Plan Ahead For a Great Trip This Summer

Traveling in your RV takes a little extra planning than your standard road trip in a car. Planning ahead ensures you don’t run into the problems below!

Quit Bugging Me
Clean out your RV! You need to take a little extra time packing and preparing your RV, especially when it’s your first trip since last summer. Some animals and bugs may have moved in over the cold winter months, so make sure you clean the refrigerator vents, the engine and the storage areas. It is important to properly de-winterize the RV in the spring. For some advice from other RVers, visit the Good Sam Club, website forums.

Don’t Go Topless
We’ve heard many horror stories of folks driving under overpasses that didn’t quite fit their air conditioning unit! It’s important to have a detailed RV friendly route mapped out before you leave the house, so you don’t end up in on a street with a low overpass or dead end. Be sure to use an Atlas that specializes in oversized routes, such as the Trailer Life Directory RV Road Atlas. The RV Road Atlas identifies all Good Sam locations on its maps, so you will be able to quickly find the Good Sam Parks along your route or at your intended destination.

Don’t Draw the Short Straw
Make your reservations early to stay at the best campgrounds. If you wait too long or plan on just winging it, you may end up staying the night in a dark parking lot or in the campsite by the dumpsters. Use your 2011 Trailer Life RV Parks and Campgrounds Directory to find a campground that has what you need and want. You won’t want to be the one responsible for taking your young kids to a 55 and older campground or having to leave your dog at home because there aren’t any pet-friendly campgrounds with open sites.

RVing can bring unpredictable surprises, but by planning ahead by researching your route, reserving a good campground for your family, and hitting the road with a clean and dependable RV you will have piece of mind on the road.