Before starting your RV search, it’s time to brush up on your RV vocabulary! Learn the meanings of common RV terms frequently used on forums, blogs and in conversations with seasoned RVers.
We’ve provided definitions for each term and provided examples, where applicable. After reading this guide, you’ll be ready to decipher shorthand descriptions and navigate RV owner groups with ease!
RV Terms & Definitions
- 4-Pin Electrical Connector: This provides power from your tow vehicle to your RV for the lights only
- 7-Pin Electrical Connector: This provides power from your tow vehicle to your RV for the lights as well as the electrically operated brakes
- A/C: shorthand for air conditioner
- Aluminum Exterior Sidewalls: This term refers to the outside construction of your RV. It consists of a wooden framing with an aluminum exterior and batten insulation
- Auxiliary Battery: An extra battery to run your 12-volt equipment
- Back-in campsite: Requires reversing into the spot, sometimes with a lot of precision
- Back-up monitor: A camera mounted on the back of the RV that provides the driver with an extra eye when backing up the RV; back-up monitors are typically in-dash by the driver’s seat
- Basement: The large storage area underneath your RV’s floor accessible from outside storage doors
- Black Water Capacity: The amount of wastewater from the toilet that your RV’s black water tank can hold
- Boondocking: Living off the grid = no hookups (water, sewer, or electric). Often done on public lands or in Walmart parking lots. Also referred to as dry camping or off-grid camping
- Booth Dinette: Dining area with bench seats on opposite sides and a table in-between. Many RVs have booth dinettes that convert to an extra sleeping space
- Brake Controller: A device mounted inside the tow vehicle that will apply the trailer brakes simultaneously when the tow vehicle brakes
- Breakaway Switch: A safety switch that will automatically activate the brakes on the trailer if your trailer becomes separated from the tow vehicle
- BTU (British Thermal Unit): It’s a measurement of heat; the quantity required to raise the temperature of one pound of water 1 degree F. RV air conditioning and furnace units are BTU-rated
- Bunkhouse: Refers to the floorplan style of an RV that has bunk beds
- CCC (Cargo Carrying Capacity): The maximum weight limit for personal items you can add to an RV
- Chassis: It’s the framework your RV is built upon. In motorhomes, the chassis generally includes the engine and transmission
- Chassis Battery: The battery in your motorhome that operates 12-volt components of the drivetrain
- Cockpit: Front of your motorhome where the driver pilot seat and passenger co-pilot seats are located
- Control Panel: A panel to adjust the RV’s systems for climate, water and power. Many modern RVs include touchscreen panels and/or apps for ease of use
- Converter: Converts 120-volt AC power to 12-volt DC power and also charges your 12-volt battery
- Chucking: The bumpy, jerking motion felt when towing a trailer – usually from uneven road surfaces or poor weight distribution
- Diesel Puller or FRED (FRont Engine Diesel): Refers to diesel motorhomes with engine located in the front of the RV
- Diesel Pusher: Refers to diesel motorhome with engine located in the rear of the RV. The engine location provides a smoother, quieter ride
- Dinghy: A vehicle towed behind an RV; also called a “toad” occasionally
- Dry Weight: The weight of the RV as it comes off the assembly line, not including supplies, water, fuel or passenger weights. Manufacturers apply a sticker listing the dry weight prior to shipping
- DSI Ignition or Direct Spark Ignition: Used to describe the method of igniting the main burner on a propane fired appliance
- Ducted A/C: Describes an RV wherein air conditioning is supplied through ducts in the ceiling and vents throughout the RV
- Ducted Heat: Describes an RV wherein heat is supplied through ducts in the floor and vents throughout the RV
- Dump Station: Refers to a location where you can safely and legally dump your black and gray water tanks. Typically, a concrete pad with a tank underneath the ground
- Enclosed/Sealed Underbelly: This term describes an RV whose bottom surface has been closed shut or insulated to help protect against temperature changes
- Engine: Provides power to your motorhome, can be diesel or gas-powered
- Fiver: Slang for a fifth-wheel trailer. These RVs hook into the bed of a pickup truck using a specialized hitch
- Free Standing Dinette: Dining area with individual chairs and a table in-between
- Fresh Water Capacity: The amount of drinkable water an RV’s freshwater tank can hold
- Front Galley: A type of floorplan with the kitchen located in the front section of the RV
- Front Living: A type of floorplan with the living room located in the front section of the RV
- Front Sleeping: A type of floorplan with the master bedroom located in the front section of the RV
- Fuel Type: Type of fuel a motorhome uses, either gas or diesel
- Full Hookup: RV term that describes a campsite that offers a water supply, sewer/septic and electricity
- Full-timers: People who live in their RV year-round. Their RV is their home, not just a vacation vehicle
- Galley: Another term referring to the kitchen of an RV
- GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating): This is the total allowable weight on each individual axle, which includes the weight of tires, wheels, brakes and the axle itself
- GCWR (Gross Combination Weight Rating): This is the total allowable weight of the tow vehicle, trailer, all cargo in each, hitching, fluids and occupants
- Generator: Provides 120-volt AC power to an RV. Generators can run on gas, diesel or propane
- Gray Water Capacity: The amount of used water from the kitchen sink, bathroom sink or shower that an RV’s gray water tank can hold
- GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating): The maximum weight an RV must not exceed to ensure safe traveling. Includes the vehicle’s chassis, body, engine, fluids, fuel, accessories, passengers, cargo, etc.
- Height: Top to bottom measurement of an RV
- Hitch (or receiver hitch): The connection between a tow vehicle and an RV
- Hitch Capacity: The towing capacity of the receiver hitch, measured in pounds
- Holding Tanks: Term that refers to an RV’s fresh water tank, gray water tank and black water tank
- Honey Wagon: A truck or trailer used to pump out your black tank – common at festivals or boondocking spots without dump stations
- House Battery: The battery in a motorhome that operates the 12-volt electrical system within the motorhome
- Interior Height: Floor to ceiling measurement inside an RV
- Inverter: Converts 12-volt DC power to 110-volt AC power
- King Pin Weight (or Pin Weight): The actual weight pressing down on the fifth wheel hitch by the trailer. Generally, the recommended amount of King Pin Weight is 15% – 25% of the gross trailer weight (GTW)
- Laminated Walls: This term refers to the outside wall construction of an RV. Traditionally, this consists of an aluminum frame, styrofoam, fiberglass sheeting treated with a gel-coat, and then laminated
- Length: Front bumper to back bumper measurement of an RV
- Leveling Jacks: Equipment used to make sure an RV sits level on the ground
- Loft Bed: A type of sleeping space where the bed is on a raised platform above another room or multi-use area. Most often found in fifth wheel or travel trailer RV types
- LP Gas: Liquid Petroleum, another term for Propane
- Park Model: A specific type of RV that is designed to be permanently parked in one area
- Part-timers: Term used to describe people who travel and use an RV for more than the occasional vacation but do not live in their RV full-time
- Pull-through campsite: Drive in one end and out the other – easy access
- Rear Kitchen: A type of floorplan with the kitchen located at the back of the RV
- Rear Living: This term describes an RV floorplan with the living room located at the rear of the coach
- Rear Sleeping: A type of floorplan with the master bedroom located at the rear of the RV
- Sleeping Capacity: The number of sleeping spaces in an RV. There are several different types of sleeping arrangements available. Examples include standard queen and king size beds, hide-a-bed or jack-knife sofa beds, convertible booth dinettes, fixed bunk beds, and drop-down bunks
- Slide outs: Expanding walls or sections of an RV. Slide-outs create additional living area within the RV
- Sticks and Bricks: Refers to a traditional house. Full-timers use this to describe their old lifestyle or their friends’ homes
- Sway Bar System: Equipment designed to reduce or eliminate side-to-side sway movement of a towable RV
- Toad: A vehicle towed behind an RV; also called a “dinghy” occasionally
- Tongue Weight: The actual weight pressing down on the hitch ball located on the tow vehicle. Generally, tongue weight is 10% to 15% of the gross vehicle weight (GVW)
- Tow Rating: The maximum weight a tow vehicle can safely tow, determined by the vehicle manufacturer. Consult the vehicle manufacturer or use the General RV Towing Guide to find out the towing capacity of a particular vehicle
- Underbelly: Term used to describe the bottom surface of an RV; similar to undercarriage
- Weekenders: RV owners who travel and use an RV primarily on weekends throughout the year
- Weight Distribution System: Transfers the weight from the tongue of the trailer and redistributes it to the front of the tow vehicle
- Wheel Base: The distance between the center lines of the primary axles on an RV
- Width: The side to side measurement of an RV (doesn’t include the added width of extended slide-outs)
Why RV Lingo Matters
Knowing the lingo isn’t just about sounding cool – it helps you communicate better, ask the right questions and avoid rookie mistakes. Plus, there’s a real sense of community in the RV world, and speaking the same language helps you feel like part of it. So next time someone tells you they’re dry camping with their toad in tow, you’ll know exactly what they mean – and maybe even offer them a spot at your fire pit.
Our goal at General RV is to be your premier RV partner and your one-stop shop for all your RV needs. For your convenience, we have in-house RV financing options and work with an RV insurance partner. Plus, you’ll find all the RV parts and accessories you need in our Supercenters. We also have more than 600 state-of-the-art RV service bays across our nationwide network.