Do you ever think about getting out of the house for the summer and spending time cross-country traveling? It’s time to get on the road and live life!
The first thing you need to do is get yourself a motorhome. It doesn’t matter if you have an RV, a truck camper, or just an old van that’s been sitting in your driveway for years—as long as you can sleep in it, it’s good enough.
Once you have your vehicle of choice, start with some basic maintenance: make sure your tires are up to date, check the oil and coolant levels, and make sure everything is working properly (including the air conditioner and heater).
One tip to get ahead would be to subscribe to any RV newsletters and join any Facebook groups where RVers share their own experiences of life on the road.
You don’t have to be a seasoned RV enthusiast to know that life on the road isn’t always easy—especially when you’re trying to keep costs down or just plain can’t get along with your family. But don’t worry, we’ve got your back.
We’ve compiled a list of tricks, hacks, and tips for living life on the road that will help you keep your sanity while saving money and making memories that will last a lifetime – or at least until you pull into a campsite.
Pick Your Spot(s)
If you want your RV trip to be successful, pick destinations in advance. Look around at all the beautiful places in America (or maybe even Canada and Mexico) and decide which one looks best to live in for a few days or weeks at a time. You can also opt to choose your destination based on what specific landmarks you’d like to visit (like national parks) and get them checked off your bucket list.
Next, start planning your route there and include stops at all the places where you want to spend some time before getting back on the road again. There are RV parks all over the country that accommodate travelers, young and old, new and accustomed to living on the road.
Once you’ve picked out your destination and/or landmarks and planned out your route, it’s time for some prep work before taking off into the great unknown. To make sure everything runs smoothly once you hit the open road, here are some tips on storing clothes, keeping clean, and packing.
Smart Packing
Pack what you need in advance so that when it’s time to leave, all you have to do is grab your things and go. This means keeping important items like medications and chargers together so that when they’re needed, they’re easy to find.
Create a place where everything has its own spot so that things don’t get lost or mixed up when moving around between vehicles/campgrounds/etc., and so everything stays organized even when there isn’t much space available anywhere else!
Storing Clothes While on the Road
If you’re living life on the road, storing your clothes can be a challenge. But it doesn’t have to be!
You’ll need to decide how much space you’ll need for your clothing. If you’re going on a long trip, you may want more room than if you’re just going on a weekend getaway.
Once you’ve decided how much space you’ll need, divide up your clothes into categories based on their size and weight: heavy items go in the bottom layer of your drawers/storage, and light items on top.
Consider investing in organizers that will help maximize the use of your space. Some options include hanging closet organizers, under-bed storage bins, and compression bags for items you use infrequently and can keep tucked away.
Keeping Clean
You get to see the country from a new perspective, and your mode of transportation is basically your home for at least a few days. Perhaps you’ve been in this position: you’re on the road, and you can’t find a shower. You might have to find the next best option like a public restroom.
While on the move, packing the basics you need to stay hygienic and clean comes down to personal preference — but we can offer up a few tips: pack the essentials, but not too much or too little; don’t rely on just one bar of soap for three months of travel.
Whether it’s because you’re camping in the wilderness or because you’ve just been driving for hours and need to freshen up, keeping clean while traveling cross country can pose a challenge. But with these tips, you’ll be able to get clean without having to go down the road.
- Bring hand sanitizer and wipes
If you have access to a sink or water source, this will be your best bet for rinsing off quickly. If not, then bring along hand sanitizer and wipes—just make sure they’re not scented which will attract bugs!2. Clean clothes = cleaner you
- Map out places on your road trip that would allow you to stop at local laundromats.
If you find yourself somewhere with a sink and soap (like a gas station), use those resources! Don’t be afraid to ask for help if needed—most people are friendly and will be happy to let you use their facilities.
- Bring travel-sized toiletry products with you
It can be difficult to fit everything into one bag when traveling long distances without needing additional supplies along the way; however, having travel-sized versions of your favorite products will make it easier on both your travel vehicle and yourself!
- Septic System
If your camper has plumbing, then lucky you! You have the convenience of a sink, shower, and toilet at your fingertips. However, convenience comes with some responsibility. For starters, you will need to fill your fresh water tank, which provides water to your taps, regularly. You also need to find an efficient way to dispose of the wastewater.
Some RV parks have sites that allow campers to hook up directly to a water source and waste disposal system. If you are just camping for a weekend or two at an RV park, then you can simply dump your waste into a designated dumping station at the campground. In some cases, it will cost money for this service; however, many parks offer free dumping stations for their guests’ convenience. Some gas stations and rest stops provide similar services.
If you are going on an extended trip with more than one person in your vehicle then it may be better suited for you to purchase a portable toilet system instead of using public facilities every day. Portable toilets are easy to move around with no hassle about finding bathrooms or having them available when needed most!
- Bottles of water are your friends
Keep a bottle of water in your car dedicated to hand washing so that you can wash your hands whenever they get dirty.
Before embarking on a long road trip with the RV, it’s always a good idea to do some research and get to know your vehicle. The more accessible your items are, the more likely you are to be comfortable in your journey. From there, it’ll be a matter of following the signs along the road.
Make sure you create a plan in order to set yourself up for success before taking on this new lifestyle. This can help eliminate stress typically associated with RV living, such as finding places to stop, finding necessary resources along the way, or even homesickness.
We hope you’ve found these RV lifestyle hacks helpful in your quest to live a more relaxed life on the road. With a little ingenuity and planning, you can get the most out of your RV and make it work for you—not the other way around.
Don’t forget that if you’re traveling cross country, you can rely on Prime Storage to store any items you’re not taking on the road with you.
