RVs parked at an RV Resort

What Does Full Hookup Mean at an RV Park?

If you’re a brand new RVer or you’re just starting to research the RVing lifestyle, you are bound to come across new terms and phrases that may seem confusing at first. RV life comes with plenty of jargon, but we’re here to help you figure it all out! In this article, we are diving into the types of amenities you’ll find at RV parks, including full hookups, partial hookups, and primitive camping. Let’s dive in!

What Does Full Hookup Mean at an RV Park? 

Motorhome with full hookup at RV park near ocean

An RV campsite that offers “full hookups” is the most sought-after type of campsite. This means that you can utilize all the functions in your RV right at your campsite without worrying about a thing! You’ll have electricity, water, and sewer hookups, and these campsites make RV life a breeze.

Most RVs have the same amenities as a sticks and bricks house. This includes sinks, a toilet, a shower, and sometimes even a washer and dryer or dishwasher.

Your RV will have a freshwater storage tank and a wastewater storage tank, as well as backup power from your house batteries. But when you’re at a full hook-up campsite, you don’t need to worry about using those up. Here’s a breakdown of each service at a FHU campsite. 

Water Hookups

A water hookup provides fresh, potable water that you can use for cleaning, cooking, and bathing. Instead of filling up your RV fresh water tank, you can just connect a potable water hose to the faucet and to your city water connection and use water like you would in a house.

Don’t forget to use a water pressure regulator and a water filter, because campground water quality and pressure will vary from place to place and can damage your RV plumbing components without these essential items. 

Sewer Hookups

Having a sewer connection at your campsite is ideal. You can allow your gray water to drain freely and not have to worry about breaking camp to dump your tanks. 

Important: While using sewer hookups at a campsite, always keep your black tank closed until it is 2/3 or more full, and then dump like normal. If you leave your black tank open, the liquids will drain but the solids and paper will build up and dry out, which can cause major clogs. 

You can leave your gray tank open if you prefer. 

Electrical Hookups

A campsite that offers electricity will provide a reliable power source for your entire RV. You’ll see different options depending on the campground – typically 30 or 50 amps. 

Depending on your RVs power source, you may need a dogbone adapter to convert the power source to fit your plug. 

Always use a surge protector when using campground electricity to protect your RVs sensitive electrical system from faulty power pedestals and power surges.

Is WiFi Included with Full Hookups? 

No, WiFi is not a given with a full hookup RV campsite. Many RV parks and campgrounds will offer free wifi as a campground amenity. 

However, if you rely on wifi for work or need it for something important, be sure that you have a backup plan. Campground wifi is notorious for being spotty, slow, and incredibly inconsistent.

Is Propane Included with Full Hookups?

No, propane is not included with full hookups. However, there are campgrounds that do offer propane refills on-site! Propane refills are typically charged by the gallon.

What Do I Do if My RV Power Cord Doesn’t Match the Plug on My Campsite Power Pedestal?

RVs will typically have one of two types of power cords: a 30 amp cord or a 50 amp cord. 

As such, most campsites will offer either 30 amp power or 50 amp power, and some campsite pedestals offer both. 

If you have a 50 amp power cord and the campground only has 30 amp pedestals (or vice versa), you can purchase an adapter known as a dogbone that will allow you to plug into the pedestal. These can be purchased on Amazon, some local department stores like Walmart, or local RV supply stores.

Does Every RV Park Have Full Hookups?

Motorhome RV camping in Joshua Tree national park primitive camping

No, not every RV park or campground offers full hookups! You will see different types of designations depending on the campsite, including: 

  • Full hookups
  • Partial hookups
  • Primitive camping

“Primitive” campsites don’t have any hookups. This means you’ll be relying on your fresh water tank, black and gray tanks, and RV house battery for all your needs. 

If it is important to you to have full hookups, make sure you look for these designations when booking your campsite.

What Does Partial Hookups Mean? 

Partial hookups means that your campsite will only have one or two utility amenities. Typically, this means you will have electricity and fresh water, but no sewer hookups. 

Partial hookups are very common in national and state park campgrounds. These types of hookups still offer plenty of benefits, but if you plan to stay for a long time, you will need to figure out how to dump your waste water. 

Where Do You Dump Waste Water If Your Campground Only Offers Partial Hookups? 

If your campground only offers partial hookups and you need to dump your black and gray tanks, you have a few options. 

Almost every campground that offers partial hookups will also have a communal dump station on-site. If they don’t, you can look online to find the nearest dump station to you. 

If you are at a campground that offers a communal dump station, you can either break down camp and go dump your tanks when they are full, or you can use a portable RV waste tank to help you complete the task without moving your RV. 

A portable RV waste tank – sometimes known as a “blue boy” or “honey wagon”, is a portable tank on wheels that you can use to empty your tanks and then tote to the waste station. 

Another option is to use an RV waste pumping truck, which are also sometimes called honey wagons. Some campgrounds and events will offer RV pump out trucks to their campers, so check with the office or event organizer to get the contact information. Otherwise, you can search the local area on Google to find similar services. 

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, full hookups at RV parks are definitely nice to have, but they’re not required!

A full hookup campsite will enable you to use your RV like a residential home without worrying about overfilling your tanks or draining your batteries down. 

Partial hookups provide a bit more of a rustic experience, and primitive camping requires you to be fully self-sufficient! 

If you want all the comforts of a sticks and bricks home, be sure to book full hookup campsites on your travels. If you eventually want to try boondocking, give some primitive campsites a try! 


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