Traveling the country in a comfortable motor home can be fun and exciting. Not only do you have almost all the conveniences of a regular house along with you, but you'll be able to visit the sites and places you've longed to see without ever setting foot aboard a plane! This article will tell you how to spend a year exploring the United States (or other countries), in a Recreational Vehicle (RV).
Steps
- Purchase a Recreational Vehicle, or RV. Visit a dealer specializing in motor homes or attend an RV show. Before buying, make sure you thoroughly explore both inside and outside all the motor homes that catch your attention. The dealer can help you find the right RV.
- Change your address and any other personal information. Have mail sent to the location where you park your RV.
- Plan the trip. Set up a general travel schedule for all the places you would like to visit in the order you would like to visit them. Make a list of all the famous places and things to do for each location you would like to visit. Search online or do research in the library for travel ideas. Consider talking to a travel agent if you are in want of good travel ideas.
- Take care of business before you leave. Finish the work you have to do at home. Say goodbye to everyone you know. Make sure all the bills are paid. Make sure if you're traveling to epidemic places that you have received all recommended vaccinations.
- Pack everything you need. This includes general personal care items, money, food and drinks, clothes, first-aid kits, appliances, passports, IDs, essential documents, etc. Think about what you need for a year, and put that into your RV. (see "Things You Need" for full details). Be careful not to overdo it though, after all, there are stores everywhere, and if you really need something you forgot you can always buy it later.
- Set off for the trip! Enjoy the travel. Find safe places at each location to park your RV overnight.
- Maintain contact with friends and loved ones while you are away.
- At the end of your trip, come back home and celebrate the memories with friends.
Tips
- Research about interesting places to visit. Use guidebooks, browse the web or rent travel documentaries from the library to help with this. If a particular site or attraction interests you, look into it thoroughly.
- Plan ahead for the trip. You don't want to be stuck without something essential when you're on the open road.
- Make sure to pack everything you need. It would not be a good thing to run out of food or water when cruising down a seemingly endless desert road two hundred miles from the nearest convenience store. And it's not a bad idea to overpack in this situation!
Warnings
- Safety first: do not travel to dangerous places.
- Don't get gassed. Thieves will (in some parts of the world) spray sleeping gas into your RV and then steal all your favorite belongings while you sleep. So install a Sleeping Gas Detector Alarm from/by a reputable vendor and test it (you might be able to persuade your regular dentist to spray some narcosis gas on it).
Things You'll Need
- Personal care items (e.g. toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, shampoo, cosmetics, towels, razors, deodorants, sunscreen)
- Clothing (shirts, pants, coats, hats, shoes, sandals, hiking boots, socks, fleece, underwear, swimwear)
- Umbrella
- Knife or gun (or both)
- Sleep bags or beds
- First-Aid kit
- Any medications (enough for one year or duration of your travel)
- Camera
- Flashlight
- Cell phones
- Computer (if you have one)
- Backpack
- Insect repellent
- Glasses
- Notebook
- Pens
- Money
- Credit cards
- Certification of vaccinations
- Passports
- earplugs
- plastic bags
- copies of all important documents
- Nonperishable food and water (just in case)
- Maps
- Compass
- Global Positioning System (GPS) device (optional)
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