First RV Trip Checklist | Motor Sportsland Blog

Start Here: Your First RV Trip Checklist

New owners usually leave the lot thinking about the fun part. The campsite, the drive up the canyon, the first morning with coffee outside. What catches people off guard is the hookup stuff, the ten minutes at the pedestal and the spigot and the sewer riser. This First RV Trip Checklist walks through the small parts that keep those ten minutes from turning into a bad afternoon. Everything below is sold at our parts counters in Millcreek and Spanish Fork, and if you're not sure what fits your coach, bring the rig or a photo of your connections and we'll sort it out with you.

Water: pressure you can't see and taste you can

Campground water pressure is not consistent. Some parks run low, some run high enough to split a hose fitting or push past what your plumbing lines are meant to handle. The failure usually happens while you're gone for the day, which is how people come back to soaked carpet. The Camco Water Pressure Regulator Brass reduces incoming pressure to a safe, consistent 40 to 50 pounds of operational pressure, which protects your hose, pump and internal lines and helps prevent hose failure. Screw it on at the spigot, before the hose, every single time.

Camco — Water Pressure Regulator Brass — Water pressure regulator brass

Then there's the water itself. Fill-station and campground water can come through tasting like chlorine or carrying sediment, and that's what your ice, coffee and tooth-brushing water is made of. The Camco TastePURE Water Filter (KDF) with Flexible Hose Protector contains KDF to fight bacteria and greatly reduces bad taste, chlorine and sediment. The wider body improves water flow, and the included no-kink hose protector keeps the hose from bending hard right at the filter.

Camco — Tastepure Water Filter (kdf) W/ Flexible Hose Protector, — Tastepure water filter (kdf) w/ flexible hose protector,

Power: pedestals don't always match your rig

You'll pull into a site and find the pedestal doesn't have the outlet you expected. Maybe it's an older park with only a household-style 15 amp outlet, or maybe you've got a 50 amp cord and a 30 amp box. Without an adapter you're running on battery until you find a store. Adapters (people call them dogbones) solve it, and most owners carry more than one.

If you've got a 30 amp rig and the only outlet available is a standard 15 amp household plug, the Camco PowerGrip Dogbone 15A Male to 30A Female is the one that gets you connected. Keep in mind that a 15 amp supply gives you less to work with than a full hookup, so plan your appliance use accordingly.

Camco — Powergrip - Dogbone 12 15am/30af 125v/1875w — Powergrip - dogbone 12 15am/30af 125v/1875w

For 50 amp coaches, the Camco PowerGrip Dogbone 15A Male to 50A Female allows RVs with a 50 amp hookup to connect to standard 15 amp power, using a 50 amp female connector with a 15 amp straight blade plug. This is the one that saves you at a friend's driveway or an older site.

Camco — Powergrip - Dogbone 12 15am/50af 125v/1875w — Powergrip - dogbone 12 15am/50af 125v/1875w

The adapter most 50 amp owners reach for in parks is the Camco PowerGrip Dogbone 30A Male to 50A Female. It has integrated pull handles, so you're not fighting to wiggle a tight plug out of a park outlet in the dark. That sounds minor until you've done it with cold hands.

Camco — Powergrip - Dogbone 18 30am/50af 125v/3750w — Powergrip - dogbone 18 30am/50af 125v/3750w

One rule for new owners: adapters are fine, but anything involving the wiring itself, a pedestal that arcs or sparks, a breaker that trips repeatedly, or a cord with damage, needs our service department. Don't troubleshoot RV electrical systems yourself.

Sewer: the job nobody warns you about

The sewer hose is where first trips go sideways. A cheap hose that splits, or one with the wrong end fitting for the park's dump riser, leaves you with a mess you'll remember longer than the trip. Start with a complete kit so the fittings are already matched up.

The Camco RhinoFLEX 15' Sewer Hose Kit comes ready to use with pre-attached fittings. At the RV end, there's a tough bayonet fitting with four prongs for a more secure connection. At the dump-station end, there's a detachable 4-in-1 adapter that fits 3" slip or 3", 3-1/2" and 4" threaded pipe, which covers most of what you'll run into. Caps and an elbow are included.

Camco — Rhinoflex 15' Sewer Hose Kit W/ 4n1, Elbow, Caps — Rhinoflex 15' sewer hose kit w/ 4n1, elbow, caps

If you camp in cold weather, park on gravel, or just want the heavier-duty option, the Camco RhinoEXTREME 15' Sewer Hose Kit is built for abrasion resistance and crush protection. It won't dent or rust, won't crush if someone steps on it, and it's tested to withstand temperatures as low as -40F. The kit includes a swivel elbow and a 4-in-1 adapter with swivel bayonet fittings, which makes lining up a stubborn connection a lot less frustrating.

Camco — Rhinoextreme 15' Sewer Hose Kit W/ Swivel Fit, 4n1, Elbow, C — Rhinoextreme 15' sewer hose kit w/ swivel fit, 4n1, elbow, c

What goes into the tank matters as much as what comes out. Household toilet paper doesn't break down fast enough in a holding tank, and the result is a clogged sensor or a tank that won't empty. Camco TST 2-Ply Toilet Tissue is made for RV and marine holding tanks, fast-dissolving and clog-resistant, biodegradable and septic safe, with no dyes or perfumes. Two-ply comes 500 sheets per roll, four rolls per pack.

Camco — TST 2 Ply Toilet Tissue 4 Rolls, 500 Sheets — Tst 2 ply toilet tissue 4 rolls, 500 sheets

Valterra Softness Toilet Tissue is another option owners stock up on. It's 2-ply, safe for septic systems, tested for rapid breakdown and made to keep the RV tank clear. Buy a few packs before the first trip so you're not hunting for RV tissue in a small-town grocery store.

Valterra — Softness Toilet Tissue, 2 Ply, 4/pk — Softness toilet tissue, 2 ply, 4/pk

Parking and leveling

Trailers roll. Even a slight grade is enough to shift a trailer when you unhitch, and re-hitching a trailer that has moved a few inches is its own kind of misery. Chock the wheels before you unhitch, not after. The Camco Wheel Chock With Rope is hard plastic with UV inhibitors so it won't get brittle sitting in Utah sun, and the rope lets you place it and pull it back out without crawling under the rig. Keep them in the same spot in your pass-through every trip.

Camco — Wheel Chock With Rope, Yellow — Wheel chock with rope, yellow

Leveling blocks and jack pads round out this part of the setup, and our counter staff can walk you through what works with your jack or stabilizer type. If your trailer brakes feel weak or grabby on the way home, that's a service department job, not a campground fix.

Frequently asked questions

Do I really need both a pressure regulator and a water filter?

They do different jobs. The regulator protects your plumbing from high campground pressure, and the filter improves taste and reduces chlorine and sediment in the water you drink.

How many power adapters should I carry?

Most owners carry at least one for the common mismatch at their rig's amperage, and many keep a second for household 15 amp outlets. Bring your cord end in and we'll match the right dogbone at the counter.

Why can't I use regular toilet paper in an RV?

Household tissue doesn't break down quickly enough in a holding tank, which leads to clogs and false tank readings. RV-specific tissue is tested for rapid breakdown.

What length sewer hose should I get?

Fifteen feet handles many sites, but dump risers are sometimes farther back than you'd like. Plenty of owners carry an extra section, and we can help you figure out what to add.

Something isn't working right on my first trip. What should I handle myself?

Hookup items like hoses, adapters and chocks are owner-level. Anything with propane, electrical wiring, the roof or the brakes should come to our service department.

Parts in this post:

Order now: call our parts counter at 801-262-2922, or stop in at either store, Millcreek in Salt Lake City or Spanish Fork. Browse all our RV parts and accessories.