RVer’s Dictionary
This post may include affiliate links. That means we may earn commissions from the companies recommended in this post.
A Comprehensive List of RV Related Slang and What it Means
If you’re new to RV life, I’m sure you’ve been hearing some RVing terms thrown around that sound like the more experienced set is speaking a whole different language. Worry not, you are certainly not alone. This post is for you. We’ll have you speaking RV in no time!
Here are the RVing terms we see used often in message boards and forums that may need explaining for the newly initiated.
Arctic Package
Equipment added to an RV for cold weather usage that may
include extra insulation, double-paned windows and heating for holding tanks
and basement areas. Many RVs with these options are referred to as four
season RVs.
Back-In Site
A campsite that requires you to back up into it.
Basement
The large storage area underneath your RV’s
floor accessible from outside storage doors.
Batwing
Refers to the antenna used to receive over-the-air TV
signals
Black
Tank
The waste
tank that is connected to your toilet.
Blue Boy
Refers to a portable holding tank. This is used to empty your
holding tanks when camping without sewer hookups.
Boondocking
Camping in your RV without any
hookups in a remote location. Boondocking is another term for dry camping,
typically in remote areas i.e. the boonies.
Brake Controller
A device mounted inside the tow vehicle that
will apply the trailer brakes simultaneously with the tow vehicle brakes.
Break-Away System
A system designed to automatically lock the trailer brakes
in the event of a hitch failure, where the trailer may break away from the tow vehicle.
Bunkhouse
Refers to the floor-plan style of an RV having
bunk beds. Some floor-plans have entire Bunk rooms, and some have a curtained
off area with bunk beds. A true bunkhouse is one that acts as a dorm type multi
sleeping room trailer, but this term has been co-opted to mean any bunk area.
Bureau
of Land Management or BLM
The Bureau of Land Management manages
wide swaths of public lands, many of which are prime locations for boondocking.
In the west there are areas where you can stay for 14 days before having to
move and some where you can stay longer for a minimal fee. There are generally
no services in these areas,
Bypass Valve
The name for one or more valves that allow
the fresh water supply to bypass the water heater.
CCC or Cargo Carrying Capacity
This is your RVs maximum weight limit for
personal items you add into it. It includes fresh water, fuel, personal items,
food, and passengers.
Camp Host
Also known as a campground host, is someone whose principal duty
is to be a point of contact in the campground. They are often Workampers.
Chassis
Framework your RV is built on. In motorhomes
it includes the engine and drivetrain.
Chassis Battery
Like in a car, this is the battery that operates 12-volt components of the drivetrain and starts the engine in a motorhome.
Chucking
Also called fishtailing it’s the violent back and forth motion experienced during
towing, usually caused by an unbalanced trailer or uneven roadway
Class A
The type of RV that looks like a bus and in often built
on a bus frame or chassis
Class B
This refers to an RV that resembles a van or van conversion.
Class C
Refers to the type of RV that is built on a truck or van chassis that has
an over cab sleeping or storage area.
Coach
Slang reference for motorhomes. As in motorcoach
Converter
An electrical device for converting 110v AC power into 12v
DC power.
Curb Weight
The actual weight of a vehicle or trailer including all
standard equipment with full fuel tanks, without people or gear.
Deep Cycle
Refers to a battery type. You RVs house batteries will
generally be deep cycle.
Delamination
A
form of failure of an RV’s exterior surface caused when the skin of the RV separates
from the framing.
Diesel Pusher
This is when your diesel motorhome’s engine is located
in the rear of the RV.
Dinette
Booth-like dining area. Most can be converted to
additional sleeping space.
Dinghy
The vehicle towed behind an RV, also called a Toad or Towed.
Doughnut
A rubber ring that seals your dump hose and the campsite sewer
connection so that gases and odors do not escape. These are sometimes required in campgrounds, mostly for longterm residents.
Dry Camping
If
you’re camping with no hookups, you’re dry camping. That is, you don’t have shore power, water, or sewer connections.
Dry Weight
This is the weight of just your RV when it’s finished being
built. Doesn’t include supplies, water, fuel, or passenger weights. You can
find this on a placard in the RV
Duals or Dually
Refers to a vehicle with four wheels on the same axel.
Dump Station or Sani-dump
Refers to an area, a concrete pad with a tank
underneath the ground, where you can dump your black and gray water tanks.
Looking for a local dump station? There’s an app for that.
Enclosed/Sealed Underbelly
This term refers to the bottom surface of your
RV being closed shut to help protect weather. Some manufacturers offer heating options in
here to allow for RVing in colder weather.
Equalizing Hitch
Also referred to as a
weight distributing hitch, this hitch allows for the weight of the trailer to
be distributed both on the trailers axle and the towing vehicles front axle by
use of spring bars.
Family Motor Coach Association or FMCA
A
membership group that offers discount programs for everything from tires to
insurance.
Fiver or 5er
Another name for a fifth-wheel RV.
FRED or Puller
Front Engine Diesel – When your diesel
motorhomes engine is located in the front
Fresh Water Tank
Tank used for storing clean drinking and or bathing/washing
water in an RV
Full Hookup or FHU
This is when an RV campsite offers a water supply,
sewer/septic, and electricity connections. Some of these also offer cable TV
and WIFI but those are extras.
Full-Timers
There is some debate about this one. Some hardcore full-time
travelers insist that those who are permanently stationary are not in fact full
timers but generally it means you live in your RV year round.
Galley
This term refers to the kitchen of your RV.
GAWR or Gross Axle Weight Rating
This is the total allowable weight on each individual axle
of you RV. It includes the weight of tires, wheels, brakes, and the axle itself.
It is recommended that you weigh each axel and even each side individually to
ensure this is not exceeded.
GCW or Gross Combined Weight
The actual combined weight of the tow vehicle and the trailer fully loaded
GCWR or Gross Combined Weight Rating
This is the total allowable weight of your tow vehicle, your
trailer, the cargo in each, hitching, fluids, and occupants. Check with your
tow vehicle manufacturer to find this. Exceeding this will void your truck warranty
and can lead to unsafe towing conditions.
Generator, Genset, or Gen-Set
Provides 120-volt AC power to your RV. Runs on gas, diesel,
or propane.
Gray Tank
In your RV’s plumbing system, wastewater is held in two different tanks. One is the
gray water tank, which refers to all wastewater other than
the stuff you flush down the toilet
GTW or Gross Trailer Weight
Gross trailer weight is the actual weight of the trailer fully loaded and ready for towing.
GVW or Gross Vehicle Weight
The weight of the
vehicle also referred to as curb weight.
GVWR or Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
The maximum weight your RV can be to ensure
safe traveling. Includes the vehicles chassis, body, engine, fluids, fuel,
accessories, passengers, cargo, etc. This can be found on a placard inside your
RV. It is important not to exceed this as your RVs breaks are not designed to
stop any more weight than this. If you have an accident and are found to be
over this weight your insurance claim could be denied.
Height
This may seem like a no brainer but often
folks forget to include the extra height of air conditioners and ladders on the
roof. This needs to be measured on a hard surface with tires fully inflated. I
suggest posting this information on your dashboard, so you never have to guess
if you fit under an overpass.
Hitch
The connection used between your tow vehicle and your RV.
Hitch Capacity or Hitch Rating
References the towing
capacity of your receiver hitch. Meaning the maximum weight your hitch can tow
safely
Hitch Weight
The amount of a
trailer’s weight that rests on the tow vehicle’s hitch.
Holding Tanks
This term refers to your fresh water tank, gray water tank,
and black water tank.
Honey Wagon
A mobile service that will empty the waste holding tanks on
an RV at a campsite.
House Battery
The battery in your motorhome that operates the 12-volt system within the motorhome. It does not generally start the motorhome’s engine.
Inverter
Converts
your 12-volt DC power to 110-volt AC power.
King Pin or King Pin
The device that
connects a fifth wheel to the towing vehicle.
King Pin Weight
This is the actual weight of a fifth wheel pressing down on the king pin of your tow vehicle.
Leveling Jacks
These will make sure your RV sits level on the ground. Some RV’s have auto leveling jacks that level an RV at the push of a button and others have to be manually raised and lowered.
LP Gas
Liquid Petroleum Gas or another term for
Propane.
Macerator
An electrical pump that allows the content of black and gray
tanks to be emptied into a remote sewer connection. These are great for
emptying uphill.
Moochdocking
This is where you camp on driveways or private
land usually owned by a friend or relative for free. You may or may not have
electricity or water.
Boondockers Welcome is a great place to look for moochdocking, especially if you like meeting new people.
Park Model
This is a type of RV made to be permanently
parked in an area and not moved very often. Many can also be referred to as
tiny homes.
Part-timers
When
you travel and use your RV for more than the occasional vacation but still
maintain a sticks and bricks house.
Passport America or PA
A discount camping program that gives you 50% off campsites at almost 1900 campgrounds across North America. Costs less than $50 per year.
Pin Weight
The weight that a fifth wheel trailer
places on its kingpin.
Popup or Pop-Up
A folding camping trailer. The most common types have soft canvas
sides.
Porpoising
A term used to define the up and
down motion in an RV while traveling that mimics that of a porpoise.
Primitive Camping
Camping without any hookups. Sometimes
called wild camping. Can be synonymous with boondocking.
Pull Through
A campsite where it is possible to pull into the site and
out of the site without ever needing to back in or out.
Reefer
Reefer
A slang term for a refrigerator.
Rig
Another word
for RV.
Self-Contained
This
refers to an RV that has indoor sleeping, cooking, bathing and bathroom facilities
included.
Shore Power
Whenever
you’ve got an electrical hookup to power your RV’s appliances, that’s being
plugged into shore power.
Skoolie
This is a school bus that has been converted to an RV. Some of these are brilliant. I follow several Skoolie accounts on Instagram.
Slide-In
Refers to a truck camper since they slide into the bed of the truck.
Slide-outs or Slides
The sections of your motorhome that slide out when you are
parked. Also referred to as pop-outs.
Slider Hitch
A sliding hitch used on short bed pickup trucks to
enable them to tow fifth wheel trailers. It allows them sufficient clearance to
make turns without having the trailer hit the cab of the truck.
Snowbirds
Snowbirds are the human versions of real birds. They head south for the winter. More information can be found here.
Sticks and Bricks or S&B
Refers to buildings, usually houses, made of, you guessed it, sticks and bricks. Basically, any home that isn’t on wheels
Stinky Slinky
Slang for the flexible sewer hose used to dump the RV waste tanks
Sway Bar System
Designed to reduce or eliminate side to side
sway movement of your trailer.
TT
This one takes on a couple different meanings, look for context
clues. This could mean Thousand Trails, an RV membership that offers discount camping, or
Travel Trailer.
Tag Axle
A third axle positioned behind the rear drive axle of an RV. This is usually found on very long RV’s
Tail Swing
Describes the extra distance the rear end of the RV uses
during a turn. The longer the space between the rear wheel and the end of the
RV the larger the tail swing will be.
Toad or Towed
I
love this bit of camping slang. Cracks me up every time I think about what it
must sound like to those not in the know. A toad is thecar you tow
behind your motorhome. This is also sometimes referred to as a dinghy.
Tongue Weight
This is the actual weight pressing down on the
hitch ball of a travel trailer or towed vehicle.
Tow Bar
A bar used for connecting a towed vehicle to the motorhome for towing with all four wheels on the ground.
Tow Dolly or Dolly
A small two-wheeled trailer used to attach a towed vehicle
to the back of an RV when it cannot be flat towed
Tow Rating
The maximum weight your tow vehicle can safely
tow.
Tow Vehicle or TV
Tis is the truck that goes in FRONT of your camper when
you’re hauling a trailer.
Toy Hauler
An RV with a garage type area to store toys like motorcycles, ATVs, or dirt bikes.
Most can also convert to additional living space with things like loft beds that lower from the ceiling.
Trailer Brakes
Brakes that are built into the trailer and are activated either by
electric impulse or by a surge mechanism.
TPMS or Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Monitors tire inflation and sometimes temperatures or
each tire individually.
Travel Trailer
Usually refers to a bumper pull trailer rather than a fifth wheel.
Triple Tow
This is when you tow two things, like a truck towing a fifth wheel towing a boat. It is kind of crazy to see and you
State Lines App is great for learning where this is legal.
Underbelly
The RV’s bottommost surface, which is protected by a weatherproofed material that also protects it’s contents from road damage.
UVW or Unloaded Vehicle
Weight.
The weight of the RV as built at the factory with full fuel, engine oil and
coolants.
WallyDock
A term for parking your RV overnight at Walmart. See this post for details.
Weekenders or Weekend Warriors
When you travel and
use your RV on the weekends throughout the year.
Weight Carrying Hitch
A hitch designed to accept the entire hitch weight of
the trailer.
Weight Distributing Hitch
A hitch that utilizes spring bars that are placed
under tension to distribute a portion of the trailer’s hitch weight to the tow
vehicle’s front axle and the trailer’s axles.
Wheel Base
This is the distance between the center lines
of the primary axles on your RV.
Wheel Chocks
Slanted blocks, usually made of plastic or wood used to prevent the RV from rolling while parked.
Width
Another term that may seem obvious but just in case. This is the side to side measurement of your RV at it’s widest point, not including slideouts.
Winter Texan
Generally, someone who lives in colder climates but spends the
winter months in Texas, typically in the Rio Grande Valley. See also
Snowbird.
Winterizing
A process of making an
RV safe from the hazards of winter storage in cold climates. This usually means
emptying all tanks and lines of liquids to avoid bursting from expansion.
Workamper or Work Camper
A type of work exchange where you work for an RV park or
campground in exchange for free or subsidized rent and sometimes additional pay.
Can be used to refer to anyone working a seasonal job, but typically reserved
for those working at RV parks.
Workamper
Whew, that is a lot of terminology for a lifestyle that’s supposed to be simple huh?
If you think we missed any weird RV words, comment below so we can add them in.
