How to Safely Park Your RV

If you’re a first time RV owner, learning to safely park your rig can be a bit challenging. To help, we here at Minneapolis Trailer have written up some helpful instructions on how to safely park, level, and even stabilize your RV! However, if you need some more advice, or are interested in buying an RV, feel free to stop by our dealership in Rogers, Minnesota. 

Getting Started

Before you head out onto the open road you’ll need to do a bit of research to make sure that your RV can be safely parked. Double check that the roads leading into your destination aren’t too narrow or winding for your RV. If your rig is too large for these smaller roads you could end up blocking traffic, getting stuck, or even crashing. If you’re renting a parking spot you’ll want to confirm that the dimensions of the spot are large enough for your RV. Most campsites won’t let you take up more than 1 space, and you may be unable to use the included hookups you’ve paid for.

Once you’ve reached your parking spot and confirmed that everything is in order, you’ll want to take a moment to check things out. If there are obstacles in the way, you’ll want to move them or maneuver around them. If you don’t have a spotter, you might want to place down a few small traffic cones to better help you see the dimensions of the space as you pull in. If your parking spot has included hookups, be sure that you’re placing the correct side of your RV next to the correct hookup. If you’re backing into your space, keep your hands on the lower parts of your wheel to avoid over-steering your rig. If you are towing your RV, keep careful watch of which way it turns. Remember not to oversteer and do your best to align your tow vehicle and RV.

Level Your RV

Now that you’re parked, you’ll want to level your RV. To do so, place a bubble level on the floor and check how level your rig is from front to back and left to right. Once you know which way your RV is leaning, you’ll want to mark the front and back of the unlevel wheels. Once this is done, you can move your rig out of the way to place down wheel ramps and blocks between the markings you’ve made. Keeping your wheels aligned, drive forward (or reverse depending on your situation) onto the blocks and check your bubble level once again. If everything is level you can place your wheel chocks and get started on stabilizing your RV. 

Stabilize Your RV 

Some RVs have jacks attached to their frame that can be lowered with an included crank or button. Before lowering these jacks, you’ll want to check the material of your parking spot. If it's unpaved, muddy, or sandy, you’ll want to place down a board between the jack and the ground to provide a firm footing. Once this is done, lower the jacks till they’re just touching the ground or board. Confirm that they aren’t placed at an angle before lifting the jacks a bit more so that they’re bearing the weight of your RV. If you’ve brought your own jacks, or are using extra as a safety precaution, this step is more or less the same. You’ll simply raise the jacks rather than lower them, and confirm they aren’t at an angle as they touch the undercarriage of your rig. 

While parking is one of the more difficult aspects of RV ownership, as you can see it’s pretty easy to learn. However, we encourage you to practice once or twice at home before leaving for your trip. If you have a trip planned, but are still in need of an RV, we hope you’ll stop by Minneapolis Trailer. We proudly serve the Twin Cities of Minnesota and can help you with any of your RV needs!