Hello from a Newbie

[KathleenS]

Hi there. I live in NE Oklahoma about 45 minutes SE of Tulsa. My new (to me) abode as a full-timer is a 2004 Keystone Challenger 29RKP. I will probably be asking many questions as I am a complete newbie. I don't have any written materials yet, as the people I bought the unit from have not yet found the manuals (they were set aside for me, but were accidentally packed by a "helpful" friend while the owners were preparing for a recent move). I am a semi-retired accountant working 4 hours a day for the time-being. I live on property I own near a lake and hope to be fully retired in about 6 months. I have no tow vehicle and am about 1000 feet from a marina, so I consider myself vacationing here. Thanks in advance for all answers I receive to my questions!

KathleenS

[Chris P]

Happy Thanksgiving and Welcome to the forum from New Jersey.

[14george]

Welcome to the fourm congrats from Wv

[sourdough]

Welcome Kathleen! As a newbie and one that knows nothing about an RV - please get the manuals, study them and then go through the trailer with a fine tooth comb. It is 14, almost 15, years old. My son decided to buy one almost 10 years old on Lake Whitney in TX. He knew nothing about RVs. Had all kinds of heck getting used to how they work AND finding what the previous owner had done, or not done, including the dreaded build up under the toilet that he spent many days getting fixed. Don't leave your black tank drain open....and I hope the previous owner didn't either.

[travelin texans]

You'll be ahead to go online to look up all appliances & other equipment, the manuals provided with most rvs are very generic not specific to any particular brand or model. What you can't find online or Utube, ask here.

[chuckster57]

Welcome to the forum!

Congrats on your new to you purchase. Lots of information to absorb when you own an RV. Don’t hesitate to ask here as there are lots of knowledgeable people with loads of great information. I will only add that you should inspect the roof ASAP, looking at all the seams/seals. Water leaks often start at the roof and become very expensive in a hurry.

[KathleenS]

Thank you so much for your kind response. I don't know about the "dreaded build up under the toilet" but I was advised by the friend who moved the 5er for me not to leave the black tank valve open and only use it when dumping. I suspected there might be some blockage if I did not follow his advice, so I have.

[KathleenS]

Thanks for the response and info. I did find some manuals and references online they were not real helpful to a newbie. I will look for the individual items. Thanks again.

[KathleenS]

Welcome to the forum!

Congrats on your new to you purchase. Lots of information to absorb when you own an RV. Don’t hesitate to ask here as there are lots of knowledgeable people with loads of great information. I will only add that you should inspect the roof ASAP, looking at all the seams/seals. Water leaks often start at the roof and become very expensive in a hurry.

Thanks for your response. I needed a tech to come out during the summer because the A/C wasn't working. He found mud dauber nests in the motor housing, so I was very lucky and the A/C unit did not require replacement.:) He also told me the roof was in great shape. The unit was only used a few times in early years and then put into storage until I bought it. So far it appears to be in good shape elsewhere.

[wiredgeorge]

Most older trailer roofs are EPDM. This means rubber in English; a black rubber imbued with white pigment. If a roof is not in good shape, the white will start to go missing and you will see large black areas and perhaps some crazing of the inner rubber part. You would do well to get up on that roof and check every place where there is a penetration and ensure the Dicor is completely sealing the edges and doesn't have deep cracks and such. Carefully examine the sides of the trailer where the rubber meets the sidewalls and the front seam and rear seams near front and rear caps. If you are not keen to get on the roof, find a reputable repair guy to go up and reseal and give you a real analysis of the roof's condition. I have a 2002 and know of which I speak. My roof was pretty much shot and is now replaced. Water damage is a very expensive problem!