A while back I shared 8 Ways To Get More Use Out Of Your RV, as an RV is an investment, and the more uses we find for our RVs the better return we receive on our investment. Since I wrote the last entry, I have discovered two more uses for my RV that many might not think of.
Get the most out of your RV. Photos via author
1. Hospital visits
When my granddaughter was ready to come into this world my wife and I wanted to be there to welcome her. However, the hospital where my daughter-in-law was to deliver was over one hundred miles away from us in a smaller community. Since you never know the exact time and day the blessed event will occur, it is impossible to book conventional lodging in advance.
Plus, the baby was arriving in the summer when room rates are high and in demand, so showing up and hoping for a room without a reservation wasn’t much of an option either. As with most hospitals, they allow overnight parking for visitors. Therefore, upon learning this, we looked to our RV to provide the lodging we would need when the time arrived. When she neared her due date we prepped the RV with provisions and fueled the truck so we were ready to roll at a moment’s notice.
It ended up working better than I envisioned as she went into labor in the evening, we were able to get to the hospital, “set up camp” and visit before visitor hours ended. We then went outside, got some sleep, and were first on the scene when our granddaughter arrived the next morning. The RV also provided a convenient spot to nap one of our other grandchildren who came to visit the baby and parents.
Finally, since it was a small hospital with limited cafeteria hours, the RV provided a place to obtain meals without venturing far away. Thankfully, our hospital stay with our RV was for a joyous event, but I can also see where an RV would be a great asset when visiting a loved one receiving care for an injury or treatment for a disease. Especially when the stay is for an extended period of time where lodging and obtaining food could be expensive and keep you away from being there for the patient.
Visiting family at an assisted living facility
2. Assisted living care facilities
My elderly mother has been living in a care facility for the past couple of years and we have discovered that many such facilities allow RV-owning family to stay the night. Some facilities we toured also offer designated RV sites with hookups for guests visiting family members!
Besides the cost savings and being onsite with my mom, the RV also allowed us to enjoy other activities in the area and return in the evenings to share our adventures with my mom. Be sure to check with management on their overnight policy. In my case, the facility wanted to be notified that we were parked in the lot and staying the night.
Whether you are waiting for the stork to arrive, staying close to a sick loved one, or visiting a senior member of your family, “camping out” at hospitals and senior care centers is just one more way to maximize the use of your RV.
Dave Helgeson’s many roles in the RV industry started before he even had a driver’s license. His grandparents and father owned an RV dealership before the term “RV” had been coined, and Dave played a pivotal role in nearly every position of an RV dealership. He and his wife Cheri launched their own RV dealership in the Pacific Northwest. The duo also spent 29 years overseeing regional RV shows. Dave has also served as President of a local chapter of the Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA), worked on the board of advisors for the RV Technician Program of a local technical college, and served as a board member of the Manufactured Home and RV Association. Dave’s reputation earned him the title of “The foremost expert on boondocking,” bestowed by RV industry icon, the late Gary Bunzer (The RV Doctor). When he’s not out boondocking, you’ll find Dave in the spotlight at RV shows across the country, giving seminars about all things RVing. He and Cheri currently roam in their fifth travel trailer, with Dave doing all the service, repair and modifications to his own unit.
Thank you for spreading this information. We did just that when my son was hurt and the hospital was a distance away. The hospital was okay with this so we could visit.
good idea. we recently used ours to house a couple family members for a night when their a/c went out at home. By the way, an rv is no investment as they depreciate faster than used underwear. they are a worthy recreational expense tho.
Temple Scott and White hospital in Temple TX has an RV Park for extended stay families. Great place.
Three more:
Our Northern CA home doesn’t have air conditioning. But there are usually a few days a year when we really need it. We just plug in our 25’ Winnebago in the driveway and have everything we need to stay cool.
The power company’s frequent outages – sometimes lasting multiple days – aren’t a problem when we have everything we need in our rig…including the ability to keep refrigerated things cold.
It is also always stocked with the basics in case of a natural disaster. Last year we escaped the wildfires and poor air quality for a month, and we’ll be well situated after a major earthquake.
We use our RV for a day of fishing. Living in a National Forest we have lots of great lakes to fish in. We will leave early in the morning, park in an out of the way spot on the lake, fish for a while and go back to the RV for a hot breakfast and relax in the shade. Head out for some more fishing and come back to the RV when we are ready for lunch and a rest. The chairs are already in, as is the fishing gear. Kitchen is all set, food in the fridge, eat inside or under the awning, nothing to carry, dogs love it and there is “less work for mother”. Works also for festivals, fairs whatever. Day trips in our RV are terrific and so comfortable. Friends all ask to be included….
We used our RV at a hospital when I had outpatient surgery 90 miles from home. We spent the night in the hospital parking lot and returned home the next day.
We also use our RV when visiting my parents in a nursing facility over 1000 miles from our home. The management let us park in the parking lot as long as we visit.
They even let us use their on site pool, workout facility and showers.
We will also have ours stocked and ready to go in case we have to evacuate due to wildfire.
Another use: We recently had a granddaughter’s wedding at a country outdoor venue. We supplied our camp trailer as a change room for the Bride and bride’s maids. Worked out great!