If you’re a new RVer, or haven’t even taken delivery of your first rig yet, the connections and hoses you need to hook up your RV might seem a bit overwhelming. But don’t worry… hooking up your RV for camping is a simple process that anyone can learn how to do. In this post, we’ll give you three simple steps for hooking up your RV successfully, and we’ll provide you with a list of items you’ll need to do it.
- 1) Essential Items for Hooking Up Your RV at a Campsite
- 2) Check These Vital Steps Before Plugging In Your RV
- 3) 3 Simple Steps for Hooking Up Your RV at a Campsite
- 4) Video Showing Step-by-Step How To Hook Up
- 5) Now It’s Time to Enjoy the RV Life!
Essential Items for Hooking Up Your RV at a Campsite
Before you start, you’ll need the following supplies to help with the process of hooking up to shore power, water, and sewer.
- Power cord and adapters (see the cords & adapters we use here)
- Surge protector (30-amp or 50-amp versions available)
- Potable water hose (we like the NeverKink brand… available in 25-foot or 50-foot lengths)
- Water pressure regulator (at a minimum, this simple one … but we use an adjustable regulator because it offers higher flow)
- Disinfectant spray (we use Lyson Disinfectant Spray )
- Protective gloves (Nitrile gloves work great)
- Sewer hose
- Hose adapter and clear sewer elbow
- Sewer hose support
Check These Vital Steps Before Plugging In Your RV
Prior to taking the three main steps to successfully connect your RV at your campsite, you’ll need to take special note of a couple of important precautions:
Make sure to turn off the circuit breaker on the RV park’s power pole before connecting!
- Be sure that the circuit breaker is in the “off” position: Before you even think about connecting to the power source, you need to make sure the circuit breaker on the RV park’s power pedestal is in the “off” position
- Be sure to use a surge protector to protect your RV from a faulty pedestal. A quality surge protector will protect your RV in case of power surges or if it is connected to a faulty pedestal. Otherwise, you risk frying your electrical connections and gear in your RV. Here’s the 30-amp version of the surge protector we use:
Power Watchdog PWD30EPOW Smart RV Portable Surge Protector 30 Amp - Patented WiFi and Bluetooth Connectivity - Monitor Voltage/Amperage/Wattage - IP65 Water-Resistant- Enhanced Safety Alerts: Stay ahead of electrical issues by receiving timely wireless fault alerts, ensuring your camper is always protected from...
- Stay Connected Anywhere: Wifi enabled monitoring keeps you informed of your camper essentials with voltage meter data anytime, anywhere-perfect for...
3 Simple Steps for Hooking Up Your RV at a Campsite
Now that we’ve gotten all of the above out of the way, let’s get to those 3 simple steps:
Plug Your Power Cord into the Appropriate Outlet
The first step to hooking up your RV is to connect to a power source. To do this, plug your RV electrical cord’s plug into the pedestal. If the pedestal offers 50-, 30-, and 20-amp power outlets, simply plug your RV’s electrical cord into the corresponding outlet (the hole sizes and patterns are unique to each type of connection, so you can’t mistake which one is the correct one for your RV).
However, if the pedestal doesn’t have an outlet that corresponds to the type of plug you have, you can use a “dog bone” adapter like this one:
- Converts Electrical Connection Type: Designed to allow you to hookup to your campground's power pedestal, adapting the electrical connection to fit...
- High Conductivity: Heavy-duty 30-amp male (NEMA TT-30P) and 50-amp female (NEMA 14-50R) electrical heads. Rated for 125 volts/3750 watts. Constructed...
If that isn’t the adapter you need, others we use are available here. And you can watch our video all about using dog bone adapters to connect your RV to the available electrical outlet.
Once you’ve plugged into the pedestal, flip the breaker for the corresponding outlet back to the “On” position.
Hook Up Your Fresh Water Hose
Once you’ve made your electrical connection, the next step in hooking up your RV is to connect the fresh water hose. We’re pretty confident that you know how to connect a hose to a faucet, but here are a few crucial tips/facts you’ll want to be aware of:
Be sure you’re using a potable water hose
A potable water hose is one that’s specifically designed for drinking water (typically a white or blue hose… see the two options linked above). You shouldn’t use a standard garden hose, as they may contain harmful chemicals that can leach into the water, making it unsafe to drink.
Disinfect the water faucet
Before you connect the waterline, spray the faucet with disinfectant. Why, you ask? Well, the previous camper may very well have rinsed out their sewer hose after dumping their black tank using that very same water faucet! Yuck! You don’t want to hook up to a dirty faucet and then drink that water.
Get an extra connection with a Y-valve (optional)
Another tip when hooking up an RV is to optionally screw a Y valve onto the park’s water connection before attaching your fresh water hose. This allows you to have an additional outlet if you need water for other purposes during your stay. That way, you don’t have to unscrew your drinking hose if you need to use the outdoor faucet for something. Just be sure the Y valve is safe for use with drinking water, like this Camco one that we use .
A Y-valve allows you to use two outlets at the same time, so you don’t have to disconnect your RV’s fresh water connection!
Use a water pressure regulator to protect your RV’s water system
When you’re hooking up your water, always use a water pressure regulator to protect your RV water system from high pressure. There are various models of water pressure regulators, but the important thing is that you have one… and never connect to water without it. If you want to splurge, you can buy an adjustable water pressure regulator like this one with a gauge that shows you the exact pressure levels (it’s the one we use):
- WATER REGULATOR: Versatile water regulator is compatible with standard campers, RV's, trailers, and more
- IDEAL PRESSURE: Regulates water pressure to your preference with pressure gauge
Hook Up Your Sewer Hose
If the campsite you’re staying in has full hookups, it’s now time to attach the sewer hose. Whenever you’re dealing with the sewer hose, always use protective gloves. Then wash your hands immediately after completing the task to ensure you aren’t spreading germs or disease.
Now that your gloves are on, let’s get started!
Make sure your black and gray tanks are closed before removing the cap
The first thing to do when hooking your RV up to an RV park sewer connection is to make sure both black and gray valves are closed first (since you weren’t hooked up yet, they should already be in the closed position). If your tank valves aren’t closed and you remove the cap, anything in the tanks will come pouring out. This is definitely something you want to avoid!
PRO TIP: use a clear elbow on your sewer hose so you can visually confirm that your tanks are draining… and when they’re done (which is especially helpful when using a black tank rinse, as the clear elbow lets you know when you’ve thoroughly rinsed the tank out).
A clear elbow allows you to confirm that “stuff” is running through your hose!
Clip the clear elbow onto the connection for the sewer outlet on your RV (some sewer hoses may already come with a clear section attached).
Use a sewer hose support to keep the hose off the ground. Simply lay your hose on the support, and pull the elastic bands tightly to prevent the hose from falling off the support. We’ve found this to be a quality sewer hose support:
- RV SEWER HOSE SUPPORT: Elevated design supports your drainage hose and promotes better draining
- IMPROVED DESIGN: 26% wider and 30% deeper for increased stability and a smoother overall RV experience
Use an adapter to secure the sewer hose to the inlet
You can purchase a sewer hose adapter with three different-sized threads, such as the one shown below. The park’s sewer line will typically use one of three sizes. Having an adapter like this means you don’t have to worry about pulling into an RV site only to be unable to hook up to the sewer.
- Secure Sewer Hose Connection: Enjoy uninterrupted convenience with the Easy Slip RV Sewer Elbow and 4-in-1 Adapter. The patented spin-lock design...
- Spin-Lock Technology: Patented Spin-Lock technology locks your hose in place without having to apply pressure. Quickly rotate the rings for an easy...
To connect your sewer hose, firmly screw your adapter into the park’s sewer line. Attach the other end of the adapter to your sewer hose, and connect the two sides of the adapter together. Ensure everything is firmly attached to prevent leakage (you can let some gray water out as a test).
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you need to dump both your black and gray tanks, dump the black tank first. Otherwise, always leave the black tank closed while using full hookups. A common newbie mistake is to leave the black valve in the open position while it is hooked up. This will allow “liquids” to run out, while “solids” slowly pile up. Over time, this will cause a nasty situation inside the black tank, which is commonly known as “pyramiding” (a buildup of solid material), which can eventually require professional help to remedy.
Dumping the black tank first lets the grey water clear out your sewer hose on its way through. After both tanks are dumped, it’s generally recommended to leave the gray valve closed as well, letting out gray water every couple of days as needed. You could leave the grey tank valve open so that you can run water freely in the RV, but we’ve heard stories of people getting odors into the RV from the park’s sewer system if they have a bad air admittance valve under one of their sinks (if you think you may have a problem with one of those valves, here’s how to replace it). Again, don’t EVER leave the black tank valve open while hooked up, or your black tank will get messy very quickly!
Video Showing Step-by-Step How To Hook Up
More of a visual person than a reader? Here’s our video showing you how to do it:
Now It’s Time to Enjoy the RV Life!
While boondocking is our favorite way to camp, we definitely enjoy the luxury of having full hookups at an RV park. If you follow the simple steps above when hooking up your RV, you’ll be set to go in no time. Now go and enjoy that camping trip!
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Claire Leusink
Sunday 25th of January 2026
This is assuming that the RV is leveled and chocked. Plenty of helpful tips from Comments.
Hank
Thursday 15th of August 2024
Spraying the fresh water faucet with disinfectant is a fantastic idea. I’m trying to think what kind of spray disinfectant to use? Open to ideas of some convenient spray can/bottle?
TheRVgeeks
Thursday 15th of August 2024
@Hank, we've used Lysol Disinfectant Spray (rinsing it off afterwards, of course) for 20+ years and it's worked for us.
Joe C
Thursday 15th of August 2024
Something else for the newbies to consider is how they store these items. My Camco sewer hoses came with caps and I always recap them after use. For the fresh water hose, I got a Cable Cuff at Home Depot (https://www.homedepot.com/p/CABLE-CUFF-Large-Cable-Cuff-PRO-CFLP030808/204806549). They are cheap and come in a variety of sizes. Once I have the water cose coiled, I rotate it over and over to make the water spill out, reducing the possibility of bacteria growth, and very importantly, I connect the two ends of the hose to each other so nothing will enter the hose during storage!
Megan ONeill
Tuesday 8th of June 2021
I wonder why people hook up their tanks to the sewer upon arrival at the park. I always hook mine up the day I leave, before emptying the tanks. I understand if you are staying a while and have a family, but why not hook up right before dumping? I don't particularly like looking at my neighbor's sewer line (another reason I prefer to dry camp). Is there a reason to hook up at arrival?
Joe C
Thursday 15th of August 2024
@Megan ONeill, I usually hook up when I arrive mainly because I will overfill the capacity of my gray tank if I wait until I leave.
TheRVgeeks
Wednesday 9th of June 2021
Hi Megan. Good question. For us, it's usually because when we arrive at an RV park, we've probably just come in from a period of boondocking and our tanks are likely full, so we need to dump. And in that same vein, we're probably going to be doing laundry... so want the tanks dumped, sewer hose hooked up, and gray valve open so we don't have to worry about overfilling the tank. Since we're usually only in RV parks for short stays, too, it doesn't make sense to hook up to dump, put it all away, and then have to do it again a couple days later to dump before leaving. So it's easier to leave it all hooked up.
Luc
Thursday 28th of January 2021
Greeting fellows. Quick question about the surge protector: Do you plug it in the pedestal or into the rig's panel. Thinking theft here.
TheRVgeeks
Thursday 28th of January 2021
Hi Luc! Great question. We keep ours inside our electrical compartment, so out of both sight and weather. Depending on your RV's power cord set-up, that might not be practical or even possible. In that case, we recommend locking the unit to the pedestal using the steel ring on the cord that's provided for that purpose.