Helpful Tips for New RV Owners

2020 ended up being a blockbuster year for RV sales, and many people have become newbies in the RVing family. It’s exciting to see the passion for RVing increase, despite the circumstances, and we’re here to encourage all new RV owners enthusiasts to get out there and explore.

But as with everything new, there is a learning curve. First-time RVers won’t know everything about their rig’s systems or how to avoid certain pitfalls when camping. So we’ve put together a few helpful tips to get newbies started! 

For your first trip out, stay within a 50 mile radius and go somewhere with full hookups.

The idea here is that you’ll be close to home if something goes wrong with your RV and ideally not in the middle of the woods. Secondly, doing your maiden voyage at a campground with full hookups will allow you to test out your water and electrical systems and teach you how to properly set up and break down camp.

Create set up and break down checklists.

Even the most seasoned RVers have checklists they follow to set up and break down camp. It may sound silly, but there are many steps and things to remember when it comes to camping, and they’re easy to forget if you don’t take the time to review checklists.

Sanitize the water spigot before you hook up.

This one might seem a bit odd, but consider this: The camper before you may have rinsed their sewer hose in the water spigot as they packed up camp. So always sanitize! You can spray the spigot with a sanitizer such as Lysol or hold a small bowl of bleach up on the spigot for a minute or two before rinsing.

Always close your awning when you’re not using it.

Awnings make up a large percentage of needed repair services for RVs. All it takes is a gust of wind to flip and bend your awning or rip it from the sides of your rig. So it’s best to always close your awning when you’re not actually beneath it. 

Flush your black tank before your grey tank.

The black tank in your RV holds human waste, while your grey tank holds dirty water from showering or washing dishes. When you break down camp, it’s best to first empty your black tank then empty your grey tank. This allows greywater to help flush out any solids that may remain in the sewer hose.

There are many other tips that first-time RVers can learn from, such as changing the batteries in smoke detectors after storing their rig, checking the floor before opening and closing slides (a loose Lego could scratch your floors!), and latching shower and refrigerator doors before traveling. But sometimes trial and error is the best way to learn!

What tips do you have for first-time RVers? Let us know in the comments or contact us today!