Five Costly Mistakes RV Owners Make (And How to Avoid Them)

If you own an RV, your goal is simple: spend more time enjoying the journey and less time dealing with breakdowns, expensive repairs, and preventable headaches. Yet every year, RV owners make the same avoidable mistakes that lead to damaged equipment, unsafe situations, and ruined trips.

At the National RV Training Academy (NRVTA), our mission goes beyond training certified RV technicians and inspectors. We believe educated RV owners are safer, more confident, and better prepared for life on the road. That’s why we regularly share practical RV maintenance tips and real-world guidance through our YouTube Tech Tip Tuesday series.

Here are five things you should never do in your RV—and what you should do instead.

Five Costly Mistakes RV Owners Make (And How to Avoid Them)

1. Driving With Your Propane Turned On

While it may not be illegal in most situations, traveling with your propane system pressurized and appliances running introduces unnecessary risk. When propane appliances operate, combustion requires airflow from outside the RV. While driving, shifting air pressure can affect burner performance, damage components, or in worst cases contribute to fire hazards.

Even beyond safety, running propane while driving can shorten the lifespan of appliances like your RV refrigerator, water heater, and furnace. The safest practice is simple: turn your propane off while traveling and only operate it when parked and stable.

2. Using Your Stove or Oven as a Heat Source

This is one of the reasons many RV owners choose to take the RV Fundamentals course—to better understand propane systems, appliance operation, and safe RV practices.

Your RV stove is designed for cooking—not heating your living space. Leaving an open flame running, especially while sleeping, creates a serious carbon monoxide risk. Carbon monoxide is odorless, invisible, and deadly.

RV safety begins with understanding how your systems are designed to operate. Proper furnace operation, ventilation, and combustion principles are all covered in NRVTA’s hands-on RV training programs, which teach both technicians and owners how to operate and troubleshoot systems safely.

3. Leaving Your Tank Valves Open

This one is extremely common. Many RV owners assume leaving their gray tank valve open is harmless, but that can lead to buildup, residue, and long-term tank issues. Black tank valves should always remain closed until dumping to prevent solid waste buildup (often called the dreaded “pyramid plug”).

Best practice:

• Keep both black and gray tanks closed
• Dump black tank first
• Then dump gray tank to help rinse the sewer hose

Understanding how plumbing systems work is a key component of RV technician training and a major confidence booster for RV owners who want to avoid expensive campground mistakes.

4. Mishandling Electrical Hookups (Shore Power)

Electrical damage is one of the most expensive issues RV owners face—and many times it’s self-inflicted.

Never plug in while high-demand appliances are already turned on. Air conditioners, electric fireplaces, and refrigerators draw heavy current. Plugging in “hot” can cause arcing, voltage spikes, and long-term damage to your RV electrical system.

Equally important: inspect the campground pedestal. If you see melted plastic, burn marks, or loose outlets, do not plug in. A poor connection can damage your power cord, your appliances, and even your RV’s internal wiring.

If you’ve ever wondered how shore power systems work, how voltage affects your appliances, or how to use a multimeter properly, these are core skills taught in NRVTA’s electrical systems training.

5. Skipping the Walkaround and System Checks

One of the most preventable causes of trip-ending failures is skipping a simple inspection before departure. Tires, suspension, slide-outs, refrigerators, air conditioners, plumbing systems—all should be tested before you hit the road.

RVs can develop problems while sitting. Just because everything worked when you parked it doesn’t mean it will work months later. A quick pre-trip inspection can save thousands of dollars and prevent the frustration of calling a mobile RV technician from a remote campground.

This is also why many RV owners choose to enroll in RV owner maintenance training—so they can confidently inspect their own rigs and recognize early warning signs.

Why Education Matters for Every RV Owner

You don’t need to become a professional RV technician to benefit from understanding your RV systems. Knowing how your electrical, propane, plumbing, and mechanical components function gives you:

• Better safety awareness
• Fewer emergency breakdowns
• Stronger communication with repair shops
• Lower long-term repair costs
• More confidence when traveling

At NRVTA, we offer nationally recognized hands-on RV training programs for career-minded students and practical education options for RV owners who simply want to protect their investment.

Learn More from the National RV Training Academy

NRVTA is the largest hands-on RV training academy in the United States. We train RV technicians, RV inspectors, and passionate RV owners using real-world equipment, real systems, and real troubleshooting scenarios.

If you want to:

• Understand your RV systems
• Prevent expensive mistakes
• Increase your safety on the road
• Or explore a career as a certified RV technician

Explore our training programs and take the first step toward becoming a smarter, more confident RV owner.