Test run

[Jmckee]

Taking my 2019 passport out tomorrow for a single day/night run at our local park. Only bringing bare essentials, hoses and such, so I can run everything. Picked up the progressive EMS as advised by y'all. Any tips/tricks from seasoned guys/gals on here? Setting it up seems straight forward. Did a few dry runs at home.

[busterbrown]

Test run are good especially for those who have minimal experience with RVs. The more local, the better.

The EMS is an important part of an RVs electrical system so you're good there.

The best advice on a first trip out is to set up slow and take down slower, while taking notes along the way. Having a step-by-step "to do" list was helpful for us the first few times at the campground. This was ours:

RV Arrival _ Departure Checklist.pdf

Relax, have fun and enjoy.

[Jmckee]

Thanks for that checklist, it's way more detailed then the one I got from the dealer. Haha.

[kksfish]

And don’t forget to discuss hand signals that the DW will give you while backing the rig into your first site, all while she is directly behind the trailer and not in sight in your mirrors!

“And then the fight started “

[WNY Bullet]

Two other items you should have with you to protect from campground utilities is a inline water filter and water pressure regulator.

[Jmckee]

Got the regulator, no filter yet. I've gotta set this one up myself this time, So i chose a pull thru site.

[MarkEHansen]

Yeah, it's a great learning experience. I'm a pilot and love checklists, so I created mini checklists for each phase of trailer use, like the night before we tow, pre-tow, campground setup, campground break-down, return to storage, etc. For me, it reduces the stress as I don't have to worry about remembering all the important little details.

[Jmckee]

Everything set up nicely. No hiccups so far. Cooked on the outdoor kitchen, ran every faucet and water hookup for several minutes and definitely exercised the AC. Need to get better at leveling the unit out. Front to back no issues, but I'm about 1 degree off from side to side. Makes it ever so noticable.

[FlyingAroundRV]

When you're leaving the campsite, get the DW to watch the trailer. It is very easy to strike something with the tail swing. It's also easy to get into other troubles as well.

We stayed at a CoE campground that had a raised entry to the camp site. When we pulled out, I pulled the trailer slightly off line and the wheels dropped off the entry ramp over the retaining boards. The drop was about the distance from the axle to the ground. Looking back, I think this was when we bent our rear axle.
Another tip is to get a cheap pair of walkie talkies from Walmart so that you don't have to do the DW hand-waving thing. She can still guide you even when she's out of sight of the mirrors.

[Jseitz]

Look into a Furion camera. Easy to install and there is a speaker so you can hear what the DW is saying to you. Makes backing up so much less stressful. I even use it on the road to help with traffic and lane changes. Just my 2 cents. Enjoy and good luck

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by WNY Bullet

Two other items you should have with you to protect from campground utilities is a inline water filter and water pressure regulator.

And more importantly a surge protector/EMS either hardwired or portable.

[mtofell]

Originally Posted by kksfish

And don’t forget to discuss hand signals that the DW will give you while backing the rig into your first site, all while she is directly behind the trailer and not in sight in your mirrors!

“And then the fight started “

This is a funny one - I just go it alone. First of all, I'm sometimes out with just some combination of the kids and not my wife. Second, well.... some things I think are just better done alone. I've seen far too many husband/wife teams turn REALLY ugly when parking at the campground. I'm pretty we'd end up there quickly.

Ultimately, just go with whatever works for you. The #1 thing is to just take your time. Most bad things happen when people are in a rush. I'll often get out 3 or 4 times (especially when backing to my blind side) to be sure I'm on the right line and am not going to hit something.

Honestly, backing in at the campground is the easy part of my RVing. Sliding the trailer beside the house is the challenge with my setup.

Most of all have fun.... that's the whole point of all this.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

And more importantly a surge protector/EMS either hardwired or portable.

He said he had one already.

[Jmckee]

Well things went about as well as I could've hoped. No issues besides I forgot to close the grey tank valve before I opened the cap, lol. Glad it wasn't the black water. So far im pleased only one night but everything worked as it should've. That mattress they give you is utter crap, but easy enough to swap. Next trip is a full weekend, gotta ease into it. Thanks everyone for their opinions and tips, much appreciated.

[chuckster57]

Great to hear all went well. Hope it continues.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

He said he had one already.

Missed that! But that's great!

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by Jmckee

Well things went about as well as I could've hoped. No issues besides I forgot to close the grey tank valve before I opened the cap, lol. Glad it wasn't the black water. So far im pleased only one night but everything worked as it should've. That mattress they give you is utter crap, but easy enough to swap. Next trip is a full weekend, gotta ease into it. Thanks everyone for their opinions and tips, much appreciated.

Glad everything went well. In a short time it will be 2nd nature. The mattresses that come in an RV, even the upgraded "residential" type, are junk. Some like toppers; we tried that and were unhappy. We went to a mattress store and bought a nice mattress that sleeps as well as the one at home. Now we are happy campers when we stay out for prolonged periods.

[stevejax99]

Congrats on your new Passport. We have the 2017 model, purchased new. This forum along with YouTube provides invaluable advice and information to help resolve a problem. And there will be "opportunities for improvement".

Some Friendly suggestions
- Build yourself an RV maintenance kit (don't need a full tool box)
- Cordless Impact or Screw Gun is a must have for stabilizers
- When walking around campground, talk to your neighbors about modifications. Also check here and YouTube. You have limited space so any mods will help with storage and/or keeping something stable and secure
- I put 2 bubble levelers on TT for side to side and front to back for easy setup
- Walmart and Amazon are your friends
- I bought a small compressor for TV and TT tires. Mine connects to a battery not lighter

Wish you many days and nights with the Great Outdoors.

[LewisB]

Originally Posted by Jmckee

Well things went about as well as I could've hoped. No issues besides I forgot to close the grey tank valve before I opened the cap, lol. Glad it wasn't the black water. So far im pleased only one night but everything worked as it should've. That mattress they give you is utter crap, but easy enough to swap. Next trip is a full weekend, gotta ease into it. Thanks everyone for their opinions and tips, much appreciated.

You are not the first one to forget to close a dump valve before removing the cap! Many of us have had that unforgettable experience (ha-ha). I have subsequently always installed what I call my "last chance" valve at or near the cap. These can either be cut & glued in place, or purchased as "twist on" valves. In either case, you can use the valve as your last line of defense before removing a cap.

See: http://www.keystoneforums.com/forums...ighlight=Valve

Glad you had a successful pilot run!

[Susan1955]

Cell phone work great!