It’s time for an RV road trip!! Grab the family and climb into your RV to hit the roads of this great country of ours. But for those of you who have never done something like this, you have a lot of ground to cover in preparation for your first big vacation on the road.
Those of you who enjoy camping will love taking an RV from one destination to the next. The big difference, obviously, is that you have a choice of shelter. Feel like sleeping under the stars? No problem, pitch a tent outside your RV or park it at a campground and enjoy the Great Outdoors. But for those of you who don’t want to give up the luxuries of indoor slumber, campers and RVs can allow for you to sleep inside and enjoy the outside in the daytime.
So, if an RV vacation is something you have in mind, here are some of the things you should be doing to plan for it:
Getting Your RV
Any RV vacation starts with having the right vehicle for the trip. There are a wide range of campers and RV’s on the market from which to choose and each one brings with it both advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you to find the one that’s right for you.
But don’t feel like you need to make a purchase outright, feel free to rent a few different options before you buy. So think about the factors that will play into your decision, like the number of people you plan to take with you, the length of time you plan to spend on the road, the destinations you wish to attend, and how much you really want to spend.
Now since this is your very first RV vacation, you probably don’t want to plan some kind of epic, two- or three-week excursion cross country. Start small, try for a long weekend first. Maybe go somewhere relatively close instead of trying to tackle the entire country on your first time out. After all, you’ve never driven an RV before and you may find that you don’t enjoy it. The last thing you want is to be committed to a long and lengthy road trip in this massive RV you don’t want to drive anymore.
Planning Your Routes
Once you’ve secured your RV and you know how long you want to spend driving it around, you can next decide where you want to go and how you want to go about getting there. Planning is the most important part of taking an RV on the open road. In this day of GPS routing, it’s easier than ever to figure out where you’re going and the best ways to get there.
However, you also want to be sure you get to see and do everything possible along the way. So, in order to do that, you may want to develop a preliminary route that includes all of the points of interest and destinations that are on your agenda. Getting from point A to point B can be done through your GPS but having a point by point checklist in your back pocket is good to have so you can enter each address into your device.
But try to keep the trip somewhat loose and spontaneous. Don’t make your RV vacation so rigid and stringent that you can’t make a few changes should something exciting or interesting come along as you travel from one place to the next.
Stocking Up
There are some things you’re going to want to have as you go. It’s like any other type of road trip, you’re going to want snacks, food, and of course, a first aid kit. The latter is probably the most critical as you want to be sure that you and those traveling with you are kept safe should something happen. Mishaps always occur when you least expect, so always be prepared with a well-rounded first aid kit.
Some of the things to include are obvious, like Band-aids, triple antibiotic ointment, maybe some hydrogen peroxide or alcohol to clean cuts and wounds. Do not forget to take along any medications or antibiotics that you or your other travelers need to stay healthy. You may want to also take along insect repellent, especially if you plan to take this trip in the summer when the flies and mosquitoes are in full force.
A few other things to take along so you’re well prepared are a flashlight, a charger for your mobile devices, and extra batteries for any electronics you may have brought along with you.