One of the best ways we found to connect with other RVers is through online discussion groups, also called newsgroups or forums.
When you have a question about how RVs work, have a dealership service issue, or just want to share your adventures, the best thing to do is ask other RVers.
Now, courtesy of the internet, we have dozens of discussion forums on a variety of platforms so that you can connect with other RVers for all your questions, concerns, and community needs.
The RV community has an active list of participants willing to share their experience and answer questions on all sorts of topics related to RVs. All you need is Internet access to keep in touch with your fellow RV travelers and those aspiring to join the adventure.
But where to start? Which forums are the best? Which one is best for you?
In this article, we will go over the different types of RV Discussion Groups and Forums online, tips for posting effectively, and examples of some of the most popular groups to join.
- Psst! If you’re looking for clubs and memberships for perks and discounts, go to our list of RV memberships, passes and programs.
- Looking for an RV travel club or meetup group? Find your next best friend here!
- Still looking? See our roster of mobile apps, books, associations, and other helpful resources.
Table of Contents
Why Join Discussion Groups?
- For the community!
- Research RV products, services, merchants, and campgrounds. Discussion groups offer invaluable first-hand information and feedback
- Learn about new products and events
- Read personal opinions and experiences
- Ask questions and solicit others’ suggestions when making decisions
- Buy or sell products in groups that allow it. Keep in mind that in most groups blatant advertising is disallowed and vocally discouraged. Personal “for sale” announcements are generally tolerated.
- Share your knowledge and experience
Types of Discussion Groups or Forums
RV Travel Groups
If you’re looking for friends on the road, look no further! You’ll find
General RV Groups and Forums
This first group focuses on broad RV topics and concerns. They are often very large and welcoming to all levels of expertise. Lots of posts from lots of people all over the country or world. Many of these general groups do have subgroups or forums that get very specific concerning models, brands, demographics, etc.
Niche RV Groups and Forums
These are for very specific groups of people based on certain characteristics. They might focus on demographics (gender, ethnicity, etc.) or other factors. The topics discussed may not be helpful to you if you do not fit into that specific characteristic. Many of these have now been encompassed as subgroups on larger general groups, but there are niche groups especially on social media platforms like Facebook and Reddit.
RV Model/ Brand Specific Groups and Forums
These are for people who drive a certain brand of RV. They can be specifically helpful for issues and questions relating to their RV that may not be the same answer for other RVs of different brands. This will help make sure when you post a question about repairs, for example, you will get the most relevant information as quickly as possible as the group is only made up of other RVers with your RV model/ brand.
However, many of the general forums have now also encompassed the niche and RV Model/ Brand Specific Groups. There are still many of the last category, but you can often find discussion groups for your specific model or brand within many general groups.
Tips and Guidelines for Participating in RV Groups and Forums
Discussion groups are composed of people from all walks of life. Most are very courteous and helpful, but there will always be a small number of rude, even malicious, participants. The best way we found to deal with rude or abusive posts is simply to ignore them.
A big difference between face-to-face discussions and online groups is that you can remain anonymous online. Hiding behind the Internet encourages some people to misbehave.
1. Participate
While many groups do not require you to post, it is highly recommended that you don’t just lurk in these groups without participating. Even if it’s just responding to people’s posts, liking people’s responses, etc. at the beginning, it will show the members that you are an active participant in this group. There are bots and spam accounts all over the internet and you do not want the group admins to kick you out on this assumption. People will also be more likely to engage with you when you do post if you have shown engagement.
2. Safeguard Privacy and Safety
While this may be obvious, make sure that you take your privacy and safety into account when joining and posting on these groups. Online discussion groups are public, and can be seen by anyone in the world. Post only the information that you don’t mind everyone knowing.
If you can think of how a criminal might use it to harm you, don’t post it. Consider if you want to create a new email address or more anonymous account specifically for these types of forums to help protect your identity.
Also, make sure that you are respecting and protecting other members’ privacy and security by not asking those questions of them or revealing their personal information if you have it.
Never post information such as passwords, user names, social security numbers, credit card numbers, or other sensitive information.
For you and your family’s safety, be cautious about specific information you provide. Depending on the context, you may not want to post information such as your full name, family member names, exact physical address or location, license plate numbers, etc.
Use a throw-away email address when posting to public groups. Email addresses are regularly harvested from public groups for sending spam. If you use your primary email address, expect to be inundated with unwanted, and even offensive, emails.
3. Details for Problems
Outside of your personally identifiable information, details can help ensure that your question or concern can be answered effectively. Simply saying that your tank is broken won’t help you receive an answer on how to fix it. Providing details on your equipment can help make sure that people can try to diagnose your issue or help you troubleshoot a solution. Brand names, models, and other specifics in addition to what you were doing and how it reacted will help people to understand the issue and possibly provide a solution.
4. Know the Knowledge Level of the Group
Many of these groups also have subcategories to provide a more efficient and helpful community. For instance, there are Newbie groups which can be very helpful when you are just starting out. However, it may mean they cannot answer your question. There are often experts in the group as well, specifically there to share their knowledge, but you may need to join another group of more experienced RVers to receive the information you want. Or you may need to join a niche or RV Model Specific Group to get those specific answers related to your exact RV. Many RVers are members of several groups and forums for this specific reason.
5. Know the Rules and Policies of the Group
Most of these are pretty obvious to help create a welcoming environment for everyone, but it is always important to know the rules and policies so that you do not get kicked out for posting the wrong thing. Many groups have rules about who is allowed to be a member of the group and when they might choose to kick someone out of the group. For instance, many ban self-promotion of any related businesses to reduce spam content i.e. “Come check out my awesome RV blog” posts all the time.
6. Be Kind
Fairly obvious, but it is so much easier to say something nasty when you don’t see the person in front of you or misinterpret their meaning when all you see is the text on the screen. Do your best to make sure your comments and contributions are helpful to the issue at hand and kind to others. Realize that if a response seems rude, it may simply be because it is hard to read emotion in these types of messages. If you do encounter trolls, nasty people who seem to want to create arguments, it is often best to ignore them (they want an argument so don’t give it to them) or report them to the admins. Getting into a massive multi-message fight will not get them to stop and may get you banned from the group as well even if you are just trying to keep them in line. The admins can remove people who are abusing the site so reporting the trolls is the best course of action if ignoring them is not helping.
7. Don’t Just Lurk
In today’s day and age, there are many social media platforms and forums where groups for certain topics are very easy to create and join. These can be a wonderful solution to get started and share in a community where you are already a member of the platform or easy to join quickly. They can also be helpful for learning a lot before you start posting as many do not require you to be “active” in posting to stay as a member of the group. However, it is encouraged to share in addition to simply reading others’ content so that you are an active member of the community and not just “lurking.”
8. Consider Joining Multiple Forums
Different communities will have different cultures and knowledge among the members. Not every community or forum will be right for you, but more forums will provide more perspectives and expertise to help you come to the best conclusion. It is best to find the ones that work best for your personality, RV lifestyle, and specific concerns.
Public Newsgroups
Despite the name, newsgroups are not news articles, rather discussion groups open to the public.
One of the easiest ways to read and post messages is by using the Google web site. You can read messages without an account, but posting requires the opening of a free account.
The links below take you to newsgroups relevant to RV’s:
Social Media Groups
Facebook Groups
If you already have a Facebook account or don’t mind making one, this may be the simplest way to join an RV Discussion Forum.
RV Newbies
- 98.4K members
- For people brand new to RVing or those who want to share knowledge with newbies.
- Private group so you will have to request to join
The RV Entrepreneur
- 18.1K members
- For people who want to run a business from the road
- Private group so you will have to request to join
Internet for RVers and & Cruisers
- 54.8K members
- For help with Internet on the road
- Public Group so there is no vetting process to join
View/ Navion Motorhomes
- 10.6K members
- For people with those specific models
- Private group so you will have to request to join
Reddit: a network of communities where people can dive into their interests, hobbies and passions.
You follow different topics in what are called subreddits and can read what other people post, engage with others’ posts, and write your own posts to share with that subreddit. You do not need to have an account to view posts within the group but will need to create an account to join and engage.
All of them are fairly general RV groups with some of them being for people who are RVing full time versus being for new RVers or for any RVer.
r/RVLiving
- 65.5K members
- “RVing community subreddit for all you road warriors and wagon masters! Share your love for RV news, travel, rigs, industry, business, boondocking, reviews, road stories, mods, tips & tricks, and more!”
r/GoRving
- 59.2K members
- “Thoughtful advice about everything to do with a recreational vehicle.”
r/vandwellers
- 1.5M members
- “Tips and tricks for living in your van, car or truck. It’s a great way to save money or travel the world.”
r/rvlife
- 9.2K members
- “We are a community united by the appreciation of recreational vehicles and a desire to help fellow members find a good spot, fix a leak, learn how to use various systems, or share other wisdom of the road.”
r/FullTiming
- 8.9K members
- “The subreddit for full-timers and people interested in the full-timing RV lifestyle.”
r/rvs
- 4.7k members
- “Motor home, 5th wheel, and travel trailer discussions.”
Quora
Quora is a place to gain and share knowledge. It’s a platform to ask questions and connect with people who contribute unique insights and quality answers.
Unlike Facebook or Reddit, you don’t join specific groups on Quora. You simply ask a question with tags to the site as a whole and other Quora users can answer your question. So if you have a specific question and simply want answers, Quora can be a great resource.
Quora is a very question-and-answer-based system without a set community of users. Therefore, you will not get the same community feel that you will with RV-specific groups on other platforms. It will be harder to make connections with other users.
Yahoo Answers was another platform previously available along the same lines of Quora. So, if you used to use Yahoo Answers and liked that format, Quora would be a very similar system.
RV Forums - General Information
These are sites specific to RV information that provide forums for people to connect, ask questions, and more. They are all trusted forums to join, but choose the one(s) that work best for you.
RVillage
- 486.9K members
- A wonderful website with a blog, forums, a new map system, and more
- Free to join, just need an account, but cannot browse before joining
RV Travel
- A website featuring articles, guides, podcasts, radio shows, and more
They also host a number of Facebook Groups - “Ask Dave” section for maintenance and repair questions
- Sign up for their newsletters and you can comment on articles
iRV2
- 286.9K members
- Main forums
- Motorhomes (by class)
- Travel Trailer/ 5th Wheel
- Chassis Club (by Brand)
- Truck Convs, MDTs, HDTs
- Powertrain Garage (by type of Engine)
- RV Systems and Tech (Gear Discussion, Tech)
- They also feature blogs as well
- Free to join and you do have limited availability to browse the forums before officially joining
RVNetwork.com – Escapees RV Club
- 70K members
- Numerous forums based on RV type, budget concerns, technical concerns, the lifestyle, working on the road, RVing with pets, general and beginner info, and more
- Facebook groups including: SKPs Escapees RV Club and Xscapers
- They also do meet-ups and other events for their club chapters
RVForums.com
- 10K members
- Main forums:
- General (Intros, General Discussion, Help with Buying or Selling)
- Owner Clubs (for specific RV manufacturers)
- Motorhomes (based on Class)
- Fifth Wheel, Travel Trailer, Toy Haler Campers
- Chassis
- Engine and Drivetrain (based on Brand)
- Camping (Gear, Activities, Recipes, Research and Reviews, Trip Planning)
- Miscellaneous (DIY How-tos, maintenance, etc.)
- Lifestyle (Fulltiming, Van Life, Working while RVing, RVing with Disabilities)
- Creator’s Corner (YouTubers, Bloggers)
- Vendors
- Classifieds
- RV Lifestyle Clubs
RV Talk Forum by RVUSA
- 31K members
- Main Forums:
- General
- Destinations
- Full-Timing
- RV Tips and Tricks
- Beginning RVing
- Talkback
- 5 forums based on Class and 3 based on Trailering
FMCA RV
- 81K members
- Main Forums (most with multiple subgroups) include:
- RVs (class and type),
- Technical (maintenance and technical how-tos),
- Communications and Technology (Internet, electronics, etc),
- Travel (campgrounds, destinations, etc.),
- Rights/ Advocacy,
- Lifestyle (Full-timing, With Kids, With Pets, etc)
- Miscellaneous (General Discussion, Photo Contests, etc.)
RV.net RV and Camping Forum
- No official member count, but hundreds of thousands of posts
- 8 Main Forums, each with multiple subgroups:
- Dear Marcus (insurance, etc.)
- Recreational Vehicles (classes and types)
- Camping
- General Forums (beginner’s info, lifestyle, etc.)
- Technical Resources
- Locations (campgrounds, routes, etc.)
- Other Discussions
RV Forums - Model Specific
Class B Forum
- 25.6K members
- For Class B owners
- Main Forums:
- Community Forums (Welcome, Classifieds, etc.)
- Owners Forums (Maintenance, Gear, Manufacturers and Models)
- Class B+ Forums
- Lifestyle (Places, Routes, Get-Togethers, Computers and Tech Stuff)
- Knowledge Bank (Manuals, Articles, Recalls, Industry News)
Luxury Coach Lifestyle
- 9.9K members
- For luxury coach owners and enthusiasts
- Main Forums:
- Community (Introduce Yourself, Site Support, News)
- Coach Talk (Safety, Towing, General, Life on the Road)
- Coach Ownership and More (Buyer and Seller Exchanges, Service Centers)
- Big Rig Traveling and More (Cool Gear, Events, Parks, Maps)
- Technical Exchange (Technical How-tos)
Truck Conversion & Toterhome Community
- 5.7K members
- For truck conversion owners and enthusiasts
- Main Forums:
- Truck Conversion Talk (Tech Support, DIY)
- HDT/ MDT RV Haulers
- Classifieds
Skoolie Forum
- 42K members
- For School Bus Conversion Resources
- Main Forums:
- Community Forums (Support, Intros)
- Bus Conversions (Tutorials, Projects)
- Skoolie Tech (Plumbing, Power, HVAC, Mechanical and Drivetrains, Alternative Fuels)
- Skoolie General Forums (Everything Else, Skoolie Life, Internet, Insurance and Legal, Classifieds, News)
5thWheelForums.com
- 13K members
- For 5th wheel owners and enthusiasts
- Main Forums:
- Community Discussions (Intros, General Discussions, Off Topic Lounge, Support)
- Tech Topics and General RV Maintenance
- Towing, Travel, and Camping
- 5th Wheel Brand Forums
FiberglassRV.com
- 59K members
- Focused on molded fiberglass travel trailers
- Main Forums:
- Community Forums (Intros, Money Matters, COVID-19 RVing Ingo, Fulltiming)
- Maintenance, Restoration, Modifications, Problem Solving
- Rallies, Camping, Trip Reports
- Marketplace
In addition, many specific RV brands and models have their own forums so that you can get super specific with your issues and stories. These forums are located on social media sites such as Facebook and Reddit along with many of the general RV Forums listed above, particularly iRV2.
Blogs & YouTube Channels
While not forums exactly, there are many privately run blogs and YouTube channels that can provide you with resources and first-hand experiences that can help you with your own RV experiences. Both of these formats will have the ability for you to comment which can help you engage in these communities more than simply reading the blogs or watching the videos.
Some good ones include:
- Changing Gears (of course!): Your reference resource for RV ownership questions.
- Ask the RV Engineer: An RV industry insider deconstructs how modern RVs work – and sometimes why they don’t.
- Wayfinding Wheels: A nomadic lifestyle blog teaching you the ways of the open road.
- Technomadia: Chris Dunphy and Cherie Ve Ard’s personal blog where they share travel adventures and stuff that interests them in written, photo and video formats.
- Wheelingit: Tips and stories for both US and Europe travelers.
- Frugal RV Travel: Whether or not you own an RV, you’ve come to the right place if you want to travel and explore North America but think you can’t afford it. You can!
- Getaway Couple: YouTube channel with 64.8K subscribers with reviews, how-tos, and stories about their life on the road.
- RV Inspiration: Ashely Mann’s blog about to personalize, decorate, and “mod” your RV to heart’s content!
- RV 101 with Mark Polk: YouTube channel with 15.6K subscribers with tips, tricks, how-tos, DIY projects, and care & maintenance.
- RV Dreams. Dedicated to the use of RVs in the pursuit of a dream lifestyle. Like us, the owners of this website are full-timers who have left their stressful city lives.
- RVLove with Mark and Julie Bennet: YouTube channel with 52.5K subscribers on their full-time RV life with tips, tricks, how-tos, setups, makeovers, DIYs, and more
… Parting Thoughts …
With the Internet, we now have the ability to connect with other RVers all over the world, even before you hit the road for the very first time. Each has its own culture and specifics and therefore you can find the one that works best for you and your needs.
It is often recommended to join a couple different groups, even on different platforms to help broaden your audience both when you need help and when you simply want to connect. These communities can be vital when you are having issues with your RV, but are also wonderful places to simply share your adventures with other similar-minded people.
Andy Herrick is a blogging nerd, #8 Enneagram, wannabe bread baker, INTJ, RV industry professional, and small business entrepreneur. He can be found hanging out with his lovely wife and family, skiing, cycling, climbing, hiking, and convincing anyone who will listen why dogs aren’t really that great of pets. Also, he runs this website.