How to Plan a Road Trip

When we prepare to leave the house for any vacation, it might look like we are preparing for some military action. There are packing lists, meal lists, and to-do lists all over the place. Preparing for a trip can become stressful and exciting all at the same time.

Plan your road trip departure.

Most recently, we planned a trip to Thousand Islands, NY. In preparation for our trip, we typically split the chores to get going as fast as possible. Usually, our departure time is between 3 am and 4 am. I know that sounds crazy and may not work for those who have kids, but it is the best option for us. Because we regularly have to travel through Pittsburgh, PA, we don't want to hit heavy rush-hour traffic.

Pack for your road trip as a team.

When preparing to leave our legal residence and head out on the road, I tend to be the planner and packer, and my husband routinely is in charge of prepping our RV. Our assigned roles work out well for us, as we work together on the more significant task of leaving the house. I tend to make a list of everything we need so that we don't forget anything. Packing for a trip can be especially helpful if you are traveling with kids and teaching them that their entire room does not need to come on vacation, just a few things.

Plan all of your road trip meals.

When traveling, especially in the world of COVID-19, something to consider is that you might not be able to get some items due to restrictions of stores or restaurants. If you are the type of traveler who likes to experience local cuisine, that may not be an option, and you will have to plan for extra meals and snacks along the way. Generally, we will plan our meals and snacks to have minimal extra groceries at home once our road trip is over. Preparing this way helps when unpacking too because, after a long journey home, you probably will not feel like lugging out boxes of extra food and drinks. Check out Thor Motor Coach Mobile Meals on YouTube for more meal ideas. 

Pack for your road trip ahead of time.

The last bit of advice for planning a road trip is to pack ahead of time. Everything we need - except hygiene stuff required the morning we leave and the dogs - is already in the RV ready to go. We lessen the length of time it takes to pack the RV, and the less stress I have, the less likely I am to forget something. Like Santa, I make my list and check it twice to make sure I have everything we need for our trip. The morning we leave, it’s only the last minute items that need to be thrown into a bag and taken out to the RV.

Don’t forget to take care of your residential home.

When your RV is packed and the directions are mapped out, you cannot forget the things that need to be taken care of at your home. These could include doing the dishes, taking out the trash, locking the windows and doors, and holding your mail until you return unless you have someone to check it for you. The last thing you want is a week's worth of mail sitting in your mailbox. It's also no fun to have any nagging worries while you are away.

Making lists well ahead of time takes a little more time up-front, but saves a lot of stress in the long run. 

New to RVing? Check out our free Owners Guide. 

Questions? Comments? Contact our Coach Link® Sales Advisor.

Are you searching for local inventory? We offer a convenient Dealer Locator.