Newby to RV Lifestyle

[steve1141]

Hello from Huntsville, Al. My wife and I just purchased a 2019 GD 2150RB. This is our first travel trailer and it was purchased in anticipation of retirement coming up. We have never been campers and any and all suggestions to make this a pleasant journey will be appreciated.

[FT4NOW]

It's hard to say where to start. I would stay local to keep the driving distance down, no sense in getting a foul taste for camping by driving all day and not knowing what you're really getting into. Also, if you stay local and realize you forgot something you are close enough to run home and get it.

You will prob buy lots of unnecessary RV accessories and will realize eventually what you need or dont, it happens to all of us.

Think ahead of time for food on how you will cook it and what you will eat, some things are best prepped at home if you have time (marinades and things like that).

Make a list of what you do for setup and tear down until you are familiar with your method.

Dont be afraid to ask for help, we have all been in your shoes at one point.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[VinceB]

Welcome, but remember we all start somewhere. My wife and I started this journey last year with our first camper. There is a lot to learn, but take your time and you will get it down. I agree with FT4now, we bought a lot of unnecessary stuff when we started out. This year we are taking very little with us. I would say plan, plan, plan, and then take your time. Ask questions, there is a lot of great info on this forum and people are very willing to share their expertise. Happy Camping!

[Houndbb]

Hello from Huntsville, Al. My wife and I just purchased a 2019 GD 2150RB. This is our first travel trailer and it was purchased in anticipation of retirement coming up. We have never been campers and any and all suggestions to make this a pleasant journey will be appreciated.

Hey, welcome!! Another 2150! We love ours. I’m retired, but Bruce still works-all the time, all over the NE. Sometimes, I go too and we take the trailer. However, in order to get the most use out of it we can, we park at a local campground for 5 weeks in spring and fall (open and close of season-so, “off-season”). It’s a 5 weekend “special”, and for an extra $10, we can stay plugged in so staples can stay in the fridge while we’re gone during the weekdays. Most places are dormant during these times, so a local spot may be willing to make a deal. In taking advantage of this, not only did we become familiar with the workings of the trailer, but we also had more confidence when taking longer trips.
Honestly, we absolutely love the simplicity of the 2150. It’s easy to operate and maintain. Unless it’s raining, we spend most of our time outside, anyway. We have everything we could ever want or need in it and still have plenty of storage to spare. Only caveat is clothing storage, while it might be adequate, is difficult to keep organized.
N

[steve1141]

Thanks for your comments! I can't tell you how excited we are about the future. I haven't heard anyone warning us to beware, you may not enjoy doing the RV thing. It's just the opposite, everyone is very encouraging and supportive. I believe we will be happy with the 2150RB. It's just big enough with all the bells and whistles to accommodate our needs.

[Country Campers]

I'll say it "warning you may not enjoy this camping thing" , you may find it truly exciting.
Congrats and welcome to the forum, plenty of help here. Things you WILL need , a good sewer hose, some blocking for the tires for leveling, wheel chocks of some kind, a good block for under you front tongue jack , and also blocking for under the stabilizer jacks at the 4 corners. A rug to put at your door to keep the "dirties" out. Some pots and pans , a skillet and some plates and cups. A small level , 1 or 2 foot to help with leveling, probably more stuff but these are some basics, and if you stay basic for a bit it will keep the costs down and you will learn what you will need and want.

Enjoy,

Brian

[Houndbb]

Thanks for your comments! I can't tell you how excited we are about the future. I haven't heard anyone warning us to beware, you may not enjoy doing the RV thing. It's just the opposite, everyone is very encouraging and supportive. I believe we will be happy with the 2150RB. It's just big enough with all the bells and whistles to accommodate our needs.

^^^What Brian said! And, keep your meal expectations simple at first. Even if your culinary expectations are simple, it seems like an impossible task to get anything on the table hot-even when the weather is warm. One example-I never try to cook pasta at camp. Too much steam on the inside stove for too long (it takes forever and almost impossible on a camp stove). For a weekend, pre-cook, drain well, and bag it. For a longer trip, pre-cook (less time), drain it, bag it, and freeze it. Stews, chili, and casseroles are good at staying warm. Hot summer days just cry for subs, hot dogs, or hamburgers and salads.

[Kadiddle]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on the Imagine. I think you will enjoy, we love ours. I see these trailers a lot and the people who own them love them. We try to visit with any Imagine owners we see in campgrounds. As far as learning what to take we use small crock pot, a small fryer, small griddle, and electric cook eyes. My wife gets ribbed for only having 2 plates, 2 sets of table utensils, 2 glasses. But it is just the two of us. If we are camping with friends they can bring their own if we gather at our site. We started with 8 place settings, and she has continue to have less and less, we never miss the surplus. In the winter when we camp we struggle with clothing storage but we have learned to leave some of it in our truck. We learn from others as we camp more. Anyway, enjoy, go forth and discover and make memories.

[steve1141]

I'll say it "warning you may not enjoy this camping thing" , you may find it truly exciting.
Congrats and welcome to the forum, plenty of help here. Things you WILL need , a good sewer hose, some blocking for the tires for leveling, wheel chocks of some kind, a good block for under you front tongue jack , and also blocking for under the stabilizer jacks at the 4 corners. A rug to put at your door to keep the "dirties" out. Some pots and pans , a skillet and some plates and cups. A small level , 1 or 2 foot to help with leveling, probably more stuff but these are some basics, and if you stay basic for a bit it will keep the costs down and you will learn what you will need and want.

Enjoy,

Brian

Thanks, I appreciate the advise.