We travel by RV as part of a charity we established, RV4TheCause, to educate professional advisers all around the country on helping clients with chronic illness and disability. We launched with a 2,500 mile trip to the Midwest last fall and are planning about a 4,000 mile trek over 2 ½ weeks NY to Florida and back in late March 2011. A trip to Texas is planned for November 2011, and hopefully many more to come.

It is essential to keep the office going back home while on the road. While everyone who works from the RV has their own tricks of the trade, we’re starting to develop our own, and here’s some of what we’ve done. Hopefully some of these ideas will be useful to others working on the road. While none are particularly innovative they work for us and our work, lecture and travel needs. The lectures and programs to promote our charity’s goals require some of their own special equipment. Most equipment can serve the dual purpose of facilitating both lectures and office work.

General Tips

• There is intentionally redundancy. Stuff happens so you have to remember the Boy Scout Motto “Be Prepared.”
• A few extra batteries are always worth having.
• A commonly known tip we read early on in our RV lives (about 8 months ago!) we use lots of paper towel rolls to cushion everything when we stow it away. The paper towels are also great when I spill coffee all over it too!
• Extra power cords for almost everything and a universal power plug/adapter with more than a dozen of attachments that can work for many of the electronic devices we carry.

Communications

• Blackberry this is synced with our Office Outlook so it is fully update date in real time to minimize the need to go on line for contact information to make calls from the road. This makes it quite efficient to quickly answer emails at a truck stop. It also makes it easy to make a list of phone numbers to return calls when we get back on the road.
• Cellphone. This has become ubiquitous for RV’ers. My wife also has a cell phone so that if I’m on a business call and we need directors or to call ahead to inform an RV park that were running late, she can do it at the same time.
• Facebook (www.facebook.com/rv4thecause) and twitter (martinshenkman) to keep people apprised of our progress and developments.

Internet

• Gotomypc to access the office desktop via internet from the road. This is an incredibly powerful and practical tool. Our laptop needs nothing on it since all the work is completed at our office, safe and secure.
• Gotomeeting. We did not have this on our maiden voyage and just signed up so that we can interact better with clients to review materials while out of the office. It seems to be a great way to have a client see documents on our computer screen and review and change them as we go. It also provides a conference call mechanism to parallel the computer use.
• Yousendit – subscribed to this to transfer large files from on the road. In particular if we have videos or podcasts of our seminars and want to upload them to our websites while on the road we hopefully now can. This is new, we haven’t tried it yet but hope it solves the problem of large files
• Mi fi from Verizon for internet connectivity. This is quite a little device. Smaller than a pack of cigarettes it has seemingly given us decent internet connectivity in most places we’ve been. It also is quick and easy to plug into a laptop by whoever is riding shotgun to find useful information on the internet, or even work.
• A WiFi In Motion internet system for the RV into which we plug the Verizon Mi Fi into this system to boost its ability and gives us more flexibility. The Wi Fi in motion system includes an external antennae, booster and router so we can run several laptops etc at the same time. The company was incredibly helpful when we were asking questions before we bought it and when we had some questions after it was installed.

Office Equipment

• Fujitsu Scanner (Scan Snap). We did not take this last time but are this time. We also bought a carrying case to protect it while traveling. When we give seminars we can scan and email materials including the professional credit materials and email them back. If we have a meeting it is a great way to get the materials back to the office. We’ll probably experiment with scanning receipts and other paperwork along the way to minimize the paperwork and avoid that inevitable pile when we return. We’ve started scanning manuals and other paperwork to eliminate the documentation we have to drag along “just in case,” but it will still take a while to eliminate most of it.
• Card Scan to scan business cards from the many people we meet along the way. We can then update via internet the Outlook database at the office. This is an incredibly accurate and efficient way to incorporate new contact data on the road into our contact data base (we use Outlook).
• Two laptops and often a netbook as an extra backup, all encrypted for security using PGP software.

Seminars and Charitable Programs

• Digital camera that we can transfer pictures to website and facebook as we travel.
• Computer projector and portable screen to use for power points to make presentations. This also is great to show outdoor videos at an RV rally. We of course inaugurated this equipment by showing Robin Williams movie “RV” at, what else, an RV rally!
• Several of extension cords and surge protectors. These have proven essential to give presentations in locations where electrical outlets are too far or inadequate.
• MP3 recording device to record seminars so that we can post podcasts on our websites.
• Extra thumb drive with all speeches power points and handouts “just in case.” Some seminar locations will not permit us to use our laptop and want to use a thumb drive with our presentation on their laptop. Others insist that we use our own laptop. We try to be prepared for all eventualities.

Non-Electronic Stuff

There are many low tech things we do to facilitate work on the road. Yes, children might find it odd that we actually own things that don’t have electric current, but the good old stuff is still well worthwhile. Here’s some we use:

• We carry a loose leaf binder with copies of the Outlook calendar for each day, Mapquests for each leg of the trip, contact data for key people in each city, RV park reservation confirms, and other data we need for each day of a trip. Having an accessible hard copy, especially when driving, of all key information is incredibly helpful. And as Murphy’s law pops up too often, having a hardcopy of a Mapquest is great when the Magellan navigation is in a bad mood, or the internet make molasses look zippy, and the other inevitable headaches.
• Labels with contact data. These are great for giving to people, labeling equipment and other items and a great supplement to business cards. They just have proven incredibly easy.
• Basic office supplies: envelopes, stamps, scissors, stapler, rulers, tape, etc. Yes, even in the electronic age the good old fashioned stuff comes in handy. It costs little, weighs little (especially the small versions) and always comes in handy.
• Battery operated alarm clocks (for those breakfast meetings and presentations we wish were later!).
• Pens and note pads – we stash these everywhere so that they’re always within reach when needed.

Other Tidbits

We do a few things that are helpful that we suspect every RV’er new long before us, but we’ll share the obvious too in case another newbie as ignorant as us should ever come across this. To keep tax audits easier, and maintain the separateness of business and personal matters we have separate business and personal checking accounts and credit cards. Almost everything we can in both our personal lives and business is on auto-pay. Whatever is not on auto-pay is billed automatically to our American Express. This greatly reduces the number of bills that need to be tended to while traveling. We log every meeting into Outlook so if an issue arises as to whether a particular expense was business or personal we have the records at hand for tax purposes.

Conclusion

Traveling, working, volunteering and RV’ing all certainly can mesh quite well. But having the right equipment (in manageable sizes) can really make it all incredibly more efficient and easier. Hopefully some of the things that have worked for us will give others some practical ideas as well.

We started this year’s RV season in April never having seen the inside of any RV nor having towed anything bigger than a bicycle. We ended the season … more experienced (perhaps even a tad wiser). I’ve met my first torque wrench, bonded with lug nuts, and can now even grease a Zryk fitting, but could we ever forget the many events that remind us of Mark Twain’s famous saying:

“Truth is stranger than fiction…”

Here’s a few samplers of this newbie RVer’s mishaps:

• We learned that the fridge in the RV works much better when set to electric mode when it is actually plugged in. (It took a call to an RV friend and the Good Sam technical support line to figure out this complex matter of modern engineering).
• You cannot turn the light on inside your trailer no matter how many times you flip the switch for the hot water heater.
• Remove the weather protective cap before you plug in your 7 pin electric plug from your travel trailer to your truck (TV). You can’t exactly plug anything into a capped receptacle!
• If your propane alarm goes off, first thing you do is panic like your rig is about to blow. But before really getting your shorts in a snit consider that the aromatherapy essential oil diffusers that made your trailer smell so good (or like Blommies cosmetics department) may not get along with your alarm.
• Remember to remove your sunglasses at dusk of you are trying to back your RV into a driveway. You can actually see those obstructions better without shades on (although admittedly you look cooler wearing shades at night than not)!
• I now know that it is always advisable to stop after about 5 feet after pulling out of an RV camping site to see what you’ve left behind, or …. plugged in (like the electric cord!).
• While it might be a smart move to hitch up before a rain storm hits so you don’t have to do it in the rain, be sure to close your truck window after you hitch (and before the storm).  We have a crinkly Owners’ Manual to remind us of this one. It only took three days for the driver’s seat to dry out.
• A sure way to test your smoke detector is to cook without opening up the flaps on the outside of the kitchen vent fan.  It doesn’t quite vent well when latched close. On the bright side everyone in the area found the situation quite entertaining.
• If you want to re-enact Robin Williams dump scene from his movie RV don’t wedge the stinky slinky into the sewer line very tightly.  But this is a good antic to do really early in the morning so you can hightail it out of the RV park in the dark while the other RV’ers are still sleeping and cannot see what you’ve done.
• We’ve also learned that RV Rally Potlucks are not as effective as Jenny Craig for loosing weight.

We look forward to seeing you all on the road next year.

Thanks for the great welcome to a new road in our lives!

Marty

Purpose: Almost everything we use in the RV “lives” in the RV other than perhaps a cell phone or laptop. Many of the items are permanent in the sense that they can be put into the RV at the beginning of the season and generally stay the season. Items that are stocked that are used need to be verified for each trip to ascertain whether they need to be replenished. The following list is comprised of items that can wear out, get used up, etc. and that should be checked prior to each trip. As with the other checklists we found the easiest way to organize these items was to do so by area of the trailer and truck. In this way a really quick walk through with the list in hand facilitates a quick and easy review. As with all checklists, whatever works for you is what should be done. As with all the prior checklists we posted given our absolute ignorance of anything RV merely assembling this list was a valuable learning experience. Anyone with any modicum of RV experience might have little need for this level of detail. Hope this helps.
Pantry:
Dry Foods Staples
Coffee, instant
Coffee, ground
Tea bags
Fiber supplement (when you hit 50 you’ll understand)
Cereal, dry
Beans, dry
Nuts (walnuts, pecans)
Pam Spray
Cinnamon
Sugar, brown
Flour, whole wheat
Oats
Spices, other
Peanuts (in shells – cause they’re too messy to eat at home but perfect when camping)
Vinegar, white (sanitize water tank; add to black tank)
Unplanned Meal Food (in case we forget to pack, have extra guests, etc. – simple quick stuff that won’t spoil and doesn’t take up much space “just in case”)
Spaghetti (2 packs whole wheat)
Tomato sauce (1 can)
Tuna (2 foil bags)
Rice Pilaf (whole wheat, 1 box)

Drawer Under Dinette:
Pet Supplies
Dog food dry
Dog treats
Plastic bags
Wipes (for feet)
Flea collar

Dinette Overhead Cabinets:
Right Side
Pens, pencils
Paper
Envelopes
Stamps

Kitchen Under Sink:
Paper Towels
Coffee Filters
Garbage Bags
Soap, Dishwashing Liquid
Sponges/Scrub Pads
Aluminum Foil
Plastic zip lock bags
Gloves, rubber

Kitchen Overhead Cabinets:
Napkins
Paper plates
Silverware, plastic

Kitchen Under Oven:
Trays, disposable
Pans, disposable

Refrigerator:
Freezer
Ice Block pre-frozen
Pesto
Refrigerator Staples
Baking Soda
Refrigerator Food
Yogurt (Greek no fat)
Seltzer/Bottled Water
Spreads
Peanut Butter
Bread (low carb wraps)
Bread (low calorie sandwich)
Salad vegetables
Fruit (Apples, pears)
Milk, Skim
Meat vegetarian (Deli, hot dogs, sausage)
Egg beaters
Sauteed onions
Pot luck food: Snack; main course; other
Refrigerator Medicine
Medicine
Alcohol wipes for shots

(A surprisingly large number of people with health issues have turned to RV’ing for the security, ease, comfort of easily being able to take along whatever you might need. Modify the list to meet your specific needs. Many of the food and other items on this list were selected because of the health requirements they meet).

Refrigerator Pet Food
Cottage cheese
Dog food
Meals
Frozen prepared meals for trip in aluminum tins
Confirm menus
Closet:
Shoe Orthotics (this for us is an item that doesn’t “live” for the season in the trailer so we have it on the list so we don’t forget it. Whatever personal items that you don’t keep in the trailer full time might be added to this list.)

Wine

Cabinet Under Refrigerator:
Emergency Supplies
Flashlights (batteries, bulbs)
Butane lighter and refill (for lighting oven)
Matches
Insect repellent
Lawyer repellent
Ant traps
First Aid
Medicines
Band-aids
Eye drops
Tylenol
Advil
Antibiotic Ointment
Benadryl tablets and ointment
Tums (if you eat my cooking at a pot luck do so with confidence)

Bathroom Vanity Cabinet:
Toiletries
Tissues box
Sanitizer, hand (Purell)
Soap, liquid
Cleaning Supplies
Cleaner wipes
Furniture Polish wipes
Glass cleaner wipes
Laundry Detergent
Toilet Paper
Tissues/Kleenex
Holding tank chemicals
Towels
Towels, hand and washcloth (these aren’t consumables but they get washed after each trip and are listed so we don’t forget them).
Rags for cleaning

Bathroom Vanity Overhead Compartments:
Vitamins
Bath Soap
Shampoo
Shaving supplies
Soap, bar
Soap, Dr. Bonners (love the stuff. Can wash anything in it)
Deodorant
Perfume, Patti
Cotton balls
Mouthwash
Powder, talcum
Q-Tips
Feminine products
Makeup
Hair care
Lotion, hand
Tooth brushes, paste, floss
Sunscreen

Bathroom/Shower
Towels, clean
Toilet paper

Bedroom Overhead Storage
Books, recent

Outside Storage Compartment:
Insect spray (for around wheels, jacks)
Gloves, disposable for dumping
Hand Sanitizer
Citronella candles
Air dryer

Truck Passenger Area:
Glove Compartment
Flashlights, batteries working
Lights
Trailer EZ Pass
Change
Electronics
Camera, case charger
Laptop and charger
Cell phone and charger
Cooler, small for lunch
Ice block, small
Water bottle
Pretzels
Bars, protein
Sandwiches

Truck Trunk Area:
General
Rags
Wipes
Bleach
Trip Supplies
Water, gallons
Charcoal grill, disposable
Firewood
Tools and supplies
Batteries
Bulbs
Fuses
Oil
Tape
Other

Checklists appeal the Felix Unger in all of us. Some of us tend to be a tad more “Felixy,” others lien a bit more to the Oscar Madison view of RV Checklists. My favorite checklist, found on some website long ago forgotten, and square in the Oscar Madison checklist camp, went something like this:

1. Duct Tap for anything that moves and shouldn’t.
2. WD-40 for anything that should move that doesn’t.
3. A couple of good bottles of Merlot and a cork screw (notice Oscar, no glasses on the list).
4. Everything else can kinda work itself out.

Not that’s a great checklist. I admit however, that since Felix Unger was my idol when I was but a nerdy lad, that checklist did not quite do it.

The American Idol Ultimate Checklist

No the most compulsive checklist I’ve seen (and boy was it impressive) was supposedly prepared by a formal Naval officer. This thing was so awesome that the guy had to have been an engineer to. It was a zillion column Excel spread sheet that listed the weight of each item in ounces. You can organize it by location in the RV or truck, by cabinet, by category, by type of store to buy a replacement, and a host of other factors.

What Works for You

So what is the best checklist? That is the one simple answer in all this. It’s the one that works for you. My checklists are a lot longer than most. Because I know so little (my only RV experience before buying our Airstream was Robin Williams movie, never had even seen the inside of an RV before we bought one) creating and initially reviewing the checklists is itself a great learning process. For those with more experience shorter lists that perhaps concentrate on just the more common oversights (duh, should I have lowered that antennae before pulling out) might suffice. So consider what you really need the checklist for and work it out to make it practical for you.

The Big Kahuna

I started with one master checklist for everything and quickly found that it was too long and too hard to follow.

Consumables Checklist

Then I broke out a checklist for traveling and one for consumables. Having a separate list of perishable items (chocolate, red wine, chocolate) made it easier to identify what we might need to stock before the trip. The list also includes consumables that may not be perishable, the most critical example being the unmentionable TP. The reality is that a simpler and common RV technique has largely obviated the use of the consumables checklist. A cube of scratch paper and a pen sit in a wicker basket on our dinette table all the time (well when were parked to avoid pen projectiles). As we camp we jot down notes of stuff to replenish or add. So the consumables checklist was really helpful in stocking the RV and likely will be on the restock before each season. It was a great help in getting our arms around packing and replenishing, but hasn’t been as critical.

Towing Checklist

A checklist for towing was the next main checklist, but it was too complicated and didn’t quite focus as RV newbies on the nuances of leaving home, arriving at an RV park and setting up, leaving the RV park and arriving home. It seemed more practical, helpful, natural and compulsive to have a separate checklist for each so that is what divided the main “towing” checklist into. For example, when you arrive at an RV park you can open the little vent flaps so that the stove exhaust fan will really work. The alternative, which we discovered, was a great way to test the smoke detector in the RV. Now setting off the smoke detector in an RV park is a great way to meet your neighbors, but we’ll try to remember to unhook them on future trips. Each of these four checklists is geared to the nuances of leaving home, setting up camp, closing down camp, and arriving at home.

Towing Cheat Sheet

Another checklist that we assembled early on is what I called a “Towing Cheat Sheet.” This is a really short and concise list of key numbers that might be helpful to know: height of the RV (yes, including the A/C unit on the roof ), weight, wheel pressure, VIN, license, Good Sams emergency numbers and account numbers, etc. (Yes, one full typed page in 10 point Times Roman is really short. If a lawyer were billing they’d use 12 point type and double space to make it 2 ½ pages and then they could bill more).

Permanent or Non-Consumables

At some point we might assemble a list of all the non consumable stuff we put in the RV from tools, utensils, pots, linen, clothes, meatballs, etc. We haven’t put that one together yet since when we stocked the RV for the first time we simply laid out all the items we had (shop in your attic and pick through old camping equipment to find really neat stuff to add to your RV collection) in a spare room and used the ‘visual’ rather than a formal list, to get set up.

Internal Organization of Checklists

So with the types of checklists that we’d prepare and use settled, there were still more steps. How should the checklists be organized internally so that they would be the easiest to use, and help avoid oversights? Everyone will come up with their own approach, but we came up with one that seemed simple, logical and workable for us. For the inside the trailer checklists the list starts at the door and winds it way in logical sequence right to left all the way around the trailer. For the outside checklists we started at the door and worked back toward the rear of the trailer, up the street sound and around the front back to the door again. But in making the full circle, do not pass “Go” and do not collect $200.

What made this approach practical is that it broke down each checklist to manageable bites and at the same time makes it really easy to look at one area of the trailer, one part of a list, and not miss anything.

What’s on Your Bucket List

Finally, everyone does unique stuff in their RV. If you have health issues as many do, you’ll have to take along special items that might include medications, walking aids, CPAP machine, etc. Those certainly should be on your lists. If you work out of your RV that might warrant its own list. We hope to provide seminars throughout the country to help charities that serve those living with chronic illness. So we have a separate list of materials and supplies to bring for each seminar. While the list is unlikely to be of much use to anyone else in its detail, the idea of how to assemble a checklist for your business, hobby or other special use of your RV, might be helpful.

Caution

A word of caution. You cannot find a group of folks that will be more helpful than RV’ers. It’s rather pleasantly astonishing. That being said, if you get five RV’ers in a room you’ll likely have six different opinions each of which is correct. So too when it comes to checklists. So even if someone has a view that there is a particular best way to prepare a particular checklist, you really have to understand their goal and use of the checklist, how much experience they have relative to you, what their set up is compared to yours, and even what their preferences are. So read lots of checklists but ultimately invest the time and type up what works for you. The best checklist, if it is awkward to use, too long, obfuscates important info, etc. will be of little use.

Home Return Checklist

1. Parking and Unhitching.
1. Backing in.

1. Set up orange traffic cones to mark corner, brick wall and to alert traffic.
2. Pray.

2. Unhitching.

1. Unhook 7 pin electrical connection.
2. Insert red plugs into TV and connection.
3. Disconnect carabineer and break away line.
4. Stow connection cable and break away line and carabineer in bag, and secure to A frame with bungee.
5. Disconnect safety chains at attach to A frame.
6. Loosen tension on ProPride weight distribution jacks.
7. Use wrench to disconnect each side.
8. Remove OCL latches as each lever is disconnected. Stow in TV.
9. Loosen ProPride weight distribution hitches
10. Lower trailer tongue jack until trailer and TV level.
11. Drive out. If not planning trips leave aligned to ease hitching up on departure.
12. Close car windows dummy.

3. Store orange traffic cones.
1. Tow Vehicle.
1. Swap trailer EZ pass (blue) for regular EZ Pass (white).
2. Remove all perishables.
3. List “to do” or supply items for next trip.
2. Outside of Trailer.
1. Front of A Frame.

1. Confirm Propane off.
2. Cabinet locked/secured..
3. 7 pin electrical connector and break away secured.
4. Lock stinger into hitch.

2. Door Side of Trailer.

1. 2 Wheel chocks placed.
2. 2 Stabalizer jacks lowered onto Lynx blocks.
3. Steps opened.
4. Fridge outside compartment doors secure top/bottom. Fridge plugged in (yeah, really).

3. Street Side of Trailer.

1. 2 Wheel chocks and Lynx blocks as necessary placed.
2. 2 Stabalizer jacks lowered onto Lynx blocks.
3. Electrical line connected to outside house outlet.

4. Inside Trailer.
1. Door.

1. Master storage switch on.
2. Review pantry for items needed for next trip.

2. Dinette.

1. Vent opened, Fantastic fan on.
2. Table opened and set up.

3. Kitchen.

1. Towels to launder.
2. List items needed for next trip.

4. Closet.

1. Check levels of gray, black, batteries, potable.
2. Water pump switch off.
3. Wifi in Motion system powered off.

5. Television Cabinet Top/Bottom.
6. Fridge.

1. Empty contents.
2. List items needed for next trip.

7. Vanity.

1. Towels to launder.
2. List items needed for next trip.

8. Bathroom.

1. Collect towels to launder.

9. Bedroom.

1. Collect laundry.

5. General To Do Items.
1. Plan next trip.
2. Lists of supplies, “to do” for next trip.
3. Get rid of items not needed. (hitching rods!)
4. Clean trailer inside.
5. Wash TV and trailer outside if necessary.
6. Open all doors, cabinets, prop up mattress to air out.
7. Run dehumidifier.
8. Run air purifier/ionizer.
9. “Charge” Airdryer for under bead storage, outside storage compartment and under dinette seat water tank areas.
10. Pick up mail.

Campsite Departure Checklist

1. TV/Trailer General Exterior Checks.
1. Inspect tires on TV and trailer.
2. Inspect and test trailer brakes and brake lights.
3. Trailer and TV level. McKesh mirrors installed on doors.
4. Adjust all TV mirrors.
5. Storage in back of TV secure and coverd.
2. Weights – GVWR.
1. TV.
2. Trailer.

1. Consider level of potable water if gray and black tanks not emptied.

3. Tongue
2. Inside Trailer.
1. Door.

1. Lights off
2. Master storage switch on “store”. Antennae fully lowered.
3. Door mats inside and out stowed.

2. Dinette.

1. Kitchen appliances, bagged, stowed and secured.
2. Vents closed, Fantastic fan off.
3. Lights off.
4. Interior cabinets closed and latched.
5. Table upright and secured.
6. Basket on table secured.

3. Kitchen.

1. Kitchen utensils, etc. stowed and secured
2. Coffee mugs wrapped.
3. Pots in oven wrapped and secure with bungee.
4. Close and secure stove top cover.
5. Close closet and kitchen cabinets
6. Oven and burner LP knobs off.
7. Range exhaust cover closed and secured.

4. Closet.

1. Check levels of gray, black, batteries, potable.
2. Water pump switch off. (See below may have to use to run some water into toilet after tanks drained).
3. Wifi in Motion system powered down.
4. Contents secure.
5. Light off.
6. Door closed.

5. Television Cabinet Top/Bottom.

1. Pictures in frames wrapped and stowed.
2. Level, circuit tester and volt meter secured in bag on pantry.
3. Television strapped and secure.
4. Bottom cabinet under fridge closed and secured.

6. Fridge.

1. Refrigerator contents secure with bungees.
2. Ice block in fridge (maintains cold while driving).
3. Large water bottle full and in fridge not on door.
4. Fridge door secured.
5. Fridge control in “off” position.

7. Vanity.

1. Bathroom vanity items secure.
2. Wicker basket, flowers and toiletries wrapped and in lower cabinet.

8. Bathroom

1. Secure shower door open.
2. Close bathroom door and secure.
3. Vents closed, fan off
4. Toilet drained/dry (small amount of water left for seal).
5. Add some water and vinegar to toilet after tanks drained (may need to use potable water and water pump if disconnected from city water).
6. Shower off.
7. Shower head secured.
8. Light off.
9. Squeegee secure.

9. Bedroom.

1. Vent closed Fantastic fan off.
2. 2 Windows all closed and locked.
3. 2 Blinds secured
4. Bedroom privacy door and blinds stowed and secured.
5. Television control button off.

4. Outside of Trailer.
1. Front of A Frame.

1. Propane off.
2. Cabinet locked/secured.
3. Battery compartment closed.
4. Spare tire secure.
5. Locks secure.
6. Window shield latched and secure.
7. Tongue jack fully raised.
8. 7 pin electrical connector connected and red covers stowed.

2. Door Side of Trailer.

1. Table and Electric appliances unplugged and stowed in TV.
2. 2 Wheel chocks removed and stored in back of trailer.
3. 2 Stabalizer jacks raised. Lynx blocks stored in back of trailer.
4. Steps stowed and secure.
5. Bottom and top lock of door locked.
6. Fridge compartment doors secure top/bottom.
7. Water heater compartment door secure.
8. Awning.
1. Awning closed.
2. Secure by 2 loop top latches.
3. Secure top hook.
4. Velcro on each side of awning rods secured.
5. Rod stored in back bumper.

3. Back of Trailer.

1. Storage compartment.
1. Outside storage compartment contents packed.
2. Storage compartment locked.
3. Light out (caution packing can easily flip it on).
4. Dryer stowed and blue (moister absorber).
2. Bumper compartment.
1. Awning rod.
2. Sewer hose.
3. Sewer connectors.
4. 2 Latches secured.

4. Street Side of Trailer.

1. 2 Wheel chocks removed and stored in back of trailer.
2. Water lines.
1. City water hook up disconnected, filter, hoses, pressure regulator stowed. Knob closed.
2. Water hoses drained, ends connected, stowed in back of trailer.
3. 2 Stabalizer jacks raised. Lynx blocks stored in back of trailer.
4. Electrical lines disconnecting.
1. Disconnect from trailer.
2. Disconnect from city hookup.
3. Close electrical box at campsite.
4. Wind, tie and stow in TV.
5. Cable for television disconnected and cord wrapped, stowed in TV.
6. Sewer line.
1. Black and gray tanks emptied.
2. Flush out with garden hose.
3. Black and gray bayonets and main drain closed.
4. Sewer hook up disconnected
5. 1 Sewer hose stored in tube underneath trailer, cap secured.
6. 1 Sewer hose and connectors stowed in back bumper and latches secured.
7. Add gallon of water and vinegar to black tank through toilet.
7. Latch kitchen vents closed

5. Top of Trailer.

1. Antennae lowered.
2. No branches or obstacles.

6. Underneath Trailer.

1. Nothing left behind.
2. No rocks, debris, holes.

7. Surrounding Area.

1. Nothing left behind.
2. No rocks, debris, holes.
3. No branches or obstacles.
4. Outside items (folding table, chairs, flamingos, etc.) stored.
5. Lynx leveling blocks removed from site and stored in back of trailer.

5. Hooking up ProPride Hitch.
1. Insert stinger into back of TV. Insert cotter pin.
2. Position back of TV toward hitch connection and direct hitch connection toward oncoming stinger.
3. Loosen tension on ProPride weight distribution jacks.
4. Back in
5. Get quite close. Align (up/down) the trailer height by raising or lowering the trailer tongue jack. Align (right/left) the end of the hitch by pushing it right/left with foot.
6. Finish backing in and Connect.
7. Use wrench to complete connection.
8. OCL latch into position as each lever is connected x 2.
9. Raise trailer tongue jack until trailer and TV level.
10. Tighten weight distribution hitches – ¼” below top of screw.
11. Connect 7 pin electrical cord from trailer to TV.
12. Stow red electrical cord covers in TV.
13. Cross safety chains. (Avoid twisting to shorten to prevent drag if possible as it weakens the chains).
14. Hook up break away cable with carabineer to TV.
6. Trailer Break Controller in TV.
1. Confirm on and functional.
7. Site Look-Back Departure Checklist.
1. Before pulling out confirm Low branches, holes, debris, and general clearance issues.
2. Reconfirm antennae down, 4 stabalizer jacks and tongue jack raised.
3. Chocks and Lynx blocks stowed.
4. Garbage removed.
5. Cap on sewer line replaced.
6. Electrical circuit shut off and box closed.
7. Water shut off.
8. Go back and look again after pull out and circle car.

Campsite Arrival Checklist

1. General.
1. Register, obtain map, etc.
2. Identify camp site.
3. Any rules for dogs?
4. Confirm checkout time.
5. Reservations for nearby attractions, etc.
2. Site Pre-Parking Checklist.
1. Test campsite electric voltage and polarity. If problem get new site.
2. Location of sewer, water and electrical, hook ups.
3. Level of site.
4. Low branches, holes, debris, and general clearance issues.
5. Pull or back in.
3. Leveling.
1. Set up level on dinette table.
2. Level.
3. Adjust level right/left using Lynx blocks.
4. Tentative front/back level (should blocks be used or only tongue jack).
5. Unhitch.
6. Pad under tongue jack.
7. Lower tongue jack.
8. Level front/back using tongue jack.
4. Unhitching.
1. Unhook 7 pin electrical connection.
2. Insert red plugs into TV and connection.
3. Disconnect carabineer and break away line.
4. Stow connection cable and break away line and carabineer in bag, and secure to A frame with bungee.
5. Disconnect safety chains at attach to A frame.
6. Loosen tension on ProPride weight distribution jacks.
7. Use wrench to disconnect each side.
8. Remove OCL latches as each lever is disconnected. Stow in TV.
9. Loosen ProPride weight distribution hitches
10. Drive out. If not planning trips leave aligned to ease hitching up on departure.
11. Lower trailer tongue jack until trailer and TV level.
12. Close car windows dummy.
5. Outside of Trailer.
1. Front of A Frame.

1. Propane on.
2. Cabinet locked/secured..
3. 7 pin electrical connector and break away secured.

2. Door Side of Trailer.

1. 2 Wheel chocks placed.
2. 2 Stabalizer jacks lowered onto Lynx blocks.
3. Steps opened and door mat down.
4. Wooden rack in front of door step (gets off the dirt)
5. Fridge outside compartment doors secure top/bottom. Fridge plugged in (yeah, really).
6. Awning.
1. Velcro on each side of awning rods removed and tied to rods.
2. Unsecure 3 awning latches.
3. Awning opened.
4. Secure arms.
5. Rod stored in back bumper.
7. Table and Electric appliances set up.

3. Street Side of Trailer.

1. 2 Wheel chocks and Lynx blocks as necessary placed.
2. Water lines.
1. Sanitize faucet with bleach spray and run water before hook up.
2. Pressure regulator connected.
3. Outside water filter hook up.
4. Hoses connected.
5. Verify all connections tight.
3. 2 Stabalizer jacks lowered onto Lynx blocks.
4. Electrical lines connecting.
1. Turn campsite circuit on.
2. Turn circuit off before hook up.
3. Plug into trailer then into City Hookup.
4. Turn circuit on.
5. Install voltmeter and circuit tester in trailer to monitor during stay.
5. Cable for television connect and adjust control in side trailer.
6. Sewer line.
1. Sewer hook up.
2. 2^nd line, connectors, donut by intake valve, etc. as required.
7. Latch kitchen vents opened.

4. Top of Trailer.

1. Antennae raised if no cable (watch branches).
2. No branches or obstacles.

5. Underneath Trailer.

1. No rocks, debris, holes.

6. Surrounding Area.

1. Set up folding table, chairs, flamingos, etc.

6. Inside Trailer.
1. Door.

1. Master storage switch on “store”. Antennae fully lowered.

2. Dinette.

1. Kitchen appliances set up.
2. Vent opened, Fantastic fan on.
3. Table opened and set up.
4. Basket on table set up.

3. Kitchen.

1. Kitchen utensils, etc. set up.
2. Coffee mugs unwrapped.

4. Closet.

1. Check levels of gray, black, batteries, potable.
2. Water pump switch off if city water used.
3. Wifi in Motion system powered on

5. Television Cabinet Top/Bottom.

1. Pictures in frames unwrapped and set up.
2. Level, circuit tester and volt meter secured in bag on pantry.
3. Television set up.

6. Fridge.

1. Refrigerator contents set up, bungees stowed.
2. Ice block in freezer.
3. Large water bottle full and in fridge not on door.
4. Fridge control “on” for electric position. If no city power turn on propane.

7. Vanity.

1. Bathroom vanity items set up.
2. Wicker basket, flowers and toiletries set up.
3. Turn on hot water heater when appropriate.

8. Bathroom.
9. Bedroom.

1. Television control button on if cable hookup.

Towing Cheat Sheet

(Keep in Truck for Quick Reference)

1. Expedition/TV.
1. VIN_______________________.
2. License Plate __________.
3. Tire – PSI 35.
4. Lug nut torque 150 ft. lbs. [manual p. 345].
5. Height 77.2” = 6’ 5.2”
6. Gross weight 7,400 lbs.
7. GCWR (maximum car and trailer weight) 15,000 lbs. Actual 11,000 lbs.
8. Maximum towing weight 9,000 lbs. Actual 4,600 lbs.
9. Maximum tongue weight 600 without weight carrying hitch and 920 lbs. with weight distributing hitch. Actual 700 lbs.
10. 10-15% of total trailer weight should be on tongue.
11. Use lower gear to assist transmission cooling, avoid overheating brakes.

2. Trailer.
1. VIN ________________________.
2. License Plate __________.
3. Tire – PSI Goodyear ST 225/75 R15 – 65 PSI.
4. Wheel Lug nut torque

1. Check at start of every trip.
2. Check 10, 25 and 50 mile markers after purchase or tire change.
3. 110 ft. lbs.

5. Height 9’5” = 113”.
6. Length 19’2”.
7. Width 8’ = 96”.
8. GVWR = Gross weight 4,500 lbs. Actual 4,580 lbs. (full water, empty gray/black). With tongue on truck trailer weight is 3,880 (full water, empty gray/black).
9. GAWR (axle weight) 4,300 lbs.
10. Tongue weight 10-15% of total or 450-675 lbs. Actual 700 lbs.
11. UBW = UVW = unloaded vehicle weight 3,725 lbs.
12. NCC 775 lbs. CCC = cargo carrying capacity 140 lbs.
2. Emergency Numbers/Accounts.

1. Ford Roadside Assistance 800-241-3673.
2. Good Sam Club
1. Towing 800-586-7400.
2. Technical support 800-445-4457.
3. General account No. _______________.
4. Platinum Road Service No. ____________.
5. Member ID No. ________________.
3. Sky med 800-475-9633.
4. EZ Pass.
1. Tag number _______________.
2. Phone: 800-333-8655.

Home Departure Checklist

1. Pre-trip checklist.
1. Plans, confirmations, reservation, map/directions, mapquest, verify no bridges/tunnels with restrictions on www.goodsam.com. See front of Trailer Life Directory.
2. Notify police, stop mail.
3. Propane levels.
4. Fresh water levels.
5. House batteries charged.
6. Refrigerator turned on evening before departure.
7. Flashlight and camp-light batteries.
8. TV Fuel, oil, wiper fluid.
9. EZ Pass – swap car (white) for towing (blue) unit in window
10. Review Consumables and RV4TheCause supplies checklists.
11. Potable water – consider flushing and replacing.
2. Confirm taking.
1. Tire pressure gauge.
2. Work gloves.
3. Torque wrench and sockets for trailer.
4. Air compressor.
5. ProPride wrench.
3. TV/Trailer General Exterior Checks.
1. Inspect tires on TV and trailer.
2. Tire pressure on TV @35 PSI, and trailer 65 PSI.
3. Inspect lug nuts on trailer. Confirm proper torque 110 ft/lbs. Resent torque
4. Reset torque wrench to -0-.
5. Inspect and test trailer brakes and brake lights.
6. Trailer and TV level.
7. McKesh mirrors installed on doors.
8. Adjust all TV mirrors.
4. Hooking up ProPride Hitch.
1. Insert stinger into back of TV. Insert cotter pin.
2. Position back of TV toward hitch connection and direct hitch connection toward oncoming stinger.
3. Loosen tension on ProPride weight distribution jacks.
4. Back in
5. Get quite close. Align (up/down) the trailer height by raising or lowering the trailer tongue jack. Align (right/left) the end of the hitch by pushing it right/left with foot.
6. Finish backing in and Connect.
7. Use wrench to complete connection.
8. OCL latch into position as each lever is connected x 2.
9. Raise trailer tongue jack until trailer and TV level.
10. Tighten weight distribution hitches – ¼” below top of screw.
11. Connect 7 pin electrical cord from trailer to TV.
12. Stow red electrical cord covers in TV.
13. Cross and hook up safety chains to TV. (Avoid twisting to shorten to prevent drag if possible as it weakens the chains).
14. Hook up break away cable with carabineer to TV.
5. Trailer Break Controller in TV.
1. Confirm on and functional.
6. Weights – GVWR.
1. TV.
2. Trailer.
3. Tongue
7. Inside Trailer.
1. Door.

1. Lights off
2. Master storage switch on “store”. Antennae fully lowered.

2. Dinette.

1. Kitchen appliances, bagged, stowed and secured.
2. Vents closed, Fantastic fan off.
3. Lights off.
4. Interior cabinets closed and latched.
5. Table upright and secured.
6. Basket on table secured.

3. Kitchen.

1. Kitchen utensils, etc. stowed and secured
2. Coffee mugs wrapped.
3. Pots in oven wrapped and secure with bungee.
4. Close and secure stove top cover.
5. Close closet and kitchen cabinets
6. Oven and burner LP knobs off.
7. Range exhaust cover closed and secured.

4. Closet.

1. Check levels of gray, black, batteries, potable.
2. Water pump switch off.
3. Wifi in Motion system powered down.
4. Contents secure.
5. Light off.
6. Door closed.

5. Television Cabinet Top/Bottom.

1. Pictures in frames wrapped and stowed.
2. Level, circuit tester and volt meter secured in bag on pantry.
3. Television strapped and secure.
4. Bottom cabinet under fridge closed and secured.

6. Fridge.

1. Refrigerator contents secure with bungees.
2. Ice block in fridge (maintains cold while driving).
3. Large water bottle full and in fridge not on door.
4. Fridge door secured.
5. Fridge control in “off” position.

7. Vanity.

1. Bathroom vanity items secure.
2. Wicker basket, flowers and toiletries wrapped and in lower cabinet.

8. Bathroom

1. Secure shower door open.
2. Close bathroom door and secure.
3. Vents closed, fan off
4. Toilet drained/dry (small amount of water left for seal).
5. Shower off.
6. Shower head secured.
7. Light off.
8. Squeegee secure.

9. Bedroom.

1. Vent closed Fantastic fan off.
2. 2 Windows all closed and locked.
3. 2 Blinds secured
4. Bedroom privacy door and blinds stowed and secured.
5. Television control button off.
6. Dryer stowed and blue (moister absorber).

8. Outside of Trailer.
1. Front of A Frame.

1. Propane off.
2. Cabinet locked/secured.
3. Battery compartment closed.
4. Spare tire secure.
5. Locks secure.
6. Window shield latched and secure.
7. Tongue jack fully raised.
8. 7 pin electrical connector and covers.

2. Door Side of Trailer.

1. Table and Electric appliances unplugged and stowed in TV.
2. 2 Wheel chocks removed and stored in back of trailer.
3. 2 Stabalizer jacks raised. Lynx blocks stored in back of trailer.
4. Steps stowed and secure.
5. Bottom and top lock of door locked.
6. Fridge compartment doors secure top/bottom.
7. Water heater compartment door secure.

3. Back of Trailer.

1. Storage compartment.
1. Outside storage compartment contents packed.
2. Storage compartment locked.
3. Light out (packing can accidentally flip it on).
4. Dryer stowed and blue (moister absorber).
2. Bumper compartment.
1. Awning rod.
2. Sewer hose.
3. Sewer connectors.
4. 2 Latches secured.

4. Street Side of Trailer.

1. 2 Wheel chocks removed and stored in back of trailer.
2. Water lines.
1. City water hook up disconnected, filter, hoses, pressure regulator stowed. Knob closed.
2. Potable water hook up disconnected, filter, hoses, pressure regulator stowed. Panel closed and locked.
3. Water hoses drained, ends connected, stowed in back of trailer.
3. 2 Stabalizer jacks raised. Lynx blocks stored in back of trailer.
4. Electrical lines disconnecting.
1. Disconnect from trailer.
2. Disconnect from outside outlet.
3. Wind, tie and stow in TV.
5. Latch kitchen vents closed

5. Top of Trailer.

1. Antennae lowered.
2. No branches or obstacles.

6. Underneath Trailer.

1. Nothing left behind.

7. Surrounding Area.

1. Nothing left behind.
2. No branches or obstacles.
3. Lock shed.