So you bought an RV. Or you’re renting one. Or borrowing one from your cousin Steve who “never uses it anyway” but forgot to mention the black tank’s full and the propane’s leaking. Either way, you’re hitting the road.

Here’s the thing nobody tells you until it’s too late: RVing is equal parts freedom and frustration. When it’s good, it’s unbeatable. When it’s not? You’re Googling how to fish your leveling block out of a storm drain while a raccoon watches from your picnic table.

The good news? You can avoid a whole bunch of headaches with a few dead-simple habits. I’ve been doing this for over 30 years and screwed up enough for all of us—so consider these hard-won tips my gift to your RV journey.

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Start With a Checklist (Seriously, Don’t Wing It)

I know, I know—checklists are for people who alphabetize their spice rack. But trust me, nothing will ruin your first day on the road faster than forgetting your sewer hose or realizing your stabilizers are still down as you pull away.

Why it simplifies your RV journey:
It offloads mental stress and stops stupid mistakes before they happen.

How to do it:
Make two laminated lists: one for setup and one for breakdown. Tape them inside a cabinet or next to the door. Update them when you forget something, because you will forget something. Or use the notes app on your phone. Or however you manage your lists. Just be sure to have one and USE it. Every time.

Bonus tip: add “turn off water heater before travel” or you’ll learn what a hot water bomb looks like.

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Get an RV-Specific GPS (Google Maps Wants to Kill You)

Here’s a fun fact: your rig is not a Honda Civic. Low bridges, propane-restricted tunnels, and tiny switchback roads do not play nice with 40 feet of rolling living room.

Why it simplifies your RV journey:
Keeps you on routes where your roof stays attached and your undercarriage doesn’t become firewood.

How to do it:
Use a GPS made for RVs (Garmin makes a solid one), or an app like RV Life. You enter your height, weight, and propane status, and it keeps you on RV-legal roads. You know—ones that don’t end with you doing a 47-point turn in a church parking lot.

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Want to know the secret to arriving relaxed instead of ready to strangle someone with a bungee cord? Simple. Follow the 3/3/3 rule.

What? You never heard of it? Well, here it is:

• Drive no more than 300 miles
• Drive no more than 3 hours without a break
• Arrive by 3 PM

And if you want to make it the 3/3/3/3 rule (like me)

• Stay at least 3 nights

It’s not gospel, but it is solid advice. The miles and hours keep you from turning into a road zombie. The 3 PM arrival lets you set up in daylight without fumbling for the sewer connection with a headlamp. And the three nights? That’s how you actually enjoy a place instead of spending your whole trip packing and unpacking.

If you’re feeling fried—or just traveling slower—cut it down to the 2/2/2 rule. I won’t judge. Sometimes you just need more camp chair and less cruise control.

Why it simplifies your RV journey:
Prevents driver fatigue, poor campsite decisions, and the death spiral of “just one more hour.”

How to do it:
The 3/3/3(/3) rule:

• Drive no more than 300 miles
• Drive no more then 3 hours without a break
• Arrive by 3 PM
• Stay at least 3 nights (This one is optional, but smart. Try it, you’ll thank me)

The 2/2/2 (or if you prefer the 2/2/2/3, 4, 5, 14) rule is for those of us who need more porch time and less white-knuckle interstate drama.

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Color-Code Your Crap (Storage, Not Black Tank… Hopefully)

Stuff adds up fast in an RV. Dog gear, tools, electrical adapters, those weird euro plugs you’re not sure why you packed—before long, it’s like living in a Tupperware tornado. It’s pretty simple: Just buy color coded bins for storage.

Why it simplifies your RV journey:
No more tearing apart every bin looking for the surge protector.

How to do it:
Assign each category a color:

• Red: Emergency stuff (first aid, fire extinguisher, angry possum repellant)
• Blue: Kitchen gear
• Green: Tools
• Black: Sewer stuff (because, obviously)

Label them clearly. Stack ‘em in order of what you need most often. Suddenly, your storage bay isn’t a black hole.

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Automate the Boring Stuff

Bill due dates. Mail pickup. Prescription refills. Don’t let “real life” crap sneak up on you while you’re parked next to the Grand Canyon.

Why it simplifies your RV journey:
You didn’t hit the road to spend Tuesday dealing with your internet bill or wondering if your truck insurance lapsed.

How to do it:

• Set up autopay for recurring bills
• Use a mail forwarding service like Escapees or Traveling Mailbox
• Store copies of important docs in the cloud and one printed set in your rig

Now you can go off-grid without your power getting shut off back home.

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Fuel Stops: Plan ‘Em or Regret ‘Em

Here’s a game I like to call “Guess if that station has diesel and enough clearance.” I don’t recommend it.

Why it simplifies your RV journey:
Keeps you out of tight squeezes, sketchy stations, and the ever-fun “reverse out of the pump lane while everyone honks.”

How to do it:
Plan fuel stops in advance with apps like:

• GasBuddy (cheap gas)
• Trucker Path (big rig access)
• Open Roads (Big rig access AND discount diesel fuel)
• RV Life (custom routing + fuel)

And don’t roll into a stop below a quarter tank unless you really enjoy stress.

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Use a TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System)

Tires don’t just explode because they’re bored. They explode because they’re hot, overworked, and under-inflated—just like your uncle Larry at Thanksgiving.

Why it simplifies your RV journey:
Avoids roadside disasters, saves you thousands in damage, and lets you catch issues before they become emergencies.

How to do it:
Get a TPMS system (TST and EEZTire are both solid). Install sensors on each tire and watch the data from your dash. This one can be expensive, but not as expensive as a blowout at 70MPH on an interstate in the middle of nowhere.

No more “that looks kinda low” guesswork.

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Offline Is the New Smart

WiFi is like Bigfoot—often rumored, rarely seen. Especially in national parks, desert boondocks, or half the Walmart parking lots in Mississippi. If you’re interested in staying connected, I did a review of Connecten Internet. It’s what I use and it’s solid if you are in an area that has any WiFi signal.

Why it simplifies your RV journey:
Keeps your maps, music, and brain functional when cell signal dies.

How to do it:

• Download offline Google Maps for every area you’ll visit
• Preload shows, podcasts, and audiobooks
• Keep a small backup paper map in the glovebox like it’s 1997—because sometimes, it is

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Keep a “Last-Minute Bag” (Or Regret It by Mile Marker 4)

You remembered the sewer hose but forgot your glasses. And your phone charger. And your kid’s favorite stuffed otter named Greg. So keep a “Last Minute Bag” near the door as you are getting ready to leave . Even better, if you can afford it, put duplicates of all the thigs that, when you forget them, drive you crazy and just keep them in your RV. For everything else keep a Last Minute Bag.

Why it simplifies your RV journey:
Prevents the panicked “Did we pack the [thing]?” moments that derail otherwise smooth launches.

How to do it:
Keep a small duffel near the door. Toss in:

• Chargers
• Meds
• Wallet
• Toothbrush
• That random thing you always forget

Treat it like the lifeboat of your land yacht.

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Install Quick-Connects on Everything

Let’s talk about threading hoses in a downpour. No, let’s not—it’s miserable.

Why it simplifies your RV journey:
Speeds up setup and teardown, keeps you drier, and makes you look like you know what you’re doing (even if you don’t).

How to do it:
Use brass or stainless quick-connect fittings for:

• Freshwater hose
• Propane lines (if safe for your setup)
• Anything else that has a quick disconnect

Just snap, click, and walk away smugly.

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Final Thoughts: Simplify Now, Thank Me Later

Here’s the deal: RVing is not about being perfect. It’s about learning what you need, cutting out the junk, and making every trip a little smoother than the last.

You’ll still hit potholes. You’ll still forget stuff. You might even pull into a site the wrong way and have to re-level everything while your neighbor watches with popcorn. That’s the charm. Or the curse. Depends on the day.

But if you follow even a handful of these tips, your RV journey will be a whole lot less stressful—and a lot more fun.

And if you ever do forget your sewer hose again? Don’t worry. You’re not the first. You won’t be the last. Ask me how I know.