Christopher Hodapp - RVs & Campers For Dummies

RVs & Campers For Dummies®

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2021938286

ISBN 978-1-119-79034-1 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-79035-8 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-79030-3 (ebk)

1 Cover

2 Title Page

3 Copyright

4 Introduction About This Book Foolish Assumptions Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here

5 Part 1: Getting Started with RVs and Campers Chapter 1: Joining the Cavalcade of Rolling Nomads Everybody’s Doing It The Song of the Open Road The Road Less Taken Chapter 2: Surveying the Wide World of RVs and Campers Motorhomes Towables Truck Campers Chapter 3: Decisions, Decisions: Knowing What You Need To Pull or Be Pulled, That Is the Question Space Odyssey: How Much Do You Need? Honestly Assessing Amenities

6 Part 2: Buying Your RV Chapter 4: Fitting an RV into Your Budget New or Used: The Wide World of RVs Taking Out a Loan Expecting the Unexpected Chapter 5: Doing Your Homework Working on Your Short List Finding Resources You Can Trust Chapter 6: Dealing with Dealers Getting the Lay of the Land Choosing an RV Dealer: Giant and Nationwide or Small and Local Following the Rules of the Road: Tips for Working with RV Dealers Worrying Over Warranties Chapter 7: Adding a Tow Vehicle to Your Trailer Choosing Wisely Finding Your Vehicle’s Tow Ratings Shopping for a Tow Vehicle Chapter 8: Getting Hitched and the Alchemy of Weight Getting to Know Your Trailer Hitch Weighing Your RV

7 Part 3: Taking Your First Camping Trip Chapter 9: Stocking Up on Accessories: What Your RV Didn’t Come With The Bare Necessities Fun Extras Chapter 10: Packing for the Road Following Some Basic Packing Tips Packing a First-Aid Kit Finding Fun Storage Hacks Packing Your Tuxedo Kitchen Aid: Packing Food and Utensils Chapter 11: Driving, Parking, and the Dread of Backing Up Preparing to Pilot Your Own Private Battleship What’s Your Clearance, Clarence? Knowing How Big You Are Before You Hit the Road Backup Plan: Backing Up Like a Pro Getting from Point A to Point B Stress-Free Chapter 12: The Shakedown: Your Maiden Voyage Taking Your Shakedown Cruise Finding a Campground Chapter 13: Setting Up Your Campsite Pulling into the Campground and Finding Your Campsite On the Level: Leveling Your RV Connecting Your Utilities Making Life Comfortable

8 Part 4: Understanding How Your RV Works Chapter 14: Electrical Systems One RV, Two Kinds of Power What Runs What Convertible Electricity The Fuse Panel Generators Chapter 15: Water World: The Wonders of Plumbing Understanding How Water Works in an RV Using the Freshwater System Dealing with the Wastewater System Chapter 16: The Propane Gas System Understanding the Basics of Propane Keeping Your Tanks Full Locating Leaks Chapter 17: Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Starting with the Basics Depending on Your HVAC System Trying Alternative Heating Methods

9 Part 5: Tackling Some Advanced RV Topics Chapter 18: Storage and Old Man Winter Winterizing and Storing Your RV Pulling Your RV out of Storage Wintertime RVing Chapter 19: Tow, Tow, Tow Your Toad: Towing Your Car Behind Your Motorhome Considering Your Towing Options Considering the Vehicle You’re Towing Chapter 20: Boondocking and Living off the Grid This Land Is Your Land, This Land Is My Land: Finding a Place to Boondock Attending to the Necessities of Life

10 Part 6: The Part of Tens Chapter 21: Ten Potential RV Catastrophes and How to Avoid Them Destroying Your Jack Watching Your Rig Roll Away Tangling with Wildlife Running on Empty Causing Your Own Power Failure Dancing on an Uninsured Ledge Losing Your Own Trailer Flooding Your Rig Swarming Nightmares Losing It All Chapter 22: Ten Smartphone Apps You Can’t Live Without Google Maps CoPilot GPS Roadtrippers GasBuddy Allstays Camp and RV RA Camping SkySafari AccuWeather RV Pocket Reference Ultimate RV Checklist Chapter 23: Ten Great Attractions Just off the Highway National Route 66 Museum Custer Battlefield Museum The Thing Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site Meteor Crater Wisconsin Dells Pedro’s South of the Border Wall Drug Solvang, California Star Trek Original Series Set Tour

11 Index

12 About the Authors

13 Connect with Dummies

14 End User License Agreement

1 Chapter 8TABLE 8-1 Trailer Hitch Sizes

1 Chapter 2FIGURE 2-1: Class A motorhomes are the big dogs of the RV world. FIGURE 2-2: A typical Class A motorhome with its slides extended. FIGURE 2-3: A Class B motorhome. FIGURE 2-4: Class C motorhomes have a distinctive hump over the truck cab. FIGURE 2-5: Kids love the upper bunk sleeping area in a Class C. It can also be...FIGURE 2-6: Travel trailers can be short or long or anywhere in between. FIGURE 2-7: This tiny TAG teardrop by nüCamp can be towed by almost any car. FIGURE 2-8: Pop-ups are a great, inexpensive way to get your introduction to RV...FIGURE 2-9: A hard-sided A-frame pop-up trailer by Aliner. FIGURE 2-10: The distinctive overhanging design of a fifth-wheel trailer requir...FIGURE 2-11: A truck camper or camper shell slides on and off of your pickup tr...