Newbie needs help prioritizing equipment

[bghouse]

Newbie here, getting ready to buy my new-to-me RV and go full time in Aug / Sept.  I've been researching for a little over 4 years, and I've been learning so much.  Now that I've settled on what rig makes the most sense for me - which will be a Class C under 25 feet - I started making a list of things to buy.  I need a little help prioritizing to make sure I'm not buying something I don't need yet.  

I will be starting out staying at campgrounds, mostly TT parks with a membership, maybe some others as budget permits.  I don't plan to boondock initially, I feel more comfortable adjusting to the lifestyle in parks first.  Moving every 3 weeks or so in the TT parks, maybe more frequently for others, but not constantly on the move.  I will be traveling solo, and will start in the southwest for the fall / winter and then head up to Oregon & Washington for the summer for the first year - as this is the area I'm most comfortable with (lived in CA, Oregon and Washington - currently renting in Baja Mexico). Just for some context to the questions...

A big one for me is feeling confident and safe while driving, even if it's not moving everyday. I've budgeted for a backup camera that includes the side view cameras and can be used while driving, as this will make me a more confident gal behind the wheel.  The last 14 years I've driven a small 2 seater sports car, so there will be an adjustment and this camera will make me feel safer on the road.

Following on with road safety - should I do the Tire Pressure Monitoring System?  Some people I've asked laughed at me, but I have TPMS in my car and wondering if I should have it on my Class C?

I also budgeted for the TireMan valve extenders.  Should those be a priority?

The other biggie is power.  Should I get the Huges Autoformer along with the Progressive EMS?  Is the low voltage typical at the TT parks?  

And then, my last "gotcha" is propane related.  I'm really uncomfortable with the idea of propane, and was thinking of doing that conversion to have the water heater be electric.  I never run heat really, preferring to bundle up and/or a space heater to take the edge off.  And for cooking I'd prefer to use a hotplate outside, the instant pot or the grill.  Has anyone done this conversion?

I have lots of other things on my list of course, but they are all sorted into priorities already.  I will be needing to have help on these installs with a mobile tech at the site, so I have to figure the additional money in for installation - hence needing to prioritize these more costly upgrades.

Thanks in advance for your advice and input.

 

[Zulu]

1 hour ago, bghouse said:

Following on with road safety - should I do the Tire Pressure Monitoring System?
Yes. I use an EEZ TPMS system on my Class A.

The other biggie is power.  Should I get the Hughes Autoformer along with the Progressive EMS?  Is the low voltage typical at the TT parks? 
I recommend both. I use a TRCI Voltage Regulator with a hard-wired TRCI 50A Surge Guard because TRCI said that the two work together well. I'm pretty sure it's the same for the Hughes/Progressive combo.

I have found low voltage to be as much if not more of a problem than campground electrical faults, especially in summer when all the RV ACs are running. An autoformer/EMS is good insurance.

And then, my last "gotcha" is propane related.  I'm really uncomfortable with the idea of propane, and was thinking of doing that conversion to have the water heater be electric.  I never run heat really, preferring to bundle up and/or a space heater to take the edge off.  And for cooking I'd prefer to use a hotplate outside, the instant pot or the grill.  Has anyone done this conversion?
No, and I wouldn't recommend it. Going "all electric" can limit your campground choices -- in essence, you would always need a site with electrical hookup. BTW, from what I've read on RV forums over the years, people have far more "electrical" issues than propane issues.

I have lots of other things on my list of course, but they are all sorted into priorities already.  I will be needing to have help on these installs with a mobile tech at the site, so I have to figure the additional money in for installation - hence needing to prioritize these more costly upgrades.
The more you can do "at home" the better -- it will probably be cheaper and maybe better quality work than using on-the-road service.

Finally, I recommend a water filtration system. You might investigate an under-the-sink RO system as some of the water out here is not so good.

 

 

[sandsys]

Most people will tell you you can't RV without propane. Here's my experience.

My last rig was all electric with lots of solar power on the roof for boondocking although I spent lots of time in parks with electrical hookups, too.

For my water heater I would turn on the circuit breaker for it 10 minutes before I needed the water then turn the circuit breaker off. That would heat my 2 1/2 gallon water tank enough that I could take a shower or do dishes without turning on the cold water.

I used my microwave for most cooking. For other cooking I bought a one burner induction hot plate. They cook faster than other hot plates and don't heat up the rig while doing it. Your pans do need to be magnet compatible, though.

My furnace was diesel since my engine was, too. I would use a small electric heater when in a park with connections, though.

I loved never having to wonder how much propane I had left and where I was going to get it filled.

Linda Sand

[Barbaraok]

You are not going to pull a car?  Do you realize that a LOT of the TT parks on the west coast will be a minimum of 15 minutes from any sort of town - pretty areas, but without a toad, you will be having to unhook to go sight seeing, buy groceries, etc.   I know, there will be several people who will tell you that you can get along just fine without a car, but most people who start out without one are back in 6 months of less asking about what type of toad to get.  If you are going to be staying 3 weeks at each TT park,  you will be doing a lot of hooking and unhooking and that gets old real fast. 

Driving is like everything else - practice, practice, practice.   Go at the speed YOU are comfortable, never hurry, don't drive for long periods of time, avoid being near major cities in the morning and afternoon rush hours.  There is no prize for getting to the top of the pass before anyone else, nor getting to the bottom.  There will always be passes to cross on the west coast, just take your time and learn when to down shift so the transmission and engine help you to keep speed down. 

Don't bother with the auto transformer, just get a good EMS system.  We've been on the road since 2006 and have not felt the need for an autoformer with our rig.   And we use TT parks extensively, along with ROD, C2C, and AOR.  Plus LARGE number of parks, both private and membership, will state that no transformers are allowed.

Keep the ability to heat water and use the propane furnace - you just never know when you will need it.  We go through about 10-15 gallons a propane a year, depending upon cool, rainy it is when we get to Washington.  Usually use space heaters, but nice to have a good blast from furnace to take the chill off in the morning or in case you get north to fast (or a cold front sinks south) and you need to keep warm with snow flakes falling.   Check to see if your tanks have heaters or not, our Class C did. 

We use bottled water for drinking and have a Zero Water Filter for coffee water.  But then we spend all winter in the Phoenix area where the TSD in the water is over 500, you have to chew the water you're drinking.   Make sure you have a good filter setup for the incoming water when in the Southwest - the TDS (total dissolved solids) are very high, the water will end up dropping calcium carbonate precipitates (yes, I'm a chemist) and clogging faucet screens, check values, etc. 

Barb

 

 

[bghouse]

So much good info - thank you...

@Zulu - I have no "home base".  I rent a place in Mexico, the lease is ending.  No family, no home base.  Just me on the road - hence using mobile repair techs at the campsite.  And of course, learning as I go :-)

@Barbaraok - I don't have a car to tow 4 down, and I've never driven any kind of tow or trailer.  One thing at a time - I'm not ready to have everything thrown at me at once, so yes - no toad.  I just know myself and I need to conquer one thing at a time or I'll overload - plus I would want to research the car, make sure I've saved up cash, etc.  I plan to walk a LOT, and maybe even get an electric bike, but to start I'll be doing the no car thing.  Worse case a rental car when I want to sightsee. But my poor health really could use lots and lots of walking :-)

Really good to know about the autoformer - especially since you stay in the parks on the west coast where I plan to also spend a bit of time.  So I'll prioritize that to lower on the list but keep the PI EMS.  

Definitely making water filter a priority.  Propane though... arrgh..  Okay, if I keep it and get over the fear factor - how can I keep away the wasps and spiders that i've read are attracted to propane.  I'm constant spider snack food if they are around, and wasps scare the heck out of me :-)  Will the flea collar think I've been reading about work, or is that for a different critter problem?

@sandsys - induction burner on my "interior" list :-)

[Yarome]

Welcome! Sounds like you've got a pretty good handle on what's what. As far as prioritizing:

TPMS: By all means! Besides the EEZ TPMS, The TST system is very popular, reliable and top notch customer service.

Extenders: Cost to benefit and convenience? OH yes! Your tires are your "lifesblood" and not an area to skimp in. Anything that you can do to encourage good tire monitoring/maintanence is a good idea and well worth your $$'s.

Autoformer: Personally, I think it's not at all a must. I know very few people that have one, fewer that actually use them regularly, are rather bulky (when considering limited storage in a 25' Class C) and does not provide enough cost/space/benefit, IMHO. In the West/PNW CG power is generally quite reliable. Down the road, if you find that your EMS keeps cutting you off due to low voltages, you might consider one then.

Progressive EMS: Absolutlely! Their customer service and warranty are bar none. EMS's "should" be standard equpiment from the MFG, IMO.

LP: Sounds like your position on that is fairly well set so I won't bother to try and convince you otherwise. The electric water heater conversion can be done. They are not terribly efficient, but they work. One thing to consider without LP, you give up the ability for rapid heating/quick recovery (using propane + electric simultaneously). It would just require a little bit of planning ahead to ensure hot water was available when needed or keeping your water heater active throughout the day. Hot water "recovery" would be quite slow.

That being said... are you SURE yours is not already dual electric/LP? LP only is a bit rare these days. If you have an older rig, then it is certainly possible, but I would investigate further to confirm. They often have a switch to enable 120v operation located on the WH itself. 

Instant pot: Great little devices. Whenever my children leave home, they can count on three things. A 7-in-1 instant pot, a 3-cup rice cooker, and a grill. Armed with those, conveniently cooking great meals are in the bag. That being said, I don't carry one. They are a bit bulky, I have all the time in the world to enjoy cooking and a little 3-cup rice cooker can do most of what an instant pot can do. If that's you're style of cooking though.. I would never discourage anyone from getting one.

Two things I might add to your list down the road if you are going "all electric":

Cooking: Replacing your LP cooktop with an induction unit. Being from the PNW, you are obvioulsy aware that cooking outside is not always an option. A hot plate is still doable, and usable indoors, but an induction cooktop would add a great deal of convenience.

Portable inverter generator: While typically reliable, there will be times a CG may be without power. Also, when travelling from A to B, you will likely have no access to hookups. In either event, you loose everything except your outdoor grill, cold water and lighting. You can probably get by with that, but no heat is a bit of a concern. In any rig, condensation is always a concern. In the PNW.. in a 25' rig, condensation can be a beast and is going to require nearly constant venting. A blanket might be enough for you, but not having a ready heat source to allow constant venting may become an issue.

I DO know people that go all electric successfully. If you are aware of your limitations and plan accordingly, it's quite doable. I DO, however, agree with Zulu. You'll have many more restrictions and reliability issues going all electric than balancing your rig between electric and LP.

[JimK]

I recommend you spend some time learning about propane systems.  Leaks and malfunctions of any type are very rare.  In addition your nose is a great propane leak detector and your RV will have an even more sensitive electronic detector.

Without propane you will be very limited.  You will need to have hook ups consistently to run your refrigerator and hot water.  Cooking and heating water outdoors is for want of a better word, pathetic, when you have an RV with all of the necessary conveniences.

Also I suspect your reluctance to stay outside of expensive RV parks will fade rapidly.  With a small RV you will have plenty of options.  But you will need propane and a solar system. 

[bghouse]

@Yarome - thank you.  The rig will already have electric and propane, I'm just thought maybe it would be better to not use the propane.  Now if they make a propane that repels wasps and spiders instead of attracting them, I'd like it a lot more I think - hahaha.  But it's more good points about propane so I need to study more..

@JimK - yes, I believe I must.  As for staying outside parks and doing more boondocking - I would like to get there down the road but that won't be immediately.  I still work and will be spending time every day working, plus I'll need to plan for solar, etc.  

[Yarome]

10 minutes ago, bghouse said:

how can I keep away the wasps and spiders that i've read are attracted to propane. 

Um... I've never heard that before. They are not so much "attracted to propane" as they are attracted to small, sheltered, little nooks and crannies and the smells that eminate from an RV (ie., food, waste). However... there are ready made screens for about every external orifice/opening you might have. 

Such as these,  or these, or these.. 

[bghouse]

@Yarome - oooh, thank you so much, going straight on the wish list.  Those, my DM Earth and my peppermint oil and I'm rocking.  Still trying to find more about this flea collar thing.  I can never tell sometimes on these various RV forums if the information is real or just having a bit of fun with the newbies :-)

 

[Barbaraok]

18 minutes ago, bghouse said:

 
Definitely making water filter a priority.  Propane though... arrgh..  Okay, if I keep it and get over the fear factor - how can I keep away the wasps and spiders that i've read are attracted to propane.  I'm constant spider snack food if they are around, and wasps scare the heck out of me :-)  Will the flea collar think I've been reading about work, or is that for a different critter problem?
 

We've been out since 2006, and never, ever have had a problem with wasps and spiders.  Had ants once, took a while to get rid of them all as they were following electrical circuits from front to back, but finally got them all killed.  Use borax around tires/cores/hoses on the ground in an area with ants and you will be ok.

What fear do you have?  You have fittings checked annually and do any routine maintenance that your specific applicances require and you will be in good shape.  Make sure that you have a new propane alarm installed at floor level in the coach somewhere in the kitchen area.  DO NOT get one of the combo propane/carbon monoxide alarms, but one of each.  CO monitor is installed at about shoulder level in the bedroom area.  Propane is heavier than air and will sink, CO lighter and will rise.

Remember it is ok to do things is small bites and remember to sit down and breath every once in a while - maybe get an ice cream cone to indulge yourself a little. 

 

[Yarome]

14 minutes ago, bghouse said:

going straight on the wish list.

From the get go, a can of expanding foam and a bag of 0000 steel wool are your friends.  For the interior, sealing every small gap and interior entry point (plumbing, eletrical, etc.) will do wonders for keeping your interior bug free. From there.. screen up!

The pre fabricated screens are very convenient, but not required. A little screening from your local home improvement center and a little inginuity goes a long way for keeping costs to a minium.

[bghouse]

4 minutes ago, Barbaraok said:

We've been out since 2006, and never, ever have had a problem with wasps and spiders.  Had ants once, took a while to get rid of them all as they were following electrical circuits from front to back, but finally got them all killed.  Use borax around tires/cores/hoses on the ground in an area with ants and you will be ok.

What fear do you have?  You have fittings checked annually and do any routine maintenance that your specific applicances require and you will be in good shape.  Make sure that you have a new propane alarm installed at floor level in the coach somewhere in the kitchen area.  DO NOT get one of the combo propane/carbon monoxide alarms, but one of each.  CO monitor is installed at about shoulder level in the bedroom area.  Propane is heavier than air and will sink, CO lighter and will rise.

Remember it is ok to do things is small bites and remember to sit down and breath every once in a while - maybe get an ice cream cone to indulge yourself a little. 

 

Hahaha - I just walked to the corner store to indulge in a coke - needed the sugar :-)

Okay - so maybe the wasps and spiders thing is one of those 'frighten the noobs" thing - like the stories of exploding propane tanks - lol.  

Why are the combo ones a bad idea?  Because of the sinking / rising thing you explained above?

[bghouse]

1 minute ago, Yarome said:

From the get go, a can of expanding foam and a bag of 0000 steel wool are your friends.  For the interior, sealing every small gap and interior entry point (plumbing, eletrical, etc.) will do wonders for keeping your interior bug free. From there.. screen up!

The pre fabricated screens are very convenient, but not required. A little screening from your local home improvement center and a little inginuity goes a long way for keeping costs to a minium.

Okay, I can see how the foam gets used but what is the steel wool for?  I'll see if I can find a video on youtube - because I truly am that new.  I learn some basic screwdriver usage and that's about it.  Byproduct of always renting - you just call someone, hahaha.  Part of the adventure....

[Yarome]

1 minute ago, bghouse said:

Okay - so maybe the wasps and spiders thing is one of those 'frighten the noobs" thing - like the stories of exploding propane tanks - lol.  

Wasps and spiders... not so much a "frighten the noobs" thing. They can be an issue. Here's a story for you... my tow vehicle is a crew cab pick-up truck. Just this year I had been parked for 2 weeks and discovered a VERY active wasps nest about half the size of my fist located in the small door space between the drivers and rear door.

NOT a fun moment! 

Exploding propane tanks? Yeah.. that's more in the "frighten the noobs" category. 

 

[Yarome]

15 minutes ago, bghouse said:

...what is the steel wool for? 

Filling larger gaps. Large enough for a mouse or such to crawl through. They'll chew/scratch through foam to get inside, but steel woool stuffed into the gap first will deter them. 

[bghouse]

24 minutes ago, Yarome said:

Wasps and spiders... not so much a "frighten the noobs" thing. They can be an issue. Here's a story for you... my tow vehicle is a crew cab pick-up truck. Just this year I had been parked for 2 weeks and discovered a VERY active wasps nest about half the size of my fist located in the small door space between the drivers and rear door.

NOT a fun moment! 

Exploding propane tanks? Yeah.. that's more in the "frighten the noobs" category. 

EEK!  :-(

[Barbaraok]

42 minutes ago, bghouse said:

Why are the combo ones a bad idea?  Because of the sinking / rising thing you explained above?

Yes.  You want to detect where the highest concentration will be - that will be at the floor for propane (be aware that canine flatulence can cause detector to alarm ) and in your normal breathing zone for CO.

[bghouse]

Just now, Barbaraok said:

be aware that canine flatulence can cause detector to alarm

Best line ever right there :-)

[Kirk W]

It is very important to keep in mind the fact that all of us respond based mostly on our own experiences. For that reason, our opinions are not always the same. As a retired field service tech, I give  a lot of importance to electrical issues and I always use a power line monitor, either the Progressive EMS or the Surge Guard but I have never used one of the electrical boost devices and don't consider them to be critical unless you spend a great deal of time in parks that have low voltages or in Mexico. Your RV is most likely going to have a 30a power cord so get the one to match that. I never connect my RV without one.

Tire pressure monitors are a very good idea, but probably not critical. In my observation, far fewer than 50% of those out on the road has one and they are expensive, but they can save you from major tire issues. Tire valve extenders are used a great deal but it would be better to have metal valve stems that can be shaped at a tire shop to eliminate the need. I have used extenders, but they make another item to maintain. 

Propane use has a risk but that is true of everything that we do in life and it would be very expensive to eliminate its use from your RV and the lack of it would likely cramp your travel freedom.It is true that bugs sometimes make nests in the flue of propane water heaters and furnaces, but there are stainless steel screens readily available to prevent that. Converting to all electric would be very expensive. 

For your water supply, always use a pressure regulator and be sure to get one of the high volume ones to avoid restricting the flow as the cheapest ones do. I also agree that a quality water filter should be used but I would not suggest spending what it costs for an RO system as they are very expensive and are rarely needed. I have been traveling with an RV since 1972 and we spent nearly 12 years fulltime, yet have never seen the need for more than a quality filter. I use the carbon block type of filters and they have served us very well. 

Since you will be staying in RV parks at first, I would not spend the money needed to buy a portable generator until you reach a point when you may choose to stay in places that don't have electricity available. 

7 hours ago, bghouse said:

ill be a Class C under 25 feet

One thing which has not been addressed in any of the suggestions thus far is the amount of storage that you will have in a small RV and the weight limits that go with it. If you buy all of the suggested items in the thread so far, not only will you spend a great deal of money but you will probably have no storage space left for your clothing, groceries or personal items and you will most likely be far over the designed weight limits of the small RV that you are considering. Every RV has limited space and traveling overloaded can be dangerous as well and it makes driving the RV more challenging. You need to see what space and weight capacity you will have before you get too far into adding conveniences that are not really needed. 

[bghouse]

@Kirk Wood - thanks, makes sense.  I definitely am going to keep an eye on my CCC and the weight of everything.  I don't have a ton of items I own - I sold everything except what could fit in a Chrysler Crossfire in duffle bags when I moved to Mexico.    My spreadsheet that I'm using to prioritize all my additional items has a column for weight :-)

[Zulu]

What are you doing for health insurance?

[jkoenig24]

Welcome bghouse! My first recommendation would be to find and attend an RV Boot Camp. The Escapees RV Club run an EXCELLENT RVBC, often over a weekend. RVSEF, FMCA, RV~Dreams and other groups offer RVBCs too, some running up to eight days (more social events included). RVBC graduates are safer RVers and, smarter RV buyers. Some insurance companies give discounts to RVBC graduates! Mistakes made with RVs are often expensive and, sometimes dangerous. RVBC will explain and demystify all the systems found on a modern RV. The time and money spent on attending an RVBC will be an investment in your safe RVing future. Propane has the potential for disaster BUT, when used properly, propane is extremely useful for the RVer. Have you educated yourself about weight ratings? It's a VERY important topic. Many "standard" Class-C RVs leave the factory VERY close to their GVWR. Then there are axle, wheel and other ratings to be mindful of (RVBC will explain it all). You've already spent a considerable amount of time in your search. Don't waste all that time rushing to buy what may well be the wrong RV. RVEducation101.com has videos (both online and on DVD). I was able to get many of their titles through my local library (other titles I wanted that were not available at the library I purchased for $10~$25/topic). RV salesmen want to sell you whatever they have available and, many (most?) don't care if it's not the "right" RV for you. Many RVers don't find their "ideal" rig until their third, fourth or fifth purchase. Until you ACTUALLY start using an RV, it's very hard to know what will and won't work for YOU. There is NO perfect RV BUT, there's likely to be an RV that's close to perfect for you. An earlier poster mentioned the need for a toad. Toads can be very handy but, you can often rent a car from Enterprise at a good rate and, they'll pick you up! On a three-month trek I made earlier this year, I rented from Enterprise three times (14, 10 and 5-day rentals) so as handy as a toad can be, you have options. I've heard from several RVers who swear by Lyft and Uber; a bicycle can also be an alternative. Has your RV search included www.rvtrader.com? It's a GREAT resource for checking out hundreds (thousands?) of RVs and getting price comparisons. Keep posting questions here; it's one of the better forums available. Most members will answer PMs as well. Good luck!

John

 

[LFDR3116]

Like Kirk said, a water pressure regulator should be going toward the top of your list.  We have been full-time 7 yrs now and also have never had a problem with wasps or spiders and propane.  When we are parked someplace for more than a week, we do spray around our rig with Home Defense.  

You also mentioned moving every 3 wks or so and I just wanted to point out that you will get your best rates at the parks if you stay on a monthly basis.  If you are on a budget, it can make a big difference.

We use electric a lot for our water heater( it has  gas or electric) as we are usually somewhere that electric is included in our camping fee, or at host sites where it is included.  Our tank is a 10 gallon and it gets plenty hot just on electric.  We leave it on rather than turning it on and off.    It does heat faster with propane.  We use our cooktop which has electronic ignition, so it's just like using a  gas stove in a house.  Also if you think about it, many rural homes use propane to heat water, heat the home and cook , so propane is safe.  The furnace has a thermostat just like in a house and many houses have propane furnaces too.  Maybe if someone explained the safety features on the gas appliances you would feel much more comfortable.  For example with the furnace, the gas turns on but the burner doesn't light after a couple of tries, there is a safety feature that will shut the gas off.  As you get more familiar, you may become more comfortable and be able to use the features you already have in your rv.

 

 

[Barbaraok]

She is going to be using membership parks such as Thousand Trails.  There are no monthly rates, but her nightly rate will be between $0 and $10 a night depending upon her contract.   The 3 weeks is a function of the type of membership she has. 

We also keep our water heater on electric, since we are almost always have at least w/e.  Even when we have been staying somewhere for a month or more, we keep it on electric because in a lot of areas we would have to unhook and take the coach to have the tank refilled if we run low on propane.   And depending upon where you are, even when paying it might be cheaper with electricity since propane appliances are not very efficient.