Two weeks out from going full time!

Hi everyone, we are Patrick and Stephanie and are 2 weeks out from going full time. We are buying a new Road Warrior 420. Questions:
If you had a chance to add or subtract anything, what would it be? And, what about composting toilets? For, against, or could you care less.
Can't wait to get started!!

Patandsteph

Current toy hauler and Harley owner
 

TandT

Founding Utah Chapter Leaders-Retired
Patandsteph,
Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and congratulations on your new Road Warrior. Enjoy your full-timing adventure! Trace
 

boatto5er

Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
Unless we were doing a lot of boon docking, I wouldn't consider the composting toilet. That would be a major modification without the payback IMHO.


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boatto5er

Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
An electrical management system like those from Progressive Industries is a must have. It will protect against high and low voltage, neutral ground issues, open grounds, and other problems that can arise either at the campground post or at the connection to your rig.


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Tundra2084

Well-known member
A MUST HAVE FOR ANY RV IS A SURGE PROTECTOR. Progressive Industries is our top choice for protecting our RV, from high and low currents that some campgrounds can have. Our 50 amp surge protector has found, in a few campgrounds bad wiring, and allowed us to move to different sites before we even unhooked from the truck. We have the portable EMS-PT50C RV Power Protection with Surge Protector and the first thing we do is plug the unit into the electric outlet, wait until it shows good current for both L1 and L2 poles and then plug in the power cord if all is good. This is the one we have and has a lifetime guarantee http://www.progressiveindustries.net/#!ems-pt50c/c1ma0


Another thing that we have are X-chocks, to keep the tires from moving before, during and after setup.
At least one extra sewer hose, in case needed for extra length to sewer drain.
Extra water hose, for same reason as sewer hose. (Some campgrounds put water and sewer connection to far back).
A portable ceramic heater, incase the weather gets cold and you don't want to use propane. Easy to heat bedroom using campgrounds electric verses heating all of the unit on propane. Just turn on furnace in the AM or keep on low until morning.
We also have a kurig coffee maker, and portable ice maker. We have the standard RV fridge and it takes up to much space making ice cubes, so we make it in ice maker the transfer to ziplock bags.
We also for same reason above have a small 3.5 cf chest freezer for the extra meats and frozen good like ice cream.


As far as composting toilets go, no thanks. Our old RV dealership had one, and no matter how many times they changed the composting material, it always smelled like a barn. They changed it back to a regular water system 6 months later.

Just a couple things we carry just in case unexpectedly needed.
 

Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
Check the brand of tires before you even move it. If they are "towmax", make a deal with your dealer to replace them with GY G614's or Sailun tires. Don't go buy everything you think you will need. Get the basics, keep a list, got to Walmart and add as needed. Remember, unless you are holding a "black tie" party, your going to be camping.
 

Howard56

Member
Welcome Patrick and Stephanie. Me and my girlfriend Debbie have been full timing since we sold the house and all the stuff and picked up our new Road Warrior 425 in June of this year. We're also Harley owners, I'm still working until Jan next year when I fully retire. We love it and I know you will to. Enjoy.
 
Thanks for all of the advice!! I agree, no "Blowmax" tires! Plus we have scratched the idea of the composting toilets. We will not be boondocking enough to deal with the expense and barn smell. The "X" chocks, great idea. We don't have them on our current travel trailer toy hauler. I never considered an electrical management system. Thanks for that advice. Haven't considered an ice maker. Will start looking for one now.

We can't wait to hit the road! We finally got the house sold and are ready to go. Again, I can't say enough about this forum. The advice, trials and tribulations people have gone through, both good and bad, will make our experience that much better!
 

mcolson84

Member
Congrats on going full time! We love it! I don't know if you ever plan on being anywhere cold, but if you do you might want to take a look at some of your pluming. We live about 15 miles south of Durango, CO most of the time. The winters here can get pretty cold. Our kitchen sink and rear bathroom would always freeze up, sometimes for weeks. I finally figured out that the low point water drain was one problem, I fixed that but still had freeze up issues at night. I then got to looking under the slides and realized if I looked in the hole where the Hydraulic ram for the slide out comes through the frame I could see a water line in there. I cut a piece of foil back insulation that went around the ram and covered the rest of the hole with it. I just attached it inside the frame rail with 3M decal tape. No more freeze ups. We do love our RW 415rw, but we are looking at switching to a Gateway bunkhouse due to the poor heating in the garage (boys room) area. If nobody is living in there though it should work great! Good luck and enjoy!

P.S. I almost forgot. Make sure you have plenty of truck to tow that sucker. These get real heavy real fast! It was way to much for my 2011 F-350 SRW Powerstroke to handle comfortably, or in an emergency!
 
Thanks for the wintering advice! we are from Colorado,(Denver area), moved to Florida 7 years ago. We plan on spending about 6 months of the year north, Late spring /Summer/ early fall. I suspect we will get caught in a freeze every now and then. Didn't think about looking under the slide.

- - - Updated - - -

One final note: We did get THE truck to pull this rig. A 2015 6.7L Cummings diesel Ram 3500 dual with a 4.10 axle ratio. I doubt I will have any trouble, even in the mountains of Colorado!
 

Bones

Well-known member
Thanks for the wintering advice! we are from Colorado,(Denver area), moved to Florida 7 years ago. We plan on spending about 6 months of the year north, Late spring /Summer/ early fall. I suspect we will get caught in a freeze every now and then. Didn't think about looking under the slide.

- - - Updated - - -

One final note: We did get THE truck to pull this rig. A 2015 6.7L Cummings diesel Ram 3500 dual with a 4.10 axle ratio. I doubt I will have any trouble, even in the mountains of Colorado!
You will like the 4:10 towing. Not so much bobtailing with fuel mileage.
 
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