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  1. #1
    Setting Up Camp hoythunter141's Avatar
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    Talking New Rookie... Thanks in advance!!!

    Well we picked up our first ever RV (GD 367BHS) last week and took it straight out for the weekend. Just like I have read in previous post the dealer tried to rush my PDI and got me all flustered and of course I forgot to ask a few questions that I intended on asking even after making a long list of advice from you guys. Anyway long story short the weekend went great and "knock on wood" we didn't have a single issue this weekend. We are in love with it. We will be taking it out the next 3 weekends so we shall see how things go. Some questions that I have though (I am sure there are answers here somewhere but I can't seem to find any) are listed below.

    1) I have the 6 point auto level system... How "level" does the camper have to be to begin with before the camper will level itself? I was on a slight slope the first time I tried to auto level with about a 8-10" drop from passenger to driver side and it kept failing. I then found some blocks to pull the drivers side up on and after that it was a "success". I have ordered a Anderson Camper Leveling System but hasn't come in yet. Does anybody else use these and like them?

    2) Winterizing... I have read a lot on here and have found a ton of useful info on this topic but one thing I haven't seen is making sure the water pump is good to go. I saw a forum about adding a light to the "basement" but where I store my camper there will be no electricity. The dealer told me to "Hook a short piece of water hose to city inlet and pour some antifreeze in the hose then turn the pump on. This will take care of it." Although this sounds a little far fetched my main issue with that is if my kids accidentally drink some water out of the sink after I hook up the next time that would not turn out good. I just want to make sure I cover all my bases with this step since I am new to RV'ing.

    3) What is recommended during freezing temps for holding tanks to make sure water doesn't freeze and bust tanks? It was in the 20's this weekend so I ran my furnace to keep belly warm but I went through a 30lb tank in 2 nights. Is this normal? Is there a better way to use electricity in the cold temps to keep tanks from freezing?

    4)Black Tank... I have read where some people flush their black tank and leave it empty and others always flush it and leave a few gallons in the tank. What is the best and most used method?

    5) I have read where some keep a bottle jack but I have ordered the Anderson Camper kit like I stated above along with the Tri-Lynx Levelers and it comes with the piece that you can pull the full tire up on to change the flat tire. Are there any members using this method instead of the bottle jack? Just trying to keep my weight as low as possible. I am sure there is something I am missing as obviously I am a brand new rookie to the RV world.

    So there are a few questions you guys could help me with and I would be more than appreciative. I have looked through a lot of the "Must Have/Necessity" Forums and made me a list of tools and supplies I am going to go get. I have already spent about $1500 on "extra" things for the camper and still have more to buy. LOL I like to be prepared so just buying everything that I think I may need after reading all of the advice from you guys. Thanks in advance.
    Hunter & Cara
    2014 Ram 2500 3/4 Ton with Remote Airbags & B&W Companion Slider
    2018 GD Reflection 367BHS

  2. #2
    Big Traveler SouthTX's Avatar
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    Congratulations on a successful maiden voyage. That's the way its supposed to be, but where's the sport in that. <G>

    I can't help much on the auto-level. I think there's a certain amount of magic in it. The secret, for me at least, is to get my reading glasses so I can read the placard under the control. It seems to work and I'm always amazed when it does the autolevel sequence. The jacks only have a limited amount of travel, so toss some dunnage under them if you know you're low on one side. I learned, too, not to let the front jacks down all the way - better to let them travel a couple of inches.

    You didn't say what part of the country you're in. I'm in South Texas so I just blow the water lines out if I know a freeze is coming. Your dealer was right about using the water pump to suck up some anti-freeze. Either pump the pink stuff through the entire system or blow it out and just suck some in to the pump if necessary. I think the AF is non-toxic, but they probably won't drink much of the pink stuff anyway. Don't forget to drain the hot water heater, w/d hookup and outside shower.

    Empty tanks, even with a couple of gallons in the bottom, shouldn't be a freezing problem. More likely to freeze is the exposed sewer line if it isn't empty. I ALWAYS leave a couple of gallons of water in the black tank. Without going in to a lot of details, make sure the black tank has five or ten gallons of water before adding any solids.

    Actually, if you got through a maiden voyage with no disasters or loss of life, you should be coaching me. You're off to a great start.

    Best,

    John
    John and Jean
    Springer Spaniel furkids Mea and (the late) Molly
    Blogs - BataanMissing.com - AirSafety.info
    2017 Ford F-350 6.7L CC SB, Andersen Ultimate Hitch.
    2018 Reflection 337RLS fifth wheel.

  3. #3
    Setting Up Camp hoythunter141's Avatar
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    Thanks for all of the info John. Even since I wrote this yesterday I have found more info to answer my questions as well. I don't think I will ever be able to read through all of the info on this forum. It is unbelievably awesome. LOL
    Hunter & Cara
    2014 Ram 2500 3/4 Ton with Remote Airbags & B&W Companion Slider
    2018 GD Reflection 367BHS

  4. #4
    Left The Driveway
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    We are also new to RVing. Looking to purchase our first, a 2018 310 Solitude. Undecided on the value of the full body paint option and heat pump option. Can anyone provide us guidance on that?

  5. #5
    Long Hauler Paul & Deb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Don and Patty Coates View Post
    We are also new to RVing. Looking to purchase our first, a 2018 310 Solitude. Undecided on the value of the full body paint option and heat pump option. Can anyone provide us guidance on that?
    Hi Don and Patty and congrats and welcome.

    You might want to start your own thread with your questions for 2 reasons. First, it's important to let the original thread be driven by the person who started it and trying to keep it "on track". Second is that members who may have answers to your specific questions may never know they are embedded in this thread started by someone else with different questions.

    Again, welcome and I'm sure you will find this forum to have most every answer you can ask.
    Paul "Poppy" and Deb Cervone
    2022 Imagine XLS 22MLE
    2021 Imagine XLS 17MKE - SOLD ; 2015 Grand Design Reflection 337RLS - SOLD
    2016 GMC Denali 3500HD SRW Duramax/Allison CC 4x4; Tire Minder TPMS

  6. #6
    Fireside Member Jeff&Kam's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Don and Patty Coates View Post
    We are also new to RVing. Looking to purchase our first, a 2018 310 Solitude. Undecided on the value of the full body paint option and heat pump option. Can anyone provide us guidance on that?
    Hi Don and Patty! We have a 2018 Momentum with the paint kit and love it! We decided against the heat pump, not worth the cost to us as we don't camp in the winter.

  7. #7
    Left The Driveway
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    Thank you "Poppy". I am learning the etiquette of the forum (new to this as well as RVing) I will post a new thread. Thanks again for the feedback and advice.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by hoythunter141 View Post
    1) I have the 6 point auto level system... How "level" does the camper have to be to begin with before the camper will level itself? I was on a slight slope the first time I tried to auto level with about a 8-10" drop from passenger to driver side and it kept failing. I then found some blocks to pull the drivers side up on and after that it was a "success". I have ordered a Anderson Camper Leveling System but hasn't come in yet. Does anybody else use these and like them?

    2) Winterizing... I have read a lot on here and have found a ton of useful info on this topic but one thing I haven't seen is making sure the water pump is good to go. I saw a forum about adding a light to the "basement" but where I store my camper there will be no electricity. The dealer told me to "Hook a short piece of water hose to city inlet and pour some antifreeze in the hose then turn the pump on. This will take care of it." Although this sounds a little far fetched my main issue with that is if my kids accidentally drink some water out of the sink after I hook up the next time that would not turn out good. I just want to make sure I cover all my bases with this step since I am new to RV'ing.

    3) What is recommended during freezing temps for holding tanks to make sure water doesn't freeze and bust tanks? It was in the 20's this weekend so I ran my furnace to keep belly warm but I went through a 30lb tank in 2 nights. Is this normal? Is there a better way to use electricity in the cold temps to keep tanks from freezing?

    4)Black Tank... I have read where some people flush their black tank and leave it empty and others always flush it and leave a few gallons in the tank. What is the best and most used method?

    5) I have read where some keep a bottle jack but I have ordered the Anderson Camper kit like I stated above along with the Tri-Lynx Levelers and it comes with the piece that you can pull the full tire up on to change the flat tire. Are there any members using this method instead of the bottle jack? Just trying to keep my weight as low as possible. I am sure there is something I am missing as obviously I am a brand new rookie to the RV world.

    So there are a few questions you guys could help me with and I would be more than appreciative. I have looked through a lot of the "Must Have/Necessity" Forums and made me a list of tools and supplies I am going to go get. I have already spent about $1500 on "extra" things for the camper and still have more to buy. LOL I like to be prepared so just buying everything that I think I may need after reading all of the advice from you guys. Thanks in advance.
    I've only been at this a few years, but here is my $0.02.

    1) I try to get it as level as I can without too much work, then let the hydraulics do the rest. It takes stress off the system and helps ensure it will level on the first go. Love my Andersen levelers, but they do slip on wet grass. I modified mine so I could screw studs into the bottom in wet conditions. They also have a small footprint and sink in softer ground, however when using them for the initial level this is not such a bad thing. I carry a long board 6-8' long and sometimes I will roll up on that before using the Andersen levelers. We do a lot of dry camping in fields which explains some of the extreme situations for leveling.

    2) I believe the manual describes pumping anti-freeze into the system from the Nautilus control panel. If the pump is off and pressure is off the lines the kids should not be able to get any liquid out to drink. If this is really a concern you'll definitely want to keep all the lines warm and only keep water in them which means you'll have to figure out a way to heat the rig. I blew the pressure switch off a pump because I didn't do a good enough job blowing water out of the lines with air. Anti-Freeze will be in there from now on.

    3) In storage empty holding tanks don't freeze. Some campers have electric heating pads for the holding tanks, check that yours does or does not. If you fill your lines with antifreeze there may also be some in your holding tanks too.

    4) I flush the tanks until they run clear and leave them empty for storage. When I arrive at my destination I run the toilet for a minute or so to get some water down into the black holding tank.

    5) The Andersen kit works great for tire changes when everything is in order. It won't help at all if you break a leaf spring. In most cases your tow vehicles jack will work as a supplemental jack if you need one, but a 3-5 ton bottle jack could come in handy if you have an issue with your leveling system and need to get a leg off the ground.

    I hope that helps.
    2018 Momentum 328M

  9. #9
    Big Traveler JCZhome's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hoythunter141 View Post
    Well we picked up our first ever RV (GD 367BHS) last week and took it straight out for the weekend. Just like I have read in previous post the dealer tried to rush my PDI and got me all flustered and of course I forgot to ask a few questions that I intended on asking even after making a long list of advice from you guys. Anyway long story short the weekend went great and "knock on wood" we didn't have a single issue this weekend. We are in love with it. We will be taking it out the next 3 weekends so we shall see how things go. Some questions that I have though (I am sure there are answers here somewhere but I can't seem to find any) are listed below.

    1) I have the 6 point auto level system... How "level" does the camper have to be to begin with before the camper will level itself? I was on a slight slope the first time I tried to auto level with about a 8-10" drop from passenger to driver side and it kept failing. I then found some blocks to pull the drivers side up on and after that it was a "success". I have ordered a Anderson Camper Leveling System but hasn't come in yet. Does anybody else use these and like them?

    2) Winterizing... I have read a lot on here and have found a ton of useful info on this topic but one thing I haven't seen is making sure the water pump is good to go. I saw a forum about adding a light to the "basement" but where I store my camper there will be no electricity. The dealer told me to "Hook a short piece of water hose to city inlet and pour some antifreeze in the hose then turn the pump on. This will take care of it." Although this sounds a little far fetched my main issue with that is if my kids accidentally drink some water out of the sink after I hook up the next time that would not turn out good. I just want to make sure I cover all my bases with this step since I am new to RV'ing.

    3) What is recommended during freezing temps for holding tanks to make sure water doesn't freeze and bust tanks? It was in the 20's this weekend so I ran my furnace to keep belly warm but I went through a 30lb tank in 2 nights. Is this normal? Is there a better way to use electricity in the cold temps to keep tanks from freezing?

    4)Black Tank... I have read where some people flush their black tank and leave it empty and others always flush it and leave a few gallons in the tank. What is the best and most used method?

    5) I have read where some keep a bottle jack but I have ordered the Anderson Camper kit like I stated above along with the Tri-Lynx Levelers and it comes with the piece that you can pull the full tire up on to change the flat tire. Are there any members using this method instead of the bottle jack? Just trying to keep my weight as low as possible. I am sure there is something I am missing as obviously I am a brand new rookie to the RV world.

    So there are a few questions you guys could help me with and I would be more than appreciative. I have looked through a lot of the "Must Have/Necessity" Forums and made me a list of tools and supplies I am going to go get. I have already spent about $1500 on "extra" things for the camper and still have more to buy. LOL I like to be prepared so just buying everything that I think I may need after reading all of the advice from you guys. Thanks in advance.
    1. 6"-8" from one side to the other is not a "slight slope".....that's pretty dramatic difference over the width of your RV. Yes, you will need to put blocks under your low side levelers before you auto level (or manual level).

    2. & 3. I believe all Grand Design products have heated basements if you have the furnace (propane heater) turned on I just set mine for 60F and then use a small space heater. I'm in a 376TH and we have heated basements and heated holding tanks. Just have to remember to turn on the tank heaters. Since we're full timers, I've never winterized.....don't even know how. But we spent four days straight below freezing temps, down to 12F and no damage as long as you're running your furnace and tank heaters. Even with it down to 12F I've never gone through a tank of propane in less than four days. Are you using the furnace along with the fireplace heater and a small space heater?

    4. If it's going to be below freezing for more than a couple of hours and you don't have your furnace running (RV stored) then you want to drain all of your tanks and winterize (including your toilet). If you're using your trailer then always add a couple of gallons of water back in, along with your deordorizer, back in the black tank.

    5. I don't have any knowledge of Anderson Camper Kit or Tri-Lynx.

    Good luck in your new adventures and journeys.

    JC & Babe
    SOLD my 2017 Momentum 376TH being pulled by a 2014 Ford F-350 Lariat, FX-4, Crew Cab, Longbed, Dually. Not pulling the 5er, catch me on my 2013 CVO Harley Ultra Classic.

    Map = states that we've stayed at least one night in our RV.

    http://visitedstatesmap.com/image/AR...TNTXUTWYsm.jpg

  10. #10
    Seasoned Camper Rich T's Avatar
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    Congrats on your new rig hope you enjoy many good years with it. Re tire changing, not all here agree but I have changed a tire using 6 pt leveling syst. I see no diff than using a jack as you are only doing one tire and still have 3 holding unit up if hydraulics failed, I wouldn't use it to take 2 tires off of one side for safety reasons. If you use pink stuff (I do) just flush out well before using and sanitize per manual, it is non toxic.
    Rich
    Rich And Janet (no dog or cats, 8 grandkids but not with us all at once)
    Onalaska, WA
    2011 F350, 4X4, B&W hitch
    2016 Solitude 300GK

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