I am a total newbie. We just bought our first RV. Right now, it is in a storage and we do not enjoy it. Within a year we plan to go fulltime but in the meantime we still need to work.
We have found a nice resort up north where it is cooler (we are in Phoenix!!) and we plan to rent by the month, leave our RV and go on week-ends to enjoy it in waiting we can do more. Most likely take it on trips every now and then, but it will be on its own during the week.
The question is... what to leave plugged/hoocked or not during the week? I am thinking expecially about the fridge. Is it safe to leave it running on electric? Even if we do not leave anything in it, we'd like to find it cold when we arrive. I would not leave the LP turned on when we are not here. And what about the sewer and hoses?
Is there anything else I should do or don't do?
And I know we are not there yet, but what's about the winter? it is going to be cold over there, but very little snow. We have a glacier package. Is it enough?
Thanks in advance!! Patricia
Speedhitch said
10:47 PM Jun 8, 2012
We live in our RV and travel with our jobs. We stay in hotels so the RV (house) stays at the park or on our lot at the lake. We turn the water off and the HWH. We leave the AC on 85. If your leaving it in a winter condition you need to follow the manufacturer's recommendations for winterizing your unit. Not much different from a Stix and Brix.
NorCal Dan said
05:49 PM Jun 9, 2012
Leaving a rig unattended is always a gamble. Things like air conditioners, furnaces, and fridges fail.
In the summer I would leave the fridge on, air conditioning on, water heater off, water off. To save your sewer hoses from UV I would disconnect and store them.
Winter is going to be more problematic. Water will be the major issue if it freezes. And if you leave food staples in the rig (so you don't have to re-stock every time you want to use the coach) then you will want to keep those items from freezing. Small LP tanks don't last very long so your going to need to keep tabs on them (or rent a bigger tank).
GENECOP said
01:09 AM Jun 11, 2012
We leave the Fridge on, water and LP off, Ac off, slides in, awnings in, sewer hoses connected. Gene
millwright01 said
03:29 AM Jun 11, 2012
I shut the water off. I leave my LP on.
I leave the propane on because if there is a power failure or surge, my fridge will switch over to propane. I have seen three different RV'ers have a power fail and lose a fridge full of food. The smell is absolutely horrible and will linger in the RV for a long time.
I shut the water off because I was in Montana one time and a couple went away for 2 days. They said one of their lines came apart. I came home and water was running out of every orifice in their 5er. I shut it off at the tap but it could have been running all day and did a lot of damage. I assume it was written off. He said if it wasn't he was going to trade it off the very next day after it was appraised. I always wondered why no-one had shut his water off earlier. When I got there was about 6 people looking and saying how bad that would be.
kb0zke said
02:54 AM Jun 19, 2012
"I always wondered why no-one had shut his water off earlier. When I got there was about 6 people looking and saying how bad that would be." Unfortunately, that's becoming the norm these days. Everyone is afraid to step in and help a stranger because they aren't sure of what might happen.
I've read too many stories about water problems on these forums, and sometimes they happen when people are still in the RV. I don't think I'd have any problem turning the water off first and then knocking on the door if I saw water running out of someone's RV.
patoneill said
04:15 AM Jun 19, 2012
Thanks a lot everyone for all the information. It is definitely helpful!
Hi!
I am a total newbie. We just bought our first RV. Right now, it is in a storage and we do not enjoy it. Within a year we plan to go fulltime but in the meantime we still need to work.
We have found a nice resort up north where it is cooler (we are in Phoenix!!) and we plan to rent by the month, leave our RV and go on week-ends to enjoy it in waiting we can do more. Most likely take it on trips every now and then, but it will be on its own during the week.
The question is... what to leave plugged/hoocked or not during the week? I am thinking expecially about the fridge. Is it safe to leave it running on electric? Even if we do not leave anything in it, we'd like to find it cold when we arrive. I would not leave the LP turned on when we are not here. And what about the sewer and hoses?
Is there anything else I should do or don't do?
And I know we are not there yet, but what's about the winter? it is going to be cold over there, but very little snow. We have a glacier package. Is it enough?
Thanks in advance!! Patricia
In the summer I would leave the fridge on, air conditioning on, water heater off, water off. To save your sewer hoses from UV I would disconnect and store them.
Winter is going to be more problematic. Water will be the major issue if it freezes. And if you leave food staples in the rig (so you don't have to re-stock every time you want to use the coach) then you will want to keep those items from freezing. Small LP tanks don't last very long so your going to need to keep tabs on them (or rent a bigger tank).
I shut the water off. I leave my LP on.
I leave the propane on because if there is a power failure or surge, my fridge will switch over to propane. I have seen three different RV'ers have a power fail and lose a fridge full of food. The smell is absolutely horrible and will linger in the RV for a long time.
I shut the water off because I was in Montana one time and a couple went away for 2 days. They said one of their lines came apart. I came home and water was running out of every orifice in their 5er. I shut it off at the tap but it could have been running all day and did a lot of damage. I assume it was written off. He said if it wasn't he was going to trade it off the very next day after it was appraised. I always wondered why no-one had shut his water off earlier. When I got there was about 6 people looking and saying how bad that would be.
I've read too many stories about water problems on these forums, and sometimes they happen when people are still in the RV. I don't think I'd have any problem turning the water off first and then knocking on the door if I saw water running out of someone's RV.
Thanks a lot everyone for all the information. It is definitely helpful!