Travelling in a recreational vehicle is the best adventure anyone can ask for. The whole family or a group of friends can enjoy their time together. Travelling in an RV is not only fun but also convenient. An RV has a kitchen, a sleeping space, a bathroom, etc., which makes it like a house on wheels.
However, newbies often take it lightly and make some common mistakes during their first experience. Such mistakes will cost you time, effort, and money, taking the fun away from your trip, and you might even have to end your trip early. So, here are five mistakes that you should avoid on your first RV trip and also avoid in future trips as well.
Not Planning a Route
As your first time travelling in an RV, you might want to wing it and go with the flow, but this can turn out to be a terrible mistake. It’s always the wisest option to plan your route in advance, as it gives you many benefits. By planning a route in advance, you get to know the conditions of the roads, the attractions around the route, roadblocks, roads that have heavy traffic, stops along the roads, etc. The rest of your tour plan depends on planning the route first.
This planning also gives you a chance to book an exceptional RV resort for your trip. You can look in advance at the RV resorts on your route and pick the one with the best amenities and facilities available.
Travelling Too Far
As a first-time RVer, you might want to travel across the country, visit different states, travel to famous faraway attractions, etc. However, you need to put a pause on such big plans. As a newbie, it’s always safe to start small. For your first trip, it’s better if you don’t travel too far away from your home. When you drive an RV for the first time, you will realize it’s much different from driving a car. You will need time to better understand its mechanics and how to control and drive it correctly.
Your first RV trip can lead you or your co-pilot to driving-induced anxiety. So you should plan your first trip somewhere closer to home so that you are not taking a big risk and can safely return home. The size of an RV also makes it somewhat difficult to control it and needs some practice.
Over-Packing or Under-Packing
Packing for an RV trip is tricky. There is a fine line between over-packing and under-packing, and you have to be very careful about it. You can get excited about having a kitchen and a storage space on the go, but you don’t need to pack every pot, pan, and spoon if you are not going to cook that often. You have to be moderate. If you are worried about packing the right clothes, then simply check the weather forecast and pack clothes accordingly.
But this doesn’t mean you become careless about this matter and under-pack. When staying in an RV, you will not have access to amenities like you will have in a hotel. Therefore, there are some essentials that you can never skip packing. Wi-Fi signal boosters, blankets, car adapters for phones and electronic devices, toiletries, dump hoses, folding lawn chairs, levelling blocks, fans, outdoor adventure gear, etc., are all things that are a must-have for an RV trip.
Not Making Checklists and Assigning Tasks
Being a disciplined person never harmed anybody. And during your RV trip, doing everything with a proper plan and discipline is an absolute must-have to avoid rookie mistakes. You cannot freestyle your way through your first RV trip or even your 100th trip. You will always need proper checklists to make sure you have got everything under control. Make separate checklists about everything. Make a checklist of the things you need to pack. Have a checklist of the things you will do inside and outside the vehicle. Make a checklist to ensure a professional is checking every part of the RV before setting off on your trip. A checklist of important equipment you must carry is a must.
Another important thing is to divide tasks between family members or friends. Everyone must have an assigned role they know they must complete on time. Don’t put the entire burden on yourself or someone else. Work together as a team, and everyone must fulfil their responsibilities for an efficient and smooth experience.
Not Inspecting Your RV
This goes without saying that you need to be very careful before you get your RV on the road. When you are headed back home after the trip, you have to take a look at and thoroughly inspect your RV before hitting the road again. Make sure the pressure in the tires is not low, the water hose is not drifting back from the RV, the awning is properly put down, etc. After your RV has been on the road for long, it’s obvious that the tires, etc., will get affected, and you need to inspect them to make sure everything is alright before you head back home.
These drive-off disasters are not something trivial; they can take hours to fix. Take a walk around your RV, inside and outside, after you have packed up and are ready to go. The best thing will be for two people to take a walk around the RV to cross-check if everything is alright and if there is nothing that needs fixing. It’s better to be safe than sorry in such situations. If you ignore a minor issue, it can become a major disaster, and you will end up spending more time, money, and effort fixing the bigger problem.
Conclusion
Going on your first RV trip can be an exciting experience. But in the excitement, you must not forget to take all the necessary steps to avoid making some common mistakes. If you don’t plan carefully, you can end up with serious problems during your first RV trip. So, let this article guide you!