Setup & Tear Down Steps
Follow these steps to ensure a successful trip and an uneventful stay on your next camping and travelling adventure.
Be Safe. Have Fun.
Whenever you roll into a new campsite—or fire up the truck to head out—you’re kicking off a brand-new chapter of your adventure. Before you settle in under the awning or hit the open road, there are a few essential steps that keep both you and your RV safe. Below, you’ll learn exactly how to set up and break down your travel trailer, inside and out, plus how to hitch and unhitch using a standard ball mount (a classic bumper pull).
This guide is tailored to our travel trailer setup, so your process may look a little different if you’re towing a fifth wheel or another style of RV.
Follow these Steps Every Time you head out.
A FEW THINGS TO ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND
- Follow the right order – Setting up, tearing down, hitching, and unhitching all have a proper sequence. Stick to it, and your entire RV experience becomes smoother—and safer.
- Keep your gear organized – Having everything in a designated place saves time, prevents frustration, and makes you look like an RV pro even when you’re rushing.
- Triple-check everything – Even seasoned RVers forget small but important details. A quick double (or triple) check can save your day.
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SETTING UP YOUR TRAVEL TRAILER
You’ve arrived! The trees are towering, the breeze is perfect, and the adventure is calling. Time to get unhitched, unpacked, and settled into your temporary home base.
STEP 1: UNHITCHING
Christina and Ben, two explorers at heart, love nothing more than roaming in their Jayco Jay Feather—Christina chasing sunsets and scenic drives, Ben savoring campfires, bourbon, and good company. Wherever they go, their travel trailer is the heart of their journey. Here’s how they get set up:
FIND A GOOD SPOT
Pick a flat, level patch to park. Use a bubble level on the steps or bumper to confirm.
LEVEL USING BLOCKS IF NEEDED
If one side is low, place leveling blocks ahead of the tires on that side, then pull forward onto them. Check your level again.
CHOCK YOUR WHEELS
Once you’re level, put your tow vehicle in park, set the emergency brake, and chock the wheels. Never skip this.
DISCONNECT WIRING AND SAFETY CABLES
Unplug all wiring, release safety chains, and remove sway bars if you use them. Unlock the receiver latch.
LIFT THE FRONT OF THE TRAILER
Use your jack or crank to raise the trailer until the hitch ball clears the coupler. Pull the tow vehicle forward.
LOWER AND LEVEL FRONT-TO-BACK
With the vehicle out of the way, lower the trailer and get it level from front to back.
STEP 2: GETTING UNPACKED & CONNECTED
DROP YOUR STABILIZERS
These keep your RV steady—but never use them to level.
CONNECT POWER AND WATER
If you’ve got full hookups, plug in and attach your water hose. If you’re boondocking, fire up the generator or set out your solar panels so you have the power to run the essentials and open slides or awnings.
OPEN UP & UNPACK
Drop your steps, unlock your door, run out your slides, and start transforming your campsite—chairs, mats, tables, and all your travel-ready gear.
TEARING DOWN YOUR TRAVEL TRAILER
The adventure continues—time to pack up your little cabin on wheels and hit the road again.
STEP 1: PACKING UP & DISCONNECTING
START INSIDE
Secure everything: chairs, kitchen items, tables, appliances. Wrap fragile things in towels and stash them in the sink. Use bungees and velcro to keep cabinets and drawers from popping open.
CLOSE ALL DOORS
Lock the fridge, freezer, bathroom door, and every cabinet. Close windows and vents.
TURN OFF SYSTEMS & RETRACT EVERYTHING
Shut off your water pump, pull in slides, and retract the awning. Make sure all lights and fans are off.
CLEAN UP CAMP
Fold up chairs, roll up mats, and pack away anything outside.
DISCONNECT POWER & WATER
Unhook from all services and put away cords, hoses, and solar panels. Lock all storage bays.
FINAL LOCKDOWN
Close and lock exterior doors, retract your steps.
FINAL WALK-AROUND
Do a slow circle around your RV. Look for dangling cords, open windows, forgotten gear, or anything out of place.
STEP 2: HITCHING UP
KEEP THE WHEELS CHOCKED
They should be chocked from earlier—leave them in place until you’re fully hitched.
CHECK YOUR BALL MOUNT
Make sure it’s pinned, clipped, and locked. Raise the front of the RV so the coupler can drop onto the hitch ball.
BACK UP SLOWLY
Use a spotter if you can. Line the hitch ball directly under the coupler with the latch open.
LOWER THE RV ONTO THE BALL
Put the tow vehicle in park, set the emergency brake, and use your jack to lower the coupler onto the ball until the full tongue weight rests on it.
LOCK THE LATCH
Secure the coupler latch and install any sway or weight-distribution bars.
CONNECT ALL SAFETY GEAR
Attach safety chains, plug in the wiring harness, and connect the breakaway cable.
TEST LIGHTS
Have your partner stand behind the RV to confirm brake lights and turn signals work perfectly.
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