Planning the Next RV Trip

Even though the camper is in storage for the next several weeks that does not mean we take a break from Rving.

Geoff visits Toto about twice a week. He has a running list of projects to tend to, and he likes to start the rig periodically to make sure all is running smoothly (and batteries remain fully charged).

I, on the other hand, am responsible for planning the next trip. It's a thankless job but someone's got to do it 😊 Seriously, I do enjoy the anticipation that comes from planning ... but it is a long, involved process.

Today I thought I'd share the step-by-step considerations I ponder in creating a travel itinerary.

2-2-2 Rule

While the first step is to select the route, there's a bit more to RV traveling than knowing the general direction you want to travel. 

High-profile vehicles are far more dependent on weather conditions than the typical family car. High wind speeds make steering difficult. And can cause major damage to awnings (don't ask how we know 😐)

The weight of the vehicle translates to longer stopping times. The driver must ensure he remains a safe distance from the car in front, which typically means driving at a slower rate of speed.

The 2-2-2 rule is helpful for stress-free travel days. Essentially the rule states:

• Travel no more than 200 miles a day
• Travel no more than 2 hours between stops
• Stay at a location for a minimum of 2 days

While this may take us longer to get from point A to point B ... the purpose of RV traveling is to take time and enjoy the journey, right? We can typically travel 200 miles in about five hours (with a lunch/rest stop in between). There may be occasions when we only need/want to spend one night at a particular campsite, but I try to ensure we don't "rush" more than two nights in a row. 

AAA TripTik Planner

This online tool helps me adhere to the 2-2-2 rule.

My first step is to plug in our "anchor" points, that is, the main stops of the trip. In this example, I will walk us through one of our Snowbird scenarios.

I knew we would start from home (Kansas) and travel to Sargent Beach, Texas (our first snowbird campsite). We then want to travel across the Gulf States to Keystone Heights, Florida (our second snowbird campsite). For our return trip home, we want to stop by Nashville and visit family. Then we will head back to Kansas.

I input those five locations into the TripTik routing map.

At this point, I have the option of designating how far I want to travel in a given day (round trip is approximately 2,950 miles!) I input 200 miles a day.

The above map then shows me the general area I should plan to stop for each leg of the trip (I can easily zoom in on each of the red circles to pinpoint a suitable location). SUCH a valuable timesaver!

RV Trip Planning Apps

While I could continue to plot out the trip with AAA, there are RV-specific trip planning tools that are well worth the money. I am currently using two of them, Roadtrippers and RV Trip Wizard ((each is about $50/year but I secured Black Friday deals on both). I anticipate I will narrow it down to just one by the time I need to renew my subscription next fall.

These apps are indispensable for RV trip planning because...

• Thousands of campsites are pre-loaded into the system. I zoom in on the area I want to stay in and select the campgrounds overlay to show on the map. I can further refine the campground search by rating, popularity, private, public, or membership sites. 
• Once I find a campground I might be interested in booking, I click on the green tent icon. ALL the information for the campground is listed including cost, amenities, reviews, and a link to the website.
• From there, I can click the link and view availability for my travel dates. The website typically includes photos of the area as well as a campground map. 
• I can adjust the distance from the highway I'm willing to travel for a campsite (the pink shaded area). I have it set at 20-30 miles.
• I can also select other icon overlays such as things to do in the area, places to eat, attractions and landmarks, etc.
• I typically look at 5-10 campgrounds per stop. It can be time-consuming.
• Once I have solidified a potential itinerary, I can print a hard copy of the map (and places to stay including their contact information) for easy reference.
• I can also save the information for quick access anytime. There is no limit to the number of trips I can plan, which is HEAVEN for me.

However, the most significant aspect of these apps is they are pre-loaded with RV-specific GPS software. That means, it takes into account the dimensions of the coach (height and weight) and will route us around low clearance bridges or narrow gravel roads --  INVALUABLE!!

Once we are ready to hit the road, I send the map to the in-app GPS software. Geoff can access the account on his phone and then follow the turn-by-turn directions. It gives this worry-wort some peace of mind that we will not encounter too many surprises as we travel down the highway.

Check the Reviews

While these apps provide decent reviews from RVers who use the app, I find Google gives more comprehensive reviews from a broad range of customers. I also use the Good Sam site to verify the rating Good Sam uses a ten-point scale to rate each campground on three criteria: facility - restrooms - appeal. I prefer to stay at sites with a rating of 7 or above for all three categories.

I find a wealth of information reading these simple reviews. Not only do people discuss the cleanliness of the bathrooms or the condition of the campsite, but they also discuss cellular connections (which carriers work best) ... access roads (is it difficult getting to the campground) ... and certain restrictions I may have overlooked in my research.

For example, does the campground adhere to the 10-year rule? Some campgrounds stipulate the motorhome must be less than ten years old to stay on site. This could be problematic for us since Toto was built in the year 2000!

However, we have found that most of these restrictions are in place to maintain a good-looking community rather than admonish newbie campers. We submitted photos of Toto to one campground and they gladly accepted us into their fold.

Another rule involves dogs. While most campgrounds are very pet friendly (approximately 75% of all RVers are dog owners) ... a few restrict certain breeds and/or weight limits. Since our dogs are bordering 100 pounds each, this is valuable information.

Make the Reservation

At this point, I have spent several hours (if not days) researching potential campsites for trips that are 3-6 months into the future. Since I typically don't know what I'm serving for dinner tomorrow, this is a bit outside my usual trip planning capabilities. However, I know with practice, it will become easier 😊

I then print the "final" itinerary and add personal notes on each campground as to why I thought it was a good fit. I think this will help me write an honest review once we actually stay there.

Once I feel confident with this "final" itinerary, it's time to make some reservations.

At this point, I review RV memberships to see if I am entitled to a discount (usually 10% for a nightly stay). We are currently members of KOA, Good Sam, and Escapees. Perhaps I will outline the advantages of those memberships in a different post.

I make sure to reserve the anchor points first. In this example, that would be Sargent Beach, Texas and Keystone Heights, Florida. I will have to best guess our arrival times based on the 2-2-2 rule above and hope the weather cooperates.

I will delay making the remaining reservations (unless availability is limited). Since I don't know our exact departure date, I would like to wait until we can review the forecast.

And now all I have to do is wait until we can leave... or start planning the next trip 😆