Because wisdom is just experience… plus bruised knuckles and a tilted rig.

🛠️ The Joy and Pain of Setting Up Camp

You pull into your site.
You’re tired, hungry, and optimistic.
You say, “Let’s just get set up real quick.”

Famous last words.

Whether it’s your first night or your 400th, setup mistakes will happen. Some you’ll learn from. Others? You’ll repeat forever, like a sitcom rerun called “Why Are We Still Doing This Wrong?”

Let’s break down the Top 5 Setup Fumbles you’re either guilty of, will be soon, or secretly still doing.

🚫 Mistake #1: Not Checking the Site Before You Park

You saw the pad, you aimed, you backed in…
Then realized:

  • The hookups are on the wrong side

  • The fire pit is right under your awning

  • Or your door opens directly into a tree

The fix:
Before you park, do a walk-around:

  • Where are the hookups?

  • Any slope you didn’t spot from the road?

  • Will your slides/awning clear obstacles?

🧠 Pro tip: Leave the engine running until you’re sure. Nothing like tearing down just to move three feet forward.

📐 Mistake #2: Leveling After You Open the Slides

Look, we’ve all been there.

You pull in, hit the slide button, admire the space—and then go to level…
Only now, everything’s torqued and one corner is 3 inches off the ground.

The fix:
Always level first.
Think of your RV like a house on jello—get it steady before expanding. Slides out of level can cause:

  • Frame stress

  • Slide motor strain

  • And terrible sleep

🔌 Mistake #3: Assuming the Power Works (Before Plugging In Everything)

You hook up, switch on the A/C, hit the microwave, plug in the coffee pot…
And then the power cuts out.

Was it the pedestal?
The surge protector?
The fact you didn’t check the breaker?

The fix:

  • Check the pedestal before plugging in

  • Use a surge protector or EMS

  • Flip the breakers off → then on

  • Start small: lights and fridge before high-draw appliances

💥 Bonus chaos: Discovering you need a 30-to-50 amp adapter you left at home. Again.

🛑 Mistake #4: Forgetting the Chocks (Until It’s Almost Too Late)

You’re leveling the rig, stepping inside… and suddenly, it moves.
Just a bit.
Enough to take a year off your life.

The fix:
Chock the wheels before you do anything else.
Especially if:

  • You’re on a slope

  • It just rained

  • You value your nerves

🚫 Chocks are not optional. They're emotional insurance.

🌀 Mistake #5: Trying to Rush Setup with an Audience

You pull into a campground.
All eyes are on you.
You try to:

  • Back in perfectly

  • Level in 90 seconds

  • Look like you do this all the time

This is when you:

  • Forget steps

  • Trip over cords

  • And snap at your partner like a sitcom couple under pressure

The fix:
Slow down. Ignore the audience.
Everyone’s messed it up before.
You’ll earn more respect being calm than perfect.

🧠 Final Thought

Campground setup isn’t about perfection—it’s about recovery speed and a sense of humor.

You’ll mess up.
You’ll swear.
You’ll re-level three times because your fridge beeps when you close it.

And that’s fine.

Every mistake is just another campfire story in the making.

🐟 Want to see the actual site layout before you arrive?
Use Campground Views to virtually tour your site and plan ahead—so you can avoid trees, slopes, and “that one spot” everyone regrets.