RV Terms Glossary: Letter "D"

DEEP CELL

A battery used exclusively by the living area of an RV, and not to start the vehicle. The more deep cycle batteries, the greater the longevity of your onboard power. The batteries are charged as you drive (if the tow vehicle is equipped with a charge line), when you are hooked up to 120 volt power (if the RV is equipped with a charger), by a generator, or by solar power.

DEMAND WATER SYSTEM

The system activated when you open a faucet in the RV. As water pressure in the pipe falls, a switch turns on a pump which operates until the depleted pressure is restored.

French: Alimentation en eau à la demande

DETONATION

Condition in which some of the unburned air/fuel in the combustion chamber explodes at the wrong time in the ignition cycle, increasing mechanical and thermal stress on the engine.

French: Détonation

DIESEL PULLER

The term for motorhomes with the diesel engine mounted in the front of the vehicle. Also know simpli as a Puller.

DIESEL PUSHER

A diesel-powered motorhome with a rear engine.

DINETTE

A booth-like dining area. The table usually drops to convert into a bed.

French: Coin-repas

DINGHY

The term for a vehicle that you are towing with your motorhome. It is also known as a Toad.

DRAWBAR

A removable coupling platform that slides into a hitch receiver and fastens with a pin and clip, or the tongue portion of a fixed-tongue hitch. The term drawbar is sometimes used to distinguish a ball mount with a solid ball shank or a coupling configuration different than a hitch ball.

French: Barre de remorquage

DROP-DOWN

A ballmount with a drop in it to lower ball-height, to make the trailer ride parallel to the ground.

DRY CAMPING

Also know as boondocking, refers to camping without any hookups.

French: Camper sans payer

DRY WEIGHT

Unloaded Vehicle Weight(UVW) - called the Dry Weight. It is the weight of the RV without adding fuel, water, propane, supplies and passengers. The manufacturers UVW will not include any dealer-installed options.

French: Poids à vide

DS IGNITION

Direct Spark Ignition - this term refers to the method of igniting the main burner on a propane fired appliance. The burner is lit with an electric spark and the flame is monitored by an electronic circuit board. This ignition system is used in refrigerators, furnaces and water heaters. There is now a version of stove tops that light the burners with a DSI ignition.

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 onboard generator.

French: Système électrique double

DUALLY

A pickup truck, or light-duty tow vehicle, with four wheels/tires on one rear axle. Note: truck campers would need swing out brackets to clear dual wheels.

DUCTED AC

Air conditioning supplied through a ducting system in the ceiling. This supplies cooling air at various vents located throughout the RV.

French: Conduit de climatisation au toit

DUCTED HEAT

Warm air from the furnace supplied to various locations in the RV through a ducting system located in the floor.

French: Chauffage à conduit

DUMP OUTLET

The valve which controls the flow of effluent from the holding tanks.

French: Soupape de décharge

DUMP STATION

The hole in which RVers can unload their black and gray water using a flexible hose attached to their vehicles’ holding tanks..

French: Station de vidange