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Kudos! to you Jack and Tom for the tips. Even though we have camped and
RV'ed for years, I made a copy of your lists for a pre-post trip check -
Thanks -=dr=-

I have my 1988 Toyota Sunrader for sale (see message #267). I thought I
had it sold last week, but the potential buyer could not get the
necessary credit. Since the potential buyer was to be a first-time RV
owner, I made up a list of Tips and Recommendations to give to the
buyer to help them get started. I thought I would share them with the
group, and many of you might add some more that I had not thought of.
Some of these tips can also be of benefit to experienced RVers. (If you
see any errors, let me know.)

:>) Tom Calvert

Tips and Recommended Things To Buy/Carry

1. Heavy Duty (20 Amp) 3-Prong Extension Chord, 10 - 15 Feet Long
2. Pair of Gloves and a few rags
3. CB Radio and/or Cell Phone
4. Several 2x6 boards to put under wheels to level RV at camp site.
5. Door Mat to put on ground by door (keeps camper cleaner)
6. Bottled water for drinking
7. DC to AC power converter (300 watts) to operate TV or music player
8. Flashlight(s)
9. Rain gear (raincoat, umbrella, etc.)
10. Truck type tire gauge (needed for pressure check on dual rear
wheels)
11. For new RVers - Take a few short distance/short duration trips
first to get familiar with your RV and to determine what supplies
(kitchen utensils, food, clothes, bedding, etc.) you need - keep it
simple - to use during long trips.

Tips and Recommended Reading/Doing

1. Read RV Manual and Toyota Vehicle Manual
2. If you are going to travel throughout the US, join AAA for Road
Service/Trip Planning Information
3. If you are going to travel mostly in areas not too far from home, at
least get Road Service on your vehicle insurance policy. (Getting the
spare wheel out from underneath the camper and changing a wheel is not
exactly an easy task if you have a flat)
4. Suggest you join the Toyota RV Yahoo Group at


Tips and Recommendations

1. Always close Camper Roof Vents securely when driving
2. Close/Lock Camper Door when driving.
3. Check that Gray Water and Black Water tank drains are closed and
covers attached when driving.
4. Check tire pressure (when at ambient temperature) and fluid levels
before leaving on long trip. Check tire pressure and fluid levels
periodically when on a long trip.
5. Use Battery Maintainer to keep battery truck charged when RV is
stored/engine not operated.
6. If you don't use Battery Maintainer, run the engine for about 5 to
10 minutes every 7 to 10 days or drive vehicle. The engine needs to get
up to operating temperature for a while.
Note: When you run the truck engine, the camper battery also charges.
Note: Turn on truck Air Conditioner (keeps seals pliable) for a few
minutes when running the engine.
7. Before leaving on a trip, hook up AC power to camper to fully
charge camper battery.
8. Hook up AC power to Camper and run Camper Air Conditioner
occasionally (keeps seals pliable).
8. Turn the refrigerator ON, using AC power or Propane, for at least 8
- 12 hours, or longer, before putting food in.
9. If you are driving in a hilly or mountainous area, against a strong
head wind, or at a high speed that causes the automatic transmission to
frequently shift from 4th gear (overdrive) to 3rd gear, depress the
overdrive button on the shift lever to disengage OD.
10. If you are driving in a high altitude area, the OD will
automatically disengage at somewhere between 3000 and 4000 feet.
11. As you leave a campground/RV park that has a wastewater dump,
drain your gray and black water tanks, and throw out your trash. (Less
weight to carry around.) Don't litter.
12. Don't overload the RV with things on the inside that may result in
exceeding the Gross Vehicle Weight.
13. When not using the RV, turn off the propane gas supply (Handle
fully tight clockwise).
14. When camping and you use the propane stove burners to cook (or for
heat), always open a roof vent and window(s) to avoid carbon monoxide
poisoning. Don't sleep with stove burners on. Install a smoke/carbon
monoxide sensor/alarm.
15. When you are sleeping inside the camper, always keep the camper and
truck doors locked.
16. When you are driving, especially in extremely hot weather, watch
the truck's temperature gauge. If you experience an over temperature
situation:
a. Turn off the truck's AC and/or reduce your speed.
b. Open the truck's windows and turn on the heater at max
temperature/high-blow fan speed.
c. If still running hot, pull over and stop (leave the motor running)
and check for a broken fan belt.
d. If belt OK, turn off engine and let it cool down. Then check
radiator water level.
17. When you are not using your RV, make sure everything is turned off
so batteries will not discharge.
18. Take a spare vehicle/camper door key with you, in case you lock the
main keys in the vehicle/camper.
19. Let someone know your itinerary before you leave on a trip.
20. Have fun and enjoy your camping/travel experience, and be friendly
to the people you meet.

Tom, you gave us an outstanding list of Camper 'Do and Don't' items.
I have a few more items too.

1. You need to carry TWO electrical adapters for your RV. My unit
only comes with the 30 Amp, three prong plug. You need the adapter
to let you run from your household outlet, a smaller three prong
plug. You also need the larger 50 Amp adapter for use at some of
the more upscale campgrounds.

2. Keep a good flashlight HANDY in the RV.

3. A bbq propane lighter is ideal for lighting the water heater
and stove.

4. Only use the type of toilet paper sold by the RV stores. Regular
toilet paper reacts with the chemicals you put in the holding tank
to form paper mache.... not a good thing.

5. Use a water line pressure regulator when connected to camp site
water. This will assure that high pressure water does not damage
your camper's plumbing.

6. Don't leave the camper with the awning extended. A sudden storm can rip it right off the camper.

7. Always do a final check before leaving a camping site. Make sure the tv antenna is down, vents closed, leveling blocks stowed and all hook-ups are disconnected and stowed.

8. Keep the tube that carries butane to the hot water burner clean.
A simple spider web or a dead bug can plug it up and keep it from lighting, or worse it can cause the flame to back up in the tube with very bad results.

9. The left rear wheel (on my unit anyway) has left handed threads on the lug nuts (turn clockwise to loosen). All other wheels have normal
right handed threads on the lug nuts.

10. When storing the camper close all the curtains and open the
fridge door. I keep the bathroom window open when in storage.

Jack

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