If you’ve spent any significant amount of time in an RV, you may sympathize with some of these RV faux pas. These are real-life tales of woe and amusing anecdotes that every RVer will appreciate. Read on.
Let Us Out!
A couple just got a (new to them) RV and decided to take a camping trip a few hours down the road from their hometown. On the way down, they decided to stop by Camping World where one of their technicians listened to a belt that was squealing in the motorhome engine. He fixed the issue and they were on their way.
Then they stopped to get fuel and realized they couldn’t get out of their rig. Turns out, the tech that worked on the RV slammed the door so hard, the door literally would not open – they were trapped inside! So they had to turn around and go back to Camping World. They opened the driver’s window and yelled for someone to help. It was embarrassing!
The tech had broken the door mechanism, and he had to climb in the front window to get inside, drill out the door, and put in a new one.
What’s That Smell?
This is typical of every single RVer out there. Just know that when you’re traveling with your RV partner or family in an enclosed space, you will smell EVERYTHING. Good and bad. Think you know your partner now? You will get to know them even better in an RV. Inevitably, someone will leave a nice “present” in the tiny bathroom and you will definitely smell it throughout the RV. Scented candles and diffusers are great for battling unsavory aromas!
If you take a shower every day at home, in an RV you will quickly realize that it’s not necessary to do so. Many full-time RVers only shower 2-3 times a week. This also gives you a nice natural scent that your travel companions will come to know and love about you, for better or worse. Just get used to it, it’s part of the lifestyle, kids.
Laundry? Same thing. You will not do near as much laundry in an RV as you do at home. Even if your rig does have a 2-in-1 washer and dryer, you don’t need to wash every item of clothing or towel every time you use it. A good rule of thumb is to give it the sniff test! Don’t wash it until it fails the sniff test. You’ll save lots of money and water.
Avoiding the Chatty Cathy When Setting Up/Tearing Down
One of the very best things about the RV lifestyle is all of the wonderful people you’ll meet along the way. The RV community is an inclusive one and we are always there to help out our fellow RVers. However! And this is especially true with newbies, you’ll inevitably encounter a rather annoying chatty Cathy (men and women) that will come up to you as you’re trying to set up camp, or break down camp and insist on having a long conversation.
RVers love talking to people and making friends, but this is the worst time to do it! Going through a set up/breakdown checklist is so important and takes concentration. Don’t distract someone when they’re trying to do this crucial task because if something is missed, it could result in driving off with an awning still up or a tank hose still out – very bad! We’ve seen RVers drive off with a hose dragging behind and grey water spilling out. Yuck!