We finally brought home our Jayco 23B last night. Good thing no impressionable young children live near us while he was backing it into the driveway . My husband decided he needs tow mirrors- at least on one side because he had no visibility for lane changing. What are recommendations for tow mirrors?
Also, the sales guy made toilet care a bit intimidating. But then again he was trying to sell all his products. What do people practically use chemical wise and toilet paper brand wise? Any other care musts?
Any recommendations on things to not live without accessory wise? We will be camping next weekend and for two weeks in June and could use some input .
Welcome. Can;t help you on tow mirrors, but as for the toilet.
Some people use no chemicals, some do. Personally, I do not. Never had an odor problem, if you keep the tanks clean.
#1 thing-- don;t leave the black water dump valve open at the campground when you have your sewer hose attached. The tank requires pressure to drain correctly, and if you leave thje valve open, the liquids run right out and the rest stays.
When the tank gets about 2/3 full or so, then dump it.
Before you leave the CG, close the valve again and run plenty of water thru the toilet and dump it again.
Have fun. It will all become second nature before long.
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From what we've found --- you have to buy the mirrors based on the make of your pickup. Almost any mirror that will stick out far enough to see would do.
We never use special tp or chemicals in our rigs and we've RV'd for over 40 yrs. Just use plenty of water and clean out the holding tanks after each weekend trip or when they start getting full during long term use. Honestly, they do NOT need the chemicals. Think of it this way --- you're putting chemicals into the septic systems at the dump stations....eventually those chemicals DO leach out into our environment. If you flush the tanks thoroughly they'll be fine.
What to live without......you CAN live without the Telly....you CAN live without the outside stereo/radio DO have games/books/hobbies on hand in case it rains and you're confined indoors.
Congrats on the new toy! Ok, chemicals.....yes we do use them and always have. We prefer something other than "the blue stuff" simply because of the odor of the blue stuff. Had been using a product called Odorlos, but it's getting tougher and tougher to find, so I just switched to something I can't remember last trip. There are a zillion brands all claiming to be the bet. Also a "Geo Method" and I don't know the mix, but lots use it and are very pleased - all basic household stuff you combine. Someone will let you know. Toilet paper?, you bet...the cheapie, single ply stuff and yes, we do put it into the black tank with no problems. But.......you need to add some water and your chemicals to begin with - 5 gallons give or take is a nice start. Otherwise, you'll end up with solids at the bottom with not enough liquid to dissolve them and then you'll have a ROCK. Never trust the sensors on any of your tanks - they lie. They're a nice questimate, but not trustworthy. We have always dumped at the end of each trip, but others don't and whatever works best for you is the way to go. If you haven't looked into the Tornado for your black tank you might want to check it out. We installed one our second season and love it. Helps keep things cleaner. Also suggest you invest in a clear fitting so you can actually see if you've dumped a tank or have a clog. I have used a treatment for the grey tank - sort of a lemon fragrance stuff that helps keep down odors. Thnk is also helps the bottom line for the company that makes it. I have never really noticed any odor in the grey, but if we had anything fishy or in very hot weather we added it. Maybe helpful, maybe not. Dunno. I use Dawn for dishwashing and find that it does a fine job of keeping the whole grey system clean. It's been a long time since I added the lemon-y stuff. This whole grey tank/black tank thing is not as complicated as you think right now. I'll get to be second nature. Have fun and enjoy your new toy!
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We use chemicals. Years ago I resisted using chemicals because they weren't really safe for septics. Todays chemicals are pretty safe for use. Plus the chemicals do have some cleaning action in the tanks.
When 2/3 or so full I dump my black water tank first, then dump the grey water. It flushes most of the black water stuff out of your sewer line. Flushing some fresh water through also works well. I have a wand attached to a hose to stick down into the toilet to flush the black water tank.
Common sense but any hoses I use to flush my tanks are kept totally separate from any hose I use for my fresh water. Before I hook up in the RV park I run a little water from the fresh water fauset and pour a little bleach over it just to insure everything is clean. The RVer before you may be using the same hose for everything. YUK!!
For mirrors I would check e-trailer on line. It will give you some ideas what you need.
Backing takes practice. We have all started from zero someplace in our lives. The more we back the trailer the better we get at it.
McKesh mirrors will fit virtually any truck and they are best towing mirrors I ever found. Used them for years with box trailers and fivers. Don't need them anymore - see sig.
We use Aqua Kem in the black tank. Have used it for years as well and never had any issues. Tank sensors work fine and we live in the fiver 4 to 7 months out of the year. I bought a box of 8 ounce bottles, used them and now I buy the gallon jugs and refill the small bottles, put a bottle in every time I dump. Any TP will work as long as it dissolves easily, put a sheet in a bowl and see how fast it disolves, then pick the best.
As noted, keep the black tank drain closed until over 3/4 full before dumping. When we are stationary I leave the grey tanks open, then a day or two before dumping the black tank I close the grey valves. Then I dump the black first and use the grey tanks to flush out the sewer hose.
Enjoy!
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So far, have used Camco TST orange singles. We got a sample pack with the trailer, and found them easy to use, and effective, so just stuck with it. For the gray tank, a scoop of Oxi-clean seems to work at keeping the odors at bay, also make sure there's water in the traps, that always seems to empty out while you tow. As for the mirrors, we got CIPA custom mirrors. They slip over the existing mirrors, easy on, easy off, and stable. Things that we can't live without; an assortment of hand tools for those little problems that always seem to come up, pop up gismos, or some type of solar blankets to keep the sun from baking you out of bed, leveling blocks to keep the blood from rushing to your head.
This is not to scare you or anything, but WyoTraveler is right... backing up will take practice and sometimes accidents happen. Just last night I was backing up to hook up the HTT and the van moved too quick because of a drop and I made a hole in the bumper I feel terrible even though it's just cosmetic. I'd say... take your time.
For cleaning your tanks, I do use the drop in packets and I use a clear fitting to see that the black tank's water coming out is clear. Even after 3 dumps you might see crud coming out!
Things you need to have? Here in Florida you have to have mosquito repellent and in the summer plenty of sunscreen Don't forget your pillows (I don't know why we are always missing one and I end up sleeping with a rolled up towel).
Happy camping!
as far as mirrors, need to know what you're towing with.
black tank is much easier than it sounds. always keep at least 3-5 gallons of water in the black tank.
as far as additives, Google "Geo Method" for a popular way. Odorlos are my preference but it's getting harder to find.
any septic tank-safe TP will work, don't need special RV TP.
shop at Walmart's RV section for: Lynx Levelers, 30-15amp adapter, sewer hose kit, back flush device, water regulator and any other basic RV item you might need.
tandem wheel chocks and Popup Gizmos(or the generic solar blankets) would be required items.
Dan- Firefighter, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever(RIP), 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche LS, 2007 Rockwood Roo 23SS w/Equalizer and Prodigy, and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes
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. My husband decided he needs tow mirrors- at least on one side because he had no visibility for lane changing. What are recommendations for tow mirrors?
.
I feel terrible even though it's just cosmetic. I'd say... take your time.
, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur
, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever(RIP
