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25 RV Features People Wish They Would Have Thought Twice About
Before Buying!
DIR By: Penny
Date: June 30, 2022, 11:23 pm
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The Crazy Outdoor Mama
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25 RV Features People Wish They Would Have Thought Twice About
Before Buying!
January 18, 2020 by Stacy Bressler
If you are a current RV/trailer owner, then you know how many
little things seem to pop up AFTER purchasing that are just
plain annoying! And you wonder why in the heck didn’t you try it
out or think of it before you bought it?
The truth is that sometimes the excitement of getting a camper
is overwhelming and we tend to forget to think about all the
little details – this is even more true for soon to be full
timers or first time buyers!
I compiled a list from one of the RV groups I’m in about all the
things that really irk them about their camper in hopes that you
can be reminded to think twice about these features!
There were 753 comments, so I’ve tried my best to sort and
organize them for ya!
P.S. If you are buying a camper for the first time, I made this
handy guide and printable on how to pick your perfect camper!
25 RV BUYING TIPS AND BAD FEATURES
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Outdoor RV Features
Door to awning distance – Distance from top of the door to the
awning (the awning has to be almost straight out for the door
not to drag!
Slides in general – while providing more space, they can also
cause many more problems than it might be worth. Specifically
water damage and electronic problems that are costly to fix
Lack of clearance – if you plan on going places other than RV
parks, it’s pretty important to have a little bit of clearance
to be able to get into the cooler spots. While there are after
market modifications (such as flipping the axel, which we did)
it’s a pain in the butt to do and just way easier to get a
camper that’s already high enough!
No winter package – this usually includes having an insulated
underbelly as the main feature to let you camp in colder temps
without freezing any pipes/tanks. This is really only important
if you live somewhere that it actually gets cold and want to
camp more early spring and late fall days when it gets pretty
cold at night still.
No outdoor kitchen – these are really nice for people who have
different sleep schedules! Some RV kitchens aren’t even
accessible when the beds are out and in use, so it’s nice to be
able to head outside and get your coffee and breakfast there!
RV Bedroom and Living Space
Little space around the master bed – this may be a concern for
people with less mobility when it comes to putting sheets on
Not enough master bed space! If you are traveling with large
dogs, the queen might not be enough. Many dog owners said they
wish they had found a king size bed to fit their dogs.
No private master area – this is a regret of ours too with three
kids! Look for the campers that have a wall divider between the
living area and the master bedroom if you value time alone when
camping with family!
No washer dryer or dishwasher – this mainly applies to full
timers or extended travelers since most of us can just do that
once we get home, however it’s important to consider that
laundromats and handwashing get very old after awhile!
Not enough AC units or poor placement of them – Campers are like
little ovens in the sun! If you get hot quick, make sure that
there are enough AC untis for you and that they are centrally
located. If you are looking at a unit that has an upstairs area
(the really big ones!) make sure there is an AC to cool it since
heat rises, so they tend to get even hotter than normal! They
can also be pretty loud so if it’s located RIGHT ABOVE the bed,
that can be pretty annoying!
Too many steps – some of the bigger campers (such as those giant
RVs or 5th wheels) have around 6 large steps to enter. This can
be alot for older people who may have joint issues!
Poor TV Placement – If you are someone (or know someone) who
likes to relax and watch a show, then make sure there is seating
facing wear the TV is facing!
See also
3 Ways to Deal with Your Uncomfy RV Mattress (+how to order a
custom replacement!)
RV Kitchen
Counter space height Little space between bottom of the top
cupboards to the counter top
Very small fridge – this is ok if you only plan on weekend trips
and can just use a cooler if needed, but if you plan on more
travel than that… those big refrigerators are very handy!
No pantry / awkward pantry space – It’s really nice being able
to store some non perishable staples in your camper pantry so
that it’s easier to go for the next camp trip. Having little to
no pantry space makes that very difficult!
The shape of the dinette – there are usually two layouts in a
camper dining area – a u shape dinette and a picnic table style.
If you don’t have kids and don’t expect much company, don’t
waste space on a large u shape dinette!
Microwave in awkward location – one woman’s microwave was, for
some reason, below the counterop! She had to to get on the floor
to use it!
Low kitchen counters – if you’re tall or have a tall family
member who cooks, it can wear out your back pretty darn quick!
Oven located too low and is awkward to light – First off,
electric starts really should be on all appliances anyways!
However some are extra annyoing and you need to be able to reach
your arm into the back of the oven to reach the “on” lever. This
can be hard for older people with joint or mobility issues!
RV Bathroom
Size – Too small to maneuver in, too small of a tub to actually
use
Functionality
Cost of gas – Not factoring in gas mileage as a large expense
(when we pull our light 18 footer with our diesel truck, we only
get about 5 mpg!)
Too tall – if you plan on traveling out of your hometown and
around the country, you will be able to access more places if
you don’t get such a tall camper! For reference, 13 feet is VERY
tall and might not go under some bridges.
No Bathroom access with slides in – Some campers are desigend in
a way that makes getting to the restroom with your slides in
(such as when you’re in transit and just need a potty break)
very difficult or impossible!
See also
8 Best RV Wifi Extenders for Boosting Your Internet Just About
Anywhere
Here is our rig! 18 ft and just the right size for us (even
though some days, with three kids, it feels like bigger would be
easier!)
Other RV ownership regrets
Assuming the warranty would be helpful – even if you buy new,
there can be alot of issues with your camper! There are
notoriously bad wait times for some repairs if they have to go
back to the manufacturer. One camper mentioned he used his
camper for 3 weeks, something went wrong with it and he had to
send it back, and it has now been gone for three months! They
also might cover alot less than you think!
Getting a pop up vs hard side – while you will save some weight,
most pop ups require quite a bit of setup every single time you
stop. You also can’t access any of the interiors unless it’s set
up, so it’s not convenient if you like to have access to things
while in transit. Lastly, some National Parks (notably
Yellowstone) don’t even allow them due to bears.
Actually getting enough use out of it to justify the payments –
it’s kind of a debbie downer thing, I know, but it’s important
to make sure you’ll actually make your investment worthwhile by
getting out and using it! You can always start small and trade
up once you camp for a bit!
Do you have any things you wish you would have thought about
more?
We still wonder if we should have gotten atleast one slide out –
we intend on bringing the kids friends camping too if we want
to, and the extra space would have been nice!
Other than that, we just tend to make due with what we have.
Our only goal is to perhaps get a cab over camper when all the
kids are of a reading age so that we’ll be fine with less space
but can get into even cooler spots to camp!
See also
9 Basic Tools Every RV'er Needs to Carry in their RV Toolbag!!
Here are more RV articles you’ll love!
13 Best Quiet RV Generators (2021) for Camping in Peace
11 Best RV Covers for Winter | Video Reviews + Buyer’s Guide
To compliment your RV outdoor mats, check out the Best RV Step
Covers
61 tips to completely organize your whole camper (from a
professional organizer turned full timer!)
The secret listing tips to get your camper sold or rented FAST
9 gross spots in your RV you probably totally missed!
Get your RV Shower set up spill proof with these easy tips
This set of basic tools should fix almost anything in your
camper
9 steps to organize your tiny RV bathroom and gain a ton of
space!
Check out how to DIY your own black out shades for your RV for
temperature control and darkened afternoon naps
All the outdoor upgrades for your RV that will make camp life
way easier (check out the indoor RV upgrades too!)
check for these rv features when buying
what to avoid when buying a camper
Sharing is Caring!
About Latest Posts
Stacy Bressler
Stacy Bressler is an avid outdoorswoman, wife, and mother of
three who lives in Jackson, Wyoming. She loves all things
camping and enjoys sharing helpful tips, fun activities and
laughable learning experiences she finds along the way!
Navigating the outdoor life through the lens of humor and
positivity, she chronicles it all on her website "The Crazy
Outdoor Mama"
CategoriesRV Camping
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