There’s nothing like seeing America by road trip, getting off the beaten track and seeing all those roadside curiosities that you come across on the way. However, as a lot of people will tell you, the best way to do it is by RV. While a nice cushy hotel room is very nice to come back to, literally taking your accommodation wherever you want gives you a unique sense of freedom. Here’s how to make the most out of your RV trip. (Image by Wikimedia.org)
By now, you’ve probably decided whether to rent or buy. Still, it pays to know a little about RVs in general before you drive off to the lot. RVs come in all shapes and sizes, but you’ll probably be looking at one of three main types. First of all, there’s the hulking “class A” motor homes. These have a massive amount of space, and some pretty luxurious frills as well. You can find them with king sized beds, massive TVs, and even washers and dryers! If you wanted this kind of space and luxury, but a slightly more flexible trip, then look for some fifth wheels for sale in your area. These are similar in size and features, but allow you to detach your tow vehicle and drive it around separately. Then, there’s van campers, where everything’s contained in a fairly compact van. They’re comfortable, but not all that fun to sit in after a while!
The next piece of advice is to plan your whole trip very carefully. RVs are a great way to see the country, but when things go slightly wrong it can quickly spiral into chaos. Budgeting is incredibly important; you’re going to need to set aside money for food, car GPS tracker, fuel, camping spots, all before the massive amount of money we spend on holidays. It pays to have a route planned out well in advance. If you haven’t got anywhere particular to be, then I’d recommend taking the more scenic B-roads than freeways. This will give you more interesting driving than miles of straight road, and will probably take you past far more points of interest. Having said that, make sure you know where an alternative route is just in case you hit some really bad traffic. Most importantly, mark out the campgrounds you’ll be using. (Image by Wikimedia.org)
Finally, draft a camp setup checklist for any time you pull up at a camp ground. This is especially important if it’s your first road trip with an RV, as you’ll probably be unfamiliar with the whole anatomy of it. You’ll need to locate the gas, electrical and water hook-ups at the campground, then back your RV carefully in and attach it to its hook-ups. If necessary, you’ll need to learn how to level the RV with stabilizing jacks. Last, but certainly not least, you’ll need to chock the wheels to prevent the whole thing rolling away. Although mostly enjoyable, you’ll have at least one day where you get sick of driving the RV for hours on end. When you finally pull up, it pays to be able to set everything up quickly!