OK I Confess

[Sunshine]

Welcome and congratulations on the new rig. You've already received lots of good advice. I think slow and easy until you get comfortable, plus implementing the suggestions you can use, and you should be just fine. Safe travels.

[campbud]

Congratulations! You are in good hands with the members of this forum...they give some of the best advice! Enjoy!

[Montana_4699]

Thanks ALL for the wonderful and thoughtful suggestions for Kathy and I as we embark on our new adventure. And, YES, I will we asking many many stupid questions.

[wileecoyote985]

Congrats on the new rig.

As others have said, make sure you follow the instructions that come with your particular hitch (to the letter) to make certain that it is properly engaged. If you fail to make the checks, chances are that you may drop the 5'er on your pickup box sooner or later (unfortunately, many folks have learned this the hard way).

Try not to let yourself get distracted while hooking up or unhooking as that is when you may tend to make mistakes. This is sometimes easier said than done when greeting or saying goodbye to friends at arrival or departure.

Always do a walk around prior to moving the unit at the start of a trip. Look for things like an antenna that you forgot to put down, or steps you forgot to fold away, or chocks you forgot to remove. Also look high and low for things you need to avoid a collision with. The few times I have experienced problems have been when I got distracted and neglected to do the final walk around.

As others have said, it's very helpful to have a spotter when backing into a campsite. A word of advice here. Don't assume that your spotter automatically knows what to watch out for. Get out and check the site yourself. If there are obstacles like overhanging branches, etc., point them out to the spotter and ask them to watch those hazards closely.

Have fun and enjoy your new rig!

Gary

[Bill Frisbee]

In Ontario, the law requires those who tow a trailer (including RVs) with GVWR of more than 10,000lbs to have a Class A driver's license ... the same as a professional who drives a commercial tractor-trailer. Despite the expense and annoyance, I went through the driving lessons, physical examination, written test, and government conducted road test. Not only did I learn a great deal about how to handle and maneuver a large rig, I developed a degree of confidence in my ability to do so as well as the peace of mind that comes with having the legally-required license in the event of inspection by police or an accident that requires filing an insurance claim. I have no idea what the license requirements are in Oregon but I encourage you to do what the law requires, take advantage of opportunities to learn, take your time, be patient, be careful, and use checklists for everything. Pilots with thousands of hours of flying time always use checklists ... that is enough to convince me. I have discovered a number of excellent checklists on this web site and others. You will also be amazed by how few traffic hassles you encounter and how clear the road ahead will become if you drive at the posted speed limit. The last bit of advice that I might offer is a reflection of my own particular paranoia - be more concerned with your ability to safely CONTROL your RV on the highway than with your truck's ability to tow it. I have been unable to find the towing capacities and payload limits for your TV but I know that the GVWR of 13,960 lbs on our '05 3400 is within 10 lbs of the max towing capacity of our Ram 3500 and that the weight on the hitch pin, combined with the weight of fuel, normal passenger load, and the SuperGlide hitch is within 200 lbs of the 3500's max payload. In short, we are very close to the limits of our TV's capacity to safely handle the 3400. As a result, we do everything we can to keep the Monty as light as possible and drive with due caution whenever we travel.

All that having been said, we love the 3400 and its floorplan. We have been through one season with it and have had no problems of any significance. From the scorching hot summer to the freezing cold weekend from which we just returned, we have had opportunities to put the Monty and all of its various systems through their paces. Everything worked precisely as advertised. We hope your experience is similar.

Bill & Ann

[sreigle]

Just thought of another. Don't forget that when you turn to the right everything behind the trailer wheels moves to the left. That can be important (and costly) getting out of a tight campsite.

[snowbunny]

One more thing. While it's important to do everything that has been mentioned here always remember that you will end up doing stupid things too. Hopefully they won't cost you more than embarrassment. We certainly have done our share and many others on this forum have admitted to a few blunders. There was a thread on this subject on this forum a few months back. It is reassuring to know that you are not alone when you drag your 50 AMP power line thru the campground........

[richfaa]

I am with Bill Frisbee with the professional driving training.Folks can climb into the largest RV and drive away without having a clue as to how to maneuver a rig so large. On the job training is not the place to learn. We have a CDL because we drive other things. I was also a driver trainer on large busses. I would suggest some training if possible. When we get our new 3670 and we already got the new TV we will go to the local Community College where there is a large parking lot and practice with the new rig before endangering others on the hiways.

[WildBigBill]

Just take your time and develope a good routine (which will improve after the little mistakes made allong the way), don't forget to work as a team and check and recheck everything while building a good routine. Enjoy your trailer and you will be giving advice before you know it!