We Didn't Know What We Didn't Know

The Coveted 'Full Hookup'

 We had a great time learning the ins and outs of RV camping in our little Freedom 204RD. On our ‘maiden voyage' we went to nearby Lake Kissimmee State Park, where we learned how to plug into the 30-amp service and hook up to the freshwater system provided by the park. A neighbor warned us that the park's water pressure often fluctuated, and too much pressure could damage the water system in the trailer. He advised if we didn’t have a pressure regulator for the water system to avoid turning the spigot to ‘full-on”. We listened and followed his advice. We also learned about the 'dump station', and heard other campers sing the praises of a ‘full hook up’. 

 

Our new Ford F-150 looked like it could pull the trailer with no problem. But I soon learned that it was not completely up to the task. With a 5-liter V8 engine and a 3.53 gear ratio, the specs seemed to indicate the truck would be sufficient. What we had not considered were the real qualifiers: payload and gross combined vehicle weight rating (GCWR). Payload is the amount of weight you can put on the truck. I think of it as how many 100 pound bags of sand I can place in the bed of the truck. The payload on our new F-150 was 1,068 pounds, according to the manufacturer. The weight of our new trailer was about 5,100 pounds loaded for camping. We tried to adjust the weight in the trailer so that 10% of the total weight was on the trailer hitch connection or no more than 510 pounds. That left us with just over 550 pounds for everything else in the truck, including us! We are not small people, so the best we could hope for after we jumped into the front seat was about 75 pounds of leftover payload. And that margin was not enough.

Camping in Helen, GA - Unicoi State Park

In addition to the payload, there is the GCWR. The Ford dealer suggested we could haul a 7,500-pound trailer with no problem, but the facts were different. The GCWR on the truck was 10,800 pounds. The truck itself weighed about 4,900 pounds. That left us with 5,900 pounds of towing capacity. Add 500 pounds of driver, passenger, and some gear in the back of the truck, and we were pushing the limit! 

 

But that didn’t stop us from going places. We went to several state parks here in Central Florida. We had a great trip to the mountains in North Carolina, including a week or so in Asheville. We both found that we liked the idea of traveling in an RV, and we started making lists of the things we loved, the things that annoyed us, and the things we found distasteful.

 

Chief among our dislikes was the unbelievable amount of noise the non-ducted AC put out. We live in Florida. Air conditioning is not optional. The AC in our trailer made so much noise we couldn’t hear the TV, or even carry on a conversation while it was running. 

The fit and finish of the trailer left a lot to be desired. Many trim parts were not fastened properly and came loose during travel. Sharp edges on the dinette seats left us with scrapes and scratch marks on our legs. We found ourselves constantly tightening screws; sanding sharp edges; tightening plumbing fixtures and making little repairs at every stop. When we talked about this with our camping neighbors at various campgrounds, most simply shrugged and said “Welcome to RV camping!”

 

On the plus side, the propane heater did a good job. The water heater worked well. The AC, although noisy, kept us cool. Closet and storage space seemed adequate. And we were visiting places we would have never seen if we weren’t camping. 

 

We decided that, if we were going to spend lots of time traveling in an RV, we should investigate something a little larger. After about a year of sporadic use of our travel trailer, we began to look at options. Maybe something just a little bit bigger would do the trick. 

 

And so began the hunt for the perfect RV.