You could have been workamping right now. But one thing led to another and you had to find a new pad like some sticks’n’bricks dwelling fool. So, you’d better hitch up that toad before wallydocking your rig for the night! 

You get it. Right?

From Star Trek to pro football, every subculture has its fair share of slang. And the world of RV camping is no different. 

While learning a new word in the wild can be a lot of fun, sometimes it’s best to play it cool and prove you’re in-the-know. So in honor of our 50th anniversary, we’d like to present our ultimate guide to RV slang terms. A brief read-through of these 50 common terms will let you keep up with any road warrior out there.

50 Common RV Slang Terms

A

1. Airstream - a popular type of retro RV that looks like a polished aluminum tube

B

2. Back-in Site - a site that needs to be backed into, the opposite of a pull-through
3. Batwing - the TV antenna of an RV, so named because of their resemblance to a bat’s wing
4. Blackwater (tank) - dirty waste water from toilets and the tank that holds it
5. Boondocking - rugged, remote, and isolated RV camping, usually not in a campground and without hookups or amenities of any kind
6. Bunkhouse - an area of an RV with bunk beds

C

7. Camper - a generic RV slang term used for all sorts of RVs
8. Caravan - a travel trailer. Or a group of campers traveling in a large group
9. Coach - an RV slang term for a class A motorhome (they look like a tour bus)
10. Curbside/Campside - the passenger’s side of an RV 

D

11. Dinghy - usually refers to a vehicle but anything towed behind an RV can be called a dinghy
12. Dump Station - a special area for offloading black and greywater from your RV’s tanks
13. Dually - a special truck with 4 wheels on the rear axle used to haul RVs
14. Dry Camping - anytime spent camping without hookups is called dry camping

F

15. Fifth Wheel - a special travel trailer meant to be towed by a vehicle with a flatbed
16. Fiver - RV lingo for a fifth wheel
17. Full Hookups - a campsite offering water, electric, and sewage is said to have full hookups
18. Full-timer - someone who lives or travels in an RV exclusively
19. Freshwater (tank) - drinkable water from your RV’s sink and the tank that holds it

G

20. Glamping - a cross between glamorous and camping, staying at a campground with luxurious amenities
21. Glamper - a person who loves glamping
22. Greywater (tank) - dirty water from sinks and showers and the tank that holds it

H

23. Holding Tanks - the name for the tanks holding black, grey, and freshwater
24. Honey Wagon - a portable tank that campgrounds use to empty out waste from guest’s RVs

K

25. KOA - a popular franchise of family-friendly campgrounds, Kampgrounds of America

L

26. Leveling - making sure the RV is flat on all sides of a site

M

27. Moochdocking - the act of parking in front of a friend’s house or in their driveway, possibly siphoning their power for your RV
28. Motorhome - any kind of RV that has its own engine and doesn’t need to be towed

N

29. NFS - National Forest Service, the administrators of the nation’s 148 national forests
30. NPS - National Park Service, the managers of all national parks, national monuments, and certain historical recreation areas

P

31. Part-timer - people who live or travel in an RV for long stretches but also have a traditional home
32. Pad - the name given to a parking spot for an RV on a campground (usually concrete)
33. Potable - drinkable water, safe to consume
34. Pop-up Camper - a type of travel trailer made of canvas that pops open and unfolds into a camper
35. Pull-through Site - a type of RV site that you can drive straight through, usually easier than a back-in for parking

R

36. Rig - another generic RV slang term for all kinds of RVs
37. RV - a “recreational vehicle.” The umbrella term for any vehicle with living quarters whether it’s a motorhome or travel trailer

S

38. Shore Power - RV lingo stolen from the boating world, power from an external source
39. Slide - a section of an RV that extends to offer more living space
40. Snowbird - a person who flocks south in an RV during the winter months to stay warm all year
41. Sticks’n’bricks - a home, RV lingo used to poke fun at living in a traditional house

T

42. Teardrop Trailer - a kind of smaller travel trailer that looks like a teardrop shape
43. Toad - another RV slang term for something towed (get it?) behind an RV
44. Toy Hauler - an RV with space in the back for other kinds of motorsports gear (ATVs, dirt bikes, etc.)
45. Truck Camper - a normal pickup truck with living space mounted on the flatbed

W

46. Wallydocking - Walmart is one of the few big chains that allow overnight parking. RVers taking advantage of this are wallydocking
47. Winnie - RV lingo for a Winnebago
48. Workamping - exchanging labor for the right to camp and hookups, a small amount of pay may be up for grabs too
49.  WES - the three hookups RVers look for in campground accommodations: water, electric, sewer

Y

50. Yamping - another RV slang term for camping in someone’s front driveway

Now that you know all the RV lingo, you’re ready to hit the road in an RV rental! Contact Cruise America to reserve an RV for your next road trip. Pick up your rental at one of our many convenient rental locations across the country and start your adventure!