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What Not To Do On Your RVing Vacation
In the Movie 'RV' ( www.sonypictures.com/movies/rv/ ) Poor Bob Munro (Robin Williams) is just trying to get some family bonding time with the kids before they grow up and are gone. If only he had taken some of this advice, their vacation could have turned out differently.
Bob Munro, like many families, dives into the preparations without a clear vision of the task – especially tackling an RV without some guidance (or apparently, common sense!).
RV trips are great for family bonding, whether you are an experienced RVer or just starting out. The Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) has lots of great ideas and help at their site www.gorving.com. If only the Munros had known about this source of information. Whether you need a CD on the basics or a list of campgrounds to get you started, RVIA can help you avoid the pitfalls that the Munros suffered.
Once you’ve gotten your vehicle lined up, you’ll surely need some additional tips and hints to make your vacation enjoyable. Phil and Carol White share lots of tips for road trippers on their website, www.roadtripdream.com . The website has a television clip of them sharing their experiences, a complete budget worksheet (.xls format) for both long and short trips, information on their award-winning book, “Live Your Road Trip Dream” and much more.
Carol offers some tips for your family summer vacation.
• Instead of springing the trip on your family like Bob Munro did, enlist their help in the planning. Almost every age can help – plan out your route, mark the maps, gather information on the internet, get a travel guide or two, plan your meals – these are all things that the whole family can get involved in.
• Don’t over plan your trip. Be sure to leave room in your itinerary for spontaneous adventures – or problems along the way. A little planning goes a long way. Too much planning kills to joy of exploration.
• Consider leaving the electronics at home. Pack the games, sports equipment and hiking maps instead. Families spend so much time in solitary pursuits today, like personal music devices, DVRs, computers, game systems, and more – why not leave them home and explore other options on your vacation.
• If you are taking teenagers along, give them each the responsibility to be in charge of one day of the vacation. They get to plan the meals (hold your breath!), be the tour guide on the activities, deal with tickets, money, transportation and other things that crop up during the day. A great experience for them.
So don’t let the hapless adventures of the Munro family scare you off. Do some homework, get everyone involved, and take off on your own adventure and bring back memories to last a lifetime.
And visit RVbasics.com for all the basic information every RVers needs to know.