Howdy!

[Camping family]

Originally Posted by wborisenok

My uncle gave me this advice: put my hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and turn it whatever way I want the trailer to go. I plan to be spending a solid couple of hours with my hand at the bottom of the wheel in an empty parking lot before our first trip!

A bit of solace I'm finding is that many have mentioned how welcoming and helpful the RV community is. Hopefully they'll go easy on me the first couple of times!

You will always have those who think they know everything and think they can do it all. Pay those kind no mind cause they don’t mind. I have found most other campers are great people n will help if asked. Don’t be afraid to ask. Not everyone is willing to give advice if not asked these days.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by flybouy

wborisenok - A couple of suggestions. When you take your first trip go by a scale and weight the rig. Three weights will give you all the info you need. https://catscale.com/how-to-weigh/
Consider these additions that most folks agree are a necessity for protecting your investment. Buy an EMS ( electrical management system) and don't waste your money on a "surge protector". https://www.progressiveindustries.ne...ed-comparisons
Buy a good water pressure regulator. The one's that the dealer may have given you are just "flow restrictors" and are worthless. https://www.campingworld.com/valterr...E&gclsrc=aw.ds I'd also strongly suggest a good water filter also. https://www.campingworld.com/camco-e...ter-filtration

These links are just for you to see what I'm recommending and not an endorsement for any one of these products. Folks have their own preferences on brand and they vary but the object is these items will protect your trailer from potential electrical and water damage.

Some folks buy the cannister type Camco inline water filters but every one I have owned leaks like a sieve. This is the one I refer to and not the one FB provided a link for:
https://five2go.com/2019/09/all-abou...-water-filter/

Hey Flybouy, The Camco unit you linked to had a picture showing a base that has two prongs that you stick in the ground. Does this unit actually include that base?

[wiredgeorge]

After some research, found the base pictured (and on their packaging) is NOT included but is separate; they also sell a plastic triangular shaped base you drop the cannister in. I bought the plastic and a filter. I am sick of the Camco cartridge filters leaving puddles around my camper! Camping World does have the best price by far on these items (better than eBay or Amazon).

[wborisenok]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

After some research, found the base pictured (and on their packaging) is NOT included but is separate; they also sell a plastic triangular shaped base you drop the cannister in. I bought the plastic and a filter. I am sick of the Camco cartridge filters leaving puddles around my camper! Camping World does have the best price by far on these items (better than eBay or Amazon).

I’m seeing the same - my extra 10% coupon makes it even better. I think I’m going to load up my cart tonight with whatever essentials they’ve got the better price on and pull the trigger. Really liking the TPM suggestion as well as the portable EMS. Nice to protect our investment. Haven’t figured out a backup camera yet as I’m not thrilled about the idea of dropping $400 on a Furrion system so I’m exploring my options at Tadi Brothers. Would love to be ready to roll with all of this stuff before our first trip May 15th. We’re staying close to home and heading somewhere we are very familiar with (Cape Cod) for a long weekend to celebrate my wife’s birthday.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by wborisenok

I’m seeing the same - my extra 10% coupon makes it even better. I think I’m going to load up my cart tonight with whatever essentials they’ve got the better price on and pull the trigger. Really liking the TPM suggestion as well as the portable EMS. Nice to protect our investment. Haven’t figured out a backup camera yet as I’m not thrilled about the idea of dropping $400 on a Furrion system so I’m exploring my options at Tadi Brothers. Would love to be ready to roll with all of this stuff before our first trip May 15th. We’re staying close to home and heading somewhere we are very familiar with (Cape Cod) for a long weekend to celebrate my wife’s birthday.

I researched the rear cameras for a while and ordered a Haloview camera from Amazon. Looked like it had good reviews. It had a 7" monitor and when I got it could not figure out where to put it. I have so many screens in the cab anyway I decided I didn't want another one. The Haloviews can be reasonable or get pretty fancy and pricey. Here's a link to one for about $250;

https://www.amazon.com/Haloview-Digi...8009698&sr=8-3

[wborisenok]

Originally Posted by sourdough

I researched the rear cameras for a while and ordered a Haloview camera from Amazon. Looked like it had good reviews. It had a 7" monitor and when I got it could not figure out where to put it. I have so many screens in the cab anyway I decided I didn't want another one. The Haloviews can be reasonable or get pretty fancy and pricey. Here's a link to one for about $250;

https://www.amazon.com/Haloview-Digi...8009698&sr=8-3

Thank you - there’s also an additional $20 off coupon right now too. Not bad for $230! This might work just fine. Appreciate your help!

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by wborisenok

Thank you - there’s also an additional $20 off coupon right now too. Not bad for $230! This might work just fine. Appreciate your help!

I have owned a number of wireless rear view cameras and was not thrilled by the performance; ended up following John's suggestion and bought a good quality wired camera and pulled the cable from the camera down under my camper and up to my front to the hitch. It connects to a supplied fitting mounted in my truck bed. No more signal loss, delays or interference.

[wborisenok]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

I have owned a number of wireless rear view cameras and was not thrilled by the performance; ended up following John's suggestion and bought a good quality wired camera and pulled the cable from the camera down under my camper and up to my front to the hitch. It connects to a supplied fitting mounted in my truck bed. No more signal loss, delays or interference.

Suddenly your username makes SO much sense

[Gary R.]

Hey there Whitney,

Good luck with that test Sunday!

Being a firefighter/EMT certainly is an exciting career, and it can be very rewarding too.

Take good care!

[wborisenok]

Originally Posted by Gary R.

Hey there Whitney,

Good luck with that test Sunday!

Being a firefighter/EMT certainly is an exciting career, and it can be very rewarding too.

Take good care!

Thanks Gary! Absolutely agree. I’m getting a bit of a late jump at 35, but I’m finding that I’m in the best physical AND mental shape of my life. Will keep giving it all I’ve got until I can’t anymore. Grateful for an awesome instructor in my EMT course and even better firefighter mentors in my family. We shall see!

[spicercars]

Welcome from northern MN.

[apachewolf]

Welcome top the site.

I spent about $20.00 on a whole house filter and about $ 10.00 on a traffic cone. I cut the top off the cone so that the hole was big enough to let the filter in so it stands up all the time. Works great. The cone protects the filter from being knocked over and also from direct sun light. The CW filters are way too expensive.

Happy camping.

[Dcowboys2002]

Originally Posted by wborisenok

This is awesome information - thanks guys! Can you recommend a backup camera system as well?

Good day, we have a 2020 Springdale that was prewired (ya right the power there didn’t work so instead of taking to dealer for repair I just tapped into a clearance light at the back) for the furrion system. However after pricing out and googling I soon found Tadi brothers camera system and I have made a few orders from them- good quality cameras and good prices. Usually talk to Eddie there has been helpful to me. Other people might know of more but this has worked for us! Cheers

[Uncoolron]

Welcome to the forum fellow RV newbie! Sorry, I can't help you with the backup camera but I do have the Furrion back and side cameras. They work great for us. Never back up with a trailer in my life when we bought our 5ver and only did 10 minutes of practice in the dealer parking lot. So our 1st campsite a week later was a back in and that was a very stiff learning curve. But 20 minutes later I was in the spot. lol