Our First RV Trip: What 2.5 Hours of Setup Taught Us About Being Total Beginners
The fridge didn't turn on. The water pressure leaked, twice. We made it all the way to the campsite and realized nobody had packed snacks. Dinner that first night was burgers with no buns because somehow those got left off the shopping list when we were rushing out the door.
That's our first RV trip in a nutshell. And it was one of the best things we've ever done.
Planning your first RV trip and wondering what to expect?
Give yourself 2 to 3 hours for your very first site setup while you figure out jacks, leveling, and hookups. Pack more food than you think you need, write a real packing list before you leave, and strongly consider doing a short shakedown trip close to home before you commit to a big destination.
Why We Did a Shakedown Trip Instead of Going Somewhere Big
When we bought our RV, we had enough sense to know we didn't know enough. A long-distance trip straight out of the gate sounded like a recipe for a breakdown, of the mental and mechanical variety. So we did what made sense: we booked a pull-through site not far from home, loaded up the family, and told ourselves this trip had exactly one job. Figure out how everything works.
No scenic destination. No agenda beyond not breaking anything. Just us, the kids, Ace the dog, and a campground a short drive away.
That decision saved us.
If you're reading this because you just bought an RV and you're itching to go somewhere, hear us out first: the shakedown trip is not skipping the fun part. It is the fun part, because you get to make all your rookie mistakes somewhere low-stakes and come home knowing exactly what to do next time.
The Drive Over and Our First Pull-Through Site
Towing a brand new RV for the first time is its own experience. You're checking mirrors constantly, calculating clearances in your head, and your co-pilot is narrating every car that comes within three lanes of you. We made it to the campsite without any real drama, which felt like a genuine win.
A pull-through site was absolutely the right call for our first trip. You drive straight in, you drive straight out, no backing up required. If you're booking your very first campsite and you're not confident about backing a trailer yet, just get a pull-through. One less thing to stress about while you're already learning everything else.
The 2.5-Hour Setup (Yes, That's How Long It Took)
Once we parked, it was time to actually set the thing up. In theory, we knew the steps. We'd watched videos, read manuals, felt reasonably prepared. In practice, there was a fair amount of standing around, consulting YouTube mid-task, and asking "wait, which one is the snap pad?"
Here's what the setup process looked like from start to finish.
Snap pads and leveling blocks. These go under the jacks before you do anything else. They protect the campsite surface and give your jacks a stable, non-slip base. Get these down before you unhitch so the trailer doesn't go anywhere while you're figuring out the rest.
Unhitching from the truck. We're towing on a gooseneck, so this meant getting off the ball, opening the tailgate so Aaron could pull the truck forward, and then hitting auto-level. That part was genuinely satisfying. The trailer did not roll away. Small wins count when you're new at this.
Stabilizers. We were trying out the Mo Ride Express stabilizer for the back of the trailer. Let's just say the learning curve was real and leave it at that.
Power hookup. Camille handled this one, surge protector first, then power on. Done.
Sewer hookup. This was the one we were most nervous about going in. We had an extra valve added at the dealership to give us an additional connection point on the line, which made it easier to manage. Brand new tank, no mess. We got through it.
Water hookup. Connected the hose, turned it on, and immediately had a leak at the connection. Tightened it, tried again. Still dripping. Checked it a second time, got it snug, and it held. A pressure regulator on the line matters more than you'd think.
By the time everything was connected and the slides were out, two and a half hours had passed. Fast? Slow? Honestly, we had no idea how we compared to other first-timers, so we asked in the video. The comments will tell us.
The First Night: Chaos, Chicken, and No Burger Buns
The kids found friends at the campsite within about ten minutes of us parking. Which meant they were completely out of our hair during setup, and completely underfoot the second we finished. This is just how kids work.
The fridge didn't turn on right away. We troubleshot it, eventually got it going. The water pressure situation sorted itself out once we got the connection right. Dinner was its own adventure. We had plans for burgers and chicken nuggets. The nuggets turned out to be panko chicken breast (because we were rushing when we shopped and grabbed the wrong thing), and the burgers had no buns because those got left at the house somewhere in the chaos of packing. Everyone ate. Everyone survived.
After the kids went to bed, Camille started wiping things down. When you pick up a new RV, it's been on the lot, gone through dealership tours, and had other people walking through it. "Cleaned" doesn't mean what you want it to mean until you've cleaned it yourself. We knew that going in, so it wasn't a surprise. Just one more thing to do at the end of a very long day.
The Morning After: A Walmart Run and Some Perspective
We woke up in good spirits. Much better than the night before, honestly. The energy was lighter. The kids wanted to eat and go play. The snack situation was bad enough that a supply run wasn't optional.
We drove back to the house, grabbed the things we'd left behind, did a Walmart run, restocked, and came back to the campsite feeling like actual humans. Not the most glamorous move, but it worked.
If we'd had a written packing list, not a mental one, an actual list on paper or in an app, we probably wouldn't have needed that run. That's the real lesson from night one.
Day 2 Was Noticeably Better
Eggs and sausage for breakfast. Kids outside playing with friends they'd made the day before. A routine starting to actually click. We even did laundry, we had a washer/dryer installed as a dealership upgrade before the trip, which sounds excessive right up until you think about two kids on a longer trip and all the things that can happen. You just never know when somebody needs a full wardrobe reset.
Day 2 felt like actual RV living, not just survival mode. That's the whole point of the shakedown trip. By day two, you're no longer figuring out the basics. You're just living in it.
Packing Up and Getting Out
Teardown had fewer surprises than setup, but it still required going through every step in order. Closing the tanks, disconnecting the sewer hose, powering down, pulling in the slides, taking in the stabilizers, lifting the hitch back to tow height, backing the truck in to line it all up, latching the hitch down, connecting the safety chains and breakaway cable, plugging in, and doing a light check before pulling out.
We had about 37 minutes to get it all done and made it with a little room to spare.
Then Aaron drove us out of the campsite, which meant navigating around a truck parked the wrong way at the dump station (exchanged polite-but-tense looks through the windshield), brushing a bush that had absolutely no business being planted that close to the exit road, and eventually getting onto the highway where everything settled down and felt great.
First time driving out. Zero major incidents. That counts.
The Verdict
Would we do it again? We're already planning the next one.
This trip gave us exactly what we needed: confidence. Not because everything went smoothly, it didn't, but because every problem we hit, we solved. Every step we fumbled through, we now know how to do. That 2.5-hour setup will be shorter next time, and shorter still the time after that.
If you're staring at a brand new RV and trying to decide whether to just go for it or do a practice run first: do the practice run. Pick a site close to home. Book a pull-through. Write a real packing list. Expect it to take longer than you think. And just go.
It's worth every chaotic, breadless, Walmart-run minute.
First RV Trip FAQs
How long does it take to set up an RV for the first time?
Plan for 2 to 3 hours on your first full campsite setup. That covers leveling, unhitching, stabilizers, power, sewer, and water hookups. It gets faster with every trip. Our first setup took about 2.5 hours, and we expect to cut that down significantly by trip three or four.
What is a shakedown trip for an RV?
A shakedown trip is a short, low-stakes test run before your first big RV vacation. The goal is to learn how your specific rig works, setup process, systems, hookups, quirks, somewhere close to home where problems are easy to fix. If something goes wrong, you're 20 minutes away, not 600 miles. Highly recommended for any first-time RV owner.
What should I pack for my first RV trip?
Start with your hookup gear: sewer hose, surge protector, water pressure regulator, water hose, leveling blocks or snap pads, and chocks. Beyond that, pack like you're moving into a small apartment for a weekend, food, toiletries, bedding, cleaning supplies, and snacks. More snacks than you think you need. Write the list down before you leave.
What type of campsite is best for a first RV trip?
Pull-through sites. You drive straight in, you drive straight out, no backing up required. It removes one major stressor from an already-busy first day and lets you focus on the setup process instead of worrying about how you're going to get out.
What do you need to hook up an RV at a full-hookup campsite?
For a standard full-hookup site you'll need: a 30 or 50-amp power cord, surge protector, sewer hose with a clear elbow and gate valve, water hose, and a water pressure regulator. Most of these come together in beginner RV starter kits. Don't skip the surge protector, campsite power can be inconsistent.
What should I do if something doesn't work on my first RV trip?
Troubleshoot calmly, look it up, and try again. Our fridge didn't turn on right away. Our water connection leaked twice. Both got fixed with a little patience. Your RV manual and YouTube are your two best resources in the field. If something is genuinely broken and not just a setup error, most campgrounds have staff and there are mobile RV repair services that cover most areas.
Watch the full video on YouTube to see the entire setup and teardown, everything that went sideways, and us figuring it all out in real time. And subscribe to Finding Our Forte, we're documenting this whole learning curve, ugly parts included.
