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Hello Grateful Glamper, I am ordering the Toilet Bowl Cleaner, and Black and Gray Tank Treatments from your company Unique Camping + Marine...You mention that we get a 15% Discount. I have clicked on the "Activate your 15% Discount", and I am not getting it to activate so I can apply it to the order!!! What do I do to get my discount??????? I love induction stove tops coupled with an Emeril Lagasse French Door 9-in-1Combo 360 oven!!!! I agree with you on the propane stove/oven!!!! I don't like propane!!!
My parents used Corel dish set for 15 years in the Airstream they towed full time. No broken or cracked dishes. They did put non skid shelf liner between stacks of plates, saucers, bowls and nesting cups. They used a divided storage with dividers to take their stemware, too.
We use Corelle dishes in the RV. They are in the cabinet with a stacker for sorting and the bowls are stacked. The stacker shelves have non skid lining on them. I don't have any shelf liner between the dishes and I haven't had a problem with breakage or things sliding around in the cupboard. We do use the insulated drinking and coffee cups.
We have used a Gazelle longer than we have been using an RV. Our experience is that the Gazelle screen tent is AWESOME. I have rode out rain storms in the Gazelle. With full disclosure, I always stake down the tent, to include the guy lines. I love the Gazelle.
I have the same screen room. Love it. Takes minutes to set up and yes every reasonable person knows you need to stake it down. I Ed used it for 5 years.
Love Gazelle Gazebos. Going for my second one, first one was too small. Omg, it stayed in place during a tornado warning storm. Huge huge wind, ☔️ AND HAIL. we had the more beefy stakes and tied the hubs. Excellent gazebo.
When we use a canopy, we typically stake it down, but we ALSO take buckets for water to weigh it down too. Using a simpe cargo rachet strap and filling with whatever water source you have, you can add a significant anchor to the tent. In some cases, you don't even need to use stakes - just the buckets (2-4) will work. On the beach, we use 2 and never had a tent blow away on is.
Enjoy your videos. We made the same mistake when we received our Gazelle pop up gazebo, we used the included stakes which are garbage. However, we now use Walmart nail T stakes and love our Gazelle. We easily set it up in under 5 minutes. It is better than an awning as it protects against bugs and rain. It also marks our campsite as taken when we drive off in our Class B van and makes a good garage for our bikes.
Duralex glass dishes and glasses. Zero broke because of traveling. A Combo air fryer, toaster, and oven is also a must-have for us. only use the stove to boil noodles.
Great video, but... Those square yellow plastic levelers @5:09 may not work for a large RV but they work great for our 32' TT to adjust the height of the tongue jack as well as our slideout supports. They work well because we can customize the height, especially when supporting the tongue jack.
We have not had any dilemmas with our corelle dishes. I put that spongy shelf liner from dollar tree between the dishes and they are super quiet. Nothing rattles together and nothing falls out of the cupboard. We are with you on the RV covers. We’ve tried two different ones and both ended up shredded on the ground. Gave up on the RV cover. For napkins I like the square racks that have a little weight in them. After you put your napkins in, the weight holds them down so they don’t blow away in the wind. It’s easy to take outside from the middle of the kitchen table.
We got rid of Corelle pates and bowls and are trying bamboo plates and bowls. Much lighter, and no more spongy shelf liner for us! First weekend using them, and so far so good.
I live in NWFL, the YELLOW FLY capital of the world from May through August. Yes, we have AND USE a cheap Walmart screen house simply to survive. We also use the plastic leveling blocks; but, have a lightweight trailer. Correct. They do not hold up well. Paper products and plastic ware always. Never use the cook top or oven. Have an electric skillet and small charcoal kettle grill. The one thing purchased and found totally worthless was a fold down propane grill; even when using the extension house from our mounted tanks. To messy after use to store … rode home in the truck bed! Love your videos.
As far as RV covers go I bought Adco Top RV cover for our 5th wheel. We live in SE Wisconsin windy and snowy winters. The cover that I bought has 4 years of use now. Now I have done some patching on it but that was very easy with the stick on patches. I have been impressed with how it has held up being out in the elements for at lease 6 months of the year. The rig looks very clean every years when it’s uncovered.
I have a small class B and the leveling blocks work fine -- for a vehicle that weighs in at around 4 tons. I would never try using them on a big class A -- just too much weight on those tiny blocks. Since our tiny rigs have beds converted from the cushions, such as the dinette cushions, mattress toppers can be great -- but not memory foam (as you showed in the video). The best I have found is the inexpensive "waffle" type mattress cover, which gives just enough cushioning and also can be rolled or folded to store out of the way.
Totally disagree about rv cover. We had a Fifth Wheel and Truck camper in Alaska for 23 years. Nine months they are parked and we love our cover. With bought a multiple layer breathable and vented cover. The amount of dust, leaves and branches, and fading from sun it saves is amazing. Also, would never have a rv without a oven, just my preference.
@@werwer5339 You can get away with a cheaper cover but you will have to make up with some sweat equity. Cover the rig then run ropes around the entire rig every 6 feet or so. Tighten those lines down so the cover can't flap around in the wind. It's similar to how a flatbed trucker secures his tarps over the load.
I gotta say I"m glad I invested in a decent cover. But, I"m in Minnesota and store it outdoors over winter. I might be stating the obvious but they have to be strapped down as snug as possible or, yes, the wind will raise hell with it.
We actually have a Coleman gazebo tent that only takes 5 minutes to set up, fits under the awning and stands up to heavy winds. It's also easy to take down. While we have a 30 ft travel trailer, we've found that the plastic levelers work well for us.
We've been using the same model as that screened tent for almost two years now. Only problem we've ever come across was the campsite being to small to use it.
That was a gazelle screen tent you showed. Have had one just like it and also the Gazelle tent for years and many a camping adventure. What you describe never has happened to us and we mostly camp in high country Colorado. Best camping products I have ever owned.
We've done the plastic leveling blocks not worth the money for anyone in a class A, we use 4x4 wood blocks along with few 2x6s.. work good!! When parked on our property (which we live in the RV) we use railroad ties to level. I disagree on propane we love our propane stove. We don't use any electric cooking appliances, our microwave is used as a bread storage. But we boondocks 100% of the time, electricity is very limited.. We use regular dishes, put liners between, they don't move nor make noise, we've been down many narrow dirt rough roads, no broken dishes.
Fully agree with you Art. I wouldn't have a electric stove in my house....wouldn't have it in my RV. Been cooking on a gas stove for the past 50 plus years: won't change now. MUST have a oven, same issue. I agree with you Art about plates. Paper plates are a joke besides being a waste of a natural resource. Who knows what chems. are in that paper pulp mixture to make it stay together. You come to my house or RV and you will be eating with metal utensils, corelle....not paper or plastic.
Thanks for letting us know we are not the only ones. Gave out topper away after 1 2 week trip and bought a mattress for a local mattress store. Never bought pop up anything for same reason. Couldn't see them hanging everywhere. Debated for a year on a tent and decided I could sit inside with the windows open. Use Lego blocks for the tongue jack but not leveling. Our new Winnebago TT came with no oven and a convection microwave. Love it. And the list goes on. I do confess we have ceramic mugs. LOL. Safe journeys.
I’ve used our large Gazelle clam shell many times in windy conditions. Easy setup by one person, very sturdy, no problems whatsoever. Added the solid side curtains and floor. Can’t imagine what your problem was, but it is definitely a fine piece of gear.
I have the Gazelle and have had it up in extremely windy conditions and it doesn’t budge. From Texas winds to upstate NY to a nasty rain storm in New Hampshire, the Gazelle never moves a single bit and is still fully intact. It is easy to put up. I blame user error for any troubles with this awesome gazebo.
We also love our clam screen tent. Get decent stakes and use a couple ropes to stake out appropriately. It's up in 5 minutes - watch the RUclips tutorials if you're not a "tent" person. 8 years and going strong.
We have a different type but the same idea. We stake it down well and typically camp in well sheltered sites. In an open site like the one shown I could see it being a real problem.
Living full-time in an RV all I can say is to each their own everyone has a different like and dislike of products and places. Being a full-time rver is hard because everywhere I go someone wants to push their opinions on me and all I want to do is be left alone that's the point of camping for most..
Love the videos. Purchased a $150 RV cover off of Amazon & its lasted through 2 Buffalo NY winters (2-4' on the roof) without any issues before we moved to NC where it's still preforming fine in the ridiculous heat!. *It has underbelly straps that keep it secure. Our Foam topper is amazing, transformed our subpar mattress into one a comfy as our Tempur-Pedic. Personal preferences prevail. I agree on the plastic levelers, they can be sketchy on our Class A Gasser, that's our next upgrade.
We have had no issues with our “clam” screen room. I do use stainless steel stakes and I also deploy the tiedowns on the corners in addition to staking the floor down. It blew over on us once, but it was my own fault for not using the stakes that time. 🤪 one issue with it is…. On hot days that thing is warm inside, so we recommend using the shades that can be added to keep the sun out on the sunny side.
We have one of those pop up screen tents and we love it! We got a grey one, so it matches our camper (kinda). We stayed on the beach the first time we used it, and it never moved, plus my husband had it set up in less than 5 minutes-the first time! I think it’s called a quickset cube. Living and mostly camping in SC, it’s great because there are SO. MANY. BUGS. Yet we can still eat outside! I hate that y’all just didn’t get a good one.
@@GratefulGlamper Thanks! We picked it up and took it out for camping last weekend. It was so fun and my hubby and I needed a way to get away (my elderly mother lives with us). This RV has been PERFECT! Thank you!
I use the quickset Clam screen tent, and I tie a piece of paracord on at least 4 of the pull out side handles and stake them down as well as using ground eyelets. We camp near some windy beaches, no problems when set up that way.
We have the same model screen tent & we love it. It always just takes us less than 2 minutes to set it up & break it down . People at the campsite always ask us about it. We never had a problem of the wind blowing it away. We have a tent designed this way & it is one of the best tents we have ever tried. I think the wind at your campsite was just so strong that day.
Same here. I love mine and have had zero issues with it. I feel confident it could survive a hurricane. It has withstood heavy, sustained winds with no problems whatsoever.
Love this - Thanks for putting these up for all of us RVers. The thing we purchased that was a waste of money was just like you - a cover. We have a 33' travel trailer that we just bought and of course want to protect it. We live in San Diego, so you know the weather here isn't that brutal. I put the trailer over in the storage yard, about 30 minutes away and put the cover on nice and snug. Well, about a week later I received a call from the owner of the storage yard telling us the cover had completely shredded and needed me to come right over to pick up the pieces because they were scattering around the storage lot. I paid close to $200 for the cover, so I know it's not a super high-end, but I expected a lot longer than that! I contacted the seller and since it was over a month, no refund. But, they did offer the cover new as a replacement. Now what am I going to do with it? Think I might sell it and let the buyer know what could potentially go wrong. Keep it out of the sun and the wind. Then what's the purpose? Agree with you on the bed too! I think the ones they give you are about 3-4 inches thick. We purchased an actual Queen sized mattress which luckily, fit in there pretty well. Hangs over a bit a the feet, but it's worth it for the comfort. Thanks again for posting these - especially the outtakes :)
Being new RVers, we bought several of the things on this list. I guess we'll see. Last night we were talking about buying one of those mattress toppers. We went back and forth between that and just getting a new mattress. We ordered a decent mattress in the end. More expensive, but glad we went the right direction on that one. Thanks.
Great comments. We also have a class A motorhome and from our experience it's best just to use the same type of dishes, utensils, cooking stuff, etc. that we normally use at home and skip all of the gimmicky stuff marketed specifically for use in an RV. A friend gave me a stack of the plastic leveling spacers and like you I just throw them away as they break. My original (now 20 year old) 2x12 pressure treated cut lumber spacers held up but are cracking into pieces now over time. Best of luck with your channel.
We have a Gazelle from Amazon, appears to be the exact same model on your video. We love it! It was quick and easy to set up, we staked it and it survived some severe weather. We added the solid walls and enjoy siting inside the Gazelle during rain storms. The stakes it came with are pretty hefty and again, they work great. We've had it stay in place during some strong Florida storms.
So agree about the camper cover. We own a 5th wheel and the first big windy day, shredded just like you mentioned. We hadn’t gone the cheap route and felt like it was secured correctly but It was definitely an expensive lesson learned. :( We also suffered from the mattress topper mistake until we put in a sleep number mattress - probably our best upgrade!! Thankfully we have a great group of friends we camp with that have helped talk us through a lot of situations vs having to learn from our mistakes. Thanks for great content!! TT
Some of the best advice that I received when first beoming a full-time RVer was to make our bedroom in the RV as inviting, and as comfortable as possible. Like you, we ditched the RV mattress, and bought ourselved a a full-size, Sealy Posturepedic, queen sized mattress (after measuring eveything to make sure it would fit properly with the slsides in) and it, along with a couple of comfortable soft and warm down duvets have made going to bed something we can look forward to every night! We had initially tried a memory foam topper, but that just wasn't the same as a properly constructed mattress.
I just love how you slowly go towards the taco as hubby dives right in towards the burrito! Classic! One of the Biggest waste of money for us : one of those pop up trash cans. The concept is good but even the gentlest of breezes and it toppled over. The zip top really isn’t efficient, can’t keep zipped and still conveniently use. Maybe good for others but for us- fail.
We purchased the Alvantor pop up screen tent from Amazon and LOVE it. Not only does it come with steaks it comes with bags you can fill with sand or rocks for extra security. It also came with guy lines to keep the top of the tent secure from blowing over in the wind. We originally purchased this to place over the kiddie pool to keep out debris and provide all day shade. Now we use it over the picnic table when we want to eat outside, we use it at night to sit comfortably away from bugs. It holds up very well in most winds but, if it gets gusty it's time to put it away. We purchased the 10x10 room.
I enjoy your videos. My wife and I couldn't disagree more about the mattress topper. Our mattress was so uncomfortable when we bought our rig. We bought a 4" memory foam mattress 20 years ago and still love it! Our bed is so comfortable. Our diesel pusher is old too. It's 20 years old now but we too have done a lot of upgrades over the last few years. Flat screen TVs, new frig, window treatments, new 8k generator (old one died), had hydraulic jacks rebuilt (leaking issue). I could go on and on. Now we need a new roof. Will check out the place you had yours done at. Starting to wonder if we should buy a newer rig. But ours is paid for. Also, we loved our RV cover. It only lasted 5 years but made a big difference on keeping the harsh sun off of our RV and it kept it clean. It was a high quality one though. Thanks again for the videos! We just subscribed yesterday.
I have had a pop up for several years and it works great. I recommend the CLAM - Quick Set we use the Pavilion model. The only down side is it can get warm inside since it has No-see-ums screening. We set up a small fan on warmer days. I am able to set it up in 5 minutes on my own. We are in Oregon and I have used a bit of camp dry just on the seams but it has been great. Did really well during a rain storm and a group of 8 adults kept dry.
Had a fabric cover for our 40’ class A. Worked well but it was pricey, heavy and a lot of trouble to put on. My husband thought it was a good idea and he was the one putting it on.
We live in Michigan & store our camper outside in the winter. We have used a cover for 3 years now & have not had any issues. It has done a great job for us
We swapped out our propane oven awhile ago for an microwave/convention combo and a propane surface stovetop-that way if we don’t have electricity or want to use generator we can still heat something up for dinner. We like the yellow level things, but we have a much smaller camper.
I totally agree with everything you listed. Rv cover shredded after a couple of winters in Colorado. Screened gazebo blew away even after staking it down . Tank treatment, we use pinesol and calgonite beads (it’s not a septic system, it’s a holding tank!). Dishes yes, get nice plastic ones. Mattress topper, pain in the neck, buy a good mattress. Buy a good sewer hose. Poop running amok while dumping is not fun.
Wonderful video guys. Charity, listen to your cameraman/director when he says “mo better” 😂. You guys did awesome. Stay safe, stay well and happy trails
I can’t imagine ever not using my propane stove. For tank treatment, I have found the triple threat of Dawn dishwashing liquid/Zep Heavy Duty Orange degreaser/Borax. And after two years of living one month on/one month off in Phoenix and have never had the stinky tank smell. I opted for the Walmart Camping cook-set that is the ceramic over steel, just remember to have at least one or two good microwaveable bowls.
Yep... She said "stove", but meant "oven." The basic propane ovens are pretty notorious for bad temperature control, heating up the interior of the RV and generating lots of moisture in your rig. My wife and I only use our oven for storage and use the microwave or a countertop toaster oven instead.
Just before starting life as full-timer's, I had bought a set of lovely Lenox dishes and I was clamping before it even was a buzzword (and I am still using them after 25 years) 😅
I have a small Clam shelter (not your brand) screen room. Had no problem setting up and staking down and used it on the windy coast. Yours looks like a Gazelle.
I was advised to buy them along with several other items. I have not needed them so far. I thought the service department would offer indispensable. They knew I was new to rv life too.
The levelers we have look much thicker and stronger than those you showed in the video. Those looked pretty flimsy. We have a 33 foot trailer with no problems with them.
Works great on our unit, and lightweight to store, the blocks clearly labeled with a weight limit suggestion. I can definitely see why they would not work on your very large and motorized unit, but they are great for smaller towed units. But in any size, gas ovens are a disaster, totally agree.
We’ve had that exact screen tent for about 5 years, never had an issue. Though we don’t camp in a parking lot, so that might have something to do with it. Always have staked all the corners and the center points on the walls, never moved an inch during Midwest thunderstorms. Also, don’t use the crappy stakes come with it, which we never have with any tent we have ever used, but the solid 8” nail stakes bought in any camping store.
I agree on the screen tent. The one time we used one I spent the whole time trying to get out the bugs that got caught inside. I prefer just to let them fly on by.
This isn't a list of "the worst", its a list of things that you didn't like.. Those plastic leveling blocks have served me very well for many many years. They are lighter and stack better than wood blocks and don't absorb water like wood. I camp with a family that has a "pop-up" gazebo tent that has NEVER flown away and is quite enjoyable to use. They have a different brand, so maybe that has something to do with durability. I put a foam topper on my overly hard bed and love it. I'm only sleeping on it maybe 30 nights a years, so maybe it will work as well for others...just not you. Your experience is different than 75% of RV'rs. Most don't live in their RV and these products are great affordable options for many people. The products you choose are for your home. Trying to apply the same logic to an RV is very different for the majority of RV owners. I never go "cheap" on things for my home, because they need to last day in and day out. For the RV, sometimes disposable and cheap is the most cost effective item.
Wow, I'm 8 months late to this video but you seem to have gotten offended by 1/2 the items in this episode. I hated the topper on the mattress. I only use my mattress maybe 12 weekends a year. The pop up gazebo...no way. I use one only with 5 gallon buckets filled with water to weigh it down w/no wind. I only have a small 17 ft. camper but I stopped using the little blocks the first summer. I use 2, 2x6 bolted together under each jack with a strap attached to each. This list was right on for me.
I have an OZTent screen house tent, its square, which I think may be easier to put up. It literally takes 30 seconds to put up and pull down, plus stake peg time. These are around $500 in Oz and pretty good quality. There are also wall options (x3) that help stop wind coming from certain directions or privacy. Keeps flies/mosquito's at a minimum when eating outside. I love mine. I am a car camper, so it's great to have the extra room and to secure your site if you take off exploring for the day.
I have a friend in Phoenix who bought a brand new "quality" cover for his travel trailer and it got shredded during the first summer. I'm lucky, I have a RV garage at my house to park mine in.
Thanks for the low-down on these !! The bloopers at end are cute!! Awesome how your husband is supportive and positive. Behind every great women is a loving, positive, supportive man!! 🎉👏
I cover my 25' TT during the off season, use segments of pool noodles on the water spouts and at other sharp edges to prevent tearing of the fabric. Got two years out of it. A must because of the snow, ice and limbs falling from trees. Replaced my mattress with a 6" Zinus full-queen for my Murphy bed, folds beautifully, a bit heavy but still manageable. Have the adjustable water pressure regulator and the Rhino sewer hose because it's heavier duty. Having my bunks altered for storage at the top, a single bed below and a small desk. Will be getting some rope baskets for storage, great idea, thank you! Love my kitchen as it is, I use the oven with insulated baking sheets. In another video you show how you use a small picture frame with hair ties to organize your earrings, a hack I saw on RUclips shows a small spatter screen (like you'd use over a frying pan) being used to hold earrings. That's how I organize mine and it works very well. Too bad I can't post an illustration.
for winter storage we use tarps the same ones we use to cover the haybales at the farm; we get the huge ones from Princess auto, (the grey/silver ones) we use them over the horse trailers and as said, the RV and hay bales They last a few years and when you catch them on sale they are affordable
When we 1st began full timing, we bought a Gazel screen room just like the one shown, put it up on South Padre Island, super windy,, have always used 10" stakes on each leg and have never had a problem, been using it for 10 years!
"Do I look like I have Thunder Thighs." "You are trying to get me in trouble." (A man who senses danger) Top 5 answers to this question: 5) Ooh look, a squirrel! 4) Was that our kids screaming? 3) Did we leave the water running? Let me go check... 2) I dropped my contact lens. (pretend to look for it as you slip away...) 1) I think the lunch burrito is giving me gas, I'll just move away until it passes? The 5 D's of Dodgeball, Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive and Dodge. If you can't Dodge a wrench, you can't Dodge a ball!
Yellow & Orange 18”x18” blocks have served me well as boosters for not extending the levelers fully. When The levelers were fully extended, they slipped and bent the shaft - fixed with gentle sledge taps.
Hi, I bought a gazelle screen tent and had a similar 1st opening experience. After a disastrous start, we determined we were actually opening it inside out which was very easy to do the first time. We watched the video of the one guy opening and erecting the tent in 45 seconds. We wrestled with it for most of an hour. Once figuring out how to open it right-side-out we have become pretty fast at it. I have experienced high winds with ours without any issue. I will watch how we stake it much more carefully, thanks for the advice.
I have the yellow leveling things. They work great on a smaller unit. 6000lbs and my cover lasted about 5 years. I will be buying another one this year.
I had a cover on my popup trailer. It didn't shred, but it also didn't last more than two years. And it damaged some of the exterior fittings due to rubbing on them. The trusted dealership we used after we moved to this area said it clearly, "these things were made to be outdoors, so why put a cover on it?" He is right. After two travel trailers over 11 years, I just keep them clean and put a protectant on the TT every summer. All good. Also, I learned from my collector car club that a cover provides rodents with a place to hide and feel safe. Just leave it off and keep it dusted.
I have the same same pop up tent, it works great and sets up in 3 min. No problems whatsoever. Stake down with not just ground/grommets but also use the guy line loops in the upper sections of the panels. Have had it for 3 years.
On screen tents: I bought a screen kit for a 10x10 popup tent and repurposed it with some sewing into a screen for my awning. works good but a bit of a bother if I want to run an errand.
I love love love watching your videos. You always have great content and I’ve taken many of your suggestions. I agree with non-breakable everything. I use melamine dishes and have a stainless steel French coffee press (for boondocking days) and stainless steel coffee carafe for my coffee maker (for electricity days). Another full-time RVer I follow (Robin @ Creativity RV) suggested a Linenspa 3 Inch Gel Swirl Memory Foam Topper which I got and am loving it. No pressure point pain and no tossing and turning to stay comfortable.
RV cover... Depends on your environment. In Ohio, we store our class C RV in the back yard for 5 months in winter. I've used an iiSport cover on ours for 2 winters... and It's still in excellent condition. Protects from sun UV damage to the gelcoat. Don't "cheap out" on a cover... ours was a bargain at around $175. Leveling blocks... I crushed the plastic Lynx Levelers. I had hydraulic levelers installed last year. I bought a heavy rubber "stall mat" from Tractor Supply, then cut it into 1'x1' squares. They DON'T SLIP... they're indestructible, easy to store and can be stacked under the leveler foot pads OR wheels if needed. You'll toss your slippery 2x6 boards! Propane cooking... Love the stovetop... HATE the useless small propane oven. Currently researching replacing the conventional microwave with a convection style. Tank treatments... RV waste tanks are HOLDING TANKS, not "septic systems", and there's a HUGE difference. Expecting tank treatment chemicals to "break down" the contents of a black tank (like bacteria/enzymes in a septic system) is misguided. Save yourself some money and headaches... buy a jug of Tide detergent and a bottle of Calgon. After each tank dump and THOROUGH flush, add a cup of each down the toilet, followed by 2 to 3 gallons of water. That will act as a surfactant and keep $#it and TP from sticking to your tank sensors... AND - it smells fresh! P.S. - to keep your gray tank from stinking, we NEVER put food items/grease etc. down the sink drain. Wipe food waste off dishes with Clorox wipes (or similar), then only soapy water goes into your gray tank! Melamine dishes cups & plates. Paper as a backup... and great for starting the campfire!
I think she was talking about dumping the tanks into the park's septic or sewer system. If you put chemicals into the holding tanks they'll end up in the septic or sewer system at the RV park.
My screen shelter (Clam's Traveler) is a must-have piece of gear in my van, but I too had problems with wind. Staking through the grommets at ground level allowed even gentle breezes to gain too much leverage on the side walls, and if it leans too much and the canopy catches the wind... let's just say that one person's misery is another person's funny video. Since guying my hubs to ground stakes further out from the walls (I don't even bother staking the ground flaps anymore) I've been good in 25-30 mph gusts; any winds higher than a steady 20 mph mean I make do without the shelter.
We have a Eurmax pop up canopy. It's virtually indestructible as far as pop ups go. I stake it down and it never takes off. The fabric is heavy duty and it's 7' tall from the base of the fabric to the ground. Being 6'6" I was thirlled to find such a tall, well built canopy. It also has solid and screened walls available. It wasn't cheap but you get what you pay for! It also has a super easy and heavy duty carrying case. We just love it! It's where we set up our outdoor kitchen.
Classic Assessories (CA) is the cover I've been using for the last 5 years and I've had it on 2 different camper and has held up great. Wind, lose tight or whatever is has held up great.
I think those leveling pads are made more for tires to go on, not so much the leveling jack pads. Granted we have a smaller motorcoach without jacks, so we have to level with the tires but no problems.
A lot of good points that I agree with. I just switched from a non-adjustable water pressure regulator to an adjustable one. I second the use of snap pads on the levelers. Likewise, we only have a microwave convection oven, and it does all the oven cooking you need, but for a cooktop we like propane (two burners) and induction (one burner). We are in the process from switching from breakable dishes to paperware or plastic dishes. Right now, I need to improve our sleeping surface and was considering getting a topper, but I will take your advice and go for a good complete mattress.
I agree that most foam toppers are useless, especially the 'egg-crate' ones. However, memory foam was our solution. We were used to the one on our bed at home so we bought one for our Class-C from Costco. Problem solved except we had to cut it down a bit since we had a 'clipped-corner' mattress common on shorter Class-C rigs like our 24 foot Thor. Replacement longer metal stakes for the screen tent as others have suggested would probably have solved the issue. The ones we had for our tent (pre-RV) we got at a camping store they called them 'Montana spikes', If you ever camped on the front range of the Rockies near Glacier Park you will know why! Put them in with a hammer and pull them out with a crowbar. Unless you are camping on asphalt or cement they work.
I agree with everything EXCEPT the coffee cups. Often if I make coffee, I can't drink all of it immediately so I microwave it. Can't microwave metal so that wouldn't work but maybe hard plastic or disposable paper cups.
I have a gigantic 40×60 tarp that I covered my old RV. We covered it the first winter but man it was tough getting it over the RV. Needless to say we didn't cover it after that.
We did buy a clamshell gazebo from Amazon and love it! We camped in a beach campground, installed it with heavy duty T-stakes in every tab, then U shaped stakes for the tie downs. It withstood 50 mile per hour wind gusts from a heavy thunderstorm!
Ironically the “cheap” floppy sewer hose you showed is the Camco Rhino Extreme, and it costs more than the RhinoFlex. I do agree the RhinoFlex is the better hose though, unless you’re worried about people walking on your sewer hose… Then the Rhino Extreme’s exoskeleton might be a good thing for you.
I agree with the comments here. Bought but types over the years and found the cheaper one is far better. The expensive one is horrible, and it leaked at one end of the hose. Went in the trash the day after I bought it. We also use the Valterra sewer solution for uphill or difficult setups. It has served well for five years now.
I tend to agree with the segment on screen tents. Although mine was virtually the same as the one in the video, it was purchased new so it went up quickly going by the directions. Its only drawback is that it is susceptible to wind. Another problem I've encountered is the type of surface you are setting it up on. Grass is ideal so that it can be staked down as well as weighted with bricks on the floor flaps on the inside. (Mine does not have a floor, just flaps that rest on the ground). The brick technique also works if you're setting it up on a concrete slab or gravel that is just to hard to drive a stake into. Great video! Thanks for the other tips too!
Since I sell Tupperware we use most of the products for cooking, drinking and eating. We added a topper to our mattress and it made a great difference for us. Bed is super comfortable. Getting ready to go full time. Sold house and cleaning it out. Just adding pictures and favorite things on board. Looking forward to years of work traveling.
We cover our vintage 1958 Oasis travel trailer and our new horse trailer with medium weight blue tarps. We get ones that are big enough to go over the sides and we tie them down tight. We tie to the wheels, go under the trailer, etc. We fold at the corners and tie the folds. There's no place for the wind to catch it and start flapping. Since we have horses, we have the world's supply of baling twine, so we use that and replace it every time we re-tarp the trailer. The tarps last about 2-3 years.
Are you still using the AG1 product? You have always looked good but in your more recent videos.... YOU LOOK INCREDIBLE! Soooo...... PLEASE share what you are doing :) Also, I am not seeing the AG1 link. Am I just not seeing it? In addition, you really do a great job on camera. I am on camera a fair amount and sometimes the words simply don't come. Love the bloopers too!
I put my dish towels between Corelle casserole bowls and other glass. I traveled full time, two years with 5 children including one born in the class A. Too many years ago to count.
We thought the Corelli dishes were great until we stopped for lunch one day and opened the cabinet door and a plate fell out and onto the counter and literally exploded into tiny shards. What a mess. We switched to microwaveable plastic dishes.
We love our screen room thingy. Ours has eye hooks on the outside where we can tie a rope and stake it down that way. However, the problem we have with it is the space to put it up. A lot of the campgrounds just don't have the room to put it up and be able to move around the spot. And I agree those leveling blocks suck but so does wood. We had wood that got wet and the rig started to slide off it, don't know how or why but stopped using wood. We got a bigger set of black blocks instead of the little yellow ones. They seem to be working.
That napkin pooper looks like the type of discolored, sun dried, useless plastic gimmick you see in 20-30 yr old RV's that nobody's been inside of since they were installed. 😃
For us, we found that many of the RV "specific" products are just not needed or worth the extra expense. I many cases, we have put "sticks-n-bricks" items inside the RV instead and they have worked for us perfectly fine. Lowes/Home Depot Storage Bins to organize outside storage areas. IKEA and Big Lot's for inside storage bin/totes/containers. Replaced wire shelves (Pull out Pantry) with home made wood shelves. IKEA Leaf table for stationary Coffee and Breakfast Bar set-up inside of RV. Large Outside rugs from Lowes vs RV superstores. Braided plumbing lines (shark bite connectors) for sink and toilet connections vs PEX system. List goes on and on, but we have found that many of our normal everyday items we have used for decades in our sticks-n-bricks work just fine in our 32 foot Class-A.
Hey there! Thanks for watching this video! If you enjoyed it, please don't forget to subscribe to our RUclips channel! → ruclips.net/channel/UCFuE6zYaSBoN3jDDgxuVRgw For more Top RV Accessory videos → link.gratefulglamper.com/rvaccessories
We've been subscribers for many months. We met you in Tampa and still LOVE our coffee cups
I remember you guys! Glad you love the coffee cups and hope to run into you again on the road.
Hello Grateful Glamper,
I am ordering the Toilet Bowl Cleaner, and Black and Gray Tank Treatments from your company Unique Camping + Marine...You mention that we get a 15% Discount. I have clicked on the "Activate your 15% Discount", and I am not getting it to activate so I can apply it to the order!!! What do I do to get my discount???????
I love induction stove tops coupled with an Emeril Lagasse French Door 9-in-1Combo 360 oven!!!! I agree with you on the propane stove/oven!!!! I don't like propane!!!
Not much use if you don't tell us the brands that failed.
Why does your audio have an echo like you're recording in a room when you're clearly standing outside in a lot of your shots?
My parents used Corel dish set for 15 years in the Airstream they towed full time. No broken or cracked dishes. They did put non skid shelf liner between stacks of plates, saucers, bowls and nesting cups. They used a divided storage with dividers to take their stemware, too.
So do we. They work fine if you pack and store them properly. We do have plastic wine and drink glasses however along with metal coffee and tea mugs.
Yes, I have packing sheets in between my Corel plates and I use old socks to store coffee mugs in. Great padding for them.
We use Corelle dishes in the RV. They are in the cabinet with a stacker for sorting and the bowls are stacked. The stacker shelves have non skid lining on them. I don't have any shelf liner between the dishes and I haven't had a problem with breakage or things sliding around in the cupboard. We do use the insulated drinking and coffee cups.
We have used a Gazelle longer than we have been using an RV. Our experience is that the Gazelle screen tent is AWESOME. I have rode out rain storms in the Gazelle. With full disclosure, I always stake down the tent, to include the guy lines. I love the Gazelle.
Good to know, thanks for the comment
I have the same screen room. Love it. Takes minutes to set up and yes every reasonable person knows you need to stake it down. I Ed used it for 5 years.
I have the same screen room. Literally can set it up on like 2 minutes. Gotta stake it down. But it works wonderful.
Love Gazelle Gazebos. Going for my second one, first one was too small. Omg, it stayed in place during a tornado warning storm. Huge huge wind, ☔️ AND HAIL. we had the more beefy stakes and tied the hubs. Excellent gazebo.
Very helpful. We just bought our first travel trailer, and we're glad to benefit from the wisdom of more experienced glampers like you.
When we use a canopy, we typically stake it down, but we ALSO take buckets for water to weigh it down too. Using a simpe cargo rachet strap and filling with whatever water source you have, you can add a significant anchor to the tent. In some cases, you don't even need to use stakes - just the buckets (2-4) will work. On the beach, we use 2 and never had a tent blow away on is.
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Enjoy your videos. We made the same mistake when we received our Gazelle pop up gazebo, we used the included stakes which are garbage. However, we now use Walmart nail T stakes and love our Gazelle. We easily set it up in under 5 minutes. It is better than an awning as it protects against bugs and rain. It also marks our campsite as taken when we drive off in our Class B van and makes a good garage for our bikes.
Duralex glass dishes and glasses. Zero broke because of traveling. A Combo air fryer, toaster, and oven is also a must-have for us. only use the stove to boil noodles.
What combo air fryer, toaster and oven can you recommend?
Tupperware makes an AMAZING pasta maker you use in the microwave. Cooks any type pasta and it tastes incredible and SO easy!!
Great video, but... Those square yellow plastic levelers @5:09 may not work for a large RV but they work great for our 32' TT to adjust the height of the tongue jack as well as our slideout supports. They work well because we can customize the height, especially when supporting the tongue jack.
And my 22ft. Years!
We have not had any dilemmas with our corelle dishes. I put that spongy shelf liner from dollar tree between the dishes and they are super quiet. Nothing rattles together and nothing falls out of the cupboard. We are with you on the RV covers. We’ve tried two different ones and both ended up shredded on the ground. Gave up on the RV cover. For napkins I like the square racks that have a little weight in them. After you put your napkins in, the weight holds them down so they don’t blow away in the wind. It’s easy to take outside from the middle of the kitchen table.
Thanks for watching and for the comment! Happy camping :)
We got rid of Corelle pates and bowls and are trying bamboo plates and bowls. Much lighter, and no more spongy shelf liner for us! First weekend using them, and so far so good.
@@cindyjaeger5512 let us know how they hold up to washing, etc. I don’t care much for paper plates most of the time. Having an option would be good.
I live in NWFL, the YELLOW FLY capital of the world from May through August. Yes, we have AND USE a cheap Walmart screen house simply to survive.
We also use the plastic leveling blocks; but, have a lightweight trailer. Correct. They do not hold up well.
Paper products and plastic ware always.
Never use the cook top or oven. Have an electric skillet and small charcoal kettle grill.
The one thing purchased and found totally worthless was a fold down propane grill; even when using the extension house from our mounted tanks. To messy after use to store … rode home in the truck bed!
Love your videos.
Thanks for the comment and for watching 💙
As far as RV covers go I bought Adco Top RV cover for our 5th wheel. We live in SE Wisconsin windy and snowy winters. The cover that I bought has 4 years of use now. Now I have done some patching on it but that was very easy with the stick on patches. I have been impressed with how it has held up being out in the elements for at lease 6 months of the year. The rig looks very clean every years when it’s uncovered.
Thanks for sharing!
I agree. I have the same brand but it was custom made for my RPod 189. The cover is 2 years old and has held up great in the South Florida weather.
We have an Adco going on 5 years in Michigan winters and haven't had any issues. 🤞
We boondock and use our gas oven enough that I would never get rid of it. Love the rest of the video!
Thanks for watching and for the comment
Is it a propane oven? I'm new to all this
@@happycook6737 Yes, when looking at units looking old for ovens vs just cooktops.
We love our propane oven and cooktop. Fast even heat, no issues. We also have a convection microwave, which gives us two ovens.
I have a small class B and the leveling blocks work fine -- for a vehicle that weighs in at around 4 tons. I would never try using them on a big class A -- just too much weight on those tiny blocks. Since our tiny rigs have beds converted from the cushions, such as the dinette cushions, mattress toppers can be great -- but not memory foam (as you showed in the video). The best I have found is the inexpensive "waffle" type mattress cover, which gives just enough cushioning and also can be rolled or folded to store out of the way.
Totally disagree about rv cover. We had a Fifth Wheel and Truck camper in Alaska for 23 years. Nine months they are parked and we love our cover. With bought a multiple layer breathable and vented cover. The amount of dust, leaves and branches, and fading from sun it saves is amazing. Also, would never have a rv without a oven, just my preference.
What you meant to say was ,Totally agree about crap rv cover.
@@werwer5339 You can get away with a cheaper cover but you will have to make up with some sweat equity. Cover the rig then run ropes around the entire rig every 6 feet or so. Tighten those lines down so the cover can't flap around in the wind. It's similar to how a flatbed trucker secures his tarps over the load.
@@cgirl111 good point. Was thinking of getting one to reduce the UV damage to a lot of my RV parts.
I gotta say I"m glad I invested in a decent cover. But, I"m in Minnesota and store it outdoors over winter. I might be stating the obvious but they have to be strapped down as snug as possible or, yes, the wind will raise hell with it.
@@hedbangcentral5334 what kind did you get? Can you share a link? Thanks!
Love our trailer cover. You want to snug it up. Also, we place tennis balls or pool noodle product over sharp areas, such as, gutter spouts.
Good idea
Tennis balls, great idea, thanks
What kind of cover did you buy?
We actually have a Coleman gazebo tent that only takes 5 minutes to set up, fits under the awning and stands up to heavy winds. It's also easy to take down. While we have a 30 ft travel trailer, we've found that the plastic levelers work well for us.
We've been using the same model as that screened tent for almost two years now. Only problem we've ever come across was the campsite being to small to use it.
That was a gazelle screen tent you showed. Have had one just like it and also the Gazelle tent for years and many a camping adventure. What you describe never has happened to us and we mostly camp in high country Colorado. Best camping products I have ever owned.
Love your videos! We're RV newbies and these videos on specific products have been so useful. Thank you!
Awesome, thanks for watching
We've done the plastic leveling blocks not worth the money for anyone in a class A, we use 4x4 wood blocks along with few 2x6s.. work good!! When parked on our property (which we live in the RV) we use railroad ties to level.
I disagree on propane we love our propane stove. We don't use any electric cooking appliances, our microwave is used as a bread storage. But we boondocks 100% of the time, electricity is very limited..
We use regular dishes, put liners between, they don't move nor make noise, we've been down many narrow dirt rough roads, no broken dishes.
Fully agree with you Art. I wouldn't have a electric stove in my house....wouldn't have it in my RV. Been cooking on a gas stove for the past 50 plus years: won't change now. MUST have a oven, same issue.
I agree with you Art about plates. Paper plates are a joke besides being a waste of a natural resource. Who knows what chems. are in that paper pulp mixture to make it stay together. You come to my house or RV and you will be eating with metal utensils, corelle....not paper or plastic.
@@richardkoch8752BobbleHead Joey O'Biden is coming for your gas stove!
Thanks for letting us know we are not the only ones. Gave out topper away after 1 2 week trip and bought a mattress for a local mattress store. Never bought pop up anything for same reason. Couldn't see them hanging everywhere. Debated for a year on a tent and decided I could sit inside with the windows open. Use Lego blocks for the tongue jack but not leveling. Our new Winnebago TT came with no oven and a convection microwave. Love it. And the list goes on. I do confess we have ceramic mugs. LOL. Safe journeys.
Thanks and happy camping
Great video and advice. You are ABSOLUTELY correct about getting rid of the stock RV mattress and get a good mattress like you use at home.
Thanks for watching
Yes! With a good night's sleep we can take on the world. 😂
Same. The stock mattress hurt my wife’s back a lot. Now we get great sleep.
I’ve used our large Gazelle clam shell many times in windy conditions. Easy setup by one person, very sturdy, no problems whatsoever. Added the solid side curtains and floor. Can’t imagine what your problem was, but it is definitely a fine piece of gear.
The wind picks up like a sail on the roof and up it goes.
Same here. We have a Clam and have never had a problem. We have used it for several years now without a hiccup.
I have the Gazelle and have had it up in extremely windy conditions and it doesn’t budge. From Texas winds to upstate NY to a nasty rain storm in New Hampshire, the Gazelle never moves a single bit and is still fully intact. It is easy to put up. I blame user error for any troubles with this awesome gazebo.
We also love our clam screen tent. Get decent stakes and use a couple ropes to stake out appropriately. It's up in 5 minutes - watch the RUclips tutorials if you're not a "tent" person. 8 years and going strong.
We have a different type but the same idea. We stake it down well and typically camp in well sheltered sites. In an open site like the one shown I could see it being a real problem.
We pulled our camper mattress (junk) and put in a Casper. Love it!
I’ve had a quick-set by clam for 3 years and never had issues with as you expressed. I secured it with tie downs (provided) and stakes.
We have a gauge we check the tap pressure with and now have a high end adjustable water reg with a built-in gauge, a must have!
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Living full-time in an RV all I can say is to each their own everyone has a different like and dislike of products and places. Being a full-time rver is hard because everywhere I go someone wants to push their opinions on me and all I want to do is be left alone that's the point of camping for most..
Sounds like you should be frequent boondocker rather than a campgrounder.
Lol, skip these kinds of videos.
Love the videos. Purchased a $150 RV cover off of Amazon & its lasted through 2 Buffalo NY winters (2-4' on the roof) without any issues before we moved to NC where it's still preforming fine in the ridiculous heat!. *It has underbelly straps that keep it secure. Our Foam topper is amazing, transformed our subpar mattress into one a comfy as our Tempur-Pedic. Personal preferences prevail. I agree on the plastic levelers, they can be sketchy on our Class A Gasser, that's our next upgrade.
Thanks for sharing and watching
We have had no issues with our “clam” screen room. I do use stainless steel stakes and I also deploy the tiedowns on the corners in addition to staking the floor down. It blew over on us once, but it was my own fault for not using the stakes that time. 🤪 one issue with it is…. On hot days that thing is warm inside, so we recommend using the shades that can be added to keep the sun out on the sunny side.
We have one of those pop up screen tents and we love it! We got a grey one, so it matches our camper (kinda). We stayed on the beach the first time we used it, and it never moved, plus my husband had it set up in less than 5 minutes-the first time! I think it’s called a quickset cube. Living and mostly camping in SC, it’s great because there are SO. MANY. BUGS. Yet we can still eat outside! I hate that y’all just didn’t get a good one.
We are picking up our new RV next Friday and I am pretty nervous as we have never had an RV before. Thank you for the tips. Very helpful!
How exciting! Best wishes in your travels!
That's exciting! Happy travels.
@@GratefulGlamper Thanks! We picked it up and took it out for camping last weekend. It was so fun and my hubby and I needed a way to get away (my elderly mother lives with us). This RV has been PERFECT! Thank you!
@@happycook6737 Thanks so much! We are having fun!
I use the quickset Clam screen tent, and I tie a piece of paracord on at least 4 of the pull out side handles and stake them down as well as using ground eyelets. We camp near some windy beaches, no problems when set up that way.
Good to know, thanks for sharing
We have the same model screen tent & we love it. It always just takes us less than 2 minutes to set it up & break it down . People at the campsite always ask us about it. We never had a problem of the wind blowing it away. We have a tent designed this way & it is one of the best tents we have ever tried. I think the wind at your campsite was just so strong that day.
Same here. I love mine and have had zero issues with it. I feel confident it could survive a hurricane. It has withstood heavy, sustained winds with no problems whatsoever.
I have a pop up paper plate holder in my home and LOVE it. It is in my pantry out of the way. May put one in our new RV Pantry.
Love this - Thanks for putting these up for all of us RVers. The thing we purchased that was a waste of money was just like you - a cover. We have a 33' travel trailer that we just bought and of course want to protect it. We live in San Diego, so you know the weather here isn't that brutal. I put the trailer over in the storage yard, about 30 minutes away and put the cover on nice and snug. Well, about a week later I received a call from the owner of the storage yard telling us the cover had completely shredded and needed me to come right over to pick up the pieces because they were scattering around the storage lot. I paid close to $200 for the cover, so I know it's not a super high-end, but I expected a lot longer than that! I contacted the seller and since it was over a month, no refund. But, they did offer the cover new as a replacement. Now what am I going to do with it? Think I might sell it and let the buyer know what could potentially go wrong. Keep it out of the sun and the wind. Then what's the purpose? Agree with you on the bed too! I think the ones they give you are about 3-4 inches thick. We purchased an actual Queen sized mattress which luckily, fit in there pretty well. Hangs over a bit a the feet, but it's worth it for the comfort.
Thanks again for posting these - especially the outtakes :)
Thanks for watching
Being new RVers, we bought several of the things on this list. I guess we'll see. Last night we were talking about buying one of those mattress toppers. We went back and forth between that and just getting a new mattress. We ordered a decent mattress in the end. More expensive, but glad we went the right direction on that one. Thanks.
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Great comments. We also have a class A motorhome and from our experience it's best just to use the same type of dishes, utensils, cooking stuff, etc. that we normally use at home and skip all of the gimmicky stuff marketed specifically for use in an RV. A friend gave me a stack of the plastic leveling spacers and like you I just throw them away as they break. My original (now 20 year old) 2x12 pressure treated cut lumber spacers held up but are cracking into pieces now over time. Best of luck with your channel.
Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching
We have a Gazelle from Amazon, appears to be the exact same model on your video. We love it! It was quick and easy to set up, we staked it and it survived some severe weather. We added the solid walls and enjoy siting inside the Gazelle during rain storms. The stakes it came with are pretty hefty and again, they work great. We've had it stay in place during some strong Florida storms.
So agree about the camper cover. We own a 5th wheel and the first big windy day, shredded just like you mentioned. We hadn’t gone the cheap route and felt like it was secured correctly but It was definitely an expensive lesson learned. :( We also suffered from the mattress topper mistake until we put in a sleep number mattress - probably our best upgrade!! Thankfully we have a great group of friends we camp with that have helped talk us through a lot of situations vs having to learn from our mistakes. Thanks for great content!! TT
Thanks for watching
Some of the best advice that I received when first beoming a full-time RVer was to make our bedroom in the RV as inviting, and as comfortable as possible. Like you, we ditched the RV mattress, and bought ourselved a a full-size, Sealy Posturepedic, queen sized mattress (after measuring eveything to make sure it would fit properly with the slsides in) and it, along with a couple of comfortable soft and warm down duvets have made going to bed something we can look forward to every night! We had initially tried a memory foam topper, but that just wasn't the same as a properly constructed mattress.
I just love how you slowly go towards the taco as hubby dives right in towards the burrito! Classic! One of the Biggest waste of money for us : one of those pop up trash cans. The concept is good but even the gentlest of breezes and it toppled over. The zip top really isn’t efficient, can’t keep zipped and still conveniently use. Maybe good for others but for us- fail.
Agree! We ditched ours too
@Jim Lytle fabulous idea!
SO GLAD to See Your Comment,
as I Was fixing to Purchase This!
We purchased the Alvantor pop up screen tent from Amazon and LOVE it. Not only does it come with steaks it comes with bags you can fill with sand or rocks for extra security. It also came with guy lines to keep the top of the tent secure from blowing over in the wind. We originally purchased this to place over the kiddie pool to keep out debris and provide all day shade. Now we use it over the picnic table when we want to eat outside, we use it at night to sit comfortably away from bugs. It holds up very well in most winds but, if it gets gusty it's time to put it away. We purchased the 10x10 room.
Good to know!
I enjoy your videos. My wife and I couldn't disagree more about the mattress topper. Our mattress was so uncomfortable when we bought our rig. We bought a 4" memory foam mattress 20 years ago and still love it! Our bed is so comfortable. Our diesel pusher is old too. It's 20 years old now but we too have done a lot of upgrades over the last few years. Flat screen TVs, new frig, window treatments, new 8k generator (old one died), had hydraulic jacks rebuilt (leaking issue). I could go on and on. Now we need a new roof. Will check out the place you had yours done at. Starting to wonder if we should buy a newer rig. But ours is paid for. Also, we loved our RV cover. It only lasted 5 years but made a big difference on keeping the harsh sun off of our RV and it kept it clean. It was a high quality one though. Thanks again for the videos! We just subscribed yesterday.
I have had a pop up for several years and it works great. I recommend the CLAM - Quick Set we use the Pavilion model. The only down side is it can get warm inside since it has No-see-ums screening. We set up a small fan on warmer days. I am able to set it up in 5 minutes on my own. We are in Oregon and I have used a bit of camp dry just on the seams but it has been great. Did really well during a rain storm and a group of 8 adults kept dry.
Had a fabric cover for our 40’ class A. Worked well but it was pricey, heavy and a lot of trouble to put on. My husband thought it was a good idea and he was the one putting it on.
We live in Michigan & store our camper outside in the winter. We have used a cover for 3 years now & have not had any issues. It has done a great job for us
Good to know!
We swapped out our propane oven awhile ago for an microwave/convention combo and a propane surface stovetop-that way if we don’t have electricity or want to use generator we can still heat something up for dinner.
We like the yellow level things, but we have a much smaller camper.
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I totally agree with everything you listed. Rv cover shredded after a couple of winters in Colorado. Screened gazebo blew away even after staking it down . Tank treatment, we use pinesol and calgonite beads (it’s not a septic system, it’s a holding tank!). Dishes yes, get nice plastic ones. Mattress topper, pain in the neck, buy a good mattress. Buy a good sewer hose. Poop running amok while dumping is not fun.
Wonderful video guys. Charity, listen to your cameraman/director when he says “mo better” 😂. You guys did awesome. Stay safe, stay well and happy trails
Thanks and happy camping 😉
I like the "pop-a" products. Plate, bowl, and napkins...used em for years...love em...
I can’t imagine ever not using my propane stove.
For tank treatment, I have found the triple threat of Dawn dishwashing liquid/Zep Heavy Duty Orange degreaser/Borax. And after two years of living one month on/one month off in Phoenix and have never had the stinky tank smell.
I opted for the Walmart Camping cook-set that is the ceramic over steel, just remember to have at least one or two good microwaveable bowls.
Yep... She said "stove", but meant "oven." The basic propane ovens are pretty notorious for bad temperature control, heating up the interior of the RV and generating lots of moisture in your rig.
My wife and I only use our oven for storage and use the microwave or a countertop toaster oven instead.
Same here, except no ZEP. I'm going to try it now I read this.
I love love my Gazelle pop up screen, I staked it and also on the cords in middle of the window screen, never flew away
Just before starting life as full-timer's, I had bought a set of lovely Lenox dishes and I was clamping before it even was a buzzword (and I am still using them after 25 years) 😅
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I have a small Clam shelter (not your brand) screen room. Had no problem setting up and staking down and used it on the windy coast. Yours looks like a Gazelle.
I do use those plastic leveling blocks without issues, but I have a 27 foot unit. I think the size of my rig might be why they work.
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I was advised to buy them along with several other items. I have not needed them so far. I thought the service department would offer indispensable. They knew I was new to rv life too.
The levelers we have look much thicker and stronger than those you showed in the video. Those looked pretty flimsy. We have a 33 foot trailer with no problems with them.
Works great on our unit, and lightweight to store, the blocks clearly labeled with a weight limit suggestion. I can definitely see why they would not work on your very large and motorized unit, but they are great for smaller towed units. But in any size, gas ovens are a disaster, totally agree.
Love your station! Ready to get on the road … first timer at 62 y.o., in a Casita. Esp like the bloopers! Shows your funny personality!
Thanks for watching and safe travels
We’ve had that exact screen tent for about 5 years, never had an issue. Though we don’t camp in a parking lot, so that might have something to do with it. Always have staked all the corners and the center points on the walls, never moved an inch during Midwest thunderstorms. Also, don’t use the crappy stakes come with it, which we never have with any tent we have ever used, but the solid 8” nail stakes bought in any camping store.
I made my own from 1/4" stainless steel rod.
I have a gazebo mesh tent that I sleep in quite often. The way I secure it is to put sandbags on the stronger frame poles; never had it blow away.
I agree on the screen tent. The one time we used one I spent the whole time trying to get out the bugs that got caught inside. I prefer just to let them fly on by.
We have a cooling, egg crate style, memory foam mattress topper. We use the same one at our home and our son’s. Makes a huge difference.
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This isn't a list of "the worst", its a list of things that you didn't like.. Those plastic leveling blocks have served me very well for many many years. They are lighter and stack better than wood blocks and don't absorb water like wood. I camp with a family that has a "pop-up" gazebo tent that has NEVER flown away and is quite enjoyable to use. They have a different brand, so maybe that has something to do with durability. I put a foam topper on my overly hard bed and love it. I'm only sleeping on it maybe 30 nights a years, so maybe it will work as well for others...just not you. Your experience is different than 75% of RV'rs. Most don't live in their RV and these products are great affordable options for many people. The products you choose are for your home. Trying to apply the same logic to an RV is very different for the majority of RV owners. I never go "cheap" on things for my home, because they need to last day in and day out. For the RV, sometimes disposable and cheap is the most cost effective item.
Thanks for sharing
Wow, I'm 8 months late to this video but you seem to have gotten offended by 1/2 the items in this episode.
I hated the topper on the mattress. I only use my mattress maybe 12 weekends a year. The pop up gazebo...no way. I use one only with 5 gallon buckets filled with water to weigh it down w/no wind. I only have a small 17 ft. camper but I stopped using the little blocks the first summer. I use 2, 2x6 bolted together under each jack with a strap attached to each.
This list was right on for me.
CLAM gazebos are tops. Easy set up, durable but you MUST stake and tether well ANY gazebo/tent can be affected by high winds.
I have an OZTent screen house tent, its square, which I think may be easier to put up. It literally takes 30 seconds to put up and pull down, plus stake peg time. These are around $500 in Oz and pretty good quality. There are also wall options (x3) that help stop wind coming from certain directions or privacy. Keeps flies/mosquito's at a minimum when eating outside. I love mine. I am a car camper, so it's great to have the extra room and to secure your site if you take off exploring for the day.
I have a friend in Phoenix who bought a brand new "quality" cover for his travel trailer and it got shredded during the first summer. I'm lucky, I have a RV garage at my house to park mine in.
👍🏻 An Rv garage would be awesome!
I store my MH in a cave. Never have to winterize and very secure.
Thanks for the low-down on these !! The bloopers at end are cute!! Awesome how your husband is supportive and positive. Behind every great women is a loving, positive, supportive man!! 🎉👏
He’s a keeper!
We put a 2 inch made in USA mattress topper on our new Entegra motorhome and it is actually very comfortable. Thanks for your suggestions.
Thanks for watching
I cover my 25' TT during the off season, use segments of pool noodles on the water spouts and at other sharp edges to prevent tearing of the fabric. Got two years out of it. A must because of the snow, ice and limbs falling from trees. Replaced my mattress with a 6" Zinus full-queen for my Murphy bed, folds beautifully, a bit heavy but still manageable. Have the adjustable water pressure regulator and the Rhino sewer hose because it's heavier duty. Having my bunks altered for storage at the top, a single bed below and a small desk. Will be getting some rope baskets for storage, great idea, thank you! Love my kitchen as it is, I use the oven with insulated baking sheets.
In another video you show how you use a small picture frame with hair ties to organize your earrings, a hack I saw on RUclips shows a small spatter screen (like you'd use over a frying pan) being used to hold earrings. That's how I organize mine and it works very well. Too bad I can't post an illustration.
for winter storage we use tarps the same ones we use to cover the haybales at the farm; we get the huge ones from Princess auto, (the grey/silver ones) we use them over the horse trailers and as said, the RV and hay bales They last a few years and when you catch them on sale they are affordable
When we 1st began full timing, we bought a Gazel screen room just like the one shown, put it up on South Padre Island, super windy,, have always used 10" stakes on each leg and have never had a problem, been using it for 10 years!
Good to know.
"Do I look like I have Thunder Thighs."
"You are trying to get me in trouble." (A man who senses danger)
Top 5 answers to this question:
5) Ooh look, a squirrel!
4) Was that our kids screaming?
3) Did we leave the water running? Let me go check...
2) I dropped my contact lens. (pretend to look for it as you slip away...)
1) I think the lunch burrito is giving me gas, I'll just move away until it passes?
The 5 D's of Dodgeball, Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive and Dodge. If you can't Dodge a wrench, you can't Dodge a ball!
Personally, yes, she does have thunder thighs, but they looked very good on her.
Having a diesel pusher - $400K Getting a new mattress - $1,200. Asking about "thunder thighs" - priceless.
Yellow & Orange 18”x18” blocks have served me well as boosters for not extending the levelers fully. When The levelers were fully extended, they slipped and bent the shaft - fixed with gentle sledge taps.
Hi, I bought a gazelle screen tent and had a similar 1st opening experience. After a disastrous start, we determined we were actually opening it inside out which was very easy to do the first time. We watched the video of the one guy opening and erecting the tent in 45 seconds. We wrestled with it for most of an hour. Once figuring out how to open it right-side-out we have become pretty fast at it. I have experienced high winds with ours without any issue. I will watch how we stake it much more carefully, thanks for the advice.
Thanks for sharing
I have the yellow leveling things. They work great on a smaller unit. 6000lbs and my cover lasted about 5 years. I will be buying another one this year.
I had a cover on my popup trailer. It didn't shred, but it also didn't last more than two years. And it damaged some of the exterior fittings due to rubbing on them. The trusted dealership we used after we moved to this area said it clearly, "these things were made to be outdoors, so why put a cover on it?" He is right. After two travel trailers over 11 years, I just keep them clean and put a protectant on the TT every summer. All good. Also, I learned from my collector car club that a cover provides rodents with a place to hide and feel safe. Just leave it off and keep it dusted.
I had mold problems in Florida using covers on my car camper and boat and never covered them even damp.
I have the same same pop up tent, it works great and sets up in 3 min. No problems whatsoever. Stake down with not just ground/grommets but also use the guy line loops in the upper sections of the panels. Have had it for 3 years.
Good to know, thanks for watching and for the comment
thank you for all your advice. I bought an RV this year, and watched lots of your videos first.
Glad to help
On screen tents: I bought a screen kit for a 10x10 popup tent and repurposed it with some sewing into a screen for my awning. works good but a bit of a bother if I want to run an errand.
I love love love watching your videos. You always have great content and I’ve taken many of your suggestions. I agree with non-breakable everything. I use melamine dishes and have a stainless steel French coffee press (for boondocking days) and stainless steel coffee carafe for my coffee maker (for electricity days). Another full-time RVer I follow (Robin @ Creativity RV) suggested a Linenspa 3 Inch Gel Swirl Memory Foam Topper which I got and am loving it. No pressure point pain and no tossing and turning to stay comfortable.
Great tips - thanks for sharing
RV cover...
Depends on your environment. In Ohio, we store our class C RV in the back yard for 5 months in winter. I've used an iiSport cover on ours for 2 winters... and It's still in excellent condition. Protects from sun UV damage to the gelcoat. Don't "cheap out" on a cover... ours was a bargain at around $175.
Leveling blocks...
I crushed the plastic Lynx Levelers. I had hydraulic levelers installed last year. I bought a heavy rubber "stall mat" from Tractor Supply, then cut it into 1'x1' squares. They DON'T SLIP... they're indestructible, easy to store and can be stacked under the leveler foot pads OR wheels if needed. You'll toss your slippery 2x6 boards!
Propane cooking...
Love the stovetop... HATE the useless small propane oven. Currently researching replacing the conventional microwave with a convection style.
Tank treatments...
RV waste tanks are HOLDING TANKS, not "septic systems", and there's a HUGE difference. Expecting tank treatment chemicals to "break down" the contents of a black tank (like bacteria/enzymes in a septic system) is misguided. Save yourself some money and headaches... buy a jug of Tide detergent and a bottle of Calgon. After each tank dump and THOROUGH flush, add a cup of each down the toilet, followed by 2 to 3 gallons of water. That will act as a surfactant and keep $#it and TP from sticking to your tank sensors... AND - it smells fresh! P.S. - to keep your gray tank from stinking, we NEVER put food items/grease etc. down the sink drain. Wipe food waste off dishes with Clorox wipes (or similar), then only soapy water goes into your gray tank!
Melamine dishes cups & plates. Paper as a backup... and great for starting the campfire!
I think she was talking about dumping the tanks into the park's septic or sewer system. If you put chemicals into the holding tanks they'll end up in the septic or sewer system at the RV park.
My screen shelter (Clam's Traveler) is a must-have piece of gear in my van, but I too had problems with wind. Staking through the grommets at ground level allowed even gentle breezes to gain too much leverage on the side walls, and if it leans too much and the canopy catches the wind... let's just say that one person's misery is another person's funny video. Since guying my hubs to ground stakes further out from the walls (I don't even bother staking the ground flaps anymore) I've been good in 25-30 mph gusts; any winds higher than a steady 20 mph mean I make do without the shelter.
Good to know! Thanks for sharing
We have a Eurmax pop up canopy. It's virtually indestructible as far as pop ups go. I stake it down and it never takes off. The fabric is heavy duty and it's 7' tall from the base of the fabric to the ground. Being 6'6" I was thirlled to find such a tall, well built canopy. It also has solid and screened walls available. It wasn't cheap but you get what you pay for! It also has a super easy and heavy duty carrying case. We just love it! It's where we set up our outdoor kitchen.
Good to know, thanks for sharing!
Classic Assessories (CA) is the cover I've been using for the last 5 years and I've had it on 2 different camper and has held up great. Wind, lose tight or whatever is has held up great.
Good to know! Thanks for watching
We also have a Classic Accessories cover. Four years old and no issues in northeastern Ohio winters.
Thanks!
I think those leveling pads are made more for tires to go on, not so much the leveling jack pads. Granted we have a smaller motorcoach without jacks, so we have to level with the tires but no problems.
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A lot of good points that I agree with. I just switched from a non-adjustable water pressure regulator to an adjustable one. I second the use of snap pads on the levelers. Likewise, we only have a microwave convection oven, and it does all the oven cooking you need, but for a cooktop we like propane (two burners) and induction (one burner). We are in the process from switching from breakable dishes to paperware or plastic dishes. Right now, I need to improve our sleeping surface and was considering getting a topper, but I will take your advice and go for a good complete mattress.
I agree that most foam toppers are useless, especially the 'egg-crate' ones. However, memory foam was our solution. We were used to the one on our bed at home so we bought one for our Class-C from Costco. Problem solved except we had to cut it down a bit since we had a 'clipped-corner' mattress common on shorter Class-C rigs like our 24 foot Thor.
Replacement longer metal stakes for the screen tent as others have suggested would probably have solved the issue. The ones we had for our tent (pre-RV) we got at a camping store they called them 'Montana spikes', If you ever camped on the front range of the Rockies near Glacier Park you will know why! Put them in with a hammer and pull them out with a crowbar. Unless you are camping on asphalt or cement they work.
Good to know!
I agree with everything EXCEPT the coffee cups. Often if I make coffee, I can't drink all of it immediately so I microwave it. Can't microwave metal so that wouldn't work but maybe hard plastic or disposable paper cups.
The reason we love the vacuum insulation metal mugs is it keeps the coffee warm for hours - eliminating the need to microwave wave it to re-heat it. 😉
I have a gigantic 40×60 tarp that I covered my old RV. We covered it the first winter but man it was tough getting it over the RV. Needless to say we didn't cover it after that.
We did buy a clamshell gazebo from Amazon and love it! We camped in a beach campground, installed it with heavy duty T-stakes in every tab, then U shaped stakes for the tie downs. It withstood 50 mile per hour wind gusts from a heavy thunderstorm!
Nice!
Ironically the “cheap” floppy sewer hose you showed is the Camco Rhino Extreme, and it costs more than the RhinoFlex. I do agree the RhinoFlex is the better hose though, unless you’re worried about people walking on your sewer hose… Then the Rhino Extreme’s exoskeleton might be a good thing for you.
Was coming here to say the same thing... She liked the cheap hose and not the expensive hose.
I agree with the comments here. Bought but types over the years and found the cheaper one is far better. The expensive one is horrible, and it leaked at one end of the hose. Went in the trash the day after I bought it. We also use the Valterra sewer solution for uphill or difficult setups. It has served well for five years now.
I don't have an rv can't afford the gasoline.
I tend to agree with the segment on screen tents. Although mine was virtually the same as the one in the video, it was purchased new so it went up quickly going by the directions. Its only drawback is that it is susceptible to wind. Another problem I've encountered is the type of surface you are setting it up on. Grass is ideal so that it can be staked down as well as weighted with bricks on the floor flaps on the inside. (Mine does not have a floor, just flaps that rest on the ground). The brick technique also works if you're setting it up on a concrete slab or gravel that is just to hard to drive a stake into. Great video! Thanks for the other tips too!
Thanks for watching and for the comment
Since I sell Tupperware we use most of the products for cooking, drinking and eating.
We added a topper to our mattress and it made a great difference for us. Bed is super comfortable.
Getting ready to go full time. Sold house and cleaning it out. Just adding pictures and favorite things on board. Looking forward to years of work traveling.
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We cover our vintage 1958 Oasis travel trailer and our new horse trailer with medium weight blue tarps. We get ones that are big enough to go over the sides and we tie them down tight. We tie to the wheels, go under the trailer, etc. We fold at the corners and tie the folds. There's no place for the wind to catch it and start flapping. Since we have horses, we have the world's supply of baling twine, so we use that and replace it every time we re-tarp the trailer. The tarps last about 2-3 years.
Are you still using the AG1 product? You have always looked good but in your more recent videos.... YOU LOOK INCREDIBLE! Soooo...... PLEASE share what you are doing :) Also, I am not seeing the AG1 link. Am I just not seeing it? In addition, you really do a great job on camera. I am on camera a fair amount and sometimes the words simply don't come. Love the bloopers too!
I put my dish towels between Corelle casserole bowls and other glass. I traveled full time, two years with 5 children including one born in the class A. Too many years ago to count.
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We thought the Corelli dishes were great until we stopped for lunch one day and opened the cabinet door and a plate fell out and onto the counter and literally exploded into tiny shards. What a mess. We switched to microwaveable plastic dishes.
@@patrickwade3150 True, Corelle doesn't break; it shatters!
We love our screen room thingy. Ours has eye hooks on the outside where we can tie a rope and stake it down that way. However, the problem we have with it is the space to put it up. A lot of the campgrounds just don't have the room to put it up and be able to move around the spot. And I agree those leveling blocks suck but so does wood. We had wood that got wet and the rig started to slide off it, don't know how or why but stopped using wood. We got a bigger set of black blocks instead of the little yellow ones. They seem to be working.
That napkin pooper looks like the type of discolored, sun dried, useless plastic gimmick you see in 20-30 yr old RV's that nobody's been inside of since they were installed. 😃
😂 Right!?!
Hilarious. I'm not even an RVer and enjoyed watching your videos. Good job you two.
Thank you!!
100% right on the non adjustable water pressure regulator. We keep one as a spare to loan out to other RV'ers if they forgot theirs.
That is the one reason we will have one too. Thanks for watching
For us, we found that many of the RV "specific" products are just not needed or worth the extra expense. I many cases, we have put "sticks-n-bricks" items inside the RV instead and they have worked for us perfectly fine. Lowes/Home Depot Storage Bins to organize outside storage areas. IKEA and Big Lot's for inside storage bin/totes/containers. Replaced wire shelves (Pull out Pantry) with home made wood shelves. IKEA Leaf table for stationary Coffee and Breakfast Bar set-up inside of RV. Large Outside rugs from Lowes vs RV superstores. Braided plumbing lines (shark bite connectors) for sink and toilet connections vs PEX system. List goes on and on, but we have found that many of our normal everyday items we have used for decades in our sticks-n-bricks work just fine in our 32 foot Class-A.