After doing some tent camping and other things last year, we decided it something we would like to continue doing. We started tossing around the travel trailer idea, and after the birth of our second son last month we settled on a smaller bunkhouse model. Just got it home, and have been working on "outfitting" it with the essentials this weekend! The wife and kids are stoked. The different topics, and suggestions I have been reading here the last several weeks were very helpful! Any tips/tricks/suggestions for the noob??

EDIT: Sorry, forgot the specs!

Springdale model 240BH, arctic package
24', 5600lb "dry" - I have not had it across a scale yet, maybe next weekend!
I'm using an Equalizer WD hitch

 

What can be very helpful is a little driveway camping to make sure everything works and so you know if you have all stuff you will need. Another thing we have learned is to duplicate stuff that you want to take out of the house when you are using the trailer. When we still used or rigs for weekends and vacations all had to do is load food and go and a few extra clothes for longer trips.

Denny

 

I would also suggest some practice towing and parking/backing with it.


Campgrounds can be very tricky, especially the longer you are.


with a ground guide try turning and see if anything will get in the way of the tow vehicle and trailer. Nice a slow. You want to know your limits.

 

Thats a nice looking unit and pretty doggoned lightweight for what you have there...

 

Remember that if you are headed to a campgound with hookups, that you only need to carry enough water to run the toilet until you get there... Saves dragging a bunch of weight around with you...

 

My best advice? Use it! So many folks just let em sit. RVing is really a lot of fun and there is almost nothing you can do to cause any serious harm short of running it into a tree or some such. Push all the buttons, work all the systems, and be bold. You will make some mistakes as part of the learning curve, but in the end the only score that counts is the column for the friends you make and the stories you have to tell!

Steve

 

We once threw a dart at a map.
Ended up being New Hampshire. So we went there, camper in tow.


Do it.

 

Great rig and agree with everyone... Use it and enjoy. Our first trip in our new one isn't until the end of the month, but I'm in ours every day playing with this and that. Last weekend my wife was napping downstairs and my daughter upstairs so I went out to the RV, turned on the inverter and watched a movie in peace without disturbing anyone. It's like having a second home in your driveway!

 

I would recommend the following (or something similar):




It beats the heck out of screaming at each other when you are trying to back in (assuming the DW is going to help).


My DW has duplicated most things, so we have little to take out to the trailer (computer, camera, CD's and DVD's, some shirts and pants, shoes, and refrigerated food stuffs mostly).


If your first trip is to someplace with limited hook ups (no water), have a collapsible water jug with you. You might use up all your water you put in the fresh water tank before you are done for the weekend, and being able to refill or bring more water in without moving is handy.

 

Thank you, everyone, for the advice!! I am still going out and dinking around with things every so often. Hopefully we will get it good and broken in this summer, the opportunity at this time appears to be before us! Between busy work scheduled and other commitments, this is the only real way I see us spending good time together - so, lets do it!!

 

The Wife & I have lived full-time in RVs for 15+years. In fact we have two trailers one at a base & the other where my wife works 160 miles from base. Living in an RV is a nice cheap way to live. I agree with Steve USE IT.

 

The dealership where I purchased also installed (and, I'm assuming correctly adjusted) my WD hitch. I would however prefer to verify this myself, as it is ultimately my responsibility! Any tips or tricks to this? I have the owners manual, and it seems pretty straight forward. Coming home the truck seemed to sag a little, but really looking at picture I took that day it was not bad, rear sag and front came down a bit but nothing drastic. I also added some airbags this weekend to help correct the sag a little.


Oh yeah, first trip is this coming Friday!!

 

I had to do some adjusting on my WDH after getting it loaded up for the trip. Food, bottled water, drinks, ice in the cooler, clothing, tools, etc add more weight than you would think.

 

Watch some YouTube videos. The dealer set mine up as well and showed me how to hook it up. When I pulled it the 30 miles to the camp ground the slightest little bump had me bouncing all over the place. A few months later I hooked it up according to a video and pulled it 800 mile home. No problems at all.

 

So far, its OK but I've really only got the 90 mile drive home under my belt!! This week I will hook up one night and check it out with fresh eyes and see how it goes. Also this time,with the air bags. Do you guys deflate them, hook up and then inflate or???