This is the third and last set of campground related tips I have to offer. Besides the advice listed below, as well as that in Part 1 and Part 2, if you have any other piece of information you’d like to share with beginners (or veterans), please do so by posting a comment. RVers are known to be very helpful to one another and sharing information often makes a huge difference. When we are at the campground, we want to minimize the hassle and leave the most time for enjoyment, so I hope some of these tips can help you do just that and avoid, to the extent possible, those occasions in which a small detail can turn an otherwise perfect stay into a problematic one.
- Before you level your RV, make sure the cord and hoses can reach the electricity, water and sewer hookups.
- On a cold night, if the hose to the RV from the campground spigot freezes, detach it and put it into the shower to thaw.
- Sometimes in larger resorts, especially if many of the units stay parked for an extended period, an LP gas truck will deliver gas directly to the sites. Let the office staff know if you’re interested in delivery.
- Laundry may not be your favorite task on vacation, but you’ll nearly always find the campground laundry is clean and well maintained. Campground owners want to make sure their laundry facilities are given high ratings in campground directories. Usually laundries are busiest during the evening hours.
- Consider joining a local camping group that camps together perhaps once a month during the camping season in your area. It’s a great way to meet congenial people, make new friends, and learn about RVing.
- On soggy ground, avoid using metal jacks to level the RV since they will sink deeper in mud than the tires.
- Before you leave a campground, be sure to turn off the water pump switch and the water heater switch in your RV. The water pump switch has an automatic on/off pressure switch. If it malfunctions, causing the pump to operate without actually pumping water, the pump’s bearing could be damaged. Since the water heats up quickly when you need it, you’ll save propane by turning it off when you’re traveling.
- Check your turn signals and lights before you leave and make sure you have at least one-fourth of a tank of fresh water on board.
- Before you hit the road, take a quick look around the RV’s interior to be sure everything is stowed. Check screw tops on jars (especially those in the refrigerator) occasionally to make sure they’re still tightly closed. That way you’ll be able to enjoy yourself at your next destination instead of mopping up items that spilled or broke.
Happy Camping, and I’ll be back with more…
Bernice Beard
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Frank Schoenbeck
Great ideas.
We are questionably blessed with a self seeking rooftop satellite dish.
Through experience we’ve learned to check for “finding” the satellites before putting down jacks, etc. Sometimes “5 feet forward” is all it takes. Gotta watch those trees.
Also check slideout clearance. Almost hit a water faucet today.
Frank
John Jackman
I have my trailer parked at a site year round, when leaving every week to return home I always turn off the water and then release the pressure from the feed line.
Since weather fluctuates so much during the week it just seems right to relieve pressure.
Jim Burnett
Thanks for sharing some great tips. Here’s one more suggestion:
If you’re staying in a campground you haven’t used before, especially a government-run site rather than a private one, consider paying for only one night until you’re sure everything will be to your liking. Getting a refund, especially at a government site, can be difficult to impossible, so be cautious about paying for too many days in advance.
A reader of my blog shared a story that went something like this: She and her husband had just finished setting up for the weekend at a campground on the shore of a lovely lake. Another camper stopped by and asked, “What time do the boat races begin?” The next two days were almost non-stop roaring boat engines and loud parties!
Sometimes it’s nice not to have too much invested in a campsite, in case you decide you’d really rather move on down the road 🙂