I was shopping for an RV & wife won a Keystone from the Red Cross. Go donate blood!

[flybouy]

Expensive "RV" toilet paper s no different that any other toilet paper that's labeled "septic safe".

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by GeoJoe

Excellent info - and some of this is I'm reading from other posts (like the tires). Yet I'm an RV virgin - so I'll take all the advice given.

Thanks!

A hearty congrats on that trailer!! That's a heck of a way to get a nice trailer. I'm with you, I believe we make our own luck....and you guys did by giving blood....whoda thunk?? I think it's very cool.

Read through posts and do some searches. There are all kinds of thing about an RV that are unique from the appliances and operation to maintenance, tools, towing etc. Lots to learn and get used to on towing (particularly backing, hooking up, sway control etc.). Your truck will need certain things that it may not have as this was sprung on you unexpectedly. Your planned useage will have a lot to do with what you need in a truck, what's in the trailer and what you carry in the truck to be prepared.

One thing you will need right away to be able to tow it anywhere is a good weight distribution hitch with built in 4 point sway control. I used the Equalizer and it was a very good hitch and is well thought of. Chocks, blocks - you name it and you need it. Fire away with questions as they arise and someone will try to assist.

[GeoJoe]

Originally Posted by sourdough

A hearty congrats on that trailer!! That's a heck of a way to get a nice trailer. I'm with you, I believe we make our own luck....and you guys did by giving blood....whoda thunk?? I think it's very cool.

Read through posts and do some searches. There are all kinds of thing about an RV that are unique from the appliances and operation to maintenance, tools, towing etc. Lots to learn and get used to on towing (particularly backing, hooking up, sway control etc.). Your truck will need certain things that it may not have as this was sprung on you unexpectedly. Your planned useage will have a lot to do with what you need in a truck, what's in the trailer and what you carry in the truck to be prepared.

One thing you will need right away to be able to tow it anywhere is a good weight distribution hitch with built in 4 point sway control. I used the Equalizer and it was a very good hitch and is well thought of. Chocks, blocks - you name it and you need it. Fire away with questions as they arise and someone will try to assist.

Appreciate the welcome and tips!

[travelin texans]

An EMS to connect power everywhere you plug into, an adjustable water pressure regulator & a small clear section to connect your sewer hose to the rv are 3 that I'd recommend immediately, most other stuff can easily be acquired as needed.
I'd also agree that other than price & it says "rv" rv tp isn't necessary, any 2 ply toilet paper that states septic safe will do the job, speaking from 40+ years experience, 10+ fulltime.

[GeoJoe]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

An EMS to connect power everywhere you plug into, an adjustable water pressure regulator & a small clear section to connect your sewer hose to the rv are 3 that I'd recommend immediately, most other stuff can easily be acquired as needed.
I'd also agree that other than price & it says "rv" rv tp isn't necessary, any 2 ply toilet paper that states septic safe will do the job, speaking from 40+ years experience, 10+ fulltime.

Really appreciate all the info and advice. Expecting delivery next week!

[skunked again]

Congrats !

Lots of knowledge on this site! Make youtube your friend also. We upgraded the shower head to oxygenics (sp?), I highly recommend it, more pressure. Our cheapest upgrade.
A word of caution though, the upgrades get expensive, QUICK!
Our trailer came with the husky centerline ts w\d hitch. No complaints with it.

As for being able to give blood, I wasn't in the UK. Did however, have a few drinks with members of the royal air force (at ramstein air base), great people. Was in Germany, Hungary, Croatia (passed through, only stopped to pee!), Bosnia. 95-97. While still in the army, never had a problem donating blood. After getting out however - At first I was able to give, then wasn't, then was. As others said, quite confusing.

[mikz86ta]

Wow, congratulations!
I used to give blood but over halfway I start to get light headed. Passed out twice I had a cracked tooth pulled the other week and a bone graft...after it was over I wanted 10 min and then sat up, and almost passed out again. Guess I'm not made for donating blood...on purpose or otherwise. Lol.

So do you get to pick which floor plan?

Originally Posted by GeoJoe

I usually don't believe in true luck. I always thought you made your own luck.

We've worked hard, bought a piece of land to escape to and I've been shopping for an RV for a while. Most are too old, too musty and too expensive for what you get.

The other night my wife says a guy from the American Red Cross called to tell her she won an RV. Yeah right. It's gotta be a scam.

The next night he called again - and sure enough she's actually won a Keystone Hideout 262BH! Turns out she was automatically entered in a contest for a RV Camper the last time she gave blood. She donates a few times a year at our local school.

1 out of 400,000 entries. Unbelievable luck.

It's being prepped and delivered in the coming weeks - can't wait!

Lots to learn and glad to see there's a community here to be a part of.

Now I figure I need to go give a pint or two. Thanks Red Cross!

[Rebshots1953]

Originally Posted by bsmith0404

Congrats. The 262 is a nice little trailer. I wish I could give blood, I’m still banned from being stationed in the UK back in the mid 90s. Apparently I’m still at risk of spreading mad cow disease after 25 years.

My husband is The Redcross’ favorite blood type, O neg. He gave blood every 6 weeks for decades. In the early 90’s when they began testing for hepatitis c, he had a positive test done by the Red Cross. He immediately went to his dr for another test. Since then he has had multiple negatives-never another positive. Even though the RC admits that they had a lot of false positives in the early testing, they still won’t take his blood 🤷*♀️ So I can certainly believe that you are still at risk for spreading mad cow 🤣

[Mainer]

Had a Tundra for pulling a smaller trailer, went on the scales and we were RIGHT ON THE MONEY. Just the two of us, not even loaded for a long trip. You are getting a larger trailer and it's a bunk house. If you have kids of any size you WILL be overloaded with all the legal and practical problems that brings.

I don't and won't use sway bars, I don't see them as practical and bring their own problems, the physics involved just doesn't add up for me. A weight distribution hitch and a properly loaded trailer is all I used even when I was pulling with a severely overloaded SUV many years ago.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by Mainer

Had a Tundra for pulling a smaller trailer, went on the scales and we were RIGHT ON THE MONEY. Just the two of us, not even loaded for a long trip. You are getting a larger trailer and it's a bunk house. If you have kids of any size you WILL be overloaded with all the legal and practical problems that brings.

I don't and won't use sway bars, I don't see them as practical and bring their own problems, the physics involved just doesn't add up for me. A weight distribution hitch and a properly loaded trailer is all I used even when I was pulling with a severely overloaded SUV many years ago.

To each their own but;

Pulling a travel trailer in the 20+ - 40' range and saying you don't use sway bars nor see the benefit.....don't come to my part of the country, you'll be picking the pieces of your rig up off the highway. The sway bars work well, not having them makes a huge difference in the performance and safety of a rig.

[Andymil]

Originally Posted by mikz86ta

Wow, congratulations!
I used to give blood but over halfway I start to get light headed. Passed out twice I had a cracked tooth pulled the other week and a bone graft...after it was over I wanted 10 min and then sat up, and almost passed out again. Guess I'm not made for donating blood...on purpose or otherwise. Lol.

Slightly off topic, but…
I passed out while having a pint removed (RBC too high) about 18 months ago. Since then, I drink a quart of Pedialite and hydrate well before giving blood. I haven’t gotten light-headed since (5 times).

[bsmith0404]

Originally Posted by Mainer

Had a Tundra for pulling a smaller trailer, went on the scales and we were RIGHT ON THE MONEY. Just the two of us, not even loaded for a long trip. You are getting a larger trailer and it's a bunk house. If you have kids of any size you WILL be overloaded with all the legal and practical problems that brings.

I don't and won't use sway bars, I don't see them as practical and bring their own problems, the physics involved just doesn't add up for me. A weight distribution hitch and a properly loaded trailer is all I used even when I was pulling with a severely overloaded SUV many years ago.

As a previous RV transporter, I’ve towed a lot of RVs of different sizes and have over 200k miles towing them. I can tell you sway control is real and makes a big difference. I personally don’t like the hitches with the external sway control struts, they’re the next best thing to having nothing, but something is better than nothing. I use a blue ox sway pro for ease of transferring from one trailer to another. I wouldn’t tow a travel trailer without it.

[GeoJoe]

Just for clarification, I have a 4x4 double cab with the 5.7l in a 2019 SR version, which shows towing weight up to 9900lbs and total weight of 16,000lbs.

https://fifthwheelst.com/documents/t...ota_Tundra.pdf

The trailer shows it weighs 4989 lbs.

How am I so close to being overweight?

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by GeoJoe

Just for clarification, I have a 4x4 double cab with the 5.7l in a 2019 SR version, which shows towing weight up to 9900lbs and total weight of 16,000lbs.

https://fifthwheelst.com/documents/t...ota_Tundra.pdf

The trailer shows it weighs 4989 lbs.

How am I so close to being overweight?

Towing weight is not the number you will be reaching first. That number will be payload. Towing weight is more applicable to a trailer with less tongue weight, like a flatbed trailer where the majority of the weight is over the axles.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by GeoJoe

Just for clarification, I have a 4x4 double cab with the 5.7l in a 2019 SR version, which shows towing weight up to 9900lbs and total weight of 16,000lbs.

https://fifthwheelst.com/documents/t...ota_Tundra.pdf

The trailer shows it weighs 4989 lbs.

How am I so close to being overweight?

I didn't see this anywhere in this thread. The link to your new trailer;

https://www.keystonerv.com/product/h...oorplans/262BH

Note the gvw of the trailer is 7545lbs. At 13% the tongue weight would be 981 lbs. The "towing capacity" is really a meaningless number when towing an RV. You need to get the carrying capacity (cargo) of your truck on the yellow and white sticker inside the driver door and post. Just to get started figure the 981lbs. + 100 for hitch + 350 for people = 1431lbs. of that payload used up just to pull out of the driveway. It will be a very tight squeeze to make it work. The truck will need mods as well I'm sure.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by GeoJoe

Just for clarification, I have a 4x4 double cab with the 5.7l in a 2019 SR version, which shows towing weight up to 9900lbs and total weight of 16,000lbs.

https://fifthwheelst.com/documents/t...ota_Tundra.pdf

The trailer shows it weighs 4989 lbs.

How am I so close to being overweight?

As mentioned you'll exceed the payload on THAT truck long before reaching that advertised towing weight. That number along with the dry weight of rvs, which BTW is also useless to you, get more folks into an overloaded situation, as those are the 2 numbers salespersons that have never towed a rv spout out every time.
If you're towing a utility trailer loaded with blocks directly over the axles thereby considerably reducing tongue weight then YES you could possibly get to that max towing weight. Towing rvs is a whole nuther thing, the weights aren't movable & a good bit of the weight is on the tongue which comes directly off that posted payload of THAT truck.
Also FYI, I would NOT tow a TT of any length with any vehicle without using some sort of sway control, that's just an accident waiting to happen, anyone that tells you otherwise has not nearly enough experience towing rvs to be giving advice like that. A good WDH with some sort of sway device is mandatory for all TTs or any large trailers of similar design......

[GeoJoe]

Thanks everyone!

[Andymil]

Just to stir the pot a little, or humor us, post a picture of the yellow sticker on your truck’s door post.

[GeoJoe]

Originally Posted by Andymil

Just to stir the pot a little, or humor us, post a picture of the yellow sticker on your truck’s door post.

Stir it up - thanks for the advice guys. It's got a lift, air suspension and on 285/65/20's

[Andymil]

The yellow sticker states Cargo Carrying Capacity, or Payload, (GVWR minus the actual weight of the truck) which as others have stated will be the first limit you will exceed.
You are correct, much good information here.
Congrats on the trailer.