Let's take the RV on the road!

26 May, 2020

Let’s take the RV out for a trip!

OK. You got an RV to travel, right? Some people buy one for extra living space, but most people buy one to travel.  We do use it to house guests sometimes, but generally not. an RV just isn't as sturdy as a house and if there young kids and they don't know any better, they could really trash it. Wanna go on a trip? What do I do now?

Planning Do you want to go camping or glamping? Dry camping vs. full hookup? Dry camping is nothing but what you haul in, no water, no power, no wi-fi. Must bring generators if you want power and water. Full hookup means 30/50 amp power (know which one you need), water, and dump. Maybe TV/cable and wi-fi.  Partial hookups can be power and water with no dump or communal dump on site that you drive up to. It is nice to have a surge protector. Watch this video about why you should have one here. 

Decide where you want to go. Do you have a destination in mind or are you just going to head out in a random direction? We live in CA and have driven cross-country to FL Disneyworld. What a trek…I made plans in advance and plans along the way. It is hard to plan everything when you are travelling that far because things happen along the way. On some days, we drove for 10hrs, other days we had planned stops that we wanted to see. Lodging was booked at our destination and the rest were booked on the fly. As the navigator, (husband was driving) I used the NEXT EXIT book as a guide and booked lodging as we drove. I highly recommend this book, get the latest edition for most accurate information. If you just need a nap and not a full-service campsite, some places allow overnight parking. We have stayed 5 or 6 hours to sleep at various Walmarts, casinos, Flying Js, and rest stops. Check the state policy on staying at rest stops. Generally, if you see truckers staying there it must be OK. We do not bust out the generators or put the slides out since we are not camping, we just pull over and sleep and then move on.

Prepping & Packing for the trip.

These are the things I check before leaving on a trip. Some things like the dump hoses, water hoses, levelers, chocks, and such are best just staying with the RV.

I turn on the fridge to RV mode the night before, and pack the freezer full of frozen stuff because it takes a while for it to get cold.  I make lists of stuff I want to pack next time during each trip and each trip I am better prepared. I also have RV clothes, RV kitchen stuff, and other RV items that always stay with the RV. I currently live in a high risk for fire area and this ensures that if we ever need to evacuate, we have a good start and don’t have to start from scratch. After every trip, I unpack all clothes and bedding, wash it, and put it all back for the next trip. Before each trip, I double check sizes for growing kids and my perishable food stock. We always pack fresh stuff before each trip and go shopping along the way as well because an RV fridge and freezer only holds so much.

Pack kitchen stuff: dishes, cups, napkins. I like baby wipes for quick cleanups. Food. If it’s hot, I pack ice pops and if we are going to a full hookup site, I bring my portable ice maker.

Bathroom: soap, shampoo, conditioner. Extra towels. Laundry soap, dryer sheets, and quarters for longer trips.

Fill water, we put a small amount of bleach in our RV water. It is used for washing and bathing only, not drinking.  I keep large bottles of drinking water.

Maps. Tickets.

Propane full?

Check batteries.

Portable BBQ? Do you need propane bottles? BBQ utensils.

Extras: coffee maker and coffee, creamer. Ice maker. Instant Pot. Rice maker...I don't usually bring the last 3 items if we are dry camping because they need steady power.

Before you hit the road, ALWAYS check:

• Is the TV antenna down

• Are the slides closed and secure

• Awnings closed and secure

• Windows and vents closed

• Are the inside drawers and cabinets secure. Nothing that will roll around and shift and come crashing out?

• TV secure?

• Lock the doors

• Hauling side mirrors ready?

• Chocks removed?

• Legs up?

Let’s get RVing!