Back

Strategies for Long RV Road Trips

May. 31 2024 Lifestyle By 47 West Trailers

Share

Long RV road trips are wonderful, but they come with unique challenges. The extended hours in the car increase risks of boredom, mechanical problems, and other hassles. While you can't prevent every road bump, you can take proactive steps to ensure a smooth vacation. We've gathered the following strategies for a successful long RV road trip, so read on to learn more!

Prepare Your RV

Start by getting your RV ready for the rigors of the road. This reduces the chances of an issue cropping up and derailing your trip. It'd be a shame to spend the vacation waiting at the repair shop over an issue that could've been prevented!

Conduct a thorough inspection of the camper, which includes:

  • measuring tire air pressure and fixing it if needed.
  • testing all the appliances.
  • testing all the lights.
  • checking fluid levels and topping off as needed.
  • washing the RV if a dirty windshield causes visibility issues.

Those who own a towable RV will also want to inspect their tow vehicle. Test the brakes, check the lights, measure the air pressure, check the oil, and do any other maintenance tasks.

Prepare for Emergencies

It's uncommon, but possible, for an emergency to occur during an RV trip. A long RV road trip involves more time traveling, which means more time for an emergency to happen. If you take the proper precautions, you'll be more equipped to handle whatever comes your way. Always bring a first aid kit and toolkit on your RV trips.

Prepare Food

Try to avoid bringing too much junk food or relying too much on fast food. Highly processed foods containing high salt and fat content do taste great. But these foods cause people to feel sluggish and tired, which is not ideal on a long RV trip. Try to balance extra-tasty road trip snacks with healthy foods.

Prepare Entertainment

Long road trips can generate boredom in travelers, especially children or teenagers. Boredom can suck the fun out of a trip - and even make people grumpy and snippy at each other. Make an action plan for keeping everyone entertained.

For example, you can try:

  • listening to a humorous audiobook or a stand-up comic's routine.
  • listening to a playlist of your favorite songs.
  • playing road trip games (such as "I Spy", "Guess The Movie From The Quote", or "The Alphabet Game").
  • listening to a podcast on your favorite subject.
  • watching a show or movie on a tablet.

Take Breaks

When there's a long drive ahead, it may seem appealing to skip breaks in order to get to the destination faster. But breaks are important, especially on longer RV trips. Drivers can only hold focus for so long. It helps to plan breaks at appealing locations. Look on your route for any interesting tourist attractions, highly rated local diners, or even a nature lookout.

We hope you found this guide useful! For more RV road trip advice or to shop RVs for sale, visit 47 West Trailers in Troy, MO. Our expert staff can answer questions and help with whatever you need. We proudly serve all those in Columbia and St. Louis.