Posted on: March 24, 2019 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Buying an RV doesn’t make you ready to hit the road just as buying a pair of hiking boots doesn’t mean you’re ready to go hiking. You need to be in shape for the trip and have everything else packed to truly be ready for your adventure. Let’s review how to make sure you and your RV are adventure ready.

1. Pack the Essentials

Essentials for an RV trip include bath soap, dish soap, and toilet paper safe for RVs. Luxuries include loofahs and air freshener. Essentials are food, water, fuel, a disaster kit , and the tools you need to get the RV to the next gas station after you experience problems. Always buy and pack the essentials first. This ensures that you have what matters before you stock up on toys and nice to have items.

2. Be Prepared for Emergencies

Your RV isn’t ready for an adventure until you can handle the most common problems that turn a vacation into a horror story. Know how to change flat tires, and carry at least one flat and flat repair kit in storage for your upflush toilet. Pack extra, filled gas cans. Stock up on bottled water and cleaning wipes so that your family can stay hydrated and clean if your water tank runs out. Packing snacks and shelf stable meals guarantee you’ll have something to eat is stranded on the side of the road or you burned dinner on the campfire. Consider packing extra batteries, an inverter or a spare solar panel so that you can recharge cell phones and LED flashlights. Then you’ll always have working lights and gadgets. You can find recommendations on products like this at RVExpeditioners.

You also need to take medical emergencies into account. Always have spare inhalers or epipens packed, and ensure that everyone knows where they are and how to use them if they are needed. Take over the counter medicines for diarrhea, allergies and other problems so that you don’t have to rush to town when someone is ill.

3. Know What You Need to Know

Know how to do the basic tasks necessary to maintaining the RV before you go on the road. Do you know how to empty the grey water tanks? Do you know how to fill the water tanks? Can you connect the RV to shore power and properly disconnect it? Do you know how to set up wheel chocks and put the jacks in place when you extend the side panel of the RV? Can you clean the RV canopy by yourself?

4. Be Prepared for the Extreme Weather You’ll Face

If you’ll be traveling during the summer, you need to know how you’re going to keep cool. For example, the onboard air conditioner is either going to drain the gas tank when you run the engine to power it or consume nearly all the power coming from the generator. The alternative is relying on a mix of shade, swamp coolers and cool drinks and hoping that keeps everyone comfortable.

If you’re going to be staying in a cold area, be prepared for the cold weather. Pack skirting so that you can insulate the storage bays. Pack extra propane canisters and know where you can go to get more, so that you won’t be without heat. Have plenty of blankets packed.

RVs open up a world of adventure. You don’t have to book hotels, and you can stay in the wilderness in greater comfort than you would in a tent. You can travel on your schedule and take the whole family with you. However, you have to be ready in order to be sure to enjoy your RV adventure.

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