T@B Task Lists

Ratkity

Interesting question, Photomom. I don't. Ut oh.. my OCDness hath failed me! Please don't take away my label maker!!! 

I know the house polarity is fine and I know nothing has been left on inside the camper except the normal standby power stuff. There's a second delay as the surge protector kicks in and supplies power to the camper from my 20A house cord. This delay feature in the surge protector works the same at the campground, but I'm not running anything except the built-in battery charger in the converter and maybe the overhead light inside the camper if I'm working in it. If there's a sudden power surge that blows the protector from my house cord, I have a bigger issue I need to address - doesn't mean that's the right attitude or philosophy. Just means it's not something I've really worried about (so far).

Photomom

I'm sure you've noticed that I'm all about procedure - it's not OCD, it's just that in my many years on this planet I've learned that it is easiest and cheapest in the long run to just do things right the first time. Now if I could just convince my 21 year old son...

IrishCamper74

Adding a rookie question:
I'm reading all these lists & various added tips & wondering, what's your "go to" place for rv specific gear? 
I'm an Amazon Prime member as I see this will come in handy. Anywhere else I can shop for quality gear? Places to stay away from? 
Thanks in advance for accepting my rookie status 

Ratkity

I'm lucky. Local RV parts store up the road and general all-around no-nonsense guy who knows his stuff. In a pinch, there's a decently stocked private campground further up the road (closest private campground to the DC metro area - sardine city, but bus service to the city and well-run). When the local place doesn't have what I'm looking for, I resort to Amazon or Camping World.

Photomom

I have gotten everything thru Amazon Prime. If you do not already have an Amazon credit card you can get a gift card for as much as $80 depending on how much is in your cart when you apply. And thereafter you get a 3% credit on whatever you buy from Amazon. 

jkjenn

IrishCamper74 said:

Adding a rookie question:
I'm reading all these lists & various added tips & wondering, what's your "go to" place for rv specific gear? 
I'm an Amazon Prime member as I see this will come in handy. Anywhere else I can shop for quality gear? Places to stay away from? 
Thanks in advance for accepting my rookie status 

I think it depends on where you live. I do nit gave a good local RV place, so I use Prime.

One thing I love about the Progressive surge protector is that it won't allow power if there is reversed polarity or other power issues.

Mouseketab

IrishCamper74 said:

Adding a rookie question:
I'm reading all these lists & various added tips & wondering, what's your "go to" place for rv specific gear? 
I'm an Amazon Prime member as I see this will come in handy. Anywhere else I can shop for quality gear? Places to stay away from? 
Thanks in advance for accepting my rookie status 

I've gotten most of my stuff through eBay and some from Wal-Mart. A couple of items we went to our local small RV place and he ordered it out of the "big RV catalog" directly to his shop, and then we payed for it there. No shipping charges. (Some examples were the BAL Leveler, the Safety Step, and when the plastic rack in the fridge door broke into two pieces, had to order the part.)

RZRBUG

I use a Progressive Industries power management dohickey.  Breaker off, plug in PI, breaker on.  If everything checks out, breaker off, connect all cords, breaker back on.  As an aside here, every pedestal I've checked so far this Spring has had wasp nests started in them.

I have found some power pedestals (a couple) that must have been built by...well, certainly not an electrician.  The most annoying is where the plug is installed upside down.  Makes it difficult to plug in and close the lid and impossible to use the PI.

BTW, my PI model has a built-in delay that keeps power from flowing to the trailer for a few seconds.  The converter in the trailer also has a built-in delay.  Usually the power is running by the time you check inside the trailer and the delay is not even noticed.  There was that one time, however, when I thought I had a problem because of the delay.  Spent a lot of time checking breakers, fuses, etc., until I finally sat down to scratch my head a while and the power just came on.

TerryV6

We have much to learn photomom....

Photomom

One thing I really like about Amazon is that I can easily add things to a wish list when someone mentions an item that sounds useful. Then later I can read reviews, compare the item to competitive models, and prioritize purchases. At the moment there are something like 25 items on my wish list. I may or may not buy some of them at some point but for now I have the essentials. 

RZRBUG

Terry, my apologies if I offended.  My mother went through the same adjustments, so I'm familiar.  This is a little off topic again, but I would be interested in non perishables you have found that are a bit more on the healthy side.  I have been known to carry MRE's, but they are loaded with salt.

Back on topic, I have a fairly long list that I checked when I first started towing.  I had to customize the list over time as modifications were made.  Two examples I can think of offhand are to remove/install the A/C vent cover and be sure the ARB fridge/freezer is disconnected from the trailer battery before pulling away after unhitching.  I keep the ARB in the back of the truck and run a cord from it to the T@B while travelling, and sometimes while camped and unhitched.

I hardly ever actually look at the physical list any more as I have become more familiar with things, but I certainly go over it in my mind.  I even have an orange colored wire tie on the door handle of my tv to remind me about the cord...as long as I can remember what the tie if for I'm OK.

Photomom

Insomnia, thinking about our upcoming road trip, decided to finish up the T@B Task Lists based on everything I've learned. Will continue to be a work in progress. As always, feedback and ideas are welcomed! I'll be printing and laminating these and put them on a keyring to leave in the T@B.

Ready to Tow

• Disconnect water, drain and stow hose
• Disconnect electric, stow cord
• Turn propane OFF
• Raise stabilizers all the way UP
• Jack up the tongue and open coupler jaw
• Back TV up so ball is below coupler
• Lower tongue onto ball
• Raise jack completely UP and remove caster wheel
• Engage coupler jaw and lock it
• Cross and connect chains
• Connect breakaway cable to hitch
• Connect 7-way plug
• Turn battery cutoff switch ON
• Stow chocks, leveling blocks, stabilizer pads, caster wheel
• Inside the trailer
• Make sure lights, pump switch, roof vent, and Alde are OFF
• Switch refrigerator to 12v
• Stow loose items inside
• Close and latch shower door, windows and roof vent
• Put pin in refrigerator door
• Secure television
• Lock door and stow the step

Checklist Before Leaving

• Trailer lights on? 
• Step stowed? 
• Roof vent closed? 
• Windows closed and fully latched? 
• Door locked? 
• Stabilizers up?
• Electric/water/shower covers closed?
• Hose, power cord, surge protector stowed in trailer?
• Police the campsite - got everything?

Setting up Camp

• Disconnect 7-way plug from TV
• Disconnect chains and breakaway cable
• Level the trailer side-to-side using blocks and chock the wheels
• Unlock and disengage coupler jaw
• Attach caster wheel to jack
• Move tow vehicle forward to clear coupler
• Level front to back using jack wheel
• Lower stabilizers to stabilizer pads
• Hook up electric: 

         Outlet -> (adapter) -> surge suppressor -> electric cord -> T@B

• Hook up water: 

         Tap -> hose -> filter -> pressure regulator -> 90 degree adapter -> T@B

• Lower step and unlock door
• Open windows and vent
• Unlatch and start refrigerator (see Using the 3-way Refrigerator)
• Set up awning
• Hang camp sign!

Using the 3-way Refrigerator

2 days before departure, pre-chill refrigerator

• Use 1/2 gallon jug of ice from home freezer - or -
• Plug into house mains and set refrigerator selector to Electricity

While on the Road

• Set the refrigerator selector to 12 Volts

Using Campsite Electricity

• Switch refrigerator selector to Electricity

Using Propane

• Turn on Propane
• Switch refrigerator selector to Propane and set temp to zero
• Press and hold red igniter button (you'll hear a clicking sound)
• Green light comes on - hold red button in for ~ 10 seconds longer 
• Release the red button 
• If the green light stays on adjust the temp gauge to your desired setting.
• If not, repeat the red button procedure

Switch fridge exhaust fan on if countertop is warm or if fridge fan runs

Toilet and Sewer

• RV TP only in black tank
• Keep a little water in the toilet bowl
• Keep  1-2 gallons of water in the black tank, with a deodorant tab
• Monitor tanks and empty when 3/4 full
• Empty the black tank first, then the gray tank to help rinse the sewer hose

Getting Ready for a Trip

• Connect brake controller and check operation
• Make sure trailer lights are operational
• Check battery fluid level
• Charge battery - see Battery Management
• Check that Alde fluid is above Min
• Check pressure in all 3 tires  - 45-50 psi
• Pre-chill refrigerator - see Using the 3-way refrigerator
• Make sure lug wrench and other tools are in tow vehicle

Battery Management

Should read ~ 13.2v - 13.6v when being charged by converter

Recharge at ~ 12.2v 

Changing a Tire

Make sure you are in a SAFE area (you never want to be changing a tire on a vehicle on a highway where your back will be exposed to traffic.) Better to ruin a wheel/tire than to risk death or serious injury, so if you have to drive a mile on the rim to get to an exit, do that. 

1. Put the tow vehicle in park, set the brake, turn on the 4 way flashers. If you have warning triangles put them out. 
2. Leave the trailer connected to the tow vehicle to ensure that the trailer can't roll anywhere. DO NOT put any stabilizers down.
3. Put BOTH front and rear chock blocks on the "good" wheel (the one without the flat). 
4. Loosen the lug nuts using a 3/4” socket.
5. Put the jack from the tow vehicle under the frame, as close to the axle as you can get. Try to get the axle onto a part of the frame that is not sloping. 
6. Jack it up just enough to make sure you can remove the tire and replace it with the good tire. 
7. Remove lug nuts and tire, put spare on immediately and put the lug nuts on tight enough that the wheel starts to spin. 
8. Lower the jack just enough that the tire is on the ground and won't move, then tighten the lug nuts in a "star" pattern. 
9. Once all lug nuts are tight, lower the jack the rest of the way, pick up your tools and you are on your way.

Tommy

jkjenn said:

Changing the fridge to either shore or LP is the first thing I do. If it is shore power, I plug and switch the fridge and then deal with temperature (windows, fan, a/c, or Alde), to allow the T@b to reach desired temperature while I set up camp.

We have been turning the fridge to LP at home two days before the trip so it can cool down, and towing it still on LP because I read somewhere on this forum that travelling with the fridge on battery mode it will take the entire trickle charge from the TV and the battery will not get charged by the TV. Is there a known reason why we don't want to tow with the fridge in LP mode?

Photomom

There has been much discussion here about towing with the fridge on propane and the consensus is that it's not a good idea. Apparently the flame blows out easily. 

Verna

As quoted from others, there are some tunnels that you cannot travel through if you have lit propane while going through the tunnel. 

Tommy

Photomom said:

There has been much discussion here about towing with the fridge on propane and the consensus is that it's not a good idea. Apparently the flame blows out easily. 

We're new to this but based on our experience I would have to dispute the 'easily' part - we've had it out on two trips totaling about 2000 miles and it went out one time on the first trip and zero times on the second trip. After it went out the first time early into our first trip when the fridge was empty but still cold, I've kept a close eye on it - checking it every time we stop and nothing further has happened.

@Verna not too many tunnels out this way but thanks for the information.

ChanW

Be sure you tighten (torque) your lug nuts after the tire is on the ground...

Homebodyatheart

My daughter saw a good reason this morning to have these lists. Our neighbor across the street took off on her third trip with her new-to-her 18' trailer this morning. It has a double axle, and she forgot to remove her orange chocks, leaving one on the street with the other dragging along as she drove. DD couldn't get outside in time to wave her down. Oops! Again, I think you for all these check lists, and when it's our turn I plan to use them faithfully!

Joe

Regarding setup and take down lists, the one thing that always messes me up is zombies.  I try to keep everything in my head in the right order and I'm working through the list and then a zombie walks up and wants a tour of the trailer.  "Oh, I see that you're leaving and I just have to get a tour before you pull out."  Always nice people, but I get distracted.  Sure enough I forget something on the list.  

Would be nice to have an invisible shield that could be turned on at certain times.  You know, like the starship enterprise.

HappyCamper

Photomom - great list!  Can you add as an attachment so we can print it?   Thanks for all of your great info!  

Lesley_and_Ian

I agree, great list, especially for us newbies!!

Photomom

It is a Pages file. I'll see what I can do. We've updated it a few times since the initial post.

TabberJohn

Photomom said:

It is a Pages file. I'll see what I can do. We've updated it a few times since the initial post.

This should work or similar steps:  http://www.thewwwblog.com/save-apple-pages-documents-as-pdf-files-format.html