Newbie or Old Timer, We Can All Learn from this Travel Trailer Advice
So you’re the proud new owner of a travel trailer. You saved up, researched, and bought your new RV. Now what?
RVing is a great way to see places, meet people, and spend time with friends and family. Owning a travel trailer is not all campfires and hot showers though. There are things you need to know and responsibilities you must accept.
Here is some travel trailer advice for newbies out there.
1. Have fun!
This is the most important thing to know and the main reason you bought your travel trailer. It may seem like this would go without saying, but some of the other things on this list can become overwhelming and stressful.
It’s important to remember the idea of RVing is to travel, have adventures, and make memories while having fun! So when things go wrong or you have a long travel day, sit back and look at your new travel trailer and remember why you bought it.
Some of us enjoy our personal time and would prefer a quiet, secluded campsite far from civilization (you might want to try boondocking). This is fine and one of the joys of an RV is you can go where you want to go.
That being said, the RV community both online and at campgrounds, is a big family of people from all walks of life enjoying similar passions. Some of the best memories of trips are the people you meet.
Having other people who you can travel with, enjoy new places and experiences, or call when your fridge stops working adds to the RV experience.
3. Learn how to fix things
Whether you buy a $500 travel trailer or a $50,000 travel trailer, things will need repair. You don’t need to be a master RV technician but learning the basics of RV systems and the ins and outs of your specific RV can save you money. It will also add to the sense of pride you have as an RV owner.
Online forums such as iRV2 are full of information on all makes and models of RVs, along with lots of experienced RVers who have been in your shoes.
The amount of travel trailer advice for newbies is extensive in these online forums, at RV shows, and campgrounds around the country.
4. Don’t be that guy/girl
We have all seen a head shaking or even dangerous situation involving someone towing a travel trailer. Towing a trailer is a huge responsibility – ask any truck driver. There is a reason they go to driving school and spend countless hours behind the wheel before they can be hired by a reputable company.
Towing shouldn’t prevent you from buying a travel trailer and you will become better with every mile. That being said, having a good understanding of towing and all of the safety and legal requirements is a critical piece of travel trailer advice for newbies.
If there is a towing course near you, take it! If you have friends who are experienced, travel with them and learn. Take advantage of more rural areas and empty parking lots to get comfortable with your trailer. You may also want to consider taking an RV Masterclass to learn more about travel trailers, boondocking, and other topics.
It is very important to also have an understanding of the legalities for towing such as vehicle weight ratings, capacities, and state and federal guidelines.
5. Know your needs
Buying a travel trailer can be overwhelming. There are so many options available and a large range of prices. Selecting the right trailer is important, so don’t rush into buying the first one or the cheapest one.
Many RVs are expensive and may require financing; determine if this is worth it for you. Making payments every month on a travel trailer that only gets used 2 weekends a year can take the fun out of it. Maybe a used fixer-upper is right for you.
Set a budget and look at floorplans and lengths and weights that work. Don’t forget to consider what you will use as a tow vehicle.
6. Just go!
You plan for weeks, and then when the long weekend hits, it’s calling for rain – it happens to all of us. Maybe you had a week booked off and unexpected repairs eat into the first 2 or 3 days. Lots of unexpected things can and will happen in life.
Your time away from day-to-day life, family vacations, and spontaneous getaways are really the important things and shouldn’t be put off. Just because everything isn’t as planned or conveniently scheduled is no reason to cancel plans.
Some of the best trips result from detours, unplanned stops, and alternate campground accommodations. You bought a travel trailer to get out and have fun, so just go!
Owning a travel trailer is a great way to spend quality time with family, explore new places, meet people, and just get away.
For help mapping out your route for your next RV getaway, look no further than RV LIFE Trip Wizard. This online planning tool makes it easy to plan an RV-safe route. It can also locate interesting sites along the way, all according to your travel preferences. Get RV LIFE Trip Wizard with its accompanying RV LIFE App, and start planning your adventure today!
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Kendall lives with his wife and their two cocker spaniels full-time in their RV currently in Mexico. He is one half of DashboardDrifters.com and the co-founder of RVSpotDrop, a web service for full-time RVers.
Interesting article. As to point number 4 (“Don’t be that guy or girl”): If everyone who owned an RV understood weight limitations, there would be wonderfully fewer RVs on the road, as I’ve seen few units that were not WAY overweight. I believe that’s perpetrated by many in the RV who push overweight vehicles on customers without the right equipment to two them or the driving skill to drive them (even with training). Just my thought , having bought, renovated, and built several trailers and drivables.
We are as green as the grass at rving perhaps hints on backing up would help ……my fence well ….
Be prepared for a flat and have your tire iron, chocks and jack on the right/passenger side of your rig. This way you will not be in traffic lanes while getting these out.
Potentially lifesaving tip
Tools, wire, rope, duct tape, bungee cords and know how to get things open and closed without power. Walk around and look at what could break and how to fix it.
I, for one, am not going to own a RV trailer. I am not using anything that will cause me to get out of the driver’s seat, get out, walk outside, in whatever weather, to use the toilet, or make a sandwich.
The six tips are very relevent and the embeded links also, I have bookmarked them to go back to.
My wife and I both grew up tent camping, first year of marriage we purchased a popup, at 28 years we purchased a 2015 FR Cherokee we have now had for 4yrs. One thing we either got from one of the forums or just came up with was when we are backing up the camper, my wife is the spotter and I am driving. The communications, we use our cell phones, using right and left for backing up directions did not work for me. So we use “Driver Side” and “Passenger Side”. This way there is no doubt which way someone is intending the rear of the camper direction is to move.
One other item that I keep in mind while backing the camper is that you turn your sterring wheel the opposite direction from the way you want the back of the camper to go while backing up.