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Do you will have an RV departure guidelines? If not, it’s time to place one collectively.

Why do you want an RV departure guidelines earlier than driving down the highway?

Effectively, think about for a second that you just’re heading out for a drive in your new RV. The canine are alongside for the trip and everybody’s excited to go on an journey. As you’re turning onto the primary highway, you all of a sudden hear crashing noises because the drawers fly open and gadgets fall out onto the ground. This scares the canine and so they attempt scrambling onto your lap and below your toes inflicting you to battle to manage the 20,000 pound leisure automobile you’re driving.

Sound a bit far fetched? Effectively, it occurred to us. Whereas I used to be in a position to safely cease our small Class A motorhome, we realized the hazard of lacking small particulars earlier than getting on the highway in our RV. This incident was the impetus for us to place collectively our first RV departure guidelines.

Learn extra concerning the adventures and misadventures of RV residing, try my second ebook, Tales From the Open Highway.

RV Departure Guidelines

Having a nicely thought out and full pre-travel RV guidelines will enhance security on the highway and ensure necessary duties will not be forgotten. RVs of each variety are advanced with many issues that must be checked previous to getting on the highway. Add in a tow automobile and the complexity goes up.

What needs to be in your RV pre-trip guidelines?

Briefly, every little thing. After we created our pre-departure guidelines, we began on the surface of the RV after which moved to the within. For instance,

Tire strain checked and visible inspection
Bay doorways locked
Hoses and cables disconnected

We listed every merchandise that wanted to be checked and included directions as to what wanted to be completed. Doorways wanted to be “locked” and hoses wanted to be “disconnected.” We adopted the identical course of for the within of the RV which ended up changing into fairly a protracted RV guidelines earlier than driving down the highway.

That stated, we realized that in instances the place we had been in a rush, there have been sure issues we might skip and would simply concentrate on the crucial gadgets. For instance, we didn’t must verify tire strain EVERY time we received on the highway however we did HAVE to be sure that we had been disconnected from shore energy.

We’ve discovered checklists so useful that now that we’re part-time RVers, now we have a guidelines for the home that we use earlier than every tenting journey to be sure that every little thing in the home is buttoned up BEFORE we go away. Nothing like getting an hour away from the home once you understand you left the storage open (ask me how I do know).

Replace and Modify Your RV Guidelines

Every time we transfer into a brand new RV, we replace our departure guidelines. To offer you a quick abstract, we began RV life in a Class A motorhome towing a Jeep Wrangler Limitless and touring with two giant canine. Then we downsized to a ProMaster Class B RV and likewise examined a collection of Class B RVs by totally different producers after which lived out of a 4×4 pop-up truck camper for 2 years. We now have a Class B RV once more that we use part-time.

I hope our guidelines will provide you with an excellent place to begin for creating your personal RV guidelines earlier than driving down the highway.

RV Guidelines Departure

Here’s a checklist of things to contemplate on your guidelines. Watch the video to see the pre-departure RV guidelines in motion.

– Transportable photo voltaic panel indifferent and put away
– Carpets and mats put away
– Exterior storage doorways locked
– Awning retracted
– Windshield cleaned
– Rear view and facet view cameras cleaned
– Tire strain checked and visible inspection (RV and tow automotive)
– Hoses and cables disconnected
– Transportable electrical administration system stowed
– Locks and keys collected and saved
– Steps are cleared and carpet is put away
– Antenna down
– Followers on the roof are closed
– Slides in, locked and post-it secured (to remind us to unlock earlier than placing the slides out)
– Kitchen secured
– Journey Berkey Water Filter strapped down (Berkey Water System Assessment)
– Water pump off (we by no means journey with the pump on as a result of if there’s a leak, you received’t hear the pump taking place the highway and will find yourself with severe water injury)
– Water heater off
– Lights off together with storage bays and closets
– Generator off
– Inverter off
– Toilet merchandise secured
– Bathe door latched
– Rest room flushed (and secured if utilizing a moveable bathroom)
– Drawers pushed in all the best way and locked
– Doorways closed
– Fridge gadgets secured
– Home windows closed
– Canine water bowl stage verify
– Gas verify
– Windshield wipers in working order
– Leveling jacks retracted
– Steps retracted when engine is on
– Leveling blocks and Jack Pads put away
– Tire chock eliminated and put away
– Tow automotive in tow mode
– Safe tow automotive to RV
– Verify all security pins
– Connect brake line to tow automotive
– Verify flip indicators and brake lights
– Walkie talkies charged and able to use
– Water, espresso and snacks simply accessible by the passenger

Now it’s time to place collectively your RV guidelines and ensure to make use of it earlier than you hit the highway.