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  • Brand new owners

    Just took delivery of our brand new 2970RL. First time camper owners, but not first time campers. Looking forward to getting out camping again and not sleeping on the ground any more! We will happily take any advise anyone has for newbies to help avoid newbie mistakes! Thanks in advance for all input!
    Mike & Molly
    2013 F-150 FX4 5.0L
    2020 Imagine 2970RL

  • #2
    Originally posted by MnM_OH View Post
    Just took delivery of our brand new 2970RL. First time camper owners, but not first time campers. Looking forward to getting out camping again and not sleeping on the ground any more! We will happily take any advise anyone has for newbies to help avoid newbie mistakes! Thanks in advance for all input!
    Welcome to Grand Design's Technical Forum.

    1) Expect setup, teardown, and travel days to take longer than planned.

    2) Don't rush. Use a checklist. Before driving away do a final walk-around of the camper, tow vehicle and campsite. (This has saved me multiple times from doing something stupid. I almost pulled away with the power cord still connected!)

    3) A boss of mine used to say that accidents are usually individuals doing one of three things: something dumb, different or dangerous. I am personally capable of all three (sometimes simultaneously). Kind of a repeat of #2, but slow down. Before driving away from a stop, ask yourself, "Did I/we do anything that we don't normally do?" If the answer is "yes", double-check that whatever you did is back the way it should be configured.

    Finally, a few favorite YouTube channels I follow are Keep Your Daydream (Marc and Trish) and Changing Lanes ( Chad and Tara). Both of them have "newbie" type videos that can be helpful as you get started.

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEh...t8McryMf_DHLZQ

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2o...-HiiYlbBbKkVqw

    Any specific questions, don't hesitate to ask!

    Howard
    Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

    2017 Ford F-350 DRW, '19 315RLTSPlus

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    • #3
      Originally posted by MnM_OH View Post
      Just took delivery of our brand new 2970RL. First time camper owners, but not first time campers. Looking forward to getting out camping again and not sleeping on the ground any more! We will happily take any advise anyone has for newbies to help avoid newbie mistakes! Thanks in advance for all input!
      On delivery, you received a bag full of product documentation for every component in your trailer. Read it all. Take all of that with you on the first trip, and then read it again while looking at those components.

      Join the Grand Design RV Imagine Owners group on Facebook. But BE CAREFUL! It is too easy to fall into the rabbit holes of talking about tires and tow vehicles. Instead, look for the FAQ section where you'll find tons of useful posts about things people have dealt with or upgraded on their rigs. That's the real strength of the group. Leave the tire talk to the shade tree mechanics.

      We've had our 2800BH on four trips now, and it's been a great rig so far. One final bit of advice: expect something to go wrong. That way, when it does you won't be surprised. And if you've done enough reading in advance, you may even know how to resolve the issue on the spot. And always have your emergency contact phone numbers nearby.

      Enjoy!

      The Fraser Family
      Watertown, WI
      2020 GDRV Imagine 2800BH
      2017 Ford F-150 XLT SuperCrew, 3.5L Ecoboost, 3.55 rear

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      • #4
        Originally posted by MnM_OH View Post
        Just took delivery of our brand new 2970RL. First time camper owners, but not first time campers. Looking forward to getting out camping again and not sleeping on the ground any more! We will happily take any advise anyone has for newbies to help avoid newbie mistakes! Thanks in advance for all input!
        Welcome. That is a great floor plan.
        As stated above take your time and check,check,check and when you think you have it check it again. It is really not that bad just be careful and sure of what you are doing if not ask , we have all asked the same questions you may have at one time or another ( some times we still ask a question again). Take your time and enjoy.

        Get a good sewer hose and some blocking for side to side leveling and blocks for under the tongue jack as well as the stabilizers. A comfy chair to sit outside and enjoy a fire if you have one.

        It will be great.

        Brian
        Brian & Michelle
        2018 Reflection 29RS
        2022 Chevy 3500HD

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        • #5
          Originally posted by MnM_OH View Post
          Just took delivery of our brand new 2970RL. First time camper owners, but not first time campers. Looking forward to getting out camping again and not sleeping on the ground any more! We will happily take any advise anyone has for newbies to help avoid newbie mistakes! Thanks in advance for all input!
          Congratulations! Lots of great advice given above. You might want to do your first trip in your driveway or close to home. That way you can try everything out and not be stranded somewhere if something doesn't work as expected. And when you realize you forgot to pack x, y or z, you can just run into the house and grab it .

          I don't miss sleeping on the ground anymore either!

          Andi
          Andi
          Brookings SD
          2018 Reflection 337RLS
          2019 GMC Sierra 3500HD Duramax

          Comment


          • #6
            Second howson second comment about using a checklist. We are full timers and use one every time we move. Work on it before your first trip and customize/personalize it as you go.

            Another tip is to find an empty parking lot and practice backing up (there are YouTube videos that will help with this). Work on where your spotter needs to stand and hand signs (Yes, we all know what the middle finger means).
            John
            2018 Momentum 395M
            2018 Ram 3500 Dually
            Every day is a Saturday, but with no lawn to mow.

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            • #7
              My wife and I are new to the camper experience as well. We chose to find the nearest actual camp site to home for our first trip. This is my suggestion as a lot of the things we discovered we needed we wouldn't have known practicing at home. Such as a longer power cord, more leveling blocks, a large mat for the entry to help keep inside a bit more clean, and more bug repellant.
              Josh & Kristen
              2017 F-150 Eco-Boost
              2020 - Imagine XLS 22MLE

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              • #8
                Welcome to the nuthouse!!

                We, as many did our first outing close by but we were less than 10 minutes from our first dealer in a state park. Since that one was in mid March, I stopped by the dealer and topped off the tanks and let them know where we were going and I left with 2 cell phone numbers for techs if we had a problem. Our first trip was 2 weeks after purchase and in that time, I had went through every manual and physically touched and checked every system so I at least knew where every control panel was located. In your goody bag, their should a sheet to give you the model and serial number of every item added to your chassis. Check that list against every manual that you were provided with and if you don't have the manual, down load and / or print it so that you have it.
                Jerry and Kelly Powell, with Halo, Nash, Reid, Cleo, Rosie, and the two newest additions Shaggy and Bella..
                Nash County, NC
                2020 Solitude 390RK-R​

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by MnM_OH View Post
                  Just took delivery of our brand new 2970RL. First time camper owners, but not first time campers. Looking forward to getting out camping again and not sleeping on the ground any more! We will happily take any advise anyone has for newbies to help avoid newbie mistakes! Thanks in advance for all input!
                  First welcome to the forum and congrats on your new rig. First take time to fill out the signature so when you post the trailer information is there (year/model) and add you vin to your profile. That way if GD ever needs to help/respond to a question you have, they have it available.

                  The tip on finding a parking lot to practice is important. On thing to check is tail swing. Using the parking spot lines center yourself so the wheels and edge of the camper line up with one side of the parking space. Then turn sharply out of it like you might too in a campground to leave a site. Have someone walk beside the tail of the trailer and watch how much swing beyond the lines occurs as you drive out. Knowing this will prevent you from snagging things or hitting camp site posts. Also remember the trailer will track inside the tow vehicle when turning street corners. Remember to swing wide.

                  To learn which way the trailer will go when backing hold the TV steering wheel at the 6PM position. Which ever way you move your hand the back of the trailer will go the same direction.

                  For easy leveling I have these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...odtag148520-20 Shop around as there better prices out there and some come with a bag

                  Hope this helps
                  Keith
                  2018 Reflection 150 Series 220RK 5th whee, Star White 2022 F350 King Ranch CC Long bed (HAL) (CCC 4062lbs), B&W 25K OEM Companion,. SteadyFast system, Trailer reverse lights, rear receiver spare tire holder, storage tube, sumo springs, Victron MultiPlus 12/120/3000, Solar, Custom 6K axles upgrade, and other modifications.

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                  • #10
                    Thanks all for the great advice! I like the checklist suggestion (I'm a pilot and VERY used to using those!). The parking lot practice tip is great as well, getting the beast in our driveway the first time was a bit of a trial with lots of questionable language hanging in the air. Our first rip has been postponed a bit as we already have to take it back to the dealer for a water leak at the kitchen side slide. The night we brought it home we had a strong thunderstorm with very heavy rain. The slides were in when the storm hit. Some friends who camp a lot came over to check it out, and when we opened it back up had a huge puddle on the kitchen floor that extended into the bathroom! After cleaning everything up, we buttoned it back up again. a couple of nights later, had another rain, and same story, but not as much water. Interested to see what the dealer finds when it goes back.
                    Mike & Molly
                    2013 F-150 FX4 5.0L
                    2020 Imagine 2970RL

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