My wife has bad knees and was unstable with our factory step so I found a set of steps that fold up into the doorway when going down the road and fold down and have a hand rail to hold onto, best money I ever spent.
As a Louisiana native and resident, I appreciate you referencing that we have parishes and not counties! FYI, that surgically repaired broken foot looked quite painful. Hope you made a full recovery.
I find that putting nitrogen in your tires helps reduce pressure fluctuations. It is a little more expensive but I think it would be well worth it. Love watching your videos!
One safety item I have on my 5th wheel is a rear observation camera. This allows you to see vehicles that are behind you or beginning to pass you. It also allows you to see when it's safe to pull over after passing a vehicle or when you are pulling into the travel lane from an on ramp. Great tips. Thanks
one thing I teach new people on the job is: Never stand directly behind moving equipment. Never put your body between moving equipment and any solid object, even standing on the side of moving equipment, if they turn or slide they will get you. Steel wins; your body losses .
Glad you mention the step so frequently, and the importance. Know a woman that broke her back. Me, missteped, due to odd distance to the ground (concrete), hit head, concussion, ride in ambulance. May seem like a silly thing, but can be dangerous enough for a trip to the emergency room, and or a life changing experience. Due to each setup being slightly different, the distance to the ground can change, and just a small amount is enough to make you misstep. Keep up the good work !
+algoneby thanks for your post. When a Kristy fell I was terrified that she'd injured her back. We were lucky her fall wasn't worse. Of course, my fall was bad! Hopefully we can help others avoid such pain. 👍
My dad who drove truck hated to drive tanker because of the movement of the liquid even with the baffles in the tanks would cause the truck to move forward if having to apply brakes hard. And people are always cutting you off when traveling. Another great video.
Sean, those square plastic blocks that are made to go under the leveling jacks or under the wheels to level a rig side to side are excellent stair stabilizers. Stack them up under the center of your last step and it will be like walking on a concrete driveway. If kristy stood at the back of your rig during a breakdown vehicles would surely slowdown or stop. She is so beautiful!!!!
Good advice! I also recommend not driving with the propane on. If you keep your fridge door closed your food will keep cool all day. I keep the fridge at the max setting before travel days.
To save weight and help fuel economy, I travel with an empty tank and then find a spot to fill up before I get to my campsite. I also ensure that I try to dump my black and grey tanks before I hit the road. Keep up the great information. Happy Trails.
good advice. Our tow vehicle has a backup camera, which shows the hitch very nicely in the backup. Which means that no one needs to be near by. My husband can back right up to it without help lining up. Total convenience, but useful.
A full H2O tank means more pulling weight which decreases MPG. Best to get close to where you are going then fill up at a gas station or whatever if your campsite doesn't have water hookup. I actually just got the same weather radio today from my son for Father's Day!!!!
C02, LP and smoke detectors have a life span. 5 years for most. The expiry date is stamped on the back of each unit. Test the units monthly too. It only takes a minute. Great topic. Thanks
Another great video, thank you. When using a TPMS, you should use metal valve stems. The weight of the sensor can cause a rubber valve stem to flex and wear.
My wife and I love your posts and tips for RV owners. We are new to RVing and appreciate all the advice we can get. I would like to add a note for new RV buyers. I have a used 2013 Mini Lite (Lucy) which I purchased earlier this year. I have read and been told that RV tires should be replaced every five years regardless of mileage. We were going to replace our tires next year since the RV would be five years old then. That is not the case with the tires. Our tires have stamped dates from 2011, meaning they are already six years old. So, obviously the manufacturer either actually manufactured the RV in 2011 or installed two year old tires on the RV. If you are buying a new RV you might want to check the manufacture date on the tires. As in our case, if you replace the tires after five years, you could be actually replacing seven year old tires. While locating the manufacture dates (e.g., 2411 - 24th week of 2011) I noticed a lot of dry cracking both on the sidewalls and between the treads. Needless to say, we will be replacing the tires prior to anymore road trips.
When I traveled by boat, we had a saying, "One hand for the boat, one hand for yourself." It takes but a moment for you to go from upright to flat out (or overboard in my case). Thank you for the great safety tips.
You made a good choice going with Michelin tires. We own a heavy haul trucking company and they’re all we will use now. We get more miles and less failures from them. I also wanted to say I’m glad you brought up the safety vest thing. It really does give you a better chance to be seen and most people would not have thought about that.
Sean and Kristy, Love your blog. Sean I have a Camco step stabilizer that I use with my Jayco 28BHBE. It looks identical to the one you displayed. In my application (and I suspect in most) it must be deployed under the second step. (three step setup.) It won't work under the first step as the first step is basically a cantilever off the second step. However, cantilevering IS what MAKES it work when you apply it underneath the second step. When you load up on the first step it transfers all the weight to the second step and presses down on the stabilizer beneath it. When you put the stabilizer under the first step it will want to push the step up because the first step simply flips over for storage. However the second and third step utilize a more sophisticated folding apparatus and this is the key. Applied properly you'll find that it is not only an advantage for safer entry and exit but persons in the trailer will not feel as much rocking (if any) as people enter and exit. Your airstream my have a different folding mechanism that renders the stabilizer either useless of ineffective. You guys have been a tremendous help to me as I have learned so much about RVing smarter, wiser, and safer from you. Hope this tip, though perhaps unclearly articulated, helps you. I discovered your blog here at the year ago, watched your youTubes, went out and bought a rig and love RV'ing with my family. LOLOHO!
Thanks for the advice.. May I also add... The 10 lbs fire extinguishers that are popular, are useless. When its your life invest in something larger. Its best to have a few in places you would need to access quickly.. One more point from a professional truck driver.. When your trailer starts to sway, whatever you do, DON'T Apply the Brakes! Instead, accelerate a little to Straighten it out, Then take your foot off the accelerator, and when you are slow enough, pull off the road to find out what's going on.. [i.e. Low or Flat Tire / Not Enough Tongue Weight / Etc..]
Brandon Mercer I wasn't aware of your type of trailer brakes.. That would work perfectly as well.. [We have that as well.] You Both are a very smart and experienced resource.. I've been watching you for a long time.. Thank you for all you do..
I did that once with my trailer brakes and had a catastrophic event. One of my breaks heated up and basically disintegrated and then it blew the bearings. This may have been a freak accident, but extremely scary nonetheless. Had us on the side of the road for almost 20 hours.
Since for most people it is instinctive to apply the brakes if something goes wrong, using a brake controller with a "boost" feature will apply the brakes at a higher rate to the trailer even if the tow vehicle does nothing more than turn on the brake lights and has not yet begun braking. If you have a boost feature, turn it on when on the highway. It is annoying at slow speeds but very comforting at higher speeds. I have a Tekonsha P3 which has multiple levels of boost. It works very well.
Many trailer tires get a lot more years on them than miles. Tires have a date code on them, and should be replaced if old. I replace them every 5 years max. The date code is right after the letters D.O.T., and consists of four numbers; the first two are the week of the year of manufacture, the second two are the year of manufacture. Example; 0317 indicates the third week of 2017. They typically are only marked on one side of the tire, so you may have to do a little crawling. I always request that the D.O.T. letters are exposed to the outside when getting new tires. Great work LoLoHo!
5:19 to increase visibility of that light set to on the ground so that the flashing light is facing oncoming traffic and the big white light is facing UP and turn them both on. The white light will be visible for more than a mile but will not blind drivers as they pass, it should be no brighter to them than an oncoming car's headlights. 19:30 with wobbly steps it's safer to go down them facing them, like you're going into the RV, think of it more like a ladder than steps and you'll not only be less likely to fall, but if you do slip you're also more likely to fall forward and have a better chance of catching yourself.
I joined the club in falling while getting out of my fiver. I was amazed I was unhurt. I am now saving for new steps with three steps instead of two, and getting one of the handles that I can attach to the wall. I also have a bottle of de-icer for the winter, because I was paranoid about stepping on an ice-covered step.
I have a23 ' 2017 Jayco Feather BHM. This is our first TT. I had a back up camera installed on my trailer. I it works in back up mode and as rear view mirror. I see who is directly behind me. I love seeing what is going on behind me. It came with a 7" monitor. Bought mine from Tadie Bros. in L.A.
Triangles are great. I even drove over the road and they are mandatory in that setting. A few years ago I blew the right steer tire on my truck. While on the side of the interstate a passing vehicle ran over and destroyed my first triangle. I called the state patrol (Minnesota) and asked for the highway incident truck. A trooper showed up first, followed by the highway incident truck. That trooper was sorely PO'd at me. I explained to him that I did not request a trooper and then I showed him the mangled triangle. I also suggested that he direct his anger at the driver who ran over my triangle. The failed tire hadn't been on my truck very long, so I couldn't blame the age of the tire. Use the triangles. Most people pay attention to them.
hi there... you guys are just awesome in the many facts... but you just teach us so much... now that I'm reading and watching all of this... and really getting into all of it...it's like... yeah I've heard that before...but I like the way that you guys talk about it... you're not talking down to us... you're talking with us like over a cup of coffee...and I just really appreciate that...
Great Tips. Thanks for sharing. Safety tip for pets . Always be aware of the indoor temps when leaving your pets for the day. windows, vents, AC, etc. Don't let your pets get too hot. Don't leave your awning up when you leave for sight seeing Don't leave a campfire unattended
Great video and important tips. I'm from the the UK and so important are your tips that when travelling in Europe it is the LAW that you MUST have a Red triangle, A Hi VIS yellow jacket FOR EVERY PERSON TRAVELLING THAT DAY and they must be accessible in the vehicle as you MUST NOT STEP OUT OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT IT ON ( some people used to carry them in an outside locker and were hit by the traffic whilst going to get the Hi Visability jackets and died) You must also carry a kit that has a bulb every external traffic lamp on the RV - if your stopped by the police - even nothing to do with any of this then you are fined on the spot for not being in possession of them. Seems severe, but as you yourselves have pointed out - its a matter of saving your life. once again - great vid great tips - whatever continent you RV on.
Great advice - we're definitely going to lay out the paltry few bucks for a couple of safety vests, practical and styling too! We usually watch your videos at home - it's so much nicer to be finally watching one while we're on the road!
Never heard of spray can fire extinguishers, great tip! The step support you said not to buy works perfectly for forest river RV steps. I can wedge it under the step where there is a bar. Very stable.
If I may add, if your waiting for a tow truck or a service truck while broke down along a highway, Do Not sit in your truck or trailer. Many broken down cars/trucks have been rear ended but cars/trucks that is coming up behind you. A 18 wheeler doing 70 mph will go straight thur your camper and your pick up truck should they veer off of the road. Find a safe place away from the camper and wait there. Good video once again :)
Bill Reedy, agreed! We actually get out our camp chairs and set up at least 100 feet from the road (if possible). Sitting in the emergency lane is incredibly dangerous and we try to get as far away as we can, as quickly as we can!
Bill Reedy Great tip, it happened to us last summer. I was inside the RV on the phone with roadside assistance ( fuel pump had failed). It was clear weather and the middle of the day. A driver jerked her explorer into the side of our rig at 70 mph+. Threw me and my wife across the RV, injured my wife's hip and caused over 10 k in damage.
I have been an over the road truck driver for 30 years and I have seen many of these types of accidents in my time. It happens a lot more than people think. If I can save peoples lives by this tip then I can sleep better at night. I hope that your wife has recovered from her injury and Thank God you both were not killed.
If you cannot find a safe place away from your trailer please make sure you are as far off the road as possible and remain in your towing vehicle with your seatbelt fastened. If you are involved in an accident, especially a pile up or bad visibility please, please stay seatbelted in your vehicle. You don't want to be caught between two vehicles or debris from a vehicle.
Looking at the tire blow out in this video you can see that the tire had a lot of tread left which causes some to believe the tire is still good. When it comes to RV tires, thinks clock time, not miles... If you have a standard trailer tire, I would think about replacing every 3 years whether you "need" to or not.
+John Hirsekorn those were Goodyear Marathon tires. Here's a thread discussing that tire. Our experience was consistent with others - they were not reliable tires at any age. www.thehulltruth.com/trucks-trailers/364530-goodyear-marathon-trailer-tire-failures.html
Thanks Sean... I am a little torn myself at this moment in time because we are going on a 3-week trip camping through Idaho in July. I have a 2015 23FB at it has 14" Marathons that are two years old. Wondering if I should trek up to Vinnie's new spot and have him put on a set of 15" Michelin's on the way out...
Hmmm. You know, I'll quickly go into some more detail on our experience with Marathons.... we had at least 2 blowout / delamination incidents and a flat. I don't really fault the tire for the one flat (can't remember exactly but maybe there was a road hazard). With the blowouts however I 100% blame the tires. Our 2nd blowout happened in Nebraska on our 2nd day of travel to Alaska. Here's the weird thing: we replaced the tire with another Marathon and made it from Nebraska to Alaska and back (14,000 miles) without having another tire problem! Then we traveled another couple of years on them before switching to Michelins. I knew another Airstreamer who ran Marathons all over the USA with no problems. Sometimes I wonder whether Goodyear had a serious manufacturing problem with the earlier batches of tires that they corrected in later batches. Maybe those tires should've been recalled but got passed onto consumers instead. :( Soooooo.... maybe you have a decent set of Marathons (or maybe that is an oxymoron - lol). I will say that we have much much more confidence in the Michelins.... I have no fear they will suddenly fall apart.
Hi Sean, after further discussion with Vinnie and the sidewall strength of the 15" LT of both Michelin and Bridgestone I decided for the new Goodyear Endurance 225/75/15 because of their sidewall strength and new speed rating. Apparently Goodyear has spent a great deal coming up with this US-made trailer tire to recover from the Marathon reputation. Will let you know how it goes. [Note: I think if I was making the 15" to 16" upgrade I'd have gone with the Michelin's as you did for Liv.]
I keep a powered air pump in the vehicle and a separate tire pressure gauge to check pressure before and during trips. I keep a complete vehicle kit including the hi-vis vest, triangles, pop-up cones and flares.
This was a great video. You're right about the "Curveballs" RV life can throw you! I've learned over the years that, you have to know how to 'Improve, Overcome & Adapt' and trust your gut when you feel a "Shields Up...Red Alert" event. Tires are the most important thing to me, like you said, you don't want a blow-out at 55mph! The fire extinguisher is second most important... Great video you two...Cheers 🥂
My dad sprained his ankle once getting out of an RV. It can happen. Also have experienced a tire blowout on a travel trailer. Good tips thanks for sharing.
OMG, my wife broke her ankle three weeks ago, slipping on the steps of our new camping trailer. It can happen so easily when ascending the steps, I fully agree with you guys! Take your time, look at where you stepping and have one hand at the handle! Be safe everybody.
+MrFrosty1967 thanks for your post. Very sorry to hear about your wife's accident! I know that must've been painful and healing is a process. Best wishes for a complete recovery.
Safety vest is a must, I have one in every vehicle. In my RV I have 4 small cones with reflectors, haven't had to use them yet with the RV but have with my previous 5th wheel. The 5th wheel had way to many tire blowouts😡. Something else that I have done to my RV and other trailers I owned was LED taillights. LED taillights are different between day and night. When I use turn signals and hazard lights now I know people can see me.
Sean, you and I went back and forth writing about tires a couple of months back and it was a great conversation. I have continued to research and I now believe that the best option available for safe towing is Boar Wheels and Tire out of I believe South Dakota. Unfortunately, at this point in time, they only make them for the heavy-duty 8-lug wheel set ups for like 5th Wheels and livestock trailers, but maybe someday they will make them for 5-lug and 6-lug wheels. Read up on them and I am sure you will be impressed, as I was. Keep up the great work on the videos.
Thank you for the reminders. I've been doing the travel trailer thing for a while now but it is easy to forget some of the basics. I find these videos very helpful. I find that the basics still have good ideas. For example, I had never thought about having a safety vest. It makes good sense.
To inprove lane discipline and reduce drifting side to side in my lane I add a nickel sized suction cup to the inside of my windshield. It takes a few tries to adjust (don't attempt while driving) to get the sucky thing to align with the corner of your eye and the fog line painted on the side of the road. When you get it right you'll make lane adjustments after a few inches rather than a few feet. These are large rigs and this simple safety tip will reduce straying. Sometimes we all need help staying in our own lane.
One of the best safety features we have added to out 38ft RV trailer is a wireless back-up camera system. The camera mounts on the top rear of the RV and the monitor has a windshield suction cup mount. In spite of the name, I have found this most useful not so much for backing up but for normal driving. it's the equivalent of having a rear view mirror on your RV. You always know when another vehicle is close behind and it clearly shows you when you are clear for lane changing.
Thank you two for all the helpful information for campers. My husband and I are making our first camping trip. We live in Michigan. We are camping instate. So all your info helps us. Have a good day. Bye
Vests are a great idea, add a set of reflective warning triangles and set them out properly, well behind the rig. I see you mention same. Can't be too prepared. We hit a piece of scrap metal on a hot day. The blowout took the tire off the rim and did some fender damage in the process.
You needs some non-slip covers on your steps, or drill through your steps and mount a permanent non-slip type thicker mat, etc. Standard RV steps can use step wraps, carpet wrapping, etc. I see your step is wide on the bottom step, so you may even want a custom non-slip, rough mat or runner riveted or screwed into you step surface, etc.
I often travel by myself. When backing up, I often get out, sometimes more than once to make sure I will not hit anything. Lots of good tips, I made a list.
Last year on our way heading west to Castlegar BC going through the Crowsnest Pass leaving Creston BC I figured that I had enough gas in the tank ( wrong) Fortunately we had a 5 Liter gas can that I use for the generator, dumped it in near the summit and by the time we got to the bottom of the pass (coasting thankfully) we had about nothing but fumes of gas coming into Salmo BC. Lesson 1 do not look at the on board computer when towing it is based on past mileage not what is ahead . Lesson 2 ,carry extra fuel.
Great videos and thanks for doing them. In the topic of steps.... I’m a sailing instructor and on a boat there is always water and opportunities to slip or trip. We say one hand for you (carrying something) and one hand in the boat/rv (holding on to boat or rv). Also the steps on a boat to below quarters are steep so if you go down those steps facing the same way you would go up (facing like you would climb a ladder) you’ll find yourself at the bottom on your bottom in a split second so when you leave you RV turn around, grab the grab bar and walk down the steps backwards facing the direction you were when you went into your RV. At least when it’s inclement weather or freezing temperatures. Keep up the good work!
RE step safety. Both our dog and I needed a broader step base. I took an exercise base about 10" x 25" and put rough safety strips on it. Works great and fits in the storage well.
When backing up, always use your mirrors. Learn to follow the trailer while backing up. If the trailer goes to far in one direction, turn the steering wheel in the direction the back end is going. That will make the trailer go back to what you wanted, then just follow the trailer.
Very good video. I enjoy your videos a lot. As far as step supports go, I'm a little on the heavy side so the 3 steps on our RV get pretty bouncy when I use them. I have found that using two 3 ton jack stands that I already carry for emergency situations, to support the hinge point on each side of the 2nd (of 3) steps firms up the steps tremendously. They're easily adjustable and they also help to stabilize the camper when someone is entering or leaving the camper.
I have a travel trailer with the standard fold down steps that give a little when you step on them. I have ordered the upgraded steps at my RV dealer that are deeper, and scissor out and rest on the ground. They also have the non-slip strips. It will be much more stable for me and my dog.
Thank you for the tire tips. That's my biggest fear thus far besides the trailer catching fire while we are sleeping. I will be buying multiple cans of that extinguishers... May oh oh 🤘( Stephen and Tracy Mayo
thank you with all your advise I will be starting my new journey in 2018, I have learned so much by your videos, a little about myself I will be Retiring soon and want to purchase a Lance travel trailer looking at the 1985 model, I will be traveling alone, looking forward to my new life journey
We like your videos- I do have a safety tip if you're still open to them. When backing- you covered some very good points to begin with but I would like to add to that. When backing- Spotter) ALWAYS stay in a position to see your driver in his/her mirrors. If you can't see them, they can't see you. Driver) ALWAYS pay close attention to your spotter and keep them in sight at all times. IF, your spotter gets out of sight for even a second, STOP!! Wait until your spotter realizes they're out of sight and once again gets into your sight. If you loose sight of your spotter while religiously adhering to this rule your day will be inherently safer. If your spotter were to trip and fall or just become distracted by a charging antelope, you will not even be taking the chance that you could possibly back over them. Remember, if you run over your spotter then you'll probably have to do all the setup by yourself! Bummer... Seriously, always keep your spotter in your sights. LOLOHO!
How could anyone give this video a thumbs down? Thanks for the great tips, I learned a lot, especially about tires, fire extinguishers, CO2 detectors and weather radios.
great reminder an reference items to purchase. my Granddad loved Michelin tires. plus pressure etc. am looking for an RV an still searching for a rig as a single person. Thanks for your help
To add 2 things: 1) not all fire extinguishers are the same.. when you buy one look for, "abc," rating so that if your fire is chemical, electrical, etc. Then it's good to go. 2) little known fact carbon monoxide detectors only have a 5 year life span, then they become too saturated to properly sample the air. They need to be dated when they're installed so you known when to change them. As a paramedic I've had several co poisonings with the co detectors sitting there quietly blinking. So if your detector is surprising 5 years it's time to replace it. It may be the same with your lpg detector as well.
the tip for backing up I'm always by myself so I have a line that I used to follow my tires when I'm backing up and try to back up from your left side all the time if you can
Wow this is interesting. When we left Ft Nelson, BC we stopped at a nice pull off for lunch. When we were done we noticed a tire going down. Happy timing. We had 2 spares for the trailer so we were still good. Of course the tire was right in front of the door steps. Made it hard to jack up but we got it done. We saw a few people have a bad day.
I have even used my cell phone lighting app as a flashing beacon during the daytime if I am on the side of the road changing a flat tire as the flash is very bright.
wonderful topic with a boat load of useful information for even a somewhat seasoned camper like me. we're planning longer travels, so you folks are a wealth of information. kudos.
When I would help my husband back up his 18 wheeler the rule was stay in the mirror. Whenever he couldn't see me he would stop. There had been reports of seasoned drivers getting killed.
Hey guys, concerning Fire Extinguisher's, the ones that come with your RV, Throw them away they are useless to use. They have a plastic head on them, they melt or break easily, With that, there are now pressure gauge on them. So you don't know if there is even pressure in them. The problem with Fire Extinguisher's is that you forget about them until you need them. A very good Tip is to shake them up about every other mouth. Shaking it up, will Fluff the powder in it. If you don't, you will get BB's and not power. As soon as we got our TT I put in a ABC 2 1/2lb extinguisher in. 26 year as a firefighter and 16yrs teaching Fire Life Safety classes to Corporate people. I have other advise if you would like to talk more about this.
