Top 10 things we learned as RV newbies.

You read, you prep, you study... but there's those few things you wished someone would have told you. Here are the top 10 things we learned during our first RV adventure.

I was utterly obsessed with Arizona for YEARS before we finally visited in 2020. There were a few hot commodities in the year of COVID. Trampolines, toilet paper and RVs topped that list- luckily we were able to snag all 3.

“That's right, we joined the of huge number of millennials who bought an RV during COVID.”

In our defense, we wanted an RV way before they were cool (and in Brent's defense, he's an ENTIRE YEAR off from technically being labeled as a millennial).

I can justify anything.

With my need for sunshine and warmth, an obsession with Arizona, and our spontaneous spirits, it only made sense to buy the RV in Arizona and explore on the trip back. Add in our family of 5 plus our small vacation budget and you've got yourself PLENTY of excuses why this Arizona road trip was a necessity (I can justify anything).

Sure, we could have bought the RV here in Ohio, but truthfully the ones we looked at left little to be desired. Apparently that old, musty smell you find in these rigs is due to water damage caused by neglectful owners. Brent and I are no strangers to real estate rehabs and while we did complete a fun RV reno, rebuilding RV walls wasn't something we wanted to mess with- you see, I told you I can justify anything!

I can plan (almost) anything.

I'm a planner by nature so organizing this trip was no different. There was an itinerary filled with destinations, sleeping arrangements, and a minute by minute schedule to make the most out of our trip. (First newbie mistake #1).

Have you ever planned a road trip complete with 2,500 miles, 40 hours of driving through 9 different states while stopping to hike 34 miles IN 7 DAYS?! Have you ever planned to drive that trip in your brand new RV?! I'm sure you're not surprised to learn that not every detail went as planned.

We learned a lot during our RV adventure.

1. You can't drive an RV as fast as you drive a normal car.

2. Downtown Tucson is NOT a good training course for RV driving.

3. Stopping for gas really gets old.

4. RV's are not made to be off-road vehicles.

5. Oklahoma has a lot of grass... and cows.

6. Missouri has a lot of territorial dogs.

7. You need to be comfortable with cars passing you.

8. Going up mountains can be just as scary as going down them.

9. If you beg McDonalds to stay open for 2 more minutes so you can finally eat, they will.

10. You need to schedule yourself time to cook.

11. (BONUS) Sometimes boondocking sites look a little like casino parking lots.

We love our mini-semi.

Naming our mini-semi seemed like the next logical step as we made our way back home but after throwing around some ideas we decided it was better off without a name. Putting a name on this new beast would only limit it after all. Some days we need it to be Goliath, some days we need it to be a Mary, and some days we need it to be our lovable white mini-semi.

Do you have a crazy story about your first RV adventure? Share it with me!