Parking at a campground seems a simple task right up until the first night spent "head downhill", or the moment it turns out the cable does not reach the power post. Most discomforts on a pitch are not chance but predictable mistakes that beginners repeat time after time. The good news: knowing them in advance, you will avoid almost all of them. Let us go through the most common slip-ups and how to prevent them.
Mistake 1. Cramped "right up against" parking
A beginner often places the motorhome on the "as long as it fits" principle, forgetting that they will live not in the body but around it. As a result the door runs into a bush, there is nowhere to extend the awning, no place for a table, and you can reach the neighbour by hand. The right way is to reserve space for open doors, the extended awning, a table with chairs and a walkway around. The outdoor "living patch" matters more than a couple of extra metres of view.
Mistake 2. Ignoring the slope
Settling "looks level enough" by eye is a classic. Then at night the blanket slides off, in the morning the glass travels across the table, and worst of all — a tilting absorption fridge loses efficiency and can fail. Before fixing in place, always check the level with a spirit level or app and compensate the slope with levelling pads: side-to-side first, then lengthwise. That is five minutes that save both your sleep and the equipment.
Mistake 3. An awkward turn and entry
The wish to "get it on the first try" leads to haste, and haste to clipped neighbours and scratched sides. Typical sub-types:
- reversing without a helper and without getting out to look;
- driving in at speed with sharp acceleration on soft ground;
- ignoring the height — branches, canopies, barriers;
- trying to turn in a narrow lane instead of choosing a convenient line in advance.
Cured by a slow pace, a partner and the principle "better to get out and look ten times".
Mistake 4. Wrong position by the sun
Placing the entrance and awning on the sunny side — and instead of shade during the day you get a roasting cabin and nowhere to hide. Or turning so the evening sun shines straight into the dining area. Before parking, think about where the sun will be in the morning and at midday, and set the motorhome so there is shade under the awning. In the heat seek natural shade, but beware of falling branches and sap.
Mistake 5. Did not account for wind
The awning is the main victim of this mistake. An extended canopy is easily turned out and broken by a side gust. Orient the entrance to the leeward side, and fold the awning without hesitation when the wind picks up — its repair is dearer than any convenience. On open areas by the water the wind is especially treacherous.
Mistake 6. Ignoring utilities
A very common slip — to settle beautifully but far from the engineering points. The consequences:
- the cable for electricity does not reach the post, or has to be run across a driveway where people trip over it;
- the tank filler ends up on the side away from the water point, and the water has to be carried across the whole plot;
- the drain outlet faces the opposite way from the tank drain.
The fix is simple: before driving in, find all the connection points and choose the parking side based on them.
Mistake 7. Overloading the electrical network
Having connected, the beginner switches on the kettle, heater, boiler and air conditioner at once — and trips the main breaker, cutting power to themselves and the neighbours. Usually a limit (6–16 A) is allocated to the spot. Distribute the load over time and keep the total power of your appliances in mind.
Mistake 8. Forgot about securing
Levelled up — and forgot to place the wheel chocks or apply the handbrake, especially on a slope. Or lowered the support jacks "into the air", trying to lift the wheels — stabilisers are not for that, they only remove rocking. The order is: levelling with pads under the wheels, handbrake, chocks, then stabilisers.
Mistake 9. Sinking into soft ground
A heavy motorhome on grass or sand after rain sinks on its supports and wheels, tilts and spins on exit. Place wide pads (boards, plastic platforms) under the supports and wheels in advance to spread the weight. This is especially relevant at nature pitches without a hard surface.
Mistake 10. Violating borders and walkways
Driving onto a neighbour's plot, an awning over someone else's spot, a blocked driveway, a second car "wherever it stood" — all of this spoils relations with neighbours and breaches fire safety. Stay within the borders of your spot and leave a walkway between motorhomes.
Mistake 11. Parked before checking in
Beginners sometimes drive straight onto a free spot they like, skipping reception. It then turns out the spot is reserved, that you should have entered from another side, or that the campground has its own rules for allocating plots. Reception and pitch number first — then the manoeuvre.
Mistake 12. Blocked your own exit
A motorhome that conveniently reversed into a "pocket" cannot get out in the morning without a complex manoeuvre disturbing woken neighbours. When parking, think ahead: where possible, settle so you can leave forwards and without a helper in the morning. This matters especially if an early departure is planned.
Mistake 13. Settled with the entrance towards the driveway, bins or toilet
A nice view on one side does not mean the entrance should face it. If the door and dining area look onto a dusty driveway, the bins or the flow of people to the sanitary block, the holiday will be so-so. Turn the "living" side towards a quiet, pleasant view, and the technical side (lockers, drain) towards the driveway and connection points.
Mistake 14. Did not check the height clearance
The most expensive mistake. Driving under a low branch, canopy, beam or wire ends in damage to the roof, antennas, air conditioner or skylights. Before driving in, always assess the height of obstacles and remember your motorhome's real height — it is "invisible" from the driver's seat.
Mistake 15. Relied on intuition instead of a helper
The shyness about asking a partner to get out and help with the manoeuvre costs more than the awkwardness. A motorhome has almost no rear visibility, the overhangs are large, and the neighbour's property is close. A helper in the mirror's field of view with clear gestures is the norm, not a sign of inexperience. If you travel alone, get out and look around as often as needed.
Mistake 16. Left outside what the wind or rain will take
This is not about the manoeuvre itself but about settling in afterwards, yet the mistake is common: an awning left out in the wind, a mat, folding furniture and drying things left overnight or before leaving on an excursion. Rising wind breaks the canopy, rain soaks the things, and animals drag off left-out food. When leaving and at night — fold up and put away.
Mistake 17. Chose the side without looking at the neighbours
The spot does not exist in a vacuum — others stand nearby. Turning the entrance towards a neighbour's generator, barbecue or air-conditioner outdoor unit, you get noise, smoke and hot air straight into the dining area. It is just as unpleasant to settle the "living" side towards a busy path to the sanitary block. Before fixing in place, look around: where the neighbours' equipment and activity are, where the flow of people goes — and turn your quiet side towards the calm spot.
Why beginners repeat these mistakes
Almost all the listed slip-ups grow from three causes, and understanding this helps prevent them:
- Haste. After a long drive you want to "drop anchor" faster. But that is exactly the moment to slow down: five minutes of looking save hours of reinstalling and repair.
- Fatigue. A tired driver judges dimensions and slope worse. If you only have the energy to "settle somehow", better settle roughly level and secure, and leave the fine-tuning.
- Shyness. A beginner is afraid of seeming inexperienced and does not ask for help, does not check at reception, does not make a second attempt. In fact, care earns only respect from neighbours.
A good habit is to act every time by the same algorithm. After a few trips it becomes automatic, and parking turns from stress into routine.
How to avoid mistakes: a short algorithm
- Walk the plot on foot before driving in.
- Estimate the "living patch": doors, awning, table, walkway.
- Determine the sun and wind.
- Find the power post, water and drain — choose a side.
- Drive in slowly, with a helper, mindful of height.
- Level up, secure, place pads under the supports.
- Connect carefully and do not overload the network.
Most of these mistakes are easy to avoid by choosing a good campground with spacious, level pitches and convenient connections — see the options in the catalogue and on the map.