Because we often boondock in wide open spaces, we can face our RV in any direction. Any spot on the compass is available to us, so why did we always face East in our motorhome when we had the option (especially in the winter)? In this post, we’ll tell you exactly why we did that, and it might give you some ideas about what might work best for you.
Facing East isn’t the best choice for every RV or every situation. But when you see our reasoning, you’ll be able to tell what makes the most sense for you, too. Spoiler alert: It surely won’t surprise you to learn that the sun is a huge factor in all this! 🌞
5 Reasons Why We Park Our RV Facing East
Again, we’re not suggesting that facing East will work best for everyone because we recognize that other RVers may have different issues to address than we did. We also know that different floor plans mean that the components in other rigs are located in different areas of the RV from where ours were located on our former motorhomes.
That said, here are the five top reasons why we chose to park our motorhome facing East whenever possible, especially when we’re boondocking during winter months when days are shorter and the sun stays lower along the Southern horizon.
Morning Sun Position
When we camped in desert locations with our motorhome during winter snowbirding trips, having the morning sun come in through our large windshield was a great (and free) way to help warm up the inside of the RV. It’s often chilly in the desert overnight, so we always enjoyed having the sun warm up the rig as soon as possible after sunrise.
Parking our motorhome facing east meant that the morning sun could warm up the interior through the windshield (plus it made for a great view, too!)
When the weather was warmer, and we didn’t want the sun to come in on any given morning, we would simply leave the shades down. When we had the Class A, we’d also put up our outside windshield screens.
If we were to have faced our motorhome in the opposite direction during warmer weather, the hot afternoon sun would have come right through that big windshield and into our living space, heating us up too much. So even in the summer, having the afternoon sun hit the rear of a motorhome (where there’s no windshield) is usually preferable, since it’s better insulated back there.
Awning Placement
Facing the RV East placed our awning on the south-facing side of the RV. This allowed us to use the awning to help keep that side of the RV cool and/or to provide a shaded area to sit. Yes, we could sit in the shade on the North (left/street) side of the RV, but that’s not the “patio” side!
Most RVs designed for use in North America or on the European continent have the main patio awning on the right side. In countries that drive on the left (Australia, England, and New Zealand, for example, all of which we’ve RVed in), the awning is usually on the left side since that’s the “curb-side” or “patio-side” or “door-side” when you drive on the left.
Here we are facing East, as usual, during a Desert SW winter boondocking trip in our former Newmar motorhome. The awnings (and our Privacy Panel) provided shade on the southern/patio side of the rig. In this photo, it’s late afternoon, with the sun on the rear of the RV, which blocks heat more effectively than the windshield. Of course, our solar panels were tilted to suck up the rays!
If you’re looking for more shade and/or privacy, a Tough Top Awnings privacy panel can be a great addition to your rig, too.
Also, having the left side/driver’s side of the rig facing north had its advantages as well. First, no matter what time of year it is, the north side never gets any sun. That means there’s no need to put window awnings out on that side, no matter how warm the weather gets. That was especially nice when we were in an area with a beautiful view, leaving the view to the North unobstructed by window awnings.
For the same reason, it’s only necessary to put RV tire covers on the South side of the rig. The tires on the North side don’t get hit by the sun at all, so they don’t require as much UV protection. When we stay in one place for longer than a few days, we usually put all of our tire covers on anyway, but it’s one less thing to do when we’re setting up for a shorter stay.
Afternoon Sun on the Rear of the RV
Again, when the late afternoon sun hit the rear of our motorhome at the warmest time of the day, having our rig facing East kept the heat away from the living area, so it stayed cooler. That then gave the bedroom time to cool down after sunset before it was time to hit the sack.
Parking our motorhome with the windshield facing east keeps the sun on the rear of the RV (which is better insulated) in the afternoon, helping to keep us cool inside.
Additionally, the rear of our motorhome was more heavily insulated. Not only was there no glass back there, but there were also additional areas of insulation like the gap between the rear fiberglass cap and the rear wall of the closet. The closet and other cabinets in the back acted as a buffer, better keeping the heat out of the living space.
Refrigerator Location
With our motorhome’s floor plan, the refrigerator was on the driver’s side/left side of the RV. Our original refrigerator was a typical propane-powered RV fridge, and we later installed a residential refrigerator.
In the floorplan of our Newmar Mountain Aire, the refrigerator sat on the north (driver’s) side of the rig. This is one more good reason why we chose to park it facing East whenever possible. This put the fridge/north side of the rig where the sun would never hit it.
Having that side of the rig facing north ensured that the refrigerator didn’t have to contend with increased temperatures caused by the sun baking that side wall of the RV. This helped food to stay colder, and the refrigerator didn’t have to work as hard.
Of course, some things were practical in our motorhome, but don’t apply in the same way with our current towable RV. For the same reason, not all of these suggestions will apply to your rig. For example, your RV may have the fridge on the same side as the patio awning, so not every rig can be faced optimally for every situation. It’s all a balancing act. There can be compromise solutions, however, such as installing a Privacy Panel and keeping it, and the patio awning, out over the fridge on sunny days. Every rig is different, and so are each RVer’s priorities.
Optimal Solar Panel Angle
We’ve saved the elephant in the room for last — solar power production. If you have tiltable solar panels, the direction you face them can make a HUGE difference in how much power they produce. That’s most important during shorter winter days (when the sun stays low on the Southern horizon). For us boondockers, this is the most critical consideration of all.
On our old Newmar motorhome, half of the solar panels in the rooftop solar array were on electrically operated lifts, but they could only tilt the panels in one direction. We mounted them so that the panels tilted toward the passenger/curbside, because we wanted them to be facing the South when the RV faced East.
Tilting solar panels toward the low-in-the-southern-winter-sky sun increases their output by about 25-35%. During short winter days, maximizing solar output is more important than ever. For more, check out our video about why we park our rig facing East whenever we have the opportunity:
Since you rarely get the choice of which direction to face when parked in a campground or RV park, our reasons for facing East are most usable in non-designated camping spots like BLM boondocking areas. But having shore power allows you to manage your environment much better without having to concern yourself with the direction your rig is facing anyway.
PRO TIP: A caveat: In the hottest part of the summer (which coincides with longer days and higher sun angle — both good for added solar power), we occasionally opted to face North in our motorhome. That prevented the sun from ever shining directly into the big windshield, keeping us cooler. When too much heat is the biggest consideration, keeping the largest glass areas out of the sun can be the most important decision. And while we couldn’t tilt our panels to the South, tilting them isn’t needed in summer anyway.
Of course, the type of RV you have, floorplan, window locations, etc., will affect the best direction to face your rig. Obviously, a fifth wheel with a large rear window may be better facing West for the same reasons we face East. The point of this isn’t to say that every RV should face East. It’s to list the factors that convinced us to face that way so you can figure out what works best for your RV’s layout.
Which Direction Do You Face Your RV When Given the Choice?
Depending on the type of RV and floorplan you have, you might want to face some other direction when you have a choice. Maybe your fridge is on the other side of the rig or you have a fifth wheel with a large window in the back. Maybe you only camp in the summer in the forest, so sun angle, solar panels, and all the rest of this aren’t that important to you.
Whatever your situation, we hope our reasons for facing East provide some food for thought about which direction you might want to face your own rig when you’re boondocking.
For more tips about camping off the grid, check out our other related posts: 27 boondocking tips, the 11 best ways to find RV boondocking spots, and our complete guide to Class A RV boondocking.
Free RVing Tips, Tricks, Reviews & Giveaways
As 20-year full-timers, we share everything we’ve learned about RVing over the years. Join our online community to receive a wealth of great RVing knowledge delivered daily to your inbox.
Whether you’re a new RVer or a seasoned full-timer, you’ll love the wide range of RVing topics we cover. Don’t miss a single article or any of our famous Giveaways. Subscribe to our newsletter today!
Limestone Farrell
Tuesday 15th of April 2025
We’ve been “blessed” with some severe winds on many of our truck camper outings. I’ve learned wind direction is more important than wind speed and try to locate facing into the wind or expected thunderstorms.
Eric
Monday 10th of February 2025
I usually sleep in the over-cab bunk of my class C, so my main consideration is facing the bunk away from any source of noise, such as other campers, dogs, roads, etc. It's amazing how much quieter it is when facing away from such things.
Bill
Thursday 18th of April 2024
Great info about RV orientation. Do you have recommendations for window tinting a motorhome?
TheRVgeeks
Thursday 18th of April 2024
Hi Bill. No, we don't have any recommendations (pro/con, installers, etc) for window tinting. We can tell you that both of our motorhomes came with tinted windows (the Mountain Aire's being darker than our original Bounder Diesel) and we liked them. They definitely kept things more private inside, so you felt less like a fish in a bowl in tight campgrounds. And because it kept it dimmer inside, it at least FELT/SEEMED like it was keeping things cooler, too.
But, if either RV hadn't come with windows that were made with tint, we're not sure we'd have gone through the trouble to have them tinted (both for the relative cost of doing it... and some concern that applying a tinting film to the glass wouldn't hold up as well over time).
Will B.
Tuesday 16th of April 2024
We have a fifth wheel and when we're boondocking and not in a campground (which is more often the case, so far) we also try to face east. Your post explains the good reasons, I guess, for what many of us do instinctively.
For us, we don't have tiltable panels, but have now purchased some additional portables, and that will help once I wire them in. (Two computers, external monitors, big NAS... we can be a bit power hungry.) Also, our fridge is on the south side, unfortunately. But, much like your big Class A windshield, we have a GD 399TH side patio, and that's *our* big window to let the sun in when we're sitting in Quartzsite or other great boondocking areas.
Ed Fogle
Tuesday 16th of April 2024
I prefer to face north most of the time. We are more likely to sit outside in the evening rather than morning. So when it’s the hottest part of the day the RV and awning shade our sitting area. If we faced east the awing wouldn’t shade us from the morning or evening sun. BTW, I find it rare RV parks are layed out for north facing sites. Of course we might choose a different direction if there is a better scenic view.