This past Friday night we took Clark out for our first overnight in the RV. Clark is still winterized and we didn't do anything to change that. It has been dipping below freezing at night and so we will wait a few weeks before we de-winterize. This means we did not use the plumbing/water systems. This trip was mainly an electrical and propane check and experiencing our first night in the RV. Susanne will blog later about that aspect. This post is about the equipment.
Summary: It all worked!
Electrical hookup: We bought a Progressive Industries PT30C 30 Amp Portable Electrical Management System to protect us from high voltage, low voltage, and a host of other possible electric issues. It worked well and we were able to see exactly how much voltage was being supplied at the post, how many amps we were drawing, and that the AC was cycling as expected (60 times a second). If there are any problems with the electricity, this system will not allow it to pass to the RV.
Electricity in Clark: I was able to test all the AC outlets in Clark and they all worked. I did additional tests using a multimeter and again everything was good. It's not that we were really worried but we had not checked every outlet before buying Clark like we should have.
Slide-out: Our RV slide out worked. It's amazing how sliding out part of the RV just a few feet really makes the whole RV seem much larger.
TVs: Yes TVs. Clark has more TVs (3) then we do in our sticks and bricks home (1). The antenna went up well and we checked out two of the TVs. They worked and were picking up about 8 strong channels. We watched a dog shake in slow-motion and then turned off both TVs and put the antenna down. If given the choice we would have used the money on other improvements for Clark. However, the person that bought Clark new picked the entertainment package.
Refrigerator/freezer: We bought some food and drinks along for our trip. This was our first check of the frig and it worked well. I did discover how small it really is when I could not fit a gallon jug of water into it. I think we will be eating a lot more fresh food because we don't have the storage to stock up for more than a few days.
Microwave: Susanne heated up some yams and some dinner she had made ahead of time and it worked. Most importantly it supplied the hot water for our morning press pot coffee.
Heat pump (powered by AC): It was our first test of the heat pump and it worked. The heat pump was able to supply heat that worked well enough in the early evening. However by the middle of the night it was too cold for the heat pump to work well. The RV was cold.
RV cover: We got an outside RV cover for privacy and to add a bit of insulation to the big heat sink that is the front window. The cover went on well and stayed on during the night wind and rain.
Furnace (powered by propane): I read the manual and then opened up the propane tank and fired up the furnace. It started up quickly and the furnace supplied the heat needed to keep Sam from revolting. The furnace supplied heat worked very well.
Generator: We didn't have to use the generator but the user's manual recommends that it be run for about two hours once a month if it's not otherwise being used. So I disconnected the AC from shore power (the electrical post at the park) and hooked it into the generator after it was running. We ran the generator for about two hours and used the heat pump to supply a load (about 20 amps) on it. The generator worked well and we used its power to bring in the slide out.
Clark's Chevy chassis: Clark got us the 7 miles to our spot in the State Park and got us back home. Good going Clark.
Not checked: We will de-winterize in about three weeks. We will then have to test the black and gray tanks, the hot water heater, the shower, the sink, the freshwater connection, and will have to drain the tanks as we sanitize the systems. We also didn't bring the cat. She will provide another test for us on the next trip.
Still need to get:
TPMS: I really want to get a tire pressure monitoring system. All the full-time RVers suggest them as a must have safety system. Checking the air pressure on Clark is a pain because the hub dust covers must be removed to get at the values. This is the brand I'm thinking about but I need to do more research and bite the bullet money wise. This system likely will cost less than a tire blown out.
Cellular signal booster: I need to get and install a signal booster before we leave. I am basically waiting to make sure we have the latest technology. I'll likely go with the recommendations from the https://www.rvmobileinternet.com.
??? other stuff ??? I don't know what we are forgetting or don't know we don't know but we will find out quickly when we start RVing full-time.
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