What Every RVer MUST Do on Travel Days
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If you're an RVer, then you know that travel days can be hectic and stressful. But there are a few things you can do to alleviate travel day stress and prevent costly mistakes! We're gonna share our top MUST DOs before hitting the road in your RV. Trust us! Following these steps will every time will keep you safe and stress-free for every travel day! So buckle up and get ready for a smooth ride!
Okay, let's break down our travel day step by step!
1. How far?
The first step is deciding where we are going and how far we want to drive. I use RV Life Trip Wizard to help me decide where to stop. Their distance rings make it easy to plan exactly where to stop based on how many miles we want to drive.
Click the RV Life Pro image on the side to save 25%!
2. Where?
Now that I know the area we plan to stop, I can find the best place to RV overnight. If we are not arriving at our destination, we typically overnight at a Harvest Host, Cracker Barrel, Elks Lodge, Walmart, or rest stop. We planned to stop at a Harvest Host, Crying Eagle Brewery, for this trip. It’s one of our favs on I-10.
3. Google Map It
If we are not staying at a traditional campground, we always Google Map our destination. We check the entrance, exit, and parking lot. We want to make sure we will fit easily at the location. We even count the parking spaces, especially at a Cracker Barrel. BTW, we need 9 parking spaces if the Jeep is attached. It's a good number to know!
4. rv safe gps
Next, I use our Garmin RV safe GPS to determine our route. Who should use an RV-safe GPS?? Thats easy! EVERY RV that does not fit in a regular parking space should use one to stay safe on travel days. An RV-safe GPS will allow you to input your RV's height, weight, and length and navigate you accordingly. So, no low bridges, crazy U-turns, or roads you won’t fit on. You can also customize your travels and add specific avoidances such as dirt roads, toll roads, and more.
There are many options available to you for RV Safe GPS. We have used all the options listed below and recommend them. We chose the Garmin because we prefer not to tie up our phone with navigation.
RV Life Safe GPS (It is included with Trip Wizard)
For those wondering, yes, our RV did come with in-dash navigation. But honestly, updating it’s such a pain, so we gave up on it. Besides, I (Stacy) am the navigator and can’t see the in-dash from my seat. So, we only use it as a general guide for Phil, not for specifics.
If you still use Waze and Google while driving a large RV, prepare for trouble. Because eventually, it will find you.
5. Fuel Stops
We like planning our fuel stops to find the cheapest fuel along our route and to ensure we always keep a half tank of diesel. Planning for fuel becomes even more important when you are out in the middle of nowhere when truck stops become scarce!
To find the cheapest fuel, we use the Open Roads fuel program. We log into the app and find the best option along our route. Over the last few years, we have saved so much on fuel using Open Roads. It’s a free program for anyone who uses diesel. Check out our Open Roads blog for more info. We also found a few other apps to help you save on diesel.
Use gas instead of diesel. Don’t worry. We have you covered for ways to save in our WAYS TO SAVE ON GAS blog.
6. checklist
Now that the planning is completed, it is time to start packing! We recommend everyone use a checklist. Set up and breakdown is when most mistakes happen. So, even after living for five years as full-time RVers, we still use a checklist every single time. There are all kinds of checklists. We use slap wrist bracelets on our steering wheel.
Need a checklist? You can download ours free and make it your own. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD AN RV CHECKLIST.
7. check tire pressure
Checking tire pressure is essential for so many reasons! Improper tire pressure increases fuel mileage and can lead to reduced traction, load-carrying capability, and tread life. It can also cause permanent structural damage to the tire, which can lead to tire failure. Did you know improper tire pressure is the leading cause of RV tire blowouts, according to Jaco? No one wants a blowout while driving down the highway.
We recommend checking your tire pressure while the tires are cold and again after the tires warm up after hitting the road. This will give you a good idea about your tires. Inspect your tires for damage and tread depth.
Now, there are a couple of ways to check your tire pressure. You can do it with a fancy new gadget, like our TSD TPMS, or the old-fashioned way with a tire gauge. Both will get the job done. The benefit of the TPMS is that it will also provide tire temperature and real-time pressures. So you don’t have to go out to each tire. You just turn it on and wait for the pressures to start populating.
Don’t know what your tire pressure should be? We can help you with that, too! Our RV weights blog will help you figure it all out.
8. Stock up!
Planning your meals on the road is just as important as any other aspect of your trip. When we plan ahead, we eat healthier and avoid junk food along the way. That's why we've been using Plan to Eat for over a decade - it's the perfect tool for meal planning, whether you're in a stick & bricks home or an RV.
I can easily and quickly plan our menu with Plan to Eat by dragging and dropping my favorite recipes into the calendar. It even lets me import recipes from any website at the click of a button. And if I have a family recipe, like Gramma’s cookies, I can easily type it in, too!
Once your menu is planned, check off the items on your grocery list that you have on hand. This is especially helpful for RV life, as it prevents you from buying unnecessary items that will take up valuable space.
Then it's time for the grocery store! Or, if you prefer, let someone else handle it - like Phil. With one membership, the whole family can access Plan to Eat, making it easy for everyone to use the grocery list on the app.
If you're looking to improve your nutrition and eat healthier this year, Plan to Eat is the perfect tool to keep you on track. It helps you plan nutritious meals and stay focused while shopping.
Check it out with their free 14-day trial, and you'll get completely hooked. Use our link and save 25%! But fair warning, once you start using it, you won't be able to live without it. I know I can't!
What’s yours?
These are our must-dos for travel days. What’s yours? Have you added something to ensure your travel day is stress-free? We would love to know. Drop it in the comments below.
Safe Travels!
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