Studying RV Forums, Review Sites, orientation videos, and reading blogs will help you prepare for the road but it’s nothing like actually being on the road. On the road, you will pick up little tips and tricks from other RVers, campground employees and learning from your own mistakes, after laughing at yourself for making a rookie blunder! Consider these 5 tips as a way to prepare yourself for the bigger issues you will face!
#1. Use an RV-specific route planner on your GPS that will factor overhead clearance, which roads, bridges and tunnels won’t allow propane tanks, etc. This will save you tons of time and maybe even a hefty ticket.
#2. Bring another form of transportation such as a car or bicycle to make getting around town easier. For Motorhome travelers, this is especially important since lugging around a huge motorhome is a hassle! For Towable travelers, having a bicycle on deck can save you extra travelling costs such as gas, oil changes, etc.
#3. Assign duties to everyone in the RV, some common duties are look-out (aid the driver in switching lanes, taking turns, and backing up), item duty (keep everything in the RV from falling over so securing dishes, glasses, drawers, etc.), and checklist duty (responsible for making sure the technical things in the RV are taken care of like turning on/off the propane tank, putting the chemicals in the holding tank, checking water levels, etc.).
#4. Be prepared when you stay the night at a campground: read the rules and make sure you know quiet hours, pack outdoor items like lawn chairs, end tables, lights, repellent, etc. The most important thing to learn is leveling out your RV as your appliances won’t work without it! Learn how to level your RV: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+level+your+rv
#5. Learn, learn, learn how to empty the holding tanks, don’t forget to add the chemicals to the black-water tank after emptying it, or you’ll regret it! Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+empty+rv+holding+tanks
Even after all this, you may still seem a little lost when you get out on the road! But don’t worry, everything will come with time and before you know it, you will be the expert RVer by the campfire telling tales of mistakes and interesting adventures.
