We did it!!!!!


John Hamilton

New Member
We finally signed on the dotted line. :bleh: Just purchased an 05~ 27ft Cugar. We ordered it so wont have it till end of July, thats ok because now we will have time to figure out where to take it. Wife and I are real novices at this. We live in Southern California. Anyone out there have any good ideas for our maiden voyage?

Thanks,
John
 

Gary B

Senior Member
We did it!!!!!

Hi John, congrats on the new rig, enjoy and have many great camping times!!!!!!!! :) In no time you'll both be pros :approve:
:) :laugh: :cool: :bleh: :approve:
 

frogbert

New Member
We did it!!!!!

Conga-rats, John! I just took delivery of an '04 Dutchmen 26' Sport Lite a few weeks ago myself. As far as a maiden voyage, I suppose that depends on how familiar you are to camping and/or rv'ing.

I have years of camping under my belt and have borrowed a few trailers in the past few years, but this is MY first trailer. Most people I have talked to while camping have always said that the first couple of times out with your first trailer, try to make it local. You can make your list of things you forgot, things you didn't know you'd need, how to pack it, etc. This way when you want to take your first big trip your less likely to forget something you really need. Plus, being local puts you in a comfort zone if you're completely new to rv'ing/camping (and if you happen to forget something you really need, maybe you can run home and get it).

I've already done two weekend trips locally and have created quite a list. For instance, I know that people tether their awnings down but do you think I would remember that my first time out with my first trailer...nope! Add that one to the list. *L*

Also, a couple quick local trips allows you to try out all the hardware to make sure it works properly before taking that first major maiden voyage.

This is probably the most common advice I've received camping next to someone who owns an rv.

Anyhoots, enjoy!! I have already!
 

rlmurraysr59

New Member
We did it!!!!!

Good Luck on your new Adventure, John and family. Just some thoughts from a slow learner. Which is what I seemed to be.

I would get a Trailer Life Campground book, or comparible, and find a nice campground not to far from where you live. A few hours drive. I would take a trial run to the campground and it out just to see what other campers have with them and how they are hooked up. Don't be afraid to stop and introduce yourselves and asked questions.

Have you ever backed a trailer before. Most people wind up with an "oops!" if they don't watch where they are backing. My wife and I finally bought two of those little "family" radio walky talkies. She would get out of the truck and watch me back on to the campsite and tell me which way I had to go and when to stop. If your trailer has a slide-out you can make sure you aren't to close to a tree or maybe an electrical box, water faucet etc.

When you get the trailer you might also consider getting some large bottles, milk or soda, and painting them red or orange. Then take them to a parking lot on a Sunday when no one is there. Look in the camping guide and find out what their average lot size is and measure it out on the parking lot. Then you can practice backing the trailer into your campsite. Nothing embarrassed me more than to have to pull up, back up, pull up, back up, etc. etc. while other campers were watching. They start wondering where you learned to drive.

A good rule of thumb to learn to back a trailer is to put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel. An old trucker taught me this. When you turn the wheel to the right the back of the trailer will go right and if you turn it to the left it will go left. Then you can get use to backing with your hands in the normal position.

When you get your new trailer I wouldn't be afraid to asked your dealer to give you a starter package. Toilet tissue, chemicals, cleaners, etc. They are making good money off you and should make sure you are ready to camp in every way. Get a nice size white hose for your drinking water too. You can't use regular garden hose. And I would buy and extra 25' of electric cord that plugs into your rv connection. And a water pressure regulator.

If you need any more advice don't hesitate to ask. When it comes to camping I have done just about every stupid thing there is. And I ain't to proud to admit it. Like making up a tag that hangs on your steering wheel that says, "Did you put the television antennae down?" Don't be ashamed if you knock yours off, it wouldn't be a surprise to find a number of others that did the same thing.

I made up a check list that I filled out everytime I went camping.

One last thing, get yourself a pair of the wheel locks that go between the wheels on your camper. When you get it set up and leveled you can put them in place. They will make the camper feel more secure and reduce the rocking. Worth the money.

Have fun.
 

John Hamilton

New Member
We did it!!!!!

Thanks for the warm wishes and advise. Ron~my wife is gathering up coke bottles to paint I type.............Pick up the 5th wheel in about a week. Made a reservation at Carlsbad State beach for Sept 5th, guess we were lucky to get that. It's only 2 hours away. We drove down there last Sunday to see what it was like~beautiful, right on a bluff over-looking the ocean. Came back home, made another reservation for October.
 

rlmurraysr59

New Member
We did it!!!!!

Glad to be of help John. One last thing I thought about. Make sure your tires are at the correct pressure. I have blown a tire at 70 miles an hour and it ain't fun. You also want to learn all you can about your braking unit. Electric brakes are a little different than hydralic. If you set them to hard they will slide your tires instead of just helping you slow to a stop.

And buy yourself a nice big package of velcro, hook & loop fastener. Some webbed shelf lining will come in handy too. It is rubberized and stuff doesn't slide on it in the cupboards. If you put out knicknacks a little strategically placed velcro will keep them in place while traveling.

We have a cookie jar of a Mexican taking a siesta. We call him Juan
Cookie. He is velcroed to the counter inside the door and all the grandkids know his name.

Have a great adventure.
 
Top