Give me your best RV travel trips

[DesertBlossom]

We have rented an RV and will be gone for almost a week. We probably won't be staying more than 1 night in any place. So far w have a KOA reservation for one 1 night where our main event (and reason for travelling) will be. It's in a large city where public transportation will take us right to our destination. We will not be towing a car.

We will be visiting some of our old stomping grounds, spending a lot of time outside, stopping in to see some family, and spending a couple days in a National Park. (Is that vague enough but with enough detail? Lol)

This feels so immense. I don't even know where to start with the packing and planning. We do a fair amount of camping and some travelling in general. But we have never taken an RV on the road. We have 7 kids who are not picky eaters and I would love easy meal ideas that won't require me packing up my entire kitchen to prepare. 

Besides that, I don't even know what I need to know. Lol. DH says this is our trial run for a cross country trip someday. 🤪

[Pawz4me]

We bought our first RV in 2007 (a 35' Class A) and traded it in on on our second one (a 21' Class B) in 2016. I'll be glad to try to answer any specific questions you have. There's little about RV'ing that's hard, but of course there is a learning curve. Most experienced RV'ers are very happy to help, so don't hesitate to ask someone if necessary. Do be aware that most gas Class A and Class C RV's are already very close to being overweight when they come out of the factory. So I'd advise packing as lightly as possible, and especially think twice about whether or not you need anything very heavy (and that is extra true if you're going to have nine people in it!!). Until you get used to driving it assume it will take twice as long to stop as you think it will. Take a good tire gauge and check them regularly.

[alisoncooks]

Do you plan on grilling (will that be available?) We RV camp with my parents 3-4x a year, and it's not especially fun to prep/cook inside. (Small spaces, too many people underfoot.) Anything that we can do outside is better (grilling often delegated to the "menfolk" while we do sides).

Sandwiches for lunch, and maybe a crockpot would be handy for chili or soup to feed everyone in the evenings? 

[mmasc]

Definitely do easy food. It’s just not fun to cook inside even if there is a tiny stove! When we rv camp, we eat microwave bacon sandwiches, cheese & pepperoni, pbj sandwiches, fruit and easy veggies.  I try to wash it all at home so it’s easier. 

You'll need rv toilet paper if that isn’t provided with the rental. I’d take paper plates and towels too.

I could say tons more, but I’m not sure what specifics are needed and these came to mind first!

oh, and I’d take a handheld vacuum if you have one to quickly clean up dirt, grass, and crumbs. 

And with that many towels, I’d take an over the door towel hanger so you can hang your towels to dry. 

[Serenade]

I try to make as many pre-prepared foods as possible -- things that we can just pull out and serve.  So ahead of time I make a hearty pasta salad with vinaigrette (keeps very well), and things like broccoli salad that provide a quick and tasty veggie.  For sandwiches I tend to make fillings like tuna salad and pimiento cheese in advance  -- things you can spread on bread and don't need condiments.   We also like to take some pork barbecue, because that, too, can pretty much be dumped on buns, with a little slaw if desired, and dinner (or lunch) is done.  I agree with the others who posted that it's best to cook outdoors.  We rarely cook indoors with the exception of our traditional first night meal, which is frozen burritos or chimichangas, pre-cooked rice in a package, and canned beans -- these are all heated in the microwave.  Our previous first night meal was hotdogs over a fire, but we tend to arrive late, so we switched to the burritos which we all like.  Other than that, my DH or one of the boys cooks the meals outdoors on the camp stove or over a fire.  Chili is a favorite.

My favorite tip to share is to use foaming hand soap.  You can get away with using only a little bit of soap, and it doesn't make a mess all over the place like bar soap or even regular liquid soap. Plus, if you're ever in a situation where you have to conserve water, it doesn't take a lot of water to rinse it off.   Get your kids practicing water conservation early on.  With 7, you'll be dumping like crazy.  On another note, I like to take old thin towels in the camper because they dry faster.  Also take plenty of quarters so you can throw stuff in the campground drier if it is humid out and things don't dry.

Since you'll be only staying a night in most locations, this may not be a problem, but get yours kids in the habit of picking their stuff up and putting it away right away.  Even with only 4 of us, if we let things go for even a day, the camper ends up looking very messy. 

 

 

 

Edited October 1, 2019 by Serenade

[PeterPan]

Always make your bed. You never know when you'll drive down a 15 mile dust road and fill your RV with an inch of silt.

[LarlaB]

Do you know what comes with the RV in the kitchen?  We rent out 2 campers/travel trailers and include a coffee maker, pots and pans, dishes and utensils and so on. Not having those things will make a difference.  I’d figure that out.

Will you have electric hookups every night?  I’d make sure. 😜 If so, crockpot meals could work really well if you have ur RV parked and hooked up during the day.  Buuuut, if you are changing spots every night (and I would advise against that  if you have any choice because it burns up so much time with set up and tear down - but that’s just me) that won’t work. 

 Assuming it has a freezer, I often cook ahead of a trip. So much simpler. Chili, soup, sloppy joes etc anything helps. 

I would suggest disposable plates etc.  Many people in a small space is fun but will create a lot of dishes and believe me (I’ve cooked Tday meal 2x in my camper) those dishes add up and are a pain to do in a small space. Chances are the table won’t  seat you all and some will have to eat outside or elsewhere inside if weather is bad. 

Number 1 tip? Don’t over pack. 1 bathroom for 9 people?  Take 1 tube of toothpaste. That kind of thing. there is always storage but you will be shocked at how quickly it fills up. Think all of you in a hotel room with a kitchen and plan accordingly. 

Have fun!!!!

[alisoncooks]

Yes to the water conservation! (Unless you gave full hookups and won't have to dump -- that's like heaven).