6 Must-Haves For Your Next RV Trip

 6-Must-Haves-For-Your-Next-RV-Trip.

Road trips are one of the most fun ways to travel and using an RV is one of the best road tripping options out there. A giant home on wheels, you have everything you need at your fingertips, yet can cruise from one location to the next with no effort and a small budget. We’ve put together a list of must-haves to keep in your camper for a comfortable journey. Check them out below.

  1. A Generator

Hitting all the most Instagrammable spots is useless if your phone is dead. Keep your power maxed out at all times with a generator. Whilst your RV’s power can be used when the engine is running, you’ll kill the vehicle’s battery pretty quick if you’re using it when the engine is off. Having a generator means you have access to a whole load of power for your portable grill, chargers, and any lights you want. Opt for a generator like the ac200 max bluetti which can be recharged with solar (hello helping the environment!) and has a whopping 16 power outlets so you can run all of your electrical goods at once!

  1. A First Aid Kit

This one should be a no-brainer, however, it’s surprising how many people forget to bring a full kit. It is especially important if you’re visiting backroads or far-flung locations that may have limited stores or dangerous environments such as jungles or forests. Ensure you at least have band-aids, scissors, bandages, antiseptic (and lots of it) painkillers, disposable gloves, cleaning wipes, eye dressings, and tweezers. The last thing you want is an infected cut that turns nasty, simply because it wasn’t correctly treated when the injury took place.

  1. Wheel Levellers And Blocks

The bigger your vehicle, the more necessary these are. Add wheel blocks under your wheels to stop your RV from rolling away because who wants to wake up in the dead of night 200 feet from where you parked? Use wheel levelers if you’re parking on uneven ground to give you a good, solid platform and prevent all of your stuff from sliding off slanted counters.

  1. Cleaning Gear

Living in a small space means that the area is likely to get messy – and quick! Spending the day exploring mountains, caves or waterfalls is super fun but you’ll be grubby, your feet will be filthy and all of that crap is going to end up back in your RV. Having some dirt between your toes is part of the nomadic lifestyle sure, but it doesn’t mean all hygiene standards have to slip. Keep some cleaning products handy at all times to keep your space feeling and smelling fresh enough to live comfortably in. At the very least some disinfectant and a dustpan and brush will do!

  1. Vehicle Emergency Kit

Most small issues with your RV can be fixed by you – so long as you have a decent emergency roadside kit. Tools to help you with a puncture, high-vis vests, and jump leads are essentials, but you can use an online guide for a full list of necessities.

Are you heading off on an RV road trip this year? Let us know your must-haves in the comments to help out other travelers.

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Traveling by RV or Travel Trailers On The Backroads

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Traveling by RV or Travel Trailers On The Backroads

 Traveling-by-RV-or-Travel-Trailers-On-The-BackroadsNot to many years ago and when my kids were younger we used to spend a lot of time traveling short distances from home on the weekends, in the beginning, we used tents and our van and as time went on and we could afford it we had a bought a pickup and camper and eventually we bought a traveler trailer. I can tell you, we had so much fun driving to the campground where we could set up for the weekend and enjoy some good grub making dutch oven potatoes and cooking on the grill. My favorite was when we would make breakfast of bacon, eggs, and the “grilled toast”, there is nothing better than cooking in the outdoors. The smell is heavenly!

One of our favorite places was Timpanogos, up Lehi canyon off of 115, which was only about a 45-minute drive from Salt Lake. Close enough to head out from work on a Friday afternoon, get out of the rush and enjoy the fresh air and campfires.

Eventually, we sold the travel trailer and bought our first motorhome, with the first one we had a lot of fixing up to do. We had to buy parts for the fridge and stove inside and my husband was always handy with what needed repairing. However, it was sometimes a challenge to find the parts we needed and that was before we had internet and Amazon to get things quick.

And there were always things we needed like electrical supplies, awnings, tie-downs. One of the items that were not available at the time was a monitor for the water, now there is Campsmart to find everything that an owner of an RV would need, not to mention finding supplies online these days.

I sure wish I had pictures to share with you of some of our camping trips. One that took us 10 days was traveling across Wyoming, to Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills region of South Dakota and while we were in that area we also drove through the Badlands of North Dakota, what a huge difference in terrain!!

While we were at it we traveled to Bedrock City where the kids loved going to Flintstones theme park in Custer, South Dakota also in the Black Hills, which featured buildings and the Flintstone characters. I’ve read where they closed it down in 1996.

We had really great times traveling and as the kids grew up and started doing more things with their friend they spent less time with us, so it ended up just being the two of us, not the same as you can imagine but we did love any direction we would go every weekend we could. There’s nothing like being in the mountains, most of the time we were in Utah one direction or another.
Related Travel:
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Considering Van Life? Remember These Key Things!

Van living is a modern subculture where people choose to abandon the traditional lifestyle of a house and car and instead choose to move around and live in a vehicle. Instead of having a specific plot of land to call home or a permanent structure, people who embrace the van life will instead spend their days driving from place to place, usually setting up camp in different cities. It certainly cuts down on expenses besides gas and maintenance. This is a growing lifestyle but isn’t for everyone. If you’re considering trying out this way of living, here are a few things to think about before making a big decision. Considering Van Life? Remember These Key Things!

Less Space

Having less space for sleeping and activities appeals to some people but not all. When you adopt the van life, you will be confined to the square footage of your vehicle for sleeping, eating, and storing your belongings. Since the lifestyle encourages minimalism, this is great for people who don’t want to own a lot and are looking to minimize their physical impact in the world. However, you will give up privacy if you are living with another person, so be sure you are good friends with them and have a great relationship!

If privacy isn’t a problem, be sure to invest in convenient storage items like discreet boxes and vacuum-sealed bags to store items like clothing. You’re going to travel a lot and laundry might be difficult, so it’s good to have places to keep separate winter and summer items as well as dirty clothes. Foldable cloth hampers are a favorite.

Cooking food can also be a challenge, so remember to invest in small appliances like a hot plate or a solar-powered oven to make and prepare meals. Some people even have a microwave set up in their van, but this is rare. Most people eat fresh, healthy items like sandwiches, fruit, and vegetables. Fancier food can always be eaten at a restaurant if you’re really craving that lasagna.

The Bathroom Situation

It should go without saying that most vans do not have modern plumbing amenities, and the van life itself does not include campers. How are you going to shower and use the bathroom? People new to the van living lifestyle often make use of gas stations and rest stops to take care of their bodily functions, but these aren’t always available. Instead, consider alternatives.

One of the most common investments for van life is a composting toilet, which can be easier to move than other options. It can be as simple as a bucket with an area over it for sitting, and the waste breaks down and can be safely disposed of in a discrete way. Showering can also be done with a solar shower, which is a bag which heats up in the sun and can then dispense water to form a hot shower anywhere you go. These water bladders can cost as little as $25!

Where To Stop?

This is often the hardest part of van life. Where on earth are you going to stop and sleep? Contemporary society is not conducive to people simply parking their van anywhere since most land is owned, and people are often suspicious of strange vans. Many people stealth camp, or catch a few hours of rest in a spot they technically shouldn’t be in.

When considering van life, remember you will need to plan out where to stop to sleep. Rest stops are always a good idea but not always available. Stay away from schools and areas with “No Trespassing” signs, as well as those with notices saying “Private Property.” Learn to be inconspicuous and see if there are public locations that don’t close so you can get your much-needed rest.

Conclusion

There are a few key things that are important to remember about van life. While some people romanticize the lifestyle, there are also some harsh realities for which you need to be prepared. Van life isn’t for everyone, but hopefully, this list helps you decided whether or not the pros will be worth the cons! And remember, it’s always a good idea to save up some money and make a few solid investments – such as purchasing a high-quality van – before going whole hog in the lifestyle.

Related:
3 Frugal Family Travel Trips
Traveling By Campervans Is An Amazing Way To See The Backroads
DIY Hacks to Make Your Minivan Road-Trip Ready

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