RV Pro Vs Newbie. Tips To Better RVing! 

I would love to hear your tips below. If you are looking for a couple of the things in the video you can find those links here. Jumpstart amzn.to/3KNGXGh Roadside emergency kit. amzn.to/3P1MZWu Tire Monitor amzn.to/3sgvUz3 RV Air compressoramzn.to/45FzHo9.

My lesson: Never assume you have graduated from being a newbie, even after many years of RV travel.

Based on an experience that I had when I had to pull off onto the shoulder of a busy highway, keep your tools and emergency items on the passenger side of the tow vehicle or RV. It took quite a while for it to be safe enough for me to get my tools out that were kept on the driver's side because of all the traffic (the shoulder was very narrow).

To solve the sticker problem - Cut a piece of plexiglass or clear arcylic to the size of the inside of a pass through storage door, mount it to the door, and then put your stickers on the plexi/acrylic. When you change RV's you can take it with you!

When hooking up and unhooking and getting in and out of the truck, always set the parking brake. Yes each time you get out.

1. Install a wet bolt kit for your suspension (never squeak again, and the hardware will last longer). 2. Toilet water shutoff in the trailer (don’t wait for the valve to fail). 3. Expanding foam every hole under your unit to keep the critters out. A mouse can get through a hole as narrow as a pencil.

We always pull out with a spotter, they also final check the site for lost gear. Something under the RV or left on the table? Did you forget about the tree limb you dodged, or just how tight a turn? Pulling out always seem easier, but don't be in too much of a hurry!

Great video. Love the channel. Here are my tips: 1. Go ahead and invest in a back up camera for the rig. To me it’s vital not only when backing into tight spots but also seeing what’s going on behind you riding down the road. 2. Don’t skimp on tires. Make sure you have top quality tires for your tow vehicle and camper. 3. Don’t overpack. Pay attention to what you really use over a season and don’t like your truck and camper full of things you don’t use. 4. Stay on top of your preventative maintenance. 5. Watch informative channels like this one. Before I bought a rig and after and even now several years down the road I learned so much and continue to learn by watching several great channels who share tips, tricks, preventative maintenance and actual how to repairs. It helps to shorten the learning curve so so so much.

I would like to add, check the lug nuts before and during the first trip and every time the tire is removed.

Before pulling in to your site (with hook ups), use your surge protector to verify the power pedestal has power, and that it’s wired correctly. Few things are more frustrating than taking the time to maneuver into a site, positioning correctly for slides, awnings, and utilities, getting level, and then finding out you have no viable power!

I use a laser bbq thermometer to check my hubs. Brakes hanging and bad bearings will cause the drums to heat up. Keeping an eye on the temps will hopefully allow me to catch any problems early.

Absolutely carry 5 quarts of oil and 1-2 gallons of anti-freeze for your truck/class A-C you would be surprised when 'suddenly no oil' happens. I also recommend carrying 1-2 tubes of radiator stop leak, a large set of tubes JB weld, some metal tape (used for exhaust and such), and a roll of gaffers tape.

If I’m hungry, angry, lonely, or tired - mistakes get made. Add impatience and disasters can happen! So - good sleep, good contact, checking anger at the door, and nutrition/hydration makes ALL the difference.

Be prepared for your pop-out to fail when you least expect it and know how to manually move it in or out and even how to repair it. Also, a tip from the past, my grandfather always said, "weather you're houseboating for a week or two, in a ski boat for a day trip or in your rv traveling for months, always have 2 of everything onboard, parts toodls etc. Any item that is required in order to have a successful trip. Because something is always bound to fail, break, or malfunction right when you need it to properly work the most

ALWAYS DO A WALK AROUND before leaving your camp spot. Look at the top of the RV and around the bottom , and visually check your Tires right before leaving. A lot of good information.

Politely ask the “old timer” to come back to chat AFTER you have finished setting up or tearing down. I’ve seen to many newbies get distracted by someone trying to help during this crucial time and forget something on the checklist. On one occasion several old timers tried to assist a newbie while parking and adjusting his rig to reach the pedestal and he forgot to extend his landing gear on a fifth wheel after releasing the lock. Needless to say his trailer was damaged as well as his truck when it came crashing down.

It seems every RV'er has a "Oh crap moment" and this is mine; I tow a 28' travel trailer. My driveway has a slope and I got complacent when unhooking. I put down blocks under the tongue jack and began to raise the tongue. When the tongue unhooked from the ball the trailer began to move forward and fell off the blocks. By sheer luck the tongue came to rest on the side of the weight distribution hitch and never damaged my truck or myself. I had forgotten to chock the wheels before unhooking ! Now I NEVER touch the ball/tongue without CHOCKING THE WHEELS FIRST !!! The x-chocks and rubber chocks are the first thing I put on and the last thing I take off whether the ground seems level of not ! I have noticed that others seem to unhook and then chock their tires. This is fine when the trailer is on level ground but if the trailer is on a slope this could be disastrous.

Well ...I could have used that advice YESTERDAY! 😂 Just joking but seriously, we lost our sewer hose West of Fort Worth because the cap came off our storage tube. A nice man flagged us down that we had something hanging underneath. By the time we stopped, it was gone. 😒 You always give such great advice and observations. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. 👍

Get a torque wrench and check the trailer wheel lug nuts every time you leave a campground. I had a wheel wobble off and break the lugs at highway speed - never again! It's my wife's job while I'm draining tanks at the dump station. Nothing more badass than a woman with a torque wrench...

1. Have short flexible hose stems on your water hookups (we had a pressure regulator sheer off in the wind in the middle of the night) 2. Quick connects on all your hoses. Save your hands.

Pro tip 1: Never run an absorption fridge off level. If the fluid can’t drain by gravity, the fridge life will be shortened. Dramatically. Pro tip 2: measure the height of your rig (don’t go from the manual…measure it!) and put that height on a label someplace you can find in 3 seconds while hurtling towards that low bridge. (And if you think you might travel outside the USA, put it in metres too.)

Consistent and dedicated space for equipment and accessories. Drivers side, leveling and utilities. Passenger side patio equipment and tools.

Proper jacks , wood blocks, and a breaker bar with the right size and type of socket for all lug nuts. Also tire plug kit and a quality air compressor.

When stopping for fuel I take my infrared temperature gun walking around the RV and check the Hubs & Tire walls to see what temps they are, looking for the temp range between them, the Hubs will tell me if the bearings are, you can see if one is hotter than the others, The Tires looking for bulges, nicks, & something is in the treads etc... When getting to the campsite before pulling in is to check the pedestal Voltage & is correctly wired, I plug in my homemade tester it shows voltage is in the green area & read the 120v tester for correctly wired lights, its a old work box with an outlet & cover on it with a 120v wall tester in one outlet & analog plug in box with needle showing voltage in the outlet, the wiring is a short piece of extension cord with male plug on one end and the other end wires connected to the outlet. Also after a good rain look at the slide toppers if you have them, you can see if they are full of water, run the slide in and back out to get rid of the water, if you don't do that the fabric will stretch over time with the water weight and have to replace the topper sooner than later.

Around 2:30 “Tipping the Awning”. We have a very effective water purification filtering system 0.2 micron and UV light. When we tip our awning, it runs into food safe water buckets for further filtration. It is amazing how little rain it takes to fill up two or three buckets.

Two quick things on setup: 1) Manually check the side to side level before auto level in case you need to put blocks under a tire. 2) After autolevel, check each tire to make sure it is in contact with the ground.

Hi Jared, want to ty for sharing your knowledge! I binge watched your channel a few years ago when researching for my first rv, and then rewatched after a purchase. You’ve saved me from countless mistakes and have inspired some great mods and upgrades. Ty you so much for being part of my journey. Safe travels out there!

I always get gas in the truck the night before I leave and am unhooked from the RV. It makes it easier to navigate gas stations. Also I clean the truck windows the day before i leave.. Visibility is key. Check roof before leaving. I like to check the Truck tires and and fifth wheel hitch also before I leave.

Infrared Thermometer Gun helps to check if any wheel bearings are over heating, everytime you stop on the road it is a good idea to do a quick check up. It takes just a couple minutes.

Thanks Jared! On our first 5 hr road trip the cap came off our sewer hose storage tube and it was lost! We went through a hail storm which put a 2” hole in a roof vent! We also had a flat tire which we didn’t discover until we arrived because we have a dual axel trailer! I now have ties on the caps for the storage tube. I had some metallic tape that worked to seal the roof vent. I had a small floor jack and lug wrench for the tire.Your recommendations are greatly appreciated!

Tip: dont plaster stickers all over your RV of every place you have been. That's just a sign for theives telling them you are a full time RVr with good stuff to steal inside your RV that the normal weekender wont have. Also, install a bidét! Don't be nasty.

Tire patch kit and a 12 volt air compressor. 12 volt blanket. AM/FM weather radio with a hand-crank to recharge it (usually has USB ports too, so you can charge your phone). Rand-McNalley map of the USA in printed form.

Lots of good tips - i like the booster box. Get a big honking fire extinguisher - mine is in the truck so its outside the area of the camper; storing stuff in cubbies, we use smaller totes so its easier to separate and find stuff; You NEED a TPMS it can save your camper if you are losing pressure.

When doing walk around before leaving site, get on your stomach and look underneath. Usually for stabilizing jacks not retracted.

Lots of great comments. Mine is have a couple of cheap foam floor puzzle mats. They are easy on the knees or back and will keep you out of the mud.

One of the best things I can think of is having great communication with your camping partner. When my wife and I setup the travel trailer we have clear communication to get the RV set up in that correct location. One of our favorite pastimes is to watch the newbies struggle during this situation. Obviously if they are having too many problems we will offer our assistance if they want it and hopefully they will learn something in the process

Pro tip, if you have a TPMS, put a sensor on your spare.

On your pre-trip walk around we write the tire pressure on the outside with a stick of chalk…good visual and easy to wipe off. As your leaving, do a quick break controller check . We travel a lot in the mountains so it’s something we’re very conscious of.When you do a “quick stop” check, don’t forget to cautiously touch the wheel hub. If it’s too hot, you need to check your bearings a bit further.

The best presentations about RVing on You Tube. Thanks, Jared.

As an addition to fire extinguishers, I purchased elide fire balls (by west marine) for near all electrical equipment. I’ve mounted them behind the fuse/electrical panel, near water heater, and near my solar setup/batteries. I did this because most are near sleeping areas and they will auto extinguish if something happens while we’re asleep. They are pricey, but it’s a small price to pay for the security it gives me

When leaving campsite for several hours and hooked up to water, shut your water off at the hydrant in case water line brake inside camper so you done flood your camper.

X-chocks are not a substitute for traditional wheel chocks. X-chocks usually come loose if applied before leveling. 1) ALWAYS chock wheels before disconnecting. 2) make sure your cords and hoses reach the pedestal before disconnecting. 3) level as much as possible side to side before disconnecting. Having to re-hitch to adjust any of the above can be a frustrating waste of time.

If you don’t have a TPM system buy a good one that monitors temp and min/max pressures and buy an extra sensor for the spare tire.

Sweep debris from top of slides if needed before sliding them in.

After hooked up, turn on emergency flasher and make sure they’re working on trailer. This tells you if brake lights are working. I use TPMS to check tire pressure before departing.

What I also do when hooked up and ready to go is a pull test

I would add to ask where to get fresh water AND fill your tank Before going to your site. I have seen it too many times where an RV finally gets backed into their site and forgot to fill with water first. This can make for an embarrassing or aggravating beginning to your stay. Thank you for your channel, I really enjoy your content.

Great content - thanks! The family and I are in the planning (and purging!) phase of going full time next spring and really appreciate the valuable insight you put out. Keep it up!

One thing I learned during my life as a truck driver was to touch the tires to feel their temperature when you do your walk around at a fuel/bathroom break. All trailer tires should be the same temperature, and the tires sharing an axle on the TV should be the same temp. Also, if you can, test the temperature of the trailer brakes (careful, they can burn to the touch!), they should also be equally hot. If one is hotter, or cooler, than the rest, it requires attention. Either because it is dragging or not operating as it should. AND, finally; slow down going down hills! You should snub speed off while descending, do not apply constant brake pressure. Applying constant brake pressure does not allow the brakes to dissipate heat. I start at 45mph, allow the rig to speed up to 55mph, and apply brakes to slow back down to 45. Engine braking is used also, of course. Using 45-55 as the speeds generates 30% less heat from the brakes than 60-70. (30% could be the difference between worry and comfort) The big trucks on the highway are already going slower than that, so you're not going to hold up traffic. (Donner's pass slows trucks to 35)

Great tips y’all! I use my pool noodle, that goes on my slide edge, as my distance tool to make sure my slides have enough room…

Fire extinguisher info and propane doctor is new information to us. You have been a great resource for us particularly when we were installing solar. Thank you.

The most informative videos. Thank you Jared!

Clear communication with your RV partner and use a respectful tone of voice. When in doubt about any situation, G.O.A.L. (Get out and look)

I Like the Blinking Lights for Reflectors.

You don't have to keep the RV forever, you just have to keep that back wall 😄

test run all hookups before you leave your driveway if you can. i have a 30a hookup at my house and i plug the rv in. attach the water. turn propane on and run the fridge, heater and ac unit to make sure all is running before i leave.

Great list. This may not fall into tips but an extension cord .. and not always for you (if that doesn't bother you). I've actually lent mine out to a fellow camper in need more than I've used it.

I picked up one of those small fire blankets in addition my fire extinguishers. Way less mess if needed. Also, when I'm sure I've checked everything and ready to pull out, I do one more complete walk around the rig. This has saved me more than once.

Excellent advice Jared thanks

I always look at the drainage of the campsite and tilt my awning so that the water flows away from the trailer. Good reminder about the date codes on everything. My sister and husband had both tires blow (different days) on a trip this summer because of the age the tires. I talked to my son's father-in-law who is in the tire business, and I need to replace my next season. We just have a couple of short trips left this year. It would be interesting to learn a little more about how you travel. Your video normally show you in Private Trailer Parks. You have solar panels, so do you bondock?

As always, a great presentation

I watch your channel often. Subscribed. I don’t remember seeing any vids on rv backup cameras, etc. did I miss it? I went back two years. Also, after 2 years, technology has completely changed (in some fields).

Good information. Make sure the setup you have to change a tire actually works. Finding out that it didn't work like you thought it would is a hard lesson when you are changing a tire on the side of ta busy highway.

Thanks for the reminder: I have not checked my fire extinguishers this year. 😮 Fantastic video! 😊

I built a check list in my notes app on my iPhone that I go through every time before I hit the road, all the basic stuff that can get over looked. I check it off mentally as I go and then physically before I hop in the drivers seat. Most times I end up doing 3-4 walk arounds. I also like to pull ahead at least the length of the trailer and then hop out to make sure I didn’t forget anything underneath and do one last walk around

Great video with awesome tips, I have a small label in the corner of my rearview mirror with the height of my rig. There's always some low hanging branches & once in awhile even under passes that I have to detour around.

My wife collects stickers also. I recently purchased a National Parks Book as a place to collect stickers and do we can track all the Parks, Monuments, and Historic parks we visit. With extra pages we track State Parks and other places.

I don’t have a tpms so check the tire temperature before we leave and every rest break with my temperature gun. I also use zip ties to keep my hub caps secured. Q

Check the running gear at every stop. Hangers, suspension and weld points. Most people miss this.

Always check the power at the pedestal BEFORE disconnecting your trailer. Nothing like disconnecting only to find there’s something wrong with the power. Don’t over pack your rig. Check your weight frequently. Always do a walk around before leaving. You’d be surprised at the things you can forget to do (like fold in steps).

Rehearse for failures... Play "What would you do" scenarios. Had a blow out on I95 and since I had rehearsed for it, it was a no panic situation. I knew what to do and where everything was.

I do use a tire reminder and on my tow behind car, but like you when I stop and rest areas or fuel stop, I also check all the tires, but I use a temp gun along with the visual inspection.

“Stinky Slinky” is a good name for that thing. I work at a campground, I’m gonna start using this term and spreading it.

I do this thing when my fresh water tanks get low (I boondock, urban mostly). I turn off the water pump. I don't know why (still trying to figure it out) but sometimes my pump will not reach back pressure and just keep trying to pressurize the water tank. I caught it doing it once. So when I leave I turn off the pump. I have a Lance and as nice as they look, they're fancy garbage like all RVs used full time. They just aren't built for it. When I turn on the water heater (takes 20 mins to get hot water and 30 minutes for it to shut itself off. I don't leave it on all the time because I just don't need that much hot water all the time) because I get back pressure in hot water lines. there are a few causes for this, I think one of them is the kitchen style single handle faucet, will allow pressure to go from the hot side into the cold side. It builds up high enough for the pex connection at the toilet to start leaking onto the floor. So when I turn on the water heater, I turn off the water pump and crack the hot water side of a faucet. I get about 8-10 oz of water drip into a cup from doing that and it keeps the cold water line from pressurizing. I'll replace that kitchen faucet one day and see if that fixes the problem.

If you are pulling a fifth-wheel always do a pool test leave the Jacks a couple inches off the ground through the pool test

So a new one for us is a pvc frame on the roof with sun screen on it to help shad the AC and the roof now this works good in Arizona.

Make sure you check for clearance when both extending and retracting your slides. You don't want to damage your slide or any object that might get lodged in the path!!

Still a newbie after 3 years. New thing is to put rubber bands on our bedroom pop out windows. Looked behind me a the window was waving to people as they went by.

I put masking tape on my awning rod to mark how far each slideroom comes out. The first time you have to move your rig because your slideroom hits the pedestal, you learn.

Right before a tire fails, they'll usually heat up. So, when I do my mid trip tire/Wheel check, I'll just lay my hand on the tire and check it's temp. After you do this a few times, you'll learn your normal traveling tire temp. If you detect a tire that is hotter than normal, that's a sign that something is up and you need to investigate.

We purchased a larger fire extinguisher and moved the location. Also, a small extinguisher by the stove for grease fires.

While you're checking the tires, make sure to check the torque on the lugs.

I always check my doors, hitch and chains every time I get in the truck (even if it was a quick stop on the route). There are terrible stories of truckers having their king pin releases pulled at a stop, and they drive away only to drop the trailer on the ground. Good piece of mind to know for sure every time

Clean, inspect and repack wheel bearings every 10k miles.

Great video!! You covered all the tips I do--got most of them from you!! I sent you and email with a question about going to 2 batteries on my rv rather than just 1. Let me know your thoughts.

I made an overhead diagram of our indoor storage cabinets. In the diagram, I list what is in each cabinet. I suppose you could label each cabinet with its separate list, but that's not what I chose.

Buy a pack of Neodymium Disc Magnets. There great for securing TV remotes.

Hello Jarod. I appreciate all your videos on solar for the RV and electrical know how. I recently had to replace my Converter in my travel trailer. I went with a lithium compatable unit as well as replaced the battery with a 100ah lifepo4 battery. I do have a Victron charge controller along with a small solar array. However my question is what should the voltage read on the app when i am hooked up to 50amp shore power. It reads 16.72v on the app. Is this too high?

Checklists!

Can you make a "How to winterize your trailer" video? New to RVing and not sure the process!

So our first site back in march 23 was a resort and now we are more so in a park..... well, I've now noticed there isn't a standard on how a site should be set up (water, sewage, electric) and when trying to get sewer connected I came up maybe 8 feet short. Granted I went under the rig to keep everything out of the sun as much as possible so I could of been 5 feet off....but thankfully there was a Walmart around with something long enough to accomadate the situation. I can't wait to not have a long enough electric cord >< Not that these are tips, just a heads up that I've never seen anyone ever talk about campsite layout and what to expect. Good job on the vids man, my adhd feels your pain but I'm no where near a anti clutter guy >

Carry more than 1 fire extinguisher. Put them in different areas.

I don't consider myself a newbie but always learning and proof the auto dump awnings don't work. 6 months after purchasing my second RV in my driveway the sky opened up and filled the awning up. Pushed up slightly to drain and in less than a second awning parts went flying. Ended up needing new fabric and one entire awning side. Won't make that mistake again.

How often do recommend greasing Axles& Swag hinges /axle Hinges

Buying an RV is just like buying a boat, a constant “pain in the Ass!!” Be prepared.

For trailer pull behind make sure your plug wire is not where won't get pinched

Never forget to perform a tug test on fifth wheels before retracting the landing gear completely. Always pin or lock the fifth wheel release bar.

When we had a travel trailer I would check the scissor jacks to make sure the were still touching the jack pads that we put down. Now that we have a fifth wheel, I (every day) check to see if we are still level.

@5:10 My cabinet there is used for shoes as well. Over time, it has gotten scuffed up pretty good. Any thoughts from you or others on the channel for a "cover up"? Thinking a tall baseboard or even an adhesive strip?

One time we’re losing our stinky-slinky on the road😂😂😂 Thanks goodness it’s happened when we coming back home from the vacation.