Full RV Hookup delivers all the necessary things that you need for RV living. RV parks provide these amenities to ensure your convenience and make your stay comfortable. They advertise it as a full hookup facility.
What Does RV Full Hookup Mean? RV full hookup at an RV park means providing water, electricity, and a waste dumping facility. Some parks with other luxury hookups like cable television, telephone, and internet services. It will make your stay comfortable and hassle-free due to the availability of essential utilities at the campground. However, it will cost around $40-$90 per night, depending on the season and location. In comparison, partial hookup sites will cost $20-$40 per night.
Components of an RV full hookup
Freshwater supply, electricity, and sewerage are the three basic requirements that are a challenge for RVers to manage away from their homes.
Water hookup
Water is an essential utility to fulfill the drinking, washing, and cleaning requirements of every person. While living in an RV, you have to manage water storage and use it carefully to complete day-to-day activities.
All RVs have water tanks with varying storage capacities from 50 to 100 gallons depending on their size and towing capabilities.
That can be sufficient for a family of 2-3 persons for a few days. However, you need to refill it in case of extended camping for a week or more.
Good RV parks offer this facility to have a clean water supply to store and use in your RV. However, you must ensure a few things to make it fit for drinking purposes.
First of all, water must be from an authentic water supply fit for routine use. Use a hosepipe certified for potable water to prevent any odor, smell, or harmful chemicals.
Repair any leakages on the pipe to avoid the waste of water. Use a pressure regulator to prevent damage to the plumbing fittings, as the pressure can vary from site to site.
Electric hookup
Electrical hookup is the second primary utility connection necessary for completing your routine chores from heating, air conditioning, lighting, and refrigeration to hair drying.
Batteries on the RV can provide limited power to operate small gadgets. You can carry a generator, but it requires fuel and is too heavy to carry. Therefore, the provision of shore power is the ultimate solution.
Two common types of electrical hookups available at camper grounds are 30 amps and 50 amps. You can connect with any power source depending on the power rating and type of your RV.
For example, a 30 amperes connection is suitable for pop-up campers and travel trailers. At the same time, large RVs and motorhomes use 50 amps power hookups.
It is vital to have protection devices like circuit breakers and fuses at your RV to prevent any damage to your wiring in case of a fault in external power or short circuit.
If the available power source does not match your RV’s electrical system, you can install a converter. Also, keep in mind that you can run fewer appliances at a 30 amps connection than 50 amps.
Sewer hookup
RVs have gray tanks to hold sink water and black tanks to store toilet waste for a few days up to their capacities.
However, you need to empty them at a disposal site or dumping station by taking the RV over there or moving the tanks.
There are 2 options regarding sewer hookup at RV parks. The first one is an individual sewer hose for each RV site.
However, the second one is a centralized waste dumping station for all RVs at the park. You connect the toilet or waste tanks directly with the sewer line to empty them in a separate sewer connection.
While for a centralized dumping station, you need to move your RV to the site and dispose of it in the sewer hookup available.
It is preferable to use a hosepipe of good quality with no leakage to prevent any spread of waste. You can also use a macerator to crush the waste and quick emptying of both tanks.
Television
People spend plenty of time at RV parks as they have little work to do. Therefore, you need some means of entertainment to make your time pleasurable.
Therefore, they provide cable television facilities to offer a variety of channels. You can watch movies, enjoy music or listen to the news according to your choice.
Campground authorities can ask for a cable fee separately or include it in your per night rent.
Telephone services
It has become obsolete in the era of cellular phones to provide telephone services. However, few parks offer this facility to old age persons unfamiliar or uncomfortable with cell phones.
Moreover, there can be loss of signal issues; then telephones provide a reliable source of communication to the outside world at the RV park.
WiFi
The Internet is also an essential commodity nowadays for people to check their emails and attend business meetings via video calls.
Therefore, they offer wired or wireless WiFi internet services by charging extra amounts. These are additional facilities to make your stay as close to your homestay as possible by leaving no deficiencies.
Benefits of RV full hookup
RV full hookup facilities have several benefits during your camping journey. Besides increased comfort, it sometimes becomes essential in case of extended stay to fulfill your basic needs.
Increased comfort
They provide all the basic facilities you need at home without making much effort or moving away.
You don’t need to travel to the city water supply to refill the water tank or waste dumping stations to empty the black and gray tanks.
Moreover, the provision of shore power enables you to use power-intensive appliances, heating, and air conditioning requirements. You will also not hear any noise due to the operation of electric generators by other RVers.
Extended stay
Large RVs and motorhomes provide electric generators, batteries, potable water, black and gray tanks due to available space.
However, they will be sufficient if your stay at a particular campsite is for a few days. To make your prolonged stay possible, you have to locate a site with all three hookups.
Otherwise, you will have to travel long distances to find water or sewer hookups. You can acknowledge the importance of these amenities while staying in a remote location that lacks basic facilities. Full-time RVers utilize that option as they use their RV as their full-time home.
Unlimited water supply
A clean drinkable water supply is essential during the stay for cooking, washing dishes, and bathing requirements.
Few campsites only offer electric connections and no water or sewer hookups. You have to use shared bathrooms and showers. Therefore, an unlimited water supply is one of the requirements that you cannot survive without it.
More time for fun
Living at a campground with a full hookup will save a lot of time that you need to refill the tank or go to a dumping station.
Therefore, you have plenty of time to enjoy your stay and have fun. Moreover, developed campgrounds also have other recreational amenities like tennis courts and swimming pools.
Therefore, it enables them to enjoy their camping experience by being part of such activities.
What is the cost of booking an RV full hookup campground?
RV campsite with all hookups is the best option that an RVer can look forward to getting all the facilities at his home.
However, not all people avail it due to increased rents and affordability. It can cost you around $40-$90 per night for an entire hookup site.
While staying at a partial or dry hookup site will cost significantly less, about half of that price.
Therefore, they can compromise their comfort by paying less and will use shared or public facilities by the government.
What is the installation cost of RV hookups at your home?
To avail of the hookup facilities at your home, you need to install the appropriate connection points for water, electricity, and sewer.
It will cost $40-$100 for water, sewer, and power hookup if you do it by yourself. While hiring a professional, the cost can go up to thousands of dollars in labor and material required.
Which one is better: a partial or complete RV hookup?
A partial hookup site has water and electric connections available but no sewer connection to dispose of the waste.
You have to travel to the nearest disposal station when black or gray tanks of your RV become full. They have benefits like increased comfort and availability of basic facilities by paying extra dollars.
At the same time, partial hookups offer limited utility connections and are not as convenient as full hookup sites.
However, you have to pay less for them. These are good options if you have to stay for a prolonged time as it enables you to save money.
An entire hookup site is a better option for a comfortable stay if you have money to spend.
Can you live in an RV without hookups?
Yes, you can live in an RV without any hookups for water, electricity, or sewerage. It is called free camping or boondocking.
You have to manage water, electricity and other needs by yourself. Government has specific laws for boondocking regarding approved sites and disposal of waste or damage to national forests.
RVers who want peace and enjoy nature prefer this camping mode by using water storage tanks and solar panels or batteries for electricity requirements.
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