New Year, New Adventures: Setting RV Travel Resolutions!

Establishing a resolution when a new year presents itself is a great pinpoint in time.  It is a memorable start date.  Our outlook is a fresh start.  Are you a resolution person?  Even if you are not, setting up some RV travel resolutions is a good idea. 

But before we get started on some travel resolutions for RVers, let’s ensure you have the foundation for solidifying those resolutions.  Did you know that it takes around 10 weeks – over 2 months to create a new habit?  And you need to be practicing the habit EVERY day.  Before I lose you, know that the resolution gets easier as you go along until a habit is formed.  So, let’s not throw out a handful of travel resolutions without having a plan to make them a part of our RV experiences.

How do you follow through on RV travel resolutions?

1. Only work on one major travel resolution at a time (or a couple of small ones) at a time.  You may think this is a slow process but guess what!  You will have 12-24 new habits that could bring safety, more fun, or excitement to your RV life.

2. If you need to, break a major resolution into smaller achievable parts.  For example, if you need to establish a checklist of things to monitor on your RV each month, create a list one week, pick an item to practice monitoring for one month, and then add your complete checklist into the routing.

3. Have a set time each day for practicing your habit.

4. If you miss a practice, evaluate the reason.  If you just forgot, get back on track the next day.  If you thought about the habit but just didn’t do it, what do you need to change?  Do you need to pick a different time of day or a different method to complete it?

5. Be patient.  You have two months, and you will be doing it without thinking.

6. IMPORTANT!  While you are RVing, this can disrupt a habit.  If you are changing locations, it can make it even harder to maintain travel resolutions.  Make sure your habit is not location-bound or your location is not a trigger to help you remember.

7. If you only travel seasonally or relocate your rig every month or so, you need to find a way to practice the habit every day even if you are not near or in the rig.  Skipping days between practices will NOT create a habit.

What travel resolutions should you consider as an RVer?

Know Your RV

The reality of RV ownership or rental is something can go wrong.  No different than being in your brick-and-mortar home.  But sometimes we treat our RV as a “sometimes” project.  The bigger issue is things can go wrong when you are not in a location to receive quick assistance or support and your entire vacation or life comes to a standstill.  It is important to know your rig and how to repair or get through situations on your own. 

What can go wrong?  The first thing you should know about your RV is what things tend to go wrong with your make, model, appliances, etc.  You should keep extra parts on hand that may take a while to get because they are not in stock – especially for critical components that may affect health or safety.

What tools do you need?  Do you need special wrenches or screwdrivers?  Know what your RV requires to make repairs.

What is your capacity?  How much do your tanks hold, when do you need to dump or refill?  How large are your propane tanks and when are they empty?  How long will your batteries last before they need to be charged again?

Every day you should find something new you can learn about your RV.  Try online videos, read RV e-books, join RV Facebook groups – always be learning every day.

Practice Driving

It is not always feasible for us to get into our RV or drive our truck pulling our RV to practice skills.  Even though we full-time RV, we only move about every month or so.  Getting down a good driving habit is more difficult.  But here are a few ways we still practice every day. 

Mental practice.  When you are driving your regular vehicle or driving your truck without pulling your RV, still drive like you are with your RV.  Think through wide turns.  Or what would you do if you were driving the RV right now and you were in this traffic situation or on this street?  Practice your stopping distances.  (The best way is to pick a marker on the side of the road. 

When the car in front of you passes it, count one thousand one, one thousand two.  You should have enough time to complete that count before you pass the same marker.  This means you have enough stopping distance if the car in front of you stops suddenly.  For an RV, you will want a few more seconds!)

Driving video.  Watch an online video of RV driving practices or even truck drivers as those are similar driving skills.  Learn what they are doing right or wrong in the videos and how you can prepare for that ahead of time.

Test drives.  Test drive an RV at a dealer.  It helps to drive other rigs and not get used to just your rig.  And especially if you buy a new rig, practice driving again before taking it on the open road.

Skills lacking.  Do you know how to back your rig up?  Don’t avoid parking or driving situations because you don’t have the skill.  Go out to a parking lot, set up cones, and take your rig out for practice sessions.  Practice in different types of locations too.

It is important to know how to drive your RV.  With a little practice of some kind every day, you can meet the new resolution of knowing how to back your rig up or get it into a tight parking spot.   And when it is a new habit – you won’t even have to think about it!

Create Checklists

You may be able to resort to mental checklists after you have created a new habit but until then, you need to have a physical checklist.  Even if you have been driving an RV for years – if you make a change, upgrade, or add an item to your RV, you will need to adjust your habit, so you don’t forget you have a new piece to keep track of.  Here are some checklists you may want or need.

·         Monthly maintenance or storage

·         RV supplies

·         RV setup

·         RV tear-down

·         Semi-annual and annual repairs

·         Tools

·         Back-up items

Do a Walk Around

This is one of the simplest travel resolutions anyone can adopt.  Before you get into your RV for your next destination, walk around your RV.  When you make an RV stop, walk around your RV.  When you arrive at your destination and park, walk around your RV.  When you pack up and are ready to leave, walk around your rig.  And repeat.  When you are so familiar with your rig and the surrounding setup, you will immediately notice anything out of place. You will notice a chock behind the wheel.  You will notice a hose still hooked up or lying beside the rig.  You will notice a low-pressure tire or a slide slightly askew. 

When you first start doing a walk-around, use a checklist.  What can you do if you can’t walk around your rig every day?

· Look at other rigs on the road or stops.  What is wrong or right about their rigs?  Maybe you can even spot something you should let them know about!

· Drive through a campground.  What do you see as a problem area or something an RVer may forget about around their rig and how can you avoid that?

· Watch online RV videos about mistakes other RVers make and know how you can avoid the same mistakes.

· Do a mental walk-around of your RV with your checklist.  What do you always need to set up?  What should be put away for protection or safety?  What doors or locks should be checked each time? 

Whether you can do a physical or mental walk around your rig, you should be very familiar with what needs to be adjusted so you can get on the road safely and not leave anything behind.

No matter what travel resolution you go with for this next year, try to add at least one new one.  Integrate a daily schedule to make it happen.  The key to a new resolution is always practicing or learning.  Get creative and make your new habit practices fun and unique.  I hope this new year you create a new RV habit that makes you an expert as well as a safer RVer for yourself and those around you.  And maybe even create a more fun RV environment!