Lesson 1: Let Me Introduce You To RVs
Welcome to the course "Introduction to RVs and the RV lifestyle."
RVing and living in the RV lifestyle is not by any means an exact science. Each one of us will find the lifestyle very different. Some of us will come to love it, others will find it not to their liking. Much of this has to do with our outlook on life. If we are positive people (at least most of the time) we will probably have a better time in the lifestyle. Things that you do and things that happen to you need to be an adventure, not a task.
For example recently we have had to replace both the heater and refrigerator in our RV. As repairmen for RVs don’t make house calls we had to stow everything away, break camp and take our unit in to the repair facility, not once but twice, because as you know all things don‘t break at the same time . If somehow you can make things like this a positive experience you are on the right path. I also recommend that you be, or strive to become, a person who tends to be outgoing and likes to be with other people. Remember RV spots in campgrounds are a lot closer together than the lots in your neighborhood; also your neighbors may change on a daily basis. If you are an introvert the RV lifestyle can be a very lonely place.
Before we get into the heart of the course we need to learn some terms and language that are associated with RV’s. Don’t worry if some of these words don’t make sense here; they will as you go through the next chapters.
Definitions and Terms You'll Need to Know
Personally I have a hard time learning the meaning of words by just seeing them as a list of definitions. Therefore I am going to spin a yarn of sorts and use the terms in the sentences. I hope that I don’t ramble too much for you to get the idea. If I do, ask...
By the way "Motorhome" and "Trailerlife Magazines" are a terrific source for what is hapening in the RV world and they speak in easy to understand terms.
For the purposes of this course an RV (shorthand for recreational vehicle) is a vehicle that we can "live in." We “RVers” or “campers” can live in our RV just on weekends or short vacations; thus we are called “weekenders". We can live in our RV, say in Florida for the three or four winter months, and we will be called “part-timers”. Or we can live in our RV 24/7, 365 days a year and be called “full-timers". “Snowbirds” fly (travel) from the north in the fall to avoid the cold winters (snow) and return to the North in the spring.
RVs come in all shapes and sizes. Some have motors, thus are called “motor homes”; some don’t, thus are trailers (they trail behind); some “pop up” and some have “pop-outs”. Pop-ups are a sort of unfolding trailer that travels compacted and then pops up to make kind of a tent on wheels. Pop-outs are actually better known as “bump-outs" or “slide-outs”. These are areas on the side of an RV that while traveling are slid in to meet road width requirements and then slide out to give additional room when the RV is parked. If you camp in an area that doesn’t have any facilities, such as water, sewer or power, be it in your front yard or the deepest woods, it’s called “dry camping" or “boondocking”. Boondocking requires that your RV be “self contained”. This means the RV itself can supply the power, water, and sewer that may be required for some period of time. To make them self-contained they must have several “systems” in place.
The first is the water system. Along with the normal “city” water supply, there is a “holding tank”, usually about 40 gallons, for fresh water. This along with an electric pump supplies water under normal pressure when you are not connected to city water.
Next there is the sewer system. There are holding tanks, again about 40 gallons each, one for “gray water”, from the kitchen or “galley sink” and bath water; and a second tank is for “black water”. This water comes from the toilet only. These “waste water” tanks are used when boondocking or not hooked to the campground sewer. They must be “dumped” or emptied at “dump stations”. Dump stations are found at most RV parks, some interstate rest areas and now some truck stops that are getting more and more RV user friendly.
There are usually two types of electrical systems in an RV. The first is the normal 120 volts that we know from home but in an RV we call it “shore power". This system is used for our microwaves, TVs and air conditioner. There is another complete set of wiring in an RV - this is used for the lights, refrigerator and heating. This is “low voltage” or 12 volts. There is an “inverter” which converts the 120v AC to 12v DC while you are connected to “shore power”, and a “house battery” for the times that you are not. Some RVs also have generators which can supply 120v AC when shore power is not available.
If you have an RV, be it motor home or truck and trailer, it is referred to as your “rig”, “unit", or “camper". If you tow your rig with a truck, the truck is a “tow vehicle”. If it is a dual rear wheels truck it is also a “dually". If your motor home has dual axels (that is 2 axels one behind the other) the last axel is the tag-a-long axel or “Tag axel”. The car that you are towing behind your motorhome is a “towed vehicle” or “toad”. There are storage places underneath the living area of your RV that are accessed from outside the RV; these areas are called the “underbelly”. By the way, if you do not yet have an RV and you intend to get one you are a “wannabe” and if you just recently bought your RV, you are a “newbie”.
Got the idea? OK, now take the compatibility test, and afterwards, this assignment.
You may choose, based on what you have available, either to attend an RV show or visit an RV dealer. Take notes, take pictures and take home brochures to look over.
