Travelnostalgia, as I have decided to call the dreaded disease for those who can’t travel and are confined, had taken over me big time. Going on a trip seemed like the best medicine and going in an RV seemed like the best option.
First, let me be clear about this, as much as I have written on international travel, wine trips, or carry-on travel, I am a newbie when it comes to RV travel. Therefore, I will be reporting my findings and tips to other newbies, not to seasoned RV users! There are so many more experienced RV travelers and I hope you can comment and add to my story.
Our trip started in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, going to Richmond, Virginia. We would visit my husband’s son and newly enlarged family, his newest grandson. This would also be the first real trip outside of our confinement since March. We were ready to start the RV.
Tip #1 Make a list (and use it)!
More like a spreadsheet, in my case. I knew that we would need to list everything we thought we needed ahead of time to help us prepare and load up our travelling house. I made careful notes of the inside needs (supplies for kitchen, bathroom, bedroom). Outside supplies such as tables, grills, hoses, buckets, chairs and more, as well as the entertainment supplies to keep us busy: cards, games, books and movies. It is a pretty detailed spreadsheet and I can add or delete as we travel more. However, the most important part of the spreadsheet is to go over it prior to departure. Note to self: do not let your husband or other travel companion rush you out without checking each item just because they are eager to start the trip! Those extra five minutes before you leave will make the difference between comfort and having to stop and shop along the way for the forgotten mustard, pasta sauce or broom. (If you are interested in my list, I will be glad to email it to you).
Tip #2 get a campground App!
Since this was our first trip out, we decided to get a camping/RV app. It took a few tries to get used to it but soon we maneuvered our way around it and discovered all types of helpful tips. I must admit, an app is a must if you are going to take your RV on the road, it will give you information on campgrounds, lets you know if they have availability for your vehicle, and give you all types of alternate routes to follow. You can even make reservations online for certain campgrounds and even choose a particular spot (lakeside or pier side) which makes life easier.
Tip #3: Know how long you can drive comfortably and what your duties are once you get there.
Sure, the seats are comfortable, and the road is good but driving such a big vehicle is both stressful and tiring. Our first stop was Wind Creek State Park in Alabama, near Birmingham. It took about 6 and ½ hours to get there and we soon realized that this can be a long driving day. There is no fun in arriving and setting up camp when you are exhausted. Once we we checked in, we were given a spot overlooking the lake. Wow! Our first stop was going to be hard to beat for the rest of the trip. The view, the quietness, the cleanliness were exceptional. Each RV site (note this term when you call to reserve) has a private spot for you, either drive through or back-in (important if you are like me and don’t feel sure about backing a large vehicle into place). Most parks will have a large picnic table in front of your allotted space, a barbecue pit (you supply the charcoal) and depending on what you have reserved, electrical outlet, water hookup, and sanitary (toilet) hookups. If those are not available at your site, most will have a sewer dump for everyone to make use of. We were lucky not to have to share this amenity with others.
We started on what soon would be our routine: I would set up the inside, get the slide-outs in place (hey, someone has to push those buttons!) and pour our glasses of wine. For first time RV’ers, slides are what make our class B vehicle comfortable and roomy. You drive this 8-foot-wide by 11-foot-high vehicle but once the slides are out, it becomes an ample room with lots of space to move around. I let my husband deal with such things as water hook ups, electric hook ups and sewer lines. I believe that this was a fair share and I fully encouraged his great talent and ability to do so.
Tip # 4: If you absolutely need WIFI, prepare ahead.
Our second stop was in South Carolina, a KOA park. This was a much different place, smaller, run by a friendly retired couple who operated the place with pride. The wife quickly checked us in at the entrance and handed us our papers plus a treat and small plastic bag for our pre-checked dog passenger. Immediately, her husband came up ahead of us, wearing a bright, too-tight shirt from his wild days, driving a golf cart proudly displaying a small American flag. His job was to escort us all the way to our camp site…. about 30 seconds away. We thanked him profusely. The camp supplied a very strong Wi-Fi which was welcomed since I was working that night, doing a Zoom wine tasting with Bonne Cuvée Wine Tours. The signal was clear, and the session went on smoothly from our remote site. We had prepared a plan “B” if the WIFI was not available, our phone hot spot was ready to go. We found out most campers use their phone hot spots for WIFI but you can also buy a remote WIFI from your phone providers.
Tip # 5 Get rid of most of the stuff you thought you needed in the first place.
One lesson I learned very quickly is that all the things we packed, and thought were important to have, were in fact unnecessary. My husband and I both enjoy cooking and we thought that we would replicate our intricate at-home meals. We ended up making sandwiches for lunch and grilling outside every evening instead.
I took a big shopping bag and started to fill it with the things that I would not bring the next time. Salad spinner? Not necessary. I put my washed lettuce in a cotton bag and spun it around outside the way I remember my grandfather did. Later, it became a great storage bag in the refrigerator. Cheese grater? Who has time for that? Fresh garlic? Too smelly for a small place, next time I would bring the jar of minced garlic. My pre-sliced onions in a Ziplock bag were a a good idea. But the large coffee mugs would have to be replaced. I was also glad I had taken the crock pot out before we took off on the trip. I cannot imagine why I would cook anything all day when grilling under the stars was available.
My best ideas ended up being the large jug of drinking water for making coffee, the small containers of spices (plastic is better than glass in a small space where everything makes noise), the small shampoo bottles, the spare Dollar store rugs for the entrance of the RV. It rained a lot during our trip and next time I would bring a large plastic container to put outside the entrance for dirty shoes. My husband set up an outside washing station for dishes, so our inside sink was used to hold baskets with fruit or salad instead. I am not sure our stove or microwave even work because we never tried to use them. Maybe on the next trip. The reality is that traveling in an RV is kind of like a land cruise. You only have to pack once, you learn how to move around a small bathroom, you eat outside most of the time and most of all, you learn to relax.
I heard that real campers camp out in tents and that RV campers are just Glampers (glamour campers). I am proud to be part of the latter club. I am not ashamed to say that I will be willing to camp as long as I have my own bathroom and kitchen inside. At the end of the trip as I took Bouchon, our happy glamping Pomeranian, outside in the designated doggy area every campground provides, I felt like I was getting hold of my Travelnostalgia symptoms and I felt the healing begin.