Welcome to your new adventure! RVing is a fantastic way to see the country, spend time with family, or get away from it all. We have traveled the country for almost 4 years now and want to share tips that we have learned to help you get started on the right path for traveling and exploring with your RV.
We also have a certified RV Tech as a member of our household and will be sharing some of the things we commonly see with RV maintenance, checklists for setting up your RV, and the basic (yet essential) gear you should have for your RV.
If you have already purchased your RV, you can skip over this first tip and head on down to Tip #2.
1. Choosing The Right RV
Let’s start off with there is no “best RV” or “perfect RV” out there, the best RV is the one that works best for you, your family, your travel style, and your budget. This is going to vary for everyone, but here are some things to consider before buying:
Types of RVs
From small travel trailers to large Class A buses, make sure your RV is going to work for the size of your family, your budget, and your travel style. Review the features that are most important to you- such as storage, slide outs, and sleeping arrangements.
Consider if you already have a truck that can tow a travel trailer or fifth wheel, that may be a good route to take. If you are looking to buy a truck, do some research first on their towing capacity and more importantly, payload. RVs these days can be pretty big and heavy, and you want to be sure your truck can safely tow the RV that you pick out.
We actually picked out our RV first, so that we knew what kind of truck we would need to purchase. We have a 39ft Jayco Eagle HT, which is a hefty sized travel trailer. So, we made sure to pick a truck that could easily and safely handle the length and weight of our travel trailer.
If you are looking at a drivable RV, consider if you will be pulling a vehicle behind you, driving a separate vehicle, or even choosing a small drivable (such as a Class B Van or a small Class C) that would not require an extra vehicle at all.
Your Style of Travel
Are you a weekend warrior, planning to take long-extensive trips, or even traveling full-time in your RV? Think about how much time you will be spending in your RV, at your campsite, or exploring destinations.
If you prefer popcorn and movies cozied up on your sofa with your family… a small pop-up tent camper may not be the best option. A large family planning to travel full-time may want to consider a larger fifth wheel with plenty of space for everyone to spread out.
If you like to travel quickly from place to place, a drivable or small towable is a great option to get up and get going to your next destination without a lot of fuss.
2. Essential RV Gear
No matter the RV, you are going to need certain items to set up your rig at a campsite. As much fun as it is to talk about sewer hoses… they are essential. These are our recommendations for gear to get started:
- Sewer hose and connections
- RV surge protector
- Electrical adapters (20, 30, and 50 amp)
- Tire pressure gauge
- A hose for potable water
- Wheel chocks
- Leveling Blocks
- Black tank treatment
- Flashlight
The flashlight may seem random, but setting up anything in that list in the dark is going to add a not fun degree of difficulty.
You can find the entire list here – with cost comparisons and good, better, best options depending on your budget.
If you are looking for the fun stuff, I have that on a separate list. Now that you have water, air conditioning, are nice and level, and your RV isn’t going to roll down the hill, you can relax in your camping chairs and throw some dinner on the grill! Check out some of our favorite gadgets here.
3. Learn The Basics
There are some things you are going to want to learn before heading out on your first trip. Such as hitching up your truck to your RV or your towed vehicle to your drivable RV. Also, hooking up to utilities (water, sewer, and power), emptying your tanks, using the RV appliances, and turning on/off propane.
Driving Your RV
I know this sounds obvious, but make sure you get comfortable with driving or pulling your RV. How wide it takes turns, how to back it up, etc. A great place to practice your new skills is in a large empty parking lot.
Shake Down Trip
We always recommend a shake down trip. Something not too far from home just in case something goes wrong, you forget something, or you need some help. Also, choose a location near civilization in the very likely event that you need something you don’t know that you need yet.
On our very first trip we towed 3 hours from home in a windstorm down I-95 with what felt like a million semi-trucks passing us going 80 miles an hour while we tried not to blow off the road. It rained the entire time, and we were stuck inside with no internet, no movies, two small children, and no way to use the fancy new grill we just bought. Our site flooded, we had no idea what we were doing, and we really started questioning our life choices!
Okay that may be a little dramatic, but it was a tough first trip! We got through it and by the next trip we had a lot more confidence in what we were doing. We also created a setup checklist to ensure we did not miss any steps once we arrived at our destination. You can find it here. Okay. on to Tip #4!
4. Planning Your Travel Day
Review your route ahead of time. Be sure to look for any low bridges, weight restrictions, or tunnels that you may need to navigate around. Sharp turns and narrow roads are something to be aware of when traveling through small towns.
Also be aware that when towing, your trip will most likely take longer than your GPS says. So be sure to plan accordingly. We add about 15 minutes per hour to our trip when planning our route. Try to leave yourself enough time so that you do not reach your destination after dark. It makes navigating campsites, backing in, and hooking up to utilities all the more difficult.
RV Life Pro Trip Wizard
It’s not a necessity for getting started, but a fantastic route planning tool that we use is RV Life Trip Wizard. It helps you plan out safe routes for your RV. You can enter the height and weight of your RV, and the app will navigate your route accordingly. You can also find reviews of RV Parks, track camping and fuel expenses, and share your route with family and friends. You can find our full review here.
Plan Your Stops
When reviewing your route, plan out your fuel and restroom stops for the day. Gas mileage can decrease significantly when towing and you will need to stop sooner for fuel. Make sure the type of fuel you need is available at that station, are you gas or diesel?
Make sure you can fit into the fuel station. We use satellite view on Google Maps to review the fuel station ahead of time. We look to see if we can easily enter and exit from the road, navigate through the pumps with the RV, and ensure there are no low overhangs over the pump.
Do a walkaround of the RV when you make a fuel stop. Check to make sure everything is still secured, the navigational lights are working, and lastly that the hubs on your wheels are not overly hot. That can be a sign of a significant issue that needs to be addressed.
5. Miscellaneous Tips
Follow these tips to save yourself a lot of grief!
Turn Your Water OFF
When you leave your RV…for a few hours, for the day, for the weekend… Make sure to turn the water off at the spigot or connection going into the RV. There is nothing that will ruin a trip more than coming back from an adventure to water covering your floors and spilling out of all of your storage bays.
Retract Your Awning
Always bring in your awning before you leave your campsite. Even if the weather looks good before you leave. There is always a chance for a windstorm, thunderstorm, or large rainstorm to blow through and tear that awning apart. We’ve seen it countless times and it is no fun at all.
Embarking on an RV adventure is a thrilling way to explore the country, spend quality time with family, and find peace in nature. We hope our tips inspire and prepare you for the adventures ahead.
Want to learn more? Check out our list of the Do’s and Don’ts of RVing. We hope to see you out on the road. Have fun and safe travels!
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