The Top Ten Things You Need For RV Travel

(2004 VERSION)

RVing Top Ten

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Well, I don't know it all, but I've been RVing for nearly 40 years and have some opinions. Below, I've made a list of the top ten things I think anyone should have before they hit the road in an RV -- the list assumes you already have an RV. I originally created this list in 2004, updated it in 2007, then again in 2011. It's amazing how fast the technology changes and parts of the list become obsolete. I've put them in order of importance and I'll gladly change the list if someone emails me at rjhoffman@yahoo.com with some better ideas. The following were my views in 2004:

1. Passport America Membership: First, you need a place to camp. I've checked out most of the camping clubs and have found this to be the best for providing low-cost, high-quality campgrounds. You camp across the USA at half what everyone else is paying -- can you beat that? Go to my camping clubs page to read more.

2. Road Atlas: #1 gives you a place to camp -- now you need to know how to get there. On our first long trip in 1984, we bought a bunch of state maps and area maps and spent much of our time shuffling through them to find the right one. The Road Atlas in a book form that has all the states, Canada, and Mexico is really great when you're moving from state to state. They're also very convenient for planning ahead and most contain other useful information related to travel. I buy mine cheap at Walmart's, but there are a number of others available.

3. Nation-Wide Cellphone: I didn't have any connection when I first travelled in 1984 and really felt out of touch. Now I have a cellphone with FREE LONG DISTANCE AND NO ROAMING CHARGES. I emphasize that because I've heard of people thinking they've got a free service, then learning that roaming charges can really add up in a hurry. I'm with Cingular, but I hear that AT&T and Verizon also have good nation-wide plans. Just make sure it's free calling anywhere to anywhere (in the U.S.) and that the coverage areas cover everywhere that you plan to be (e.g., I hear you lose Sprint PCS as soon as you get a little ways off the interstate).

4. Motor Club: I'm a real believer in the value of paying for a motor club that provides RV emergency roadside service. I didn't have one until a couple of years ago, but have used it about 5 times since then for flat tires. I joined after changing a tire on the left side of my fifth wheel on the edge of I-10 -- an experience I decided I'd rather not repeat. It sure is much easier to phone someone and watch them change the tire -- well worth the $70 or so that it costs each year. I'm with Allstate and have been very satisfied, but I'm sure there are others equally as good.

5. National Medical Insurance: I mention this one because it's something you'll need to set up well in advance of your RV travelling and something we overlooked in planning for our first trip. If you're currently signed up with an HMO or POS insurer, you'll probably find that they don't do much for you when you're away from home. I've found that it commonly takes 6-7 months to get individual coverage -- something many people don't realize while they're employed and being covered by that convenient employer's policy.

6. Flashlight in a Convenient Spot: This sounds trivial, but has saved me several times. I keep one just inside the door, where it can be easily reached. Although I try to make it a practice to never travel at night and to find a parking spot while it's still light, I've learned that this isn't always possible. In my book "Retire and Travel for $1000 a Month", I suggested having a spotlight on the RV. Since then, I've realized that a flashlight that's not attached is a much better idea.

Now these next few assume you want to get on the internet while you travel. If not, skip to #10.

7. Laptop: Although you can get by going to libraries, etc. where they supply the computer, I'd highly recommend spending the $700 or so to get a laptop of your own. It significantly increases the number of options you have for getting online, plus you'll no doubt find additional uses for the computer as time goes on. My Online On-The-Road page points you to many types of hookups you can find if you have a laptop.

8. National ISP with Toll-Free Number: Many people have one of the less expensive Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that work really well locally, but are a problem if you travel. A national ISP (like Earthlink) will have local phone numbers all around the country that make it much cheaper to get online. In addition, many have a toll-free (1-800) number for those areas that don't have a local connection. Check my General Needs page for a few more ideas in this area.

9. Long Phone Cord: On the General Needs page, I mention the 100' cord that I carry. As it turns out, modem-friendly parks and other technological improvements of recent years have resulted in my using this long cord less and less. You'll definitely need one 10'-20' long, however, to even use some of the connections in the modem-friendly parks.

10. Digital Camera: Now we're getting down to the not-so-critical, but I did promise 10 after all. While you travel, you'll find that you want to email pictures to several friends and family and you might even decide to set up a website to tell the world how much fun you're having. A digital camera makes these activities extremely easy. I tried the Polaroid camera and Scanner route for awhile and really had problems (as you'll note in the first 9 chapters of My Travel Log). Since getting the digital camera, I can't believe anyone uses anything else. I still disagree with my wife about her desire to have hard-copies of photos, but even that quirk can be easily accommodated with some of the new technology now available.

Well, I said at the start that these were only my opinion. Hope you find them useful and have heard something you didn't already know. I'd be glad to hear your suggestions for changes/additions to these Top Ten -- email me and we'll discuss it.