8 RV Mistakes That Will Ruin Your First Trip!

2025-07-31
Chad

We’ve been RVing since 2017, traveling in five different RVs, and we’ve made plenty of rookie mistakes along the way. In this video, we shared some of our mishaps as well as others we’ve heard about to help you avoid them.

#1 Slides Causing Damage INSIDE the RV

Very early on, in our first couple of weeks of travel with our 397TH, we were putting out the main slides, and we couldn’t see that our pantry door was open behind the slide with the refrigerator and stove. The inside flange caught the door, tearing the entire door frame and making a horrible crunching noise. It damaged the door, the frame, and even the decorative fascia on the bottom of the slide. We jammed the door back in place, glued the fascia, and later repaired the door properly.

To avoid this, always check inside the RV for any open doors, cabinets, drawers, or other obstacles before extending or retracting slides. Ensure nothing inside can get caught by the slide mechanisms.

#2 Leak-Check Sewer Hoses with GREY Water

A couple of days after arriving at a campsite and hooking up the sewer, we went to flush our black tank and pulled the handle, noticing a leak at the junction of the two hoses due to a missing O-ring. It was just a little liquid, so we shut off the black water, pulled the gray to flush it out, and fixed the issue. This could have been a LOT worse if the hose junction had come apart!

The key lesson was to always test your sewer connections with gray water first to avoid an EPA disaster. 💩 This way, any leaks or missing parts like O-rings are caught with less harmful gray water before handling the black tank.

#3 Over-Filling the Black Tank

When filling the black tank to flush it, it’s easy to get distracted and overfill it, which could cause a ruptured black tank or even break the straps that hold it to the frame! Although this hasn’t happened to us, we’ve come close!

We recommend using a water meter like the Restmo for accurate flow rates and setting a timer to prevent distractions that can lead to overflows.

#4 Leaving Pets in RV Without Monitoring

Before we started RVing, we came across a heartfelt, sad Facebook post about pet owners who left their pet unattended in the RV while out exploring. The RV park’s power went out temporarily, shutting off the ACs. When they returned, the outcome was tragic—the pet had suffered fatally from the heat. This gut-wrenching story was something we never wanted to experience, so since day one in 2017, we’ve always had a way to monitor Daisy’s environment.

Waggle Pet Monitor and 4G Minicam (Sponsor)

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#5 Leaving Awnings Out when Away

We’ve seen this online and in person several times: awnings torn completely off or flipped over the top of an RV by a strong gust from a storm, making for a bad day! We sometimes leave ours out if tethered with a drop shade, but we always retract it before leaving for any period. Awnings aren’t designed for rain and wind, just shade, and act like a giant sail in the wind. Bring your awnings in when you leave the RV!

#6 Not Using a Pre-Travel Checklist

Just three days ago, we saw an RV speeding away, making a horrible racket as its stairs dragged on the ground. We tried to wave them down, but they were too far gone. Two weeks before that, in the same campground, another RV drove out with its sewer cap hanging and liquid dribbling out on every turn, leaving a trail; likely they dumped, forgot to close the valve and cap, and it sloshed out.

To prevent travel mishaps, create and follow a pre-departure checklist covering all preparations, from dumping tanks to securing stairs and caps. Use timed checklists like ours to methodically check items, even after years of experience. See more here: changinglanesrv.com/rv-pre-travel-checklists/

#7 Not Doing a Pull Check (5th Wheel) RV Drops on Truck!

We read about this before hitting the road, and it happened to our friends Tom and Cherie from Enjoy the Journey.life—they thought they were hitched, pulled away, and the fifth wheel dropped on their truck bed.

To avoid dropping your fifth wheel, perform a pull test every time: lower front jacks slightly off the ground, keep chocks in, apply RV brakes, and gently try to pull forward. If it holds, you’re good. Don’t forget to raise your jacks fully and remove the chocks before departing.

#8 GOAL (Get Out And LOOK!)

Get Out And Look. Go slow, and if unsure about clearance, top, or tail swing, stop and get out to physically see, even with a spotter. We’ve done this ourselves and damaged our RV in the past from overconfidence. You might not want to get out multiple times while people watch, but it’s better than smashing into a tree and looking even worse.

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