Travel Trailer Camping Tips: Top 17 Points of My Best RV Camping Guide

travel trailer camping tips BEGINNER INFO

Camping seems easy and simple at first sight, especially when you first go with someone experienced, who is already using all the travel trailer camping tips.

Most of the time campers start with tents and then upgrade themselves into RVing enthusiasts using RV camping guide. Someone experienced can do both easily. The switch works just fine.

However, for a newbie it will take some time and practice of camper trailer tips. Of course, having an RV camping guide will only serve to good.

Camper trailer tips are not just for those who want to go camping on a trailer. This includes RV drivers as well. There are slight differences in approaches to RV camping tips.

The problem, most of the time, with RV drivers is that they don’t even know themselves what is the information from travel trailer camping tips that they are missing.

The very first RV camping guide I can give is to get a travel trailer checklist and start packing accordingly. The rule is that however you start with the packing is the way you will go on with your trip.

RV camping tips: before the trip make sure you know at least the basics of driving an RV

Driving an RV or any other huge vehicle is relatively different than driving a regular car. Usually, families get quite nervous when hitting the road for the first time.

As a driver, you should feel totally comfortable when driving an RV. Once you do so, the passengers will feel more relaxed and there will be no tension.

travel trailer camping tips

Everyone, who is in the camper, including children and pets need to be aware of RV rules. This will ensure the driver focuses solely on the road and drives calmly.

The main difference, which is very obvious, is that the vehicle is taller and wider. Therefore, I recommend stating practice at open areas.

Try to watch and examine how the vehicle moves in general. How sensitive the wheel is, how much you should press the gas and brake pedals and so much more.

There are, in fact driving classes for RVers. You can take several classes just to feel comfortable with the instructor next to you. This way it will be easier to adapt to the large vehicle.

Knowing the vehicle from head to toe is critically important. Once the sun sets, and you start driving in the dark, there is no way you can find anything if you do not know where they are in advance.

Vehicle tools and parts are essential to have during the trip: travel trailer camping tips

When I say you should pack parts and tools with you, I in no way mean that the camper should be full of parts and become a store on wheels.

RVing is about escaping the everyday routine and reality. However, the further away you travel, you should keep in mind that you are just that much relying on yourself when it comes to your camper.

Car services are not everywhere you want them to be. Therefore, be prepared to get your hands dirty when needed.

RV camping guide to camp in your driveway or back yard with your trailer

This might be the most fun time for your family. Moreover, this test will reveal the true readiness for camping in a real RV to a real campsite.

All you need to do is to just pretend you are in the middle of nowhere, camping all together. A whole day and the night should be spent in the trailer, or near the trailer. My camper trailer tips are not to go into the house.

This is in order for you to see if you have done everything correctly. Is everything packed? Are there enough extra blankets? Coats? Food? Everything?

This will help you out in creating your own camping list, along with camper trailer tips. All you need to do is just write down everything you have already packed and add each item you go and get from the house or the garage to that list.

This will make the ultimate camping checklist for your own family. Each and everyone’s needs are different. By defining yours, you will make the trips more enjoyable and fun.

As a result, you will feel comfortable and confident for taking your first trip with your RV, using all the travel trailer camping tips. Campsites are the first stops for everyone. These places are somewhat equipped with certain facilities, which will make your camping easier.

However, once you get the rhythm and understand the logic, you will fall in love with boondocking. It will take you hundreds of miles away to unknown and unexplored lands.

Several packing rules and camper trailer tips you would have to consider as a beginner

There are various types of RVs. They are of all heights, widths and sizes. You can have a tiny model, such as a teardrop and a huge motorhome, which sometimes can exceed in sizes an average apartment.

However, this in no way means that you need to over-pack your camper just because you have extra storage place.

Top 17 Points of My Best RV Camping Guide

I understand the urge of buying all the cool accessories for your camper. You want to be equipped with the latest technology and gadgets.

However, this is going to be a problem for you. Packing the first necessity things and organizing them in a way that you do not feel that the RV is packed is the key to successful packing and smart RV camping tips.

Once you are a somewhat experienced driver, you can buy some accessories and enjoy their assistance during your camping.

Try to do with no water in the camper: RV camping guide

When we think of packing food and drinks, water is not included to that list. The main reason is that it is very heavy and makes transportation harder.

My RV camping tips include trying to avoid full tanks of water in your camper. You can, of course take several bottles for drinking on the way. However, if you travel to a campsite, there is a filling station, where you can get fresh drinking water.

Moreover, there are hookups at parking spaces. So, you can connect the hose and have water at your disposal.

These camper trailer tips refer to both gray and black water tanks. Driving with empty tanks will save you huge amounts of fuel and money. You will not have to carry extra weight.

The case is, of course, different when it comes to boondocking. However, this is not something you would want to do as a beginner.

Be prepared for various outlets: camper trailer tips

RV electronic can be really unpredictable. You can never know which outlet adapter will you be needing. Campsites do not have a general standard.

Therefore, as travel trailer camping tips go, you should get information about electrical outlets that exact spot at the campsite that you have reserved for your trailer has to offer.

Most of the time, the campsite will offer three different outlet voltages. You may think that if this is so, there might be only 3 types.

camper trailer tips

However, be attentive to my camper trailer tips. This is not even close to the reality. Depending on the size of the camper, you would have to deal with the following voltage plugs.

Very small campers have 110volt and 15 ampere plugs. A little bigger ones, to medium size have 30 ampere plugs. This is not the definite number, however.

In the case of large campers, you can see 50 ampere plugs.

Regardless of the voltages, campsite receptacles can require various adapters, in order for you to be able to connect your electronic devices.

Travel trailer camping tips: be careful with overloading your camper

It is similar to flying with an airplane for the first time. You pack everything you see without even thinking of the weight of your suitcase.

RV camping tips have a special approach to such issues. Each trailer comes with a specific weight limit. You should never, ever exceed that limit.

It is not just to save fuel and money. The question is with your safety and the safety of all those who are in an overloaded camper.

Luckily, every truck stop has a scale. Before going on a trip, drive there and weight your already loaded trailer.

There are two types of capacities for your camper. The first one is its own weight, if the camper is also a driving vehicle. In this case, you need to consider solely the weighting number of the vehicle itself.

However, if your camper is a towing trailer, there is the towing capacity of your towing vehicle. This means that there are two numbers for the weight: one is for the trailer itself and the other is the towing vehicle capacity.

Tank dumps should be planned ahead of time: RV camping tips

Depending on the campsite, you may have the option of filling your camper with fresh water and emptying the tanks yourself. Alternatively, you would have at your disposal all the necessary hookups.

This brings up camper trailer tips of having all the necessary equipment ready for all kinds of situations. Dumping the waste tank is extremely important.

RV camping tips

You cannot leave it all inside the tanks. The will simply ruin the material and you will be left with a leaking waste tank.

RV camping tips that newbies appreciate is not to forget to include the dump gloves to your camping checklist.

Travel trailer camping tips 101: make sure to reserve your camping spot at any campsite way in advance

Campsite reservations are crucial when it comes to having a good camping experience. The further in advance you reserve a spot, the better insurance you will have for everything to be perfectly intact.

There are several thing you would want to confirm when making your reservation. Questions like check in and check out time are very important.

Good camper trailer tips are to know in advance if the campsite has quite hours. If it is the case, make sure to find out what are those hours.

Additionally, find out about the power, water and dump amenities at the campsite. Having hookups will make your life easier. You will be free of the obligation to go to a station and do all the procedures there yourself.

In certain campsites generators are banned. This is for various reasons. First, generators make noises and some campsites have rules about being quite.

Almost all trailer parks have regulations for RV sizes. Travel trailer camping tips all recommend knowing those regulations in advance.

During your trip, you will gather much trash. Therefore, you will need to know where the receptacles are for the trash.

If the campsite you are travelling to has bathroom facilities, make sure to know exactly where they are. You can never know how urgent will you be needing those.

I have had the problem of not knowing in advance if the campsite is pets allowed. I always travel with my dog and had to take off before even parking.

No matter how well-prepared you are for the food and drinks, there is still need to find out if there any food supplies nearby.

Having a campsite map will make your moving around easier. Some RV camping tips can depend on the campsite regulations and rules.

Therefore, make sure to read those rules and follow them.

Travel trailer camping tips also suggest having all the documentation regarding your reservation printed and in somewhere inside the camper.

My RV camping tips also include getting a transparent folder, which will be your travel document section. This is the perfect spot to keep all the paperwork for the trips.

RV camping tips on not being locked out of the campsite

When I say that camper trailer tips regarding timing are important I seriously mean it. Of course, certain campsites are open during all day and night.

Nonetheless, there are campsites, which have quite hours, or they close at a certain time. With that being said, it is not possible to neither enter nor exit those campsites.

Therefore, travel trailer camping tips mention clearly that you need to know those hours in advance. Otherwise, you might have to spend the night outside.

RV camping guide for night setups

Not even experienced campers are fully able to setup their camping facilities during the night, when it is already dark.

Therefore, good camper trailer tips mention the need to arrive early. This will give you several privileges. First, you would be able to setup during daylight, without anyone bothering you.

Second, you have the day to yourself and will have plenty of time for all the activities you have planned. You will not have to waste time on setting up during the day.

Additionally, my camper trailer tips include replacing all you RV lighting with LED bulbs. This will ensure you have great lighting when needed.

RV camping tips for being a good driver and getting used to a new camper

Whatever trailer you have set your eyes at is available for rent. Most campers are too enthusiastic about buying their first trailers.

Therefore, many struggle with their first couple experiences. As a result they are either sure that it was a mistake, or they simply get in accidents because of not being used to the size of the car.

Therefore, the smartest decision would be to rent that exact camper you are planning to buy for at least 4-5 times. Before you get used to driving the rented one, do not rush into buying one.

Moreover, it is very possible that you might even not like the model. You may also dislike how it feels to drive it. The suspension might be uncomfortable for you. Simply the driver seat might feel wrong.

Pay attention to brakes

If you are planning to buy a trailer or you already have one, which can be used as a towed vehicle, there are certain nuances to be extra attentive to.

There are these things called travel trailer brakes for towed campers. These features are extremely important for when it comes to safe driving.

You may never know what situation might force you to brake abruptly. Therefore, keeping low speed is the number one obligation as a driver of the towing vehicle.

Additionally, the camper will shift forward every time you press brake on the towing vehicle. This is simple physics.

These camper brakes make the inertia reach to the minimum and prevents the trailer from shifting outward.

Nonetheless, keep I mind that these brakes are in no way connected to the towing capacity. All they do is just make the handling of the trailer relatively easier.

Camper trailer tips: forget about oversteering and fishtailing

Because of the driving surface, the camper can lose traction. Therefore, it is important to be extra careful when the situation forces you to oversteer.

Besides the traction, you might have uneven weight distribution. This is probably the most common reason for fishtailing and oversteering.

Fur such reasons, there are travel trailer camping tips on weight distribution systems. The problems occur, most of the time, for heavy trailers, which are being towed.

In the case of smaller size campers, such as a teardrop, and a heavy towing vehicle, such as Ford pickup, there will be no need for weight distribution systems.

Nonetheless, there are areas, such as the countries of the EU, where having the weight bars is mandatory. This law is to prevent unnecessary accidents.

RV camping tips on protection of camper electronics

RV camping guide is about knowing what exactly do you have in your vehicle and how exactly you should be using it.

Camper refrigerator, for example, works with liquid ammonia. The gravity does its work and the fluids go wherever needed, without the evaporation tube being accumulated.

With all this being said, camper trailer tips strongly recommend parking on a flat surface. If here are any bumps on your parking spot, make sure to cover them with either sand or rocks.

The result should be your camper being parked on an ideally flat surface. You can use a level in order to make sure you are parked evenly.

Travel trailer camping tips: RV camping guide to stabilization of the trailer

After the previous point and after parking on a flat ground, after measuring to make sure you have done everything correctly, the next step is to stabilize the trailer.

RV stabilizers have nothing to do with leveling. If you have done the leveling incorrectly, the stabilizers will fix the wrong position of the camper.

The very first step with camper trailer tips is to unhook the towing vehicle from the trailer. This will give you two privileges: the first one is having a car, which will drive you around the campsite and out of its premises; the second one is that it will ease the process of stabilizing the camper.

All campers come with four stabilizers. Each wheel has its own. With these travel trailer camping tips you can freely move around the trailer, without it being moved.

There are two types of jacks: electrical and manual. A smart RV camping guide would suggest an electrical one. However, you might be so loaded that you would not want to add some extra weight.

In this case, my RV camping tips suggest that you get a drill to facilitate the adjustments of the stabilizers.

Travel trailer camping tips for when arriving home

Provided you have followed all the above mentioned travel trailer camping tips, there will be no need to unpack and take all the stuff out of the camper.

Just keep in mind that you will have to pack all the necessary items again, for your next trip. In most cases there really is no need for that.

According to my RV camping tips, you would just take out the dirty laundry. Being smart is the key to successful camping.

Therefore, act smart about using your time and effort accordingly.

Nonetheless, emptying all the necessary tanks of the camper, using the techniques of my RV camping tips, should be done with absolutely no excuses.

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Andy Fisher

Campers Mag is the website where I will share a lot of information about my experience, trailer, and things, that will help other camper owners to enjoy their RV even more.

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