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Glossary
HIGH PROFILE—A fifth-wheel trailer with a higher-than-normal front to allow more than 6
feet of standing room inside the raised area.
HITCH—The fastening unit that joins a movable vehicle to the vehicle that pulls it.
HITCH WEIGHT—The amount of the camper’s weight that rests on the tow vehicle. It should
be approximately 12% - 15% with conventional trailers; approximately 18% -21% for fifth
wheels.
HOLDING TANKS—There are three dierent holding tanks on most RVs; fresh water tank,
gray water tank and black water tank. The fresh water tank holds fresh water that can be
stored for later use. The gray water tank holds the waste water from the sinks and showers.
The black water tank holds the waste from the toilet.
HONEY WAGON—Euphemism for the sewage pumping truck. Honey wagons are used to
empty RV holding tanks in places where full hookups and dump stations are not available.
HOOKUPS—The ability of connecting to a campground’s facilities. The major types of hook-
ups are electrical, water and sewer. If all three of these hookups are available, it is termed full
hookup. Hookups may also include telephone and cable TV in some campgrounds.
HOUSE BATTERY—One or more batteries in a RV for operating the 12 volt lights, appliances,
and systems. House batteries can be 12 volt units tied in parallel or pairs of 6 volt batteries
tied in series (to double the voltage). The term house battery is of more significance in motor
homes because they contain one or more other batteries for the operation of the engine,
referred to as the chassis or starting batteries.
HULA SKIRT—Term used for a type of dirt skirt accessory some RVers use on the back of
their motorhome to aid in the protection from debris thrown from their rear wheels to the
vehicles directly behind them or being towed behind them. This dirt skirt is usually the length
of the rear bumper and resembles a ‘short’ version of a Hawaiian ‘hula-skirt’, hence the term.
INVERTER—An inverter is a device that changes 12 volt battery power to 120 volt AC power.
It is used when “boon docking” (camping without hookups) to power certain 120 VAC only de-
vices like a microwave oven. The amount of available power depends on the storage capacity
of the batteries and the wattage rating of the inverter.
IRON RANGER—A fee collection box used at campgrounds that do not have full time atten-
dants. Upon entrance to the campground, you deposit your nightly fee(s) in an envelope with
your name and site number and drop this in the collection box. At sometime during the day,
a park ranger will make rounds of the campgrounds and collect the fees. You will often see
these in National Park and National Forest campgrounds.
ISLAND QUEEN or ISLAND KING—A king or queen-sized bed with walking space on both
sides.
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