Planning Your First Rv Road Trip
Planning your first RV road trip might seem easy at first. You bought your motorhome, you have it all outfitted and ready to go, you know where you’re headed and you have all of your maps. What else do you need?
You want to be sure that you plan carefully for every contingency. Even the best dealerships do not have a service station in every city or every state. You will not have family or friends surrounding you everywhere you go, and you need to be prepared, just in case.
As with any travel trip, you want to be sure that you have your identification, insurance cards, prescriptions, and physician information in a safe place. But there are many other lists you need to make as well. Get online or talk to your local RV dealer to obtain a list of RV service stations along your route and at your destination. Write down the name of the service location or dealership, the phone number, and the address. You may even want to mark these on your map ahead of time. This way you know just who to call if you break down or have an accident.
Have the phone number and paperwork for your warranty, as well as the name and phone number of your dealer handy, also. Make sure that you have the call center or customer service number for the dealership, not just the guy that sold you your camper. You want to be sure that you get the right person on the first try if you need to order parts in a hurry. Your RV dealer should have the ability to order parts for you and have them shipped anywhere, including campgrounds.
Do not forget to call your RV insurance agent, let them know you are preparing to leave town, and make sure you are covered under every possible issue or accident. Know what your policy covers, and have your insurance cards and contact information in the motorhome with you at all times. If there is a national call center for your insurance company you should have that too, as well as the address and phone number of any locations available on your route. You never know when you might need this information.
If you are on a schedule, you may want to consider RV Rentals as well. Prepare a list of dealerships on your route that will rent motorhomes. This way you will be prepared to not only repair your own vehicle, but to continue on your trip as scheduled in any event.
In the end, preparing for your first RV road trip could be a bit daunting. But once you get through the first steps and have all of the information in place, you will find that the planning gets easier for each trip. And, if you are ever in an accident, find yourself stranded on the side of the road, or simply need the pump to your bathroom repaired; you will be prepared and know just where to go!