Lessons Learned (volume 1)
“Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.” - Roger Crawford
We promised to share both the good and bad of our RV life, so we thought we’d post about some of the newbie errors we made early in our journey.
In this post we’ll share four lessons learned, with many more to follow in future posts. Enjoy! (and please learn from our mistakes)
Check the @#*^%$!’n Ladder
Make sure those slides are fully clear before extending or retracting!Locks Are Tricky
Don’t lock yourself out!Don’t Buy An RV In The Winter (Unless You Are Ready to Roll)
Avoid challenges with storage options, winterization, and maintenance (or educate yourself / plan well in advance).Jeep Window Warranties And Rock Shields Are Good
Don’t be like us…overcome your skepticism and buy the vehicle window warranty (and then buy a rock shield).
1. Check The @#*^%$!’n Ladder
Our first mistake was one the previous owners warned us about, of course!
We’ll set the stage…we finally purchased our dream RV. We were riding high on the achievement of making it to our first RV campground in one piece (even driving in the dark, which is sadly a theme we’ve been working to correct). We worked together well on backing the RV into it’s place and leveling it. With our power hooked up, the parking break set, jacks down, and the engine on…we were ready to extend the slides. We checked all around the slides to make sure the floors and surrounding areas were clear. We felt proud, we were excited, we were a little nervous, but we were ready. We primed the slide and then held the button to extend our main, full slide.
We were proudly beaming as the slide started moving, and then…a loud crunching/cracking noise. We briefly stopped, concerned at what the noise may be. Then, we remembered the previous owners mentioning that it is bad for the slide if you stop it before it is fully extended (as it can throw off the timing). So, we thought maybe that was normal and proceeded with extending the slide (because what did we know, this was the first time we had tried it). We were met with a louder crunching sound, so we quickly stopped!
Sneaky, sneaky ladder. Visible when slides are out. Hidden when slides are in.
The culprit…a ladder, hiding BEHIND the slide; invisible when doing a cursory check. Ugh! We were so mad at ourselves, as we were warned and still forgot. Our folly resulted in some damage to the trim around our bed, since repaired with superglue and trim nails. Oops! Our first of several newbie mistakes. Check the @#*^%$!’n ladder has now become a common phrase during our set up and departure processes.
Lesson: Always check everything around the slides when extending or retracting them, including behind the sliding walls (as there may be a mischievous ladder lurking in the shadows to disrupt your happiness). Also…creating a set up and departure checklist can be highly beneficial. There are a lot of little, but important, steps that are easy to forget. We’ll add a link to our checklists in a future post.
2. locks are tricky
Our second mistake came the very. next. day (ugh!). To commemorate our first night in the RV and the fact that we had successfully followed the steps to retract the slides and secure items for takeoff (without further incident), we decided to take a picture with the RV before we left.
Since it would be quick, we left the RV running and stepped outside. After a few selfies with the RV, we were ready to depart.
Except…the RV had other plans. Apparently, we only unlocked one of the two locks on the door (the deadbolt). The other lock was still engaged, thus, locking us out of our RV with a running motor. Perfect.
Luckily, we had left a window cracked. Therefore, we were able to pull a picnic table over to the RV close enough for Scott to remove the window screen and climb aboard. We would have been calling our handy roadside service had it not been for our open window.
I’d like to say that this has only happened once, but that would be a lie.
Picture to commemorate our first overnight!
RV mocking us in the background…
engine running with a locked door (oops!).
All is well!
Ninja Scotty to the rescue!
Lesson: When leaving the RV, turn the engine off and keep your keys handy (no matter how fast you think you will be). OR, at the very least, ALWAYS double-check that BOTH locks are unlocked before shutting the door. Spare keys are always a good idea.
3. Don’t Buy An RV In The Winter (Unless You Are Ready to Roll)
Scott’s snow sweeping battle cry!
Our rollout plan always included an April departure. That meant that we needed to find an RV far enough in advance to ensure it was properly prepped for our adventure (e.g., appropriate tow gear, connectivity accessories, packed with our belongings, etc.).
We searched for the right RV for about six months, and we were all over the place in trying to decide on the right features, length, handling, etc. Once we came across the Winnebago Brave, we knew it was the perfect fit. The problem was finding one.
As luck would have it, one of our saved searches notified us of an available Brave in Texas that seemed too good to be true, so we immediately pounced. It was absolutely the best decision we could have made. Except…it was January and we had to travel 663 miles to pick it up (if it all worked out).
Overall, our purchase and the trip home went well (aside from the couple of incidents mentioned above). The challenge began AFTER we returned to St. Louis. We checked out seven different storage locations before finally finding one that worked well for us. That in itself was exhausting, and one reason purchasing an RV in the winter is a challenge (as many others are also storing their RV and they have the jump on you). Two days after our return, the temperatures dropped below freezing. That meant that on day five of owning our RV (3 days of travel; 2 days home), we had to quickly figure out how to winterize our RV. Fun times! Thankfully, Scott loves a challenge, so he dove in and got it done (we’ll also post more about that process later).
With the RV safely stored and winterized, it seemed all was well. However, there was one last issue. We did not have a cover for the RV and received about a foot of snow. It is not smart to let snow sit on the RV, as you risk leaking issues or damage to the roof. So…Scott took to the roof for some sweeping / cleaning. Since we were unfamiliar with the layout of the roof and couldn’t see it for the snow, we ended up cracking and putting a hole in one of the vent covers. We fixed it with duct tape while we waited for new vent covers to arrive, as there was more snow to come (of course!).
Pouting Scotty face peeping through our busted vent cover
It was one of the worst winters we have had in St. Louis in the last several years. Or, maybe it just felt that way because we were more aware of the impact. Regardless, it was a lot of work, a bit stressful, and not something I would recommend for someone just getting started.
Lesson: If possible, wait until AFTER winter to purchase your RV (if you are in a winter weather climate). You’ll be glad you did, as there are more storage options with cheaper fees (if needed). But, best of all, you shouldn’t have to worry about winterizing and cleaning snow off of the top of your RV before your adventure begins. With that said…if you’re planning a rollout date, we suggest late spring / early summer.
On the other hand…there are deals to be made approaching (or during) winter. If you’re going to purchase at that time, we recommend having a storage option lined up a few months in advance (preferably a covered spot).
4. Jeep Window Warranties & Rock Shields Are Good
When purchasing our Jeep as our tow vehicle the salesman warned us that Jeeps are notorious for cracked windshields and the need for windshield replacement. The reason for this is that Jeep windows are flat and nearly 90 degrees. Therefore, when a rock is flung at the window, it is less likely that it will bounce off without doing damage.
Each time we have purchased a vehicle, we typically decline the extra warranties with the thought that manufacturer warranties or auto insurance typically cover most issues. Therefore, we politely declined the windshield warranty, despite our salesman’s protest.
It turns out…he was right. The day we were finally set to leave St. Louis, we had to make one final trip to the apartment to take our remaining items to Goodwill. On the way, a semi truck tire threw a rock at our window and, you guessed it, put a large crack in it. The crack was immediately too large to repair to keep it from spreading. So, one week later, we were spending money on a new windshield. After that, we invested in a rock shield, which bolts on top of our tow package when traveling to prevent our RV from throwing rocks into our Jeep. This was an unexpected, but important, cost for our adventure.
Lesson: If you are going to tow a vehicle, ensure you have a method of protecting the front of it during travel (i.e., shield or mud flaps to prevent damage to windows, paint, or headlights). Also, if you purchase a Jeep, consider investing in the window warranty; it may save you money on window repairs. At the time of this post we are looking to repair a second cracked window (from driving, not from towing).
Our poor Jeep…starting the adventure with a large crack in the windshield.
A new member of our adventure party…Rock Shield to the rescue!
Wrap up
This is a sampling of the many lessons we have learned, and continue to learn, on our adventure. We’ve got much to share in future posts, so stay tuned.
Although we have experienced a few bumps along the way, we’re learning a lot and thoroughly enjoying the journey!
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