11 Things an RV Owner Never Wants to Hear

RVing is a wonderful way to see America. You can cruise the back roads and once-bustling highways, in-between exploring the beautiful National Parks.

However, all good things must pass.

Today we’re sharing 21 of the worst things to echo through the eardrums of any RV owner. We can’ take full credit for these hilarious (and infuriating) phrases. The Vibe Tribe, our online community, gave us tons of great suggestions!

Let’s dive in.

1. Where’s the water coming from?

This is not a good thing to hear, especially if you’re in an older RV like us! Ann L. was the funny commenter behind this…we only hope she’s not speaking from experience 😬

If all else fails in this scenario, slap some Flex Seal on it for a quick repair.

2. Overnight Parking Not Allowed

Most of the time when this phrase pops up, it’s a sign in the Walmart parking lot is doing the talking. This is especially bad to hear (or read) after a long travel day.

We wrote an article that gives some insider secrets for finding overnight camping – give it a read if you’ve experienced this phrase before!

3. Is there room left in the tank?

When you gotta go, you gotta go…but, is there space left in the tank? Take note: you don’t want to be asking this question at 2am.

4. Did someone just knock on the door?

RVs are much different than traditional homes. If someone’s knocking on your RV door, you’re probably in trouble. It could be a mall cop telling you there’s no overnight parking. It could be an RV park manager letting you know you’re breaking one of their 1000 rules. Worst of all, it could be a rando acting sketchy at a boondocking site.

Either way, it’s never a good thing!

5. How tall are we?

Renee S., from our Facebook community, added this phrase! I know from experience, if this question is being asked, it’s usually too late.

Speed up, duck, and pray the bridge isn’t too low.

In all seriousness, this is why we use RV Trip Wizard!

6. Don’t worry, my dog is friendly.

Bro, I don’t care if your off-leash dog is friendly or not…my dog might not like him! No one appreciates campers not following leash rules.

We got the inspo for this phrase from Sharon R. 🤟

7. What year is your RV?

This is the question you hear immediately before you’re denied a reservation. Believe it or not, many RV parks have a 10 year rule.

If you’re not new, you’re not staying.

8. Hooooonk (from a semi-truck)

When a semi-truck is honking at you, there’s a problem. These professional drivers rarely honk out of rage. Instead, they’re trying to send you a message. Are your lights off? Is a tire flat?

No matter the reason, it requires further inspection.

9. Do you smell that?

This was one of the most common responses from our online community – and, for good reason! An RVers nose becomes the first line of defense when diagnosing an issue. It may be the black tank. It may be the clutch. It’s never a pleasant smell.

10. How many axles do you have?

This is the question that comes immediately before paying an ungodly toll while traveling up the east coast.

11. See you next year!

The camping season has come to an end and it’s time to go home. These 4 words means its time to winterize your RV and park it in storage.

What’s a phrase you hate hearing as an RVer?

Tell us your least favorite thing to hear in the comments section!

The Best FREE Camping in the USA

We love camping across this amazing country. And, we really love it when its free. Here’s our list of the 20 Best Free Campsites in the USA.

If you haven’t tried free camping before, also known as boondocking, take a look at our beginners guide to boondocking filled with everything you need to know to get started.

Become a FREE CAMPING INSIDER and join the 100,000 campers that love to score the best site! Simply enter your email below.