Big Trip Jitters

[Adventurous Traveler]

Coming up to our next big multi week/month trip 06/19. We've been prepping the RV for 3 months with maintenance and addressing needs like a new awning fabric, new windshield (huge), new dash head unit for camera monitors, new water pump and new sewer hose. etc. Washed the roof and went around with Dicor re-sealing areas that needed it. Waxed front and rear caps. Inventoried RV clothing and made +/- adjustments.........have lists of what to take last minute......but?

Do you go nuts thinking you forgot something, what else should I take, hows my planned route and stops? Do I need to book more Harvest Hosts? Tell family and friends Don't bother me, I'm planning the trip (that you have been planning for almost a year), All waiting to that departure date?

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

You'll find there are planners and lets get on the highwayers. DW and I only planned for the destination and a general route heading in that direction.

Never made reservations except for events where we knew things would be crowded. That way we never felt pressured to get someplace if we got slowed by traffic or weather. Some days we drove 200 miles other days maybe only 10 miles. Tried to stay off the interstates. We would see a sign advertising something and one of us would say "that looks interesting" so we would stop.

We never worried about forgetting something. If we forgot something, a store in the next town would probably have it.

RELAX, you can't enjoy a trip if you're worried about every little detail.

 

[CamperAL]

There use to be checklists for items to take, Items to check on the RV before departure and a host of other things to do in order to get around. My advise is to pull those check lists you deem good, then modifiy them to your methods of travel.

I didn't see an itemized list of items you might take but I'm sure some of the Sysops (can I say that) can or will direct you.

 

[NY_Dutch]

We never worried about forgetting things. There's stores everywhere...

 

[SpencerPJ]

Any big trip we do, someone always over packs, bringing things never to be used. I agree with others, stores everywhere, bring extra underwear and socks!

 

[Rene T]

bring extra underwear and socks!

Why extra underwear. You can get 4 days out of one pair. Frontwards, backwards, turn inside out then frontwards and backwards again,

 

[Kirk]

I never planned in great detail, but we always had some goals for our travels and at least a few planned stops. Nowadays it is more important to plan your stops as campsites are getting harder to find. If you do not have any goals for your trip, how can you know if it was a success?

 

[Isaac-1]

I plan on heading out on a similar trip a day before you, heading from Louisiana to Wyoming, circa 3,200 mile round trip over about 5-6 weeks. I too have been doing maintenance getting ready for this trip for about 3 months, for me maintenance started with dealing with roof top stuff, and adding 2 more solar panels in late March, before I could even start with that I got sidetracked dealing with entry step problems, then ended up having to replace the refrigerator vent, TV antenna, and remove old satellite dish, plus deciding to go ahead and repaint the roof as I could not put it off another year. Along the way in this project I had to deal with replacing a leaking propane relief valve and a couple of more small issues. After changing the oil, when I went under the coach to grease all the zerk fittings, I discovered a new leak that had sprung from the transmission cooler line that resulted in the coach spending a week at the local transmission shop where they brazed the fitting back together (no longer available part), ... Now I am down to the final steps, packing up te coach, I shampooed the carpets yesterday, I have things mostly ready, still need to load up a few more clothes, and I have one sensor to replace on the engine, but that should be a 5-10 minute job and not critical.

 

[Fyrflie]

I agree with others. Stores everywhere. BUT, make sure you planned extra time to visit stores everywhere.
I used to pack food for the entire trip, but not anymore. I figure that you have to “shop” about every 3-4 days for fresh vegetables but other than that have a great trip.
Come back and let us know how it worked out.

 

[Isaac-1]

On longer road trips, I often plan my grocery shopping as a mid travel day stop. I pick a random grocery store with a BIG parking lot, pull in, do grocery shopping, maybe get some hot food from their deli or similar, go back to the RV eat lunch, and hit the road again. It makes for a nice hour or so long stretch break and refreshes me for more driving.

 

[RV_Lee1]

I've been all over the place, I dont plan anything until the night before or that morning. Planning way in advance has more issues than I care to deal with.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I'm another who planned very lightly, maybe choosing a half-dozen targets in a 3-month journey. Make reservation well ahead if one of the target stops is a popular destination or a holiday weekend, but otherwise only deciding on where we will be next on the night before. But some people simply can't be comfortable "winging it" to that degree. I did, however, do plenty of prep to make sure the coach was ready for travel, both mechanical maintenance and appearance. I don't like to start out knowing there was something that needed attention. There's enough that can go wrong without bringing a known problem with me.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

We stock groceries no different than what we would be doing at home. Since WalMart's always figure into our travels for overnights food, beer,and wine are never out reach.

Our trip started out to see Montana and Glacier NP. We back filled from there with a lot of unscheduled days before we get there. From Glacier we decided to head to Oregon (over heading into Canada) where the only booked stop is around Crater Lake NP, and hoping to stop at some Harvest Hosts through Oregon wine country. Heading back East will be totally seat of the pants "let's stop here, and go there"

 

[Jackiemac]

We only book any specific National Park places we want to camp. Everything else is done a day or two before or on the day. We never know how long we'll want to stay so we prefer leaving things unplanned.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[Boat Bum]

I don't like to start out knowing there was something that needed attention. There's enough that can go wrong without bringing a known problem with me.

I have to bring her along.

 

[Professor David]

Do you go nuts thinking you forgot something, what else should I take, hows my planned route and stops?

yes I do. It is very stressful to get ready for a big trip. I'm always glad to be finally on the road.

 

[Isaac-1]

We too only make advanced reservations at known fixed points in the travel itinerary, and VERY popular tourist attractions. For example our upcoming trip leaving in 3 days includes Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks, we reserved sites in the parks in January (should have reserved earlier for Yellowstone as some campgrounds there can be booked a year out, Grand Tetons we booked within seconds of the 6 month reservation window opening and barely got a site), but we found ok options. I am going to be doing the drive up and back solo, my wife is flying out for a 5 day conference at the end of this week, then flying to meet me in Casper, WY, so since that is a fixed date, I must be there, I have reservations close to Casper for the night before her flight arrives, as well as reservations a hundred fifty miles away on the way to Yellowstone for the next night, with backup plans if her flight is delayed.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

yes I do. It is very stressful to get ready for a big trip. I'm always glad to be finally on the road.

That's the jest of my original post, Let's go and get the show on the road .

 

[jymbee]

We leave the cold in the Northeast around Nov/Dec. Usually head South to places around the Gulf and work out way West to TX with numerous stops along the way ending up back home via Ohio sometime in April.

Every stop for the entire trip is planned before departure with reservations in place for all. All organized in a shared calendar to keep friends/family aware of our whereabouts. No time spent trying to figure out where to go next, trying to make reservations and likely ending up with less than ideal sites. Just go with the plan for the most part. Works great for us.

I do fully understand that others prefer and even enjoy to make it up as you go along, and perhaps one of these trips we'll do more of that but for us much of our travels is centered around getting together with family/friends at the places we visit, and a set schedule makes it much easier to coordinate activities.

And yes, lots of stores to buy anything you might have forgotten, but I just hate to be looking for something I was sure I had with us, only to finally picture just where it must be laying-- at home. Forgetting something like a pot or pan for example... not that much of a concern. Forgetting a "vital" gizmo of some kind, a fairly expensive gizmo... really bugs me!

 

[Professor David]

Forgetting a "vital" gizmo of some kind, a fairly expensive gizmo... really bugs me!

Exactly, I don't want to buy things I already have. Also, it can be difficult to find certain items on the road.