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Old 10-21-2020, 06:34 AM   #1
Detroit Don
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Maiden voyage

Not just our maiden voyage with this rig but literally our maiden RV voyage period. We lost our home in a wildfire September 9th. Couldn’t decide if we want to rebuild or not so we bought ourselves some time to think about it. We purchased a 2020 3740FK and a 2019 Chevy 3500HD Crew cab Duramax DRW. I’ve spent weeks reading about it, watching YouTube videos, and purchasing every last gadget and widget recommended by the folks who’ve shared their experiences. Now I’ve always said you could watch a 100 videos on how to build a birdhouse but until you build one you got no ability to build a good birdhouse. Time for us to go do it. I reserved six days at a local state park. On Monday we pick up our new home and drive it 45 minutes to the park. There’s plenty of services within a 10 minute drive. Couldn’t pick an easier place for a shakedown of our new setup.
If you had one solid tip to give a greenhorn with a brand new rig, four kids, a wife, and a rottie - I’d love to hear it.
 
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Old 10-21-2020, 06:52 AM   #2
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Welcome and what a story. One tip I have is to be thankful for what you have. Enjoy your time out and know the things you do and places you go the kids will always remember.
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Old 10-21-2020, 07:05 AM   #3
1retired06
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Welcome and enjoy the experience! Sounds like you did your homework.
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Old 10-21-2020, 09:18 AM   #4
DQDick
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Use a phone and video the walk thru so latter on you can refer back to how something works. Too much to remember on one of these things.
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Old 10-21-2020, 09:46 AM   #5
Detroit Don
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Originally Posted by DQDick View Post
Use a phone and video the walk thru so latter on you can refer back to how something works. Too much to remember on one of these things.
Good tip +1
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Old 10-21-2020, 10:11 AM   #6
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Wishing you the best of luck on your maiden voyage - it will be an adventure! A couple things I would recommend it you haven't picked them up as you acquired gadgets and gizmos is an electrical EMS (electrical management system - NOT a surge protector) and an adjustable water pressure regulator (no the little inline brass things they sell at Walmart). The damage fluctuating/faulty power can do quickly to a nice RV is substantial as well as water pressure that is too high and subsequent unknown water leaks.

Lots of other things but as you've mentioned, doing it will not only help you figure it all out and learn to understand it, it will give you confidence. For those questions you will undoubtedly have....post them here, there are lots of great knowledgeable folks that can help you.
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Old 10-21-2020, 10:43 AM   #7
Detroit Don
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Originally Posted by sourdough View Post
Wishing you the best of luck on your maiden voyage - it will be an adventure! A couple things I would recommend it you haven't picked them up as you acquired gadgets and gizmos is an electrical EMS (electrical management system - NOT a surge protector) and an adjustable water pressure regulator (no the little inline brass things they sell at Walmart). The damage fluctuating/faulty power can do quickly to a nice RV is substantial as well as water pressure that is too high and subsequent unknown water leaks.

Lots of other things but as you've mentioned, doing it will not only help you figure it all out and learn to understand it, it will give you confidence. For those questions you will undoubtedly have....post them here, there are lots of great knowledgeable folks that can help you.
Thanks for the well wishes and the tips! I did pick up those two items as they sounded like “must have” gizmos according to those in the know. Hoping I’ve made good choices. Feel like I’m outfitting a new house, Which I guess isn’t too far from the truth. Upgraded mattress, washer and dryer insert, solar, generator and all that other stuff. Really looking forward to starting this adventure next week.
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Old 10-21-2020, 11:06 AM   #8
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Congrats on your new purchase and welcome to the forums!

My advise is, Expect the unexpected. When the unexpected happens, don't fall apart and panic. Take a deep breath, relax, step away in your mind form the situation, regroup your thoughts, and think your way through. A year from now, you'll be laughing at yourself and the situation. Or, like so many others on these forums, posting comments to help someone else out of their exact same predicament.

Keeping a sense of humor, an open mind, and being extremely flexible will help overcome any difficult situation. And you WILL have them. Always expect the unexpected. (and keep a good credit card with a good balance remaining on it handy!)
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Old 10-21-2020, 11:18 AM   #9
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May add another "tip"? The tourist attractions are great and noble to say the least. Things like National Monuments, the largest ball of twine, the Grand Canyon, the Empire State Building, are all worthy of visiting and seeing, and things like this are usually on everyone's "must do before I die, bucket list." The great destination spots are GREAT! I'm not putting them down.

But, don't get so caught up in the "destination" mentality. You know, the ... "We're going to get there or die trying. And we're going to see THAT at any cost" mentality.

Remember, it's not always about the destination. The journey can be equally, or even more rewarding than the destination. So, when traveling, build in time to actually "see" America. Don't watch it go by at 65 mph from a window. Get out and experience the moment.

Some of our absolute best moments in all of our 35 years together traveling and camping has been those places and events we just hap-hazardly decided to do on the spur of the moment, usually when traveling to the destination.

In other words, take the time to enjoy life along the way. Remember to love each other, and share and express that love every day to those traveling with you. This is so very, very, very important.

I wish you absolute success and joyful travels.
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Old 10-21-2020, 11:48 AM   #10
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Awesome encouragement! Thank you!
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Old 10-28-2020, 01:41 PM   #11
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Congratulations! While you are camping, "live" in your new rig. Use everything (appliances, air conditioning, heat, etc). Live in it like you would your home. Check all the trim, etc (seems these are never attached well). We were only in ours 2 nights when we first got it (free 2-day camping with our purchase). We were mostly moving stuff out of our old rig into our new rig for a couple of hours. Once we got to the campground, we were putting stuff away. So we really didn't get to "live" in it. I didn't even cook; we were too tired, so went out to eat. Keep a running list of things you wish you had. The more you are in it, the more you will think of lol! Have fun, enjoy, and safe travels.
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Old 10-28-2020, 02:24 PM   #12
Leonard R.
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Sounds like you did things right! I researched for years until I bought my 2020 3120 RL in July.
From one newbie to another, I bought quite a few of the "must have items", like an EMS, Honda generator, water pressure regulator, 3000 W inverter, etc., etc.
The one thing I did not buy until later was a Fusion Back-up camera. TRUST ME, do this asap! Having the better half giving me directions is ok, but a back up camera is a real nice addition. Nuf said. Enjoy; we are absolutely loving the RV life! Just hope the border opens so that we can travel from our frozen Canada to the Southern U.S.
Stay safe.
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Old 10-28-2020, 02:48 PM   #13
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If you can get a pull though site for your first site, that would be ideal. If not, or whenever you do need to back in to a site, forgive each other beforehand for any cross words that may be exchanged and pledge to be as patient with each other as possible. Maybe have the kids take the dog for a walk while you park the rig. We have been doing this for a while now and it can still cause issues at times. We very nearly had to give the rig back the first time we tried to back it into a spot at the storage facility.
The rest of it is worth the grief it takes to get into that awkward parking/camping spot.
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Old 10-28-2020, 02:49 PM   #14
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In addition to this great group, join the Keystone Montana Owners Facebook group, 8400 members. Great group and quick answers to questions/problems.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/274058692984546
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Old 10-28-2020, 03:03 PM   #15
dallasrules
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Make 2 checklists. One for setup and one for breakdown. It is good if you can laminate it so you can clear it off and reuse it. Two things to check is to make sure all doors are locked open or closed, and always check to see if anything has shifted and may block putting out the slides. One rv we had has a cabinet door that tends to come open and binds up the slide if you don't check it.
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Old 10-28-2020, 04:15 PM   #16
sourdough
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Detroit Don View Post
Thanks for the well wishes and the tips! I did pick up those two items as they sounded like “must have” gizmos according to those in the know. Hoping I’ve made good choices. Feel like I’m outfitting a new house, Which I guess isn’t too far from the truth. Upgraded mattress, washer and dryer insert, solar, generator and all that other stuff. Really looking forward to starting this adventure next week.

You are probably on your voyage but something that came to mind that I find indispensable is a multi meter. I use them for all kinds of stuff and have several. They can sure make finding an electrical problem easier...and much quicker. Just occurred to me that I forgot to mention that.
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Old 10-28-2020, 07:19 PM   #17
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Our "tricks" for staying happy while staying on the road.:

-If in doubt, check it out. It takes 30 seconds to check if the door is actually locked, the vent you don't remember closing is actually closed, the wierd noise is actually nothing, etc. And sometimes you find problems that would be a lot more than 30 seconds worth of trouble!

-Make a checklist (as suggested above) for setup and teardown. In a pretty short time you'll have things down and won't need to refer to it, but it's really helpful at first and whenever one person has to do someone else's routine for whatever reason.

-If backing in to a site isn't going well, pull out and drive around to get lined up again. Campgrounds are usually easy to loop and its hard (for me at least) to get reset from a bad position. We use walkie talkies and a "code" we developed over time, and the "pull-around" rule has saved a lot of yelling.

-Try not to rush things, and definitely take your time and doublecheck everything if you're tired or distracted. All of the worst incidents we've had with our RV have been due to either rushing something or driving when tired. (The 12' gate on the parking lot exit that scalped the rig, flooding from the shower, dropping the pin on the truck, etc.)

I hope you're starting what will be a wonderful adventure and that you'll enjoy your full-timing as much as we have (10 years and counting).
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Old 10-28-2020, 07:51 PM   #18
Byron B
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Along with the suggestions previously mentioned, I would suggest taking lots of pictures and labeling each as to location and content. It will not only provide you with your own travel log but it will be a great amount of memories to look back on years from now. Enjoy!
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Old 10-28-2020, 07:54 PM   #19
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Take it slow. Your rig will pull great with the truck you have. When getting into spots, get out and look as often as needed to keep you comfortable. You are tall - watch for tree limbs wires, signs, overhangs and such that can reach out and bite you.
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Old 10-28-2020, 08:59 PM   #20
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Tire pressure monitoring system can save damage from flat tires.
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