What To Expect on Long RV Trips

Going on a road trip in your RV is a great way to spend time with your family and friends and get out into nature. But some places, especially here in the wide expanse of the Midwest, are a bit more far-flung and will take a while to get to. For many passengers, and especially for kids, hours and hours on the road can really take a toll, so it’s a good idea to do whatever you can to make it more enjoyable and fun.

Herold Trailer Sales, located in Indianola, Iowa, is proud to be your Hawkeye State RV dealer. Here are some of our top tips for helping those long drives pass by a little easier, especially for younger passengers.

Safety Concerns

This isn’t meant to scare you, but it’s important to be responsible for the safety of yourself and your passengers. Make sure to let a relative, neighbor or friend know where you’ll be going, how long you’ll be out and when you anticipate you’ll be back. Check in with them on a regular basis, especially to let them know if you’re going to be somewhere without cell service for a bit. You should also build a roadside emergency kit with tools to repair your RV with, a first-aid kit, an emergency radio and extra food and water.

Lots of Hunger

On a long RV drive, you and your passengers will get hungry and you’re going to need some snacks. Given all the restaurants and gas stations you’ll pass, it will be very tempting to just duck through a drive-thru or grab some candy and chips, but obviously, these aren’t the healthiest or even the most fulfilling options!

However, you can’t just stop and cook a full meal or toss a veggie salad in the RV kitchen when you’re trying to get somewhere in a timely manner. So instead, try to pack a nice array of nutritious snacks. You can fill a cooler with ice to pack some cool drinks, like juice boxes and sparkling water and iced tea, along with some fresh fruit and string cheese. Shelf-stable healthy snacks include nuts, granola bars, dried fruit, applesauce pouches and crackers.

Taking Breaks

Long hours in the same seating position can be really bad for you. This is especially true if you’re the driver, but children are very likely to get restless and bored without breaks. Build in some time in your schedule for breaks every two to three hours. They don’t have to be very long; fifteen minutes should suffice. Stop by a park or a grassy area to let the kids run around and stretch your legs and muscles with a brisk walk. Swap drivers if possible whenever you do this. Let your traveling party know if you’re too tired to keep going. You’ll feel much better and more refreshed when you arrive at your final destination if you’ve been taking regular breaks.

Fueling Up

When driving over longer distances, it’s important to keep your gas tank filled up. Whether you’re driving or towing an RV, they use up a fair bit of fuel, and you may be traveling through extensive rural areas where fuel stops are few and far between. Never let your fuel tank get below half-full so that you won’t get caught without enough fuel.

Preventing Boredom

This is more important for the children, but adults get bored, too! And the person driving doesn’t have much luxury in terms of being able to draw, read or write. Those are all great activities for passengers (though reading and writing in a moving vehicle can make some feel carsick, so be cautious), but the driver will need to stick to fun playlists and audio books. Get everyone involved in choosing things to listen to, or play some fun road-trip games like license plate spotting or I Spy. The miles will fly by!

We hope our guide has helped you to make those long RV trips more pleasant. Stop by our dealership in Indianola, Iowa, to browse our full stock of new and used RVs. We even offer financing options if you’d like to make use of them. Herold Trailer Sales proudly serves the metropolitan areas of Des Moines, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska.