Planning an RV trip, or an RV trip, can be as complicated or as simple as you want it to be. The main goal, in this writer’s humble opinion, should be to improve your quality of life, by taking the RV trip, and have a blast.
Still, there are many novices out there who have never planned an RV road trip before, so I will touch on the main points in this article. Please, though, remember, RV travel should never be a chore. For those just starting out, or for those who are feeling some sort of RV burnout, follow the K.I.S.S. method of planning a trip, and I don’t think I need to tell you what that means.
With all of that in mind, let’s break the trip planning procedures down for you.
Where are you going on your RV trip?
Many people I know have no idea where they are going when they are RVing, certainly not when they first head out. They just pick a direction and hit the road. Others have it down to a science, picking an RV park or state park or Harvest Host as their first destination, choosing a route to get there, and then planning subsequent travel days.
There is no correct way to plan an RV trip. I can say, from experience, that our first RV trip was to a Harvest Host thirty miles away. We wanted to stay close to home on that first trip, in case we ran into problems and we had to make a quick retreat back home. But after that, we were, and are, fairly consistent in picking an initial destination and then pretty much winging it from there. Of course, it helps that we are energy self-sufficient for up to ten days, so that means we have lots of options once we leave one site and head on down the road again.
What route will you take to get there?
We love the backroads and have a sincere dislike of freeways, but that’s just us. We know RVers who love freeways and want to get to their destinations as quickly as possible. It all depends on your preference and your RV lifestyle. Whichever method you use, there are a number of great trip planning apps you can download which will have maps and routes for you to choose from, or you can go all caveman and actually carry a print map like our ancestors did.
How much food will you need to pack?
Again, you have options based on your preference and the size of the refrigerator you have. You can fill up the fridge before you leave, or you can stop at a store and get essentials just before you reach your destination. I feel like I need to repeat this many times: there is no right or wrong in planning an RV trip.
Fill up that propane and gas up the generator while planning an RV trip
There is, however, a right and a wrong regarding the propane and generator. Make sure this is on your to-do list. Do not assume that propane will be easy to obtain once you are traveling roads you’ve never been on before.
Run through your pre-trip checklist to make sure everything works
Stove? Check! Refrigerator? Check! Air-conditioning and heater? Check! And on and on until you’ve covered it all and yes, we recommend you actually make a checklist to follow for each trip. It will save you forgetting something important which could potentially ruin your trip.
Do you have everything you need?
Again, with the travel checklist, but this time a packing checklist. Plates, utensils, frying pan, clothes, towels, toiletries, toilet paper, whatever, but make sure you print out a checklist for each trip.
Hit the road!
The nice thing about the RV life in 2022 and beyond is that you are never far from almost everything you need, unless you are RVing in some large, remote area like Alaska or the desert. Don’t spend a lot of time suffering from paralysis by analysis; do the best you can planning and then hit the road on that RV road trip . . . and have fun! RVing is all about quality of life.
