9 Steps to Planning an RV Trip

Hey, RVers. I'm Lisa McEwen. Today, we're talking about RV trip planning. Whether you're new to RVing, or are a full-time, or with years of planning under your belt, we have a few tips that everyone can benefit from. The first thing you need to do is set your budget.

You need to know how much money you can spend before you start daydreaming about things like hiking through the Grand Canyon, for example. Keep in mind that the four most expensive aspects of RV travel are gas, campground fees, food, and activities. Break out your laptop and make some notes or create a spreadsheet to help you calculate your expenses. The best part about planning is that you can do it anywhere: at your kitchen table or even while you're on a trip. With your laptop out and a budget set, you can start to work backwards and figure out how far you can go, what kind of accommodations you'd like to stay at, how often you plan to eat out, and what activities you'd like to do.

Pick your destination. Your destination depends on your budget. You might pick a place to visit that's closer to home to help you save on fuel costs. You can use fuel calculators online to help you calculate how much you'll spend on gas to and from a destination. Research campgrounds and book in advance.

When you know where you wanna stay, you need to start researching campgrounds. Keep in mind that your budget will likely dictate where you're going to stay. Private campgrounds tend to be more expensive, state campgrounds are a little bit cheaper, and you might even decide to boondock along the way just to save a few dollars. Be sure to read the campground description and check out online reviews before you book, too. If you're working on the road, you might need Wi-Fi, so you should investigate that as well.

This rural park in Georgia didn't have any reception. A lot of campgrounds, especially those near tourist spots, can fill up fast. So when you find a place that you wanna stay, book it as early as possible. Review activities. Whether you're planning to hang out at a beach, walk through historical sites like we did on a recent trip to D.C., or visit an amusement park, plan ahead.

Review the cost of the activities that you'd like to do. Use your time wisely, too. The day we walked the National Mall was a big day. It was hot, and our two girls put a lot of miles on those little legs, so we made sure that the next day was a lazy one. Review your route before you go.

Use an app to review your route before you hit the road. We use Google Maps. You can choose to use toll roads or avoid them and you can take a look at travel centers along the way, too. Other apps like RV LIFE can plan specific routes for big rigs that avoid things like switchbacks and steep inclines. Consider following the 3/3/3 Rule.

If your destination is a multi-day drive, the 3/3/3 Rule might help you plan your travel days out. With this rule, you'll drive no more than 300 miles in a day, arrive at a campground by 3:00 PM, and stay at that location for three days. This kind of plan gives you time to rest and not push it on the road. If you're tight on time, this plan might not be feasible, but it is worth considering. Pad your arrival time.

Whether or not you follow the 3/3/3 Rule, your trip will take longer than it would if you are traveling by car. You'll go a little slower, and you'll probably stop a few more times, too. We travel with our daughters who are seven and six. And while they're becoming great travelers, we, too, make quite a few bathroom stops. We usually stop every two to three hours or so, even if it's just to get out and stretch our legs.

Because of these extra stops, you'll likely arrive later than you expect. Keep in mind, setting up your RV is harder to do in the dark, so keep an eye on time. Be flexible. Even the most well-planned out trips will have its flaws. Our best advice in this particular case is to try to treat everything like an adventure.

I know that that's easier said than done sometimes, but it really is great to keep that positive attitude. It's the best way to make the most out of your trip. It's also a really good idea to make sure you have a few backup plans as well, especially when it comes to activities, especially if you have kids, right? For us, I'm always jotting down a few indoor play places just so that I have them as a backup plan. And also, local movie theater is a good idea, too.

Give yourself extra time to get home. Plan to break camp and head back home several days before you need to get back to work or school. That way, if things go wrong, you have a little extra cushion. For us, the most successful RV trips are the ones that we have well-planned out. We set a budget, pick a destination, and figure out which activities we wanna do.

We always try to build in a few rest days in our vacation as well, so that we're not packing our vacation too full of things to do. And we always give ourselves a little bit of a cushion on the way home as well. Hopefully, these tips will help you as they do us on your next RV trip. Until next time.