Congratulations, you are the proud owner of a new RV from Sky River RV! You have probably spent lots of time dreaming of all the amazing places you would visit in the comfort of you RV and now that the time has come to hit the road, you might be feeling a little apprehensive. RV trips can range from short weekend trips where you stay local to traveling across the country and back. Either way you plan to travel, check out these beginners’ tips for planning an RV trip to get the most out of your RV experience.
Familiarize Yourself with Your RV
With all the amazing features that your new RV offers it might be tempting to just jump in and go, but it can be crucial to your safety and the operation of your RV that you are familiar with it before you leave your driveway. Here are some important things to make sure you are aware of regarding your new RV:
• Know how many amps your main breaker can handle. You don’t want to chance overloading the breaker.
• Do you know how to drive your RV? Give yourself ample time to practice driving it in a location that you are familiar with, before heading out of the area.
• Are you insured? It is always crucial to know and understand your required insurance policy.
• Familiarize yourself with emptying the holding tank/septic. This is something that you don’t want to be figuring out as you go.
• Know or record in an easy to access location the legal weight of your RV.
Make Sure Your RV is Stocked
Before leaving home make sure that you have stocked your RV with everything you will need on your trip. Consider what items are needed and what you can do without. RVs can be incredibly spacious, which makes it easy to forget that you still don’t want to try to pack it all in.
• Make sure you have stocked your kitchen with items that will work in smaller appliances.
• Make sure you have a can opener.
• Don’t forget about the place settings, whether you want paper, plastic or glass. Remember that you most likely aren’t going to need the same amount of plates and cups that you are keeping in your home kitchen.
• Consider what type of cooking you will be doing? Will you be cooking elaborate meals from the comfort of your RV or simpler items that require less items?
• Don’t forget to bring all the small kitchen tools like measuring cups, measuring spoons, pots and pans.
• Secure items in your kitchen. Baby proofing items are a great way to help secure the interior of your RV while driving.
• Have a first aid kit on hand and easy to access.
• Test our your RV by taking a small overnight trip close to home to see if you really have everything you will need once you get further from home.
Plan your trip
Do some proper planning for your trip before you leave home so you can be more spontaneous once your trip begins. Consider the following areas:
• Your route –What is your destination and how are you planning on getting there? Do you want to stick to a set amount of miles each day? Do you want to enjoy the trip or rush to the destination? Some RV’ers prefer to stop along the way leaving time to check out the sights and others like to make good time during the drive to have more time to enjoy once they arrive.
• If you will be staying at a campground, make sure you know the details. Can you pull straight through your site? Is the right type of hookup available? Is there a dumping station?
• Have a budget – Setting a budget before you leaves helps you to know where you can spend and where you need to save along the way. Plan for the extras like toll roads so you won’t be caught off guard. Knowing you have the money to spend along the way makes an RV trip even more enjoyable.
As a beginner to RV’ing, there are many things for you to consider before your first trip begins. The good thing is, the more you travel with your RV, the easier it will get. You can enjoy the freedom of the road and the beauty of the country without having to pay for uncomfortable and inconvenient hotel rooms along the way. Enjoy the start of your RV traveling!
