5 things NOT to do in your RV 

Tonights video will redirect you to the extended version of the tech tip on Todd & Tony's new channel called Tech Tips with Todd & Tony! www.youtube.com/@TechTipTNT This channel is for those of you wanting more than 2 minutes and the opportunity to get your questions answered! Jump on over there and subscribe and let us know in the comment what you want us to cover!

Number 6: Turn off the water if you are going to be away from the RV.

Before dumping the black tank, charge the hose momentarily from the gray tank to check for leaks. If no leaks, then go ahead and dump the black, then the gray.

Always makes sure the breaker on the power post is off before you plug in. Always turn the breaker off before you unplug your RV.

I always have an issue with people dumping their black first and then their gray. I have seen two many “poopsies” and have had to pull in right after one! My advise is to always open your gray for a couple seconds and then close it. Just to make sure your connections are all good. No one cares if you accidentally drop a little gray water but people get mad when they see poop and toilet paper all over! After you are confident there are no issues then dump your black and then go back and flush with the rest of your gray. This will save you from a lot of clean up in the end!

You may want to add to #5. In my younger years, I worked for an amusement ride company. Some of the trailers were small, just like RV trailers. Working in areas with a lot of kids and glass bottles, kids would place glass bottles under the tires for fun. That inspection should contain a very careful look under the RV to look for ANYTHING that should not be there. Toys, animals and glass bottles.

On the awning section, me and 2 other couples were camping and I looked up and saw some very black clouds. It was about 10 at night, and all I said was, let's get the awnings in. Long story short, we came up with the E.A.T.T, Emergency Awning Take down Team. The camp ground lost 4 awnings that night, none of ours.

I'm new to maintenance at a resort. This channel is a lifeline.

Your #4... always use an RV surge suppressor when hooking to shore power. Not all miss-wired or faulty pedastals show heat damage.

You are a natural teacher and explain things in layman's terms. Thank you so much.

It's also illegal (against coast guard regulations) to drive onto a ferry with the propane tank valve open.

Always be sure the breaker on the pedestal is turned off before you connect or disconnect your shore power cable. We always do this. There are loads besides appliances that are in a stand by mode that won't appreciate voltage spikes. Think battery charger, microwave, entertainment or computer equipment. and the like.

And ALWAYS shut off the breaker at the pedestal before plugging in or unplugging! And ALWAYS use a surge protector.

I never plug into the pedestal with the breaker on.

Todd Skiing, hunting and snowmobiling are 3 reasons to RV in the cold. Thanks for telling people it is illegal to drive in to a filling station with the LP on, so many do not care until disaster hits.

Awesome stuff, as usual, as a new RV owner every little bit of knowledge I can learn helps, thanks for what you do.

Great list! I think the explanation of each item is what really made this video stand above others who try and say don't do this or that.

The awning cleaning tip was most helpful. Thank you!

Jeez, you have the best voice! And thank you for the really informative and helpful presentation of this information!!

Thank you for your up date .

Thank you for these VERY helpful reminders.

Really enjoy listening to your information. Thanks

Another great video with some great tips.

Nice videos. Awning wise I had occasion to pick up a used RV that had been left with the awning rolled up with leaves, mold… figured replace, but tried a few household cleaners. Scrubbing one spot could kind of lighten it. Stumbled onto Camco full timer’s choice awning cleaner. Just wiping it with a dollar store mop was amazing. I’m not affiliated, but man that stuff worked like tarn-x in a tarn-x infomercial.

Great one, thanks Tod.

Super helpful - thanks!

Great e[isode. Awesome tips. Back to basics and keep it simple. Excited about your new channel. Great job! Thank you for sharing

Great video and great advice

dude you are fantastic...thank you!!!!!!!!!!!

Love the suggestions. I'll be LivIng in an rv full time soon, and your channel has been GREAT.

Great video Todd! More people need to be watching your videos. #EveryRVer

FREE TARPS.. everytime theresbig wind in Tombstone the next day i just go by rv parks and get some really cool tarps for my stuff

Very, very good information here. Thanks

As part of converting our as-delivered TT power system to a lithium/ solar/ inverter system, Victron recommended installing a 50A circuit breaker between the shore power supply and the inverter. We make sure that this breaker is in the OFF position when we connect to the pedestal. Since the breaker and inverter are also prior to the trailer’s circuit breaker/ fuse panel, this also helps protect any appliance when shore power is activated.

Excellent video! New to RV ownership and new subscriber. Thank you!

Great and thank you.

Great information

great info

Thank you!

It's really hard to snow ski without snow. That's why we camp in the snow...we like to ski.

Solid list.

Awe, I really want to take this course!!!!! So nice to see another 903 area code again haha!!!! I refuse to change my# . I miss my home but South East Louisiana is a little oasis and close to home

Great info Todd, i (Lee) will be attending your course hopefully within the next year!!

Those are all good ones thanks

Words of wisdom.

I RV in the winter because I paid for a 4 season rig.

Hello Todd and NRVTA friends. Many important subjects tonight. I would like to recommend paying close attention to this one, especially the walk-around inspection. Also I VERY highly recommend the Home Study Advanced Course with labs as it contains so much MORE information than the basic HOME Study Course. Kindest regards...

Thanks!

Thank you for sharing! New subscriber. 🥰💎💎💎

Great rips, thanks.

We love winter rving last cool temperatures was -12’ degrees. Lots of snow.

I bring mine home first and plug in and check to make sure everything works before every trip and also to get the refrigerator nice and cold

We never drive with our propane on. Thanks for all the good tips. 😊

I open my grey tank Valve for a few seconds just to make sure all my hose connections are tight and secure. Then I open my black tank Valve then finish with my grey.

Great job as usual ! I have a weird issue. When I plug into shore power, sometimes my fridge will stay on propane. It doesn't happen all the time though!! Drives us nuts ! Sometimes I will turn the fridge off than on, and it will work for a while. Have you ever heard of that? Its a 2008 Holiday Rambler Augusta Sport. Love your channel(s) and subscribed to the new one !!

This has happened! John was unloading fuel, someone came into the station, their pilot light was on. This caused an explosion he was covered with 3rd degree burns! He did live but I was horrible.

Great content, what is the best way to maintain you trailer suspension , greasing etc

First time RVer. I need a checklist

Good pitchman for a bearded Giant.... prime cut video perciate it Hombre.

Good video. What’s your thoughts on this? While driving, turn off the propane tank. Then plug in the AC 110 plug into a 12 volt to 110 volt inverter connected to the house battery ( that technically are being recharged by the engine alternator) thereby eliminating the chance of a propane fire. This would only be used while driving. Could run a generator but that burns extra gasoline. And if one have Solar, that too on a sunny drive will also keep the batteries charged/ topped off and the refrigerator running even at max if necessary.

My fridge is either 120 or propane. If I want to keep my food cold while traveling, I need to leave the propane on.

Living in an RV full time, stationary, I leave my water on and propane on all day, all night. Hopefully 🤞 never have an issue. It’d be a pain to turn both off when I leave for work and then when I come home. But my trailer never moves.

I am surprised that you didn't mention using a surge guard. I use a Surge Guard 34951 because it protects agents' low power as well as to hi of power/voltage. Low voltage damages more campers than anything else. I won't plug in my little camper with out one. I cured the problem of leaving the propane on to power the refrigerator. I now have a residential type.

Really good video. Well presented. My 2¢ on Propane - I was a firefighter for 32 years. I have personally seen one incident with a propane on an RV. The Family decided to check into a hotel for the night, but left the propane heater on. A cold front came through (in the middle of the night) and the thermostat for the heat came on. Apparently the propane had been slightly leaking and the mixture of air and LPG was at the "explosive" range. Now I am not taking about a ball of fire and a mushroom cloud. The gas ignited and the mixture expanded to the point of blowing all the side panels off the frame and it blew out the windows. All the gas was consumed in an instant and the curtains were only barely singed. There was no real fire. The fact that the curtains were hanging outside the windows was what made me notice what had happened. People seem the think that their propane tank with explode if it is on and tou have an accident. This is NOT a real concern. Should you drive down the road with your propane and water heater on. Absolutely not. It could (and likely will) blow out your water heater flame. I have had this happen even last week with windy conditions camping on a beach. Turn off your propane, and all propane appliances while driving. This only makes sense.

My wife says you could be a stand-in for John Goodman (I actually listened to your RV tips). Thanks.

Turn off the breaker in the electrical panel store before you unplug your power cord.

poop chute....LOL that always makes me laugh

I don't know much about RV's, but I do know that you can't be to safe with propane. Also have CO and LP detectors and when they go off, take the alarm seriously. My in-laws have RV's to I have taken some interest them. good video.

The only thing I would add to your video is, I always switch off the breakers on the shore power box, before I plug in, then there is no arcing at all at the plug. I bought an inline wall mount, southwire surge protector. The instructions say it must be installed by a "certified" installer. I am going to do it myself. I have remodeled enough houses and installed enough dryers, I know how to hook up the wires. What is your advice. I was a Heavy Duty truck mechanic for 20 years.

Expanding on #4 - Do not plug in your RV if the breaker is on. Turn the breaker off before plugging in, then turn on breaker.

I keep my generator on while driving helps with my cooler air on

Again great advice, but another tip don’t put hay bale around your RV

Thank you for the great videos, I have 2 questions... • Regarding the propane being turned off, on average how long will the refrigerator remain cold to safely store the food inside? We've had 2 months of 100º to 110º weather, and I am very concerned about the food going bad or taking a day to cool back down to safe/normal food storage temperatures. • When it comes to transferring power with an onboard/hardwired generator, what's the best practices? I've had a generator on a boat before and I was the transfer switch, meaning our boat was set up that the shore power and generator switches were at my finger tips and I had control over whenever I switched them. Our new trailer has an automatic transfer switch hidden behind a panel, and the other day while connected to shore power I started the gen set and the power transferred automatically while there was still a load on shore power. Something tells me that wasn't a good thing, having power switch with a big air conditioner load on the electrical system. Thank you for your help and time.

New to big camper. Binge watching to learn. Where can I get a need awning for my Summerland Springdale 2670BHGS? Thanks 🤠

I agree, we never drive with our propane on, and the keyword is yet lol.

Great tips, Beard! Granted, "Do not fail at not looking at your RV" is grammatically wonky, but we get the message! ("Do not fail BY not looking at your RV" that makes sense.) :)

So first timer here, I was told by the dealer that driving to the site with the fridge running is ok, the only thing was to shut it off if gassing up.

And check your tail lights, if you can have someone push the brake pedal and you make sure you're brake lights are working.

Re camping in the cold... no problem with us in Canada. Winter camping is a huge topic by itself and a LOT of fun with a little prep. We close our propane when travelling. With everything shaking when driving, no telling when a valve might leak a tad. Not cool, eh. It doesn't take long for our furnace (and physical activity :-D ) to warm everything up when we are at our campsite in winter. Small rug for floor helps in -25 Celsius. Leaving black tank open? Years (many, actually) ago, when I was a kid, my dad would "accidentally" leave both tanks open a bit just before we hit the highway. He figured that vehicles behind that were targeted would think it was just mud. Muddy? Maybe (but EWWWWW). Awning: Yuppoeroonie. We don't use our awning in winter. If anything, we MIGHT use an el cheapo patio umbrella. If we expect rain the next day when we're departing, we will roll it up the day before, when it's still dry. We do give it a light bang with an outdoor broom to shake debris off. You would not believe the SMELL from a moldy awning (insert frowny face here). We also use brackets on the side for extra stability in LIGHT wind. Our shore power has a CFGI power point on it, and it's pretty reliable (plus it's a new installation). We use a SOFTLIST app with checklists for every activity, adding points we received here. In Spring, arriving at kampsite (indoor and outdoor checklists), winterizing, departing, etc. My wife looks after the inside, I do the outside, and so far, we have never missed anything. She's getting quite handy handling the winterizing, greasing the slide-out works, using our ATV-pulled honey wagon, etc. Still, one will always learn something new. My wife watches this channel regularly, and we have discussed a lot of areas to ensure we're doing everything right, and not missing anything. Wish we had an organization like yours up here in the Great White North.

When you spoke about plugging in and your appliances such as air conditioner, does that include refrigerator? Pretty much everything should be turned off? Thank you.

Great advice. What are your thoughts on painting the roof with that rubber coating. Everyone on RU-vid says it’s great but the Rv dealership told me not to do it. Please let me know what you think about it.

What about the gas for the refrigerator being on when you travel..Mine only works on electricity or gas. Thanks. Keep the good information coming.

Another tip is to turn off the water water at the spigot if you leave your campsite.

I was thinking something more extreme like home ballistics firearm tests.

Some New trailers have fireplaces that can be ran while traveling which uses power from your vehicle

You’re hilarious 😂

"2 Minute Tech Tip Tuesday" 13.13 minutes / 5 tips = 2.62 minutes/tip. I know, guess who is a smart a$$... All kidding aside, I do like this channel and I will be checking out the new channel.

Because winter camping in an RV is better than winter camping in a tent.

If there is a big enough power source, what about a secured down ceramic heater for heat source when traveling?

I lived in Washington state where there is rain all the time my awning would not stay dry even when it was rolled up dry it was a constant problem. When I would get a chance I would put it out dry it and put it back. I know why was I there to begin with for some reason I had to pay bills lol any I now have moved away and the sun destroyed my awning 😂 decided not worth getting a new one as i was only able to use it about 5 percent of the time

Hi I live up northern Illinois as far storing the rv away for winter can I have a battery charger to keep the battery in the rv charge to keep the heated tanks from freezing or just drain the tanks

I have two grey tanks with a gate valve at my outside connection with the valve closed giving me 106 gallons of grey waste. Your thoughts on this

Thank you for another great and informative video. I do have a question for you as this is something I never considered until now. I have been full timing now for 5 plus years. I never leave the heater on, stove or hot water heater while hauling my fifth wheel down the road but I do have my refrigerator set to automatic so once I disconnect from shore power, it switches over to propane. Are you suggesting not running that either on propane while traveling? That would be problematic in the hot months for sure with food spoiling inside. I appreciate any feedback.

I turn my propane off after every use and since I rarely stay anywhere that I need heat I don’t need it in except for cooking

1. I'll not drive with the propane on when RV manufacturers go back to 3 way refrigerators. My refer gas system failed forcing me to drive with the generator running. 2. My built in surge protector that I installed, Progressive EMS-HW30C, has about a 2 or 3 minute delay after plugging in to give it time to decide if the power quality is okay.

Years ago, I came upon an accident with an RV, where the towing unit was too light for the weight of the trailer it was towing. The tail wagging the dog caused it to jackknife and lie the trailer again a rock wall with the pickup crosswise on the highway, it’s rear and up in the air. The propane tanks were connected and lying on the roadway.

I have an awing sensor that if it gets windy it's retracts automatically. Should I trust that? It's on a 2007 Fleetwood Bounder

Todd should I shut off my Figuration unit while plugged into Shore power?

In the heat of the summer on a long drive day I drive with the frig ON so the food does not go bad. I have tried disconnecting the AC power cord to my frig and routing it to my AC/DC portable power supply so I can run the frig on elec rather than gas while traveling down the road. However the frig does not power up. I know my portable power source has enough power, because it will run my air conditioning for ½ hour, but will not power up my frig. Any other work arounds or advice to running electric power while driving.

I ise a pecron 8kwh stack, should i keeo tje generator tirked off too ive pligged in? I always have in the past but jist asking now