RV life has a way of keeping you humble. No matter how many times you’ve done this, mistakes still happen. There’s a lot to remember every time you set up, break down, and hit the road, and sometimes? You get a little too comfortable. You assume you won’t forget anything… and that’s when it happens.
Some mistakes you only make once (like pulling out of a campsite with your stabilizers still down). Others? They sneak up on you every now and then, even when you should know better.
We’ve learned some lessons the easy way—and some the hard way. Here are six big RV mistakes that even seasoned RVers still slip up on… and how to avoid them.
1. Driving Off Without Doing a Final Walkaround
One morning at Carpinteria Beach, we were getting ready to leave when my husband took off running toward our neighbor’s RV. I had no idea what was going on—until I saw him waving his arms like he was directing traffic.
The driver got out, confused, and that’s when it hit me: their stabilizers were still down. If they had pulled forward, they would have ripped them right off the rig.
That’s why we always do a final walkaround before leaving. It’s easy to assume everything is fine when you’ve done it a hundred times, but all it takes is one forgotten step to ruin your day.
We check every single thing—storage doors, windows, bumper covers, lights, stairs, the exhaust fan, and even the door handle (which is shockingly easy to forget to close). And it’s not just about keeping things latched—a friend of ours forgot to close their exhaust fan window once, and it flew off while they were driving. That’s the kind of mistake you only make once.
It might seem excessive, but we’ve almost driven off with the door open more times than I’d like to admit. A quick walkaround takes less than a minute, but it can save a lot of money—and a lot of embarrassment.
2. Trusting GPS Too Much
We’ve all been there. You put your destination into Google Maps, hit the road, and trust that it knows what it’s doing. Most of the time, it does.
And then there are the times it tries to end your RVing career.
Once, in the Upper Peninsula, our GPS tried to route us onto a snowmobile trail. Not a dirt road. Not a narrow path. An actual snowmobile trail.
We obviously ignored the directions, pulled over, and checked satellite view. Sure enough, Google had no idea what it was doing. We reported it (who knows if it was ever fixed), and now? We never trust GPS blindly.
Instead, we check RV-specific GPS apps, cross-check routes on satellite view, and if a road looks questionable, we don’t take it. Because nothing good comes from trying to squeeze a 30-foot trailer down a road that was meant for snowmobiles.
3. Not Checking the Campsite Before Pulling In
Some campgrounds love to escort you to your site, but I’ll tell you right now: I don’t trust any site until I see it myself.
Before we back in, I walk the site. Every single time. And I can’t tell you how many times that’s saved us from a bad setup.
I’ve found loose nails, broken glass, even a wrench just hanging out in the middle of a site. We’ve pulled up to spots where the power pedestal looked like it hadn’t been maintained since the ‘90s. And I can’t count how many times I’ve seen sites that are nowhere near as big or level as advertised.
I also like to get a game plan before we back in—figure out where the hookups are, where the awning should be, and how to make sure the site is as level as possible before we even start.
Because nothing’s worse than pulling in, unhooking, setting everything up, and then realizing the site is a disaster. And then having to do it all again.
4. Forgetting to Secure Things Before Driving
Here’s a fun one: We once had to tape our fridge shut for two months because I tripped over our dog and broke the fridge handle.
This was during peak COVID, and parts were impossible to get. So, we just taped it closed before driving.
Most of the time, it worked fine. Except when we forgot to double-check the tape.
We’d pull over for lunch, step inside, and find that our fridge had dumped its entire contents into the hallway. Everything. Produce, condiments, drinks… all rolling around like we’d just survived an earthquake. The fridge door, swinging freely, now permanently dented from slamming into the counter.
We learned quickly that just because something looks fine when you’re parked doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way on the road. Now, we double-check every cabinet, every door, and every latch—because I’d rather take an extra minute securing things than open the door to a broken jar of pickles all over the hallway.
5. Underestimating Weather
We’ve had to move our RV to higher ground before a flood, which we thankfully knew was coming. We were boondocking, saw heavy rain in the forecast, and decided to pack up and move before the storm hit. The next morning, the spot we would have been in was a swamp.
Another time, we were at a campground, safely parked on higher ground, and watched as some of our less lucky campground neighbors got three inches of standing water in their site. We were fine, but it was a good reminder that just because a site is available doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
And don’t even get me started on freezing water hookups. If you don’t disconnect and drain your hose before it freezes, you’re going to have a bad time. No running water, no way to thaw it quickly, and the constant paranoia that your pipes are about to burst. We’ve learned to disconnect, drain, and store the hose before the temperature drops. Because no one wants to wake up to a solid block of ice where their water source used to be.
6. Hooking Up Utilities the Wrong Way
Sewer hoses. Water hookups. Power connections. You’d think after doing it so many times, we’d never mess it up.
And yet, we still double-check everything—because we’ve seen enough sewer hose explosions to last a lifetime. Once it was our neighbor, and it stunk.
We’ve also heard of people frying their entire electrical system because they plugged into a damaged power pedestal without checking it first. And Propane, loves to run out in the middle of the night. And if your fridge is on propane? It’ll start beeping at you until you fix it.
So now? We make sure everything is properly hooked up, tested, and ready before settling in.
Here’s how to avoid these disasters:
- Check the power pedestal before plugging in. Look for burn marks, loose wires, or signs of damage before you even think about plugging in. And always, always use a surge protector—because a bad connection could destroy your RV’s entire electrical system.
- Use a water pressure regulator. Not all campgrounds have consistent water pressure, and some places are crazy strong. A pressure gauge and regulator help keep your pipes from blowing out and ensure you don’t get a surprise plumbing disaster.
- Check propane levels before bed. Because it will run out at 2 a.m. when it’s cold, and your fridge will start beeping non-stop to remind you. No one wants to wake up in a freezing RV, fumbling for a propane tank in the dark.
Mistakes Happen, But They Make Good (but Expensive) Stories
Even if you’ve been RVing forever, mistakes still happen—but hey, at least they make for good stories. The trick is to learn from them and make sure they don’t happen twice.
What’s the biggest RV mistake you’ve made (or witnessed)? Drop it in the comments—I need to hear these. A pic is even better.
I have some affiliate links on this post, so I can make (literally) a few pennies of this post to offset my hosting fees. All opinions are genuine and the products I endorse are actually products we use while living full-time in our R-Pod 192.
