At one point, it seemed YouTube was simply a library of cat videos and grown men doing trick basketball shots. It’s evolved over the years and become one of the largest libraries for instructional videos and a go-to resource for many jumping into a new hobby.
You can learn just about anything from a YouTube video.
While you can learn many things from Youtube, might I suggest not listening to YouTubers for camping advice? It might sound odd to hear from us, but let me explain.
Let’s get started!
Can You Trust RV YouTubers?
Anyone with a halfway decent smartphone and an email address can create a YouTube channel and start posting videos. Some actually know what they’re talking about and are generous with their knowledge.
However, that’s not always the case, and you must be able to decipher between the two.
When it comes to outdoor (RV & camping) YouTubers, there are generally those who document their adventures and those who share their knowledge. Some of the best channels provide a mixture of both types, but if we’re honest, we’ve seen some RV YouTubers passing off inaccurate or completely wrong advice.
Or, to give them the benefit of the doubt, advice isn’t always a “one size fits all” sort of thing.
READ ON: What Type of RVer Are You?
Why Is It Dangerous to Take RV Camping Advice from YouTubers?
In all our experiences, listening to bad advice has never ended well. Some RV YouTubers take shortcuts or provide downright inaccurate information that can put you and your family at risk during your adventures.
We’ve seen channels recommend using Google and Apple maps instead of a GPS unit specific to RVs. It only takes approaching a low clearance once before you’ll quickly realize the importance of an RV GPS.
You want to stay as safe as possible while RVing. An accident in an RV can delay your future travel plans by weeks or even months as you wait for parts to arrive and the repair shop to fix damages. While RVs and other material things are replaceable, the well-being of all who are traveling with you is not. Being as safe as possible while traveling should be your top priority.
You cannot be safe when trusting inaccurate or blatantly false information from some RV YouTubers.
We don’t think there are malicious YouTube channels out to make it unsafe…but, there are newbies simply throwing out information.
Reasons to Ignore RV Camping Advice from YouTubers
We could list many reasons why we think you should ignore RV camping advice from YouTubers, but we’ve narrowed it down to five. Again, not all RV YouTubers are bad, and many provide some quality advice and information, but there are some who you just can’t trust.
YouTubers Often Rely on Drama for Views
Just like any accident that you can’t help but look at, some YouTubers capitalize on this emotion and are nothing but dramatics. Their YouTube channels are full of “reality TV moments” that are anything but reality. Some will overdramatize situations to get attention from others and rack up the views on their channel.
In extreme cases, many YouTubers will even stage dramatic situations for their channels. There’s big money involved for some channels, and they’ll take an “anything to get views” approach, even if it means creating the scenario.
Want drama? We recommend this YouTube Channel.
Product Reviews Aren’t Typically 100% Unbiased
While YouTubers can make money through ad revenues, they can make a tremendous amount of money through brand deals. These are typically done through partnerships where the brand pays the channel and provides a product for free in exchange for a review. A trustworthy channel that genuinely cares about its viewers will provide an honest review for a product, not just what the company that’s paying them wants to hear.
It can be difficult to criticize a product or be overly harsh, especially when the company is writing you a fat check. Many will downplay the negatives and over exaggerate the positives of a product.
Copy Cats
So many uncreative YouTubers are simply copying what everyone else is doing or has done already. Being a successful YouTube that people can trust requires innovation and thinking outside the box.
If a YouTube channel isn’t creative enough to think of its own ideas, then we strongly recommend going straight to the sources they’re copying. This will help ensure you get the most accurate and clear picture of the information, especially if it’s important.
Experience is the Best Teacher
You can watch all of the YouTube videos about RVing, but you’ll learn more and faster by experiencing it for yourself. Whether you’re new to RVing and looking for towing or general tips for operating your RV, you eventually just need to get out there and do it. The more you can go RV camping, the more you’ll grow your skills and become more efficient with the entire process.
If you wait until you feel you’re ready, your RV will never leave the driveway. Having a healthy dose of knowledge is important, but personal experience is by far the best teacher when it comes to RVing.
What works for someone else, may not work for you, and you won’t discover that until you get out and start RVing.
Inaccurate or Simply Bad Information
Nothing frustrates us more than when a video gets circulated through the RV community and is full of inaccurate and downright bad information. This is extremely dangerous as many people who view these videos don’t know better and assume the person on the screen knows their stuff.
However, just because they are smooth talkers and have pretty faces, doesn’t mean they are trustworthy.
Create Your Own Adventure
YouTube can be a great source of entertainment and learning, but sometimes it can be incredibly toxic to the RV community. Many set out trying to replicate the experiences they’ve watched YouTubers have while RVing and lose focus on creating their own adventure.
Don’t make the mistake of listening to all YouTubers regarding camping advice. You just might find yourself following bad or dangerous advice.
The best way to learn, IMHO, is to get out there and do it yourself (with a smart head and balanced emotions).
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