RV Travel Is Not Cheap. Costs per night can range anywhere from free to $280 per night. Some places charge additional fees for certain services. Some places have additional taxes. San Antonio Rodeo in town or the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, you are going to pay more for a reservation. Set a budget. We enjoy being out in nature and stay at state parks and national parks. Even enjoying the great outdoors you may have day use fees or permit costs. Depending on how long you stay in a particular state, you might purchase an annual park pass for that particular state. Or, purchase the America the Beautiful Pass for national parks.

Book As Soon As You Can. National Parks, State Parks and other popular destinations are packed as soon as the booking window opens. Be ready to book when it opens. If you are unable to get in a highly sought after park, look at campsite alternatives such as boondocking, harvest hosts, city parks and/or private parks.

Cash and Coins. Some places have a laundry, but they may not have a change machine to provide quarters. Fees- Some parks that you might want to visit have a self-pay fee station for you to put cash in an envelope. The fee might be $5.00, but you only have a $20. Been there, done that. Made a $15.00 donation.

Have photocopies of important documents and/or an electronic copy including passport, driver’s license, insurance, etc. They could get stolen. You might decide to go into Canada or Mexico or to take a flight out of the country. You might have a wreck.

Let someone know your plans. Make them aware if you will not have cell service where you will be staying.

Wet Wipes Are Your Friend. When dry camping, it is a big water saver to use a wet wipe instead of using your precious tank water. Wet Wipes are how we shower and wash our face and feet when we are trying to conserve water dry camping.

Do you follow the 3-3-3 RV Rule? No more than 300 miles in one day. Arrive no later than 3 pm. Stay at least 3 days.  Good rule, but we don’t follow it. We try not to drive more than 4 hours. Two is fantastic! When we plan a trip, we plan our trip to make the most of the route along the way. If we need to get to a particular destination, and we need to drive 7 hours, we do it. If we need to drive 1 hour, that is great. For us, it depends on our trip. It is easier on us and our dogs to drive less than 4 hours. However, we are not going to drive 3 hours, stop at a Wal-Mart parking lot, and look at each other until bedtime. That doesn’t make a lot of sense to us.

Know Your Rig and Truck Measurements. Some bridges and tunnels have height restrictions. Also, the only parking for a restaurant you want to dine at may be a parking garage. Your truck probably won’t fit.

Screen shot your reservations. If you think you will not have service at your campsite, have a screen shot of your reservation. Download movies, books, hiking trails, audio tours, audio books, activity reservations, and anything else you might need or want from the internet prior to arriving at your off-grid spot.

How Much Fuel Do You Have? Pay attention to your fuel needs, diesel, propane, and gasoline. Some places do not have diesel. Also, some places you will want to visit are remote and may not have a fuel station convenient. Example, Canyonlands, The Needles District, the nearest fuel was 45 miles away, one way. Some people carry extra fuel. We don’t. We don’t want to use the space in the vehicle or have the extra weight.

When traveling, I use a mask and noise machine or ear plugs. We have stayed in some noisy places including rest stops, Cabela’s near interstates, and some parks that you can open your door and touch the rv next door. A sound machine or ear plugs are very helpful for a good night’s rest in those circumstances. In the northwest in the summer, it didn’t get dark until 11:00 pm at night, even then it wasn’t very dark. A mask is a must for me. I put it on, and I am asleep.