Good Sam Community

LLeopold · ‎Jun-17-2002

Frequently Asked Questions on the Open Roads Forum

Click on any of the underlined bulleted subjects below to open the subject thread.

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Before you begin:
It is good to review the Forum Rules from time to time just to confirm what you agreed to when becoming a member of the Open Roads Forum and by popular demand: Acronyms and Abbreviations Used in the Forum

Another question that comes up frequently is how a member goes from "New" to "Full" to "Senior" status. It is purely based on the number of posts made and not how much the member knows (though some will have you believe the latter!). "New" members have made 0-49 posts, "Full" members 50-249 posts, and "Senior" 250 and more posts. Also, when one becomes a Senior member, it is customary to send each of the members who are "Moderator" $20.00... (I'm kidding!) ;).

And finally, a note for Good Sam Members: If you are an active Good Sam Member and you have registered on the forums using the same email address that is associated with your Good Sam account, your profile will, by default, display a small Good Sam Logo Badge when you post indicating you are a Good Sam Member. If you do not want the badge to display, log out, clear your internet cookies, and log back into the forums, go to My Forums/My Profile and select NO in the drop-down menu beside the words "Show GSC badge". Then go to the bottom of the page and click on "Submit Changes".

0. How Do I Get My RV.NET Stickers?

Printable temporary RV.Net stickers

1. How to Decide on the Type of RV and Things to Consider

2. Checklists & Procedures

3. Weighing your RV & Weigh Stations

4. Hitches
4a. Fifth Wheel Hitches and Sliders

4b. Weight Distribution Hitches

5. Brake controllers

6. Tire Pressure

7. Dually Inflation

8. Valve Extenders

9. Tire Pressure Monitors

10. Air Compressors (often discussed under tire pressure)

11. Wal*Mart and Other Free Camping

12. Black Streaks and How to Remove Them

There is a Part II to the FAQ - please see the next posting. -LL

Lou Leopold
Between RVs at this point
but I continue to tent camp!

Johansengirl · ‎Jul-04-2016

My husband & I are RVing across the US, coast to coast and everything in between. We stay in parks some of the time but often we are just driving to get to a new location. We tend to make our driving days in daylight so we don't miss a thing. So we spend a lot of nights in places that are just to have a place to park, eat and sleep.
We utilize the free parking in Walmart parking lots and have been pleased with the ease of use and secure environment. All of you RVers out there who use this service I have a suggestion; go in and buy what you can at the store where ycou spent the night. Then take a bit of time to drop a thank you note in the mail to the manager for allowing you to stay. I include the sales receipt in the note so the manager can see it is a win/win situation. The manager's name and address are at the top of every Wallmart receipt. Maybe if we all take the time to say thank you this wonderful free travel benefit will remain in place...and maybe the Walmart's who don't provide free overnight parking will see the light.

alzwak · ‎May-05-2016

I have a 23 ft travel trailer (gvw 4360 lbs / gvwr 5500 lbs) I plan on towing it with my 2006 GMC 1/2 ton truck SLT 5.3 Eng. with the towing package, also installed in the truck are the trailer brake unit . I also have all the WDH installed for the truck and trailer and the truck is nice and level.
Im thinking my truck is able to handle 7000 to 7600 lbs

Im needing to know if this is a good tow for my truck or do i need to look into getting a larger truck?

dewey02 · ‎Apr-14-2016

According to Toyota, the 2016 RAV4 towing capacity is 1500 lbs.
This is the total capacity, so it would include the dry weight of the camping trailer as well as anything you put into it (food, clothes, liquids, etc).

As an example, the smallest Jayco pop-up camper is just over 1500 lbs with nothing in it. RPods are around 2500 lbs. The smallest Scamp is around 1200-1500 lbs.

Donnamarie88 · ‎Apr-14-2016

Hey you guys, this is my first post. I don't know anything about RVing except that I want to do it. I'm purchasing a vehicle and I want to know if a RAV4 is enough to tow a small camper. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!!

Mike_Higgins · ‎Oct-24-2015

I have a 2003 Infinity with a 37 ft ford chassis with a V10 motor, what type OBD SENSOR does it have. Or where ca I find out?

Huntindog · ‎Jul-31-2015

It all depends on the design of the trailer and the capabilities of the TV and hitch.

The general recommendation is that a TT should have fron 10% to 15% TW

How this came about is pretty simple. Most TTs NEED at least 10% TW to tow well. And most TVs and hitches won't be able to handle more than 15% TW.
The bottom 10% figure is pretty much set in stone. But the upper 15% figure can be gone over IF the TV and hitch are capable of it.

In fact the more TW, the better they will tow.

Many here are very concerned about TW as their TVs have a low limit in this area.

Another thought to ponder, is that TTs are different from most other trailers in that the TW can vary a lot in the course of a trip.

FW gets used and ends up in waste tanks. Food gets eaten and ends up there as well. Propane gets consummed and dissappears. Many other items can move around the TT as well.
This why I always caution those with a TV that can barely handle the 10% TW.
I have a stout truck and hitch, and like my TW heavy.

MY TT has four 42 gallon waste tanks.... Talk about some potential for weight moving around!

Huntindog
100% boondocking
2021 Grand Design Momentum 398M
2 bathrooms, no waiting
104 gal grey, 104 black,158 fresh
FullBodyPaint, 3,8Kaxles, DiscBrakes
17.5LRH commercial tires
1860watts solar,800 AH Battleborn batterys
2020 Silverado HighCountry CC DA 4X4 DRW

BarneyS · ‎Feb-17-2015

Good new thread on how to determine what you can tow. Probably should go in 4b or 26.
Barney
How to Determine What You Can Tow

2004 Sunnybrook Titan 30FKS TT
Hensley "Arrow" 1400# hitch (Sold)
Not towing now.
Former tow vehicles were 2016 Ram 2500 CTD, 2002 Ford F250, 7.3 PSD, 1997 Ram 2500 5.9 gas engine

kl1200r · ‎Dec-06-2014

quick question, where can i get the small map people have in their signature showing where they have been ? thanx in advance

budman1973 · ‎Sep-14-2014

my roof top a/c will run for a few hours then it just starts humming. i tried putting it to fan only and all it does is hum. i believe its a duratherm. any advice.thank you. adam

97daybreakowner · ‎Jul-26-2014

HELP..need OWNERS manual for 97 damon day break motorhome

Marauderer · ‎Apr-21-2014

Great thread!! Lots of timeless good information.

Barry:B
USN (Ret.)
20 GD Reflection 337RLS
07 GMC Sierra D/A CCSB, to many mods, Anderson Ultimate with B&W rollover ball gooseneck hitch, Torque Lift Stairs, 20 ft Flag Poll
15 Grand Cherokee Limited EcoDiesel
"Red" the little Bear Dog
12 Yanmar Sc2450

IPA-Brewmaster · ‎Apr-06-2014

As a newbee, was hoping for some newer stuff than 2002. Many of the posts have closed and could use updating. Would love to see some fresh stuff on TVs.

LLeopold · ‎Jun-18-2002

Frequently Asked Questions (Part III)

22. Sway Control

23. Preparing for Winter and Spring
23a. Winterizing

23b. De-winterizing

24. Truck Camper FAQ’s

25. Spray-in Truck Bed Lining

26. Other Good Things to Know About

27. Outside Reading/Links/Fun Stuff
(Note: This list contains links to pages on the World-Wide Web that contain even more useful information for the new and experienced RVer)

About this thread:
This thread is a kind of an "Index" to topics that have been raised many times on the forum. It is not a "Topic Search Engine." That is already provided by the forum (the magnifying glass in the upper-right corner).

It is by no means all inclusive of all the discussions done on this forum. To maintain a true index is a daunting, if not impossible, task.

It is also definitely not meant to stifle discussion nor to quash any new topics from being created. It is here to provide quick links to some discussions that have taken place in the past. Any new information is always welcome to any of the threads or even new ones. If you are aware of a topic and thread (or created a new topic and thread) and want it added here, please post a reply to this thread with the FAQ (even if its a new one) and the link to the thread so I can copy it here. This is also true of threads I may have missed (especially in the early stages!).

Please note: As an RV enthusiest, I go camping as often as I can, so if you post a reply and I don't immediately respond, please don't be upset with me. I'll do my best to see that the thread gets added as soon as I can.

Where and how this all got started.

How to get a link added to this FAQ
If you come across a thread that should be added to the FAQ, or even a whole new FAQ category that would be helpful to others, please reply to this thread with the information.

Start by going to the desired thread with your browser.

Then capture the URL of that thread so that it may be copied into your reply. For Netscape, the URL may be found at in the "Location" window. For Internet Explorer, the URL may be found at the "Address" window. Both are found immediately above the main browser window.

Select the URL using your mouse (position your mouse at the start of the URL and slide the mouse to the right until the entire URL is highlighted) and press the Ctrl and C keys together (Ctrl-C) to select and copy the text of the URL.

Then come to this thread and post a reply. Paste the URL into the Reply body by positioning the mouse in the Reply window and pressing the Ctrl and V keys together (Ctrl-V). The URL should now be entered as text to the reply. Insert the title of the thread to the reply (just makes my job easier) and submit. That's it.

Note that when the link has been added to the FAQ, the reply containing the initial link posting and my confirmation reply will be deleted by the Admin so that the FAQ thread itself will be manageable.

If you find that a link is not good
Please reply to this thread with the line item that is the bad link and I'll remove it from the list. I do not check each and every link regularly so I may (read will) miss links that no longer work. I appreciate it when these are pointed out.

Lou Leopold
Between RVs at this point
but I continue to tent camp!

LLeopold · ‎Jun-17-2002

Frequently Asked Questions (Part II)
13. Should I camp at Fort Wilderness and Other Disney Camping?

14. Camping Costs and Memberships

15. Engine Oil

16. Roadside Assistance Plans

17. Electrical, Batteries, Solar, and Generators

18. Mileage

19. Traveling with Propane On

20. Plumbing, Fresh Water, Holding Tanks, Toilet Paper and Dumping

21. Working with the Forum

There is a Part III to the FAQ - please see the next posting. -LL

Lou Leopold
Between RVs at this point
but I continue to tent camp!

Good Sam Community

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the Open Roads Forum