- “Whatever you can afford, doesn’t matter if you’re towing a pop up tent camper or driving a diesel motorhome or anything in between. Load up your family, or your friends and head out. Nothing is like RVing with friends or family and enjoying the amazing things this beautiful country has to offer with your home with you.” – Dave R.
- “The first time, go within 45 miles of home and preferably near a store. Keep a list of items you run out of so that you will be well stocked for the next trip.” –Christine K.
- “Just go! Don’t be one of those people who lets their trailer sit on the side of their house…that’s just sad.” – Valerie H.
- “Remember, it’s the journey, not the destination, that counts. Stop and smell the roses– they are NOT on the Interstates.” – Rhonda K.
- “Get a system in place. Everyone has a job, from chocking wheels to opening cabinets to making sure nothing will fall out. We also use walkie talkies for communication upon arrival.” – Jennifer E.
- “Stay flexible. Don’t lock yourself into a schedule if possible. Stop if something unplanned interests you. You never know when you will be back that way and returning later will always be more expensive than stopping now.” –William T.
- “Don’t be afraid to ask fellow RVers questions. Most are very helpful and happy to share their experiences!” – Crystal L.
- “Keep the RV dealer’s number handy! On your first trip go somewhere with full hook ups. Our first RV trip we had no idea what we were doing.” – Chris C.
- “Drive slow, always check your tire pressure, and top off the propane!” – ScenicRouteTravelers
- “Always remember that in a trailer the black battery cable is the hot lead, which goes against everything we grew up knowing about car batteries…black was always ground!” – David T.
- “Make sure you are handy and remember to have money saved for regular maintenance and unexpected repairs.” – Joe D.
- “Make yourself a checklist for setting up and breaking down.” – Jeannette S.
- “Take a spare long sleeve shirt, short sleeve, summer/winter pjs, a raincoat and a jacket. Leave them in the RV. You will never be able to predict the weather on an outing, so always be ready to be dressed right. Leave them in the RV all year ‘round.” – Karen C.
- “Get a camping diary. They usually have a “form” to fill out about the campground and a space to write notes, likes and dislikes, spots to try for next time, etc. Very useful for planning to come back to the same place.” – Jeff G.
- “Renting before you buy is a great idea. If you buy, do all you can to buy new/next to new from a dealership.” – Cynthia Z.
- “Take extra time flushing your grey and black water tanks. 10 more minutes spent is hours and $$ saved later. The most glamorous part of RVing!!” – Jeff G.
- “Practice driving with the RV. When you first get it, take the RV to an empty parking lot. Practice making turns and backing up. Take some cones (like the ones they use for soccer practice) and set them up as if it was a curb at an intersection. Be sure you can make left and right turns around the cones without hitting them. Also set them up and learn to back up without hitting the cones.” – Chuck R.
- “Plug in and set up before you Go RVing and learn about everything then 😉” – Liz S.
- “Kitchen appliances! If you’re camping at Thanksgiving time and don’t want to be a slave to the camper kitchen, buy a turkey breast and bring a crockpot! Then, you have time to go look at fall foliage while your juicy, tender turkey is cooking! Also, bring a waffle iron! It cooks in minutes and there are other things you can make in it on the go like an omelette or waffle iron cinnamon rolls!” – Kristi P.
- “Take your time, and slow down. Unlocking the joy of RVing can cause you to try to do too much too fast. You never know when the force will grab you.” – Soulful RV Family
Expert Advice
20 Tips For New RVers After 20 Years RVing
Our 20th Anniversary celebration continues! Written by Go RVing fans, check out our top 20 tips for first time RVers. Have any additional tips? Leave a comment below!
