Common-sense rules of etiquette prevail when you check into any campground, public or commercial. Whether you plan to stay for one night or an extended visit, you are joining a "community," and you are expected to be a good neighbor. You'll be delighted with the friendliness of RV people. Your new neighbors will want to know where you are from, will be curious about your vehicle and your itinerary. If they've come from the direction you are heading, they will offer tips on sights and places to camp.

In turn, they will expect you not to make excessive noise, to respect the environment around you, to clean up any litter and not to let any pets become a nuisance.

If you arrive at a campground at night, keep your lights dim and make as little noise as possible. If you see a campsite empty except for a chair or similar object, it means that someone has staked it out, but is touring for the day in their vehicle.

Pass it up for another space; they'll be back later.

Black Water -- disposal water from toilet system, held in "holding tank" until you "dump it, in large tank available at most campgrounds.

Convenience Kits -- see "Liveability Packages."

Dinette -- booth-like dining area. Table usually "drops" to help convert unit into a bed at night.

Double sink -- sink with 2 compartments; deemed more versatile than one with a single one.

Dual electrical system -- RV equipped with lights, appliances which operate on 12-volt battery power when self-contained, and with a converter, on 110 AC current when in campgrounds or with an on-board generator.

Gray Water -- disposal water from sinks, shower. In some units, this is held in a tank separate from "black water"; is also dumped in tanks at campgrounds.

GVWR -- Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. The maximum loaded weight for which the vehicle was designed.

Liveability Packages -- items to equip a motorhome for daily living, which may be rented at nominal cost from rental firm, rather than brought from home. Include bed linens, pillows and blankets, bath towels, pots and pans, kitchen utensils, cutlery.

Propane -- LPG, or liquefied petroleum gas, used in RVs for heating, cooking and refrigeration. Also called "bottle gas," for manner in which it is sold and stored.

Rig -- what many RVers call their units.

Roof air conditioning -- air conditioning unit mounted on roof of RV, to cool the RV when it is parked. When moving, most RVs are cooled by separate air conditioning units which are components of the engine, or they may be cooled by a roof top if a proper size generator is installed.

RV - short for Recreation Vehicle, a generic term for all pleasure vehicles which contain living accommodations. Multiple units are RVs and persons using them are RVers.

Self-contained -- RV which needs no external electrical, drain or water hook-up. Thus, it can park overnight anywhere. Of course, self-contained units can also hook up to facilities when at campgrounds.

Information and photographs utilized in this publication were contributed, in part, by individual member dealers of RVRA by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association, by Outdoor Resorts of America, and by the tourism or travel commissions of Arizona, Wyoming, and Calgary, Canada and the city of Cheyenne.