Lessons Learned Volume 1

Now that I have a little camping experience under my belt, I wanted to share some lessons I’ve learned traveling solo in my RV.

Travel time: I recently spent several days in South Carolina. It was a 533-mile trip during a holiday week. Due to re-routing and traffic, an 8.5-hour drive turned into a 10-hour drive. I knew I was pushing it, but when you only have a few days off, you want to make the best of it.

I guess it’s a sign of my age, but I don’t care to drive in the dark anymore. I left early in the morning, two hours before sunrise. The deer were out grazing on the side of the road making it a little tense.

I also didn’t think about where I would be during rush hour traffic. It turned out I timed it perfectly. I hit rush hour traffic in Richmond, Virginia. If you are familiar with the area, you know I am being sarcastic! This wasn’t the ideal situation.

I did, however, learn a valuable lesson. I will plan my future adventures with no more than 5 to 6 hours of driving time in a day. Many campers stick to the 3-3-3 rule. Travel no more than 300 miles daily, arrive at your next location by 3:00 pm, and stay 3 days. When I retire and travel full-time, that’s going to be my rule.

Luckily, I arrived with plenty of daylight to set up. I had a very unlevel site, and I don’t think I could have safely set up in the dark. With an 8-10 hour driving day, I was risking the chance of arriving after dark, which is never a good idea.

Unlevel site: If you have a location in mind, do your research. Because I booked “site 3” against all the advice given on blogs and YouTube, I realized I needed to be patient in finding a good spot and not just take anything available. Most of us are out here sharing our experiences to help other campers. I should have paid attention.

I was so excited to see an available spot in the beachfront campground I’d been trying to get into, that I convinced myself, it would be okay.

When I woke up the first morning and walked around my camper, I could see it had slipped back at least two inches. Yes, I had wheel chocks placed behind each tire.

This could have turned into a bad situation!

I hooked back up and moved the camper up a couple of feet. But now, I felt like I was putting too much weight on the front and feared sliding forward.

With no other sites available, I found a nearby hardware store and purchased a set of jacks to place under the frame just to be safe. This worked and I was able to enjoy the rest of my vacation.

I should have listened to the advice or at the very least called the ranger station and asked them about the site before booking. I have found that the workers at the state parks are invaluable.

Backup Camera: When you first start your RV life, the list of wants and needs can be overwhelming. There are so many appealing products out there to make camping a breeze. And, let’s face it, there are quite a few things that you need to get started. A backup camera was not a necessity. It was on the “I’d love to have one” list.

The problem is that when you back up a camper, there are areas you can’t see. Side mirrors on your tow vehicle help, but do not allow visibility to see everything behind the camper.

Since I travel solo most of the time, I don’t have someone to stand behind the rig and guide me. After constantly getting in and out of my truck, I found that the frustration involved wasn’t worth the cost of the backup camera.

I am happy to say I found one that I love and it has made life so much easier! It is a wireless magnetic camera. I’ll leave a link if you are interested. https://amzn.to/3BmUmDO

Booking State Park Sites: I quickly realized that you could save a lot of money by staying at state parks. Not only are they more cost-efficient, but they offer beautiful surroundings and well-maintained facilities.

The problem is most book quickly. Some offer in-state residents the opportunity to reserve sites earlier than out-of-state residents. And, from what I have experienced, most people who can’t make it at the last minute, don’t cancel their reservations. I understand they won’t get a refund at the last minute, but it would be nice if they canceled their reservations to open up additional spots for campers hoping to get in.

I learned that once I have decided on a place I want to visit, I try to book a site daily. I have been successful at booking several sites this way. I recently scored reservations at Sebastian Inlet State Park Campground for 4 nights in April, on the water! I tried daily for 3 weeks. I did the same at the state park in St. Augustine, Florida.

Persistence is the key to success!

Hooking up the camper: Over the years, I’ve seen people hitting the latch that fits over the coupler with a hammer trying to get it on securely. I’ve learned that moving the vehicle forward/backward a tad will generally do the trick. Sometimes you need to move the trailer up several feet. The latch should slide over the coupler without any issues unless the equipment is faulty. A lack of patience is my problem.

Backing into my site: I’ve also learned that practice is the only way to improve on backing up into a site. Now, when I go camping, I am less stressed about maneuvering into the site. I tell myself not to get frustrated, relax, and take it slow. Each time it does get easier!

Feelings of loneliness & isolation: I included this topic because many women fear loneliness or feelings of isolation when considering traveling solo. I will admit it did feel a bit strange at first, but the joy and accomplishment I feel surpass any negative thoughts or fears. I have learned that the places I travel have opened up an entirely new world for me to experience.

I still don’t like being outside alone in a strange place when it’s dark. Since my recent trip was during the fall, it was dark at 5:30 pm. By 6:00 pm the fire was out and I was inside my camper. But that’s okay! This is a journey for me. I am experiencing life on my terms. I was totally happy in my little camper, watching a movie, cooking dinner, and enjoying my life.

If traveling solo, is something you want to do, don’t let anything stop you. You choose how you want to live your life. There is a sense of freedom in every adventure I take! I wish every woman with a dream could experience this feeling.

Happy Camping!!

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