RVing is more than a form of travel. It’s a subculture. People who have been part of it for some years have learned—the hard and expensive way—what you can and can’t do with a recreational vehicle.
Turns out a lot can go wrong if you don’t quite know what you’re doing. Here’s our roundup of 11 horror stories from the RV community that started with an innocent urge to see some scenery and ended with some hard-won wisdom about what a Class B vehicle is capable of.
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1. A Sticky Situation at the Dump Station
The YouTube channel Changing Lanes stars a couple, Chad and Tara, who sold their home to live out of their RV, and viewers have shared their own horror stories with the pair. Like this one:
While waiting to use the dump station at Caesar Creek State Park in Ohio, one RVer encountered a challenging situation at the RV dump station. After an hour’s wait in 90-degree heat, the RVer attempted to connect his hoses to the septic tank, only to find the cap wouldn’t budge. Despite multiple efforts and increasing frustration, the cap remained stuck, much to the annoyance of waiting campers. In a final, mighty effort, the cap came off, unleashing a wall of black waste water due to a forgotten step: the black water tank valve was left open from the last dump, leading to an unfortunate and messy situation.
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2. Don’t Press the Flush Pedal. Do Not!
This other couple of RVers shared yet another sticky situation with Changing Lanes. The RVer decided to take a quick shower after a long drive. However, as they stepped out of the shower, they noticed something unusual: a few bubbles emerging from the toilet. This was an odd occurrence they had never seen before so the RVer dressed and informed their partner outside about the bubbling toilet, suggesting, “Maybe you need to drain the black tank.” But of course, he did not drain the black tank, instead he returned inside the RV, and decided to press the flush pedal on the toilet. Instead of resolving the bubbling, the flush pedal unleashed what can be described as a “Feces geyser” from the toilet. “I slipped on the water that was on the floor and slammed into the hallway wall thinking I probably broke a toe,” they recalled. Amidst the chaos, the urgent cries for help and the sound of rushing water created a scene. The area was a mess, with the RVer and their surroundings drenched in what was euphemistically referred to as “mostly clean water,” though the reality was far from it. So what was supposed to be a relaxing day in the RV park turned into cleaning action and a lot of side eyes by the annoyed neighbors.
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3. Poor Doug
Doug had just finished packing up his motorhome, ready to bid farewell to the campground. As he pulled out of his campsite, he maneuvered to the side of the road to hitch up his dinghy vehicle. However, he soon realized that the upcoming sharp turn left him with insufficient space to navigate. In a quick decision, he decided to reverse his motorhome. After backing up about 10 feet, Doug glanced at his rearview camera and noticed that his car’s front wheels had turned almost sideways. Yet, as he moved forward to exit the campground, he magically straightened themselves out. Upon returning home and disconnecting his car, an unexpected warning light on his dashboard caught his attention. It read “Service All-Wheel Drive,” illuminating every time he drove the car. Doug wasted no time visiting his local dealership, where they identified the culprit – a faulty “Steering Wheel Position Sensor.” The likely cause? Excessive turning of the front tires during that campground backtrack. The cost of replacing the sensor, a hefty sum exceeding $600, left Doug with a valuable lesson: “Never back up the motorhome when the tow car is attached, even for a short distance.”
Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.
4. Mind the Car
Heath and Alyssa Padgett, known for sharing their RV adventures on their blog, reveal the less glamorous side of life on the road. During a trip to Cheyenne Mountain State Park, this couple had a spine-tingling near death experience. One day, while setting up camp, Heath took on the task of connecting their RV to electricity. Little did he know, this routine chore would turn into a life-threatening situation. In a simple oversight, Heath left the car in neutral while parked on an incline. Within minutes, the car rolled forward, pinning him against the RV. Thankfully, watchful neighbors rushed to Heath’s aid, rescuing him from what could have been a tragic mishap.
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5. Never Stop Trying
The great thing about RV parks is that one can always enjoy free entertainment by observing rookie RVers as they embark on their camping adventures. But what is entertainment for one, is a horror story for the other. Such was the case for a couple of first-time RVers who attempted to back their massive fifth wheel into a Florida state park parking pad. That they only managed to do in their 19th try. Yes, the friendly neighbors made sure to count their attempts. Of course, the couple did not leave the RV for one week.
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6. Feeling Like a Fifth Wheel
A contributor to RV Lifestyle said that she and her husband had been camping in California, and it rained all day and into the next day. The constant downpour eventually led to downfal of a pine tree, landing across their fifth wheel. The awning blocked the door, so she had to exit through the emergency window. The trailer was totaled, and she said that over a decade later, she still doesn’t like to camp near any large trees. Can you blame her?
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7. Would You NOT Be My Neighbour?
One of the upsides of RV Parks? The neighbors you meet. The downside? You guessed— neighbors you meet. Unfortunately, RVLifestyle contributor Henrietta experienced this less desirable aspect of RV Parks. So, when a family next to Henrietta found out that the albino skunks roam the grounds, of course, they thought that the fun thing to do was feed them hot dogs and invite more of them to the grounds. Because why is the skunk not? The “lovely” neighbors and their “lovelier” kids also decided that it was appropriate to leave the entire park without sleep screaming and yelling over a cooler of Yoo Hoos. Imagine enjoying your RV vacation trying to get some rest and wake up to “Who drank the last Forkingng Yoo Hoo?” at the kids.
Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.
8. You’re Totally Crushing It
Chad and Tara from Changing Lanes are friends with other RVers with their own YouTube channels, such as Tom and Cheri from EnjoyTheJourney.Life. In addition to liking to dress up like Buzz Lightyear and some groovy hippie, they’ve also accumulated some RV horror stories of their own, such as when
in his RV debut, Tom dropped his new RV onto his truck. Despite the hitch’s “locked” signal, it was a false promise—leading to a crushed truck tailgate and an audience’s worth of raised eyebrows. Double-check the hitch, people!
Image Credit: EnjoyTheJourney.Life / YouTube.
9. Searing Agony
The Changing Lanes channel also shared a story from “Joey,” who had released the hitch clamp from his truck to begin the leveling process on his RV. He put his hand on the top of the truck rail, and the camper slammed onto the top, pinning his hand. His wife dropped the hydraulic legs to free him, but as the legs came down, his hand continued to get painfully maimed. He was finally extricated from this painful predicament, and shockingly, his hand wasn’t fractured or broken, just very, very bruised.
Image Credit: Changing Lanes / YouTube.
10. Buy a Cell Phone. Seriously.
An RVer named Brian shared a story with Changing Lanes about his retired aunt and uncle’s RV adventure across Canada. One morning, his aunt left the RV to shower in the remarkably pristine campgrounds. Upon her return, she discovered the RV and her husband had vanished, with neither of them carrying a cell phone. In her bathrobe, she waited in the campground office with her toiletries for a seemingly endless four hours. Eventually, her husband returned, revealing that he had inadvertently driven off without checking if she was still inside when he set out to enjoy the day.
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11. Heisenberg, Is That You?
Sometimes staying an RV park can be more entertaining than watching Netflix, as one contributor discovered when they were treated to a real-life episode of “Breaking Bad.” The contributor to RVLifestyle and fellow RV park residents in a very tranquil and well-frequented state park witnessed a Class A motorhome exploding into flames. A woman, covered in burns, rushed out of the blazing RV, followed by a man who also bore burns on his body. Amid the chaos, 911 was called, and emergency responders arrived on the scene. It wasn’t until the next morning, after a long and eventful night, that the police conducted interviews with the witnesses. The startling revelation came to light – the RV had been a traveling meth lab.
This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.
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