RV Terms

Lexicon of RV Slang

15/30/50a
A campground shore power pedestal that has electricity for RVs requiring 15, 30, and 50 amp service. Class-B generally requires a 30,amp shore power service connection.

12V (12-Volt)
Your battery system’s 12-volt DC (direct current) power usually powers the basics, such as the lights, water pump, and gas appliances. Propane furnaces and propane refrigerators both require DC power to operate the controllers.

A

AGM Battery
The Absorbent Gas Mat is a sealed lead-acid battery that was commonly used in the RV 12-volt DC circuit. It does not require the addition of water to the cells and does not require ventilation, so it is very low-maintenance.

AC
This is short for air conditioner.

AC Power
In the USA, this is normally 120 volts AC (alternating current), which is the same as your home electrical system.

B

Back-in site
Back-in campsites usually require the RV driver to back into them. Dahhh! Whereas pull-through sites are only entered and exited by driving forward. Many campgrounds will assign back-in sites to Class-B RVs because they are so small and maneuverable.

Batwing 
The older crank-up kind of TV antenna with arms that resemble bat wings is known as a bat antenna. These antennas are very directional, so you may want to use a phone app to see the direction of the TV transmitters from the bat cave.

Black Tank
The waste from the RV toilet is contained in the stinky-poo Black Tank to keep it separate from the rest of your not-as-bad shower and sink water. Adding some black tank chemicals will cut down on the odors and speed up the breakdown of the.. stuff.

C

Campsite
A basic site is one that can accommodate up to six people and has a parking spot, a picnic table, a grill, or a fire ring. BTW: You can’t run through a campsite. You can only ran…Why? Because it’s past tents.

Cargo Carrying Capacity (CCC)
The total weight of personal belongings, food, water, etc. that can be loaded into an RV. With some Super-B+ the CCC is so low, they have to travel with empty water tanks.

Chassis
The base vehicle on which the RV conversion is built, like a Sprinter van, Ford, Dodge van chassis, or any other van-type vehicle, may be used for the Class-B build.

Chassis Battery
A chassis battery in your Class-B powers the 12-volt starter, engine, exterior lights, and other base vehicle powertrain components.

City Water 
Refers to the fresh water supply for an RV. When connected to city water, you don’t need to use the on-board fresh water tank and pump. You would also use the city water hookup to refill your fresh water tank. We use a small electronic water tester to see if we really want to fill where we’re at or find a nice campground near a clear Florida spring.

Cockpit
It is a pit where cockfights take place. We are probably more interested in it as the location of the controls on a marine vessel, aircraft, spacecraft, and most importantly, the front area of your van where the driver and front passenger (navigator) sit. One definition says: a tight enclosure where a great deal of stress or tension would occur. (Especially if you aren’t listening to your navigator.)

Converter
When plugged in to external power (shore power), the converter changes the 120 volt AC electricity to 12 volt DC power and also charges your 12 volt house battery, just like magic.

CrackerDocking
Overnight Boondocking at Cracker Barrel. Call ahead to ask if they have overnight parking, and trust your gut. (A few are in questionable neighborhoods.) Bass Pro and Cabela’s are also great spots for overnight parking.

D

Dinghy (Toad or Towed) – A slang term for a vehicle that is being towed behind a RV. It is another one of those nautical terms that we’ve stolen. It comes from the Hindi word dingy, meaning “small boat”. It should be used cautiously around non-RV people, or they might think you are referring to someone as being a little dingy. You definitely don’t want to tell them you have a little dingy!

Dispersed Camping
This refers to boondocking or camping on public National Forest and BLM properties in areas that have been permitted for camping but do not have a designated campground. Dispersed camping is permitted on most national forests and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, subject to certain area and stay-length restrictions.

Dry Weight
The RV’s weight without anything inside or in the tanks. Supplies, water, fuel, and passenger weights are not included. An RV model is weighed when it comes off the assembly line, and this weight is recorded on a sticker on the door jam on your Class-B.

Driveway Surfing
Visiting friends or family and camping out in their driveways is referred to as Driveway Surfing or Mooch-docking.

Dry Camping
This is camping without hook-ups to any utilities. Power will come from the house battery, solar panels, or a generator, and water comes from the fresh water holding tank.

Dually
The name dually comes from the fact that it has two back wheels on each side and provides the vehicle with increased load capacity. It wasn’t Tom’s last name.

E

Extended Stay Site
A campsite where you can stay for very long periods of time, such as months or a whole camping season. But don’t try this mooch-docking in someone’s driveway.

F

Four Season Package
The moniker given to a RV configuration that is better suited to year-round camping. It usually contains indoor, well-insulated tanks or tank heaters, as well as walls with additional insulation.

Flat Towing
This refers to the ability to tow a small car (dinghy or toad) behind your RV with all four wheels on the ground, which is much better than four wheels up!

Fresh Water Capacity
The amount of drinkable water that an RV’s fresh water tank can hold. So, can we refer to it as portable potable?

Fresh Water Tank
This is the tank where the fresh water is held for sinks, toilets, and showers, becoming black and gray water.

Full Hookup (FHU)
It’s not a dating app. It is a campground with water, electricity, and sewage hookups. Some parks also include TV cable.

Fur Babies
A common slang RV term for our cute and cuddly pets.

G

GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
This is really gross! It is the van manufacturer’s rating for the maximum permitted weight that may be carried on each individual axle, including the weight of the tires, wheels, brakes, and the axle itself. This weight limit is displayed on the driver’s side door jam.

GCWR (Gross Combination Weight Rating)
More gross stuff. The combined weight of the cargo, passengers, and a full load of fluids (fresh water, propane, fuel, etc.) is the maximum permitted weight, which would also include a tow vehicle, trailer, or hitch storage box.

Generator
When there are no hookups, a gasoline- or propane-fueled generator can supply 120-volt AC power that can run the appliances and charge the batteries. It can either be permanently mounted (usually mounted under the van behind the rear axle) or portable, like the Honda eu2200i.

GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)
Even more gross stuff. The maximum weight an RV must not exceed to ensure safe travel. It includes the vehicle’s chassis, body, engine, fluids, fuel, accessories, passengers, cargo, etc.

H

Hitch Capacity
The maximum towing capacity of the receiver hitch.

Holding Tanks
Refer to an RV’s fluid storage tanks. This usually consists of three water tanks: black (stinky waste), gray (slimy shower water, sinks), and fresh water (potable until it goes into black and gray).

Hookups 
At your campsite, you may have access to power, water, and sewer. It can be ordered with only power, power and water, or power, water, and sewer.

Honey Wagon
A sewer truck with large a liquid tank on it that can come to your RV and pump out your waste tanks. For Class-B vans, with our small tanks, the high price makes it difficult to justify. They are generally used at conventions and other gatherings.

Hose Bib
A campsite faucet with fresh water.

House Battery
A battery (AGM or Lithium) that operates the 12-volt DC electrical system of the RV.

I

Inverter
An inverter transforms 12-volt DC power from the house battery into 120-volt AC power. It can power appliances and house-style outlets with 120-volt AC electricity. It can be confused with the converter, which does the exact opposite (120 vac -> 12 vdc).

J

Jackknife Sofa
A sofa-style seating found in Class-B RVs that folds down flat to become an uncomfortable sleeping bed.

K

L

LP Gas
Liquid Petroleum is another term for Propane.

Long Term Visitor Area (LTVA)
The Bureau of Land Management issues a low-cost seasonal permit for this location. In comparison to traditional dispersed camping, LTVAs may offer a few additional, limited amenities.

M

Macerator
A waste solids grinder, similar to a sink garbage disposal, that allows the contents of black and gray tanks to be dumped into a remote sewage connection using a regular hose and upward inclines.

Mooch-docking
A tongue-in-cheek term for dry camping or with minimal hookups at a friend or family member’s property, typically free (hence you are “mooching”).

Mods
Modifications or upgrades to enhance or customize an RV. We like to consider our van “a work in progress.”

N

Navigator
The passenger in charge of interpreting maps, providing directions, and criticizing the driver for missing the last turn.

Navy Shower
When dry camping or boondocking, some RVers adopt a water-saving technique developed by the Navy. A Navy shower consists of wetting down, shutting off the water, soaping up, turning on the water, and rinsing off. A navy shower typically uses 3 gallons of water and is completed in 2 minutes. The navy refers to a particularly long shower as a “Hollywood” shower, my preference.

Newbie
Someone new to the RV lifestyle (like we all were in the beginning)

Non-potable Water
Water that is not suitable for human consumption. Non-potable water is usually located at dump stations. Which is not a good place to find drinking water!

O

OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer)
OEM refers to the company that originally manufactured the product. When referring to RV parts, OEM designates a replacement part that is made by the original manufacturer of the original part. It always costs 4X more than other similar parts.

P

Partial Hookups 
Only some of the hookups are provided, often water and power, but no sewer. In a campground listing, this may be listed as W/E for water and electric hookups only, or electric (E only) only.

Payload Capacity
The maximum allowable weight that can be placed in or on a vehicle which includes cargo, passengers, fluids, and hitch loads. Payload is also an object or entity that is being carried by an aircraft or launch vehicle. See, another aerospace reference.

Pilot
The RV driver, who is ultimately responsible for making the wrong turn when told by the navigator and getting lost, creating another memorable experience.

Potable Water
Drinking water that is safe to drink or to use for food preparation.

Primitive Camping
Camping with only the most basic services and conveniences. Typically, the roads are dirt or gravel, the toilets are pit or nonexistent, and the campground may or may not have a water faucet. Unlike dispersed camping, though, authorized camping places are frequently signposted.

Pull-Through Site
A camp site with easy entry and departure that will allow you to set up and leave by only continuing to drive forward, or “pulling through.”

R

S

Sanitize the Freshwater Tank
This refers to disinfecting the freshwater tank with diluted chlorine bleach or a specialized chemical product after the RV has been parked for a length of time or has been exposed to a tainted water source.

Schoolie (Bus Conversion)
A schoolie is a converted school bus that has been turned into a camping vehicle after the kids have totally trashed it.

Self-Contained
Being able to go without hookups for an extended period of time without relying on any outside services.

Sewer Doughnut
A rubber ring that seals any space between an RV’s sewer hose and the campsite’s sewer opening so gases and odors don’t escape. And no, it is not edible.

Shore power
Another word from the world of boating referring to a fixed electrical outlet, such as an RV park pedestal, which provides 120 volt AC electricity. It shore is nice to have electric.

Snowbirds
RVers that follow the more temperate weather and travel south during the winter to fill up all the Florida campgrounds and go back north during the summer.

Sticks ‘N’ Bricks (S&B)
RV term for a permanent type of house, because like the three pigs, they are made from wood sticks and bricks.

Stinky Slinky
Slang for the flexible sewer hose used to dump the RV’s waste tanks. The metal coil in the hose reminds us of a toy slinky, but you should wear rubber gloves to play with it.

T

Toad or Towed
A small car towed behind a van that can be used for exploring. It is also called a dinghy, in more nautical terms.

Three-Way Fridge
A fridge that can run on propane, 120-volt AC, or 12-volt DC power.

Two-Way Fridge
An older-style refrigerator that can run on Propane or AC power.

U

V

Van Conversion
A passenger or cargo van that has been modified for camping. This can be a fairly primitive conversion or a fully functioning RV with power and storage tanks.

W

WallyDock
A colloquial term for camping in your RV at Walmart overnight. Please be considerate and check with the Walmart store manager to see if it is permitted at the location, as rules differ. Walmarts that allow overnight parking can be found using an app like AllStays Pro.

Wet Weight
A term used by RVers to describe the weight of a RV with all storage and holding tanks full, including water and propane.

Wheel Base
The distance between the center lines of the axles on an RV.

Winterize
Prepare an RV for winter storage by cleaning it, dumping the tanks, and draining all water from the pipes to avoid breaking pipes during freezing conditions. An RV antifreeze may be used to protect pipes and tanks as well.