Using Your RV
Learning the hard way: Don't make these mistakes
By By Jerry (RiverGuy) Brown
Jun 27, 2006, 13:23

In December 2004 I set out from my home base in Eugene, Oregon, desperate for some California sunshine. With my new 30 foot fifth wheel in tow, I joined the ranks of RV snowbirders escaping the northern winter. As it happened, I drove right into the teeth of the great 2005 California storm system and rarely saw the southern sun for the next two months. But that's another story. This story is about some things I learned in those early months of RVing.

Lesson one: Don't short yourself on practice. I spent less than an hour parking and backing my fifth wheel in a vacant parking lot. It wasn't enough. When later I had to pull through a narrow gate, I wasn't even close to making it. Because I hadn't started my turn wide enough, it took 20 minutes of jockeying in the rain to complete that entry. Likewise with my first real parking attempt at an RV campground. I should have spent several hours practicing these maneuvers before ever setting out.

Next, if you are new to RVing or you are new to your RV, start with a short "shakedown" trip of a weekend or a few days. Learn about your rig and its systems before committing yourself to a long trip. Find problems near to home, where it will be easy to have them repaired by your dealer. My first month on the road was pretty rough because I had not taken the time for a dry run camping trip before hitting the highway.

Be cautious about taking back roads. I like to boondock. I save a lot on camping fees, but my primary reason is to enjoy the solitude and wonder of natural places. So I frequently seek out dispersed camping sites on National Forest or BLM lands. But I no longer tow my trailer down these roads sight unseen. I have had several narrow "escapes" where I wasn't really sure if I was going to get out without backing down a narrow road for up to a mile – not a pleasant prospect. I now find a place to unhitch my trailer and leave it locked while I check out these roads. As a result I have saved myself some harrowing towing experiences and also found some wonderful sites that I would never have located otherwise.

Take sharp turns wide. If you are towing your RV or driving a large motor home, this applies to you. When driving a car, my tendency is to cut sharp corners. In an RV this can be disastrous. I cut a turn too sharply on a narrow mountain road and whacked my fifth wheel on a vertical rock escarpment. I was lucky that my awning took the force of the blow. The trailer wasn't damaged, but the awning was destroyed -- thankfully my insurance covered it. Cutting a sharp curve with a drop off below could be even worse if your rear tires don't make the turn. Pull wide through those curves so that your rig can track well on the pavement.

I learned many other lessons in those early days, but these stand out.