An RV trip can be one of the most meaningful vacations of your lifetime, but if you’ve never planned or partaken in one of these unique experiences before, you’ll want to do some research first.
6 RV Trip Mistakes to Avoid
There’s something quintessentially American about piling your family into a vehicle and setting out on the open road. And while there are plenty of ways to road trip and see America’s beauty from a car, truck, or van, none of these options come close to replicating the experience of traveling in an RV.
There’s something unique about RV travel that sets it apart. It’s like traveling in a house. There’s space to interact, relax, and soak in the views. Transportation goes from being the worst part of the trip – something you put up with in order to get to the next destination – to the experience.
But RV travel isn’t without its challenges. And if you want your first trip to be memorable and rewarding, you’ll need to avoid the following mistakes:
Waiting Too Long to Book Your RV Rental
Don’t wait until two or three weeks before your vacation to book an RV rental. You may find out that you’re too late.
“Once you’ve decided to embark on an RV adventure, it’s important to plan ahead,” Allstar Coaches mentions. “You want to be sure that you get what you want when you want it. RV rentals are often booked months to a year ahead of time, especially during the summer and holiday seasons.”
Not Making Campground Reservations
Likewise, go ahead and plan your itinerary so that you can select the best campgrounds along the way. You’ll need to make reservations ahead of time – not only to reserve space but also to ensure you meet the requirements of the park.
Some campgrounds only allow motorhomes that are 10 years of age or less. Some can only fit Class B or Class C RVs. Different rules apply to every park. Make sure you know them ahead of time, or you could be asked to turn around.
Over-Packing
While under-packing is certainly an error, you’re much more likely to make the mistake of over-packing.
It’s easy to justify over-packing by saying that you’re preparing for everything. However, there’s simply no reason to bring more than you need. Unless you’re setting off for a vacation in the middle of the Moab Desert, you’ll have occasional access to supermarkets, convenience stores, and all of the other luxuries of modern life. Pack what you need – and perhaps a couple of backup items – but don’t go crazy with it!
Not Following Camp Etiquette
Every campground is unique. Each has its own rules and requirements, as well as general etiquette expected. This may include rules on playing music, walking through campsites, where kids are allowed to play, speed limits, pet rules, etc. Take the time to read up on these rules and/or ask questions if there’s any confusion about what you can and can’t do.
Failing to Do a Walk-Around Before Driving Off
Always, always, always do a walk-around your RV prior to leaving a campsite. This will prevent you from embarrassing and costly disasters, like driving off with your sewer hose still connected or turning onto the main road with your awning still extended.
Biting Off More Than You Can Chew
It’s easy to be too ambitious when planning your RV trip. But it’s important to be realistic about what you can reasonably see and do during a single trip.
If you try to cover too much ground and/or cram too many different sites into your schedule, you’ll only introduce unnecessary levels of stress and chaos into your vacation. You’ll also spend too much time driving and not enough relaxing. Keep the itinerary reasonable and enjoy a more leisurely pace.
Safe Travels!
RV travel is something that every family should try at least once. It’s unique, unifying, and memorable. And assuming you keep the aforementioned advice in mind, it can be a highly rewarding experience that you return to over and over again in the years to come.