Although some people live exclusively in their RVs, most people who own RVs only take them out to vacation or travel when it is practical. They may be teachers who have summers off of work or retired couples who like to get out and see nature when the weather and roads are hospitable. In many cases, you have young families joining the RV parks who want to show their children the land of the free with all the freedoms that the Native American Indian tribes had in primitive times.

Let’s consider proper RV road trip preparations in greater detail, below.

RV Road Trip Wizard by Pedata RV Center (if you need an RV Sales Dealer contact us today for help)

Make Reservations

When you set out on a road trip, it is important to consider reservations, nowadays, more than ever. Due to the affordability of fuel, more RVs are hitting the road than ever. The wanderlust to travel and experience new things right in our backyards with all the American conveniences and amenities is hard to forget. Yet, when you show up at the premium RV parks in the middle of the night and find out that they have no spaces available, you will be more than disappointed. Having to compromise where you can hook up your RV and what type of scenery surrounds you can ruin the whole experience. Unless it is off-season, you should try to make a rough sketch of your road trip and figure out where you will be staying each night.

It can be hard to plan ahead when you are living spontaneously in the moment. But if you call around to make reservations before you take off and plan out your route to give yourself plenty of rest in between roads, you will appreciate it later on. Being shut out of a premium vacation experience by a failure to book online and pay upfront can lead to some long nights at the wheel.

Professional Inspections

Before you hit the road, you should be sure that everything in your RV is in proper working order. The general trouble spots on an RV are leaky seals, appliances that don’t function properly, and outdated electrical systems. It only takes a minute to blow out your electrical components if you plug into an electrical hookup with the polarity reversed. You should always test the polarity of any outlets before hooking up just to be safe. Most RV parks have an indemnification clause in the rental agreement that holds them harmless for any damage.

Of course, it only takes a moment for a fire to start if there are any shorts in the electrical system. Shorts can occur very easily in an RV due to the vibration on the road. The insulation of a wire can get worn down from rubbing against a hard object and short out. This may start out with batteries that keep losing their charge and burning out.

Having a professional fully inspect the mechanical and electrical aspects of your RV is a must. Because RVs are so specialized, it can be hard to find a service center when you are on the road. Furthermore, when you are already booked up at various RV parks, the costs of missing a beat in your schedule can add up to lots of wasted time and money.

Travel Light

When it comes to traveling in an RV, you will find that your vehicle handles better when the loads are light. Not only does the vehicle have better stability and handling, but it also saves fuel costs and is less likely to sink into a parking spot. If you overpack your RV, you will also find it hard to find things when you need them. You may have to sift through lots of luggage and compartments to get to what you want.

The same rule applies for hiking. Most of the RV parks have trails for adventurous travelers to hike. If you carry a backpack with quality hiking clothing such as Merino wool socks, sweaters, shirts, ultralight raincoats, and waterproof hiking shoes, you will be able to stretch your wardrobe a lot longer between showers and laundromats. In some remote areas, it can be hard to access a laundromat during the weekends if you don’t have one in your RV.

Entertainment

When you are on the roads or out in the middle of nowhere for long periods of time, you may start to long for some unique entertainment. Tossing bean bags and horseshoes can get old and leave you longing for some other adventures. For some RV owners, they will take up boating, fishing, or even Geocaching. Geocaching is a game being played all over the world where participants log in online to obtain GPS information for where a cache is hidden like some buried treasure. When they find the cache, they can open it and replace it with some other interesting trinket or leave the object there for someone else’s surprise. Geocaching is a lot of fun because it adds a whole new dimension to the trip and gives you some goals to accomplish once you have seen the major sights in an area.