July 15, 2022
Travel days when RVing can be challenging, and many people know about checklists and use them, as well as tricks for Stow and Go habits to avoid damage or slow downs. We have found there are 5 things we can do before we even start our travel day that have helped us immensely.
TO DO LIST I am a list person, so this is already a habit. We grab a notepad and brain dump everything NOT on our Breakdown/Set up checklist that needs done. This can be maintenance, chores, shopping, laundry, errands, researching things to see and do at our next stop, calls to make. Some things may be able to wait until after we travel, but we still write it down so we don’t forget about it.
ROUTE PLAN Next, we route plan. With so many potential issues with trusting a GPS to naviage correctly, and the inevitable pit stop needed when traveling, we like to run through it. We do have an RV GPS, but it has routed us on strange roads, redirected midroute or just shut down while driving and we weren’t able to restart it. When we plan, we use back ups–Google maps, a trusty road atlas, and our GPS. We search for stops for breaks or groceries, check the route for obstacles, construction, sites to see along the way, and geocaches we may be able to grab. This allows us to know the major roads, towns and stores along the way in case technology fails, or just to be aware of as we go.
MEAL PREP With the heat in an RV, I am already a meal planner and try to prep so I only have to heat up the rig once or twice a week, using the grill and microwave in the interim. But on a travel day, the last thing we want to deal with is being hungry and starting from scratch. We also don’t want to have to find a drive through, a parking lot, or go back out after a long travel day, not to mention, fast and packaged just isn’t healthy. We like tacos/nachos (same meat) or casseroles (shepherd’s pie, breakfast casserole, crockpot spaghetti) so they are quick to heat up and can be eaten whenever we get hungry, even if it means pushing a slide out at a pit stop. We also prep a lunch box with sandwiches, vienna sausages, chips, fruit, crackers, and drinks, as well as treats for the dogs, to keep in the car with us.
ASSIGN JOBS/GOALS We were both military and were trained with the “N+1” mentality of always being within an hour of being deployment ready. Without much intention, we have designed our RV travel style and set up similarly and are always ready to roll within an hour or less. We use Breakdown/set up check list, but we also assign tasks for who will do what. Mostly, we have the same jobs, but sometimes one of us may not feel well, weather may be an issue, or a call or meeting got scheduled and we need to pick up the slack for each other. We make sure we can both do any of the jobs. We also assign jobs to our son as he gets older and learns how to do things, so earns the responsibility. He is also responsible for moving the pets to the truck when we are ready to lock up and hitch up so we know they are all out of the way and ready to go. The night before, we stow things away like rugs, bikes, outside furniture, electronics or decor that we won’t need the next morning. We also fuel up night before since we have a goal of no fill travel days (we only travel as far as we can go with one tank or less–helpful with kids, pets, and us).
TRAVEL DAY WALK THROUGH The night before we travel, and with all of these things done, we verify our to do list is done, complete what we can on the checklist, do a walk around outside checking for issues, maintenance needs, and obstructions to navigate around (trees, neighbors’ vehicles, narrow roads) and talk to neighbors to let them know we are leaving, especially if we need them to move something or their kids are often playing outside. We plan our route out, how far I may need to “wing walk” the rig out and how we will leave the campground, as well as if a stop in the office is needed for check out.
Hopefully our routine helped you strategize for your travel planning, or develop a routine if you are new to the life. Comment below and share some things that you do that help a lot!
Like or comment below and share with others to support the blog. I post twice a week about teaching, traveling and family. Until next time, you can find me on Twitter @AddictedtoTeac1 or on Tiktok: @sonya.BOMSquadleader. You can find more about our adventures on our our website at BarnesOnMove.com, Facebook, TikTok & Twitter: @BarnesOnMove . Support us and get more in depth and personal interactions at Patreon: Barnes On Move