Beginner tips for USA with a motorhome: You need to know that!
A road trip through the USA with a camper van - a dream that can be found on many a travel wish list. As a complete novice in motorhomes, I recently dared to embark on this adventure and mastered it successfully. Based on my questions before the trip and experience gained during the journey, I have written these practical tips for beginners in the USA with a motorhome. I hope they help you plan your trip!
Motorhome brokers in the USA like Southaven Rv have the advantage of having many providers on offer campers for sale. In addition, they often offer special conditions and additional included services such as free kilometres, equipment, or service packages. Therefore, you often get better offers from them than directly from the landlord. In addition, you save yourself the individual comparisons of landlords with each other. By the way, as a reliable and professional mobile home broker, I can recommend Airstream to you.
Is my regular driver's license enough to drive a motorhome?
This depends on the motorhome type, but usually, yes. Even our XXL model of a camper (length 9.6 m) was approved for a regular driving license class B without further documents. If you are unsure whether the same applies to the mobile home of your choice, you can find out more from the rental company.
How big should an RV be?
Of course, this depends very much on the size of the travel group. In general, the mobile home should be a good compromise between comfort, maneuverability, and economy (the more significant, the higher the fuel consumption). For example, our 9.6m camper was too big for our party (3 people) and purposes. A size smaller, around 7 m in length, would have been a lot more practical and maneuverable and would have cost a lot less fuel.
Some roads in the Rocky Mountains (e.g., Mount Edith Cavell and some campsites (e.g., along the Icefield Parkway) are even entirely unsuitable for large RVs. Others require maneuvering skills, That's the road to Takakkaw Falls, but it's up to you to decide.
How long does the takeover take?
You should plan at least half a day for the takeover. The rental stations are usually outside (often, there is a free shuttle service that can be booked by phone), so you have to factor in the time you need to get there. In addition, there is usually an enormous rush on typical changeover days such as weekends, which is why there can be long waiting times. In addition to the paperwork, there is also instruction on how to use the camper, which requires additional (waiting) time. After the takeover, the first purchase is still pending. So you can already get used to the idea of not covering a long distance on the first day. The same applies to the return day: the mobile home usually has to be returned by noon at the latest. Therefore, you should spend the night before in the vicinity of the drop-off point.
What should be on my USA shopping list?
water, coffee/tea, milk
Salt, pepper (if not available in the camper), sugar, and other spices as desired
Oil and possibly vinegar
Dish brush, sponge, washing-up liquid, kitchen roll
Bread with a sweet and salty topping (for breakfast/snack)
Muesli bars, biscuits, or other sweet/savory snacks
Aluminum grill trays, fish, meat, or sausages for grilling, barbecue sauce, possibly a lighter (for the campfire), and candles (for the mood)
mosquito spray
1-ply toilet paper
Garbage bags and aluminum foil (for storage/ grilling)
Disposable gloves (for wastewater drainage)
Do I need a navigation device?
Yes and no. When searching for specific places and in large cities, a navigation device can benefit. But as soon as you have left the city behind and are traveling in more rural areas, a standard road map is sufficient for coordination. There are not that many roads. We didn't have a navigation device on our trip. In addition to the road map, we had the highly recommended and detailed guide National Park Route USA: The legendary route through Alberta and BC*, which includes a brief description of how to get to each place of interest and campsite. Whenever we got stuck, we used the free app "Maps—me" (important: download the map for the USA before starting the trip!). We did very well with this mixture.
Do I always need an electricity and water connection?
No. It's like this: Certain functions in the mobile home, such as the microwave or the sockets, only work with a power connection (alternatively, you have to turn on the generator, which runs on petrol). The parking heater should also not be operated at high temperatures without a power connection for long periods, but this is not a problem in the short term (the heater runs on propane gas but should not be overused, as the fan consumes a lot of electricity, which comes from the house battery. This should never be fully charged be emptied).
This raises the question of how urgently you need certain functions. It was enough for us to have a power connection every few days during our trip in May. The nights were pretty chilly, but we got on very well with warming up in the evenings before going to bed and in the mornings when we got up. Continuous heating during the night with a temperature of 10 degrees is possible (the heating is set via the thermostat, switches off automatically when the temperature is reached, and switches on again when the room temperature cools down). If you like to sleep warm, you should only select campsites with electricity when planning, and in the off-season (if possible), do not sleep above the driver's cabin (the coldest place in the vehicle). In addition, earplugs are recommended, since the heating is very loud.
We used our USB adapter * for the cigarette lighter to charge electronic devices while driving.
The water tank lasted an average of 2-3 days for toilet, cooking, and washing up. Although we only used the shower in the mobile home once, this costs a relatively large amount of water and is only recommended for "short showers" without a water connection (and the possibility of emptying the wastewater). Most campsites have a washhouse with showers.
How often do I have to empty the wastewater?
We emptied the wastewater five times in 2 weeks, whereby the tanks were never complete. However, the mobile home is a lot lighter after each emptying, saving fuel.
Tip for emptying the wastewater: Don't worry; the wastewater tanks cannot overflow; their size is adapted to the amount of freshwater. First, open the wastewater from the toilet (black water), then rinse with dishwater and shower water (greywater). At the same time, the freshwater can be refilled. Important: only top up with fresh water when emptying the wastewater tanks.
How about a campfire?
The highlight of every camping holiday and the epitome of coziness is an evening campfire. Understandably, however, this is not permitted everywhere and at all times. Fire pits surrounded by a metal ring, in the middle of which a fire is lit on the campsite, are very common in the USA. Not all camps allow fires. Some generally allow it, but many regions are subject to a fire ban during dry periods because the fire risk is too high. A fire permit must be obtained in national parks. A fire permit currently costs CAD 8.80, which includes wood. Anyone who buys firewood should note that this may not be brought across the borders of the provinces due to bark beetle infestation.
Is it worth booking internet in the mobile home?
Not in my opinion. Free Wi-Fi is available in the USA at every information center, public library, and many cafes, campgrounds, and hotels. In my opinion, booking internet in the mobile home is therefore not worthwhile, as you are guaranteed internet every