Okay, got my first outing in the trailer under my belt (so to speak, since I don't wear one).
Following are my observations from that outing, in no particular order:
1. LOVE the Frig Guard. I didn't have to worry about stuff falling out of the frig when I opened it. Kind of hard to figure out what is where through the panels though, but that's something I'll learn over time. But, yeah, love that thing. If you want your very own Frig Guard, go here (not getting any kickbacks - dang!):
RV Fridge Guard
2. If you aren't height challenged and you're used to flinging your arms over your head to take off sweaters and such, please note: Um, gotta change your routine. Especially if you stand under the a/c unit. (5.0TA owners don't need to worry about this fact.) Bruising was not involved, but there were a few swear words involved early on.
3. Label all your containers that have multiple items wadded in them. I did on one, but not all of 'em. Good thing they're easy to open and all that. I know, I practiced opening them up multiple times. I'm now a pro at opening said containers.
4. LOVE my sink!!!! Sorry, I can't show you the link since ETI won't install it any longer, but I sure love it. Nice and deep; a bar sink. I have a bar-type faucet (so not as tall as residential) and it was great for washing dishes and hands. It didn't splatter water all over the place. Oh yeah - add dishwashing gloves to the list of needed items.
5. Still not thrilled with the glossy sealer along the back of the counter. Took me several wipes of the counter before I realized it wasn't water back there.
6. Have accepted the sink in the bathroom. Great place to stash the showerhead & hose while traveling as heck if I know if it'll stay in place while cruising down the road.
7. The medicine cabinet stayed closed while in transit. I just have to get in the habit of making sure the toilet lid is down before opening it - JUST IN CASE! Hey, you never know. I got some dividers from Charlie of RV Widget Works and I absolutely love 'em. Keeps things sorted and tidy in there. Yep, love those suckers.
8. Furnace on propane really cranks out the heat. Especially in the AM when I'm warming up the trailer before I take my shower. I kind of don't want to pop out of a hot shower and turn into an ice cube. I like to sleep in a cooler room, so it's rather nippy (one might say, such as hubby although he'd use a bit stronger word than nippy) in there when I get up.
9. Sewing projects: a cover for the Maxx fan and the door window to block out sunlight. Yeah, I know, some of you get up before the crack of dawn, but not this person. I'm not sure what dawn looks like, but I know it can light up the room more than I want when I'm trying to snooze.
10. I sleep to a sound machine and recently bought a new one. I really like the rainfall setting. Woke up the first night and wondered why the heck it was so loud. Turns out it was actual rain on the roof! Too funny. This is what I got (not cheap, but I sure like it):
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002SMJQT4...CZ5AEMUJ&psc=1
It also helped drown out the yappy dog in a nearby rig. Fortunately said yappy dog didn't yap for too long - thank you yappy dog owner!
11. A few of you thought I had too many pillows on the dinette. Nope, I have just the right amount. Plus, several of them are used when I prop myself up in bed to read for a bit before snoozing. And all those pillows are nice to have around me when I read. I worked my way through 3 fairly decent sized books. It was so quiet I wanted to take advantage of it and too cold to sit outside to read.
12. My spiffy folding TV tray worked wonders for eating at. Yep, another purchase through Amazon. I love it. I did have to be a bit careful when moving it around so it didn't fall off the edge of the raised area of the dinette. (We don't have the table installed and one of the filler boards and a cushion are in place instead.) It folds up very easily and I can leave it on the bed while in transit or stash it under the bed. It's not really marble, so you don't need to worry about extra weight.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Lucky 13: This was pretty much my first time cooking on propane (other than the motorhome rental 2 years ago). The pan set I got worked really well on the burner and my hash browns were done perfectly. After I had to do a grocery store run for butter. Yep, forgot to create a food list and thought I'd remember it all. Nope, didn't and will be making that list real soon; before my next outing.
Note: it's great when you bring along your new jar of low FODMAP salsa (those in the know will know how exciting that statement is), however it's the pits when you realize you forgot your blue corn chips to go with the tasty salsa. Not making another trip to the grocery store for that. Jeez.
Here's my pans (the cups are fun to drink out of and the plates held my meals just fine):
Pinnacle Camper Cookware Set | GSI Outdoors
14. Toaster oven worked beautifully. Baked some Chilean Sea Bass (with gluten free bread crumbs) one night and a stuffed chicken breast another night, both with a pan of baked cubes of potatoes.
15. Need to remember to check tank levels before heading out (for my driving lessons, which was the reason for this outing). Yep, gray tank was full and I discovered that I also forgot to screw in the plug in the showerpan. Won't make those mistakes again. Fortunately it was the GREY tank, if you know what I mean.
16. Follows with #15 in that I'm sure glad I have some flooring stuff in the bathroom when said tank overflowed. My shoes didn't get that wet. Um, yeah.
I was afraid the flooring would be too stiff or harsh under my feet when I was showering, but they were fine. Yay for that!
Rugged Grip-Loc Tiles - Outdoor Patio Interlocking tile
All in all, I'm super thrilled over my first outing in the trailer. I have a few things to add (like food list!) and change (container for bread crumbs instead of the well used bag they're in). But it'll take time to get these things figured out and all that.