I’ll probably cross post this. Was curious to hear from RVers about bringing expensive bikes along. We have a TT now which we’ve used with kids growing up and it’s been great, but looking for our second RV now. Requirements: I want to carry bikes inside somehow - road and mountain. Done with worrying about rain or theft with bikes outside. I know theft is rare, but we’d like to bring along maybe 2-4 bikes that are expensive and we don’t want to have to worry about it. Also, since they are nicer carbon, bikes, the storage needs to be safe - can’t just pile them. Seems that mountain or road bikes will not fit in class C or A storage bays? Or do they fit with both wheels off ? I’ve seem online a small number of RVs that have larger gear garages under twin beds in the back (excluding toy haulers). Second requirement is some comfort for my wife and I. She’s not interested in a small van, but we don’t want an enormous class A. This RV would be for us to do short-medium length trips with. 2weeks - 2months, maybe.

I guess a toy hauler would be best, but seems to be overkill for a few pedal-powered bikes. I saw the new Grand Deisgn lineage 29AN seems to have a large garage that would fit a few bikes easily, and that is attractive, but it’s a super C. We really don’t need 15K towing and the capability which you’re paying for. And that seems to be the only option? Curious what others have done for interior bike storage. Thanks

Our dinette slide won’t retract in. Opened it up two days ago. We have a full battery and the motor sounds like it’s working. When we push the in button it goes in for a split sec and then it starts making a grinding noise and doesn’t move. The only thing that I saw that I thought could possibly be the issue is the track on the right side looks out of alignment. Any tips would be helpful. Cougar 22RBS

Hey there just picked up a 2010, 20ft Zinger in great shape.

Wanting to know the rules of cold weather camping dos and do not.

We took it up to warner lake up by Moab Utah. Temp dropped to 20s and woke up with snow overnight. Kept heat going to keep us and the trailer warm overnight. Actually got cooked out in the morning with how warm it kept us.

Any other rules or info I should be aware of?

I have a 2005 30' motorhome, I am looking to convert the motorhome part to LiFePO4 Lithium. We were on the road for 3 months with a 100AH 12v older lead acid battery that came from changing out batteries from my home system. Didn't have much trouble, but it was an older battery. So as we were driving it was always charging. We were boondocking for a day or two at a time. For high amperage usage we fire up the generator. All that being said:

We are going with Lithium, we are looking for your input. What do I need to convert the motorhome to Lithium? Lithium battery size ???, alternator charger, charger for if we are plugged in to 30amp 120v. Also looking to add a 208 watt solar panel on the roof, I have 1 brand new extra panel from my system.

I would like to go with your advice, so could you please help me with this?

I'm hoping someone can help with this...

I have a 2024 Aspen Trail with a tankless water heater. When I turn the hot water handle in my shower, the heater doesn't fire. But if I reach out and turn the hot water handle on the bathroom sink, the heater fires and I get hot water in the shower.

There are no errors or alarms when just the shower is on - it's like it doesn't sense the demand to fire up.

Any ideas?

What's the best cleaning solution to use on my 5th wheel? I have tried several and most leave streaking or a film. Am I just using too much?

Posting for the outdoorsy DIYers out there.

Probably not what you’re used to seeing on here, or maybe anywhere, ever... Some love it. Some hate it. Some apparently feel both emotions strongly and equally LOL. Even I wasn’t sure how I felt about it until the first few nights by a lake several hours away. I found it to be a more enjoyable and unique experience than I could have planned for.

To answer the probable first question: It’s a mix of glue, screws, pins, interlocking components, and then bolted down.

On my way home from a two week trip from FL to NC observed this wreck involving car pulling trailer.

For those with stickers, maps, checklists, etc that show what states or national parks you've visited....do you require your actual rig to have been there?

Or is visiting in ANY camper/RV enough to check it off?

We need to be in California next year and are considering renting something to drive our way back to the east coast - we're trying to figure out if those stops count on our map or not.

Thoughts?

My friend is incredibly generous. I always return it with a full tank of gas and meticulously cleaned. Never asks for anything in return. Just a true friend. I'm not an RV owner obviously nor do I know the RV world like all you RV lovers which is why I came to you. What can I do to pay him back? For the record, he doesn't expect anything in return. He just deserves it. He's a good dude, a good friend, and if there is anything I can do to make his trips more comfortable or convenient for his family, I'll do it in a heartbeat. I'm not loaded but I'm not opposed to spending a bit of cash to make it work. He has 4 kids all below the age of 12 if that helps any suggestions. I had thoughts on upgrading batteries or solar panel install? I don't know pricing on those but if those are appealing, would love suggestions. Thanks for your help.

Leaving central wiscinsin October 27th. Currently in the 60s. Headed to Houston returning the 4th. 2014 keystone sprinter 5th wheel. Planning on running a couple gallons for the overnight toilet flushes until we get to Houston camp site.

Should I be concerned of freezing and run dry instead?

We just purchased our first 5th wheel, 2026 GD reflection 250ml. Anyone have a camera recommendation? Looking for 2 cameras, one on the back of the rv and one for the bed for hookup.

Thanks in advance

Planning to buy a diesel pusher in the next couple months, I’m trying to wrap my head around how to plan some 1-2 month-long trip trips.
I love to research, and find interesting places to stop for short hikes, beauty, or just uniqueness.
Based in Wisconsin, will do North Dakota/Montana trip next summer. In winter months, obviously Florida/ Alabama or Texas/Arizona areas are most commmon.
Until now, we have flown quite a bit, focusing on city living. Now, with a motorhome, I need a different “tool set”. Looking for ideas of routes, general locations, planning tools, especially for fall and spring trips, maybe the coasts.

Any suggestions for a storage bag for the Camco step? I have been putting it back in the box but know that will not last long.

I know all the horror stories of Forest River. I also know not all of them are bad and this one has everything we are looking for. So I am here to ask for honest reviews of this specific toy hauler. We have a bit of time before we will be buying one so now's the time to find reviews on it. Thanks!

Our fridge works fine on battery or AC but not on propane. Is it normal to see this black char?

I was reading a discussion about upgrading RV batteries earlier, and it got me thinking about all the little things that come with owning an RV.

Big upgrades get all the attention, but I imagine it's the smaller stuff that can get annoying over time.

For those who've owned an RV for a while, what's something you find yourself constantly cleaning, fixing, or replacing?

Especially the kind of thing you never really thought about when you first got into RVing.

Hello All,

My husband is very close to getting a small toy hauler, that will have a small kitchenette and bathroom. I was thinking for Christmas to get him a "starter pack" of items that would be useful. Just need help on ideas, like collapsible dishes, smaller bottles for cleaning supplies, a mini swiffer/broom, pock lights that a rechargeable, etc. Things you wouldn't necessarily think of, but are handy. Any other ideas? Or do they make a pre built kit that I could add to?

My wife and I are planning on purchasing our first RV, an Alliance Avenue 32RLS to begin exploring the US as we near retirement. I’m hopeful to buy a 2026 model that dealers are motivated to get off the lot to make way for the 27’s. Everywhere I read talks about the importance of an inspection performed by an independent inspector, even on brand new models. I was hoping to purchase the unit in February or March and then have the dealer keep it stored until spring. As I’ve started to dig into the inspection piece of it, it sounds like for the most part they aren’t done in the north from late December till mid-April. My fear is if I wait that long, I’ll be hard pressed to take delivery and be able to get it all set up in time for spring time camping. Curious what others have done in regards to timing the purchase decision

Good evening!

I just wanted some input. We have a 2001 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 with an 8.1L engine. Unfortunately due to the age, I am unable to accurately read the hitch rating sticker on the hitch. The GVWR on the Suburban sticker is 8,600 LBS. It is already equipped with trailer brakes.

The camper we are interested in is the Grand Design Transcend Xplor 24BHS. The GVWR on it is listed at 6,995.

We are going to be buying a weight distributing hitch (any recommendations?).

Do y’all see any problems with this set up? Any advice you can give? First time camper buyers who are so excited!! Thanks in advance.

Our camper (2015 Aliner) door hatch keeps taking damage during travel. This is our first camper and we were locking the door during travel assuming that was the right thing to do but have since stopped doing that thinking the deadbolt was catching on the framing. Was this our mistake?

Our local RV Shop had replaced this piece prior with the thin slide pictured here. But it seems like a cheap piece that couldn’t last and now needs replacing again (I even think they used the wrong screws?). The issue has even started warping the framing too, which is our biggest concern.

Wondering if anyone had any similar issues or recommendations to repair or prevent this damage?

New to the RV life, and have been in Oregon mostly, but now heading south. If travel plans work we should be driving on i50 to Tahoe Valley in mid to late November. I'm just wondering about the weather and road conditions in the mountains at that time. Anyone have any experience? Thanks!

I recently "upgraded" from a T@b 320 to a Thor Vegas 24.1. I just finished my first 2 day, maiden camp in the Vegas. We dry camped. ( as I most often do) We stopped on the way home for my very first ever dump station and "stinky slinky" adventure! :)

The T@b 320 with a cartridge tank was really easy! Every morning after coffee and morning news empty the cartridge and the take out the trash. Just open the hatch, undo the catch on the cartridge tank, wheel it to where ever and empty it, slide it back in. Easy peasy!

Now for my big fancy new rig... Lets see, dump station, line up properly, deal with the slope, hook up the flush water hose, get out the slinky, then I had to get on the ground to reach up under and open the pipe on the rig and connect the slinky (I just ordered elbow and knee pads for the next trip)... go through the machinations, grey water for a second to make sure connection is good, kill grey, start black, let black run until clear water from flush hose is seen, kill black, restart grey and finish it, open black again for the flush water to whoosh out, close black for final time, let enough fresh water in to prevent the dreaded pyramids, get on the ground again to disconnect hose and recap rig, hose off hoses, cap and store slinkys, disconnect flush hose.

HOLY CRAP! (ar) What an ordeal. The good news is it does not need to be done everyday like the cartridge but what a multiplier in the level of effort required! 5 days of cartridge dumps is significantly less work and no laying on the ground.

So yeah, I am really missing the Thetford cartridge toilet right now!

The only irony was with the back flush process I did not get a single whiff of Oder with the slinky and the dump station but I would with the cartridge. So that is one plus for the slinky (with back flush port)

Hello all, my wife and I are considering getting our first RV in the next year and we’re hoping to get some help narrowing our options.

About us: we are new parents in our 30s who both grew up camping and with a lot of outdoor rec. We are planning to have one more kid and would like to introduce our child to camping as soon as possible and think an RV is a great option to start getting out there.

What we are looking for: something simple that is less than 25 feet. We’d like a bunkhouse with sleeping spots for four and a shower/toilet that ideally is good quality and will last at least 10 years if possible with maintenance.

What we want to do with our RV: we are looking to travel somewhere between 1-4 times a year. We don’t have a set camping spot and would like to drive across the country, perhaps putting a few hundred or 1-2000 miles on the RV per trip tops. Think driving 2-3 days to a campsite and then spending a week there. We know this is a bit outside of the normal use pattern and a lot of models can start to fall apart at 10k plus miles.

Models that we are looking at: Lance Evolve 1965 and Jayco Jay Flight 175BH.

The Lance: we’ve heard good things about the quality of the Lance. It is supposed to be much sturdier under the hood than your typical lite trailers. So this is currently our first pick. However, we’ve also heard some quality concerns people have had with more recent builds. We’ve also heard that even the Lance starts to breakdown at high usage (we saw a post on here from a lady who had a lot of issues after putting 25k miles on her Lance).

The Jayco: We have heard A LOT of complaints about the quality and lifespan of the Jayco. However, we like the Flight 175BH because it is so simple and no frills so it seems like it doesn’t have as many failure points. Our concern with this model is that it will fall to shreds in 2-4 years if we try to put a few thousand miles on it and we will have to completely replace it. However if there truly is no travel trailer that will last more than 5 years with the kind of use we’re planning on, perhaps the Jayco is the best bet as it would simply be cheaper to buy a 20k trailer twice than it would be to buy a 35k trailer twice.

So what do you all think? Are the trailers we’re looking at compatible with what we’re looking for? Are there other better options we should consider? Is there any trailer that’s going to offer what we want in the size we’d like and also standup to 25000 miles of use?

If I’ve kept you this long thank you for taking the time to read everything!