What you need to know before heading out on your RV vacation
Have your summer 2020 plans been disrupted? Has it been years since your last camping trip? Or are you trying an RV for the first time? Don’t know where to start? Here is our planning routine before we ever leave the house:
Make your reservations NOW - if you haven’t already booked your RV rental or campground do that now. Summer is always a super busy time for camping and 2020 is sure to be even busier.
TIP - before putting down a deposit on that campground make sure you look at a satellite view, we use Google Maps, just to confirm the surroundings match the campground photos and the kind of experience you’re looking for.
Plan for the road - make sure you have a route for getting there and back. Knowing your RV friendly rest stops and gas stations, plus road work areas before you go will save you frustration later.
TIP - 300/3:00 is a great rule of thumb for traveling each day. You don’t want to be driving more than 300 miles per day or past 3:00 pm. Anything over this creates burnout for everyone and grumpiness will be sure to set in.
If you are renting or borrowing an RV make sure you are very familiar with all the ins and outs of how it works before leaving. YouTube has lots of great information, but if you’re in the middle of a dead cell area you don’t want to be out of luck. Knowing how to troubleshoot your fridge or water heater and black tank vs. grey tank now will pay off later.
Plan for your pet - if your furry friend is going camping with you understand that most campgrounds have rules against pets being left unattended. Even if they are safe in the RV it’s usually against the rules to leave them behind. And most National Parks don’t allow pets either. If this doesn’t work for your plans then make alternative arrangements ASAP.
Road Trips and the modern kid are not as bad as you might think. Our kids have a rule - when our travel trailer is attached to the truck then they can be on electronics. Any other time, their devices need to be put away. Is this a lot of screen time? For us no, it’s a trade-off for a more peaceful ride. And if you stick with the 300/3:00 rule it isn’t too bad at all. If screens are not your thing, I highly suggest listening to Podcasts, audiobooks, or playing classic road trip games. And don’t forget snacks, always bring double the snacks you think you need. And lollipops. They calm a screaming fidgety toddler better than anything else. We love Yum Earth organic lollipops with the added vitamin C.
Create a vacation meal plan now - understanding how you want to prepare meals while camping is the best way to start. Do you want to grill every night? Do you prefer faster meals in the microwave? Do you dream of oven-fresh muffins every morning? From there, you can build a meal plan to fit your family. Your RV fridge is likely to be much smaller than you’re used to, so plan on small, but frequent grocery stops. TIP - avoid overly complicated meals or dishes that will require unusual ingredients that may be hard to find.
Have your travel day meals and snacks already made up and ready to go in your fridge or cooler. Not having to go into a restaurant, convenience store or drive-thru will make your trip much smoother. Not to mention healthier. Our favorite on-the-road snack is cold grapes, I make sure we have plenty of gallon-sized bags of washed grapes in the fridge.
And the MOST important - make sure your standards and expectations meet reality. RVing and camping means preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. Something will break. Something will spill. Someone will forget underwear and toothpaste. And your muffins will burn. But we promise you will look back with fond memories made this summer.
We love hearing about everyone's travel plans so be sure to share them below or find us over on Instagram to share what you’re up to this summer!
