Woodall's rv owners handbook

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

Does anyone have this guide; if so, would you recommend it to a fellow fiend and her husband who know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about how to tow and/or maintain their new camper?  I was thinking this book, or I believe there's an RVing for dummies :)

 

Thoughts??

[desiphil 7]

No idea about the books. Anything you need to know about rv care/setup/maintenance, ask your fellow fiends. Or google it. Experience will turn you in to a pro faster than you think.  

[DinDavie 37]

The books are only helpful if you need advice while on the road.  If you have access to the internet you can get a video of most everything you have that breaks and how to fix it.  I fixed my hot water heater and refrigerator that way.  There are also web sites like this one and Irv2.com that have a lot of very helpful information, particularly about towing.  Look for a thread called the physics of towing.  Finally, I suggest that you take some short trips to get the feel of the rig.  Don't buy any expensive equipment until you determine what you really need.  If you are towing a trailer you may need anti sway bars that may help the problem you will experience when a truck passes you.  Let me be the first to warn you about that so your hubby knows to keep both hands on the streering wheel and to always have one eye on the rear view mirror to look for trucks.  Practice backing the trailer in an empty parking lot.  You will need to do this so that you can back it into a spot at the Fort.  If you can back the trailer into a spot at a 30 degree angle you will do just fine.

[Okieatheart 33]

I think I bought both of those books.  I know I bought the Dummies one; I have it right here.  Although I agree with the other posters who said you can find out anything just by looking on the internet, my problem was that I didn't know what to look for.  We were like you; we had never owned an RV before, so I used the books as my starting point.  When I didn't understand something the book referred to, I turned to the internet.  

 

For example, I didn't know you were supposed to winterize an RV.  Dumb, I know. But the book had an entire chapter on that.  Turns out we don't have to do that to a great extent here in Houston, but I wouldn't have even thought about that without the book.  

 

I would recommend buying at least one of the books - just to start your research.  But then, I'm a retired English teacher; books are my life!

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

One thing I found huge is to find an online owners discussion group specific to your brand and type of camper. That way you can ask things like, what is that red gizmo next to the whatsit, and they know exactly where and what you are talking about. And it alerts you to peculiarities to your make and model that other owners have experienced.

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

Thanks fiends!  As always... great advise and a huge help.

 

 

The books are only helpful if you need advice while on the road.  If you have access to the internet you can get a video of most everything you have that breaks and how to fix it.  I fixed my hot water heater and refrigerator that way.  There are also web sites like this one and Irv2.com that have a lot of very helpful information, particularly about towing.  Look for a thread called the physics of towing.  Finally, I suggest that you take some short trips to get the feel of the rig.  Don't buy any expensive equipment until you determine what you really need.  If you are towing a trailer you may need anti sway bars that may help the problem you will experience when a truck passes you.  Let me be the first to warn you about that so your hubby knows to keep both hands on the streering wheel and to always have one eye on the rear view mirror to look for trucks.  Practice backing the trailer in an empty parking lot.  You will need to do this so that you can back it into a spot at the Fort.  If you can back the trailer into a spot at a 30 degree angle you will do just fine.

 

We're definitely going to drive it around and find an empty parking lot to unhitch/set-up and then hitch it back up.  The trailer actually came with both the anti-sway bar and a WDH :)   Great tip on keeping both hands on the steering wheel though.  That's basic stuff, but (especially on long trips) you get use to getting comfy which doesn't always mean both hands on the wheel.  Guess we're back to 10 and 2 :)

[Mtnmanky...aka Leon 72]

The books are good, but ask lots of questions.  And see if you can find someone close who can walk you through stuff if you can. 

 

My neighbor bought is first camper this year, and asked me to help him winterize it.  Glad to do so.  He was starting to do it when I arrived just in time to stop him from putting Prestone auto antifreeze in his water system. 

 

He had read that he needed "antifreeze" and had some in the garage so did not buy new.  Had no idea that he needed RV/water system antifreeze.  Point is, ask lots of questions!  Campers in general are glad to help!