Starting to get started - RV-Dreams Community Forum

carolt · RV-Dreams Community Member

Starting to get started

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Carol and James,

Welcome to the RV Dreams forums as active participants. We are always glad to see new members interested in the RV lifestyle, whether it is part-time or full-time. Jo and I are neighbors of yours to the West, living in Oklahoma City. Glad to have you in the "family."

You are wise in looking at a lot of information regarding the lifestyle that does work for some, but not for others. Take your time and do all the research that you can. Pay close attention to the financial details of Howard and Linda's website as well as what folks on their forum and blog comments say about "unexpected" expenses.

Give yourself time to do the research. I've known of folks who "fell in love" with a particular floor plan or RV and then later found that other factors were much more important. Always remember that the frame, suspension, axles and wheels are the very foundation of the RV. A bad "foundation" can lead to very large problems.

Feel free to ask questions here as we all tend to learn from each other. We even recently converted our fifth wheel by replacing the RV refrigerator with a residential one and learned some "to-do's" and some "not-to-do's" in the process.

Have fun with the research and planning.

Terry

carolt · RV-Dreams Community Member

I was just doing the research on frame,suspension,axles,and wheels. I read one of your post about just that to someone else. Also got to check into this diesel vs gas thing. So, So, So much research needs done my poor brain my explode. All these different tanks, foundation, fuel, and weights.
But I am going to do my best with all of ya's expert help and research to get us started on the right track.

Thank you so much.

NorCal Dan · RV-Dreams Family Member

Welcome to the forum.

Comment on the HWH...we have a 10 gallon tank and can manage 2 showers back-to-back. You don't let the water run the entire time your in the shower. You have to manage your holding tanks. Not a big deal if your in a FHU spot and leave the gray tank open, but if you don't have a sewer connection than you need to be conservative with water usage. Not all rigs are the same, but in general, all sinks and shower empty to the gray tank, the toilet is the only thing using the black tank.

As for holding tank sizes, yes having huge tanks is nice if without a sewer connection. But if you have a sewer hookup all the big tanks do is lengthen the time between dumps. If boondocking you can use a blue tote to ferry holding tank contents to a dump station but they don't hold much, 35 gallons maybe, so you will be making multiple trips. And it will be heavy.

Just to give you some info and things to think about...

Dan

carolt · RV-Dreams Community Member

THANKS for the great information. I dont believe we will be boondocking much,very little i am sure. That really helps me out with the tank size information.
But the information about the showers is very helpful. I have been really trying to figure that one out. The water tank size for hot has had me really bummed. Just when I would think I had it, no and start again.
But knowing 10 gallons handle two showers is another of a long long list of things I am trying to figure out.
James says it will be 12 to 18 months before we can hit the road. With all the livestock and equipment and not even all the stuff I have in the house and two storage building that we have to go thru is going to take awhile.

But, from what I have been reading it's a system you have to go thru. And go thru we will with some tears I am sure, mostly from me. I just hang on to way to much stuff.

This is what we want to do and we want to start out right and just enjoy the adventures and our lives together. James being retired military he has seen places but not me just always wanted too.

Thanks so very much for your help. Another one marked off the list.

Carol

Alie and Jims Carrilite · RV-Dreams Family Member

If I have the LP turned on with the electric, our hot water heater can provide warm-hot water continously. Our shower head provides a decent stream that will get you wet and rinsed.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

There are many campgrounds that are water and electric only, so you have to move to dump the tanks or use a waste tote (often called a "blue boy" because one manufacturer made them in blue). Mostly these are public campgrounds like city, county, state and federal, but there are many private campgrounds with water and electric campsites. So tank sizes do matter.