10 Mistakes We Made When We First Started RVing
It’s easy to get caught up in the RVing dream especially when there’s so much inspiration everywhere you turn on social media and YouTube. But RVing can be overwhelming and it’s easy to make a few gaffes when you first start out. Though we had both grown up RVing, Jason and I made our fair share of mistakes when we got our pop-up and then a few more with our travel trailer. We still make mistakes now, but we understand that it’s all a learning game.
Here are just a few of ours:
Not being fully prepared for it all - there is so much to know about RVs. What vehicle to properly tow with. Maintenance and upkeep of the outside and inside. What tools you may need in case something breaks on the go. So many internal components to know and understand. We’re still learning as we go. And we’re learning how important research is before you buy.
Going too fast - we had just pulled into the most beautiful campground I have ever seen. We were eager to get set up and walk around to check everything out. Jason gave me the outside all-clear to open up the slide and within a few seconds, the sound of cracking wood stopped me in my tracks. Somehow the decorative paneling had come apart during the drive and as the slide began to open it destroyed a good part of our slide. I hadn’t seen the missing pieces. Panels were hanging by a thread as Jason walked in to see what had happened. Needless to say, we spent over an hour fixing the new problem instead of exploring the new area. Now instead of just checking the sides of the slide before opening, I check the top (and our paneling) too.
Scheduling too much - the thrill of exploration takes hold when you have this new way to travel and see our beautiful country. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to do it all. The first time we went to the Black Hills in South Dakota I wanted to see everything! We found ourselves driving from place to place only to realize we had to leave faster than we wanted to in order to get to the next thing. Not to mention we had a toddler who needed naps and I was four months pregnant with twins. Now I plan our adventuring days like this - two things we must see/do, one more thing we want to see/do, and a final thing it would be nice to see/do if there’s time. That way if something is a bust we can move on quickly with more ideas at hand, but if we love what we’re doing, then we can take our time without worrying about a schedule.
Not learning about all our systems first - we purchased both our pop-up and travel trailer from private parties. One of them was even in another state. Because of this, we missed out on getting a thorough walk-through on the ins and outs of our RVs. (Always ask the seller to show you everything you need to know AND film them with your phone while they do, so you have something to look back at.) The first few times of setting up our travel trailer, it was nerve-wracking. We were constantly nervous about doing something wrong. It turns out we were - Jason was connecting our travel trailer to city water and ALSO turning on the water pump. I am completely embarrassed to say it took us until the second camping trip to figure out our mistake.
Not having a checklist - our pop-up wasn’t very hard to set up or takedown, there really wasn’t a lot to remember. So when we got Lucille, our travel trailer, we assumed it would be the same. Boy, were we wrong. After the first couple trips out and asking each other a million times “did you do this?”, “did you get that?”, “what about that thing?”, we knew we needed checklists. Now we have laminated checklists hung up inside and outside of the RV and each one pertains to the specific area and even more specifically set up and takedown procedures. These lists are perfect to have, especially for those times where we’re going too fast or our minds are elsewhere, like helping the kids.
Assuming we’d have internet for troubleshooting - you know the drill, something goes wrong, search for the answer on YouTube, and fix the problem. Well, what about when your water heater won’t work or the oven won’t light and you don’t have cell service? Both of these things happened to us when we were in the mountains far from cell phone signal or wifi. It made for a very interesting weekend each time. Now we have been taking the time to learn about our RV components, how to take care of them and how to troubleshoot the problem ahead of time.
Assuming campground life would be dreamy - it was the last night of the last leg of a very long (but fun) trip and we needed to get some sleep before a long day of driving in the morning. Of course, Murphy’s Law put our campsite right in between a busy road and a group of very loud guys drinking all night long at their own campsite. By 2:00 am I finally asked them politely to give it a rest. But nothing could be done about the road noise. It was a fight to sleep that night and the drive home felt like it was double the length. Now I do more research about a campground (and possible noise) before booking our reservations. Drunk guys aside.
Tire pressure - when we first purchased our pop-up in 2015 we figured everything was pretty straightforward and self-explanatory. We didn’t ask a lot of questions. So when we had a tire blowout on the side of a busy freeway it was shocking. After some research about what went wrong, we found out that we had been keeping our tires underinflated and more like the pressure of a car tire. Turns out trailer tires run at much higher psi. Now we use a TPMS system to keep an eye on all our tires while driving.
Not communicating enough - I know we’re not the only couple that divides RV set up and takedown between outside (husband) and inside (wife). As soon as one of us wraps up, then we lend a hand to the other. I had gotten done quickly with the inside takedown and decided to go outside and help hitch up. There I was extending the electric jack up in the air when Jason comes running. I nearly bent the stabilizers because I had just assumed they were up and hadn’t bothered to check. Luckily, Jason caught my mistake quickly and before anything was ruined. Now I know to ASK what needs to be done to help him with the RV.
Taking everything too seriously - there’s a fine balance when it comes to RVing - when to be serious and when to have fun and relax. Understandably, an RV is large, expensive, and complicated. If you’re not taking it seriously someone can get hurt or something can easily break. But at the end of the day, if you’re being too serious all the time, it takes the fun out of the experience for everyone. I won’t name names here, but one of us is learning to relax a little more when it comes to campground life.
Though there are literally hundreds of resources for new RVers and it can be easy to get confused or forget something. We LOVE helping others with their new RV life. If you ever have any questions you might be nervous to ask in other places, please know you can ask us anytime. Find us on Instagram direct message or contact us directly. And learn from our mistakes!
Happy Camping!
