How to Ensure a Smooth Journey in Your RV
Owning an RV allows you to explore various areas of your home country or even travel across borders to new countries, whether you’re travelling with kids to Vancouver or taking a solo trip through Europe.
However, to ensure your trips are smooth, seamless, and stress-free, there are a number of preparatory steps you need to take before you set off.
With proper preparation and maintenance of your RV, you can also ensure the safety of you, your passengers, and other drivers when travelling around in your vehicle. Below, we’ve covered some important things you need to do in order to have seamless RV journeys.
Address Warning Lights
You don’t need to be a professional mechanic to know if there’s something wrong with your RV. Every modern-day vehicle has built-in safety mechanisms that alert you as soon as something falls below a certain threshold, needs topping up, or is damaged by illuminating a warning light on the dashboard.
Take action as soon as you see a warning light flash up on your dashboard. It might be a simple fix, such as topping up the engine oil or pumping up the tyres to the correct pressure.
Alternatively, it might be a major issue with your RV’s internal mechanisms that only a professional mechanic can resolve.
Mechanics can quickly diagnose the issue within a vehicle and repair or replace faulty parts. For example, they might fix faulty suspensions or install new invertors for RVs. Although it can be costly to hire a mechanic, it’s much better to fix your RV before you take it on the road.
While you’re addressing warning lights, consider inspecting the overall condition of your RV. Check that there are no major issues with the brakes, tyres, heaters, or window motors. If you spot any issues, bring them up with your mechanic so they can take a look whilst your RV is at the garage.
Plan Your Routes Ahead of Time
It’s always advisable to plan the route you’re going to take before you hit the road in your RV. You’ll need to account for traffic, congestion, roadworks, and potential weather conditions, as each of these factors can affect the duration of your trip and how comfortable you feel during it.
As RVs are larger, heavier vehicles, you must also check that your chosen route is appropriate. Avoid low or unstable bridges or narrow roads that could be difficult (or even impossible) for you to navigate.
Choose a Safe Camping Area
Each campground will have unique criteria for entry and an expected code of conduct. Research your chosen campground’s expectations and regulations before you set off so you can avoid any trouble and have a relaxing time away from home.
If you’re renting a space to park your RV for the duration of your trip, it’s important to consider the landowner’s rules and restrictions. If it’s a publically owned area of land, the same applies.
Check relevant online websites and RV forums to learn more about the expected behaviours and etiquette of your chosen location.
