When you want to see the US up close and personal, traveling across the country in an RV is a great way to take in the sights. An RV is a hotel and home on wheels. You don’t have to stop to find a hotel or book a flight. You can make camping in the RV part of the travel experience. RVers can set up camp and sleep in their own beds each night once they’ve decided it’s time to crash. What’s more, your RV also provides you with a bathroom and kitchen, which can make life on the road so much more enjoyable- and efficient.
However, you might still be wondering how to plan a fun vacation with entertaining stops when traveling in your RV. Here, we’ll cover a plethora of ways you can make your next RV vacation a blast. If you’ve just started thinking about touring the country in an RV, be sure to check out this blog for helpful tips on the most important things to consider when buying an RV.
If you’re looking for an RV, check out RV Dealership for incredible deals and selection. Without further ado, let’s get started!
For several people, national parks are a top vacation destination. With sixty-three to choose from and hundreds of nationally-designated places and attractions, national parks make for an incredible spot on your cross-country tour, especially if you love the outdoors.
It’s completely possible to plan a trip around a single national park and its attraction. Still, you could also leave your RV in a nearby campground and simply go for the day. In fact, several national parks offer numerous RV-friendly campgrounds and parking. Many RVers specifically choose to pass through a national park before they hit their final destination.
RV parking is usually designated in national parks, and many offer shuttles for getting around the park and surrounding areas. When planning your next RV vacation, definitely consider stopping by a national park if not designing your whole trip around it.
Nature is always a wonderful choice for exploration, but cities can also be quite exciting. You’ll just need to account for the logistics of navigating around the city in your RV. Many people set up shop at a local RV park or nearby campground and then use their towed car or another vehicle to enjoy the city sights. You could also utilize public transportation to travel to and within cities, especially those with great transit options like Chicago or New York City.
A fun part of your planning will be deciding which city to visit. If you are taking a long route across the nation, look for interesting cities to visit that sit right along the roads you’ll be using. Next, research entertainment in those cities, investigating things like local foods, museums, local parks, famous buildings or landmarks, etc. When you check out everything in a single area each day, you’ll be able to pack your day with adventure!
State parks can be another fantastic place to visit and are right up there with national parks. They’re also typically cheaper and less crowded. Many are also dog-friendly, which isn’t necessarily the case in national parks. While every state has one park, many have dozens, so you’ll be sure to find something no matter where in the state you’ll be going.
Some of these state parks even have RV campgrounds, with some offering hookups. Even the state parks that don’t offer campgrounds usually have other local camping and RV parking available. Check along your route or by vacation destinations to see if you spot any intriguing state parks where you can squeeze in a visit.
Every RV trip is a road trip, but many people travel to their intended vacation spot, spend a week or two there, and then drive home. With a road trip-style vacation, you don’t need to set a specific final location but instead plan a bunch of fun stops along the way and back. With this option, RVers can explore more places and see more things. You can travel in a loop, seeing different things with each drive instead of driving the same way to and from a central destination. Changing things up like this and making it about the journey, not the destination, can be a fun experience.
Harvest Hosts put together a list of over 3300 locations, from wineries to farms to golf courses. They are spread out over the country and perfect for RVers. You can use the host map search to find a Harvest Hosts destination and look at places in specific states or near a specific location, such as a city or a park. If you want to see which spots are on a set route, you can use the route search feature where you input a certain starting and ending point. Harvest Hosts’ breweries, museums, and more will make your trip exciting and entertaining.
Pair these incredible destinations with a Puma XLE, and you’ll be living the good life on the road.
Living far away from your family and friends can be difficult, particularly during these past pandemic years. Many folks still don’t want to fly, and lengthy road trips can be challenging, especially if you have kids. Traveling in an RV can make seeing cross-country loved ones much more doable. You’ll also be more comfortable, and everyone will have room to spread out, especially if you’re behind the wheel of a larger rig like the Winnebago.
Plus, the onboard bathroom and refrigerator make taking breaks and switching drives easier. You can even use the RV while you’re there if you’d like a bit of privacy when visiting your loved ones. Moving things in and out of the RV is easy if you want to stay with your friends or family. The journey to seeing your family and friends will be more fun, and you can travel on your schedule.
Several people set the goal of visiting new places as a new year’s resolution or put it on their bucket list, while others stay loyal to certain favorites. Of course, it’s always up to you, but choosing to explore an entirely new area can be incredibly fun and exciting. Visiting these places with your friends and family can provide a bonding experience you’ll talk about for years. Try out going to a brand new spot and visiting several destinations along the way to make it a fun-packed road trip vacation.
Each family is made up of different people, and often each person will have different interests. It makes sense. After all, no two people are exactly alike. Since you want your vacations to be a fun time for every family member, allowing each person to select one of the stops along the route will help them feel involved in the planning and ensure everyone enjoys themselves. Have your spouse, kids, parents, travel buddies, or whoever is joining you choose to stop as a team. You’ll lighten your planning load, ensure everyone has something to look forward to, and create a vacation that you couldn’t have without them.
When you’re planning a trip with kids, having them help you plan can actually make the trip more successful. They’ll be proud that they helped and look forward to the stops they personally chose.
Speaking of kids, be sure to check out Rockwood RV for some great RV options that’ll suit a family.
This idea goes along with the previous one. People are going to have different preferences. Someone might be very outdoorsy while another is more interested in restaurants and local shops. Work to find ways to accommodate each person’s interests as much as possible, even if that means just giving each person one stop they pick. What’s more, if someone is being quiet, ensure they’re okay with what’s planned and speak with them about their ideas in a place where they’ll feel comfortable.
Even if you think you’re totally in sync, you might still have some times when not everyone is on the same wavelength. Splitting up and meeting up later can be a great way to keep everyone happy and entertained and prevent interpersonal issues. After all, you’ll be with them all in the RV for a long time, so it’s better to have everyone in a good mood.
Plus, splitting up can give you a break from each other so that annoyances and disagreements are kept to a minimum. It can also give you and your significant other a chance to break free from the kids for a bit if you have the option to send them somewhere with your friends or family.
When you’re planning on spending the entire trip together, putting up some ground rules will be even more important. Even best friends and close family can start to get annoyed with each other quirks and habits after days in close quarters with one another, particularly if they’ve never been with each other like that.
Setting boundaries before you hit the road can ensure everyone understands each other’s needs and rituals. It can also be helpful to provide everyone with their own space in the RV. Cherokee RV has a great selection of larger RVs that offer plenty of space for each person to have their own private area. Privacy and time to reset can be extremely beneficial to the group dynamics and keep people in good spirits throughout the trip. Taking breaks during the drive to stretch and get some fresh air can also be helpful.
Another piece of advice when RVing with friends or family, ask the right road trip questions, particularly what they absolutely have to do.
For each stop, ask your friends about their non-negotiables. Creating a “must-see” checklist will guide you as you plan and help you to ensure you hit the most important destinations and cut out the ones that people won’t be as upset to miss. Suppose several friends share a desire to see a particular spot or enjoy a specific activity. In that case, you can please several people at once by visiting those spots. In contrast, other people may split off to see something only they’re interested in.
For instance, if a few friends want to take a long hike and a couple more don’t want to hike that far, you can split up and allow each group to experience the thing they were most excited about without feeling like you’re leaving anyone out or forcing them to do something they hate. This approach will also make nailing down a daily schedule easier.
For the remainder of our tips, we’re going to get practical. You might forget about or need to do these things before you hit the road. Make sure you do them so that you don’t experience RV woes right in the middle of your trip.
If your RV has a toilet, which you’ll want for fewer stops, dumping the waste will be part of your trip. Getting rid of the “black water” will be an unfortunate necessity, and you want to be sure you do it right. There is typically a storage compartment on the side of the vehicle. When you open it to unscrew the cap and attach the sewer hose, keep this crucial tip at the front of your mind- ensure the dump valves are closed.
When you’re new to RV life, watching a YouTube video about dumping the tank can be a great idea. You’ll also want to look over the RV’s manual and learn about its particular mechanisms. In general, you’ll always need to make sure the latches are closed. Otherwise, you could wind up needing a shower a bit sooner than you expected.
Bring some tools with you, including a set of hex wrenches, when you hit the road. Predicting accidents and emergencies is impossible. That’s what they are, after all, unpredictable hiccups. But as you likely know, life happens. So, it’s best to be prepared for anything that might come up. By having backup equipment, repair tools, and emergency supplies, you’ll feel more capable of handling anything that life throws at you.
Make sure you pack a toolkit, Allen and hex wrenches, duct tape, scissors, plastic bags, and zip ties. Account for extra towels and toilet paper, and perform a test drive before your final trip so that you know of any loose items or hatches you’ll need to secure.
The last thing you want is to sit down to eat and not have enough forks or plates. Make sure you pack all the cooking utensils and supplies you’ll need to prepare and eat meals, including a sharp knife (which you’ll want to store securely). If you’re looking for an RV with many storage options, check out Forest River RV. You’ll also want to consider cutting boards, salt and pepper, Tupperware, and dish soap. You’ll have to clean all those dishes after all. Take an inventory of your cookware, and make sure you pack thermoses, drying towels or racks, measuring cups, and enough instant food options that you’ll be able to feed everyone if cooking goes wrong.
While you’re doing your kitchen inventory, you may also want to do a medicine cabinet inventory. Headaches and bumps can happen anywhere, so you want to be prepared with a first aid kit, including ice packs and Band-Aids, as well as your typical medications and pain relievers.
Traveling in an RV can be so much fun, and these tips can help make your RV cross-country trips even better. Summer will be gone before you know it. Take this opportunity to plan a fantastic trip your family will be talking about for years to come. The most entertaining end-of-summer trip is right around the corner!
What do you do to make your RV trips more fun? Which are your favorite road trip destinations? Do you like exploring all the new things, or do you like going back to the same family favorite year after year? Share your incredible stories and tips in the comments with your fellow RV enthusiasts.
For more great information about enjoying RV life, check out RV Wholesalers. The blog has tons of helpful articles for RV newbies. If you’re looking for information about an RV extended warranty before you go on a trip, follow the link for information.
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