One of the industries that showed strong growth during the COVID-19 pandemic was the camping and recreation industry. As people looked to avoid public places like airports, train stations, and hotels, buying or renting a recreational vehicle (RV) was a popular vacation idea in the summer of 2020 and continues to be this year.
RVs provide several advantages, including serving as your transportation and lodging, so you don’t need to pack and unpack, and you can also take turns with other drivers and not be cooped up in a car during a long road trip.
If you’re looking to dip your toes into the world of RVs and enjoy a trip on the open road, here are six things you should know before renting or even buying an RV to make your experience a pleasant one.
- Test Drive
A test drive for the RV is a must. If you’re only used to driving cars, it will take some time to adjust to the larger vehicle, changing the way that you accelerate, brake, and turn, and may even change routes that you take due to roads that are harder to maneuver around.
- Watch Your Gauges
Catch a problem before one occurs by watching your gauges. You’ll want to especially keep an eye on your fuel level, as RVs consume gas far faster than conventional vehicles.
- Have a Backup Plan
If you’re traveling to unfamiliar areas, have paper maps of your route in case spotty coverage or a technical failure dooms your GPS.
- Pack With Caution
Just because you’ll be taking many of the comforts of home with you, space is limited in the RV, so you don’t want to feel crowded in your surroundings by taking too much “stuff.”
- Book in Advance
Campgrounds are traditionally popular destinations, and that’s even more of the case now. Book reservations well in advance.
- Conduct Routine Inspections
When leaving a campsite, be sure to inspect the inside and outside of the RV. Make sure all hoses and cables are disconnected, and you’ll also need to use the levelers on the RV to make sure that appliances work correctly.
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