My 1st RV!!

Annette1968

New Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2025
Messages
1
Location
Ooltewah
I’m a lifelong tent camper that has dreamt of buying a RV for years! I only need a small one, since my kiddos are older and out of the house. My Chihuahuas and I are ready to hit the road! I’m taking my first trip to a local state park this month!!

I purchased myself a 2025 Keystone Springdale and I’m pulling it with my Jeep Cherokee Latitude Sport Edition! I’m hoping to learn how to do everything as it seems overwhelming right now. I’ve been practicing the backing up and parking, which I struggle with, glad I invested in the back up camera!!

Any suggestions or thoughts on being a woman new camper owner is appreciated!!
 

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Have fun! Our first was a Hideout 177 RD. They're great! Except when the grandkids started rolling out! ( We had to upgrade!)

Any questions fire away!
 
I’m a lifelong tent camper that has dreamt of buying a RV for years! I only need a small one, since my kiddos are older and out of the house. My Chihuahuas and I are ready to hit the road! I’m taking my first trip to a local state park this month!!

I purchased myself a 2025 Keystone Springdale and I’m pulling it with my Jeep Cherokee Latitude Sport Edition! I’m hoping to learn how to do everything as it seems overwhelming right now. I’ve been practicing the backing up and parking, which I struggle with, glad I invested in the back up camera!!

Any suggestions or thoughts on being a woman new camper owner is appreciated!!

Welcome aboard and enjoy the ride. Lot's of helpful info gets listed on here for those who need and/or require it.
Your journey is just beginning. ;)
 
I’m a lifelong tent camper that has dreamt of buying a RV for years! I only need a small one, since my kiddos are older and out of the house. My Chihuahuas and I are ready to hit the road! I’m taking my first trip to a local state park this month!!

I purchased myself a 2025 Keystone Springdale and I’m pulling it with my Jeep Cherokee Latitude Sport Edition! I’m hoping to learn how to do everything as it seems overwhelming right now. I’ve been practicing the backing up and parking, which I struggle with, glad I invested in the back up camera!!

Any suggestions or thoughts on being a woman new camper owner is appreciated!!

Congratulations! The backing up thing you are practicing is a big one for building confidence. I remember feeling my anxiety go up early on if I got into a situation where I had to back up rather than just drive out. But that passes with experience.

Another thing I found that helps me is to plan my gas stops ahead of time by looking at the satellite view of potential stations on a map app to make sure they have good ways in and out with a trailer.

And related to that, I pull up to the pump about as far away from it as I can and still have the hose reach. This leaves me good clearance of the pump island if I have to turn sharply when I leave.

And if I had my learning curve to do over, I would hold off buying things that RV YouTubers say I must have until I figure out how it is that I like to travel. I still have a heated water hose that I bought 5 years ago which has never been out of the box. I’ve found that I’m never too far away from an RV supply store if I find I need something, and some RV parks have a pretty good selection of accessories and necessities in their stores.

Have fun out there!
 
I’m a lifelong tent camper that has dreamt of buying a RV for years! I only need a small one, since my kiddos are older and out of the house. My Chihuahuas and I are ready to hit the road! I’m taking my first trip to a local state park this month!!

I purchased myself a 2025 Keystone Springdale and I’m pulling it with my Jeep Cherokee Latitude Sport Edition! I’m hoping to learn how to do everything as it seems overwhelming right now. I’ve been practicing the backing up and parking, which I struggle with, glad I invested in the back up camera!!

Any suggestions or thoughts on being a woman new camper owner is appreciated!!

Welcome!
I would make sure your completely at ease with setting up your hitch and how the weight distribution components and sway control works…. your suv has about 4000 max towing capacity i believe depending on what engine and as little as 1500 on the low end but i could be wrong…learn how to load you vehicle and trailer so you dont contribute to a sway situation
 
In an abundance of caution and not knowing all the specs I'd be very diligent on the maintenance of your tow vehicle. I'm sure it's close to capacity and that really is not a range you want to be working in. The short wheel base will also work against you so, as mentioned, I hope you have a Weight Distribution Hitch with sway control.

Backing practice is a good thing!!! Hand on the bottom of the wheel and back slow. Do not miss an opportunity to get out and look behind the trailer if you are the least concerned about something you see in the camera.

New trailer = stuff that does not work. Take advantage of the factory warranty on anything you do not feel comfortable working on. You'll have plenty of time to get good at fixing things. It's just a fact of the hobby.

Nice trailer. The help you can gain on this site is worth a LOT more than you will pay for it. Some real RV experts around here...... Not me though- Yet :)
 
my 1st rv

Congratulations and welcome . You have the best 2 travel companions to take with you. This will be bliss compared to a tent. A nice warm bed on a rainy night, priceless. 1stly take your time doing things and smelling the roses is why you bought it. Second take ONLY what you NEED ,remember everything adds to the weight. Do your homework when buying something ,you want the best price and wont buy it twice. 3rd don't be afraid to ask questions before you do something you are not sure of, it saves you a lot of frustration. Folks here on this board are FABULOUS very knowledgeable and are always willing to give you the RIGHT info the first time. GET GOOD TIRES IF YOU DONT ALREADY HAVE THEM ON THE CAMPER ! Happy trails.
 
Good advice on the tires. Typically the tires that come from the factory have issues and need to be replaced before too much use. It will feel strange to replace new tires but it's a fact of trailer life.

Keep the old tires and it will save a disposal fee as well as you can sell them on craigslist to someone that needs a set on a utility trailer only used around town. A blow out is time consuming and can cause a lot of damage when the tire comes apart.
 
Congrats on getting your new camper and welcome to the forums.

My advise? Take smaller week-end camping trips at State Parks, especially if you have one near your home for the first 2 or 3 outings. After that, branch out a little farther and a little longer. In a short order, you'll be in your camper full time! (just kidding)!!

The important thing is to use your camper in smaller spurts so you have the safety-net of returning home, if you forget something you are not THAT far away and can get that item you forgot or didn't realize you even needed, and if you have an issue, you ARE closer to home. This gives you the necessary time to really learn the ins-and-outs of your new camper and get comfortable towing, parking, and using it.

In a short while, you will have your confidence and you will be off for longer and farther trips.

Good luck! Enjoy! and Happy Camping!@
 
I’m a lifelong tent camper that has dreamt of buying a RV for years! I only need a small one, since my kiddos are older and out of the house. My Chihuahuas and I are ready to hit the road! I’m taking my first trip to a local state park this month!!

I purchased myself a 2025 Keystone Springdale and I’m pulling it with my Jeep Cherokee Latitude Sport Edition! I’m hoping to learn how to do everything as it seems overwhelming right now. I’ve been practicing the backing up and parking, which I struggle with, glad I invested in the back up camera!!

Any suggestions or thoughts on being a woman new camper owner is appreciated!!

Welcome and congrats on your first RV! Have fun.
 

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