DH and I just ordered a 2017 QS 8.0 with the rear deck. We pick it up in Milwaukee next Wednesday, and I am over the moon! I thought my husband would insist on buying a cheap, used hard top pop-up, but I insisted we take a look at the Quicksilver fold-out, and he loved it! I can't wait to try it out.
We enjoy tent camping, but this will be a whole new experience. Prosser RV has promised us a very thorough orientation. Any advice for our first trip?
[quote timestamp="1473443038" source="/post/24496/thread" author="@cosmorummer"]Any advice for our first trip?[/quote][font size="3"]Yes. Go and have fun, but go somewhere close. Try out everything. If you go somewhere with hookups, try them out but also try things without them. Keep a list of things you didn't remember or know to bring. And please report back afterwards. :) [/font]
Congrats on your purchase.
I also bought my QS from the good folks at Prosser. They showed me how to open it up, fold it back and reviewed how to properly connect the camper to my vehicle. They were very patient. Ask all kinds of questions if you need.
Enjoy!
Welcome to the group! Definitely, stay close to home for your first trip. You will be very happy that you have the rear deck. Make sure you do not overload the rear deck. Too much weight on the back will remove tongue weight and cause your trailer to sway. What are you towing with? We tow with a Subaru Outback and averaged 18 mpg while traveling on a 1000 mile road trip. Enjoy your QS and do not hesitate to ask questions.
We are towing with a 2016 Honda Odyssey. We have never towed anything! I'm sure it will take some time to get used to it. thanks for the tip about the rear deck. .. I think we will used it for our lightweight gear such as camping rug, screen tent, and huge duffel of sleeping bags. We tend to travel pretty light except for our giant cooler full of frozen prepped meals (that will go in the car.)
Welcome and good luck.
It's a good idea to practice reversing in an open parking lot a bit before trying to do it at a campsite. Most of them you'll need to back the trailer in.
All great advice so far! I consider Mike Prosser a friend, although we don't see him often. On the forums he is the one dealer consistently mentioned by name, so that says a lot about his dedication.
The first time you set it up in a camp will likely be entertaining to the neighbors. Pay no attention, and take the ribbing with good humor. In short order you will learn to set up and tear down in minutes. If there are two of you it becomes camper ballet.
Learning how to back a short trailer is also a matter of practice. The shorter the trailer the trickier it is (just as any trucker which is easier). You can find lots of advice on the forum and YouTube, but my tip is to steer from the bottom of the wheel. With your hand on the wheel at 6 o'clock, turn the wheel the way you want the trailer to go: if the trailer needs to go left, push the bottom of the wheel to the left. You are actually steering right, steering opposite, but it's easier to steer from the bottom because you don't have to think as much about it. The other trip is, go slow and make small corrections. That's because short trailers turn fast. Make a small correction, and as the trailer turns, start to put the wheel back to center so the trailer doesn't "take off." Practice practice practice. Jackknifing? Pull forward and straighten out, then start again. Jammydee's advice to learn in an empty parking lot on a Sunday is excellent.
If you find yourself in what seems an impossible situation, if you are on fairly level, not too soft ground, you can always unhook it and push it where it needs to go, especially if there are two of you, but make sure your wheel chocks are handy right on top. I once had Rose take off on a paved site that had a slight camber for drainage. I was foolishly pushing it alone and she just took off into the weeds. Fortunately, no damage, but massive embarrassment as other campers came running to help me push her back into the site. (http://images.forums.net/f/smiley/squint.png)
I push mine into place. Backing on gravel is not a skill I have now. I just drive in with an angle that will let me back out, chock a wheel with SUPER chock bu BAL, and do a loop around to back the car in. Push the Quicksilver into place, re-secure with chock, level, and set up.
[quote timestamp="1473443038" source="/post/24496/thread" author="@cosmorummer"]DH and I just ordered a 2017 QS 8.0 with the rear deck. We pick it up in Milwaukee next Wednesday, and I am over the moon! I thought my husband would insist on buying a cheap, used hard top pop-up, but I insisted we take a look at the Quicksilver fold-out, and he loved it! I can't wait to try it out.
We enjoy tent camping, but this will be a whole new experience. Prosser RV has promised us a very thorough orientation. Any advice for our first trip?[/quote][p]Welcome to the group, from South America Chile
Enjoy your pop[/p][p]
[/p][p]Freddy
[/p]
Thanks everyone for the welcome and good advice!