Travel trailer newbie!

[notlimah]

Hey guys. My wife and I have found a great local company that rents 2015 travel trailers so instead of buying we will most likely rent for our travel/camping adventures.

 

Although I've towed plenty before, I've never towed a travel trailer and with that, not entirely sure of neccesary things I should bring. 

 

For you more salty travel trailer guys, what are things you can't leave without when towing? Any sort of check list or things you've found helpful in the beginning of your towing days to stay organized and bring what was needed?

 

I try to be as prepared as possible, especially with the family involved, so I look forward to all of your insight!

[Hawkez]

My wife and I went that route a time or two.  It is not a bad deal if you only go out a couple of times a year.  One big con is the packing and unpacking that you have to do each trip as you can't store stuff in the trailer.  Because of having to take all of your stuff out each time you are going to forget to put essentials back in on another trip.  It will be the small thing that you won't notice until you need it...like matches, toilet paper, or soap.  If that is the route I was going to use I would keep all those things in a Rubbermaid container so that I could easily put it back in the next rental for the next trip. 

 

The nice thing about renting is that you are not making payments on something that sits in your yard for the majority of the time and you don't have to worry about repairs.

[BBHD]

Check this out

[Mopar1973Man]

Once you own an RV you tend to have double batch of everything. Like my RV I've got basically everything you need to go right now. I've got to just got to check the dog food supplies, pack clothes, fill the water tank, dump the holding tanks, and grab personal stuff. That it. There is bare basics for food on board. I always travel with a full water tank since 90% of my use is boondocking. I very rarely use RV parks any more. So I've got thing like Coleman liquid fuel stove for cooking outside, cooking baskets for cooking on a open fire. Bedding wise there is the standard minimums like MoparMom and myself we both have favorite blankets that we pack along. In a nutshell it really don't take us long to pack up to leave it just the matter of closing down the house that takes time. Typically the day before I've got the fridge fire up and cold and everything hitched up and ready. So if you own the RV you can basically leave it packed / set up. Like MoparMom and myself were discussing different can goods we would like to leave in the RV for the summer time so if we leave late in the evening like this last trip we can grab of a can of something and munch for dinner. Even the dog has a extra dog pillow to lay in the RV. So we are not constantly packing and unpacking a bunch of stuff.

 

Like anywhere is home for us now...

Edited July 9, 2016 by Mopar1973Man

[JAG1]

We rented two times before we bought our camper. It took a bit of time to bring it home and outfit everything but we had three daughters too. At the end of the trip had to do everything in reverse.

 

Makes a lot of sense to everything packed and ready in big Tupperware bins then leave from the rental yard instead.

[notlimah]

I suppose I should've mentioned that the trailers come fully stocked with everything you'd need, from plates, pots, pans, to everything you need to clean the trailer up before you return it.

 

I guess some things I was thinking about were things you wish you knew when you started RVing that you know now?

 

Like I have no idea how to clear out black and gray water tanks or even fill them!? Any tips on getting the trailer level once we have our spot?

 

The trailer comes with two big propane tanks and I'll have a small generator with us as well.

[Hawkez]

Filling the grey and black tanks is the easy part! Dumping them is pretty simple.  If you camp in a spot with full hook ups don't leave your dump valves open.  You'll end up with a tank full of solids that will be difficult to flush out.  Wait until they are fairly full before dumping.  Dump the black (sewer) first and then the grey (sinks, tub/shower).  Many places that rent RVs have a spot to dump your tanks.

 

Leveling the trailer isn't to bad.  Hopefully the trailer has some type of level indication.  I liked to take a couple 2x6's and a shovel to help me get it level. 

[Mopar1973Man]

Most people have smart phones you can get an level app for most phones. Just lay it in the fridge and level it the best you can. Doesn't have to be perfect but close. Trailers you do the left to right first. Once you have the left to right level then you do your front to rear after your unhitched. I carry 2x6 boards and a shovel. I've been known to dig pits for the tires so the door and first step isn't a big step to get on the first step.

 

Dumping holding tanks is simple just make sure the hose is all locked in place before pulling any knife valves. Always start with your black tank (toilet) then finish with your gray tank(s) from your sinks and shower. Like said before do not leave your tanks open if you have full hook ups. Always fill the up 3/4 or better before dumping.

 

Myself full hook up camping is just relocation of your house. True camping you pack in and pack out.

[Hawkez]

40 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

True camping you pack in and pack out.

Does true camping also involve the ability to watch movies? 

[Mopar1973Man]

20 minutes ago, Hawkez said:

Does true camping also involve the ability to watch movies? 

 

Absolutely YES! I can watch over the air TV or turn on a DVD movie and never see full hook ups nor listen to a generator humming in the background. I love it takes me a mere few minutes to setup but I can watch TV, play with the laptop or just charge up my cellphone.

 

The wonders of a 1,200 watts of inverter and batteries... Flip on the inverter, plug in the solar panels, toggle the transfer switch and 110 VAC is live in the trailer without the noise of a generator.

 

So who's laughin' now...

 

Even parked out here I watch Spider Man Movie on the side of US95... No hook ups. I didn't even put the solar panels out just turned on the inverter plugged in the TV and kick back and watched a DVD movie.

Edited July 9, 2016 by Mopar1973Man

[notlimah]

Ok so dump your black water first, then gray water, check!

 

Question with that though, were only going out for a few nights, although we will be dry camping the whole time. I'm not sure we'll even get the tanks 3/4's full. Is that going to be a problem when dumping?

 

Do you guys typically fill up your gray water tank prior to your destination? I.e. fill at home or close to it then tow with full or close to full gray water tanks?

[Mopar1973Man]

Holding tanks...

 

To start a trip I fill my water tank with clean potable water. I now take a 5 gallon bucket fill it and pour it down the toilet. This pre-starts the black tank. Now you don't have to waste large amounts of water on the black tank. I typically don't bother to turn on the pump for #1 for #2 I will fill the bowl partially to flush solid waste. So there is no worry about poo-pyramids then. As for holding tanks typically most RV are design to hold more waste than water so it very very rare to see your tanks fill. I typically run out of water before my tanks are full. So if I holder 50 gallons of water typically your going be still right close to the same 50 gallons of water in waste just in different waste tanks. So there is no issues towing with full waste or full water tank. Either way its still about 50 gallons of water either waste of fresh.

 

If I return home like this trip and I barely used a 1/3 of a tank of water I will use a garden hose and finish filling the black tank up so it will dump completely. Then dump my gray water tanks as a rinse. At end of season I will fill all three holding tank completely full of water and dump one last time before winter as a final rinse. Since I use irrigation water I've got plenty of that for rinsing. Since my dump station is right here in my front yard no problem doing the job right. 

 

Edited July 9, 2016 by Mopar1973Man

[Hawkez]

19 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

So who's laughin' now...

Just bustin' your chops.

 

You may very well fill up your grey tank, especially with kids that tank can fill up fast if you don't manage your water use.  Black tank probably won't fill up, unless you load up on taco bell before going out.  You can fill it with a hose at the dump station to help flush it.  I use to dump my water jug down it on my way home.  The ice help break things up. 

[Mopar1973Man]

Just now, Hawkez said:

Just bustin' your chops.

 

Just bustin' your now...

[Hawkez]

@Mopar1973Man do you dump yours in a septic tank?  I assume you aren't on a city sewer system.  I assumed that the chemicals in RV toilets will mess with the septic's bacteria.

[Mopar1973Man]

2 minutes ago, Hawkez said:

You may very well fill up your grey tank, especially with kids that tank can fill up fast if you don't manage your water use. 

 

He has a point... I've don't have children so we are all adults and manage water wisely. Children is a new angle I can't answer for..

[JAG1]

Best thing is to get at least a twin axle trailer so when you hit a pot hole it doesn't throw the insides so bad. Plus gives you a chance to get to a safe spot before ruining a flat tire.

 

Make sure to check all the drawers and fridge doors are latched/ locked before traveling. Believe me I found the hard way and ruined a tv once. Also close vents because the wind will break them apart.

 

Even though I double check everything before leaving I still make mistakes so I've always found it best to sit down for a cup of coffee before leaving. That way I never have forgotten anything too major.

[notlimah]

56 minutes ago, Hawkez said:

Just bustin' your chops.

 

You may very well fill up your grey tank, especially with kids that tank can fill up fast if you don't manage your water use.  Black tank probably won't fill up, unless you load up on taco bell before going out.  You can fill it with a hose at the dump station to help flush it.  I use to dump my water jug down it on my way home.  The ice help break things up. 

 

 

Ok holding tanks! That's what I was trying to say in my last post! So basically I'm ok to fill those up prior to leaving for our trip? And I will definitely pour some water down the toilet prior to use just to make sure there's extra fluid in there to prevent buildups. Check!

 

What else you guys got?! This is awesome stuff!

[Mopar1973Man]

Safety Reminder... Most all trailer ST tires are rated only for 65 MPH speeds. Highly suggest you do not tow a trailer at exactly at 65 MPH. It would be no different that running the engine at red line going down the highway. I typically tow my RV at 55-60 MPH its a win win situation. The slower speed you net better MPG's and also tire temperatures stay cooler.

 

If you owned the trailer... I would suggest you look at the load capacity of the tires and the GVWR. Like my RV came with Load Range D's and barely fits the GVWR trailer. So I up sized to Load Range E's. This gives a stronger carcase of the tire and pressure adjustment range. Calculated pressure for my RV I only need 57 PSI to cover the GVWR of the trailer. I run 65 PSI allowing for a bit stiffer side wall and a better towing performance. Then I'm not running MAX pressure (80 PSI) of the tire which now allows the tire to flex some when it strikes a pot hole or object in the highway. To this day I've never experienced a catastrophic tire failure or blow out on either a vehicle or trailer. Don't get me wrong I've had flat tires before even on the trailer I've picked up nails and such.

Edited July 10, 2016 by Mopar1973Man

[notlimah]

That was my plan Mike. I'm not a big fan of towing at speeds I'd typically only do when empty so 55-60 would be the max speed I'd tow. The trailer is dual axle so that's nice as well.