Picking up my 1st RV on Wed & could use a lil advice

[HaRVey]

All of the previous advice is spot on - these are my experiences and recommendations for all things ACE...
1) thorough test drive - if you hear weird squeaks or vibrations, have them checked thoroughly and ask for proof. I complained of a noise and asked them (Camping World) to check the bearings, they said they did and were "fine" but less the 2,000 miles the bearing disintegrated and the front wheel nearly fell off! Took 3 months to get repaired..
2) best bang for buck mods are - "The Cheep Handling Fix" (check IRV2 forum for details, and the RV tuner and tune from 5Star Tuning
(https://5startuning.com/product/2016...loaded-device/)
Both of these made a night and day improvement in the handling, power and drivability/enjoyment of our ACE 29.2!
3) The factory 12 volt batteries are junk, change over to a couple of Costco or Sams 6 volt (golf cart - GC) batteries and install a Flow-Rite RV2000 Pro-Fill RV Edition 2 Battery Kit will make it much easier to maintain your batteries (I updated to 4 golf cart batteries and solar for dry camping..)

[Soldier Girl]

Originally Posted by saddlesore

After taking a "virtual tour" of your new home..
Hit Wally World for a baking pan set for a toaster oven and buy a package of Hamilton-Beach baking mats (cut them down to size to fit the pans) for using in the gas oven...
the deep pan is just right for meat loafs & such, the cookie sheet is just right for biscuits and to put Stauffers frozen entrée's in to even out the heat (using the silicone mat). (Escalloped chicken is really good)

Get a small crock pot (removable crock) that will fit in the sink, using the inverter you can cook many things while traveling).. We did a pork roast for 8 hours while driving to the campground Thanksgiving..YUM!
AND..
Don't forget "3-2-1" cake!
1 box of Angelfood cake mix (MUST be Angelfood)
1 box of other cake mix (I like chocolate)
1 gallon sized freezer zip lock bag
pour both mixes into the zip lock bag and mix well (dry so can be stored in a cupboard)


to prepare
3 big table spoons of mix into a custard cup (or coffee cup will work)
2 tablespoons of water into the cup
stir well
1 minute in the microwave
add diced fruit or ice cream


ENJOY!

Oh, awesome! Thx! I have been tryin to figure out which of my two crocks to bring & which to give to my kids. The idea of putting it in the sink is awesome & tells me which crock is going with Radar & me. I will try all your ideas, and really appreciate it!

[Soldier Girl]

Originally Posted by HaRVey

All of the previous advice is spot on - these are my experiences and recommendations for all things ACE...
1) thorough test drive - if you hear weird squeaks or vibrations, have them checked thoroughly and ask for proof. I complained of a noise and asked them (Camping World) to check the bearings, they said they did and were "fine" but less the 2,000 miles the bearing disintegrated and the front wheel nearly fell off! Took 3 months to get repaired..
2) best bang for buck mods are - "The Cheep Handling Fix" (check IRV2 forum for details, and the RV tuner and tune from 5Star Tuning
(https://5startuning.com/product/2016...loaded-device/)
Both of these made a night and day improvement in the handling, power and drivability/enjoyment of our ACE 29.2!
3) The factory 12 volt batteries are junk, change over to a couple of Costco or Sams 6 volt (golf cart - GC) batteries and install a Flow-Rite RV2000 Pro-Fill RV Edition 2 Battery Kit will make it much easier to maintain your batteries (I updated to 4 golf cart batteries and solar for dry camping..)

Thanks so much. I'd like to speak with you more about the batteries issues & solar. I know the day I had my first visit & drive, the house battery (maybe it was the generator? don't recall) didn't have enough juice to close the slides & we waited about an hour before taking it out on the roads, a freeway, some circle turn lanes & a parking lot. I was fairly comfortable with the driving, the handling sure beats the 5 tons & deuces of my medic days. But I was concerned that the power was too low to close the slides (2) on a new RV. The sales guy & the service dept guy said it wasn't an issue but I felt they weren't comfortable with my questions about batteries, generator, solar possibilities, etc... only part of the day that pinged my spidey sense! I have to go try to sell my subaru forrester right now, I can't dingy tow it, but would love to talk more about this subject, thank you!

[saddlesore]

You "might" want to see if CW can swap out the modified wave inverter for a full sine wave one...


http://www.thorforums.com/forums/f10...ers-15628.html

[Chuck and Mary Ann]

Before you sign anything, check all dates on all forms. I thought we checked them all when we bought our Thor Palazzo in Elkhart IN and found several coach Year errors - had it listed as a 2017 instead of the 2018. Caught all but one, which we are now trying to correct as the DMV took the date off the Title Transfer Authorization sheet instead of the original title that was sent to us - which was another story , as it was not filled out properly so another registration delay. Now we are delayed again with the corrective actions for the NC title, had to get a corrected Title Transfer Authorization sheet today, but nope, now I need an Inspector to review all documents so I can get a correct Year on my title. All of this is the business manager/finance managers job to get correct. Check ALL paperwork TWICE and know what your state requires you to present for title and registration, or you will be chasing around for weeks. We bought in October - no proper registration yet!!!!

[Beau388]

Originally Posted by saddlesore

During your walk thru, use your phone (or video camera) to record the explanations of all the systems so you can review as needed.
take enough clothing/food/bedding/cooking pots & pans/cups & TP! to last a couple of days..
THEN "Dry Camp" at the dealers lot using EVERYTHING in the RV.. From "leveling" the coach to cooking,fridge, showers, heat, A/C's and filling the fresh water tanks/dumping the black & gray tanks, TV's, running the generator under load (true dry camping-NOT hooked to shore power) and then try being hooked up to shore power/water/sewer as well....
It is preferred to find all the things that need attention and get 'em fixed....BEFORE you leave the dealer., (Hopefully it is NOT Crappy World)

As several have stated.. The "Dealer" is only interested in your money and after the sale may just turn their back on you..
AND...IF they refuse to let you test drive the coach & doing a full PDI before signing anything..WALK away! There are other dealers of those brands..
Good Luck & Happy Trails

Please, please take the above to heart. Stand your ground. If you were closer to Ft Hood, MHSRV does take care of vets; although, they do not allow test drives until you sign the paperwork and the wire transfer clears. They do have a delivery area with hookups and a dump station. You get to stay there until you are satisfied with your coach.

[Bob Denman]

Congratulations on this new and exciting adventure!
The other folks have you well-covered on what to ask, and how to document everything: I'll just add "Welcome to The Forum"!

[HaRVey]

Originally Posted by Soldier Girl

Thanks so much. I'd like to speak with you more about the batteries issues & solar. I know the day I had my first visit & drive, the house battery (maybe it was the generator? don't recall) didn't have enough juice to close the slides & we waited about an hour before taking it out on the roads, a freeway, some circle turn lanes & a parking lot. I was fairly comfortable with the driving, the handling sure beats the 5 tons & deuces of my medic days. But I was concerned that the power was too low to close the slides (2) on a new RV. The sales guy & the service dept guy said it wasn't an issue but I felt they weren't comfortable with my questions about batteries, generator, solar possibilities, etc... only part of the day that pinged my spidey sense! I have to go try to sell my subaru forrester right now, I can't dingy tow it, but would love to talk more about this subject, thank you!

I'm not sure how to do it, but if you can send me a private message I'd be happy to chat with you about my solar, charge controller, battery & inverter experience. There are a lot of options and I can share what I chose that fit our usage and provided the most satisfaction for a variety of use/situations.

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by Soldier Girl

Thanks so much. I'd like to speak with you more about the batteries issues & solar. I know the day I had my first visit & drive, the house battery (maybe it was the generator? don't recall) didn't have enough juice to close the slides & we waited about an hour before taking it out on the roads, a freeway, some circle turn lanes & a parking lot. I was fairly comfortable with the driving, the handling sure beats the 5 tons & deuces of my medic days. But I was concerned that the power was too low to close the slides (2) on a new RV. The sales guy & the service dept guy said it wasn't an issue but I felt they weren't comfortable with my questions about batteries, generator, solar possibilities, etc... only part of the day that pinged my spidey sense! I have to go try to sell my subaru forrester right now, I can't dingy tow it, but would love to talk more about this subject, thank you!

During your PDI have them unplug the coach from shore power, then cycle all slides in and out, then attempt to start the generator. If the slides don't work or the generator won't start they need to put new batteries in the coach on the spot. That was my experience with our CW and I was buying a used ACE. They never even hesitated to put new batteries in; I still had the check in my possession.

[Mr Sunshine]

Welcome, congratulations and a huge thank you for your service and sacrifice!

As you can easily see, this forum is full of knowledgeable and helpful folks. You might want to delay thinking about modifications on your new coach until you master everything that comes with it.

Before you hit the road you might want to check out RVParky.com and/or the RVParky app. It will show you the parks in any area, including military. There are endless RV parks in Florida and the winters are super nice. You will never run out of interesting places and people, traveling in this great country!

[Soldier Girl]

Thank you!

[Soldier Girl]

Thanks, I'll do that. I have a permanent ID so sometimes I can get great deals through MWR on Army & Navy RV Parks

[JamieGeek]

Ok I'm late to the party on this thread and just about everything is covered! LOL

I'll add my welcome, congratulations and thanks for your service as well.

Another good website for finding campgrounds is:
RV Park Reviews - Trusted Reviews of Campgrounds & RV Parks
(You'll see it advertised on the site here as its run by the same people as the thorforums; I'm not affiliated with either, however.)

That site is like yelp for campgrounds--use it when you're looking for a paid campground (it won't rate Walmarts, or Cracker Barrels, etc.). I use it for just about every trip we take (so long Woodalls!).

[Soldier Girl]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Ok I'm late to the party on this thread and just about everything is covered! LOL

I'll add my welcome, congratulations and thanks for your service as well.

Another good website for finding campgrounds is:
RV Park Reviews - Trusted Reviews of Campgrounds & RV Parks
(You'll see it advertised on the site here as its run by the same people as the thorforums; I'm not affiliated with either, however.)

That site is like yelp for campgrounds--use it when you're looking for a paid campground (it won't rate Walmarts, or Cracker Barrels, etc.). I use it for just about every trip we take (so long Woodalls!).

Thanks so much, I'll add it to my ever growing notes & check it out! I really appreciate everyone's input.

[Soldier Girl]

Originally Posted by Beau388

Please, please take the above to heart. Stand your ground. If you were closer to Ft Hood, MHSRV does take care of vets; although, they do not allow test drives until you sign the paperwork and the wire transfer clears. They do have a delivery area with hookups and a dump station. You get to stay there until you are satisfied with your coach.

Spent years at Ft Hood, obviously. Too bad I didn't know it then, but I still may choose to make my domicile there after I check out the domicile services available in Florida where 2 of my siblings live. All my siblings that used to be in Tx have long sice pcs'd or ets'd/retired, but I'm still a Tx mil vet as I maintain my dd214 in Bexar Co still. The rest of my remaining siblings except my eldest brother that the bloody VA killed in 2011 (Phx), are flung to the far corners of the Nation, so I have lots of places to visit this year where I can also mooch power from family! They're all very curious to see how this adventure pans out. 2 of our original 9 siblings are already visiting their local RV centers & exploring the option of following me onto the road, lol!

[Soldier Girl]

Originally Posted by HaRVey

I'm not sure how to do it, but if you can send me a private message I'd be happy to chat with you about my solar, charge controller, battery & inverter experience. There are a lot of options and I can share what I chose that fit our usage and provided the most satisfaction for a variety of use/situations.

Hi! I have no idea how to send such messages yet, I wasn't even sure I was replying to the folks who had answersd my call for help until I added the option of showing the quote above my message that I finally noticed below the message block. I don't know if that is the proper protocol to use on forums, so I apologize if that isn't the proper way to reply; hopefully once I settle into my rig I can spend some time becoming more proficient in using all the modern tech, I don't even know how to use facebook which drives all my siblings crazy in my large family. My kids are just happy I finally figured out how to use text messages on my phone, lol! I sure appreciate your patience & that of everyone else who have so kindly shared their experience.

[dlbeck27]

Originally Posted by Soldier Girl

Spent years at Ft Hood, obviously. Too bad I didn't know it then, but I still may choose to make my domicile there after I check out the domicile services available in Florida where 2 of my siblings live. All my siblings that used to be in Tx have long sice pcs'd or ets'd/retired, but I'm still a Tx mil vet as I maintain my dd214 in Bexar Co still. The rest of my remaining siblings except my eldest brother that the bloody VA killed in 2011 (Phx), are flung to the far corners of the Nation, so I have lots of places to visit this year where I can also mooch power from family! They're all very curious to see how this adventure pans out. 2 of our original 9 siblings are already visiting their local RV centers & exploring the option of following me onto the road, lol!

Thank you for your service. I hope you enjoy your next adventure.

You have received an invaluable amount of advice here. Experienced and knowledgeable fellow travelers.

You might consider looking at many of the RV groups that have been formed to provide camaraderie and support to members. They provide discounts for just about anything you can think of. Travel and medical insurance services, medical evacuation, pet services if you are laid up. They can even provide someone to return your RV to you if you are medevac'd home. Check them out.

Two groups you might look into are S.M.A.R.T. and Escapees. You don't have to join them to see what they have to offer. But must join if you want the benefits.

S.M.A.R.T is a group of military veterans. Originally started for retired military RVers. You can find info on all military bases with rv resources. If you have a question for a specific base, there will be several members that can tell you their experinces. They have Local Chapters throughout the U.S.

Escapees is a group primarily for full-time RVers. They have member campgrounds throughout the U.S. and have hundreds of other campgrounds that offer you discounts for staying with them. Their primary location is in Livinston, TX. They offer mail forwarding services, medical respite services, RVers Bootcamp, RV weighing service and an RVers Online University.

Escapees would be especially helpful for you in deciding where to establish a domicile. Since you are already a Texas resident you might find that maintaing your Texas residency is best for you. With their mail forwarding service it is very easy to travel throughout the U.S. full-time and always get your mail no matter where you are.

There are many other RV groups out there each with a specific audience in mind, but as a military retiree and a wanna be full-timer these two have provided me the most useful information.

Take your time, learn everything you can about your rig and enjoy your new lifestyle.

[Soldier Girl]

Originally Posted by dlbeck27

Thank you for your service. I hope you enjoy your next adventure.

You have received an invaluable amount of advice here. Experienced and knowledgeable fellow travelers.

You might consider looking at many of the RV groups that have been formed to provide camaraderie and support to members. They provide discounts for just about anything you can think of. Travel and medical insurance services, medical evacuation, pet services if you are laid up. They can even provide someone to return your RV to you if you are medevac'd home. Check them out.

Two groups you might look into are S.M.A.R.T. and Escapees. You don't have to join them to see what they have to offer. But must join if you want the benefits.

S.M.A.R.T is a group of military veterans. Originally started for retired military RVers. You can find info on all military bases with rv resources. If you have a question for a specific base, there will be several members that can tell you their experinces. They have Local Chapters throughout the U.S.

Escapees is a group primarily for full-time RVers. They have member campgrounds throughout the U.S. and have hundreds of other campgrounds that offer you discounts for staying with them. Their primary location is in Livinston, TX. They offer mail forwarding services, medical respite services, RVers Bootcamp, RV weighing service and an RVers Online University.

Escapees would be especially helpful for you in deciding where to establish a domicile. Since you are already a Texas resident you might find that maintaing your Texas residency is best for you. With their mail forwarding service it is very easy to travel throughout the U.S. full-time and always get your mail no matter where you are.

There are many other RV groups out there each with a specific audience in mind, but as a military retiree and a wanna be full-timer these two have provided me the most useful information.

Take your time, learn everything you can about your rig and enjoy your new lifestyle.

Thanks dbsck27! I didn't know about S.M.A.R.T.! As for being a wannabe? We both were wannabes before this past Saturday evening. It's kind of like the first time we raised our hands, one moment we were "sorry civilians" as are Drills put it, & that moment seemed fraught with the unknown & the next moment we weren't. It felt like such a difficult task to get started with the RV life I wanted, but as soon as I esigned my loan with USAA, it felt like that same moment so many years ago & though I still don't know sheis, & the unknown is still unknown - I feel that same sense of exhilaration I did way back when & I know I won't be sorry - I was sorry 3 days ago, lol! Don't bother calling yourself a wannabe dbeck27, bc you're a willbe & cando - you proved it long ago, and thanks so much!

[Soldier Girl]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

Congratulations on this new and exciting adventure!
The other folks have you well-covered on what to ask, and how to document everything: I'll just add "Welcome to The Forum"!

Thanks very much! I've read some of your posts (or is that threads?) when I 1st started searching for my rv, they were very helpful. I appreciate your warm welcome along with those of so many others. Y'all are amazing & I hope someday I will have enough experience to help others start their own rv adventures.

[lizzard2112]

Congrats & good luck!!!