Now that you’ve got your initial setup done, it’s time to move onto the systems set up. These are the creature comforts of home: water, electric and sewer. Pay attention to these tips as they’re probably the most important in this series!
Expert Advice
Systems Set-up for the First-Time RVer
After you have done your initial set up, how do you set up your electric and sewer lines? It's not as hard as it sounds and I'll show you how.
Equipment
Before you leave the house with your RV or pull away with your rental unit, make sure you have a water hose, sewer hose, and electric line. If you’re renting an RV, you might want to pick up your own sewer hose too.
One of my biggest tips is sewer hose support. This will keep your sewer hose off the ground and allow for the easy flow of…you know…to the receptacle. Make sure you have a long line of sewer hose too in case your rig isn’t right up close to the hookups. Get yourself a sewer hose bayonet elbow too. It’s an extra layer of protection with adapters to fit any size dump station inlets.
Connect Water & Sewer
Start with the water and make sure it’s really secure to your RV connection. Run a bit of water through it to make sure it’s clean and there’s no air in it. It doesn’t hurt to have an extra o-ring ready too in case the connection drips.
Make sure the sewer hose is secured tightly to the RV outlet. Stretch your sewer hose to the dump connection and lay it down. Then stretch out your sewer hose support ‘snake’ and secure the hose to it. The bayonet elbow coupler will help keep that hose secure when you’re dumping your tanks! Think seriously about wearing gloves – you just never know.
Connect Electric
Bring a surge protector! Make sure it matches the amps of your RV. They protect your RV from power surges that can do real damage to your RVs electrical system. Then, make sure your breakers are turned on. Plug in your RV power hose and you’re ready to go! One more tip about power – bring a power adapter/converter that matches your RV: 15 am to 30 amp or 15 amp to 50 amp, both male to female and female to male. It’s an inexpensive addition that ensures you’ll always have power in case your hook up doesn’t match.
