Real New And Really Lost

Three things you have been told that I'll expound on.

1. Being interrupted: Once you get your set-up/tear-down routine down try to do it by yourself. The times I have broken something, forgot something, etc, is when I have had "help". When we first started doing this stuff we bought an older, used motorhome. I figured if I broke something I would not feel so bad than if I had a new, high dollar rig. My brother, who had pulled trailers and 5th wheels for some time, but never a motorhome, always wanted to "help" me. Finally had to tell him to just go sit at the picknic table until I got finished.

2. Never move the rig if you can't see your partner who is trying to help you back in. Even with a backup camera I still insist she stay where I can see her in my driver's side mirror. When she steps out of my line of sight in that mirror the rig stops and does not move again until she move back where she belongs.

3. Hand held radio's are good idea: The back up camera has a mic on it with a speaker on the monitor but it is worthless because all you can hear is the diesel engine back there. We carry a set of small Cobra radio's ($50.00 for the set at Wal-Mart, including the recharger). Not only do we use these when parking we use them at Flying J. I pull into the truck, diesel pumps and start filling. She checks the number of the pump and goes inside. When I'm done I call her on the radio and she pays out. In the meantime I've pulled away from the pumps and out of the trucker's way.

Three things you have been told that I'll expound on.

Hand held radio's are good idea: Not only do we use these when parking we use them at Flying J. I pull into the truck, diesel pumps and start filling. She checks the number of the pump and goes inside. When I'm done I call her on the radio and she pays out. In the meantime I've pulled away from the pumps and out of the trucker's way.

oldchief> A good idea. All this time, I've been making that long walk inside. Now I can send the better half.

My advice is to just take the plunge and do it. My husband and I were real greenhorns when we started full timing in Nov 2007 but people are REALLY helpful--just ask fellow campers if you need help and they'll usually give good advice or help you out. We learned everything by trial and error and now we're seasoned pros. Jacksonville NAS takes reservations and so does Mayport and those are real nice RV parks. GPS has made our lives so much easier so if you don't have one, I suggest you get one. You can get them really cheap nowadays.