# First Time Rv Owner (05 29fbhs)



## perry6217 (Feb 20, 2008)

Well my wife and I have graduted from 3 sizes in tent camping to a 5th wheel-29FBHS. Pulling with 08 F-250 Diesel CrewCab 4x4 with 6.5 bed. Couple of questions are looming but any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

1. Unit came as package with a fixed 15K hitch, will this be adequate or is a slider needed?
2. Read something asbout 15"tires cracking blowing alot and changing to 16's, Is that wide spread problem?
3. Any pointers in owning/maintaining and pulling would be helpful. Wide Open!~


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

With a 6.5 bed, I am sure you will need a slider.

As for the tires. I do not recall any issues with 15 in tires. Most of the problems were with 14 on the TT. Depending on the year of the trailer and then the age of the tires, check them for cracks and maybe they need to be replaced. Usually tires will age well before they wear out on a camper. 4- 5 years old is usually considered a age to consider replacing.

As for the third. Browse thru the topic headers in sections you are looking for answers or you can always start a new thread asking more specific questions.

Good Luck on your 'new' trailer

John


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## Crawfish (Sep 14, 2005)

Welcome to the site and welcome to the Southeastern bunch. Check out our rallies we have each year in the rallies section and try to make one or two.

As for your trailer, congrats. There was an issue on some of the 15" tires by Milestar. Keystone replaced them for us with Goodyear's. The problem with the Milestars were they were wearing out way to early. If yours look like they are starting to crack I would go ahead and get new ones and get a good name brand and not tires from China.

As for towing, a fifth wheel tows so sweet, like you are not towing anything at all. Just make sure both TV and 5'er are level with each other. You might have to adjust the king pin or the hitch a little to get level. And yes, I would suggest a slider. You will not have to buy the whole hitch if you have a name brand hitch. All you would have to purchase is the slider part that goes with that hitch.

As for maintaining, there are several threads here that tells you what you need to do. Just do a search for maintaining and it should bring up all the threads for that subject.

Again, welcome and hope to see you on the road or at a rally someday.

Leon


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## RizFam (Feb 25, 2006)




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## GlenninTexas (Aug 11, 2004)

Welcome to our site.
As for the slider hitch, 99% of the time you will not need it. But could be situations where a slider will be handy. I too have a 6.5 ft bed and have had an occasion while backing into a sharp turn with a downhill slope where I had to deploy the slider. If your careful and always check if you have clearance between your cab and the 5'er, you could do without the slider, but if your not, you could cause significant damage to both your truck and/or the rv. Another downside with your setup is the fixed hitch. If you decide to spring for the slider, go ahead and buy the removable rails so your tuck bed can be used for other things.

Tires, I have not had any issues, but others have. It sseems to be the certain manufacturers, not whether the tires are 15" or 16".

Here's a checklist I created for setup and breakdown, specifically for my 5th wheel. You might need to modify it to your needs. The "G" denotes my tasks and the "V"s my wifes.

Getting Ready for Departure;
At Campsite	Check-off
1	Lower TV Antenna	V
2	Close windows blinds	V
3	Close window blinds	V
4	Lock shower door	V
5	Turn off Hot Water heater	V
6	Turn off air conditioner/furnace	V
7	Sweep top of slide-out	G
8	Retract slide-out	V
9	Fold away steps & Door Handle	V
10	Store outside cooktop & disconnect propane line	G
11	Take down flags	G
12	Store Awning	G
13	Disconnect water line	G
14	Retract rear stabilizer jacks	G
15	Hook up to hitch	G
Drop tailgate	G
Raise tongue to 1/2" - 1" above hitch plate	G
Retract latch handle to full open position	G
Ensure slider is in locked position	G
Back kingpin into latch	G
Ensure latch is completely closed	G
Insert latch safety pin G
Plug in trailer harness	G
Secure breakaway cable	G
Retract front stabilizer legs	G
Repin front stabilizers in highest position	G
Close tailgate	G
Remove wheel chocks	G
16	Unplug power cable	G
17	Perform circle survey	G
18	Retrieve wheel level boards	G
19	Check turn signal, brake light and electric brake operation	V
At Dump site 
20	Dump holding tanks	G
21	Check lug-nut torque	G
22	Lock entry door	G
23	Fold away steps	G
24	Lock storage compartments	G
25	Turn off Overdrive	G
At Storage site 
26	Turn off propane tanks G
27	Turn off refrigerator & dehumidifier	V
28	Lock entry door	G
29	Fold away steps	G
Notes: Things to restock, repair, or clean.

Upon arrival at campsite;

At Campsite	Check-off
1	Secure Dogs	V
2	Drop tailgate	G
3	Level RV side-to-side	G
4	Chock Wheels	G
5	Connect 30 Amp power	G
6	Connect Water Line	
7	Fold Down Steps & Door Handle	V
8	Turn On Air Conditioner	V
9	Extend Slide-out	V
10	Check if Hot Water tank is filled by turning on tap	V
11	Turn On Hot Water Heater	V
12	Turn On Refrigerator Dehumidifier V
13	Open window blinds	V
14	Put Dogs on cables V
15	Put out Dogs Water	V
16	Extend front stabilizer legs & pin	G
17	Disconnect Breakaway Cable	G
18	Unplug trailer harness	G
19	Remove Latch safety pin G
20	Retract latch handle to full open position	G
21	Raise tongue until plate clears hitch	G
22	Pull truck out from under RV	G
23	Level RV front-to-back	G
24	Extend rear stabilizer jacks	G
25	Extend awning, attach lights and de-flappers G
26	Put down Carpet	G
27	Put out flags	G
28	Put out table and chairs	G


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

on finally graduating to an Outback!

We came from a pop up as well...Ain't life grand???









Enjoy!


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## jdozier (Aug 26, 2007)

I also have a 29FBHS and pull with a 6.5' bed. I have a slider hitch that came with the 5er when I bought it but have never had to use it. I cannot turn a full 90 degrees but pretty close. Just keep an eye on it while making sharp turns and you should be OK.

JD


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## Camper Man (Jan 12, 2006)

Congratulations and Welcome to the Outbackers. We have really enjoyed our 26RS (travel trailer) but I follow the "fiver" discussions closely. One day my ship will come in ...

Glennin Texas, great check-list. I just copied it to adapt to our own set-up & breakdown. Time to delegate. Way too many "G"'s on my list


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Welcome...Welcome...Welcome.

Glad you found us.









Congrats on the new Outback. You're going to LOVE it.


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