1. Not buying the right rig for you
Your new RV needs to fit with your tow vehicle and your budget, as well as your lifestyle. Some first-time buyers get swayed by flashy amenities and end up buying an RV outside of their budget, while others don’t check their numbers (weights and towing capacities) and end up with a mismatch between their tow vehicle and new trailer. Some new RVers may even be tempted to go as big as possible, only to find it stressful to pull a 30-foot rig with no towing experience.
2. Waiting to book campsites
Unless there’s a huge event in town, you can usually make hotel reservations close to your travel dates and find plenty of choices. With campgrounds, especially in popular RVing destinations, you’ll have fewer options, and parks may book up months in advance. Popular state and national park campgrounds can fill within minutes of reservations opening. Book early to guarantee the best availability.
Keep in mind that while a popular campground might be preferred, you can still have fun in smaller or less-visited parks. I’ve camped at plenty of bare-bones campgrounds that were basically parking lots with hookups, but they put us close to the places we wanted to explore.
--- At Mimosa Valley RV Park you will enjoy the small, community type environment. With a gated entrance at Mimosa Valley RV Park, you can have peace of mind while enjoying the peace and quiet of country living. ---
3. Being unaware of campground etiquette
If you haven’t camped a lot, you may not be aware of common campground courtesies. While most RVers will forgive a newbie’s mistakes, others will be irritated with you if you get too loud, cut across their campsite, or let your dogs or kids wander onto their pad. If a park official or ranger knocks on your door, use it as a learning opportunity.
--- Mimosa Valley RV Park has rules in place to avoid this sort of activity as well as a camera system just in case (never needed it but it does allow us to know the coming and goings at our little country RV Community). Most common rule would be consideration for neighbors. ---
4. Relying on campground connectivity
Almost every campground claims to provide free WiFi, but you shouldn’t always believe that. Parks often do their best to supply some level of connectivity, but the experience varies widely and might not meet your expectations if you want to stream media, work remotely, or road school from your site.
--- It has been a long time in the making due to our low location. We are only one and half miles outside city limits but due to the low area, wifi has been difficult. We were able to get satellite internet but that has a throttled-down speed that does not allow you to stream very well, if at all. Recently, within the past year, we were able to get actual high speed wifi. This is fast enough to stream. Many parks advertise wifi but in reality it is just a connection. Speed, location to router, and number of users will affect your connection and most likely will cause buffering. MVRV Park does have actual high speed wifi that allows campers to stream. ---
5. Not calculating campsite length
A common question for new RVers is whether to consider the length of the tow vehicle when measuring your RV’s length for campsite booking. If the campground’s website doesn’t specify the campsite length, call ahead to check before booking your spot. If you don’t fit, you may be stuck without a place to stay. A few extra feet may also make it easier to park your rig.
6. Not researching hookups
When you book a hotel room, you can count on having electricity, running water, and a toilet that flushes. This is not true for campgrounds. Before booking, research each individual campsite since parks may offer different amenities throughout the campground. Also, you need to understand which type of electrical hookup you need—and carry the proper adapters.
If you camp without water or sewer hookups, you need to keep an eye on your tank usage throughout your stay. As you camp more, you’ll get a feel for how long your gray tank takes to fill or how quickly you empty your fresh water.
7. Overlooking tail swing while driving
Driving or towing an RV, especially a big rig, requires certain precautions. If the tail of your RV extends beyond the back axle, you’ll likely experience tail swing. This means the end of your RV will pivot in the opposite direction from the front of the RV while making a turn.
When you’re navigating gas stations and similar situations with objects beside your rig, you need to understand how much tail swing your RV has. Otherwise, it’s easy to end up with significant damage to your rig or structures near you.
8. Not expecting an audience while parking
You’ll likely get to park your RV in a campsite for the first time with an audience. But while people might silently judge you, that’s part of the experience. Try to ignore the onlookers and do your job as slowly and cautiously as you need. On the plus side, if you get yourself stuck in a jam, you’ll probably find plenty of help from experienced RVers.
9. Forgetting to plan for maintenance and repairs
Owning an RV is like owning a mobile house—one that probably isn’t as durable as your sticks-and-bricks home. You need to keep up with repairs and maintenance, just as you would at home. Things break sometimes, even while you’re on vacation. We’ve experienced broken fridges, tire blowouts, heaters and A/C units that wouldn’t turn on, and much more.
If you’re handy, you’ll find plenty of websites and online videos to keep you on track, along with your owner’s manual. If you aren’t handy, you need to add the cost of service and repairs to your annual budget.
10. Not pacing road trips
When you start planning your first road trip, you might be tempted to use Google Maps to estimate the driving time between locations. Unfortunately, Google Maps is set to take you on the quickest route at the fastest speed. In your RV, not all routes are accessible, and some speed limits are too fast. It’s better to use an RV-specific GPS or app, like the one offered by Roadtrippers, for routing.
New RVers also overestimate how far they can comfortably travel in a day. Driving a motorhome or pulling a trailer is an additional strain on the driver, and it’s trickier to navigate stops for gas and meals. If you start with a Google Maps driving estimate, allow as much as 50 percent more time to account for these differences.
