There’s plenty of advice when it comes to traveling with your RV. Here are five big ones to watch out for and and at least be aware of when you’re out on the road — and at your campsite.

The RV life is wonderful! Whether you’re a full timer, going on a long vacation, or getting away for the weekend, using your RV opens up new places, new opportunities, and new experiences. Here’s five thing to look out for when you’re RVing.

Be careful where you travel

Sometimes, your GPS will send you down a road that is nearly impossible to turnaround on. That GPS is good to reference where you need to be, but there’s no replacement for a motor carrier atlas (you can get it at any truck stop).

It’s a good idea to “zoom in” on your GPS as you get closer to your destination. You can see what’s ahead and make adjustments before you get into trouble.

Keep gassed up

Especially if you’re unfamiliar with where you’ll be traveling to, it’s a good idea to keep your gas tanks topped off. This is especially important if your vehicle (or tow vehicle) runs on diesel fuel.

The app, gas Buddy, is a great tool to discover where the best-priced gas is near you (or where you’ll be) as well as reviews on specific gas stations (ease of getting into, hidden secrets like free overnight parking, etc.).

But don’t take the top off!

While we’re on the topic of gas stations, make sure you can easily maneuver into and out of whatever gas station your using. We’ve seen some that look like they’d be easy to get into, but high traffic all of sudden trapped us or we were just too big and caused confusion with other vehicles.

Some stations, especially older ones, will have obstacles in the way, tight corners, and even low overhangs. If you travel with a copilot, make sure he or she is looking ahead and helping you to avoid any problems at the station.

Communicate, communicate, communicate

If you travel with a copilot, realize that things can get tense at times. This is especially true when things go wrong (like getting lost or getting into a problem situation), when you’re in an unfamiliar place, or when you’re doing something you haven’t done before or not a lot of (like backing into a campsite).

Be sure to communicate with each other, but realize that the situations you get into when traveling are extreme and that many times, no one’s fault. Just calm down, have a good attitude, and communicate.

Keep those holding tanks valves closed

Make sure you never keep your black tank release valve open. Doing so is only asking for problems: liquid will seep out of the tank, leaving solid waste behind which will start to clog up your tank, the plumbing pipes in your RV, and even the flexible waste hose that goes from your RV to the waste disposal hole in the ground.

A lot of RVers leave their gray tank release valves open. We recommend that you do not do this for the same reasons you don’t leave your black tank release valve open: While what’s in your gray tank is mostly liquid, food particles, globs of grease or soap, and other particulates can drop into tank corners or pipe bends and start to break down, creating horrible smells.