Throughtful Reader

This summer, we purchased an RV. We had always been interested in owning one to use for travel. When we went to an RV show at State Farm Stadium earlier this year, we knew that we wanted one for sure.

We researched, inspected, and found one that met our needs. It was a 2022 Dodge Ram Ethos. It was a simple RV for a party of two.

Owning an RV is a little different than owning a car. You have your typical vehicle maintenance, but there are also some other items you need to check and maintain. This RV has two batteries that must be carefully watched and charged. We would learn this lesson the hard way, but it did work out after a recent trip to the RV mechanics.

Before we picked it up, we received a brief tutorial on how to use it. The water and waste system was a big one, and one that could save you a trip to the ER if you aren’t careful.

We were shown how to utilize the water source and which specific connection to use. As you can see in the first one, there are two and they are clearly labeled. The first one is for the city or whatever water site you use for camping. The second connection is used for when you are draining and cleaning out the waste tank from your bathroom trips (I won’t go too deep into this detail). For the waste, you will need a Slinky that will drain from the tank to the sewer at the site. (Wear gloves and shoes, as it can be messy.) Also, note that when hooking up the water from the source to the van, you will need a water regulator valve. The reason for this is that sometimes the pressure from the local water source can be too much. This can overwhelm the pipe systems and cause leaks, as shown in the images below.

The electrical wasn’t too tricky. Our RV required a 30-amp. All RV stops or locations will typically have plugs for 20-, 30-, and 50-amp services. Be sure to know the difference between the three. the progs for each plug will help simplify the difference when using.

Moving on, we cover the interior. It has a nice kitchen set for us to use and two side couches that can be converted into a bed.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t tough to operate, but there is one thing that will drive an RV owner crazy, and I will dive into it. Remember when I mentioned the Battery? Well, you would think something like a battery would be simple, but the joke was on me. The battery is well powered, but the solar panel on top is only there to keep it from dying. Obviously, when you are traveling, you want to have it hooked up to a live source when you reach a campsite, but this one has another nice perk. The battery will also charge while driving. However, keep in mind that if the battery gets too low, the system it is connected to will lock itself out for self-preservation. I learned that when we had some repairs at an RV repair shop (I will leave out the business’s name). They sadly left my battery on to the point where it almost died. Luckily, the one it is currently at was able to repair it, and it saved the batteries. Thank God, that would have been a lot of money to replace.

Be sure to keep a close eye on these. The numbers aren’t always accurate. The Rynogy screen is accurate, but only to a certain extent. Ensure the software is up to date and the program is running. The Sam Koon is more accurate and will also provide information on how many amps you are pulling or bringing in. Always keep an eye on it.

We have been able to take some trips with it. We went to New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah. Good trips to see the landmarks and even saw some good friends.

Despite the early headaches and some shady business ethics from the seller, we have no regrets. We have learned a lot and even learned how to handle it together without any headaches or disagreements.

We plan to make more road trips and create more memories soon. Hopefully, these early headaches and glitches will be rare and minimal in regard to the stress. If you are looking to get one in the future. i would recommend researching very carefully and also doing background checks on the Sellers. Whether it’s a private or a business, make sure you know who you are doing business with.