The all encompassing RV thread

[utee94 16078]

6 minutes ago, troph said:

we have those too. not kidding.

Heh, I think every Airstreamer I ever met has them, or some variation.  There's also one that has intermixed Airstreams and vintage cars, like a '57 Chevy or something.

[Pato del Muerto 53420]

Ahyuan Roll up Dish Drying Rack Over the Sink Kitchen Roll up Sink Drying Rack Portable Dish Rack Dish Drainer Foldable SUS304 Stainless Steel Dish Drying Rack (17.8''x11.2'') https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0173GPLA2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_3QxZEbZETGKJN
 

this is nice to have to drip dry kitchenware that isn’t disposable, and can just turn the sink into another surface but can roll up small when not in use. 

[utee94 16078]

7 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Ahyuan Roll up Dish Drying Rack Over the Sink Kitchen Roll up Sink Drying Rack Portable Dish Rack Dish Drainer Foldable SUS304 Stainless Steel Dish Drying Rack (17.8''x11.2'') https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0173GPLA2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_3QxZEbZETGKJN
 

this is nice to have to drip dry kitchenware that isn’t disposable, and can just turn the sink into another surface but can roll up small when not in use. 

Good one.

We also have this for doing all dishes outside when the weather is nice:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-Easy-Clean-Up-Camp-Sink-for-Outdoor-Use/35736760?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&&adid=22222222227025061179&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=317212242842&wl4=aud-430887228898:pla-584977538085&wl5=9028226&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=35736760&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIldPfg7DS6QIVhobACh0jvAZ6EAQYASABEgI9VPD_BwE

[Kennythetiger 9612]

On 5/25/2020 at 12:55 PM, troph said:

I bought twenty mile walkie talkies too and my lady friend was all negatory on them. Told her to knock it off. Might be unnecessary but good clean fun unnecessary or maybe necessary just in a pinch.

Teach her a lesson and refuse to communicate in anything except cb language.  And be sure and add the static sound before "over and out".

[troph 25128]

Ahyuan Roll up Dish Drying Rack Over the Sink Kitchen Roll up Sink Drying Rack Portable Dish Rack Dish Drainer Foldable SUS304 Stainless Steel Dish Drying Rack (17.8''x11.2'') https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0173GPLA2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_3QxZEbZETGKJN
 
this is nice to have to drip dry kitchenware that isn’t disposable, and can just turn the sink into another surface but can roll up small when not in use. 

We have that. It was great this weekend. We don’t do paper plates as much so it came in handy for sure.

[troph 25128]

Big ticket, fun shit came in today... 14 inch ceramic grill...

 

 

Griddle, man can’t wait for some bacon and eggs on this somebitch...

 

 

[Pato del Muerto 53420]

Had enough already, @troph?

 

[G650 14432]

13 hours ago, Kennythetiger said:

Teach her a lesson and refuse to communicate in anything except cb language.  And be sure and add the static sound before "over and out".

10/4

[troph 25128]

Had enough already, [mention=93]troph[/mention]?
 

Not yet! But I’m done spending cashola on gear finally. Shits expensive! We pull out for 14-15 days in CO in less than two weeks!

[troph 25128]

My main fatigue is spending cash to properly outfit it - and the truck was a fun get but not really wanted. So we are probs $20-22k out of pocket now and I’m ready for that to stop. But going forward gas and camp fees are about it. So it’s time to get on with the experiences. Last weekend was a work the kinks out weekend and so a lot of effort but we had a great time and for the first time in a long while I felt rested when we came home. I’m really confident this will work for me and my gal. Question really is will it work for my 15 year old and I’m not holding my breath on that. My 10 and 12 yes. Heck my 10 year old can’t wait to go rafting again and my 12 year old and I are fly fishing buddies, novices for sure, but ready to make it a life long hobby.

[utee94 16078]

4 minutes ago, troph said:

. Question really is will it work for my 15 year old and I’m not holding my breath on that. My 10 and 12 yes. Heck my 10 year old can’t wait to go rafting again and my 12 year old and I are fly fishing buddies, novices for sure, but ready to make it a life long hobby.

We have a group of 5 families that we regularly camp with.  Our kids are still young (12 and 10), but one of the families we camp with has a 19yo boy, 18yo girl, 17yo girl, and 16yo girl.  They all STILL love to camp out, especially at places like Garner.  It's different than when they were young kids of course, but they still really enjoy it and look forward to it.

One main difference I suppose, is that they've been doing it since they were babies.  But even though they're sometimes "too cool" they still act like giddy kids sometimes too when we're out at the campfire, and they even still love making s'mores.  It's kind of funny to watch them transform a little bit.

 

[Pato del Muerto 53420]

Welp now that the 1978 17 ft wilderness has become a semi-permanent backyard office, we are in the market. One popped up just now that fills the bill and it’s even local. So we will see if it goes anywhere. 

[troph 25128]

nice can't wait to see it.  I'm probably not the only one tired of this mostly being my adventure in boondoggling and boondocking.

[troph 25128]

My hachet, heavy duty jumper cables, walkie talkies, scotch glasses, portable Sirius radio for the truck and trailer and a bunch of other Xmas presents, I mean gear came in today!

[HOOKEM4 5154]

I can post about my rv adventures if you want. It will consist of me talking about how it was still there when we showed up and maybe a story about how I broke the paper thin ceiling one night when I was on a bender. Didnt realize 5 lbs of force would crack it. Or I can tell you about the time I showed up and the furnace stopped working when it was 20 degrees outside. Idk. Seems counterproductive to your excitement.

[HOOKEM4 5154]

Storms rolling in as sun set. Taken from camper.

[HOOKEM4 5154]

Best pics I have of the two trailers.

[troph 25128]

I can post about my rv adventures if you want. It will consist of me talking about how it was still there when we showed up and maybe a story about how I broke the paper thin ceiling one night when I was on a bender. Didnt realize 5 lbs of force would crack it. Or I can tell you about the time I showed up and the furnace stopped working when it was 20 degrees outside. Idk. Seems counterproductive to your excitement.

Well I’m new to owning but not new to the RV phenomenon. There’s a reason I bought used (I expect things to break) and there’s a reason I’m buying all kids of shit like better jumper cables and flashlights and batteries for battery powered candles. We will take some extra blankets though not worried about temperature on this trip. Weather radio and walkie talkies may be overkill but shit happens.

 

But let me say the shitstorm stories of epic failure absolutely belong here. And I’m sure I’ll have some of our own to share too. I kinda think part of the experience is facing some of that adversity and getting through it and having the “you won’t believe this” story to go with it.

[Jack Handey 57]

What’s the hierarchy in terms of quality for travel trailers? Assume it’s Airstream #1, but is there any difference between Puma, Forest River, Winnebago, Jayco, etc?  Anything to look for and avoid? 

[Texaus 389]

The short answer is they are all equally shitty! I think the same corporate conglomerate that owns airstream also owns Jayco and many others. They all have different levels of trim and finish out. I’ve owned two Jayco eagles and have been relatively happy with how they held up.

[utee94 16078]

Yeah there are a couple or three major conglomerates.  Thor owns Airstream, Jayco, Dutchmen, Keystone, Heartland, and some others.

Forest River owns Coachmen, Prime Time, Puma, Viking, Shasta, Georgie Boy, and some others, and last I recall Berkshire Hathaway owned Forest River.

Winnebago owns a few including its own brand name, Newmar, and Grand Design. 

Sadly quality is pretty low on all of them.  Even Airstream quality has dropped dramatically over the decades, although it's still better than most.  You just kind of have to accept that these are low volume production vehicles compared to...say... cars, and that there are going to be issues with many of them.  Avoiding leaks and major structural issues is key.

 

[Pato del Muerto 53420]

10 hours ago, troph said:

nice can't wait to see it.  I'm probably not the only one tired of this mostly being my adventure in boondoggling and boondocking.

Nope. They listed it this afternoon for 8500 and sold it for 10k. Told me I was the 2nd of 7 to view it tonight. For a 15 year old bumper pull. 
I thought there’d be deals to be had as people get cash strapped from covid issues, but it’s the other way around. People are throwing money around for summer adventures as their plane trips aren’t happening. 
mind you, here every othe house has one so I’ve no clue where all these buyers are coming from. 

Edited May 28, 2020 by Pato del Muerto

[troph 25128]

That sucks. Yeah camper clinic was hopping Thursday before Memorial Day weekend. A lot of buyers out there. Covid is only affecting the poor right now so everyone else is adapting their spending.

[utee94 16078]

7 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Nope. They listed it this afternoon for 8500 and sold it for 10k. Told me I was the 2nd of 7 to view it tonight. For a 15 year old bumper pull. 
I thought there’d be deals to be had as people get cash strapped from covid issues, but it’s the other way around. People are throwing money around for summer adventures as their plane trips aren’t happening. 
mind you, here every othe house has one so I’ve no clue where all these buyers are coming from. 

Well apparently there's a $5,000 30-year-old Alumalite somewhere near NE Houston for sale, you could check into that one.

 

[davidg 4057]

11 hours ago, Jack Handey said:

What’s the hierarchy in terms of quality for travel trailers? Assume it’s Airstream #1, but is there any difference between Puma, Forest River, Winnebago, Jayco, etc?  Anything to look for and avoid? 

You have to take all these review websites with a grain of salt but here is an article that talks about RV quality (most are shitty)  and what they consider to top companies.  

https://campaddict.com/best-rv-brands/

 

Also look for reviews on RVInsider.com.  You can get a feel for what issues people are having with that particular model.  

 

Edited May 28, 2020 by davidg

[conVINCEd 21477]

Anybody running solar panels?  Particularly those looking to boondock for extended periods.

[utee94 16078]

2 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

Anybody running solar panels?  Particularly those looking to boondock for extended periods.

I've often thought about it but never pulled the trigger.  Usually I run the genny to top up the battery, and then run off 12VDC power.

 

[ShaggyBevo RIP 3873]

8 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Nope. They listed it this afternoon for 8500 and sold it for 10k. Told me I was the 2nd of 7 to view it tonight. For a 15 year old bumper pull. 
I thought there’d be deals to be had as people get cash strapped from covid issues, but it’s the other way around. People are throwing money around for summer adventures as their plane trips aren’t happening. 
mind you, here every othe house has one so I’ve no clue where all these buyers are coming from. 

I was planning on buying this year and now demand has skyrocketed.  There will likely be a ton of lightly used trailers for sale 2-3 years from now.

Edited May 28, 2020 by ShaggyBevo RIP

[troph 25128]

Anybody running solar panels?  Particularly those looking to boondock for extended periods.

We looked at it, too expensive and not enough power.

[troph 25128]

On the quality issue - thankfully my gf is pretty damn handy and could give any manly man at least a decent run for his money on fixing shit, at least honorable mention. She’s a builder so it makes sense. We fully anticipate breakage and having to trouble shoot and fix stuff. We are packing and storing the gear to deal with problems and fix issues that go wrong. Some we can’t fix but many you can if you’re resourceful. We are under no illusions these things are high quality.

[G650 14432]

Eh, it all depends on what you want to do and how efficient you are. We runs yachts of solar for transoceanic racing mostly because you don't want to carry all the fuel needed to run the engine

[Pato del Muerto 53420]

I’ve got a solar bank still in the box in my garage. If we take the camper out we will probably bring it with and see how it goes. 

[conVINCEd 21477]

1 hour ago, utee94 said:

I've often thought about it but never pulled the trigger.  Usually I run the genny to top up the battery, and then run off 12VDC power.

 

Thanks.  Just curious.  I’ve casually looked at airstreams every so often, and it seems like it is certainly becoming more common.   It sounds like the sort of thing that if you want it and are buying used, you can probably find something that already has it for a small premium, but it would be pretty expensive to install yourself.  Sort of like buying a house with a pool or building a pool yourself.

[utee94 16078]

1 minute ago, conVINCEd said:

Thanks.  Just curious.  I’ve casually looked at airstreams every so often, and it seems like it is certainly becoming more common.   It sounds like the sort of thing that if you want it and are buying used, you can probably find something that already has it for a small premium, but it would be pretty expensive to install yourself.  Sort of like buying a house with a pool or building a pool yourself.

Oh yeah, I'd be surprised if you could command any kind of premium at all for already having solar installed.  Well, at least BEFORE this market got so hot due to The Coronas, I suppose...

 

 

[utee94 16078]

@troph

All of the boondocking talk on wulaw's thread, as well as your mentioning of your plan to do a lot of boondocking, reminded me-- sometimes you need to fill your freshwater tank and don't want to break camp and move the RV to do it.  This guy talks about several options:

https://www.rvwithtito.com/articles/how-refill-rv-fresh-water-tank-while-boondocking/

I typically use jugs or jerry cans and a large funnel to gravity fill.  But he offers some other interesting solutions like a drill-powerered water pump, or just using a spare RV water pump connected to some hoses and a 12V car battery.  Interesting stuff.

[troph 25128]

I'll check that out. 

more deets on our trip ... 

we have a 100 gal fresh water tank, 2 grey water tanks and a sizable black water.  from 2 nights out on a friends ranch we filled one gray water and black water was still reading empty and we did not engage in any water or capacity saving measures.  I took two showers and I washed dishes like at home. we will take separate drinking water (cooking, coffee, drinking, etc.).

one spot we are staying at is truly dry camping and we are only there for 2.5 days.  boys pee outside for sure. we will use paper plates and try to limit dish washing.  they don't shower and we can go a few days without it.

second spot we are there for close to a week (see the divorce stuff thread for why) and at that spot they have fresh water available but no hook ups.  I fully expect to have to empty grey and black water tanks there.  so we will find a spot close by and have to spend a few hours at least once if not twice emptying it.

if i'm not thinking about it correctly do let me know.

[Pato del Muerto 53420]

4 hours ago, davidg said:

You have to take all these review websites with a grain of salt but here is an article that talks about RV quality (most are shitty)  and what they consider to top companies.  

https://campaddict.com/best-rv-brands/

 

Also look for reviews on RVInsider.com.  You can get a feel for what issues people are having with that particular model.  

 

Older ones are better constructed. Our 17 footer from 1979 weighs around 3500 lbs.  more maintenance and optional updating, but they are solid. Far fewer creature comforts, takes effort to get the fridge pilot light going and the fridge cooling, and I don’t trust the furnace to run without me in the camper. 

[utee94 16078]

19 minutes ago, troph said:

I'll check that out. 

more deets on our trip ... 

we have a 100 gal fresh water tank, 2 grey water tanks and a sizable black water.  from 2 nights out on a friends ranch we filled one gray water and black water was still reading empty and we did not engage in any water or capacity saving measures.  I took two showers and I washed dishes like at home. we will take separate drinking water (cooking, coffee, drinking, etc.).

one spot we are staying at is truly dry camping and we are only there for 2.5 days.  boys pee outside for sure. we will use paper plates and try to limit dish washing.  they don't shower and we can go a few days without it.

second spot we are there for close to a week (see the divorce stuff thread for why) and at that spot they have fresh water available but no hook ups.  I fully expect to have to empty grey and black water tanks there.  so we will find a spot close by and have to spend a few hours at least once if not twice emptying it.

if i'm not thinking about it correctly do let me know.

That was a really smart idea to get a baseline of water usage and tank fill capacity without adjusting your habits.  Now you know the types of changes you'd need to make if you wanted to extend your capabilities.

The rest of it sounds right to me.  The more you practice, the better/faster you'll get at doing it all quickly.  If you know you're going to have to break camp to dump, then you can keep things more tightly packed right around that time.  Just be patient and be willing to cut yourself-- and your lady friend and family-- some slack.  I try never to be in a rush when camping, and even the tedious and odious tasks become more tolerable.  

 

 

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

30 minutes ago, troph said:

we have a 100 gal fresh water tank, 2 grey water tanks and a sizable black water.  from 2 nights out on a friends ranch we filled one gray water and black water was still reading empty and we did not engage in any water or capacity saving measures.  I took two showers and I washed dishes like at home. we will take separate drinking water (cooking, coffee, drinking, etc.).

Semi pro tip: Get a cheap mop bucket.  If you ever fill up the gray while the black still has space, you can dump a little gray into the bucket, take it inside and pour it in the toilet.  It's not elegant by any means but gets the job done.  

 

[utee94 16078]

25 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Older ones are better constructed. Our 17 footer from 1979 weighs around 3500 lbs.  more maintenance and optional updating, but they are solid. Far fewer creature comforts, takes effort to get the fridge pilot light going and the fridge cooling, and I don’t trust the furnace to run without me in the camper. 

Yeah I agree.  Shifts in materials like stick framing with thin but good-quality plywood in days of old, to heavy use of particle board in more modern RVs, haven't done the quality of the product any favors. Older RVs were not only better constructed but lighter.   But, as you point out, the modern RVs have more creature comforts and conveniences.

[troph 25128]

42 minutes ago, dingleberryswitzer said:

Semi pro tip: Get a cheap mop bucket.  If you ever fill up the gray while the black still has space, you can dump a little gray into the bucket, take it inside and pour it in the toilet.  It's not elegant by any means but gets the job done.  

 

that's a really great idea.

[troph 25128]

53 minutes ago, utee94 said:

That was a really smart idea to get a baseline of water usage and tank fill capacity without adjusting your habits.  Now you know the types of changes you'd need to make if you wanted to extend your capabilities.

The rest of it sounds right to me.  The more you practice, the better/faster you'll get at doing it all quickly.  If you know you're going to have to break camp to dump, then you can keep things more tightly packed right around that time.  Just be patient and be willing to cut yourself-- and your lady friend and family-- some slack.  I try never to be in a rush when camping, and even the tedious and odious tasks become more tolerable.  

 

 

the best part of camping is not being on a schedule to the maximum extent possible so I think she and I will be ok there.  but to be clear, she wears the gloves here, I don't empty the sewer lines. nope. nope. nope.

[Texaus 389]

Semi pro tip: Get a cheap mop bucket.  If you ever fill up the gray while the black still has space, you can dump a little gray into the bucket, take it inside and pour it in the toilet.  It's not elegant by any means but gets the job done.  

 

Absolutely have done this. With showers and family of four(what I was dealing with) those grey tanks fill up fast.

 

Another tip: do not dump black tank unless you have a full, or mostly full, grey tank to get a proper flushing.

 

After dumping black, I would close black valve and open grey valve. After about 30 seconds I would open black valve again and let some of the grey back pressure back flush, then close black valve and let grey finish draining. Once done I would disconnect hose from camper and hold it high and wash with water hose while other end still connected to sewer for a couple minutes.

 

Edit:

When weather permits and filling grey tank is concern, make use of outdoor shower. Shower is by far the biggest culprit

[conVINCEd 21477]

1 hour ago, troph said:

the best part of camping is not being on a schedule to the maximum extent possible so I think she and I will be ok there.  but to be clear, she wears the gloves here, I don't empty the sewer lines. nope. nope. nope.

Don’t go cheap on the gloves.

[utee94 16078]

18 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

Don’t go cheap on the gloves.

Wise words.

And outdoor shower for the win.  My new RV actually has one built-in, but on the old one we just connected a garden spray handle to the external garden hose.

 

But when you're boondocking and don't have city water, then you can run out your freshwater tank REALLY fast taking a lot of showers.

 

 

 

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

The bucket is really a cheap and simple multipurpose tool.  Check the height of your drain and storage compartments, but you might get a 5 gallon paint bucket with a top instead.  The top makes it Good to store stuff like liguid cleaners, shitter cleaning stuff, oil really anything you don't want to spill all over the place if it falls over.  Can be used as a laundry hamper.  Pretty much anything.  

 

Also these undershelf baskets are great for expanding limited storage. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002OJ7U0I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_wFc0EbKRXXVWY

 

 

[troph 25128]

My boys don’t shower unless I ask them to. I take a shower every other day normally (unless I exercise) so the shower issue won’t be hard to handle.

[troph 25128]

Picked up my fly rod and reel today. NOW I’m excited!

[Texaus 389]

My boys don’t shower unless I ask them to. I take a shower every other day normally (unless I exercise) so the shower issue won’t be hard to handle.

My wife takes shower every time I sex her....When I’m being a bad ass with rv shit that is actually happening with frequency, so grey tank is gonna get filled up and fuck the dishes. I have been known to piece together a couple poop hoses and stretch them out to woods and let some grey water out at 3am. Don’t judge me, gonna get laid

[troph 25128]

Love it.