RV Vocabulary

Do you know what these important RV terms mean? If you're fairly new to RV camping, things may seem overwhelming at first. We've put together a list of important vocabulary you will probably encounter to help you get started. But for even more in-depth assistance we offer RV Basic Training Camps right here at Clear Lake Campground, a fun way to learn all about your RV.

• 20 amp/30 amp/50 amp - Campgrounds provide basic electrical amp service. Look in our owners manual to find out what amp your RV requires. Here at Clear Lake Campground we have mostly sites with 30 amp but also have a few with 50 amp and a few with 20 amp. If you require 20 amp, we have adapters to rent that will work in the 30 amp sites.
• Basement - storage area under the floor of the RV
• Black water tank - where your sewage goes
• Brake Actuator – a control unit located within the tow vehicle that gets the trailer’s breaks to work with the tow vehicle’s brakes. Drivers can use this brake controller to manually stop the trailer or adjust the trailer brake sensitivity. Many vehicles with a tow package already include a brake actuator, while some vehicles need to have one installed.
• Breakaway Switch – a safety feature between your tow vehicle and trailer that activates the trailer’s brakes if it disconnects from your tow vehicle.
• Caravanning – RVers traveling and/or camping together.
• Coach - Class A motorhome
• Curb Weight – the weight of an RV, including everything within it such as freshwater tanks, and propane. It does not include people or your personal cargo items. 
• Curbside or Camp Side – the passenger side of an RV or the unit’s side that is along the curb when parked. 
• Diesel Puller or FRED – RV slang for a front-engine diesel motorhome
• Diesel Pusher – RV slang for a rear-engine diesel motorhome
• ​Dinghy or Toad or Towcar – the RV term for vehicle towed behind a motorhome.
• Dry Weight (DW) – the manufacturer’s listed weight of the RV without any tanks full, cargo, or passengers.
• Dump Station – a place to empty your black and grey tanks. A sewage hose is needed to connect the RV to the dumping station. We do not have a dump station at Camp but we can direct you to the nearest ones.
• Extended Stay – a campsite where you can stay for a long period of time. At Camp we reserve a few spots for several weeks or months for people needing to stay in the area for work. Contact Lisa, the owner, at 707-994-2236 or by email at [email protected]

• Freshwater Tank – where water is stored to use when you don’t have a water hookup. The freshwater tank holds  water for cooking, cleaning, and washing.
• ​Full Hookup or FHU – a campsite with all the connections or “hookups” like water, electricity, and sewage. It can also be labeled as W/E/S. At Camp we have sites with full hookup.
• Generator – an electrical unit powered by gas or diesel to generate electricity for an RV. Generators are used when at a campground without connections. Sometimes generator hours are enforced due to the noise.

• Grey Water Tank – water from your sinks and shower go into the grey water tank.
• ​Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) – the manufacturer’s rating for the maximum allowed weight (including tire, wheel, brake, and axle weight) an axle is designed to carry. GAWR refers to the tow vehicle, trailer, fifth-wheel, and motorhome axles.
• Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) – The maximum allowable weight of the combination of the tow vehicle and RV (trailer/fifth-wheel), or motorhome and dinghy/toad. It’s the weight of everything, including cargo, water, tanks, etc.
• Gross Trailer Weight Rating (GTWR) – the maximum allowed weight of a trailer fully loaded with cargo, tanks, water, etc.
• ​Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) – the maximum allowed weight of a vehicle, including its chassis, body, engine, fuel, passengers, cargo, etc.
• Holding Tanks – includes all the tanks in an RV: the black, grey, and freshwater tanks.
• Hula Skirt – a feature that motorhomes use behind their back tires to protect from debris kicked up behind them and potentially hitting another driver or their dinghy.
• LP Gas – liquid petroleum gas, AKA propane.
• Non-potable water – water that's not intended for human consumption. Do not put this water into your freshwater tank. This water is used for flushing your black tank out when dumping.
• Potable Water – water that is safe to drink and use for food prep. Use only potable water to fill up your freshwater tank.
• Pull-through site – a campsite that allows an RV to pull into and pull out of (instead of backing into) the site. These campsites are popular among people who might only be staying for a night or for those who have larger rigs. We have both pull-through and back-in sites available at Clear Lake Campground, select the one you want when you book.
• Shore Power – RV slang that originated in the boating world and refers to the electric power coming from an electrical box or another eternal source so that the RV doesn’t have to use its battery. A specific electrical cord is needed to connect an RV to shore power.
• Slideout or Pop-Out– a hydraulic or electrical feature in some RVs that expands the unit to create more space inside.
• Stabilizing Jacks – jacks under an RV that are used more for stabilizing rather than bearing a large amount of the RV’s weight. These help prevent a back-and-forth or rocking movement while in the RV.

• Tongue Weight – the weight that is pressing down on the hitch ball located on the tow vehicle. Usually, this is 10-15% of the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW).
• ​Tow Rating – the maximum allowed weight a tow vehicle can safely tow, determined by the vehicle’s manufacturer.
• Wet Weight – the cumulative weight of an RV with its holding tanks full and cargo loaded.
• Workamping – RVers who exchange work for a free stay at a campsite, including hookups, etc., and sometimes includes compensation.

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