Think you’ve mastered the art of RV camping? Whether you’re new to the game or a long-time enthusiast, you know there are many different aspects of RVing that you have to keep in mind to ensure every trip is as fun as it is safe. From keeping your RV in tip-top, road-ready shape to minding the rules of each campsite you stop at, it’s easy to make RV mistakes along the way (especially if you aren’t properly prepared).
We’re helping you avoid common “deadly sins” of RVing that often befall campers and their owners. These RV travel errors can be costly, in both the short and long term. But, if you’re aware of them and know how to avoid them, you can extend your RV’s lifespan, improve safety on and off the road, and have a more enjoyable camping trip every time.
So, before you start loading up your camper and plotting your route to your next campsite, make sure you aren’t committing any of the following RV mistakes – before and during your camping trip. These seven “deadly sins” can wreak havoc on your RV and your plans!
Overpacking and Overloading Your RV
While it’s tempting to fill your RV with all the comforts of home – after all, it’s got plenty of storage space inside – you don’t want to go wild. Overpacking an RV is one of the most common mistakes you can make, and it’s surprisingly easy to do.
Before you start adding boxes and bins filled with gear or supplies, look up the weight limit for your particular RV. You don’t want to go over that number; it’s better to keep your camper as light as can be.
And yes, passengers count as weight! To check the RV’s weight once you’ve loaded it up for a trip, you can visit a weigh station to ensure you’re safely within the capacity limits.
Skipping Regular Maintenance
Maintenance is critical for your everyday vehicle. Without it, you can wind up facing common problems like low oil, crumbling belts, faulty seals, and all kinds of other automotive repairs. Well, just like your car, SUV, or pickup, your RV can’t – and shouldn’t – go without regular maintenance.
If you think your RV only requires maintenance before camping season starts or when problems appear, you’re making a big mistake! You want to check everything under the hood, inside the camper itself, and around the wheels regularly, perform regular washes and waxes, and tackle small maintenance often -- just like you would any other vehicle.
This regular maintenance can prevent little issues from growing into huge (and hugely expensive) problems, and it’ll help keep you and your RV safe on the road.
Exceeding Your RV or Vehicle’s Towing Capacity
We mentioned the common “sin” of overpacking your RV and exceeding its weight capacity. But there’s another similar mistake that new RVers often make: ignoring towing capacity.
You don’t want to exceed your towing capacity when you’re pulling your vehicle behind your RV (or towing a camper behind your vehicle). If you attempt to tow a vehicle that weighs too much, your RV’s engine and transmission will be strained. While this might not immediately cause problems, the added stress leads to faster wear and tear under the hood – and that can lead you to breakdowns, expensive repairs, and other costly woes sooner than typical.
Additionally, exceeding towing capacity can lead to a whole host of safety issues on the road, especially when you’re driving a route with inclines and increasing elevation. Not sure of your towing capacity? Look in your owner’s manual, or search for your make and model online.
Hitching and Hooking Up Incorrectly
Hitching and hooking up your RV to your vehicle, or vice versa depending on the size of your camper, seems pretty straightforward. But one wrong move can throw off the weight of your tow, cause problems like swaying and loss of control on the road, and put you and your RV at risk of danger. So, if you have yet to master the art of correctly hitching up, you’re making one serious RV mistake.
To ensure you’re properly hooking up your RV or your vehicle, it’s critical that you practice in a low-stakes environment. You want to do a bit of research first to find the right kind of hitch, with the right capacity or weight rating. Then, you can practice using your hitch and linking up your car and camper in your own driveway. Take your hitched-up RV for a (slow) test drive, and you can note – and adjust for – any issues you might notice well before you head out on a road trip.
Failing to Properly Level and Stabilize
If you haven’t done your due diligence about how to stabilize, secure, and level your RV at a campsite, you’re definitely committing one of the most common camper “sins”! While there are plenty of RV parks and campgrounds that offer paved spaces, it’s pretty rare for a campsite to be perfectly flat and level – which means you can find your RV wobbling, tilting, or less than secure when you get parked and set up.
Failing to level and stabilize your RV can lead to serious damage, in addition to making you feel a little off-kilter inside it. Uneven ground and a lack of levelers puts added stress on the frame and any slide-outs, and it can also cause a rocking motion that increases this stress. Plus, if your camper isn’t stabilized, it has the potential to move (a dangerous possibility!).
So, make sure to do some research and find stabilizers and levelers that will keep your RV secure on any ground and at any site. Make sure they’re easy to pack and set up, as you’ll need them each and every time you park your camper.
Under-Planning for Your Trip
Before you hit the road, have you properly planned out the details of your trip? If you haven’t and you’re heading out with little beyond the address of your destination, you’re making the grave error of under-planning.
Under-planning is essentially traveling unprepared. This includes failing to map out your route in advance, researching the local area as well as its amenities, and making plans for activities, adventures, and other fun you want to have while camping. If you don’t do this key planning ahead of time, you could easily find yourself lost in an unfamiliar area (without cell or GPS signal!). Or you might try to enjoy a day on the lake, but suddenly realize reservations were required weeks or months in advance.
Start your research as soon as you book your RV campsite. With plenty of time to prepare, you’ll be able to get familiar with everything from the highways you’ll travel to the best activities around camp. Plus, you can easily adapt and adjust as needed, making backup plans so your trip is an all-around success.
When it comes to making the mistake of under-planning, you also don’t want to forget to research your chosen campground. Failing to do this can lead to you causing problems at your site, from disrespecting noise requirements to failing to properly handle your waste and garbage. Before arriving, you’ll want to know key details like any “quiet hours;” where key amenities are located; if there are restrictions around fires, waste and garbage, or food storage; and any unique details of the location, such as care around local wildlife.
Overextending Your Daily Travel
Once you’ve actually hit the road, you might think the risk of making an RV mistake disappears. However, it’s important to keep one more common “sin” in mind: overextending yourself and your RV by spending too much time traveling.
You likely already know, thanks to long road trips and lengthy travel days, that spending hours and hours driving can leave you exhausted, both physically and mentally. Driving a sizable RV is even tougher, as there’s more to keep in mind while you’re behind the wheel (and more to be alert about). With each increasing hour you spend driving, you’re reducing your alertness, your energy, and your responsiveness. Driving for too many hours each day can put you at serious risk.
Plus, you don’t want to overextend your camper. In addition to tiring you out, driving for too many hours each day of your trip can also “exhaust” your RV, putting additional mileage and wear on the vehicle.
To avoid overextending your daily travel, make sure to set limits. Schedule breaks into your route so you and your RV can rest for a bit before getting back on the road – and don’t forget to eat and refuel. And you should always plan to stop driving before you start feeling drowsy; while it’s tempting to drive all night, taking a break to sleep is always a smart move.