1) Without fail, your propane tanks will run empty in the middle of the night when it's below freezing and wet forcing you to stumble out of a once warm bed, grope around in the dark for something approximating warm clothing, wrestle full tanks into place (you did remember to buy spares and keep them full, right?), hook everything back up, stumble over the dogs and cats, get quietly out of your warm clothes and back into bed without waking up the spouse or kids or engaging in creative, interpretative cursing.
2) You don’t know what a honey wagon is? You are in for such a surprise. Why should monkeys have all the fun? I highly recommend the 4 wheel wagon over the 2 wheeler. 32 Gallons of...ahem...liquid weighs approximately 256 pounds. Pray you don't have to pull it very far.
3) Learn how to do your own maintenance. Stuff breaks. Things need to be checked, inspected, replaced, etc. You can do it less expensively and with less hassle than the dealer or a mobile technician.
3a) Some things are worth hiring done. Especially anything involving the black tank.
4) If you intend to use you RV in cold weather, I recommend a unit with internal water connections and filters. Wish someone had told me that.
5) Trip planning is part art part science. Don't assume you will have a gas station nearby when you get close to empty especially in flyover country. Gas stations are few and far between in some places.
5a) Gas mileage? Heh. HA!! HAHAHAHHAAHAAA!!!! My buddy and I got RVs around the same time. He went with a Diesel 3/4 ton while I went with a gas V8 3/4 ton. Our trailers are roughly the same weight. His is slightly taller. He gets a gallon or two better mileage than I do under most conditions. Your gas mileage will suck no matter what your set up is. Consider anything over 8MPG to be doing good. Anything over 10MPG it rock star territory.
6) Your sewer drain hoses WILL spring a leak at the worst possible times. Those things aren't cheap either. I also recently learned that crows like to peck at them for some reason. Stupid birds.
7) Checklists are a must. REMEMBERING to USE your d*** checklists is even more imperative.
8) Boondocking is not for the feint of heart, and full hookups are worth their weight in gold.
9) Shade in the summer time is your friend.
10) Walls are thin. Privacy is a foreign concept.
You are singing my song... Hawk. Using your rig in the wintertime tests even the most patient and stoic person.
ReplyDeleteCederq, we went to Tennessee late last December with the RV for a family weekend with our church when the big snow and ice storm. Let me tell you what...backing a trailer into a parking spot off a busy road when it's snowing mixed with rain is no fun. We burned through four 20 pound bottles of propane over a long weekend it was so cold.
DeleteUsed to pull my travel trailer with my gas powered Silverado. Got roughly 10 MPG. Decided to go to a Diesel 2500HD Denali. Now I get 11 1/2 and only had to spend $40,000 more to get it.
ReplyDeleteHjets, I just wasn't willing/able to spend the extra $40,000. It may cost me a gallon or two MPG, but I'm sticking with gas motors. Our local diesel mechanic doesn't like diesels because their too expensive to fix. Go figure.
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