear Marathons), new battery+added a second, surge protector, fantastic fans and vents, Reese 16k slider, bed mounted plug.
Walk around went well. There was some roof seals to fix (no leaks, just very dry), a door latch, and the corrugated plastic underneath needed to be attached more securely in the front section. Tomorrow during the pre delivery walk around with power and water hooked up I intend to look deeper at a few things before the check is handed over.
First upgrades are LED lights and shower head that already came in the mail via Amazon. I'll be building pads/pedestals for the stabilizer jacks as well as homemade leveling blocks day after tomorrow. Also plan to pick up a TPMS tomorrow at delivery if the price is decent, if not then it's off to Amazon.
After delivery I'll stop by the scales on the way home and get all my weights out of the gate. Truck will have a full tank of gas plus hitch and the unit will have full LP bottles. Then it's off to home and start loading things in we "think" we'll use/need. Everything will be loaded into rubber tubs rather than put in place so I can weigh it all on Saturday when I set it up at my shop for the week.
Plan is to learn, tinker, play, brain storm and practice things for a couple of days and then we are headed to the lake for memorial day weekend where family has property. It'll by a practice weekend in a controlled environment more or less so if we have any lessons learned we won't be shortchanged by being first time in the middle of nowhere. We have built in extra time for driving and set up and the property is only about a 2.5 hour drive one way. Generally easily navigable roads that I have been down 100s of times and shouldn't present me with anything I can't overcome on a first trip towing a fifth wheel.
So, thinking I am all full of myself and have plenty of bases covered, give me your first time tips and tricks. (As if that question hasn't been asked a billion times).
Edited to add: What do you keep in your tool box? Besides unit specific tools, is there a handy tool that isn't normally in your home tool box that you keep? I have a great tool box a home and an awesome tool box at my shop, but a road kit with more than what I normally have in my truck would seem to be obvious.
I feel confident that we did well on the whole deal from the walk around inspection to the price and included necessities and accessories. Started off with new tires (Goodyear Marathons), new battery+added a second, surge protector, fantastic fans and vents, Reese 16k slider, bed mounted plug.
Walk around went well. There was some roof seals to fix (no leaks, just very dry), a door latch, and the corrugated plastic underneath needed to be attached more securely in the front section. Tomorrow during the pre delivery walk around with power and water hooked up I intend to look deeper at a few things before the check is handed over.
First upgrades are LED lights and shower head that already came in the mail via Amazon. I'll be building pads/pedestals for the stabilizer jacks as well as homemade leveling blocks day after tomorrow. Also plan to pick up a TPMS tomorrow at delivery if the price is decent, if not then it's off to Amazon.
After delivery I'll stop by the scales on the way home and get all my weights out of the gate. Truck will have a full tank of gas plus hitch and the unit will have full LP bottles. Then it's off to home and start loading things in we "think" we'll use/need. Everything will be loaded into rubber tubs rather than put in place so I can weigh it all on Saturday when I set it up at my shop for the week.
Plan is to learn, tinker, play, brain storm and practice things for a couple of days and then we are headed to the lake for memorial day weekend where family has property. It'll by a practice weekend in a controlled environment more or less so if we have any lessons learned we won't be shortchanged by being first time in the middle of nowhere. We have built in extra time for driving and set up and the property is only about a 2.5 hour drive one way. Generally easily navigable roads that I have been down 100s of times and shouldn't present me with anything I can't overcome on a first trip towing a fifth wheel.
So, thinking I am all full of myself and have plenty of bases covered, give me your first time tips and tricks. (As if that question hasn't been asked a billion times).
Edited to add: What do you keep in your tool box? Besides unit specific tools, is there a handy tool that isn't normally in your home tool box that you keep? I have a great tool box a home and an awesome tool box at my shop, but a road kit with more than what I normally have in my truck would seem to be obvious.
