51 Nevers of RV Ownership

Seasoned RV owners can give you a list of things they wish they knew when they bought their RV. Through trial and error or outright bad luck, some RV owners learn the hard way the things they should never have done. Compiling a list of all the things never to do will give any RV owner a leg up and hopefully avoid learning a difficult (and expensive) lesson. Following are the top 51 Nevers of RV ownership:

1. Never get discouraged. Above all, patience is the key as camping is supposed to be fun!
2. Never use regular toilet paper; always make sure it says septic or RV safe. Additionally, make sure you have plenty of toilet paper on hand. Fill the bathroom cabinets with more rolls than you think you will need.
3. Never assume you have height clearance. Know the total height of your RV and be sure to add a few extra inches for good measure.
4. Never travel without coins/change. At an unexpected toll booth or for a vending machine at a rest stop, having a coin jar can prove invaluable.
5. Never travel after dark in your first year of owning an RV. Many RV owners adopt the 10-3-3 rule which is to start traveling about 10 am, plan to stop for the day at about 3 pm which typically is about 300 miles. During the winter months be aware of how early it gets dark and allow plenty of time to set up while the sun is still out.
6. Never open the door to your RV to anyone knocking or asking for change. Seasoned campers know to announce themselves ahead of time so there are no surprises at your RV door.
7. Never go through a drive-thru of any kind. Park and go in and be sure to leave plenty of room to maneuver.
8. Never change drivers while in motion. This seems pretty obvious, but it can be tempting for some especially in a motorhome to put the cruise control on and try to change drivers quickly. For the sake of a few minutes and to ensure the safety of everyone, pull off the road. Always make the driver change while at a full and complete stop.
9. Never assume that any city is RV friendly especially when boondocking. There are plenty of ways to check if a city is RV friendly but if you can’t find anything online, watch for signs. Most Wal-Marts for example allow for boondocking, but in certain cities such as Naples, FL it’s outlawed. When in doubt, call the store ahead of time to find out if they allow it and where you should park.
10. Never turn onto a street that you aren’t certain has a clear outlet. The last thing you want to find is that the street you’ve just traveled 2 miles on is a dead end and you have to back up. Always follow the GPS for RV friendly streets. Don’t risk a short cut that could cause major headaches to undo.  
11. Never tailgate while driving – you will always lose. Whether you are pulling a towable or in a motorhome, your stopping distance is much longer than a car. Never ever under any circumstances should you tailgate especially at higher rates of speed. 
12. Never leave your holding or black tank open when connected to the sewer. Wait until the tank is filled then dump it but never leave it open all the time. If you do, you will quickly learn about the poop pyramid.
13. Never run the fan or keep the vent in the bathroom open when you flush the toilet. Doing so will pull the chemical fumes from the black tank up into the RV and you will quickly have a smell of sewer throughout your RV.
14. Never put the satellite dish up without leaving a post-it reminder on the steering wheel. There have been a lot of RV owners that forget to lower the satellite dish, pull away from camp, and break it off. It’s typically a mistake you only make once.  If you have a checklist, put it at the top of your list or better yet, tape a post-it note reminder to your steering wheel as a last-minute reminder to check before departure.
15. Never travel without a hidden key somewhere. It only takes getting locked out or losing your keys once to come up with a plan for a hidden key. 
16. Never forget to post a cell phone number on how to reach you when you park somewhere. A sign on the windshield that says “If you have a problem with this unit, please call us at xxx.xxx.xxxx” will avoid problems and allow someone to contact you if there is an issue with your rig or where you parked.
17. Never start a journey without a full tank of fuel. 
18. Never get below a quarter of a tank of fuel. Finding gas stations that are easy to get and out of can be a challenge in some places. If you find one, always fill up the tank as you don’t know how long it will be until you find the next one. If you are traveling the interstate you will have a lot more options than local roads.
19. Never be on the edge of a drawbridge – wait at the bank before heading over and on the approach make sure that you have a clear path. You never want to get stuck on a drawbridge in an RV.
20. Never leave the refrigerator empty or half-empty. Things will roll around and make a mess; fill in empty spaces with bowls (or anything to take up space) to prevent things from shifting too much while driving.
21. Never leave a pet inside an RV without a redundant (alert) system. Should the shore power or generator fail, always have a backup system to alert you should the temperature inside the RV reach an unsafe level.
22. Never leave your carbon monoxide unit unchecked – this is a must-do before every trip and at least twice per year is to change the batteries and test the system is working properly.
23. Never assume a portable heater is safe in your unit. More than one RV has burned down from using a portable heater. Check to make sure the heater is RV safe and has an automatic built-in shut-off. 
24. Never travel without a set of basic tools, zip ties, duct tape, coat hangers (from dry cleaning), a pair of gloves. These are must-haves for impromptu repairs and adjustments along the way. Things will happen and being prepared is the name of the game.
25. Never travel without some sort of protection. Being safe on the road and while camping is your number one priority. Ensure you are prepared should you encounter a situation or intruder. Check out 6 Tips for Staying Safe in Your RV
26. Never allow anyone into your RV that you don’t know
27. Never draw unnecessary attention to your RV. An example is the stick figure family stickers with names. This gives would-be preditors information about your family they shouldn’t know. 
28. Never travel without a backup camera. Aftermarket cameras can be installed and will save you a lot of headaches along the way. Additionally, we recommend a front-facing camera that saves the previous 30 seconds (or more) in case of an accident. A common scenario run by scammers looking to make a claim on your insurance is the bump and swoop. RVs are huge targets as they are hard to stop and high dollar vehicles, which means a nice payday to most criminals.
29. Never trust other drivers. Be alert and know what all the cars and trucks around you are doing and how they are driving. When in doubt slow down and stay in the right land and take your time.
30. Never get on the road without at least one road cone. A simple road cone can alert other drivers you have an issue. A cone will allow you to mark something important or simply use it in case of an emergency. Cones are cheap to buy, easy to store and a few of them can make life a lot easier.
31. Never hit the road without a safety plan – glow sticks, road markers, safety cones, etc. These are all simple things that can help you stay safe in case of an emergency or roadside breakdown. 
32. Never think you can handle more than 5 hours on the road. You will burn out. Plan trips in the 300 miles increments – see the 10-3-3 rule mentioned above.
33. Never drive a coach like you drive a car. A motorhome is a much bigger vehicle with a longer stopping distance and not nearly the maneuverability of a car. 
34. Never travel with things you can’t live without. If you drink coffee every day, make sure you have a coffee maker and plenty of coffee. Whatever your daily routine is at home, make sure you are equipped to continue that on the road.
35. Never allow kids to be loose in a motorhome while traveling. This seems pretty self-explanatory, but it’s amazing how many people don’t think to use the seat belts built into the sofas and chairs in the back of a motorhome while traveling.
36. Never swerve for something on the road. An RV is not very maneuverable and could cause you to flip or lose control. Always scan the road ahead for debris, use Waze which can alert you, and always be a member of AAA or Good Sam or some other program that includes towing and roadside assistance. 
37. Never get on the road without a plan. Where are you going and where are you stopping along the way. Always leave a copy of your plans with someone at home in case of an emergency.
38. Never assume an RV friendly company is friendly in every city. Similar to the example above about Wal-Mart. In most cities, Wal-Mart allows boondocking but at some locations such as in Naples, FL it’s not allowed.  
39. Never panic if you can’t find a place to stay; if the RV parks are full or you can’t find something keep in mind that a local motel or hotel that has parking is always an option. Simply, buy a room for the night so you will have the ability to park even if you never use the room.
40. Never forget to put a surge protector on your unit when connected to shore power. If you aren’t sure if your RV is already equipped with this feature, check the owner’s manual. 
41. Never travel at a high rate of speed when it’s raining. Motorhomes and even towables can hydroplane causing panic or worse, an accident. If possible get off the road completely and wait out the storm.
42. Never let anyone try to help you unless you are giving them specific instructions as to what you need them to do. People naturally want to help others, but no one knows your RV better than you. Make sure that anyone offering assistance is following your instructions.
43. Never travel without a 10×10 tent stored under the coach. If you need to work on the unit, especially in the summer, this will provide the most needed shade. The tent can also be used at a campsite for additional outside space.
44. Never leave your freezer empty when traveling. Even if you have to buy a couple of bags of ice, it will save your fuel consumption.
45. Never pull over in a place you don’t know. Try to find a rest area, Pilot Flying J, Travel Center, or a place where semi-trucks frequent.
46. Never stay side by side on the road with a semi or large (articulated) truck. When you see a semi or another motorhome approaching be sure to decelerate. The middle lane vehicle can suck you into the draft especially if you have a towable, smaller drivable motorhome or are towing a car behind a motorhome.
47. Never assume that guests know how to use an RV toilet. Always show visitors how to use things upon arrival to avoid things being broken from misuse.
48. Never puke in an RV toilet. People get road sick or catch a flu bug on the road. If someone is sick and has to puke, get them out of the RV as quickly as possible, or have them use a trash bag or garbage can. RV toilets have chemicals that can burn your eyes.
49. Never flush feminine hygiene products. 
50. Never leave a restaurant without using the bathroom. It’s a free stop and alleviates adding to your black tank unless absolutely necessary. 
51. Never leave anything plugged in while driving. For example, a hairdryer, curling iron, coffee maker, etc. Make sure everything is unplugged and stored before hitting the road.

Final Thoughts

Remembering these never and don’t dos will save you costly mistakes and lots of heartaches. Always remember that patience and planning are the keys to success.