Water and sewer hookups

It’s truly frustrating to spend hours driving to a campsite only to discover that there are no hookups when you arrive. For this reason, it is crucial to find out what hookups, if any, are available in the lot space.

Water is the most common hookup found at campgrounds, but that doesn’t mean that every site has water hookups. Do your research before making your reservation so you know beforehand whether you’ll have access to water during your stay.

Sewer hookups are less common, but remain very important to many RVers. If a site says there are hookups available, don’t assume that sewer is included. Call the campground in question if you can’t find specific information online.

Wattage

What is the point of camping in an RV if you don’t have access to electricity? RV campsites know this, which is why they will almost certainly have electrical hookups. The problem is that hookups are not a one-size-fits-all energy source. Depending on the size of your RV, you’ll need a particular wattage to make use of the hookup at all. Otherwise, you might run out of energy and need to constantly reset the breaker everytime it trips, which is both annoying and inconvenient.

Smaller RVs can typically get by on 30 amp hookups. Larger RVs will need 50 amps. If you use solar power, you’ll need plenty of sunlight. Determine the wattage and/or power source you’ll need for your rig and choose a campsite accordingly.

Location

Most campsites share maps of the campground that you can peruse before making your reservation. Don’t take these maps lightly and choose just any site. To make the most of your vacation, be picky. Find a location that meets your needs and expectations.

If your goal is to get away from people for the week, you don’t want to choose a site that is central to the campground - for example: near bathrooms, laundry facilities, or other amenities. However, if you want a sense of community, you may want a location that is closer to other RVers. Whatever your purpose for travel is, keep it in mind when selecting a campsite.

Pet rules

Some may argue that one of the best parts of camping is being able to bring your dog(s). There’s so much for them to sniff and explore, and best of all, they get to experience it all with their favorite human. Unfortunately, not all campgrounds allow dogs on the premises, or if they do allow dogs, there are rules and stipulations (including number of dogs or breeds permitted).

Before you book your campsite, review the campground rules about pets to make sure that you aren’t breaking any rules when you arrive with your eager pup(s). You don’t want to be turned away or kicked out after making the trek to the campsite.

Amenities

Every RVer is different: some like roughing it, and some prefer the finer things. Knowing which category you fall under will help you make the most of your camping experience. If you’re okay with no to little amenities, then you can camp nearly anywhere. But, if you want things like a pool, laundry services, or WiFi, you’ll need to do some research beforehand.

Browse the campground website to get an idea of what sorts of amenities are available and compare it to your list of must-haves. 

Mail services

Lastly, depending on the length of your stay, you may want to consider what kinds of mail services are available at your destination. Some campgrounds will accept mail for you while others will not. This information is harder to find, so you may need to contact the campground directly to ask whether they offer mail services.

In the event that the campground does not offer these services, you can still check whether there are any post offices nearby so you can use general delivery mail or a P.O. Box.