More newbie questions

amanda_h · 07-06-2007, 05:26 PM

Hi again, guys!

Well, here we are at our first RV park site.

We've figured a lot of this stuff out but folks aren't too friendly here for some reason. I think it's because we have the nicest rig in the park. It's probably better to be the low man on the pole because we get the feeling that everybody thinks we're flaunting our rig ...or maybe not, perhaps it's just our imagination.

So anyway, because of that, we hesitate to ask many questions from the folks around the park.

A couple of quick questions if we may:

1. It's perfectly acceptable to keep the fresh water hose, the electric cable, and the sewer hose laying on the ground while hooked up, correct? We shouldn't have to unhook anything when we leave to go to the grocery store, etc.? If it starts to rain, is it still ok to leave the electric cable hooked and laying on the ground? The sewer hose is ok to be hooked to the sewer drain continuously and and only the gray water valve open, correct? (we know not to leave the black water valve open!)

2. An airbraked motorhome shouldn't have to have the wheels chocked while the levelers are down and the slides out, correct? We see all the 5ers and TTs with wheel blocks and we just wondered if a motorhome should be doing that too. We're assuming not.

3. When we need propane, a friend of ours who has a TT has told us we should take the tank out of the motorhome and put it in the car and take it to get filled. However, DH says that it looks like too big a chore to unbolt the propane tank, take it to get filled and then try to lift it back into the compartment and hook it back up. He thinks we should drive the coach to a place that sells and fills tanks and have them fill it while it's still attached to the coach. What do you guys do?

Ok, I'll be asking more stuff later. Hopefully you folks can clue us in to these questions first. Sorry to be so naive about all this stuff!!

Thanks to all of you, again, who've helped us out. Hopefully you can continue to help us and we in turn can help somebody who's new to this stuff years from now when we're pros like you guys!

--amanda

amanda_h · 07-06-2007, 05:26 PM

Hi again, guys!

Well, here we are at our first RV park site.

We've figured a lot of this stuff out but folks aren't too friendly here for some reason. I think it's because we have the nicest rig in the park. It's probably better to be the low man on the pole because we get the feeling that everybody thinks we're flaunting our rig ...or maybe not, perhaps it's just our imagination.

So anyway, because of that, we hesitate to ask many questions from the folks around the park.

A couple of quick questions if we may:

1. It's perfectly acceptable to keep the fresh water hose, the electric cable, and the sewer hose laying on the ground while hooked up, correct? We shouldn't have to unhook anything when we leave to go to the grocery store, etc.? If it starts to rain, is it still ok to leave the electric cable hooked and laying on the ground? The sewer hose is ok to be hooked to the sewer drain continuously and and only the gray water valve open, correct? (we know not to leave the black water valve open!)

2. An airbraked motorhome shouldn't have to have the wheels chocked while the levelers are down and the slides out, correct? We see all the 5ers and TTs with wheel blocks and we just wondered if a motorhome should be doing that too. We're assuming not.

3. When we need propane, a friend of ours who has a TT has told us we should take the tank out of the motorhome and put it in the car and take it to get filled. However, DH says that it looks like too big a chore to unbolt the propane tank, take it to get filled and then try to lift it back into the compartment and hook it back up. He thinks we should drive the coach to a place that sells and fills tanks and have them fill it while it's still attached to the coach. What do you guys do?

Ok, I'll be asking more stuff later. Hopefully you folks can clue us in to these questions first. Sorry to be so naive about all this stuff!!

Thanks to all of you, again, who've helped us out. Hopefully you can continue to help us and we in turn can help somebody who's new to this stuff years from now when we're pros like you guys!

--amanda

"007" · 07-06-2007, 05:38 PM

You can leave everything hooked up just shut off your water so there will be no accidents if you leave your campsite.
I leave my gray closed have 50 gal tanks cleans hose out after dumpimg black tanks with all those suds. Just check your tank indicators in the AM.

With jacks down will also chock both sides of one rear tire just to be safe even in coach.

Your husband has got it right for the LP tank 25-lb's will last me all summer.

You do have a new coach, congratulations

smlranger · 07-06-2007, 05:43 PM

Do not try to remove your propane tank for filling. Just plan to get it filled at a qualified propane filling station, Flying J, or, in many larger RV parks, propane suppliers will come to you. Many RV parks have fill stations. The tank is designed to be filled while it is attached to your rig.

You are correct on the other issues. Your power cord and hoses are OK.

Have a great time and don't hestiate to come back and ask any and all questions.

depchief · 07-06-2007, 06:00 PM

Amanda I have found that most people are friendly, but you do run into some who are not very outgoing.

You can leave the water, sewer, and electric hooked up. Even tho the sewer is hooked up,I do not open the black or gray tank valves because I like to wash the hose out with the grey tank. Check the gray occasionally and dump when full. Always dump the black tank first followed by the gray.
When a thunder storm comes along I have disconnected the electric in case of a surge, but this is my thing, not really necessary if you have a surge protector.
Propane tank in your coach is permanently mounted, fill at campground or a propane supplier, sometimes a large campground will have a vendor come around to fill at the site, you do not use much in warm weather, so you can get by for a while.

Good luck, many happy adventures

amanda_h · 07-06-2007, 10:03 PM

007-- Thanks for the reply! But we don't have to shut the water valve off for just going to the grocery store, right? Or even half the day? We would definitely turn it off if more than a day.

So most motorhome folks DO chalk wheels, eh? I guess we'll have to buy another block. We have one but rarely use it. We figure the air system locks the wheels up tight once all the air is gone from the tank. I suppose it is a good idea to chalk anyway?

Gary-- As usual, you've always been so helpful! ...thank you! I'm glad you said not to remove the tanks. DH was scratching his head on that one. He wasn't looking forward to unbolting the tank and putting it in the car and then trying to put it back in a again!

depchief-- Yes, I guess that could be it ...they're friendly but not too outgoing. So we should get a surge protector? Does that plug into the campground outlet? Then we plug our electrical cable into the surge protector? We'll have to do some research and shopping for that. That isn't the same as an autoformer, is it?

Thanks again to the three of you for taking the time to answer our questions!

--amanda

SCVJeff · 07-06-2007, 11:08 PM

Hi Amada,
Sounds like you're slowly getting the hang of stuff. You may be correct on being the nicesest rig around. I have noticed a stark difference in conversations, and with whom, between coming out of a (nicely kept) 1985 28' Pace, and the new one. This being at the same beach (where we are now. Wireless Broadband is a wonderful thing eh?) we hang during the summer, so it's an interesting apples to apples survey, and sometimes a little uncomfortable. We had this same conversation with some friends that just came back from Kings Canyon, where they have been many times in the past. They felt "out of place" being in a new coach up against the rest in the campground. Oh well.. The next place will have a completely different atmosphere. OR you can graze a pole and give your new rig that "slightly used" look

I.O:
There's no reason not to leave everything on the ground, although I usually make sure that the fresh hose isn't touching the sewer. Seems more sanitary that way, but thats just me.
It doesn't hurt anything to get the A.C wet, although I would keep it out of standing water. Keep an eye on your AC cords. Over time, some of them dry out and crack. Then it's time to make a decision as to replace it or tape the damage.

Brakes:
I'm sure this could be debated but I see no reason to chock the wheels when (on a DP) when they're locked solid when air is removed. I don't recall ever seeing a motorhome wheel chocked unless it was block-leveled. Trailers are a completely different beast in that they are free-wheeling at all times unless told to brake by the tow vehicle, then released. IMO: if you're in a site that you're that concerned you need to chock your rig, you should move.

Propane:
eeeeesh!!- Your friend obviously doesn't understand that these are permanently installed tanks.. It would take nothing less than a transmission jack to get a full propane tank back into place. And schedule an appointment with the Chiropractor if you try and remove it by yourself. I speak from experience when I pulled the tank on my old Pace to re-paint it.

These tanks are never meant to come out..

Carnles · 07-07-2007, 01:20 AM

Hi amanda--

Yes, you're probably right about having the nicest rig in the park and getting the cold shoulder. We get the same thing a lot of times, but if you warm up to them it usually works.

As far as your questions I see that they have been amply covered. I would just add that some people do shut off the water supply to their rigs when they leave even if just for a few hours. When we took delivery of our coach we had a very small leak that we didn't notice under the sink which led to some wood paneling replacement so that might not be a bad practice. It isn't that hard to shut off the water for peace of mind.

As for the propane, since it is a new tank you will want to make sure you get it as completely empty as possible so when you get it refilled the first time it can be purged real well. This will get all the air out of the cylinder. If you try to get it filled when you still have propane in the tank the air will stay in there and cause corrosion and other problems. There is also a propane fitting accessory called an "Xtend a Tee" which you can put (or have put) inline with your regulator which allows you to hook up an external propane tank to your system which makes it much easier to refill the external tank (good if you are going to be in one place for an extended period).

That's all I can add to the already good replies. Enjoy the new ride!

ichn2go · 07-07-2007, 02:39 AM

Congratulations on your new Rig.
Never chocked the wheels unless I was afraid of it rolling which was never.

If I were to be gone for 2 or more days I probably would cut the power and water off, otherwise we leave it on for day trips. and everything lies on the ground even the cable hookup.

A propane tank is easily removed from a TT. Just do as everyone has told you to fill yours.

We never drink water from our tank or the campground. Bottled water and water from home for the dogs and coffee and other potable needs. Have fun and don't be afraid to approch your Class A neighbors with questions, the are friendlier than you think....good Miles

Chief · 07-07-2007, 04:11 AM

Hi Amanda,
Congrats on new rig & first time out.
Good advise from all responders, I would only add that you should be sure that the rear wheels are not off the ground after leveling. If they are off the ground, move to site that is more level. Rear wheels provide "park brake" and if they are not in contact with the ground (after leveling) you have nothing to hold the vehicle in place, otherwise chocks not needed.
Good advise from Carnles concerning propane tank purge and maximum fill. Be advised that some mobile vendors have a "minimum" charge of $35 or so, therefore it would be wise to get propane only when you need 12-13 gallons or more. If you started out with a full tank, don't be concerned until ths 1/3 light goes out, then check the the meter on the propane tank itself. Hope this helps.

John_Canfield · 07-07-2007, 04:18 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by amanda_h:

1. It's perfectly acceptable to keep the fresh water hose, the electric cable, and the sewer hose laying on the ground while hooked up, correct? We shouldn't have to unhook anything when we leave to go to the grocery store, etc.? If it starts to rain, is it still ok to leave the electric cable hooked and laying on the ground? The sewer hose is ok to be hooked to the sewer drain continuously and and only the gray water valve open, correct? (we know not to leave the black water valve open!) </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Good advice from everybody about this. Leaving the gray dump valve open all the time while set up in camp is controversial. When we fulltimed for a year, we left it open most times because I didn't want to keep an eye on the gray tank level. With a couple of long showers and a load of clothes, we could fill the tank! I think it's really better to leave it closed and build up some water in the gray tank to help you flush the hose after dumping the black. It will also keep grunk from drying on the inside walls of the tank and causing problems later on with the level sensors (even though they are on the outside of the tank, built up grunk on the inside will cause incorrect readings.)

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
2. An airbraked motorhome shouldn't have to have the wheels chocked while the levelers are down and the slides out, correct? We see all the 5ers and TTs with wheel blocks and we just wondered if a motorhome should be doing that too. We're assuming not. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Nope - don't need chocks! Your braking happens with the rear wheels when you activate the parking brake. Because of this, you need to be sure you never, ever completely lift the rear wheels off the ground with the leveling jacks. Some sites we have been in are unfortunately sloped in the wrong direction, i.e., instead of raising the front of the coach to level, the rear is raised first. To deal with this, get another site or if that is impossible or impractical level manually while somebody watches the rear wheels. Sometimes you will be way off level side to side and to level you might have one set of duals off the ground or not in full contact. I'm okay with this for the short term but not for several days. I like all four tires on terra firma.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
3. When we need propane, a friend of ours who has a TT has told us we should take the tank out of the motorhome and put it in the car and take it to get filled. However, DH says that it looks like too big a chore to unbolt the propane tank, take it to get filled and then try to lift it back into the compartment and hook it back up. He thinks we should drive the coach to a place that sells and fills tanks and have them fill it while it's still attached to the coach. What do you guys do? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Likes others have suggested, your friend doesn't understand how it works on motorhomes.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
Ok, I'll be asking more stuff later. Hopefully you folks can clue us in to these questions first. Sorry to be so naive about all this stuff!!

Thanks to all of you, again, who've helped us out. Hopefully you can continue to help us and we in turn can help somebody who's new to this stuff years from now when we're pros like you guys!
--amanda </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Everybody here is very happy to help because we have all been in your situation at one point in time. It's also good to have a variety of perspectives for those situations where the answer could be a little nebulous.

Regarding the use of a surge guard product. I highly recommend the use of one 100% of the time. I have a hard-wired model so it reduces my setup time. Check out our RV pages for details about many changes and improvements we have made to our Horizon.

One more comment - sometimes you will find yourself being the "Queen" of the campground and sometimes you aren't. Depends on where the jacks go down. If you are in a COE or state/county/city park, you have a good chance of having the nicest rig there (and it took a bit of effort to back into the space that's only one foot longer than your rig.) In a 10/10/10 resort, you will need over a million bucks invested to be the standout. Doesn't matter! Just be friendly and smile no matter where you are.

David K · 07-07-2007, 11:33 AM

Lots of wonderful advice from everyone regarding your original questions. Like the majority of the replys, I keep my grey water valve closed and use that water to "clean" flush after a black water dump. I do not chock my rear wheels -- as long as they are on the ground. If it looks like they are going to come up, I reposition so I can keep them in contact with the ground. You will be surprised how long your propane will last during the Summer. When it gets below the 1/3 mark is when I look to have it refilled and then I go to a big dealer who has no problem with getting a hose to the hook up for the filling.

Regarding your question re the surge guard product. With your investment, I would highly recommend one to protect the electronics in the coach. I have permanently installed mine in the electrical compartment. When wiring it in, I bought two plugs (a male and a female) and have run the wire from the surge protector to the coach where it plugs in, and then the shore line coming into the coach is plugged into the surge protector. Even though it is "permanent", I could remove it and take to a new unit if I do switch in the future. Also, I have not done anything to the original shore cord. If we should encounter a problem and the surge protector is "blown" because of stopping a surge, then I still have the capability of plugging the shore power dirctly to the coach and by passing the surge guard until I can replace it or get it repaired. I have the SurgeGuard 50 amp model in my coach.

Tom N · 07-07-2007, 01:32 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Carnles:
As for the propane, since it is a new tank you will want to make sure you get it as completely empty as possible so when you get it refilled the first time it can be purged real well. This will get all the air out of the cylinder. If you try to get it filled when you still have propane in the tank the air will stay in there and cause corrosion and other problems. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm may not understand what you're trying to say but I have never heard of completely emptying the tank before filling. When our MH was delivered from the factory the propane tank was filled.

-Tom

"007" · 07-07-2007, 01:38 PM

amanda, I do shut off water at water faucet because when we left to go down town to eat

Someone left the faucet in rear bath on a trickle

by the time we got back the water was coming over the top of the bath tub

and leaking all over the ground.

Its just one of many things that can happen while your away. One thing overlooked is if you have your awnings out maybe good idea to wrap them up also unless those other campers are nice

enough to wrap it up for you, never know when some high winds may show up.

"007" · 07-07-2007, 01:45 PM

Carnles, there is a screw vent that should be opened when they refill your LP tank that will expell all air in tank and in the winter up here they add anti of some type so you have no freeze ups in the winter.

Tom N · 07-07-2007, 01:57 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by chief:
I would only add that you should be sure that the rear wheels are not off the ground after leveling. If they are off the ground, move to site that is more level. Rear wheels provide "park brake" and if they are not in contact with the ground (after leveling) you have nothing to hold the vehicle in place, otherwise chocks not needed. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

With air brakes I thought all wheels, with brakes, acted as a parking brake. Someone correct me if I'm incorrect.

John_Canfield · 07-07-2007, 03:19 PM

Tom - it's only the rear axle on my Freightliner chassis that has parking brakes.

Moder2 · 07-07-2007, 07:05 PM

John is correct... On most all air-brake chassis, only the rear axle will lock with the parking brakes. In most cases even those with tag's will only lock the drive axle.

This is true on the big rigs too, and most class 8 trucks, lock only one of the drivers. In this case it can be a concern when first dropping a trailer and parking the bobtail, since the air ride hasn't adjusted to the dramatic load decrease it can hold the "locked" wheels off the ground until they do adjust.

I don't think anyone makes a maxi brake (parking brake canister) for a steer axle.

John

amanda_h · 07-08-2007, 04:57 PM

Hi Jeff! ...oh man, I had to get back up after falling off my chair about that grazing a pole remark! *lmao!* But thanks for all the good advice --as always!

Carnles-- Thanks so much for the advice! We will have to look into that Xtend a Tee. Would that allow us to "transfer" propane from our house propane tank to the motorhome tank? Or could that be done at all?

Ichn2go-- So you never drink the water from a good city system with it going through the filter in the motorhome? We thought about only drinking bottled water. I know we'd never drink water from the tank. But here in Washington, the city water is good enough to drink from the tap so hooked to city water and not going through the tank, we figure it's good enough to drink from the motorhome tap. I hope it is anyway! ...it tastes great. Thank you!

Chief-- Thanks for the response. Yes, we know not to ever have the rear wheels off the ground ...man, that's scary even thinking about it.

John C.-- It seems like we've been reading your posts for years. Thanks so much for the great advice and the offer to answer our questions. DH is always going to your website and marveling at all your modifications! He's just mesmerized ...I think that's quite a compliment!

David-- Thanks so much for your comments on the surge protector. We will definitely start researching that. I see they are about $400 but the protection worth it, eh?

007-- We'll definitely keep the turning the water off when leaving in mind. Yeah, we don't want any accidents while we're gone. Gee, that's scary too. *ugh* so many things to think about!

RickO · 07-08-2007, 06:31 PM

With only two months under our belts, I certainly don't have a lot to add to the great replies you've already received, but one small detail may have been overlooked.

I believe you asked if it was acceptable to leave all of your hook ups lying on the ground while hooked up. In our short time on the road, we've found that several parks have required that we have a device which holds our sewer hose securely in a downward slope to the hook up if we wish to leave the sewer hose connected. We haven't yet purchased one so have hauled the hose out only to dump but be prepared if you should come across this requirement.

Travel Safely