Come walk with us through some of the campgrounds
we’ve been to as we share 5 things we see that let us know you’re still a beginner. Let’s get
started! We’ve been through a lot of campgrounds and there are a number of things we see that
are beginner mistakes. Even some of the most seasoned campers still make these mistakes. Have
you seen RVs set to takeoff and ready to fly? Do you know what we mean? It’s when a motorhome
is setup in a campsite with their tires in the air. We’ve noticed so many motorhomes with
their front end up in the air. It makes us think there’s still a beginner running that RV.
Every once in a while we see the rear tires off the ground. The RV forums are filled with the
debate as to whether it is ok to have your tires off the ground when parked at campgrounds. But,
we’ve heard of enough damage done to RVs to know that when parked, keep your tires on the ground.
We never talk with an RV owner about this issue though because everyone has their opinion. We
can’t wait to hear them in the comments! But, if not for the benefit of the RV then for the benefit
of your camping experience. We’ve noticed when tires are up in the air the RV moves a lot more.
A kid rolls over in bed at night and the whole RV shakes. The more surface that is on the ground
the less the RV shakes and moves. So, for that we keep all six of our tires on the ground when
camping. But there are parts of the RV you can damage if your tires are off the ground. We know
there are a lot of parts that keep your tire on the RV. All of these parts can get stressed when
the RV is left in the air for days. If the rear tires are off the ground then the parking brake
is useless. Yes the jacks are on the ground but if the RV is swaying due to a storm the jacks could
bend or break. If the tires are off the ground you are putting stress on the leveling jacks and may
damage them. If that is not enough to change your mind, most RV manuals say to never camp with your
tires off the ground. But one thing you can easily do so that you don’t have your tires in the air
is plan ahead. Review campground videos to see the sites in the campground and see whether the sites
are level. That is why we do our reviews like this in a walk and talk format. We want you to see as
many sites as you can to get a good look at the campground so you know what you are getting into.
If you have any concerns you can ask a question in the video comments for the creator or you can call
the campground office and talk them through your request, to have a level site reserved. But if you
feel like you’re still going to have this problem, get a set of leveling blocks. We use these
blocks often to deal with both front tires off the ground. We’ve also used them when one side
is lower than the other side. You really need two sets of these blocks if the rear tires are going
to end up off the ground. But these pads aren’t that durable. We recommend if you need more under
the tires to take 2x12 or 2x10 lumber, to setup as your base and put the leveling blocks on those
if you need a lot of height adjustment. With a little care you can look like a seasoned pro with
all your tires on solid ground. Or maybe you’ve seen the Kite Runner camping. Another beginner
mistake is when you leave your awning extended out when you leave the campground without checking
the weather. We’ve seen this many times. In fact, we watched this awning on a Thor Palazzo get
destroyed at Wahweap RV Park and Campground on Lake Powell. The weather was 110 degrees and there
were sustained winds of 20 miles per hour with gusts over 50 miles per hour. The wind was so bad
that we were getting sandblasted on the beach and we weren't allowed to take a boat out on Lake
Powell. So, when we came back to the campground and discovered the Palazzo, it pained us to watch
but you just can’t go into someone’s RV when they aren’t there. But before you get upset we did
try to help. A police officer cruised through the campground and we flagged him down. We have
a Palazzo, too and know that the awning switch is just inside the door. But even the police
would not touch the RV due to the current state of things between them and the community. It makes
sense. You never know if there is a dog inside or stuff that might cause problems. We also called
the campground office and let them know. But, for your sake, when you leave for the day, put
your awning away and other stuff and know the weather. We have three more to go. What do you
see that lets you know someone is a beginner in the campground? We’d like to know. Join the
conversation and let us know your advice in the comments. Have you ever seen an RV that looks like
it needs a glass of V8? There’s a lot of beginner RVers that come into the campground and set up
their RV unlevel. Most of the time this happens with trailers as their axles are in the middle of
the RV. We saw this trailer at the United States Space and Rocket Center campground in Huntsville,
Alabama. The trailer has leveling jacks and they pulled in earlier in the day. They just chose not
to use them. Beginners may not know that there are a few issues with this. One is your comfort.
When you sleep you will want a level surface so the blood doesn’t rush to your head if you are
sleeping down hill. But you may be putting stress on the RV that doesn’t need to happen. When an RV
is unlevel and you are using it, you can damage door hinges and door frames. Door latches may not
work well. Refrigerators need to be level in order to function properly. Water systems need to be
level so the water flows well. Your black and gray water tank gauges will take incorrect readings
and you may overflow your tanks. But slideouts may be the biggest problem. If you try to use
your slideouts when the RV is unlevel chances are they will break and you will have a disabled
RV to repair. Additionally, you will put stress on the frame and other parts and cause damage when a
little time leveling will create a better camping experience. The leveling blocks are great for
travel trailers, too. We’ll put links in the video description to give you examples of what we
are talking about so you can get more information. Walking around the campground we see a lot of RVs
that need a visit from the Super Mario Brothers. This is a true beginner's mistake. Especially,
if you are out West, in a drought, or in the desert like here in Trailer Village at the Grand
Canyon’s South Rim. I walked through the park a few times to get these views and noticed a handful
of beginners based on their water hookup. If your water is leaking at the RV you are damaging your
walls and floors and materials in the RV and will quickly have rot and mold to deal with. RVs are
big sponges when they get wet due to the particle board and insulation they use to build them. But
if you are leaking at the campground water hookup, you are just wasting electricity and water
resources. When we have a leak with the water hookup we fill our fresh water tank and
disconnect from the campground. This keeps the water from leaking and prevents the destruction
of your RV and wasting resources. Campers create a lot of waste that can destroy the environment
that we are enjoying. Using water as a precious one we’ve been to, you will see our campground
review in your search results. Without wasting anymore time let’s get to the next one. Water
and Electricity don’t mix except when identifying someone new to RVing. So, let’s bring out our
inner Benjamin Franklin. It took us a while to learn this one and wasted a warm sunny afternoon
in a campground because we were beginners. Never again. We had a travel trailer and a class A Gas
motorhome before this became a problem and we learned our lesson. We were camping in our brand
new to us Class A Diesel motorhome on our first trip out and ran into trouble. When we arrived and
went to setup camp we dropped our leveling jacks, turned the engine off, and plugged into the
campground. But, the slideouts wouldn’t work. I pulled out the user manuals and did my best
to troubleshoot the issue. I checked fuses and circuit breakers. The slideout motors had power
and it didn’t make sense. So, I started making phone calls. Roadside RV assistance wouldn’t help
because I was parked in a campground and not broke down on the road. I called Thor and the service
tech wanted to work the issue with a volt meter. I didn’t have one. We were stuck with the slideouts
in. Not the worst problem but still an issue when you’ve been on the road all day in a tight RV.
and oh by the way this day was the best weather day of the week and we wanted to play instead
of deal with this. I decided to make another call to Thor and I got another service tech. He
shared with me the information I needed to solve my problem. Nothing I tried or heard over 4 hours
worked. But he had the solution. There is a 5 amp fuse for the switch that I didn’t know about and
it had blown due to power from the campground. I know it was the RV park because the fuse blew
two more times that week. Beginners don’t want to spend the money on a surge protector. These
expensive little pieces of equipment are good insurance from an electrical issue that will ruin
your camping trip. Since using a surge protector we have not had any issue with blown fuses
or electrical issues from storms or from the campground power. We’ll put in the description the
less expensive surge protector that has kept our electrical system safe
RVers who have camped any length of time will run into bad power at a campground and will buy
a surge protector. Save yourself a break down and look one up today. To keep learning about campgrounds
and camping with your RV watch this video next.
