Congratulations, the pandemic is near its end, and travel restrictions are lifted, so you are free to travel. You can finally go with your travel buddies on your dream cross-country trip across America. America offers everything, from natural landscapes to rich culture and the best nightlife experiences. And what other means of transportation is better than a recreational vehicle (RV)?
Traveling in an RV is better as you save yourself from catching germs from busy airports, packing and unpacking at hotels and every stop, etc. You can have your fridge and restroom on the road, all in a comfy place. It’s like a bungalow on wheels. But as exciting as it seems, you still need to properly plan when traveling in an RV. Here are five tips for first-time and regular RVers, while they take on a cross-country travel adventure in America.
Jump to:
1. Handling the Holding Tanks:
The benefit of having restroom access all the time also requires much attention and planning. If you are planning long travels, your holding tank will certainly get filled during your journey from time to time, and you need to dump it out properly.
The availability of sewers is a must to dump the black wastewater. Prepare yourself for emergencies. If you don’t find a dump station available, you can find companies online that provide services to flush and clear out your holding tanks. Just Google “rv pump out near me” to find a company that will come to your location for an emergency tank cleaning.
You must also learn to do it correctly yourself. All vehicles come with an operating manual that states how to dump the holding tank. Open the storage compartment that is mostly on the side of the vehicle. Remove the sewer cap and attach the sewer hose to it to dump the waste. During this, always make sure that the dump valves are closed. Never forget to close the latches, otherwise, the waste will leak.
2. Set a Daily Travel Limit:
Driving for long hours can become exhausting real quick, as towing an RV is nothing like driving a car, especially when it's your cross-country trip, which means you will need to travel many long distances. After towing a few hundred miles, your energy will start to wear off. Set distance and travel limits for each day.
You can follow the famous “2 or 2” RV rule, which means travel for 200 miles only or else put a pause on driving after 2 pm. Two hundred miles might seem like a little distance to you, but with an RV, you have to drive slowly, which means there is not much distance that you cover in a day, and slow driving on open roads for 200 times is tiring enough.
Similarly, if you stop driving before 2 pm, it’s helpful as you will get time to regain energy, prepare the meal for the night, and get a peaceful night's sleep, so you are ready to start early the next day. It will also allow you to fix any problems you are facing and check out your vehicle to identify any potential issues.
Set your limits according to your travel style, and don’t forget to discuss them with your travel companions and make changes according to someone’s needs to ensure everyone is on the same page. Plan together in advance when and where you all will stop for fuel, meals, etc.
3. Plan a Budget:
Budget is an important factor in travel adventures. Most people ignore this aspect since, with an RV, you don't have to pay extra hotel fees, and you can save money by cooking yourself, etc. But there are many other expenses. Most people forget to consider RV parking fees, entry fees, etc. You need to plan a proper budget before you jump into this adventure.
You need to budget for expenses such as fuel, attractions entry fees, groceries (since you will need ingredients if you cook yourself), RV resort fees, souvenirs, etc. These are not the only expenses you will face. There are other expenses too, like data roaming charges, for example. No one can give up their social media during travel in this digital age.
But with some planning, you can manage your budget better, like playing RV driving games with your travel companions to avoid using mobile data too much. You can plan inexpensive, fun road trip activities that are not heavy on budget but will still give you beautiful memories. If you just want your RV for the camping portion of your trip and want to skip the road trip portion of the trip, you can always ship your RV to your destination.
4. Look Up the Weather Conditions:
For safe travel, it’s necessary to be aware of the weather conditions. After finalizing your destination, check what the weather will be like there. Looking up weather has different benefits. You have to pack according to the weather. When you know it will be very cold or hot at that place, you can pack the necessary articles of clothing and footwear.
Most importantly, driving on roads is not safe under some conditions, like heavy rain, since the friction decreases between vehicle tires and the road, increasing the chances of vehicle slipping and accidents.
The weather condition for the route you take is important too. There will be different routes to reach your destination, so choose the route with a clear weather prospect. If the weather prediction shows a hurricane, rainstorm, or extreme cold or hot weather, then this is not the ideal traveling route since you might want to go camping, which can be difficult in extreme weather.
5. Remember Your Toolkit:
There will be several moments during your RV travel when you might need to fix something. A side mirror might get loose, a drawer might make unnecessary noise, or some wire in your small fridge might need fixing, etc. You must have all basic tools with you for any minor as well as a major issue.
Make a toolkit, and add wrenches, screwdrivers, duct tape, scissors, rubber bands, zip ties, etc., to it. So in case of need, you will have the supplies. During an emergency, there might be no one on the road to help you out, and if there even might be a person on the road, not everyone carries tools with them all the time. So make sure your toolkit is up-to-date and bring it with you.
Conclusion:
If this is your first cross-country trip around America in your RV, you need to prepare yourself. During long travel, you will get tired, it will cost you to maintain the RV, or you might need to fix something, etc. Take a look at these five tips to help make your trip much easier.
