You just got a new RV, and you’re itching to hit the road and see what natural beauties the world around you has to offer. While you’re sure to have a wonderful time on your adventure no matter what, there are a few things you can do to optimize your experience that many first-timers don’t know about.
Luckily, we’re here to help. We’ve taken our vast amount of RVing knowledge to compile ten RV hacks that all new RVers should know about.
With these helpful hints, you will execute your first RV trip as if it were your hundredth!
RVs notoriously come equipped with inadequate shower heads. They usually provide a low-pressure trickle and waste more water than ends up on your body. Thankfully, RV shower heads are extremely easy to swap out and are totally worth it. For a reasonable price, you can extend the quality and length of your shower while cutting back on water waste, permanently enhancing the comfort level of your RV lifestyle. Brands like Oxygenics or PowerFlow are great options for a new RV shower head.
It’s important to always be aware of your RV’s height and length, as well as the distance between its tires. Have you ever driven through a tunnel that says it’s only accessible for vehicles under a certain height? That may not have ever applied to you before, but it will now. Know how tall your RV is so you can compare it to the posted warnings to avoid causing an accident by trying to fit into a tunnel that’s too low. Your RV’s length and the distance between its tires aren’t quite as vital to know, but you still should so that you can monitor your RV and be able to tell if anything is going wrong with it.
This goes hand-in-hand with our last tip. There can be lots of different ways to get to your chosen destination, and not all of them are optimal for an RV. It’s important to keep in mind that the route that you would take in a car might not be the best option for towing or a larger rig. You now have to consider things like low overpasses, tunnels, weight-restricted bridges, steep hill grades, and more. Planning out your route before hitting the road can keep you safe and save you time and money. Luckily, there are several smartphone apps out there that make this an easy job.
Most RVs don’t come standard with many variable lighting options, meaning that when you’re in the dark at nighttime, you’re really in the dark. This can be easily changed with a number of different light fixtures you can get at your local hardware store. We recommend going as far as getting some motion sensor lights so that you don’t have to worry about turning a light off and on at night and can just walk around freely, knowing the sensors will light your way as needed.
KEEP THE LIGHTS ON
Want to avoid a dead battery when you’re on the road? Read up on the best batteries for RVers in this blog.
As you continue to drive your RV and get adjusted to the on-the-road lifestyle, you’ll meet a fickle opponent time and time again: gas prices. Gasoline will likely be one of your largest expenses each year, and with all your driving, the cost adds up fast. This makes it even more vital that you do everything you can to save on gas expenses, and one way to do this is by only filling up during the week. RVing is most popular on the weekends, and gas prices can increase during this time. If you can manage to get all the gas you need during the week, you’ll save over time.
RVs are full of low-hanging, hard surfaces. It’s common for people to hit their heads on doorways or cabinets that they didn’t see, and it’s never a good time. A great remedy is to attach some cushioning to problem areas or to decorate them to draw attention to the surface.
Certain animals love to congregate in and around RVs, and they’re not pleasant to deal with. As they say though, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Taking easy steps to prevent rats, mice, and other unwanted guests from entering your motorhome will provide major benefits down the road. We recommend sealing up any small cracks or holes you see both inside and outside your RV that might be welcoming rodents in. Employ mint-scented objects (bar soap or a mint spray are great) around doorways and other entrances because these naturally repel mice. Lastly, opening up your hood slightly is a good rat deterrent because it discourages them from gathering there.
GETTING TOO UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH THE OUTDOORS?
We might love nature, but we don’t always love nature in our RVs. If you’ve seen a few unwanted furry friends in your rig, read our blog to keep mice out of your RV.
It’s unlikely that your RV has its own built-in washer and dryer, and routinely washing all of your laundry at laundromats is tedious and gets pricey over time. Washing your clothes in your RV is a great way to save money and is quite simple. Small, portable washers can be found online and are relatively inexpensive, or you can fashion a DIY washer with a five-gallon bucket and a stick or plunger to suds up your clothes. Next time you park, you can just let ‘em bake in the sun for a while until they’re nice and dry!
Some places you travel to may have extremely warm or cold weather while you’re visiting, which can provide unforeseen consequences if your RV isn’t prepared beforehand. Insulating your RV’s windows and other fixtures can help you stay at a comfortable temperature and even prevent disaster from occurring, like your pipes freezing over in the cold. Insulating isn’t too difficult of a task and can be approached a number of ways using many different materials. Most can be found at your local hardware store and aren’t too tricky to install, but you can also get a professional job done if you’re worried about it.
FOR THOSE NOT-SO-SUNSHINY DAYS
It’s not always smooth sailing on the open road. Learn how RV insurance through Roamly can protect you on a rainy day.
RVs can sometimes be cramped places, especially if you’re a full-timer living in your RV with all your stuff. You don’t want to waste an ounce of space in an RV, so it’s a great idea to take advantage of any storage space that you can. Use Command hooks to hang up clothes and decorations on the walls, and buy nesting kitchenware so that all your bowls fit into one giant bowl. You can use a small plastic container for a portable trash can and use your grocery bags as trash bags, removing the need for a larger trash can. Clever storage-creating items like collapsible bins are a great way to maximize the use of any extra space you still have, such as underneath your furniture.
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