Now look what I've gone and done....

[Gwenzilla]

We finally got tired of looking, waiting, and wanting... We gathered our courage... and counted our beans... then ordered a new 2619 today! This will be the first RV we have ever owned, and now a whole new set of worries and great expectations are dancing around in our heads.
Heck I've never even towed anything before... oh well, I guess I'll just have to learn by doing.
We are getting our TM through Dinuba RV in Rio Vista CA. I can honestly say that the people there were very helpful and not at all pushy or impatient (as opposed to other unnamed dealers that were pushing brand X units).

Delivery is slated for 4 to 5 weeks from now. oh boy do I hate to wait when it comes to new shiney toys!

Does anyone have a checklist of things to look for during the dealer walk through when the TM gets here? It would be good to know what to check out beyond the obvious things.

[kempert]

:-* Welcome to the club! I had never towed anything on the highway before I picked up my TM. I towed mine for a year behind a minivan (w/o a WDH) with no problems.
It sounds like Dinuba RV is a lot like Rule RV where I got mine. Expect to spend at least 2 hours going over the TM at the dealership. I was given all the time I wanted with their people to make sure that I understood everything. The notebook that TM provides is very good for the basics. Of course, if you've looked at this website, you've learned a ton already.

[SierraShadow]

Do a search on checklist and you should come up with some awesome stuff listed before.

I attached a file of hints I have collected, but it's way more fun to spend the months waiting for your rig to search and learn and come up with your own hints. This site is a huge resource.

[RockyMtnRay]

We finally got tired of looking, waiting, and wanting... We gathered our courage... and counted our beans... then ordered a new 2619 today! This will be the first RV we have ever owned, and now a whole new set of worries and great expectations are dancing around in our heads.
Heck I've never even towed anything before... oh well, I guess I'll just have to learn by doing.


Congratulations. Lotsa people will give you tips on the walkthrough, I'll offer a couple on the towing part. Towing, as in moving down a road, is fairly easy...just remember to keep the trailer well centered in the lane (big towing mirrors and frequent checking help here).

Lane changes are a bit challenging until you learn exactly where the back end of the trailer is. BIG (like McKesh) towing mirrors are a huge help here.

Stopping can be exciting if you don't have a really good trailer brake controller...so spend the extra $60 over the cheapest and buy the best: either Tekonsha Prodigy or Jordan. Once set up, you never have to adjust either of these controllers for speed...they just work!

Backing is probably the biggest challenge...and many campground campsites are not pull-throughs. Yes, gasp, you will sometimes have to back the trailer into a tight, tree-lined campsite and you will be judged by your fellow campers on how smoothly you can do this. :o The #1 way to make backing fairly easy is to always remember to move the bottom of the steering wheel in the direction you want the trailer's back end to go. The #2 way is use your mirrors instead of looking over your shoulder to watch the where the trailer is going while backing. The #3 way is to get a pair of FRS radios (or similar walkie talkies) to aid communication between the driver and the "spotter" when backing...it will greatly reduce the amount of shouting and frantic arm waving that happens. While shouting and frantic arm waving are enormously entertaining to other denizens of the campground, it's my observation that they're not very effective in achieving a smooth backup operation. ;D

[Windbreaker]

Rocky's right the backing in thing is a biggie. What I did was found an empty parking lot early one morning and I took the trailer and backed it into those lined parking slots from every angle I could think of. It helped a great deal.

The first camp was with the TBs and not one person told me I needed to work on that. I sure got a lot of advice on everything else but I guess my backing was ok.

[BOB_STRONG]

I know the day that you pick up your unit you will be all excited & nervous. To help you remember what the dealer has showed you about your new purchase, take a cam corder or borrow one to film the presentation. This way you can view it & rewatch it if you have certain questions.

You will have so much info showed to you that you will be very confused when you get home. Having a film to view will make sure that there is no confusion on you & your husband's part.

I have seen other people doing this at dealers or even at RV shows.

Good luck with your new purchase. I am sure that if you have any questions or concerns, you can post them on the forum and many owners will be glad to help out.

Bob Strong

[jniles]

Bob is right on. Use Ed Felker's checklist (s) and the camcorder and you won't miss much. We took delivery of our TM in Jan and it is the 3rd unit we have had (1st TM) and if you are like I am, I still just grinned and shook my head and grinned some more. You really miss a lot that way. Congratulations, you will love it!

[Gwenzilla]

Thanks everyone! we greatly appreciate all the sage advice and tips. We are definitely going to film the walk through. As stated previously, we have zero trailer and towing experience and are trying to gain as much info as possible from the forums. Towing... reservations... set ups... black/gray/fresh water... hook-ups... planning... features... options... accoutrements... taxes... storage... maintenance........Aaaccck! my head is going to explode!!! But with all that said, we are having a GREAT time learning and researching.
I can hardly wait for our first shake down trip.... I wonder how long it will be after we leave the house that little spudzilla will ask "are we there yet???"

[kidsplayhouse]

Congratulations! We're in the same position right now! We're a few weeks from picking up our first RV too! (it's a 2720). Niether my husband or I have ever towed anything either. (At least I have camped!) We are purchasing our TM at MCD RV Center on Cape Cod in MA. Our salesperson Dana is very nice. We live about 1 1/2 hours from the dealership so he has offered to put us up at a local campground for a night. That way we can use everything and if we have problems we will only be minutes away. He realizes how green we are! So we're lining up a babysitter and hoping to take him up on the offer. Meanwhile I have been studying this forum! We can't wait. Good luck!

[Windbreaker]

Why don't you take the kids with you, they may think of things you don't. I know mine sure did!

[aldebnj]

Dana is great. He took real good care of us and put us up for our first weekend too. Say "Hi" to him for us. We bought their rental 3023 last Fall.

Al and Debbie Lorentson from NJ

[Sinclue]

There are bound to be a couple of little things that need some attention right away so staying near the dealer is a good idea if you can. There is a nice little county park in Rio Vista (Sandy Beach County Park 707-374-2097) that has electric and water hookups. I'd call them in advance if you are planning on being there on a weekend for reservations. On our first night we stayed near the dealer and discovered a leak in the pressurized (city) water line that sprayed water all over inside the sink cabinet. Even though the next day was a closed day for their service dept. they called in a man who fixed it right away. Also, our hot and cold water hookups in the tub are reversed, but we didn't catch that at the time and since we are now used to it haven't fixed it yet.
Welcome to the group and above all enjoy.
jp

[jgilliam1955]

Congrats from VA.
Read the camping stories. They will be helpful when you start making mistakes ( you laugh at later on ), you will relize you are not alone.
We all have been there.
One of the many things we did was forget to bring pillows & other bedding. That goodness for Wal-mart.
Also get one of those refridgerator fans. The food seems to freeze on the bottom self. Wife & I (while at walmart) bought to nice salads for our dinner. When we took them out later on the were both a cake of ice.
So cold settles to the bottom, so you have to move the air around.
Enjoy your new toy!
Jack