Can you name a better way to enjoy the great outdoors than in an RV? You’re probably pretty hard pressed to think of anything that’s superior, because camping in a recreational vehicle truly is the ultimate way to experience nature. And if you’re new to the RV lifestyle, you’re in for a treat unlike anything you’ve ever known. But while these vacations are fun, they can also be stressful. Just like any trip, travelling in an RV without preparing properly invites a whole host of issues. Because of this, we compiled a list of important steps to take before every journey. Your vacations will go much more smoothly, and all you have to do is read this guide from Bankston Motor Homes. Of course, if you don’t already have a trailer or motorhome, you’ll obviously need one of those, too. So feel free to stop by our dealership to check out our showroom, right here in Huntsville and Gadsden, AL.
Reserve Your Spot
You’ll need to pick out a spot several months in advance. Remember, RV campsites are extremely popular during the summertime, and if you want a guarantee that you can camp somewhere, you have to make your reservations long before anyone else. To figure out where you want to stay, we recommend considering the kinds of activities that appeal to you first. You might want to go swimming or boating, in which case you should look for somewhere close to a lake. Or maybe you want access to hunting or hiking trails, which you can almost always find in mountainous areas. Whatever it is you want to do out there, research a little beforehand, and book your site as soon as you figure everything out.
Decide on a Route
When taking a cross-country RV trip, sometimes you’ll find that the journey is every bit as beautiful as the destination itself. This is why it’s not always necessary to take the most direct highway route possible. So if you want to enjoy some scenery along the way, get out the map and plan a path that takes you to some nice attractions. Of course, if you just want to rush through to your campsite, you should still look up some directions for the fastest route. Either way, planning the journey itself will save you a lot of heartache in the long run, and might even add another great element to your adventure.
Create a Detailed Budget
Next, few things are more stressful than running out of money in the middle of a vacation. This happens because of unexpected costs that creep up on people during their trip, so you’ll want to do whatever you can to avoid them. If you overestimate how much money you need for fuel, food, propane, camping fees, supplies, this will leave you with leftover cash, which is always better than coming up short. Also, set aside some more money specifically for miscellaneous spending and emergencies. That way, any unexpected costs won’t cut into other parts of your budget.
Organize a Packing List
Have you ever taken a long trip, only to realize that you left something important back at home? In RV vacations, this is extremely easy to do, since you basically have to prepare an entire home’s worth of supplies. In order to avoid unfortunate circumstances like these, we advise that you make a packing list of everything that you need to bring along. You can create one on paper or with a computer spreadsheet, but it’s important to use the same list for every vacation. That way, you don’t have to create a new one each time, and you can add items to it the more you realize what else you might need.
Finally, it’s important that you learn to have fun during the planning process. Remember that an RV summer vacation is one of the best trips you’ll ever experience, so if you can learn to enjoy the planning process, that’ll only make it that much better. At Bankston Motor Homes, we believe everyone deserves to have a good RV trip, so don’t hesitate to check out our inventory here in Huntsville and Gadsden, AL, if you still don’t have a trailer or motorhome yet.
