By Cheri Sicard
In the video below, Mike and Jennifer from RV Lifestyle, one of the winners of our 2024 RV Video awards, share their most important RV tips for seniors. Spoiler alert, many of these tips apply to everyone, not just seniors.
Our hosts, seniors themselves, firmly believe that with proper preparation and expectations, seniors can live their best lives ever in an RV!
So, without further ado, here are RV Lifestyle’s top RV tips for seniors
#1 Try before you buy: No amount of research can take the place of experience. If you have never RVed before, rent one first. If you end up hating it, since RVing is NOT for everyone, you will not have made a big investment you might regret.
#2 Ease into the lifestyle: Many seniors make the mistake of jumping whole hog into RVing without even knowing if they like it. For instance, I see this topic all the time in RV Travel’s seniors’ Facebook groups. Don’t sell your home! Consider renting it instead until you are sure you want to live an RV lifestyle. Most RVers, even full-timers, do return to a sticks-and-bricks home.
#3 Once you do it, embrace it: If you do decide to join the RV lifestyle, embrace it! Our hosts say not to let anything or anyone stop you, and they will try.
#4 Invest in a good night’s sleep: Most RV mattresses are sub-par, to put it politely. Our hosts say making your bed as comfortable as possible is the first RV upgrade you should do.
#5 Make driving more comfortable: Discomfort leads to irritability and a bad camping trip. Make sure driving is as comfortable as possible. This post can help.
#6 Follow the 330 rule: Pushing yourself too hard and too far while RVing is a bad idea, Instead follow the 330 rule, which says to stop if you have driven 330 miles or it is 3 o’clock in the afternoon. I have to say that I don’t subscribe to such rigid guidelines in MY RV life, but this seems to work for a lot of folks, including the team at RV Lifestyle.
#7 Install additional safety features: The time to install safety features is not after you’ve been hurt. Be proactive to any potential problem or injury areas around your RV and act accordingly.
#8 Travel with a dog: I will put in the caveat that this is a tip not right for ALL RVers and, indeed, after having traveled with and without a dog or dogs, the latter is far easier. Nonetheless, our hosts highly recommend it as a dog’s energy will keep you active and engaged.
#9 Post your campsite info inside your RV: In case of emergencies, it’s a good idea to write down your campsite’s number and the address and phone number of the campground and post it on your RV’s fridge.
#10 Carefully plan a budget: RVing is more expensive than most people think and certainly more expensive than the RV industry would have you believe. Don’t let poor planning ruin your RV dreams.
#11 Save money by joining membership clubs: Fuel discounts, camping discounts, and reciprocal memberships can save you a bundle of money.
#12 Get an America the Beautiful senior pass: For $80 you can buy a lifetime pass that gets you half-price campgrounds at most all federal campgrounds, including national parks, national forests, Army Corps of Engineer campgrounds, BLM, and more – more than 2000 locations.
#13 Try a work camper job: Work camping offsets expenses and saves you money, helps keep you active, and allows you to meet more people and have more fun while camping.
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