How to Hook Up and Unhook Your RV at a Campsite
Susan J
Hooking up your RV to utilities at the campground may be a confusing task to those new to rv-ing. The first step is to consider how you will position your RV at the campsite. Try to position your RV on level ground, avoiding any obstacles or muddy ground. If the ground is not completely level, you can use leveling blocks to level it out. Be aware of where the campsite’s utilities are as well as where your hookups are on the RV and try to keep the distance between them short. Next we will look at a safe and efficient method to hook up your utilities.
Hooking Up
The first thing you should do is hook up the electricity. This is because your hands and the ground are dry and will reduce the risk of getting shocked. For added safety, you should turn off the electric outlet’s breaker switch first. Once everything is properly connected, you can go ahead and turn it back on.
Next you should hook up the water. You should do this before hooking up the sewage to reduce the risk of contaminating your drinking water. Since you don’t know what has come in contact with the campground’s hydrant, you should spray it with some disinfectant before connecting. You can attach a water pressure regulator to the hydrant to protect against sudden water pressure surges. Then attach a water filter and finally the hose. Before connecting it to your RV, you should run some water through it to remove any air bubbles. Afterwards, connect it to your RV. All of the connections can be made easier by using quick connect fittings. You can find these at most RV accessory stores.
Next comes the sewer hook up. It is a good idea to wear some disposable gloves when doing this. Simply hook up the hose and make sure it is fitted securely to the RV and the sewer inlet. Once connected, you can open the gray tank if you want, but you should leave the black tank valve closed until ready to dump.
Unhooking
The order for unhooking is the same as hooking up, for the same reasons. First, unhook the electrical cable, then the water supply, then the sewage. Store the water hose and fittings separately from the sewage hose and fittings. You should also never use the water hose to rinse out the sewage hose. If the sewage hose needs to be rinsed after dumping, you can use the gray water tank to rinse it out.
It is also important to note that you should use some antibacterial soap once you are done with either hooking or unhooking your RV, due to handling the sewer hose. Well there you have it, it’s not all that hard once you remember the correct order.