Shout out to new RV owners! Congratulations on deciding to enjoy the camper life. However, one anxiety you may have to face is learning how to two your new RV. Take a deep breath, relax, and learn how to conquer the road while towing as a new RV owner.

Tips for towing an RV 

First of all, practice makes perfect. Get your spouse or a buddy and bring them along for the ride as you practice parking your camper around town. Haul it to get dinner, to a movie, or parks nearby. You don’t want to wreck on your first vacation with your new bad boy. 

Going around town will help you feel comfortable. You’ll have to stop at red lights with your RV, change lanes, get up to speed, merge, back into parking spaces, and more. Also, it can be helpful to camp close to home first. 

Your first camping trip with an RV

It can be beneficial to reserve a spot at a private RV campground first. This way, instead of being alone in a national forest site with rangers who don’t know how to drive an RV, maybe a neighbor will be there to help. 

You can also reserve a pull-through RV spot. This way, you will have a better idea of what to expect while towing your RV. Otherwise, you could end up in a tight RV spot somewhere in the back that you’ll have to back into. 

Also, relieve stress while parking. If you have kids, send them to the playground while you back up your RV and unhitch it. As they grow older, your kids can help set up your RV and with the backup process with assigned jobs. 

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Accept tips from veteran RV owners about backing up and settling in. Veteran RV owners not only have a lot of experience with different RV models but are usually extremely friendly and happy to help. 

RV towing mistakes to avoid 

Do not take your first trip at night. You will be much more confident being able to see your RV in your truck/SUV mirrors. Also, more visualization helps with being able to backup. It can be hard to see where your RV is going at a dark campground. 

Plus, truckers with their long trailers always say G.O.A.T, Meaning, if you’re having trouble backing up, Get Out And Look. This is something they pick up at CDL school, where they are taught to tow massive trailers. You can take an RV class, though!

Keep an eye on the temperatures and pressure gauges while you drive. This will ensure that your trip runs smoothly. If you operate at a temperature that’s too high, your truck/SUV and RV will run into multiple problems, and the amount of damage could be increased. 

Also, don’t overload your RV with too much weight. You will need the problem weight distributing bars and chains for your rig too. Without the correct bars, the weight distribution could be set up incorrectly, leading to bouncing between your RV and truck and losing steering control.