Take a shakedown trip first
Problems are easy to sort out an hour from home, and stressful a long way from it.
PAGE 3
First-Time RV & Trailer Owner Starter Kit
Go from nervous new owner to confident camper. Everything to check, learn and pack, from pickup day to your first trip, in one calm, plain-English guide.
26pages
12checklists & worksheets
20mistakes to avoid
30day starter plan
You'll know exactly how to:
- Check a trailer properly before you drive it away from the dealer or seller
- Understand your weights and ratings, without the jargon
- Hitch up, tow and reverse with a calm, repeatable routine
- Set up camp in the right order: level, power, water, waste
- Plan, pack for and review your first trip
Secure checkout
Major cards & wallets accepted
Download right after checkout. Your files are on the order confirmation page, and the link is emailed to you too.
- Phone & tablet friendly
- Prints at home
- Yours to keep
First-Time RV & Trailer Owner Starter Kit
Sale price$14.97USD
SOUND FAMILIAR?
You bought the trailer. Now the questions start.
A manual for every appliance, new words at every turn, and advice online that doesn't agree. Most new owners learn by making mistakes on their first trips.
The Starter Kit answers every one of these,in the order you'll need the answers.
“What should I check before I drive it home?”
“How much can I actually tow?”
“Which way do I turn the wheel when reversing?”
“What do I connect first at the campsite?”
“What does all this jargon mean?”
“What am I going to forget?”
A TASTE OF WHAT'S INSIDE
Small things that make a big difference
Four tips, straight from the guide. There are dozens more like these.
Chock before you unhitch
Always, even on flat ground. It's step 4 of the campsite setup order.
PAGE 13
Stabilizers don't level
Level with blocks and the jack. Stabilizers only steady the rig.
PAGE 25
Never touch hubs to check heat
An infrared, non-contact thermometer is a safer way to compare temperatures.
PAGE 10
NO MORE OVERWHELM
Your first 30 days, mapped out
You don't need to learn everything at once. Follow a simple week-by-week plan.
WEEK 1
Get familiar
Pickup checklist, manuals, switches, valves and your rig's numbers.
WEEK 2
Gear up & practice
Hitching at home, reversing in an empty lot, testing every system.
WEEK 3
Shakedown trip
One or two nights, an hour or two from home, with power and water.
WEEK 4
Fix & fine-tune
Work through your list, review the trip and plan the next one.
LEARN IT THE EASY WAY
20 first-timer mistakes, avoided before they happen
These happen to new owners all the time. Read the list once and they won't happen to you.
- Skipping the shakedown trip
- Driving off with the steps or awning out
- Arriving after dark
- Forgetting your rig's height
- Leveling with the stabilizers
- Overloading the rig
- Trusting the tank gauges
- Ignoring tire age
- Booking a site that's too short
- Leaving the awning out unattended
…and 10 more inside, with the simple fix for each.
WHAT'S INSIDE
26 pages in four simple parts
Read Part 1 before your first trip, then keep the rest handy. Every page links to the next.
Get to know your rig
- Your first 30 days
- Pickup checklist
- Know your rig
- Weights & ratings
- Tow vehicle & hitch setup
- Commonly useful items
Hitch up & hit the road
- Hitching up, step by step
- On the road
- Reversing & parking
- Before every trip
At the campground
- Arriving & setting up
- Power 101
- Water & waste 101
- Propane / LPG 101
- Breaking camp
- Campgrounds & etiquette
Stay safe & keep it simple
- Safety essentials
- Maintenance basics
- Plan your first trip
- Packing list
- Budget & rig at a glance
- First trip review
- Mistakes to avoid
- Glossary & help
PRINTABLE + FILLABLE
Checklists you'll actually use
Short, practical lists for the moments new owners worry about most, so nothing gets forgotten when you're tired, rushed or it's getting dark.
MAKE IT YOURS
A guide you'll keep coming back to
Type straight into the PDF on your phone, tablet or computer, or print it. Fill in your own numbers and notes, and it becomes the record of your rig and your trips.
Rig at a glance
Height, weights, tires and tanks
First-year budget
Planned and actual costs
Maintenance intervals
From your own manuals
First trip review
What to keep, fix and change
EVERYTHING YOU GET
The complete Starter Kit
$14.97
one-time · instant download
- 30-day starter plan, week by week
- Pickup-day checklistfor the dealer or seller
- Weights & ratingsin plain English
- Hitching up, step by step
- Sway & blowout stepsto know before you go
- Reversing & parkingmade simple
- Before-every-tripchecklist
- Campsite setup order& breaking camp
- Power, water & gasbasics
- Safety essentials& maintenance basics
- Trip planner& packing list
- Budget & rig-at-a-glanceworksheets
- First trip reviewworksheet
- 20 mistakes to avoid& a jargon-free glossary
WHY A STARTER KIT
Skip the hours of piecing it together
Figuring it out alone
The Starter Kit
Where the answers are
Where the answers are
Forums, videos and manuals
One 26-page guide
The order to learn it
The order to learn it
Up to you
A 30-day plan
Checklists
Checklists
Write your own
12, ready to fill in
Common mistakes
Common mistakes
Learned the hard way
20 flagged up front
Your notes & numbers
Your notes & numbers
Scattered everywhere
All in one PDF
PERFECT FOR
New and soon-to-be owners
- Travel trailers, caravans, fifth wheels, toy haulers and camper trailers
- Anyone collecting their first rig, new or used
- Couples and families who want to share the jobs
- A thoughtful gift for someone who just bought a trailer
GOOD TO KNOW
What it isn't
- A repair manual. It tells you when to call a professional.
- A replacement for your owner's manuals. It helps you use them.
- A motorhome guide. It focuses on towable RVs.
How fast do I get it?
Straight away. The download is on your order confirmation page, and the link is emailed to you too. Nothing is shipped.
What do I need to use it?
A PDF app on your phone, tablet or computer. Adobe Acrobat Reader is free and fills in the checklists. Pages are US Letter and print fine on A4 with "fit to page".
I'm buying used, from a private seller. Is it still useful?
Yes. The pickup checklist works for a dealer or a private seller, and covers documents, the exterior and a full system walkthrough.
I've already had my trailer a while. Is it for me?
Yes, especially the checklists, worksheets, the mistakes to avoid and the plain-English sections on weights, power, water and gas.
Can I print it more than once?
Yes. Many owners print a fresh before-every-trip checklist for each trip and keep it in the glove box.
Can I get a refund?
Please see our refund policy for eligibility and details.
INSTANT DIGITAL ACCESS
Download immediately after checkout.
FILLABLE + PRINTABLE
Use it on your phone, tablet, computer, or print it.
YOURS TO KEEP
Use the checklists again for future trips.