As November arrives and the holidays drawn nearer, many RV owners consider making long trips to see family in the RV, or just taking their holidays completely on the road. Traveling through the holidays has extra considerations. Fatigue, danger, weather-- these are all issues to a holiday RVer.
But RVing through your holidays has amazing perks, too. You carry with you personal space and a door you can shut, which can be such a blessing when visiting your extended family and in-laws. And with a little decorating and work, you can make this space a safe haven of Christmas for just your family. And it’s such a binding experience for the whole family.
A huge part of the fun of such a trip is the planning of it, and gearing up, stocking the RV, and working out where you’ll visit along the way. As you plan a holiday RVing adventure, there are some fundamental things to consider:
- Know the roads. When you are planning on adventuring in your RV for some Holiday trips, be sure to research how roads can be affected in severe weather or snowdrift, if you’ve never driven that route before. Research some stops you can make along the way if you have issues with your RV or the roads themselves are inhospitable.
- Know what you’re getting yourself into. When travelling in winter, everything is harder, takes longer, and takes more of your energy. For most dedicated RVers, that’s less of a warning than a promise of a challenge. Just be aware that big holidays outside of home can be great, especially when there’s been grief in the past year, and it can also be hard for kids, when they lose their routine and the joy they associate with the holiday traditions at home.
- Know your emotional limits. The holidays can be stressful. So can RVing in bad weather conditions, Put those things together and it can be worse, and can put undue strain on your family. A journey that leaves you constantly packing and unpacking is not much of a journey. Try to plan to stay in one location for a bit longer than you might otherwise, to give yourself and your family time to stop and just rest, and enjoy your stay,
- Know your RV. If you have yet to do a lot of traveling in your RV, you’re already doing the right thing by consulting guides and asking for advice. But also get to know where your RV is in its current state. Get an inspection on the fitness of the engine and the suspension. Check the tires and make sure you have all of your emergency kit in place and updated.
There are some great guides and opinions on the Internet to consider when planning a holiday trip in your RV. This guide was pulled from two very good articles we’d like to share with you now:
A great source for ideas on making a holiday trek fun is RV Share, Their Ultimate Guide to Holiday RV is both funny and a complete look at RVing through the holidays, including advice on cooking a full Thanksgiving roast turkey in your RV! They also get into some really great holiday destinations if you are avoiding family get-togethers in 2020, both for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
YouTube channel Mountain Modern Life has a fun and festive guide to celebrating Christmas in the RV, showing how they make their campsite and RV more Christmas-y.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/H6v6vUjdbTU
If you’ve not done much Winter RV camping, we can recommend YouTube channel Keep Your Daydream’s Guide to Winter RV camping for setting up a layman’s guide to the highs and lows of winter adventure in an RV with your family.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/2sORrlTH2hM
Before you head out on a winter holiday in your RV, come to Henderson’s Line-Up in Grants Pass this month for an inspection… we’ll make sure she’s roadworthy and up to the challenge of what you have planned, and might even be able to offer some advice on your trip. To make an appointment, click on this embedded link, or call us directly. We’re located at 417 SW Henderson Lane, Grants Pass, OR 97527, and we’re open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.