Many amazing things are possible when you venture out on the road in your RV for the first time. Equally, there are certain risks to keep in mind and mistakes that can easily be avoided. Remember that RVing is supposed to be fun – you want as little stress on your trip as possible!
The following common RV mistakes discussed here can all be avoided with careful planning and consideration at each point of your RV trip. Following these helpful tips can save you a lot of trouble on the road.
Common RV Mistake Number One: Tires
RVs range in size and so do their tires. The tires will be chosen to support the required weight of the RV, therefore they must be in good condition and inflated correctly to support this load.
Often tires are overlooked, particularly if you are renting a vehicle. It could be easy to presume the tires are all at the correct pressure and safe. Rental vehicles will be subject to a rigorous safety check before they are rented out, and the same will be done on return. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a good idea to complete your own checks, especially before a long journey.
If you are an RV owner, it is your responsibility to maintain your vehicle. Tires can be subject to several issues which, if go addressed, can be problematic.
- Deflated tires can’t support the weight of the RV effectively. For example, if the front right is nearly flat, it will destabilise the whole RV making it want to turn towards the flat wheel. This isn’t a problem you want on the highway.
- Overinflated tires massively increase get the risk of a blowout. When a tire blows whilst driving, the RV could lose control. Never overinflate the tires above the PSI pressure stated in the tire specification. Equally, if you do have a blowout when driving, do not hit the breaks hard – keep the steering wheel straight! Blowouts aren’t common, but this advice will keep you as safe as possible if it should happen.
- The tire tread must be sufficient. Simply put, the tire is the only contact between you and the road, so the more depth you have on your tires, the better the grip. Particularly when going boondocking or off the beaten track, good tire tread is essential. Tires don’t wear evenly and will last varying amounts of time depending on the use they get. The best way to monitor tire tread depth is to have a gauge you can use before every trip. 3mm is the legal limit sop don’t go below this, but more is better. For example, if your tires are all around 4mm and you about to go on a 6-month adventure in your RV, a new set of tires would be wise.
- Make sure the tire pressure is perfect. Get the tire pressure perfectly on what is recommended with the RV manual. This way, the RV will drive the best it can. Check the tire pressure regular on your trip in case it changes.
- Physically check the tires for damage, such as little cracks in the tire wall or something stuck in the tire. Tires only take a few minutes to check, so always give them a good once over before any trip then you can hit the road with confidence.
Common RV Mistake Number Two: Poor Planning
When you fail to plan adequately, a whole world of trouble can potentially come your way. When you have no plan, problems can arise that with planning could have easily been avoided. Below are common planning related issues that could be avoided.
- Frozen pipes can literally bring your trip to a standstill, so you must prepare your RV for colder climates if you are RVing in the winter. Click here to find out how to prevent your RV pipes from freezing.
- Forgetting a sewer hose can leave you in a messy situation. You don’t want to have to rely on the RV park (or a friendly neighbour) to provide you with one.
- Running out of fresh water can be a disaster, especially if you are off of the grid. It’s always a good idea to know where the fresh water tank is to see how full it is. You must search to see on the route where you could fill it up with water. Equally, never keep the water in the freshwater tank for longer than a week unless you want to risk getting ill. The longer water sits around, the greater the risk of it becoming stagnant and harbouring the growth of harmful bacteria.
- Forgetting to pack something can be incredibly irritating, especially if you don’t notice until you are miles away from home. The use of a list to check you have packed everything can be of great use. Check out our list of the essential items to pack on your campervan trip by clicking here!
- Running out of gas for the cooker can be an issue you don’t want to find out when you want to cook and can’t. Keep the gas topped up and know-how and where you can refill your supply before going out in your RV.
Common RV Mistake Number Three: Leaving the Awning Out
This may sound like a silly thing to mention, but the number of campers who drive off with an awning still out is alarming. It’s an easy mistake to make as you could forget about it, especially when in a hurry. If you are new to the campervan lifestyle, you could think you are in a car and drive off. Of course, you will find out about this problem when you hit something.
This can not only put you and others in danger, but it could leave you out of pocket. The last thing you want in an RV trip is an expensive mistake like this happening; it could ruin your trip. To avoid this, make sure it is not out when you drive off.
Common RV Mistake Number Four: Not Knowing Your RV Size Limitations
When driving around in an RV, whether it is a micro camper or a huge A-Class motorhome, you must know its size. Specifically, you must know how tall and wide the RV is. If you don’t check this, you may not find out that you don’t fit under certain bridges until it is too late.
The best solution is to buy a Sat Nav, with which you can put in your vehicle’s dimensions (found in the car information booklet). This way, it can create routes that are friendly to your specific vehicle.
Unless you want to be part of the following compilation, make sure you know the size of your RV!
Common RV Mistake Number Five: Parking Your RV
As we’ve already mentioned, it’s important to only take your RV down routes that you know it can safely fit to avoid accidents. Interestingly though, most RV accidents occur when trying to park and hitting something in the process. This can be an honest mistake, but it’s to be avoided at all costs.
So how can you avoid this? If you purchase a modern RV, there is a good chance it will have a reversing camera. Alternatively, you can try to get somebody’s help. Let them get out of the vehicle and guide you in. This can be a great way to communicate yourself safely into a spot.
The final tip is that if you don’t feel confident, don’t try. You need to be confident when parking, so if you have any doubts, go and find a new space. Overall you must be confident driving your RV this way; the chances of being a fail video are significantly reduced.
Conclusion
Accidents happen in that life. That just a fact. But with these handy tips, there is a huge range of mistakes you can avoid. I hope this article helps ensure you don’t encounter any of these issues when you enjoy the campervan lifestyle. Happy road tripping!