{"id":232,"date":"2017-07-17T23:07:23","date_gmt":"2017-07-17T23:07:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/?p=232"},"modified":"2025-01-17T23:07:00","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T23:07:00","slug":"rv-travel-checklist-help-prepare-next-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/rv-insurance\/rv-travel\/rv-travel-checklist-help-prepare-next-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"RV Travel Checklist to Help You Prepare for Your Next Trip"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Going on a road trip in your motorhome or with your <b>travel trailer<\/b> can create a lot of fun memories. Summertime on the open road, camping out, and exploring various landmarks throughout the country is a great way to spend time with your loved ones. However, going on an <strong>RV <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/auto\/how-to-plan-the-perfect-southwest-road-trip\/\">road trip<\/a><\/strong> without proper preparation could ruin the good times you have planned.<\/p>\n<p>Accidents, the lack of certain supplies, and unforeseen breakdowns can put some roadblocks in front of your path to enjoyment. By following some simple <b>RV tips<\/b>, you can be protected from many preventable disasters so you can enjoy your excursion. Use this <b>RV checklist<\/b> to make sure you are properly <b>stocking an RV<\/b>, get the proper <b>RV maintenance<\/b> work done before your trip, and have the necessary tools on hand in case you need to make quick repairs.<\/p>\n<h2>Before Your Trip<\/h2>\n<p>Get <b>motorhome insurance<\/b>\/<b>RV insurance<\/b>. If you have an RV, motorhome, camper, or travel trailer, it is worthwhile to get an insurance policy that covers your liability and any damages done should an accident occur.<\/p>\n<p>Map out your road trip. While GPS systems are convenient, they could easily malfunction or run out of battery power. It is important to have a paper map with your routes plotted out in case they fail.<\/p>\n<p>Research and make reservations at camp sites. You\u2019ll want to ensure that campsites near your destination have room for you and your RV, so call ahead of time to reserve a spot. You\u2019ll also want to research which campsites have certain amenities you may want such as WiFi and sewer hookups.<\/p>\n<h2>Supplies<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s important to keep your RV fully stocked with the essentials along with creature comforts. Some items include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dishes, flatware, pots, pans, and other cooking utensils\/tools<\/li>\n<li>Nonperishable foods and canned goods<\/li>\n<li>Drinkable water<\/li>\n<li>Blankets, pillows, sheets, and bed linens<\/li>\n<li>Toilet paper and toiletries<\/li>\n<li>Flash lights<\/li>\n<li>Cleaning supplies<\/li>\n<li>Batteries<\/li>\n<li>Chargers for phones, laptops, etc.<\/li>\n<li>Entertainment (books, board games, toys, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>First aid kit<\/li>\n<li>Tool kit (more on that below)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Maintenance Needs<\/h2>\n<p>There is nothing worse than something breaking that will interfere with your RV vacation. Here are some items to inspect and tasks to have done before committing to your trip:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Check brakes<\/li>\n<li>Check tire pressure and inspect tires to see if they\u2019re worn out<\/li>\n<li>Check fluid levels for oil, power steering, coolant, windshield wipers, etc.<\/li>\n<li>Check your car battery<\/li>\n<li>Check your oil, change if necessary<\/li>\n<li>Clean your holding tanks with vinegar\/water\/bleach mixture to flush and clean your RV\u2019s water system<\/li>\n<li>Inspect the hot water heater, drain it every 6 months<\/li>\n<li>Clean and check the refrigerator for leaks or cracks<\/li>\n<li>Test your generator and check the belts<\/li>\n<li>Clean and check the A\/C unit for leaks<\/li>\n<li>Check engine belts for cracks or wear<\/li>\n<li>Check the furnace for proper ventilation<\/li>\n<li>Test smoke detectors<\/li>\n<li>Check the exterior for any dents or damage<\/li>\n<li>Check the roof for leaks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Tools<\/h2>\n<p>Having a well-stocked tool kit in your RV can be handy in case you need to make some troublesome yet minor fixes. Here are some tools you should include in your kit:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00bd-inch drive socket set<\/li>\n<li>\u215c-inch drive ratchet set<\/li>\n<li>Crescent wrench<\/li>\n<li>Combination wrenches<\/li>\n<li>Assortment of screwdrivers, both flatheads and Phillips head<\/li>\n<li>Hammer<\/li>\n<li>Locking pliers<\/li>\n<li>Needle-nose pliers<\/li>\n<li>Wire Splicers<\/li>\n<li>Butt connectors for wire splices<\/li>\n<li>Cotter pins<\/li>\n<li>Hoses<\/li>\n<li>Clean rags<\/li>\n<li>Electrical circuit checker<\/li>\n<li>Electrical test light\/digital multimeter<\/li>\n<li>Spark-plug socket (make sure it fits your engine\u2019s size)<\/li>\n<li>Electrical tape<\/li>\n<li>Duct tape<\/li>\n<li>Extra fuses\/light bulbs<\/li>\n<li>Work gloves<\/li>\n<li>Jumper cables<\/li>\n<li>Wire crimper<\/li>\n<li>Extra motor oil<\/li>\n<li>Extra transmission fluid<\/li>\n<li>WD-40<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Once you have everything prepared, you\u2019re more likely to have a safe, fun RV adventure.<\/p>\n<p><em>A great way to stay protected and ease your mind when traveling in your RV is to have a quality motorhome insurance policy. Freeway Insurance searches through top insurance companies to find the best RV insurance policy for your needs at a price you can afford. Call <strong>(800) 777-5620<\/strong> to speak to a live agent to get a free quote or request a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/insurance-options\/motorhome-insurance\/\">free motorhome insurance quote<\/a> online.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Going on a road trip in your motorhome or with your travel trailer can create a lot of fun memories. Summertime on the open road, camping out, and exploring various landmarks throughout the country is a great way to spend time with your loved ones. However, going on an RV road trip without proper preparation [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1002629,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[75],"tags":[117,116,119],"importance":[],"type-content":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1002629"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=232"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8559,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232\/revisions\/8559"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=232"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=232"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=232"},{"taxonomy":"importance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/importance?post=232"},{"taxonomy":"type-content","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/type-content?post=232"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}