So you’re a nature lover who hasn’t yet given camping a try, and you’re wondering whether you should give it a go or give up on the idea altogether. Been there, done that. But, why waste the perfect chance for some extraordinary fun on the road? All it takes is knowing how to prepare everything you need for this kind of travelling. Before I got my RV, I was wondering whether my family would be on board with the idea, or I’d buy it just to use it on my own. Luckily, they loved it, and as soon as we started looking through the RVs perfect for us, we’d done the purchase and already looked up camping parks to stay at, and let’s just say I was surprised by the number of them in Australia – we Aussies sure love being in the company of the great outdoors.
From all the experience I’d gathered, it’s not all fun and games unless you’re really well prepared before you embark on the journey, but here are a few tips I’m more than happy to share with you so you don’t do the same mistakes. First things first, since you’re going to live in an enclosed space during most of the time while you’re going from one place to the other before you settle at a campsite, you’re going to be cooking and showering as well as breathing the same air. You can imagine how moist the area can get, especially because it’s compact, however mildew and bad smell will be the least of your worries.
If grease is left not taken care of, it can pile up in the kitchen and expose you to fire hazards, as it happened in my case. I learned my lesson from that experience and got my RV range hood vent right after. Thankfully no great damage was done, no one was hurt and that was all that mattered. Though new RV models come with the added range hood, older ones don’t and it wouldn’t hurt to do your search and look from the wide range of RV range hood vent that specialised shops offer, it would definitely be a worthy investment considering it’s to do with your safety. Once you have it installed, always make sure you check the range hood vent is in perfect order, if the air is exhausted to the outside and do the necessary maintenance.
Another worthy investment is to do with your energy costs. The RV has all the appliances you usually get to use on a daily basis, which means you’d use up about the same amount of energy on the road as you would at home. If you care about the environment, and your wallet, you should immediately start looking for the proper solar power to buy. Since our family RV trips turned into a sort of a tradition, I used to break the bank a great deal on campground fuel and all the electricity costs. Though I previously had the impression I’d save more by avoiding installing solar power, I actually spent more as it turned out after doing all the math. Now that I have my solar power, I am pleased I’d made that decision – my appliances work perfectly, I help protect the environment and I get to put some money aside.
Life on the wheels has taught me and my family that this kind of adventure is all about learning how to enjoy life to the fullest and avoid going through the same everyday life pattern you usually get stuck in. What I’m trying to say is, you have to be able to enjoy slowing the speed and stationing at one place instead of being the RV butterfly going from camp to camp and city to city. This way you get to fully relax, explore the new site and have all the rest you need to get the energy for the next driving. Slow and easy does it.