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Last Updated on April 16, 2025 by Paul Clayton
Table of Contents
20 Tips For Cross Country RV Trips
Planning a cross-country adventure in an RV offers an exciting opportunity to explore a vast nation’s diverse landscapes and landmarks. However, it requires careful planning and preparation to ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey. This will help you maximize your experience while minimizing potential issues on the road.
Key Takeaways
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- Plan Your Route Efficiently
- Maintain RV for Reliability
- Secure Reliable Internet Connection
- Pack Smartly for the Trip
- Prepare for Varied Weather
- Check Campsite Regulations
- Learn Basic RV Repair Skills
- Practice Energy Conservation
RV cross-country trips are a fun and inexpensive way to go for a vacation and to have fun at a destination.
With a nice and comfy RV, you can travel with your family across the country, touring various attractions while enjoying home comforts without shelling out hundreds or thousands of dollars on transport and hotels.
While cross-country RV trips can be fun and affordable, they can be pretty tiresome and frustrating if you do not prepare adequately. In this article, I will share tips to help you survive and have fun during long RV trips.
Here are the twenty tips to help you survive and enjoy long RV trips without wasting time.
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20 Tips For Cross-Country RV Trips
1. Buy a Backup Camera
It is essential to purchase a backup camera. You can easily park your trailer in a back-in or pull-through campsite with a backup camera.
A backup camera is also helpful on narrow highways because it shows how many vehicles you hold up, allowing you to pull over and let them through.
So, if you want to park in campgrounds easily and know what’s behind you when driving slowly on the highway, purchase and install a backup camera on your RV before you hit the road.
2. Make Use of Yelp and TripAdvisor When Planning Your Trip
Most people who do cross-country RV trips visit multiple attractions and stay at or eat at excellent hotels, parks, or restaurants.
If you are like most people, you have probably already marked several places to visit or stay along the way.
However, before visiting any place, you should use Yelp and TripAdvisor to find out what others say about it. This will save you a lot of time and help you know which attractions are worth visiting and which hotels are worth staying at.
3. Get Internet Access in Your RV
Most RV campgrounds across the United States claim they have free Wi-Fi. While this is often true, the internet speeds are often prolonged. Loading a single image using the Wi-Fi in most RV campgrounds could take a minute or two.
Therefore, if you need to use the internet while on the road, you should get a Wi-Fi booster to improve Wi-Fi performance in campgrounds.
Alternatively, getting a MiFi like the Liberate Device from AT&T Mobile or Satellite Internet would be best. These options will help you browse better wherever you are in the United States.
4. Read the Fine Print before Booking Campgrounds
If you want to take a cross-country RV trip, you will probably plan to stay at several campgrounds during the journey. If this is so, then you should make it a habit to read the fine print before you book a campsite in any campground.
This is because while some campgrounds have cheap campsites and seem to offer many amenities/ services, they usually charge extra for these amenities/services.
For instance, while an RV campground may charge $40 a night, you may be charged for hookups, showers, and bathrooms.
Some campgrounds also indicate the amount they charge per night, but this only applies if your RV has only two people.
They charge extra for every extra person. So, make it a habit to read the fine print before booking a campsite, or you will spend a lot of money on unexpected expenses.
5. Save Money on Gas by Packing Light
If traveling hundreds of miles, you should pack only the things you need in your camper. People are usually tempted to carry a lot of clothes and other stuff to stay comfortable during long RV trips.
While packing what you need is essential, you usually do not need to fill as much as you think you do. So, carry only the necessary clothes and a handful of things. And buy only the food you will need every four days.
Packing many things in your RV and buying a lot of food to stock your fridge and pantry will only make your camper heavier and significantly affect the gas mileage of your towing truck.
So pack light and buy less food at a time to make your camper light and save money on gas. If your camper is a toy hauler, consider leaving your toy or toys at home when going for long trips.
6. Purchase Mattress Toppers
Many high-end or high-quality RVs have multiple sleeping areas besides the main bed. While the main bed usually has a good mattress, the other sleeping areas, such as the convertible sofas, dinettes, and drop-down bunk beds, are generally comfortable enough.
So, if you are traveling with your kids or friends, you should purchase mattress toppers.
The toppers will make the other sleeping spaces comfortable enough for everyone you are traveling/ camping with to have a good night’s sleep.
If you don’t buy mattress toppers, your kids or friends sleeping in the additional areas will start complaining of shoulder and hip pain a few days into your long RV trip.
7. Take Your RV and Your Truck to Get Serviced Before Leaving
Before embarking on a long road trip, you should take your RV and towing truck to get serviced. Long road trips put vehicles to the test.
If your RV and your truck are not in tip-top shape, you will start experiencing problems several miles down the road.
So, to ensure you do not experience problems and that everything in your truck and your RV is okay and ready for a long road trip, you should take your RV and your vehicle to get serviced at a reputable repair shop.
8. Carry an RV Toolkit and a Roadside Emergency Kit
Getting your RV and truck serviced is excellent until you start experiencing minor issues or inconveniences far from reputable RV or truck repair shops.
You should expect to experience minor issues because long road trips usually test vehicles in significant ways.
While some issues are complex to handle, others are easy to handle yourself. So, carry your RV toolkit or buy one if you do not have one and bring it along for the trip. An RV toolkit will help you deal with minor issues quickly.
You should also pack a roadside emergency kit to deal with roadside emergencies better.
9. Carry Everything You Need To Stay Comfortable
RVs are vehicles. Some may be cozy and luxurious, but most usually do not automatically feel like home. To make your RV feel like home, you should carry everything you need to stay cozy and comfortable.
It is the coziness that makes RVs homely and unique to camp in.
So, carry throw pillows and blankets to make your RV feel homely. If you have time, decorate the interior of your RV with paintings, photos, or art you love.
This will make it feel more like home, even when you are hundreds of miles away from your residence.
10. Carry Lots of Drinking Water
Most RVs have freshwater tanks. So, before leaving for a long road trip, you should ensure the freshwater tank is filled with freshwater. Besides, it would be best to carry several bottles of drinking water.
Carrying drinking water is essential for constant hydration during long trips. It is also important because you can drink bottled water to survive if your freshwater tank runs out.
Bottled water is also essential if you like hiking because you need to stay hydrated.
11. Plan to Stop Every 3 to 4 Hours
Long road trips can be exhausting and dangerous if they are not planned properly. Driving long distances causes exhaustion, leading to drowsiness or slow reaction times while on the highway.
To avoid this, you should plan to stop every three to four hours during a cross-country road trip to recharge, stretch your legs, get fresh air, and relax for about 20 minutes before continuing your journey.
12. Gas Up Frequently
Most people do not like spending money when they feel they do not need to. This is why we drive our vehicles until our tanks are nearly empty before we fill up.
However, while this is okay because there are many gas stations in the cities and towns most of us live in, it is not advisable to use the highway because gas stations are many miles apart.
Therefore, gas up more frequently to avoid stalling in the middle of nowhere.
13. Find Ways to Make Long Trips Exciting
You should find ways to make long trips exciting. If you are traveling alone, you can get an enjoyable audiobook to listen to. However, if you are traveling with kids, you will have to do more.
You should probably get those games to play during the trip. If your kids are young, you should pack their favorite toys to keep them engaged.
14. Don’t Drive At Night
Many individuals assume that driving at night is great because there are usually fewer motorists on the highways.
While this is true, driving at night on highways is also dangerous because visibility is reduced and wild animals are more active. So, to stay safe, you should avoid driving at night.
15. Get a GPS unit
You should get a nice GPS unit to enjoy your trip fully. With a GPS unit, it will be easy to find the attractions you need to visit and difficult for you to get lost.
The best GPS units on the market have pre-installed maps of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and South America.
16. Acquire a Gas Card
Acquire a gas card to save Cash and get various benefits. Long road trips will cost you a lot of gas money, no matter how fuel-efficient your truck or SUV is.
17. Make New Friends
Like you, you will meet many travelers/ RVers at RV parks and campgrounds. You are also going to meet people at tourist sites and hotels. Don’t be shy about striking up a conversation and making new friends.
The new friends you make could make your stay at a campground more enjoyable, comfortable, or exciting. They could also end up being lifelong friends.
18. Carry Cash
In some places, cards are not accepted. This may sound weird if you live in a big city where cards or payment apps are accepted everywhere. But it is true. So carry Cash for such places, e.g., small motels, tolls, etc.
19. Pack Some Booze
Drinking and driving is wrong and illegal. However, nobody is against you drinking a beer or unwinding with a glass of wine before sleeping in a secure campground at night.
20. Enjoy It
Getting to a destination is essential, but sometimes, the things you do during a long trip make it fun and memorable. So do not be shy about pulling off and enjoying the scenery, views, or amazing sights.
What is the best speed at which to drive an RV?
Various factors come into play when considering the best RV speed. However, driving an RV between 55 and 65 miles per hour is generally recommended for fuel efficiency and optimum vehicle performance.
Aggressive acceleration depletes fuel resources significantly and can cause wear and tear on the engine and brakes.
Therefore, maintaining a steady speed within this range can lead to substantial gasoline savings and improved vehicle longevity.
Slower, consistent speeds benefit RVs and the driver’s wallet.
Final Thoughts
Planning a cross-country RV trip can be a thrilling experience. However, several considerations must be made to ensure a smooth journey. The first step is efficient route planning.
Knowing your route, rest stops, fuel stations, and potential roadblocks ahead of time can prevent unexpected setbacks.
Secondly, it is crucial to maintain your RV for reliability. Regular checks and servicing will ensure your vehicle performs optimally throughout the trip.
One of the most essential tips for cross-country RV trips is to secure a reliable internet connection. Access to the internet keeps you connected with the world and helps you navigate routes, find nearby amenities, and check weather updates.
Furthermore, it is critical to be prepared for varied weather conditions. Carry appropriate clothing and gear to handle any sudden weather changes.
Familiarizing yourself with the regulations of the various campsites you plan to visit will also help you avoid infringements and penalties.
Learning basic RV repair skills can be a lifesaver on the road. Fixing minor issues can save time, money, and stress during your journey.
Equally important is practicing energy conservation. Solar panels or energy-efficient appliances in your RV can help preserve power for extended periods.
