- Take a Practice Drive – We know that hauling a travel trailer, fifth wheel or maybe a teardrop is nerve racking if you’ve never done it before. One thing to consider is to find someone who already has one and ask if you could give it for a spin. Just take one out for a test drive to note how it feels, watch for height clearances, low-hanging branches, and anything else that may be in your way. Don’t forget to secure your items before departing and checking to make sure everyone feels safe, comfortable, and ready!
- Bring Tools and Spare Parts – Think of this like a car. In case your car breaks down, what do you have? An extra tire, jumping cables, and so on? Keep this in mind when it comes to your camper. bring along a lug wrench, jumper cables, tire gauges, and so on. You never know what position you’ll be in on the road or how far away the next servicing dealer is. Great news though! When you purchase a camper from a Priority RV Network dealer, like us, you will receive an emergency service key tag! Say you get a flat tire while you’re traveling to a campsite and you’re more than 100 miles out from your home. Call us, your selling dealer, and we can connect you with the closest Priority RV Network dealership to service your camper. How’s that for high quality customer service?
- Dry Run Camping in Your Driveway – This may sound silly but it’s better to test out the camping experience in your camper for the first time at home than at a campsite that is miles away. Test your departure process, packing, and your patience. You may want to create a departure checklist that way you can add/take away from it as you go. Once you are complete, finalize this checklist and use it for every time you camp! Also, don’t forget to secure your camper from rolling while parked and level it.
- Packing – Pack what you NEED. Don’t just fill up the spaces because things can get cluttered very quickly. What you do pack, try to keep it organized. You can get kitchen drawer dividers, an over the door organizer, under the bed organizers, and so much more! These will help you organize your things, lessen clutter, and keep the space that you do have more open.
- Travel Without Water in Your Camper – Water can be very HEAVY. It’s a good idea to avoid transporting water as much as possible. If the campsite you’re going to has water available, then don’t travel with full tanks and with just small amounts. Same goes for your gray and black water tanks. Make sure they’re not full and remember to empty them before you travel.
- Watch Your Limits – What is the tow capacity for your vehicle? What is the gross weight for your camper? These things are extremely important to keep in mind when you’re traveling. Your camper has published load limits and you do not want to exceed them. Stop at a truck stop to check the weight of your camper.
- Reserve Your Camping Spot – Camping is a popular summer activity! Especially in the Adirondacks. So, make sure your campground reservations are made as far in advance of your trip as possible. Get all the details, directions, and so on at the time you are making the reservation. When you reserve a spot at Blue Haven Family Campground and Resort, you have tons of activities, amenities, and more included with your stay! You can go to the Blue Haven Campground website page on our site for more information on pricing, the surrounding area, activities, and so on.
- Plan for Tank Dumps – I know I know, not the most fun subject but it is necessary! Please do not forget the supplies that you’ll need in order to empty your holding tanks. I suggest getting disposable dump gloves, sewer hose supports, and sewer hose extensions.
If you have any questions about being a first time camper owner, going to a campground for the first time or really anything camping related, please give us a text or call at 518-563-1983! Our team here at Plattsburgh RV Store loves the camping season and we get excited to help out new campers. Whether it is questions on parts, service or our campground, we will be here to assist you. We want to make sure that your camping experiences are fun, memorable, and completely stress free! So be sure to reach out this camping season!
