RV Terms Glossary: Letter "S"

SAFETY CHAINS

A set of chains that are attached to both the trailer A-Frame and the tow vehicle while towing. Safety chains are intended to keep the trailer attached to the tow vehicle in the event of a hitch failure, preventing the trailer from completely separating from the tow vehicle.

French: Chaîne de sécurité

SAIL SWITCH

Micro switch with an arm that extends into the blower air stream which closes when the blower reaches approximately 75% of its rated speed.

SCREEN ROOM

Term for screen enclosure that attaches to the exterior of an RV for a bug-free, outside sitting area. Some screen rooms have a canvas roof for rain protection as well.

SELF-CONTAINED

An RV that needs no external electrical, drain or water hookup. Thus, it can be parked anywhere overnight. Of course, self-contained units can also hook up to facilities when at campgrounds.

French: Caravane autonome

SEPTIC TANK

The black water holding tank.

French: Réservoir d'eau noire

SHORE POWER

Electricity provided by an external plug to an external power source.

French: Prise d'alimentation aux quais

SHANK

Same as Hitch bar.

French: Barre d'attelage

SLABS

The Slabs is a nickname for Slab City, an old military base in the desert along the Salton Sea in Southern California. Camping is free, and thousands of RVers visit Slab City every winter.

French:

SLIDE-IN

A term for a type of camper that mounts on a truck bed. Often, this type of camper slides into the truck bed.

French: Campeuse sur camionnette

SLIDE-OUT

Additional living space that slides out, either by hydraulics, electricity or manually, when the RV is set up for camping.

French: Rallonge escamotable

SLIDER HITCH

A sliding hitch used on short bed pickup trucks to enable them to tow fifth wheel trailers, allowing them sufficient clearence to make turns without having the trailer hit the cab on the truck.

SNOWBIRD

An RVer who follows the sun south during the winter months.

French: Hirondelle d'hiver

SOCKET

Wiring connector used on the car end of a trailer wiring connection. The plug is the end used on the trailer.

SPRING BAR

The part of a weight distributing hitch which does the lifting. A lever bar typically is made of spring steel.

STABILIZING JACK

A set of two or four are used to stabilize the RV once it is level.

French: Vérin stabilisateur

STINGER

Same as Hitch bar.

French: Barre d'attelage

SURGE BRAKES

A hydraulically-operated braking system used on some lightweight trailers. Pressure against the hitchball activates the brake system, eliminating the need for electrical brake controls.

French: Système de freinage à inertie

SUV

Sport Utility Vehicle.

French: Véhicule utilitaire sport

SWAY

Fishtailing action of the trailer caused by external forces that set the trailer’s mass into a lateral motion. The trailer’s wheels serve as the axis or pivot point.

French: Lacet

SWAY BAR

A device connected from the A-frame of the trailer to the hitchball platform of the tow vehicle in order to reduce sway.

French: Barre stabilisatrice

SWAY CONTROL

Device designed to damp the swaying action of a trailer, either through a friction system or a cam action system that slows and absorbs the pivotal articulating action between tow vehicle and trailer.