11 easy RV travel tips and tricks

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RV camping can be a lot of fun and rewarding, but it also comes with many challenges. Forgetting a key component can lead to a dangerous or expensive situation, and if your belongings don’t have a safe, designated place, it’s easy to lose important items while traveling. Fortunately, there are several simple things you can do to make sure you’re ready for the ultimate RV adventure.

There’s nothing worse than hitting the road and realizing you don’t have what it takes to be self-sufficient. You can pull into the camper only to find out you’re missing a power adapter or your gray water hose is out. One good way to alleviate these types of issues is to test your system before you leave for your trip, which gives you a chance to learn about the kinks in your plan.

When traveling, you may find yourself in low clearance situations where you may worry about the height of your RV. Maybe you hit a 12-foot-high bridge, or maybe you find yourself trying to get into a low-ceilinged parking garage. Knowing the height of your RV allows you to make quick decisions that prevent it from going in over your head – and make sure you stay within any height restrictions.

Once you’re parked, you’ll be eager to get the water into your RV’s fresh water system. But if you start filling up before the RV reaches the level, you may not be maximizing tank space. Grading allows you to fill your tank before you fill it.

Most RVs come with a fresh water tank, a gray water tank, and a black water tank. And they tend to fill up quickly depending on your system. Dumping your water before you go makes the overall towing load much lighter, increasing fuel efficiency and your vehicle’s towing ability.

A small handheld vacuum can run for hours on a single charge, but it’s effective against debris that accumulates quickly in your traveling home. Keeping your RV clean is a lot easier with a small handheld vacuum, which you can use on floors and countertops.

Pictures and baskets hanging on the wall in the camper van

A few small things will help to make your small space more comfortable. / NuriaE/Getty Images

Most RVs come with a small amount of empty wall space that you can use to store towels, clothes, and other miscellaneous items. Hardware stores often have adhesive hooks and suction cups that hold up to 5 pounds. You can also benefit from investing in magnetic strips for convenient organization of knives and other metal tools.

Sometimes, you may find yourself in a dry camping area (where there is no electricity or water hookup), which can make charging your gear a challenge. You can use both portable and stationary solar power devices to power everything from your smartphone to an AC unit.

Young woman sitting in camp and using laptop.

Free camping helps make RV travel more affordable. / Klaus Wedfelt / Getty Images

With more and more people hitting the road, finding affordable RV parks and campgrounds can be a challenge. Fortunately, if you know where to look—without electricity and water—there are often free options. To find them, download an app like iOverlander or Campendium, or buy a good old-fashioned map with Bureau of Land Management designations, as many BLM websites feature free camping. Be sure to follow the organization’s camping rules and regulations.

Many travelers struggle with lost service at some point. This can be especially inconvenient if you use GPS to navigate on your phone. A signal booster can help: Since cell phones rely on a small antenna to connect to cell towers, connecting your phone to a device with a much larger antenna allows you to get a connection even when you seem to be indoors. Black zone.

A woman prepares food while her husband works on a camper trailer.

A good fridge helps you always have fresh food. / Juliana Vilas Boas / Getty Images

Using a refrigerator may seem convenient at first glance, but even the most efficient refrigerators require a lot of ice. Try getting a hybrid refrigerator that runs on both electricity and propane. That way, if you’re off the grid but still have propane, you can chill your stuff without ice or electricity.

When you live in an enclosed space, storage is everything. Collapsible storage containers keep you organized after you’re parked, and they don’t take up too much space while you’re on the go. You can use totes for kitchen utensils and food, while a folded laundry basket can be used as a trash can.

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