A campsite with full hookups is one that provides access to all of the facilities necessary to connect your RV or travel trailer to the campground’s amenities.
These conveniences include a connection for your electrical lines as well as a connection for your water lines.
Although it is becoming more common for campgrounds to provide full hookups, you may still be able to find a campsite with partial hookups.
These campsites typically include water and electricity but do not include sewage hookups. There are also campgrounds that offer deluxe hookups, which include full hookups in addition to cable television, phone lines, and internet access.
Let’s dive in and learn more about full hookup campsites, including what type of hookups you will need, what to do if there are no hookups, and how long it should take you to connect and disconnect your cables when you set up and leave.
What Does A Full Hookup RV Site Have?
Full hookup RV sites can be found nationwide and come standard with hookups for your RV’s electricity, water, and sewage.
There is usually a communal dump station located within the campgrounds in order to dump your black and gray water tanks.
Electrical outlets will consist of either a 50-amp service or a 30-amp service, or both of them. In addition, there is typically at least one plug that accepts 110 volts.
Hooking up the electric, black, and gray water lines is simple as long as you are following your RV owner’s manual.
What Kind of Hookups Do You Need for an RV?
In order to fully utilize all of your hookups, you’ll need cables for black water, gray water, and electricity. Black water is anything that comes out of your toilet, and gray water is water that drains from your showers or sinks.
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Electricity Hookups
There are three different levels of electrical hookup: 15, 30 and 50 amps. You most likely received the appropriate power cord for your rig when you purchased the RV. However, you are responsible for determining the type of power that is required.
After you have arrived at your destination, all that is required of you is to connect the power cord to the outlet that is located on the pedestal that is provided at your RV campsite.
It is important to remember to turn off the power at the source as well as any electronic devices before plugging them in.
Cable TV Hookups
At a site that provides full hookups, cable television is an accommodation that is not always included. There are some campgrounds that offer long-term stays that will let you hard wire the cable TV into your rig.
The majority are as easy to install as plugging them in. It is possible that you will need to contact the cable company in order to get your service paired up if you are staying for an extended period of time.
Water Hookups
At your campsite, you’ll have a water spigot to hookup to your rig. These are usually the same fasteners used as on garden hoses, and the connection is a simple clockwise turn. However, you may want to connect a water filter to your hose to filter the local water.
Sewer Hookups
The wastewater that collects in your sinks, toilet, and shower eventually makes its way to the sewer. These are placed in the black water tank, which contains waste from the toilet, and the gray water tank, which contains waste from the sinks and shower.
Under no circumstances should wastewater be dumped on the ground. It is against the law to dump contaminated water on the ground.
It is required to be disposed of in a sewer or septic system. The wastewater contains a variety of pathogens, including bacteria, that can be harmful to humans.
What Is Camping Without Hookups Called?
You may think that camping with an RV requires hookups, but you might be surprised to find that many people camp without any hookups at all!
Dry camping is a catch-all term that can be used to refer to any kind of camping experience in which access to water is limited or nonexistent.
When it comes to RVing, “dry camping” just refers to any campsite or location where hookups are not available.
Many people who have camper vans dry camp a lot because camper vans can go places that bigger rigs can’t. This is one of the biggest advantages of having a smaller camper van.
How Long Does It Take To Hook Up An RV?
It may take anywhere from ten to sixty minutes, depending on the size of your RV, the amount of equipment that you plan to bring along, and the level of sophistication of the mechanical components of your rig, to completely hook up an RV.
Class A RVs, or motorhomes, are one of the easiest rigs to fully hook up. Just pull into your campsite, set your brakes, and screw on a few hoses, and you’re done.
The slides and levels on most new Class A RV’s are fully automated, so with just a few button presses you can be on your way.
Travel trailers, toy haulers, and fifth-wheel campers take a little more work to get fully set up. The parking of these campers is the biggest difficulty.
Because they are tow-behind RV’s, parking them takes skills that can only be acquired through time and practice. Like class A RVs, newer travel trailers feature self-leveling systems and other advancements in setting up and taking down.
Do All Campgrounds Have Full Hook Up Sites?
No! Not every campground that can accommodate RVs has full hook-up sites. Some campgrounds have only partial hookups and other campgrounds do not have any hookups at all.
This is why it is critical to do your research and plan ahead. There is nothing worse than showing up to your campsite, expecting to have a hot shower and food, and there are no hookups. While it wouldn’t be the end of the world, it may put a damper on an otherwise delightful trip.
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Erick is a freelance writer and outdoor enthusiast. Growing up in Nairobi Kenya and now calling Glasgow, United Kingdom home. Sipping on homemade spiced swahili tea and enjoying a good book is his idea of bliss.