10 Common RV Terms for Newbies
Are you new to the RV life? Or are you just looking to brush up on your RV slang? Either way, you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to teach you 10 common RV terms that will help you acclimate into RV living. Keep these terms in your back pocket and throw them out around your RV friends, they’ll think you’re a veteran
- Boondocking – One of the most common terms you’ll hear is Boondocking. This is also commonly referred to as Dry Camping. This is Rv camping without utility hookups such as electricity, water, and sewer. Instead, the RV is powered by a generator and water comes from holding tanks.
2. Toad or Dinghy – Another great term to know is a Toad (towed) or Dinghy. This is a fun way to refer to a vehicle that is being towed behind an RV.
3. Rig – A very common term that you absolutely should know if you are looking to sound like a real RV veteran is the term Rig. Rig is just another way to refer to your RV! Way cooler sounding than RV, right?
4. Cockpit – Ever wonder what the driver area of an RV is referred to? This area is commonly called the Cockpit, like an airplane, by RVers.
5. Full Hookup – RV sites that are the opposite of Boondocking- are Full Hookup sites. They have access to water, electricity, and water hookups. At Cove we have Full Hookup sites & sites that have just water & electric. Your pick!
Okay, we are halfway there. How are we feeling? Thinking you’ll be using these terms with your RV veteran friends, neighbors, strangers? We sure do hope so.
6. Basement – Another common term to add to your RV jargon is Basement. You might be thinking, “Basement?
I thought this was an RV!” Well, an RV basement is a large storage area underneath the rig’s floor. The doors are normally on the outside of the vehicle.
7. Fiver – Another term is Fiver. This is a shorter term for those who travel or stay predominantly in a 5th wheel travel trailer. 
- Pull-Thru – Ever heard of a Pull-thru site? This type of site makes RVers lives just a little bit easier. These sites allow you to pull your vehicle all the way through to leave, so there is no turning or backing up of any kind. This is a popular site type throughout resorts.
- Slide Outs – Slide Outs are another term you may hear quite a bit. Slide outs are walls in an RV that expand to make more space in a section of the RV. Pretty fancy, huh? As a kid, I thought this type of thing was MAGIC.
- Sani-Dump – And finally– we have Sani-Dump. Now, you may not have to think too hard about where this one is going. This is a sewer dump station where RVers dump their waste tanks.
And that’s all folks! Hopefully, you’ve learned something and have some sweet new RV terms to impress your friends with. Now get on the road and start traveling! And don’t forget– Cove has some pretty great RV Resorts so come check us out! No need for boondocking here; we have full hookup options and our sites are in the perfect locations for a getaway.