Are you thinking about RV life or just starting your RV living journey and wondering what not to do in your RV? In this video, I’m sharing 10 mistakes that RV newbies make and how you can avoid them to save time, money, and keep you on the road.
Mistake #1 – Not fueling up before you travel or park.
You don’t want to park and plug up only to find out that you don’t have enough fuel to operate your RV or worse. You don’t want to be traveling and run out of fuel. Sometimes gas stations are far and few between. They might not be the next exit, but the next 30 exits away. And you want to make sure that you can actually fit into these gas stations, as well as if you need specific guests, such as diesel, you have to make sure that the places that are on your route actually have diesel.
Mistake #2 – Not checking your RV’s tires regularly.
You’re going to want to invest in an air compressor for your RV. And in my case for my motorhome, it’s high pressure tires. So I actually have to have an air compressor that has the power to blow up my tires. And if you are having to do this often, it’s not really ideal to go to a gas station or truck stop all the time to have to air up your tires. I found out the hard way that motorhomes don’t necessarily fit or RVs don’t necessarily fit at these gas stations. And if you have high pressure tires, their air compressors won’t be powerful enough to actually blow up your tires with air.
Mistake #3 – Not planning your route (in advance).
You are not a car. You don’t want to get stuck on or under anything. And you want to make sure that you’re not wasting fuel on a bunch of back roads. So it’s a really good idea to stick to main roads and major highways. And the best way to do this is to plan your route in advance and also invest in an RV GPS.
Mistake #4 – Not making reservations (in advance).
Most people just think that you get in your RV and go, and that will cost you a lot of time and money. You want to make RV park reservations weeks and even months in advance because sometimes RV parks don’t have the capacity for you or a spot to fit your RV. Or, maybe the spots they do have won’t actually work for your RV. Say, if you need a 50 amp and they only have a 30 amp spot, you won’t actually be able to get power. And I’ve gotten to places where they’ve put me in and I actually didn’t have a sewer. Making these reservations in advance can help you avoid these problems.
Mistake #5 – Buying the wrong RV.
Trust me, I’ve had four RVs in the past five years between travel trailer life, van life and motorhome life Now, I can tell you investing in the wrong RV is a big waste of time and money and RVs are depreciating assets. You’re always losing. It’s not like buying land or a house that appreciates or could appreciate in value, and you don’t want to buy something that you hate or that doesn’t work for your RV lifestyle.
Mistake #6 – Traveling too far, too fast.
Traveling is stressful and takes more time in an RV than it does a car. You want to take time to enjoy the journey and the places that you visit. Plus if you’re in a hurry, you might forget to unhook or screw something up.
Mistake #7 – Not investing in memberships.
RV clubs, discounts, and memberships can help you save a ton on fuel, RV parks and more. I wish that I would have understood these better when I was getting started and how affordable RV travel really could be.
Mistake #8 – Not performing regular RV maintenance.
You want to prevent not postpone problems. The worst feeling is a beeping alarm or flickering lights, and something not working in your RV that you could have prevented. It’s a good, good idea to have a checklist or a schedule that you stick to to make sure that you’re performing regular maintenance, like changing the oil and turning on your generator and making sure that the batteries are full of water.
Mistake #9 – Not knowing your RV’s height and weight.
As I say, think like a trucker! Go where they go, stop where they stop, get fuel where they get fuel, eat, and sleep. It’s a good idea to avoid Back Roads and city streets that go over railroad tracks or over under certain bridges. But if you do have to travel on them, you want to know your RV’s height and weight. And some of that has to do with city and state regulations of where you’re traveling. And, then the other part of that has to do with safety.
Mistake #10 – Giving up or not getting started!
Don’t let all the, what ifs of RV life worry you. We all had to start somewhere and believe me, I’ve made a lot of mistakes. The best thing that you can do is to do your research and have a plan for your RV life before you get started, you don’t want to just dive in, or it will be stressful.
What’s Next?
Now you know, 10 mistakes most RVers make when they start their RV living journey, but you don’t have to make them. If you’re ready to get started preparing and planning for RV life and avoid the same mistakes, download my RV life planner and I’ll show you how to get started RVing the right way.
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Hey, I’m Blogging Brandi! Over 5 years ago, I traded my sticks & bricks lifestyle for a life on wheels. Quit my job, sold my house, and everything else, then bought an RV! First, was a Travel Trailer, then Van Life then Motorhome Living. Now, I help people go from feeling overworked, underpaid, and undervalued to living a life of freedom & financial security they love from the comfort of their home on wheels aka Full Time RV Living!
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