RVing is different for everyone. For some, it’s a weekend getaway or short vacation. For others, it’s an entire summer or season, crossing terrain and following the weather. And then you have those that make it into a full-time lifestyle.

Bryanna and Craig Royal of Crazy Family Adventure fall into that last category. For the past seven years, their family of six has lived full-time in an RV – traveling the country and growing as a family, without putting down any roots. The couple recently sat down with Camping World to discuss their full-time RV life and how they turned their RV into a family home.

To RV or Not to RV
“There was no ‘Aha’ moment,” explains Bryanna Royal regarding the decision to full-time RV with her husband, Craig. They seemingly had it all – a newly built home with four young children (ages at the time of 6, 4, 4, and 2) and a steady job. However, something was missing. “We wanted to do more, travel more, see more,” says Bryanna. They saw other people, including extended members of their family, living full-time RV lives. The two toyed with the idea of RVing as a family and began to question if it was something they could really do.

The answer evolved into a resounding “yes.” The Royals decided they could always pack it up and go back to their “regular life” if the lifestyle didn’t pan out, so they had nothing to lose. They were already homeschooling their children, so schooling on the road wouldn’t be too much of an adjustment learning-wise for the kids. Luckily, Craig’s career in the tech field allowed him the flexibility of working remotely. So, with all the initial boxes checked, they took the leap in May 2014.

Seven years later and still RVing, it’s safe to say the Royal family is a fan of RV living.

Adapting to the RV lifestyle can be overwhelming – overwhelmingly fun. Sure, there are a few things here and there to get used to but, overall, it’s an adventure you’ll wish would never end. To relieve any stress or anxiety you may have about the new lifestyle, and to help elevate the fun of it all, we’ve gathered 50 RV hacks and tips you haven’t tried to ensure your next trip is your best trip.

1. Create an RV Departure Checklist

Whether it’s a physical copy or one stored on your phone, having a checklist available can save you the trouble of leaving something behind or having to turn around once on the road.

2. Plan an RV-Friendly Route

Regardless of where you’re going, take advantage of tools like the Good Sam Trip Planner that help navigate your RV through the country while suggesting campsites and RV parks along the way.

3. Level the RV Before Filling the Tanks

Level your RV before filling any of the tanks (freshwater tanks, especially). This will help ensure that you’re really getting a full tank with each fill-up by preventing false reads on your tank sensors.

4. Turn the Propane Valve Off Before Traveling

This should definitely be on the departure checklist, but fire safety is worth stressing more than once. Traveling with your RV’s propane valve open is a fire hazard. With all the shaking that occurs on and off the road, propane connections can loosen or come apart entirely while in transit.

Levy County is an untamed slice of Florida’s Gulf Coast. Here, you’ll find rivers winding through lush forests and a profusion of wildlife that thrives in expansive public lands. After adventures on the mainland, head out to Cedar Key to savor a laid-back community that epitomizes “Old Florida.”

Cedar Key: Great for Snowbirding

Situated on Florida’s northwest coast, Levy County sits an hour west of Gainesville. U.S. Route 98, which runs parallel to the coast, connects many of the small towns in the region, including Chiefland and Crystal River. Those venturing out to the collection of islands known as the Cedar Keys will take Highway 24 west. The largest island is home to the small town of Cedar Key, with fewer than 1,000 residents. Snowbirds are attracted to this region’s mild winters, with lows rarely dipping below 50 degrees.

Florida Wildlife

Featuring a host of protected lands, the region is a prime location for hunting, fishing and wildlife watching. Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve and the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge entice hikers to explore salt marshes and grand cypress and oak trees. Nearby, the Waccasassa Bay Preserve State Park, accessible only by boat, is ideal for canoeing and kayaking in unspoiled landscapes. Keep an eye out for migratory birds, manatees, alligators and more. With both saltwater and freshwater fishing, anglers will find diverse habitats. Bicyclists won’t want to miss the Nature Coast State Trail, which includes 32 miles of a rail-to-trail conversion. The Gulf Hammock Wildlife Management Area offers more than 24,000 acres of hunting grounds that teem with whitetail deer and feral hogs.

If you are looking forward to a year of adventure with your family, the class C motorhomes for sale are the perfect RV to get you out to the campground. Today, we’ll look at four of the best class C motorhomes for travel in 2022. Check out these family RVs below!

Coachmen Cross Trail Transit 20CB

Your family of five will be set for a week at the campground in one of the Coachmen Cross Trail Transit 20CB class C motorhomes for sale near you! This RV features an over the cab bunk that can comfortably sleep two. You’ll enjoy the countertop extension that gives you plenty of space for cooking meals in the kitchen. 

Additional Features:

J-Lounge with TableRear Corner BathCabover BunkCountertop Extension

The tiny living movement has been growing off the charts over the last five years as more and more people chase a nomadic lifestyle of adventure. The trend to purchase or build a home on wheels gives so many of us the freedom to travel and take our homes everywhere. When we first became full-time RVers, we purchased a 30 ft travel trailer. Ever since then, we envisioned going even bigger and upgrading to a 40 ft fifth-wheel, but as time passed, we did the opposite – we went smaller.

Big rigs are great for full-timing in resorts and campgrounds, but they make it more challenging to get out into nature and off-grid. Over the past few years, we’ve seen more and more people selling their things, buying a small adventure camper, and setting out on an adventure of a lifetime. It makes sense why – the smaller your home on wheels, the more you can explore! Small campers like class Cs, class Bs or vans, and truck campers are all great choices!

We personally chose the truck camper route and wouldn’t have it any other way. We already had the truck, and we found the perfect truck camper. Since getting a truck camper, our country has become our playground. We’ve been able to camp on a sandy lakeside beach in Utah, among the red rocks of Arizona, and in the snow-covered mountains of Colorado! Traveling in our truck camper has allowed us to be so spontaneous – it’s so easy to hit the road without any plans in mind. We now have the freedom and capability of being able to stop anywhere because of our size. If you love adventure and being spontaneous, keep reading to learn more about how truck campers can be a great option.

A truck camper is an agile RV for boondocking in remote locations.

Why We Bought a Truck Camper

Choosing an adventure vehicle was tough – we were torn between a van and a truck camper. We weighed the pros and cons, cost, features, and more before deciding to proceed with truck camper life.

Overall, it made so much sense to choose a truck camper over a van for our situation. If we went the van route, we would have had to trade in the SUV that we use to commute to work in exchange for a van to build out. The costs of time needed to build out a van and the thought of getting rid of our current vehicle wasn’t worth it to us. We already had a capable truck and could find a used truck camper that was compact enough to fit inside the bed of our truck with our tailgate closed. And, it allows us to tow our 30 ft travel trailer at the same time. We were fortunate to find a road-ready truck camper that was in excellent shape, only two years old and less than half the price of a new truck camper off the lot.

Birds zip and zoom around us every day. But like many RVers, I hardly gave winged creatures a second thought unless a hummingbird buzzed past my head. All that changed the day I accidentally camped at one of the best winter birding destinations for RVers in the southwest.

Birds Bring Natural Stress Relief

It was getting late while driving to Tucson and we needed a place to stop for the night. An online directory pointed me to a nearby wildlife refuge near Willcox, where overnight camping is allowed. Easy to access with wide-open spaces, we pulled in alongside a stunning little lake. Little did we know that the daily display of Sandhill Cranes in flight was about to begin. Moments after logging onto our computers to manage an onslaught of incoming emails, an interesting faraway sound pulled us away from our screens.

As the deep orange Arizona sun sank low on the horizon, a loud chorus of honks and squawks slowly drifted toward us. We opened the trailer door just as thousands of giant cranes swooped overhead, traveling westward to their nightly destination. With broad wingspans averaging 78 inches across, they elegantly breezed along and dazzled us with their graceful V-shaped flight patterns. The Sandhill Cranes put on a show like no other, making us forget about the long, exhausting drive we had just endured. It was a free show that provided instant stress relief, connecting us to nature and the whole reason why we full-time RV in the first place.

Relax at the Best Winter Birdwatching Destinations

I had no idea that birdwatching can be a free, easy way to relieve stress. Armed with a great pair of birdwatching binoculars and a wide-brimmed sun hat, anyone can let go of their worries and get closer to nature through birdwatching.

Getting to Carlsbad Caverns requires departing from the well-trodden path. If you’re willing to do so, you’ll be rewarded with a welcome into a mind-bending underground world. In Camping World’s Guide to RVing Carlsbad Caverns National Park, we’ll cover campsites, attractions, the best times to visit, and more. 

The park is best known for its massive limestone caves and one of the most well-preserved fossil reefs in the world. Yes, the park was once covered by a vast inland sea more than 265 million years ago. Nowadays, it’s plenty dry for your RV adventure!

Why Visit Carlsbad Caverns National Park in an RV?

Photo by Doug Meek via Shutterstock

Carlsbad Caverns is located in the southeastern corner of New Mexico, approximately 40 minutes south of the city of Carlsbad and 2.5 hours northeast of El Paso, Texas. 

The remote nature of the park makes RVing here the clear and obvious choice. It’ll give you a basecamp from which to explore all that the park has to offer. Plus, you’ll be able to enjoy dinner and beverages in the parking lot if you stay for the nightly bat display around sunset (from April through October). 

As a visitor, you are welcome to explore the well-lit caverns at your own pace, but the way to learn the most about this underground environment and its inhabitants is to sign up for a ranger-guided tour. The park also offers miles of desert hiking trails, evening bat programs, and exceptional stargazing. 

January is the start of the busy season for RV Shows in the U.S. and the Tampa RV Show is one of the most popular ... Read more

If you have an RV and a dog (or two), head to the South! There are endless paws-ibilites for travel. The best part about traveling, for our family, is being together, and that includes our dogs. So we look for destinations that welcome us both with activities, sights to see, and camping spots that are drool-worthy!

Tampa Bay, Florida

We admit that we are partial to the Tampa Bay, Florida area. Both of our dogs Peanut Butter Brickle and Digby Pancake were adopted from the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. Tampa, Florida has so much to offer to travelers with their dogs. One of our favorite spots to take Brickle and Digby is Davis Island Dog Beach. Dogs can play, swim and run off-leash in this fenced oasis. There are two separate dog park areas. One is the beachside that is fenced on three sides leading to the water. The other dog park area is a fully fenced, grassy space. After playing, you can wash your dogs off at the cleaning area, and then be sure to stop for a treat at Wag Natural Pet Market.

Tampa Bay is home to hundreds of pet-friendly restaurants, breweries, hotels, and 16 dog parks and beaches, including Picnic Island. But that is not all. For senior dogs, Florida is a great place to hike due to its flat terrain. The 2.6 mile Tampa Riverwalk is perfect for a stroll at night when the temperatures have cooled down.

If you are looking for a little alone time, and your dog needs to burn off some energy, Unique Dog Boarding north of Tampa is your home away from home. Unique Dog Boarding is a ranch for dogs! With transportation services available, even from your hotel, give your dog a vacation too. As your dogs relax in the lap of luxury, we recommend going to see a movie at the historic Tampa Theatre in downtown Tampa.

If you are looking for a peaceful camping spot away from the crowds but close to the action, check out dog-friendly Hillsborough River State Park or Fort Desoto Park.

Finding the perfect toy hauler for your outdoor adventures is easy when you shop the 2022 toy hauler travel trailers for sale at a dealer near you! RVing Planet makes it easy to find toy hauler travel trailers with all your favorite features for sale at a great price. Check out six of our favorite options available today!

2022 Forest River RV Cherokee Wolf Pack 23PACK15

Get everything you need to make your camping experience fun and comfortable for everyone in the Forest River Cherokee Wolf Pack 23Pack15 toy hauler travel trailer. The 15′ power awning gives you ample shade no matter where you go, and the 30-gallon fueling station ensures your toys are always ready to go! 

Additional Features:

Single Slide30 Gallon Fuel Station15′ Power AwningMaster Suite15′ GarageWater PumpPower Tongue Jack15K BTU A/C

In January, many of us try to stick to the New Year’s resolutions we made the previous year. How many of us have the determination to see it through?

See our Regional Travel Calendar for more year-round destinations.

The following places might just inspire you to live up to the promises you made to yourself as the clock ticked down to 2022. If you resolved to get more exercise, take a jog on a sandy gulf beach or paddle a kayak along the coast of a barrier island. Was a better diet on your list of resolutions? Try a healthy fish-and-greens diet found at a seaside eatery.

Find a destination below and then book a stay at a nearby RV Park (click on the links for more information).

Alabama

Alabama’s small but beautiful stretch of Gulf Coast entices beachcombers to explore sugar-white sands.

One of our favorite places to stay in an RV is Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground and Resort in Orlando, Florida. For anyone looking for the ... Read more

If your dreams for 2022 include traveling the country with your loved one, you won’t want to miss the deals on these class B motorhomes for sale near you. We’ll take an in-depth look at four of our favorite deals ongoing now! Get your next RV for less when you shop for new class B motorhomes for sale on RVingPlanet.com.

2022 Winnebago Travato 59G

This 2022 Winnebago Travato 59G class B motorhome on sale today is the ideal way to get to your dream destination. Inside, you’ll find a cozy bed for two that will ensure you get a great night’s sleep no matter where you go. The wet bath makes it easy to go off the grid or enjoy a hot shower before bed.

Additional Features:

All new interior styling with your choice of Bleu with Weathered Teak, Walnut or Walnut with Matte White Upper cabinetry doors atop Italian Tecnoform cabinetryInsulated floor, with vapor barrier and new flooring, with optional complete coach matLagun table with dual mounting positionsPop up power outlets from entry pedestal with Lagun table mountFront dinette with two automotive-style seats with 3 point safety belts in eachNew positive-lock latching system for Italian Tecnoform cabinetry

Caring for your RV is one of the most important things you can do. Your RV is an investment, and that means you need to protect it and maintain it so you can continue to enjoy it for years to come.

With this in mind, it’s clear that maintenance is going to be something that you’ll need to focus on. Also, properly using your RV and its various systems is key.

To help, Camping World would like to share with you a downloadable booklet that will help you in your journey. Our service centers are always here to help take care of your maintenance needs. That said, having a booklet like the one you’ll find below will help make keeping up on maintenance a little easier.

Here’s what you’ll find in the booklet:

Company Beliefs

Title workWarrantyReferralsChassis WorkOrdering Parts for Service RepairsService Work RepairsInsurance on Your RV

Helpful Hints

WinterizingToilet and Drainage SystemsRV RefrigeratorsFresh WaterWater HeatersCheck Your OilTiresRoof Air Conditioners110-Volt Appliances30-Amp AppliancesExtension CordsPaperwork and Manuals12-Volt BatteriesStorage CompartmentsLP TanksWater PressureRecreational Vehicles are Not AutomobilesLP Leak DetectorsChassisAir BagsGeneratorsCondensationRoof & Seam SealantsMiscellaneous Helpful Hints

Who to Contact at the Dealership

Service AdvisorAccessories DepartmentTitle ClerkSales ManagerBusiness Manager

Maintenance Schedule

Every Trip and/or 1,000 MilesEvery 3 MonthsEvery 6 MonthsAnnually

Important Information

Important AddressesPolicy NumbersAppliance Serial and Model Numbers

Get your downloadable RV Owner Handbook!

Flooring is more than just a surface to walk on. When it comes to RV flooring especially, the choice you make is the foundation for the rest of your interior design decisions.

If it’s time to remodel your RV, start from the ground up: consider what type of flooring to use. How will it tie into the rest of your design decisions? How will it feel under your feet? How easy is it to clean and maintain? Does it fit in your budget?

We’ve taken the guesswork out of the equation for you by breaking down the most popular RV flooring options. Renovating your RV can be fun! Remember to enjoy the process and take plenty of pictures along the way. Everyone loves a good before and after.

If you don’t know where to begin, consult with the Camping World Renovation & Collision team to get the ideas rolling.

Carpet

After a day full of adventures at your new favorite destination, the last thing you want to do is cook. Get ahead of the game by throwing a few ingredients into the crockpot before you head out.

The advantages of using a crockpot are endless! The scalability alone is enough reason to explore crockpot camping recipes. You can easily scale them for the size of your group. A few extra people show up? No worries, bulk up the ingredients. A few people won’t be able to make it? Not a problem, cut the recipe in half. Or, keep it the same and store leftovers in the fridge. Crockpots range in size from 1.5 quarts, up to 8 quarts. Find a crockpot to feed your crowd.

Crockpots are known for their efficiency and time management, but an advantage that often gets overlooked is the lack of dishes it takes to make a single meal. With everything cooking inside the one pot, you gain back all the extra time you would normally spend collecting and washing dishes during the prepping and cooking phase. Time gained means more time spent in front of the campfire.

So, once you return from that hike you’ve been dreaming of, dinner will be ready and waiting. Take off your gloves, kick off your boots, and choose one of these easy camping crockpot meals perfect for cold days.

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

Image: Shutterstock

Is there anything better on a cold day than a hot bowl of chicken and dumplings? It smells like grandma’s house, tastes like childhood, and feels like a warm hug with every spoonful. This crockpot camping recipe requires only nine ingredients that include a sweet onion and garlic. Imagine stepping into your RV after a day out and being greeted by this one.

Discover how the Southwest does the holidays. You’ll find an accommodating RV park ready to help you make your winter dreams come true.

Southern Arizona

Hike and Bike in Mesa

Located east of Phoenix, Mesa has more than 300 days of sunshine a year and scenic grandeur from every vantage point. It’s no wonder that recreational opportunities abound in these parts. Mesa connects with hundreds of miles of superb hiking, biking and horseback riding trails ranging in length and level of difficulty. Usery Mountain Regional Park is woven with over 29 miles of trails, including the 1.6-mile Wind Cave Trail that delivers breathtaking mountain views without the need for challenging elevation spikes. The more strenuous 7.1-mile Pass Mountain Trail satisfies hikers looking to feel the burn and escape the (relative) crowds. The small nature center at the park’s entrance has a clutch of exhibits devoted to flora and fauna of the Sonoran Desert.

Go Fish Around Yuma

Yuma’s proximity to the Colorado River and several lakes makes it a great destination for boaters and water-loving adventurers. On the Arizona side of Imperial Dam, Martinez Lake gives visitors a chance to go kayaking, canoeing or fishing by boat. On a hot day, you can relax and enjoy a lazy ride down the Colorado River on an inner tube for as little as an hour, or as long as three hours, depending on where you launch. Largemouth, smallmouth and striped bass make their homes in many of the hidden lakes and water channels created when the dam was constructed. Drop a line in Squaw Lake or Ferguson Lake, or in the Colorado River channel.  Board a paddleboat sternwheeler for a chance to see the landscape slide by as you travel down the river.

Stay here during your Arizona visit:

Arizonian RV Resort, Apache Junction	Towerpoint Resort, Mesa
Campground USA RV Resort, Apache Junction	Val Vista Village RV Resort, Mesa
Sunrise RV Resort, Apache Junction	Valle Del Oro RV Resort, Mesa
Superstition Sunrise RV Resort, Apache Junction	Western Acres, Mesa
Weaver’s Needle RV Resort, Apache Junction	Picacho Peak RV Resort, Picacho
Casa Grande RV Resort & Cottages, Casa Grande	Crazy Horse RV Campgrounds, Tucson
Canyon Vistas RV Resort, Gold Canyon	Far Horizons RV Resort, Tucson
Gold Canyon RV & Golf Resort, Gold Canyon	Rincon Country West RV Resort, Tucson
Apache Wells RV Resort, Mesa	Del Pueblo RV Resort, Yuma
Good Life RV Resort, Mesa	Fortuna de Oro RV Resort, Yuma
Mesa Regal RV Resort, Mesa	Sundance RV Resort, Yuma
Sun Life RV Resort, Mesa	Villa Alameda RV Resort, Yuma

Southern California

Golf in Palm Springs

Located about 100 miles east of Los Angeles, Palm Springs has grown to become one of Southern California’s favorite desert playgrounds. five-star restaurants, upscale shopping and hiking are favorite pastimes, but few local diversions match the area’s golf offerings. Enjoy a cool desert morning at one of Palm Springs’ verdant golf courses, where seasonal rates and public accessibility invite players to tee off amid desert splendor year-round. Choose from 18 or 27 holes on courses designed by masters like John Fought and Gary Player.

Every RVer loves Key West, the southernmost spot in the US with its own distinctive and laid-back party vibe. But so many RVers traveling that 113-mile Overseas Highway between Miami and Key West miss so much by not slowing down and spending time in the lesser-known Florida keys for RV camping.

The area is steeped in history and kissed by sunshine, bursting with tropical beauty and fabulous camping surrounded by crystal clear turquoise water. Other keys are much less developed than Key West because so many rush past to get down to mile marker 1.

Photo by Rainer Lesniewski via Shutterstock

“The Keys,” as they’re called, are linked together by the Overseas Highway (officially US-1), and divided into five regions: Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine Key, and Key West.

But those are regions. And each region has numerous other keys or small islands. In all, between Miami and Key West, are more than 800 keys. Some are super tiny. Many need a boat to reach. Others are great for sunbathing, snorkeling and shelling. Some are private.

But together, they form a vast network of natural beauty that quietly calls out to the passing RVer to stop and explore, decompress and take in the view before heading down to Key West and the party town known as the “Conch Republic.”

Northern California’s “Lost Coast,” is the most remote stretch of coastline in the Lower 48, with miles and miles of deserted beaches and coves. The enormous steep coastal mountains in the Lost Coast area plunge so sharply into the sea that the main roads had to be built around. Even today, with no major roads passing through, the region remains mostly wild and rugged and is only minimally inhabited. While visiting the Lost Coast in an RV, you’ll find yourself hours away from the rest of civilization, providing an unusual amount of seclusion–part of its key appeal.

The Ekko on the winding roads of the Lost Coast.

Why Visit the Lost Coast in an RV?

James and I have had the Lost Coast on our bucket list for a long time, and just this fall we finally were able to get there. We had done enough research that we knew the roads were going to be rugged, but with our all-wheel-drive Winnebago EKKO, we felt confident we’d be fine. We were fine, but calling those roads ‘rugged’ was an understatement!

The main route through the Lost Coast is a 70-mile adventure on Mattole Road, which starts when you turn off the 101 at Humboldt Redwoods State Park, continuing west to the coast and then north to the historic Victorian village of Ferndale. We quickly learned why very few people travel here. The roads are curvy, narrow, and steep, but also in severe disrepair, buckled and pot-holed by the constant upheavals of tectonic forces. The area is prone to earthquakes because of three tectonic plates that converge off Cape Mendocino, the westernmost point on the coast of California. So, thanks to the rough road, our top speed was only around 20mph, and most of the time we were hovering around 10mph. Visiting the Lost Coast takes fortitude.

James, of the FitRV, takes these California roads slow and steady.

Where to Stay in the Lost Coast in an RV

We made Arthur W Way County Park our basecamp for our visit, and that turned out to be an excellent campground choice. There are no hookups or dump stations, but that was fine with us. We prefer more natural settings, and this park had it in spades. The park is situated along the Mattole River, which you can hear flowing from the campsites. The peaceful sounds of the water set such a pleasant backdrop whenever we were outside. The sites are nicely spread out from each other, and while you cannot make reservations, the campground never fills, according to the friendly camp host. The river is popular for swimming, though while we were there, it was a little too chilly to test it out.

Other Campgrounds Nearby:

Giant Redwoods RV & Cabin DestinationAncient Redwoods RV ParkRiverwalk RV Park & CampgroundMattole River

Cycling the Lost Coast

RVing the Lost Coast wasn’t just about going there. For us, we had the Lost Coast on our bucket list because we wanted to bike it. Mattole Road is a popular route for cyclists, or at least the ones who like to suffer on a bike. Since we fall into that category, we couldn’t wait.

Before you just toss gear in at random, it’s vital to know how to properly load your travel trailer safely based on its weight ratings. You need a strategy that’ll reduce swaying, bouncing, tire blowouts, and a host of other problems. 

Fortunately for you, we’re going to help you understand trailer weight ratings and basic proper trailer loading. Your trailer’s weight ratings will dictate how much you can load into your trailer, but the principles of proper weight distribution apply to just about every travel trailer on the road.

Understanding Your Trailer’s Weight Ratings

Your trailer’s weight ratings are determined by the manufacturer and you’ll find them in your owner’s manual or on your VIN number tag. This includes abbreviations like GVWR, GAWR, GTW, and others. For a deep dive into this alphabet soup, consult our handy Guide to Weight Ratings. If you need a quick refresher, here’s one below. 

GVWR is short for gross vehicle weight rating. This is the maximum amount of weight your trailer can handle. It is the combined weight of the trailer itself and its maximum payload capacity. GAWR stands for gross axle weight rating. This is the maximum weight you can place on each trailer axle. GTW refers to gross trailer weight. This is the actual weight of your trailer plus all the stuff you load into it. The only way to determine this weight is to drive over a scale once it’s loaded. Tongue Weight is the amount of weight that is placed on the hitch ball when you connect your trailer to your tow vehicle. Maximum Payload Capacity tells you how much weight you are able to load into your trailer safely. You calculate it by subtracting your trailer’s dry weight from its GVWR. Towing Capacity actually refers to your tow vehicle, but it’s still vital to safe towing. It is the maximum amount of weight your vehicle can safely tow and it will be specified on your vehicle’s VIN label or in the owner’s manual. 

To guarantee safe towing and err on the side of caution, your trailer’s gross trailer weight (GTW) should remain below 90 percent of your vehicle’s towing capacity. 

How to Properly Load Your Travel Trailer

Once you understand your trailer’s weight ratings, use these recommendations to distribute weight evenly.