In recent years, solo traveling has become a great option for those wanderlust-y people who don’t necessarily have friends or a partner to travel with. Solo RVing is a particularly popular option, granting flexibility, freedom, and more safety than other forms of camping.
There’s no denying the fact that solo travel can be daunting, especially for women. So how do you embrace the journey and find your inner wanderlust despite all the challenges? Keep reading to learn all about successful solo RVing!
Before Starting Your Solo RVing Adventure
The first thing you should be aware of is that the work involved in solo RVing starts before the actual beginning of the adventure. There’s a series of steps that you should follow to make sure you are best prepared for your trip, whether it’s long-term or just for the weekend,
Because the truth is that if something happens when you’re on your own, it’s much harder to deal with than when you’re with a group. So prevention and preparation is the best way to guarantee a successful solo RVing adventure!
Learn About Solo RVing Lifestyle
This suggestion is best suited for people who have never RVed before in general and are unfamiliar with the RV lifestyle. If you’ve RVed in groups before, then feel free to skip to the next section because you probably already have a feel for the day-to-day life in your moving home!
If you’re new to RVs altogether, then you should take some time doing research before embarking on a solo RVing trip. First, decide whether you’re going to be a casual RVer or a full-time RVer because that makes a big difference in the sort of gear you need, the challenges you’ll face, and whether you’ll be renting or buying RVs.
If you’re just renting, for example, start with our Beginner’s RV Rental Guide. But if you’re looking to dive in completely with a private RV, then take a look at our recommendations for Class B RVs and Class C RVs. And if you’re looking to buy a camper that will become your new permanent solo RVing home, then take a look at the Best RVs for Full Time Living.
Next, read blogs, buy magazines, watch testimonial videos, and find online communities. There are even in-person RV festivals and rallies where you can meet people with a lot of experience who would be more than happy to give you some tips. You could even consider asking to ride along with other solo RVers for a couple of days so that they can show you the ropes in real-time.
Get the RV Checked
If you’ve gotten this far, that probably means you have an RV parked in your driveway. Congratulations! Now what? We recommend always getting the RV checked by a mechanic or an RV technician before you take off on your solo RVing journey. If you haven’t rented or purchased an RV yet, this is something you can also request ahead of time.
Practice and Take Classes
It’s no secret that driving an RV is more complicated than driving your average car, and it might be intimidating for people who have never done it before. We recommend taking RV driving classes, which are easily found online and will give you the confidence to face your first solo RVing trip with ease and excitement.
Once you have your RV, it’s also a good idea to practice a bit of driving before your adventure. Drive around your neighborhood and make sure you feel comfortable taking turns, backing up, hooking up, and using all of the RVs functions. This is especially true if you haven’t used your RV in a while—your skills can get rusty, and you probably won’t have a second pair of eyes to lend a hand when you’re solo RVing!
Take a Few Trips With Friends
Though we’ve already mentioned finding a pro solo RVer who could take you on a ride-along and show you the ins and outs of solo RVing, it’s not always easy to find someone with the time to do so. So another option is simply to organize an RV trip with your friends, in which you behave as if you were on your own. That way, you can practice your skills with a safety net! Really try to do everything on your own to simulate a real solo trip.
During Your Solo RVing Adventure
And we’re off! Your adventure has finally started, and you’ve never felt more free. Remember that there are still some things you must be careful of—the work isn’t over yet. The truth is that the work never really ends, but it’s part of the fun.
Safety
Safety is possibly the most important item on your solo RVing adventure checklist, especially when traveling alone. Here are some tips to follow to make sure you’re not taking any unnecessary risks:
- Make sure someone knows where you are at all times.
- Follow your instinct. If a location doesn’t feel right, move on.
- Always spend the night at a campsite, and not on the side of the road.
- Settle into a campsite before dark.
- Lock all your doors and windows at night.
- Park close to other RVs.
Best Solo RVing Campgrounds
The truth is that there are certain RV campgrounds that are just better suited for solo RVing. These campgrounds have parking spots that you can drive into and out of without having to back up, a consistent stream of visitors, monitoring, and 24/7 staff.
Sure, these are qualities you might always want at an RV camp, but they are particularly important for solo travelers who don’t have a partner or friends for help if something goes wrong. Take a look at a campsite’s reviews before adding it as a Google destination to your solo RVing tri[. Often, people will include whether they were traveling with a group or alone.
You might even want to consider staying at an RV resort, which is essentially a fancier RV campsite. It’s more expensive, but that’s because there are more amenities involved, and more support for campers, too.
RV Maintenance
Even with all the precautions in the world, parts can break or malfunction. In order to decrease the likelihood of this happening even more, we suggest you set a maintenance schedule to remind you to get your RV checked yearly, if not before every solo RVing trip on your calendar.
You can even practice fixing small and common maintenance issues yourself so that you don’t have to derail your entire trip the next time something breaks!
Create a Checklist For Setting Up and Dismantling a Campsite
Though you might think that traditional camping has more set-up and dismantling, there are several things you need to do with an RV, too. If you’re on your own, having a checklist (even just on your phone!) is useful to ensure you’re doing everything when you don’t have someone to remind you.
Meet New People
Solo RVing isn’t always a lonely business! You can still make new friends on the road. Here are some tips for meeting people:
- Once you set up camp, hang out outside of your RV. Passersby are more likely to stop for a chat.
- If you’re at a camping resort, seek out the shared spaces at your disposal, like bonfires and grills. Some places even have pools, rooms for entertainment, and events organized specifically for campers.
- Attend RV festivals and rallies. There’s no better way to make friends than to find like-minded people!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do People Solo RV?
It really depends. Some people solo RV because they don’t have any other options. Either they’re single, or their family and friends aren’t as wanderlust-y as they are!
Others, though, simply like to travel solo. It gives you incredible flexibility, freedom, and the opportunity to reconnect with yourself and nature without any distractions.
What is the Hardest Part About Solo RVing?
One of the hardest parts about solo RVing is handling issues on the road. Problems are always easier to tackle when everyone puts their heads together, but when you’re on your own, you must figure things out yourself.
Others also struggle with loneliness. You have to strike the right balance between traveling independently and staying connected with society!
How Can I Test Out RVing Life Without an RV?
The easiest way to test our RVing Life without an RV is to rent one. If that’s not an option, then join online RVing communities and attend RV festivals and rallies. There, you might meet some RV pros that might be willing to take you along for part of their ride to show you the ropes of RV life.
Wrapping up Solo RVing
I hope this post has inspired you to start your own successful solo RVing adventure in the safest and most prepared way possible. Practice, prevention, and problem-solving are your best friends, along with getting your RV checked before you take off! Only in that way will you be able to really take advantage of all the wonderful aspects of solo travel and make the most of the journey. Next, if you’re getting ready to dive into solo RVing, it’s super important to continue learning about RV safety.
