So you’re taking your first trip in an RV. You’ve probably planned the best route for your road trip and researched the best places to stop along the way. The best thing about road tripping in an RV is that you have everything you need with you all the way. You can park and spend the night wherever sparks your fancy (providing it’s a legal stopping area), cook, eat and sleep in the van. Whilst the feeling of independence is great, there are some things you ought to take into account before you set off to avoid any disasters.
Do
Take a GPS and a Map
A lot of drivers rely on satellite navigation alone in today’s technology driven lifestyle, but it is a good idea to take a map too. GPSs are notoriously unreliable off the beaten track, and have been known to direct people down none existent roads. Maps, whilst old fashioned, are more useful when it comes to finding things like information points and campsites, and also give you a better idea of the surrounding area geographically. Pack one just in case, then you’re sure not to get lost.
Watch Out for Wildlife
When driving long distances and in remote areas it isn’t uncommon for cars to have close shaves with wildlife. In The U.S. cars hit over 1 million deer each year. Aside from the obvious injury you could cause to the animals, they can do a lot of damage to your RV. The run in’s with deer cause an average of $3,300 damage to vehicles. The danger is just as real abroad, as I found when road tripping in Australia. The locals had warned us to watch out for kangaroo’s, which we though was a joke at first. It wasn’t funny when one jumped out in front of the van and I missed it by a hairs breath. Keep a look out in wooded areas and drive carefully.
Don’t
Park on a Slope
If you’re sharing your limited space in the RV with anyone else, the necessity to park on a level surface becomes apparent when you turn in at night. There is a reason beds are flat – and you will realize this as the night wears on and you continually find yourselves pressed up against one another on the down-hill side of the van. What seems like a minor incline whilst fully conscious quickly becomes a steep hill once you are unconscious. Sleeping in an RV is cramped enough as it is, you don’t want to make it worse by parking on a hill.
Leave the Cupboards Open
All the crockery and pots and pans, toasters kettles and other stuff you might be really excited to find neatly packed away in your RV doesn’t defy gravity when you’re driving along. There is a reason the cupboards lock, as you will no doubt discover, if you’re like me and forget to secure them before heading off on the move. After picking up smashed glass and plates you won’t make the same mistake again.
Author Bio: Olivia Lazenby spent a year traveling in Australia. She made an RV her home for two weeks. When in the UK she likes to head to motorloansdirect.com.
