Are you new to RVing? Figuring out your family’s traveling styles and needs will go through a bit of an adjustment period as you get used to life on the road. A lot of it is trial and error – and taking the time to learn from experience. Especially when it comes to packing? What do you need to take with you, and what can you leave at home? Our RV tips for packing the essentials can help!
Look for the Bare Necessities
First things first: looking for the absolute essentials. Everything you pack in your new or used RV adds to the overall weight, and it adds up quickly! Decide what the bare necessities are and leave all the extra stuff at home. Places you can easily decrease weight: the kitchen (you might not actually need 3 skillets of different sizes) and your camp toolbox (a multi-tool weighs SO much less and takes up less space than the 27 different tools it functions for!).
Plan Your Meals
Save money on your food expense by making a meal plan and sticking to it. Eating out more than you’d planned will astronomically blow up your budget! Besides saving money, knowing the meal plan in advance will help guide your kitchen packing tools (see…we knew you didn’t need 3 skillets) and the dry goods you need to bring with you and the perishables you’ll want to buy when you arrive. (Never travel with bagged salad.)
Opt for Lightweight Gear
If you find yourself buying or replacing camp gear like camping chairs, hammocks, or a picnic tent, try to buy lightweight versions that boast being packable and foldable. Quick-dry fabrics are best, and aluminum frames (instead of steel) weigh less, take up less space, and don’t cut corners on quality.
Opt Out of Breakables
If it’s fragile, leave it at home. My family prefers leaving all glassware and breakable dishes at home and having a sturdy melamine or plastic set for the road so that if you hit a literal bump in the road, any jostling of items won’t result in breakage.
The Creature Comforts
Okay. Now that you’ve packed your essentials and gear, you need to pack the fun stuff. If your family are bike riding or kayaking enthusiasts, the bikes, helmets, and boats are a must-have…but if you don’t regularly use those at home, you probably aren’t missing out by leaving them at home.
If you love board games or puzzles and vacations are the perfect opportunity, make sure to bring your latest find. Or maybe you’re ready to break in that fabulous pair of hiking boots you got for Christmas. This is the time to pack the things that bring you joy – what vacation is all about!
Fresh Oil and Filters
These aren’t things to pack extras of…they’re things to get checked and changed if needed before you set out! Contact us to schedule an RV service appointment so every detail of your new or used RV is ready for the road!
