As a submariner, drinking from a tank that is filled up regularly doesn't hurt you as long as you aren't filling up in places like Flynt, Michigan.

I am very disappointed that the sewer was not number 2😆😆

As a tech myself, I agree with all of your points, except for not running refrigerators while driving. The reason compressor fridges say to stand upright for 4 hours is because the oil will run to the lowest point when the unit is off, which can cause the the compressor to not have sufficient lubrication upon starting. Once the unit is running, the oil will be suspended in the refrigerant which will keep the compressor lubricated, even if it becomes slightly out of level during travel. I believe most failures are caused by stress fractures on the cooling system components that caused the refrigerant to leak out, which are caused by the constant motion of the vehicle whether or not the unit is running.

If your rv is level enough to sleep in, it’s level enough for your fridge. There is absolutely no issues having your fridge operating while driving down the road. Don’t give false information

We were hooked up to sewage and water permanently for almost 3 years. We didn’t know squat about RV’ing but we were staying in a long term RV park. As soon as we got there the park owner came and got our small trailer into our spot and immediately hooked us up. We religiously flushed and cleaned our tank every week. Empty, rinse with Borax and a cup of Dawn. Emptied and rinsed with clean clear water. After that a tank treatment. Never had any problems. This was in AL. 100 degrees in summer. 20-30 degrees in winter at times. Thankfully never had trouble!

Been drinking from the fresh water system for 22 years. I sanitze it twice a year. Probably doesn't even need it that often. If you're sourcing your fresh water from a city system it's chlorinated any way. Will stay fresh for months. If potable water systems were unsafe, the manufacturers wouldn't install them. Just follow the manufacturers recommendations. LP refrigerators run just fine going down the highway. As long as the ammonia solution is moving around its fine. Only when you park for extended periods off level does it become a problem.. and even then you're allowed something like 10 degrees off level.

We were on a cold-weather trip last year and could not get the pilot light to work for the hot water heater. Long trip, no bathrooms at campground, so no shower. Got back home and had that hot water tank ripped out and replaced with a tankless. Love it! No tank to bypass or drain, no pilot light or anode rod to mess with. I was able to winterize the camper in 13 minutes this year. A record for me! LOL

Fresh water tanks and plumbing is fine. Just add a bit of sanitizing bleach - a bit more than 1 cup per 10 gallons, run a bit through the plumbing, let it soak overnight, drain and rinse. Then add about 1/2 tsp or so per 10 gallons to the now drinkable water. Running your absorption fridge while driving is just fine. The rolling, bumping, and shaking will keep the ammonia moving. The Dometic owner's manual even states this!

As someone who was very ill from girardia (beaver fever) 40 years ago, I strongly agree with #1. Disclaimer: I did not get it from RV water but it has made me very cautious about sources of water I ingest.

Lol, drink water from my tank all the time! Also, traveled over 15000 miles this year while fridge was running

When you stated theyre barely made for the highway.. Truer words were never spoken. Thanks

100 thousand plus miles and never had an issue. Brother is an rv tech and never sees an issue with travel with fridge is on!

Thank you for taking the time and bringing these 5 item to our attention. I just subscribed and look forward to watching some of your other informative videos. Best regards, Bob

Some good tips here. I especially liked the tip concerning the 'poop mountain'. I've had first hand experience with that. Used to work for a lady that owned an RV sales/service facility. She kept a camper in a campground at the North Carolina coast that she allowed us to use on occasion. Went there one weekend with my wife and while using the facilities I happened to glance inside the toilet as I flushed it and there it was, a giant poop mountain. I went outside and I saw that someone had done what you showed, they had both drain valves open. I closed them both, dumped what must have been a gallon of chemical in the toilet and hoped for the best. The trailer had a monitor which showed tank levels but obviously someone was too lazy to depend on that. As a side note, whenever I dump the black and gray water tanks when I'm leaving, always dump the black water first and then the gray water. Helps to clean out the drain hose.

Electric only RV refrigerators, which use compressors, do not need to run balanced. They also don't have the propane gas danger in an accident. So they are safe to use while traveling.

5 excellent dos and don'ts. The first and last points can be both deadly and costly respectively. If you plan to max out your weight limit you might want to opt out for a fifth wheel trailer with a beefed up chassis, on or off road.

Truckers drive 150,000 miles every year criss crossing this country, all with refrigerators in there sleepers running 24/7. Just saying... Do whatever makes you feel good!

This is so interesting as an RV sales person to watch. Thank you for the insight! I never thought about the fridge being off level causing issues for consumers.

Like you hinted, I am one of the many that have been travelling with their RV gas absorption fridge "on" without any issue. Not going to travel 4-6 hours with the fridge off.....not going to happen. We are on our 4th RV since 1985, all using the Norcold fridge and not one failure. (I will knock on wood as to not tempt fate) That said, I think a major issue is how people use their absorption fridge while parked. Get level and reduce failures....and now with the ARP fridge defend on our latest motorhome, I can see what the boiler is doing. Regarding taking trailers "off road".....where do you think people use these toy haulers? The asphalt does run out eventually.......be smart, slow down, and your trailer will last!

1 - I don't even use the Fresh Water tank. 3 - got rid of the tank (bought a Tankless water heater for RV) 4 - never leave the Black Tank valve open. Also I'd recommend putting in a gallon (or two) after you've closed the valve. Keeps poop from sticking to the floor of the tank (also that keeps the smell down)!

Years ago I had a travel trailer parked in my driveway with just a mild incline. It was during the holidays and we needed the extra refrigeration space (also sleeping space) for guests. Went crazy trying to figure out why the fridge wasn't getting cold. Then it hit me - dang - we weren't perfectly level. Leveled it out (waited about an hour) and we got nice and cold again. For sure that advice is solid.

Good! Whew. Ive been told about all 5 items as a new camper! Didnt necessarily know the why’s, glad I know now. thanks for getting to the point quickly!

You can definitely use all refrigerators while traveling. No issues caused because of that. I’ve Been doing this with different types for almost 40 years.

I'm finding highways do more damage to our camper than any back road or gravel road. I hate driving on a lot of our highways in this country.

Thanks! Great info! Even an experienced RV’r can benefit so I subbed!

I'm so glad I found your channel. My husband and I are beginning to do some research on travel trailers to live in while we work. I'll be watching a lot more of your channel. I appreciate you opinion and look forward to learning more from you.

35 years and no problem with using refrigeration unit.

Great EDU and advice. Thanks! Cheers, Eric

Wow. Thank you for sharing your expertise with us. I learned more in just a couple minutes than I ever knew of dos and don'ts that were not in a manual or explained by salesperson or previous owner . This guy is an ace. I appreciate your time sir, and now that I'm subscribed I look forward to checking out whatever else you have shared. Thanks again. Enjoy the day.

Thanks for all the good info and found out what I did not know. As a retired auto technician , still learning about travel trailers. People make the difference! PMTD.

Great advice that most probably never thought about or knew the reasons behind them.

I don’t use Facebook or TikTok but would definitely like to see more UKposts videos with tips like these!

Agree with you on everything except refrigerator. While parking overnight out of level may be an issue, driving is not. The unit is in constant motion causing the refrigerant to also move. This is not an issue and the refrigerators are designed for this. Have been a boat owner for years with a compressor refrigerator, unlevel and constant movement of the boat does no harm to the compressor. The vibration of hitting waves or bumbs for years may cause fatigue failure but that has nothing to do with not being level.

Practical and highly informative. Thank you sir for your expertise.

We always run our Dometic 2 way on a/c with an inverter while traveling. It is protected from off level problems while traveling by our ARP Fridge defend we installed. Works great and protects against over heating of the boiler.

Thanks this has really helped me new 2023 RV owner .

Been using water out of my fresh water tank and driving with my refrigerator running in my 1988 Terry 29 R since it was new. With no problem at all

You are pretty damn smart! I live in a 5thw, and it's important to be aware of what you should do and the "must do's" to prevent damaging something that should of been maintained but anyways thanks for taking the time to make this video and share what you know Thanks ~

I enjoyed each point you make in your excellent video. I know you said many people run their refrigerator while traveling, and I am one of them, but I have, like others, and without any adverse consequence, run my absorption refrigerator while traveling. I think the reason no problem has occurred is that roads in general are level. So, for most of the time, the refrigerator is level and the short periods of time where it is not perfectly level, causes no problem. I have a 1990 Ford Mallard RV and my original Norcold refrigerator continues to perform like a champion.

Thank you..I'm new to all this RV stuff

Completely agree with the off roading tip. My brand new Forest River had piles of sawdust, from the manufacturing process, every time I hauled it for the first three thousand miles And that was all paved roads, mostly interstates.

Very informative!

The Norcold compressor frig I have is claimed by Norcold to be good for up to 30 degree tilt.

Now this was solid stuff, appreciate it!😎🇺🇸

Good, concise video. Important thing to note is that it is illegal in all 50 states to leave the propane on when traveling thru a tunnel OR at a gas station. Not to mention dangerous if a leak springs up. I've purchased a portable 12V/120V refrigerator/freezer and use it to transport perishables. When I get to the campsite, transfer the food to the fridge. I then use the portable unit to keep drinks cold outside.

We do not drink from faucet or use it for cooking just wash dishes and showers. I love our hot water on demand and happy to see many campers going to that. Glad to say we are doing GR8 on your list.

While I agree with staying of rough trails with larger RV’s , most if not all my damage has come from bad pot holes, humps , hollow in deteriorating highways across Canada . Sharp edges in pavement can be hell !

Great tips, thanks for creating this video!

Don’t drink the water… Me thinking he is unaware of research that the highest risk species of bacteria found in what little research is done the risk is the SHOWER. He then names a bacteria that is not a risk to swallow but is a risk to breath, such as from a shower. (I just use my water, it is what it is and I’m not going to shower elsewhere.)

If I can’t load the refrigerator before leaving on a camping trip, what good is it? I’d have to put all my frozen and keep cold items in an ice chest for the drive. After I arrive and turn on the refrigerator, I’d have to wait hours for it to cool down and then transfer items from the ice chest into the refrigerator. Leaving the camp site would also be a huge hassle. Turn the refrigerator off and quickly drive to the nearest store to buy ice. Transfer anything left in the refrigerator to the ice chest for the trip home. At this point, the refrigerator is completely useless.

Excellent information , thank you

thanks a lot !!! i never trusted drinking the water even when there was no info on it and the off road akso made tons of sense !!!!!!!

Good list of things to be aware of.

Great info. I'm over here thinking about getting a travel trailer but I'd mostly want it for boondocking (off road) so this info was very timely. Thanks!

I did not know, now I know! Great tips thanks.

First I'd like to point out that LP/12volt refrigerators do not have compressors they run of ammonia in which when you heat up with LP or 12 volt they evaporate in there system to create cold and recycle over and over again very efficiently, when they are not straight up the heat wont get to the proper place to cool. However when moving on highway will not affect the cooling process, on dirt roads it takes a while to affect the process.

Also, boondock often with my 5th wheel. Just drive real slow and take your time!! It will be fine!

Very good information especially anode rod! Don’t want rust in my hot water heater! Science!

I use bottled water for drinking and cooking. Other than that, I use the fresh water tank for everything else. I have recently left my propane refrigerator on while traveling and had no issues. I do replace my anode rod with a replacement anode rod. I never leave either holding tank valve open, even when at a full hookup site. Empty when full. My new trailer is mild offroad capable. I will take it down a dirt or gravel road that is smooth, but I will avoid rough offroad travel.

Good stuff! Those are things I hadn’t thought of.

I don't even have an RV, and I found this interesting. Although there seem to be different points of view, I do appreciate the heads-up.

I rv traveled for a few years and I would often pour a five gallon bucket of ice in the black tank,it helped scrub any leftovers off the bottom sliding around while driving,never had any problems with it!

What you state as "meticulous" care needed for a fresh water system is really pretty simple. If not used for several weeks, the system needs to be sanitized with 1/4 cup of bleach for every 15 gallons of water. A prolonged soak is not needed, just an hour or two and then a flush. When hook ups are available it is best to fill the tank and use water from the tank. Next avoid any filtration system which removes chlorine. If the tank is not sanitized and properly maintained, then the water should not be used for any purpose. That would include face washing, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and showering. Legionella infection is relatively infrequent but can be very serious, even fatal. Many cases have been due to aerosols when taking a shower with contaminated water. Again, maintain your tank or don't use the water for any purposes.

Thank u so much for this advice!

I got my first Travel Trailer back in the 80's. We are on our 3rd one since that time. I always travel with the Refrigerate on. Never had any kind of issue. While it is true you don't want to have the refrigerator on for lone periods of time off level, when traveling the movement of the trailer alone is enough to prevent any issues with the refrigerator.

Very helpful, thank you ❤

I don't normally talk to myself but when you were talking about finding the anode rod replaced with a plastic plug I said "No flipping way". As a side note, I love the "0,1" labels. Its only been the international symbol for on and off for forty years. I guess folks don't realize zero equals nothing.

Thank you so much! Great tips!

The fridge deal is always a debate. We actually put a bucket of ice in our fridge during travel to assure that the fridge will keep it's temps.

Great tips! Thank you!

Many people live in RVs full-time. This is our home. We don't have a home base to which we return at the end of every RV trip. Certainly the first couple of tips do not apply to us at all. 1. We have to drink from our fresh water supply. The only alternative is to buy bottled water and that will get too expensive. I have an adequate filtering system located upstream from the holding tank, so I am confident that the water in there is safe. 2. The food in our fridge is all we have, so we have to run it while moving. I am certain that the manufacturer installed a fridge that can handle being moved. Mine is on whenever I move, and I have never had any issues. 3 & 4. The tips regarding the water heater anode rod and black tank valves are completely valid, however. People do stupid stuff, and these two areas are where a lot of folks, even those living in RVs full time, get screwed up. Especially that black tank valve. They think that because they are living hooked up to a sewer system they can treat their trailer like a house and leave that valve open. Big mistake!!! 5. Finally, taking a typical RV "off road" is a bad idea. They are definitley not made for that. The leveling jacks on mine hang far too low to take it on any unpaved surface other than the spaces specifically desginated for RVs. I worry about them getting caught on any kind of uneven surface. The pavemnent just entering parking lots is sometimes worrisome. I can only imagine how badly my rig would be screwed up trying to take it down some kind of off-road trail. No matter how badly my wife wants to "boondock," we are not properly equipped for that.

Thank you for info that was relevant, but not really considered.

Use a berkey black filter for drinking water you can use ditch water with those things

I drink the water. I replace it with city water once a week. I drain the old water, flush and refill and it wonderful to have fresh water on tap!

Great information! Thank you!

Finally! Information I really need.

Did not realize that about the fridge. I've got the 12v / propane fridge and have owned 2 Keystone Raptors since 2006. We always travel with our fridge in the auto position. Have never experienced any issues.

Love that campground.

Great info, thank you for sharing.

If you're worried about an incline ruining your fridge, while most fridge compressors need to be kind of level, I've had an ARB 50 QT freezer for at least 15 years now running almost 24/7 300 days a year. Had it in a Landcruser, a Wrangler, and an F150 all off road and steep inclines. About 5 years ago in my Sprinter, I had it held by a strap on a shelf 11 inches off the floor. The strap came unhooked and the freezer tilted until the lid hit the floor. It was tilted about 130 degrees off vertical. Yeah, the top was lower than the bottom. It ran about 5 hours that way before I set it back up. I thought it was toast. But, it's still running fine today. Note ARB doesn't recommend running the freezer more than 30˚ off vertical. My RV frig runs on gas when I'm driving but switches over to 110v when the generator which is usually in the summer when I need both AC units running while driving. It's a 2004 GulfStream and haven't had any problems yet with the fridge.

Sanitize / Sterilize heavily the entire fresh water system every spring with bleach then with baking soda. Drink and cook out of it every year. Never had an issue. I agree with other posts about the refrigerator. Been running (traveling) with propane on for years. Never had an issue as trailer is reasonably and mostly level when traveling. Holding tanks are for "holding". Meaning let it fill up (i.e.-hold) then open the valve and let it empty naturally.

Hi! Great information. Can you clarify what "off road" and "trails" means to you in this context? Like, do you mean basic washboard dirt roads, heavily pot holed, or just any dirt road? We have a lot of dirt roads to get to campgrounds in the west, so want to make sure I'm tracking what is meant.

Thanks for the education.

They do make DC refrigerators with vibration technology and a locking door. I monitor my refrigerator temperatures using an RF signal from a weather station I bought. It lets me know without opening the door if my refrigerator is functioning properly all from the cab of my pickup truck. I plug the weather station into my cab power. I know what the refrigerator is doing at a glance. I still level my trailer when parked but so far my DC Rec-Pro upright 4.3 cu foot refrigerator has no issues with traveling even on mountain grades. I can monitor it as I drive. I use solar power so everything is DC. I have a converted toy hauler. And only drive 55mph on my single axle. I avoid gravel and potholes as much as possible. I built the toy hauler as I didn’t want the propane appliances. They are very expensive to fix and replace. Also I have the same exact faucet as you in my unit.

For water, I have filter at site connection and Brita inside. Always throughly rinse black tank and I use more drop-ins than recommended and haven't had false reading sensor issues since which i did using only recommened amount.

Thank you that was helpful!!

Helpful info. Thanks!

Thank you for the advice

If you are really worried about the refrigerator while traveling get one designed for boats. A boat is almost never level. Sailboats can spend days at a time heeled over while underway.

I’ve been RVing longer than this guy is old… and everything he’s telling you is absolutely correct, newbies take note!

As someone that lives and travels in the UK, I sanitize my water tank twice a year and after I’ve not used it for a while. I’ve always drank the water and never had a problem, as for the fridge it tells you in the instructions to put it on before you travel. I’ve never had any problems with anything you listed, maybe it’s different in the USA.

A lot of semi itrucks have 12 volt refrigerators that are moving 10-11 hours a day.never had a problem with mine.

Things that make me go: “Hmmm 😮!” Great food for thought! The dealer in AZ (late 90’s) taught me #4, I went from rookie to straight to full timer. #5 I would never take a huge rig anywhere like what he is talking about. 1-3 & 6, never heard all these years. Definitely food for thought & investigation. Oh, hot water tip sure makes sense already.

Thank you !! ❤️🤎💙🧡🤍💜💚🩷

Than you for the great info!

Great video and agree with these but, how do you use your RV without running the fridge? All my pickup campers, travel trailers, toy haulers and now class-C have been used in remote boon-docking locations around the dessert. If it takes a full day or two to get to your destination, seems pointless to have a fridge turned off until after you arrive? Always avoided running them camping of-level to avoid damage, always traveled with them on. I guess 45 years of fridge use is a tradeoff for the gamble... I give you credit for NOT getting into how cheap nearly ALL campers are made these days... Simple stuff like nearly all wall power outlets mounted crooked, like the installer had a liquid lunch.

What about the tankless hot water heaters, any special maintenance tips?

Been drinking from my water systems for the last 35+ years and have never had a problem nor has anyone I've ever known. I do sanitize every spring. Similar story with fridges. They are built to be used going down the road and it wont hurt them one bit.

Thanks for your video! I'm new!

I have traveled with the fridge on. I always make sure the trailer is on level when parked…the movement back and forth side to side is not long enough to cause issues. Parked for hours of level, something like 4-5hrs off level