10 things you need to know before planning a RV trip

You have been thinking of planning a RV trip for a long time? You are looking for a bunch of information in order to make a decision? We get you. Going on a road trip for the holidays is a big thing. Before taking all of our family on a RV trip, we had planned almost everything. To do so, we had spent hours on the Internet to look for information. Here is our advice to you. 

RV trips are becoming more and more popular

You probably know that already but this information is more important than you think. RVs are a trendy thing. For example, in the United States, 46 million people are planning to do a RV trip in 2021. The lack of freedom and adventures due to the quarantine is enhancing this trend. 

You may think: why should I care about this information? Well, you should because it means that there will be more and more “business” around RVs. That’s good! Try to think of the first roadtrippers. They didn’t have neither mobile applications to guide them nor portable shower systems. 

No matter what you need, you will probably always find a solution. You have a large amount of resources on the Internet concerning vanlife. If you have a question, someone necessarily has the answer.

You can be comfortable during a RV trip

The rough and savage road trips are over… unless you want to. Recreational vehicles have brought to us, travel addicts, some comfort and ease. Of course, this improvement is mainly due to the rise of van lifers. It is economically interesting to sell good recreational vehicles.

Depending on your budget and needs, you can find a wheeled-home that is almost as comfortable as a real house. You can have a shower, toilets and a real kitchen. It is also possible to travel with your whole family and have a bed for everyone.

Of course, you can’t start a RV trip by thinking that your everyday life will be the same as before. Things will change. You will only have access to necessary things. But with the improvement of recreational vehicles, you won’t be disappointed by this way of living. 

Become wild and free

You will never experience true freedom unless you go on a RV trip in the middle of nowhere. The feeling of controlling everything from where you sleep to what places you visit is incomparable. Everything depends on you. Of course, it can also be very stressful but, trust us, you will get used to it. 

Imagine the sensation of waking up and looking at nature first thing in the morning. Depending on where you are staying, you can admire the sun rising behind the mountains or listen to the waves crashing on the beach. In any case, you will experience a moment of purity, freedom and perfection.

Wild and comfortable at the same time? Yes, it is possible. There is not one way of doing vanlife. You can choose to have a comfortable recreational vehicle but go “wild” in your destinations and activities. Conversely, you can have a more basic vehicle but visit big cities that are not as “wild”.  

Experience another level of community

The van life offers you to experience another level of community. The first sense of community concerns the other van lifers you will meet. Whether you are traveling to Europe, America or Australia, you will probably meet other people on a RV trip. You will be able to share your stories, advice and concerns. 

The other communities you will be involved in are the local communities you will live in. By going on a RV trip, you will be much more in contact with the locals. You may need to ask them for advice, you will shop in their stores, etc. You will be more integrated than if you were living in a touristic hotel. 

Everyone agrees on that: the sense of community and humanity you experience during a RV trip is a pure treasure. Relationships are so much different in this context. You will build friendships so much faster than usual. Because you will share very particular moments with them, these friendships will probably last forever. 

RV trips offer you true quality time

Whether you are traveling alone, with your partner or your family, you will experience true quality time in your recreational vehicle. You won’t have access to electricity or the Internet as much as usual. Therefore, you will learn to spend time differently. 

First of all, your rhythm will be different. You will probably follow the sun by waking up and going to bed earlier. You will experience great sunrises and sunsets, go for long walks in nature and spend time with people without checking your phone every 5 minutes. 

You may save money during your road trip

You have started your budget and think we are becoming crazy? Think again and compare your vanlife budget to a “normal life” budget. Do you still think that it is expensive? If you don’t have to pay for a real house in addition to your RV, it is very interesting. 

No mortgage, no energy bills, no home insurance… Living in a recreational vehicle is cheaper than living in a classic house. Moreover, you will probably become more minimalist during your road trip. Therefore, you will spend less money buying unnecessary things. You will be able to use this money in order to experience things: visit museums, do bungee jumping or diving, for example. 

Plan your RV trip (a little)

The best part of a RV trip is the freedom it brings to you. You can live from day to day, waking up not knowing where you are going to sleep at night. You can change your itinerary based on your desires and needs at the moment. Obviously, you need to keep a part of that carelessness. 

However, you might want to plan your trip a little bit in advance. This carelessness can sometimes put you in bad situations. For example, you don’t want to be in the middle of a desert when you realize you don’t have any water left in your RV. To avoid this kind of issue, you need to be prepared. 

We advise you to plan your itinerary briefly in order to know approximately where you are going. Then, you will be able to check what are the facilities nearby to refill water, fuel and food. You can also enter your itinerary in different mobile apps to know where are the points of interest next to you. 

Manage your resources 

By planning your RV trip, you will also be able to manage your resources more easily. Indeed, your comfort (and survival) will depend a lot on these resources like water, food, gasoline, electricity and gas. You have several options in order to manage them. But the first thing to remember is that you need to consume more intelligently. 

To help you refill these resources, you can use the mobile app iOverlander which is the fullest application for vanlife. Other roadtrippers can indicate on the app where you can find water, gasoline, etc. iOverlander works in almost every country since it is based on the information left by users. 

Choose your recreational vehicle carefully

As you may know, there are a lot of different recreational vehicles. You can choose to buy a camper van, a trailer, a motorhome or even a roof-tent. These RV fit different needs. They all have advantages and weaknesses. Therefore, you need to choose carefully your future wheeled-home. 

In order to help you make this decision, we have grouped a bunch of information in a blog post. You can learn more about different types of RV right here! Depending on your budget, your needs and desires, you will certainly find the perfect solution for you. 

This will be the best time of your life

The last thing you need to know before planning your RV trip is that this experience will be the best time of your life, by far. You are still hesitating on doing a roadtrip? Don’t! You will thank you later. If you are afraid, stressed or unsure, it means that this is a good decision. Best things in life are never easy and effortless. 

Living in a recreational vehicle will help you focus on the most important things in life: you and your loved ones. You will live a more profound and meaningful life. Moreover, you will learn again to be amazed by little and simple things like food, people and nature. 

Even the tough times will become good memories. Because you will experience some troubles, for sure. All things won’t go as planned. You will have to be resilient and peaceful to accept those things. That is, for sure, a lesson that will help you forever. As fellow roadtrippers, we know how much you can learn by going on a RV trip. 

So… what are you waiting for?

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