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Get to Know RV Lingo


For those who’re new to RVing, you might not be accustomed to the language utilized in RV tradition. That will help you acclimate rapidly, RVT has compiled a recent checklist of RV lingo you have to know. Study these frequent phrases, and also you’ll quickly be talking like a seasoned RVer.

1-in, 1-out: A useful tip for managing litter. If a brand new merchandise comes into the RV, one other merchandise ought to exit.

2-2-2 Rule: Journey not more than 200 miles (322 km) per day, arrive at your vacation spot by 2 pm, and keep no less than two nights. Arriving by 2 pm offers you time to discover a good location and arrange. Staying no less than two nights offers you one full day at your vacation spot.

Black water tank: An onboard tank to carry bathroom waste. Black water is uncooked sewage and should be correctly disposed of at dumping stations. All the time put on gloves when disposing of sewage and guarantee your sewer hose is tightly related.

BLM Land: Public land managed by the Bureau of Land Administration in the USA. Tenting is usually free, however there are often no facilities. The Canadian equal is Crown land.

Boondocking: Tenting off-grid with out facilities, sometimes in distant areas. When boondocking, at all times bear in mind to depart no hint.

Bunkhouse: An space of the RV that has bunk beds. May additionally discuss with an RV ground plan that features bunk beds e.g. bunkhouse mannequin

Cab: The entrance of a motorhome the place the driving force sits. Additionally referred to as the cockpit.

Cab-over: A sleeping or storage space positioned above the cab of a motorhome.

Captain’s chair: The motive force’s seat.

Caravaning: A number of folks touring and tenting collectively in their very own separate RVs. 

Coach: A Class A RV.

Diesel Pusher: A Class A motorhome with a diesel engine positioned within the rear. 

Diesel Puller: A Class A motorhome with a diesel engine positioned within the entrance. Additionally referred to as a FRED (Entrance Finish Diesel). Lately, most new Class A diesel motorhomes are rear-engine.

Dry Tenting: Tenting with out hookups. Typically used interchangeably with boondocking.

Dump station: An space for the authorized disposal of black water and grey water. 

Fiver: One other title for a fifth-wheel trailer. 

Full-timer: Individuals who reside of their RV full time.

Grey water tank: An onboard tank that holds wastewater from sinks and showers.

Hookups: Facilities you ‘hook up’ to at a campground or RV resort. Hookups sometimes embody water, sewer, and energy. Partial hookups don’t embody sewer. Cable hookups might also be accessible.

Hose bib – A faucet that gives recent water at a campsite.  You probably have full hookups, you may hook as much as a hose bib to entry metropolis water. For those who don’t, hose bibs are sometimes offered in numerous places across the campground for campers to entry recent water. 

Moochdocking: Tenting totally free on a good friend’s/member of the family’s property. Additionally referred to as driveway browsing. Examine native bylaws earlier than you do that. Some municipalities have closing dates for RVs parked in driveways.  

Beginner: First time RVer.

Potable water: Water that’s secure to drink (pronounced with an extended ‘o’ sound). 

Pull-through Web site: A simple-access RV web site that permits you to enter from the rear and exit by way of the entrance, somewhat than backing in.  

Rig: A generic time period for an RV.

Roadschooling: Homeschooling in an RV. 

Shore energy: Electrical energy offered to an RV by plugging into {the electrical} grid. e.g. energy hookups at a campground.

Snowbirds: RVers who head south for the winter to keep away from colder climate up north. 

Stealth tenting: Staying in a single day in your RV whereas showing to be a vacant car. Many city areas will enable RVs to park in a single day on a public road, however don’t allow sleeping in them, due to this fact stealth is required to ‘camp’ there. Class B RVs (additionally referred to as camper vans) are the simplest RV to stealth camp in as a result of they resemble an everyday van.  

Sticks and Bricks: A conventional, stationary residence, equivalent to a home.

Smelly Slinky: A slang time period for the sewer hose used to dump the RV waste tanks.

Technomad: RVers who use the web to earn cash whereas touring full time. May additionally be referred to as digital nomads.

Tribe: A time period of endearment many full-time RV nomads use to explain fellow full-timers. Typically used exterior of RVing as nicely, to explain a bunch of mates with related pursuits. 

TOAD: A reputation given to automobiles ‘towed’ behind Class A, B, or C RVs. Additionally referred to as a ‘dinghy’. This isn’t the identical as a tow car (sometimes a truck), which pulls a trailer behind it.

Wallydocking: Tenting in a single day in a Walmart™ car parking zone. Some Walmarts not enable this. Examine earlier than organising.

Weekend warriors: Individuals who get out of their RVs primarily on weekends, as soon as the work week is completed.  

Now that you recognize a few of the frequent phrases, you may depart the sticks and bricks behind and be a part of your tribe for a boondocking journey with out sounding like an entire beginner. Glad tenting!

Searching for a brand new or used RV to hitch you in your subsequent tenting journey? Take a look at the newest North America-wide listings on RVT.com.

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