If you’re a seasoned RVer, you’ve probably seen and maybe even experienced many ways to embarrass yourself.
You’ve probably seen newbies coming into a campsite with no clue how to back in. Or you’ve wondered if that awning next door is going to make it through the wind gusts of 35 mph.
You’ve probably had a few laughs around the campfire with your friends, sharing these embarrassing stories. And, if you’re a new RVer, you want to avoid being the topic of these conversations at all costs.
Let’s take a look at a few ways to avoid embarrassing yourself at a campground!
Learning New Things Can Be Hard
Learning how to RV takes time. Just like learning anything new, you have to practice to get better and refine your skills. Especially if you’ve never driven anything larger than a sedan, it’s going to take some time to get used to driving something that is anywhere from 30-40 feet long. But it’s also more than just maneuvering an RV.
Learning the lifestyle takes trial and error. Some ways of doing things will work for a famous YouTube influencer but might not work for you. Be patient with yourself as you learn. It’s okay to fail. Then you’ve figured out what not to do.
Also, other RVers aren’t as judgmental as new RVers might think. Most campers are willing to help if you ask and understand the learning curve for new RVers. Even though you feel all eyes are on you when you enter a campground, most people aren’t paying you any attention.
Tips To Avoid Embarrassing Yourself At An RV Campground
Even though most RVers have failed to do at least one of these things, these tips will help you avoid embarrassment at a campground. We’ve all had embarrassing moments. But we’d like to keep them to a minimum. Let’s take a look!
Get There Early
If you’re worried about other RVers watching you, arrive as early as you can to check-in. This way, there are fewer people around to watch you get into your campsite.
Some campers have left for the day. Others will be arriving later. So if you’re worried about possibly struggling to get into a site, and you don’t want people watching you, your best bet is to arrive early.
Pro Tip: We follow the RV 3/3/3 Rule to avoid arriving late.
Look At The Information Sheet
When you arrive at a campground, you’ll be given an information sheet. Don’t chuck it off to the side. Take a few minutes to look at it. Look at the route you need to take to get to your campsite. Are there any tight turns? Will you need to back in or pull through? Notice the location of the laundry facilities, swimming pool, dump station, and dumpsters.
Taking a few minutes to glance over the information sheet will give you the confidence you need to get to your site safely and efficiently.
It’s embarrassing to drive around the same loop three times trying to figure out how to get into your site. Checking out the information sheet will also help answer any questions you may have about check-out time, quiet hours, laundry cost, dog rules, etc.
Keep An Eye On The Weather
Weather-watching is so important for RVers, both new and seasoned. If you want to avoid the embarrassment of having your awning fly off and possibly hit a neighbor, pay attention to the weather. Always close your awning if high winds or thunderstorms are in the forecast.
You should also bring it in if you leave for the day.
Mealtimes are also good times to check out the weather. If you plan on cooking hot dogs over the campfire for dinner, it’s going to be embarrassing to step outside and get drenched. The fire certainly won’t stay lit in a downpour.
Download a couple of apps to alert you when severe weather is coming your way and consistently check the weather throughout the day. Otherwise, you may be the butt of your neighbors’ jokes when they gather around the campfire on Saturday night.
Keep Your Blinds Closed At Night
If you’re used to living in a rural area away from other neighbors, it’s easy to forget to close your blinds at night. Even tinted windows are clear enough to see inside most RVs.
Your neighbors don’t want an R-rated show, and you probably don’t want to give them one. So after dinner, make it a habit to close the blinds.
Give It A Google
Other RVers are great resources when you have questions as a newbie. Google and YouTube are also great places to search for videos and tutorials when you aren’t sure how to do something. If you’ve never emptied the black tank before, avoid the embarrassment of having poop spill out all over the ground by watching a quick video.
Sometimes a quick online search will provide tips you haven’t considered, such as always using clothes or setting a rock on top of the connector. If you’re worried about your neighbors watching you (which they probably aren’t), Google it, then you can confidently approach the task.
Do A Walk Around Before You Leave
Never leave a campsite without doing a walk around. Check high, check low, check under, check above, check everywhere. It’s easy to forget to pull up the stabilizers or lower the antenna. Sometimes RVers have even left the hoses connected.
Avoid embarrassing moments like ripping off your antenna on a low-lying tree branch or dragging your power plug down the road.
These moments aren’t just awkward but can be damaging and expensive too. Save yourself time, money, and humiliation by doing a walk around before you leave.
Keep in mind: Here’s an RV towing checklist for newbies.
Prep Ahead To Avoid Embarrassing Yourself
You can’t avoid all situations. There are going to be times when you forget to bring in your clothesline during a rain shower and your newly washed sheets are now soaking wet again. But by planning ahead, you can avoid a lot of embarrassing moments.
Never be in a rush. When you rush, you forget things or cut corners. So plan adequate drive times, rest stop times, set-up times, and pack-up times. When you plan, you can also be flexible with the weather.
All of these tips won’t keep you from ever getting into those red-faced moments, but they’ll certainly help prevent some of them. Do you have an embarrassing RV story to tell?
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Hi there. I always appreciate the comments and articles you put on the drivinvibin website. However one thing I would like to see you stop doing- is stop calling lot
-docking at Walmart
camping. People get the
idea they can just set up camp in a parking lot and that makes it easy for managers to say ‘no more’ and makes it harder for those of us who actually do what we’re supposed to do at Walmart – just spend the night sleeping and perhaps go in and spend some money. So please don’t call it camping anymore- especially newbies get the wrong idea. We do not want to lose this privilege because someone sets up their grill, let the kids run around the parking lot on their bikes, and other things that are not permissible in a public/ private parking lot. But do keep these great suggestions coming. Thanks.