You might think that duplicating everything from your home in your RV is a good idea, until you consider the cost, how to handle perishable foods, what to do with the pots and pans you didn’t get washed before leaving camp on the last trip, and all that dirty laundry that has to be washed.
However, to get close to “duplicating everything” there are steps you can take to make packing for the weekend getaway relatively painless. If at all possible, park the RV in front of your house the night before your trip so it can be loaded and ready to go with a minimum of chaos when the departure time arrives.
- Get a set of cooking and eating gear specifically for your RV, and keep it in your RV. Forget the fancy kitchenware, this is camping stuff. Stock your RV with cooking items that do double duty, like a wok that can be used for sautéing, stir frying, and much more, unbreakable plates and glasses, etc. These all stay in the RV – and clean them before you get home so you don’t have to cart them in and out of your house. Schedule your last meal of the trip to be a one pot dinner cooked in boiling water and eaten with disposable utensils and plates which minimizes clean-up time.
- Stock your pantry with lots of canned goods and non-perishable dry stores. Make a shopping list as you use them up and replace on your next shopping trip – don’t wait until the next weekend getaway.
- Remove all your dirty clothes, bedding, towels, etc., launder them, and immediately replace to the RV.
- Make each family member responsible for their own personal items, like clothes, digital devices, swim suits, bikes, etc. If possible, load all this stuff the night before you start your trip. It is best to make a list for each family member’s items and check the items off as they get loaded. These lists won’t change much from one getaway to another so type it in on your computer and print out everyone’s list.
- Shop for food a day or two before the trip. If possible, start the refrigerator in your RV the night before, so that it is cold when you load it. Keep all the perishable food in your house fridge until the RV fridge cools down.
Follow these tips and you should be able to get away quickly, with a minimum of chaos, and make it to your campsite while there is still time to set up camp and do a little exploring before dark.