***Just on a side note, this article does not review the RV, the RV rental company or the campgrounds where we stayed. These are tips we learned from our own RV experience*** And the fun we had on vacation!
Key Takeaways
- The author shares tips from their RV experience during a house-hunting vacation with four dogs.
- Driving an RV differs significantly from an SUV; it requires practice, especially for backing up.
- Noise and bumps are amplified in an RV, which can make pets nervous; a calm environment helps.
- Ensure the TV works at campgrounds or prepare for limited Wi-Fi, especially during bad weather.
- Overall, the trip was enjoyable and reinforced their love for camping, leading them to consider getting a pull-behind trailer.
Our Vacation
Recently, we have been on a major house hunt. The problem is that we aren't really sure where we want to live. We have (what we think) are easy "wants" but let me tell you, it has been an adventure! We know we want to live where it snows a fair amount AND we really like the changes of season, so we decided this house hunt would take some traveling to narrow down that JUST RIGHT SPOT. With 4 large dogs travel is NOT easy, so we decided to make a mini vacation out of this trip and take the whole family! Since we would need TWO hotel rooms for two adults and FOUR dogs, we were looking for alternatives. After a few glasses of wine. . . Enter the RV Rental idea!
RV Vacation
After calling around we found a rental agency that had no problem renting with 4 dogs. We made all of our campground reservations and were ready for our vacation/house hunting trip!!!!
RV Vacation
- Just because you drive an SUV, does not mean it will be the same as driving an RV. We have a Large SUV that I drive regularly, so I went into this VERY confident that it would be close to the same. I mean, it's only a little bigger, Right??? WRONG! While the RV we rented was not "hard" to drive.....It was NOT an SUV. The RV took turns wider and, you can't look back over your shoulder when backing up....you'll just be staring into the back bedroom of the RV, not your back window.
- Speaking of backing up.. I highly recommend watching a few YouTube videos!!!
- Practice backing up the RV before leaving on your trip. I felt more empowered and not as afraid to back into a campsite. Also, (because I'm "that" person) I called the campground ahead of time to ask if the campsites were large enough for a new driver to be able to back in. After they stopped laughing, they said it would not be a problem and they have staff who could back it in for us if things got "really bad". Luckily, those trusty YouTube videos gave me enough confidence to back the RV right into the spot without a problem! Plus, if you have a helper like Elvis, you will never have problems backing up!!!!
- The RV is louder than you think it will be. If you've never ridden in an RV (like us), you may not realize that everything creaks and snaps and bangs. Every bump in the road is magnified like you're riding in a car without shock absorption. Our 4 dogs were looking at us as if to say You two idiots, what have you gotten us into!!!! We let Frankie stay in his Thunder Shirt to make sure he didn't get too nervous. The other 3 dogs, who aren't afraid of much, would look around on the rough roads and were a little nervous, but all in all seemed ok with it. Well, Oliver slept the entire way and was very happy!! The 2 blonde boys jumped up on the sofa and made themselves at home immediately.
- Make sure the TV works OR call ahead about wifi at the campground. We didn't have a cable hook up in our rental so we had to use the internal antenna. TV in some campgrounds was touch and go. We had an amazon box but it didn't work with the camp wifi. I know, I know, when you're in the great outdoors, why do you need TV? Trust me, if it's raining, TV is nice to have.
- Just relax. If you miss your turn, don't stress about a U-turn. Just go on down the road until you can comfortably turn around and head back. Who knows, you might see something you've never seen before. Also, keep in mind it's going to go a little slower than your car, so you may add some time to your trip, but hey, you're on vacation.
All in all, it was such a delightful trip! We shared countless laughs (mostly about the noise in the cabin) and cherished the fun adventure we were on together! Just a little note—this was our vacation/house hunting trip. So yes, we were driving our rented RV to open houses, down charming neighborhood streets, and my absolute favorite, new home construction sites. It’s easy to see why we laughed so much… we certainly looked a bit ridiculous! With four silly dogs barking out of the windows of our rented RV, I can only imagine the people who spotted us checking out the house with the "for sale" sign in their neighborhood were holding their breath, secretly hoping we weren't planning to move in!
We haven't found a house yet, but we're close and have discovered that we LOVE camping (boarder-line Glamping). We have since rented cabins that allow dogs one we are enjoying grilling at the campground. This way, we get the fun of camping, with the ease of having our own car. We're even looking into getting our own pull-behind camping trailer. We'll keep you posted on those adventures.
Just an update we found a great house in Ohio. We love our new house and the boys are very happy!!!
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