At some point in their lives, many people think about trying RVing with their family at least once… just to try it out. Perks and advantages far outweigh any negatives for you and the family. Here are some quick tips to help you navigate your first family RV trip. It’s like cruising on a ship… but on land!

Some advantages and benefits include, only having to unpack once during the trip, and you get to visit numerous destinations! Once you unpack on the RV that first day, you will have everything in its place, you can hit the open road and never worry about packing and unpacking suitcases again (that is, until your next RV trip, because you may find yourself hooked!). Another perk is that you can cook whatever you like, whenever you want, wherever you wish, which saves you money on the trip not having to find and eat at restaurants. You can control what you and the kids at and how much you are eating too. You can also bring your own blankets and pillows and sleep wherever you want in the RV, even seats are more comfortable than in a typical car, and there are a lot of places where you and your family can park and sleep safely and for free. You can also bring the bicycles and a lot more luggage along with you too! And spontaneity is more frequent and easier on RV trips. Lastly, bonus, you can charge your electronics and cell phones anytime, anywhere!

Research and Plan: For some tips on making your first RV trip special and go smoothly, first, research, research and then research some more online. Talk to other friends and people you know and ask them about their first RV experience and to share some helpful tips with you too. Go online and join Facebook groups for RVers, and get and read tips and the experiences of others and ask a lot of questions as well. Then plan your trip, right down to the various campsites you are permitted to park. Are these campsites pet friendly? Free or is there a fee? What activities are there for the kids, like mini golf, arcades, pools, playgrounds and such?

Food and Supplies: First make a detailed packing list for you and the family and stick ot it, checking off each item as it makes its way into the RV. Always pack more than you think you need, and put aside enough money for grocery shopping while on the go, as well as look for discount grocery stores. Pack a lot of a variety of drinks and lots of snacks for the kids, so whenever they get the munchies or want a drink, boom, they got it right there for them. Even if you think it is smart to pack a lot of clothes for the family, it is smarter for you and the family to pack lightly, with a lot of socks and under garments, and find laundry facilities along the way when you need them. This is because you and the kids will likely end up buying souvenir shirts and hats during the RV trip as you find them. And of course, finding those all-you-can-eat pancakes for just $2.99 becomes your bonus cheap go-to meals!

Other Tips: Make sure you don’t forget to pack the video camera and digital camera and take a lot of memories along the way, because RVing is just one of those special kinds of trips, that many families don’t get to take or ever take, and this memory will definitely be one for the ages. If you find you like to write, consider writing in a travel journal and asking your kids to write in it too. Be sure to ask the spouse and kids where they would like to visit before the trip, and ask them to look out the window and keep an eye out for anything interesting they may like to do while traveling too (plus, it keeps them busy too!) Enjoy your first RV trip!