Whether you decide to rent or purchase an RV for your trip, there are certain travel tips that every RVer must know. Taking the time to go through these nine items ahead of your trip will help to make your vacation extraordinary.
Know Your Travel and Arrival Times
There is nothing worse than arriving at your destination in the middle of the night and attempting to set up your RV in the dark. Proper planning of your travel and arrival times can alleviate much stress and frustration and ensure that you arrive at the camp ground or RV Park during allowed check-in times.
Understanding the Hookups
If you don’t know where the water connection is and how to empty the sewage holding tank, your trip will quickly turn sour. Familiarize yourself with all the components prior to your departure. Know where the water intake is and how to hook it up. Understand how to read the septic holding tank levels and how to connect the hoses to empty the tank. Many camp grounds have sewage disposal stations. If the one you are staying at does not have one on-site you will want to know where the closest recommended disposal station is located. There is nothing worse than traveling a long distance with a full and sloshing sewage holding tank.
Know How to Stabilize Your RV
Everyone traveling by RV should know how to properly stabilize their camper and how to know if it is level. Aside from walking on an angle to get to the bathroom or falling out of bed, there are typically built in levels in motor homes. If yours does not have one, or you want to have a backup, a regular tool kit level will serve the same purpose. You will want to make sure that your RV is level front to back and side to side. Knowing where the stabilizing blocks are and how to use them will also be important.
How to Use the Awning
Does your RV have an electric or hand-crank awning? This is something that you will want to know before hitting the road. Whether used to block the sun or for rain shelter, you don’t want to be trying to figure this out in the middle of a monsoon.
RV Weight
Water weighs a lot; eight pounds per gallon, to be exact. So, if your RV can hold 100 gallons of water, that extra 800 pounds of weight may be problematic when traveling. It may be in your best interest to not travel with a full tank, unless you will need running water during your travel times. The same can be said for golf clubs and other heavy equipment you might bring with you. Keep in mind how much you are loading into your RV.
Tools
Every RVer will want to make sure they have an adequate tool kit for their trip. Aside from tools, you may also want to carry: duct tape, bungee cords, super glue, mechanics gloves, tie down straps, jumper cables, tire repair kit, a utility knife, etc. While you don’t need to travel with a full workshop, you will want to make sure that you have the basics should you break down or run in to a problem.
Break the Boredom
Not every family vacation is full of sun and warm weather. There is a good chance that over the course of a week or two trip, you will get at least one day of rain. You will want to be sure that you are prepared to break up the boredom with: puzzles, playing cards, movies, or a good book.
You can also choose RV campgrounds with a clubhouse or other indoor activities. Preparing for any weather is part of why traveling in an RV is so versatile.
Extra Blankets
Just because your RV has a heating system does not mean that you should skimp on the blankets. In the event that your heating system should fail in the middle of the night, you will want to make sure you have enough blankets to keep everyone comfortable overnight.
Reservations
You should always confirm your campground reservations a couple days before you depart for your trip. The last thing you want to do is show up, ready to relax, and have no site reservations in place. A quick phone call can eliminate a lot of grief.
Traveling by RV should be fun and relaxing. Using these simple travel tips will help you to get the most out of your trip and reduce stressful situations.
