There is a lot of responsibility that comes along with owning your own RV. Sure, it is exciting to purchase a rig that you can use for countless family vacations over the years to come, but that doesn’t mean you are living in a fantasy land – there are still real world matters to consider as you take ownership of such a large vehicle. If you are going to enjoy your RV to the greatest possible degree, it is important that you carefully weigh some of the matters that affect new RV owners.
Think First About Insurance
Just as with anything else that you own which carries significant value, you need to have insurance for your RV in order to operate it legally. Before you even finalize the purchase of your rig, you should already be in contact with an insurance company that offers RV coverage. You may be able to insure your RV with the same company that you use to cover your cars, or you may need to go in another direction. With your insurance sorted out, you can head to the road with confidence knowing you are protected.
Stay Out of the Way
When you take your RV out onto the open road, you just might feel like the king of the highway – after all, you will be bigger than just about anything other than the tractor trailer rigs that crisscross the country. However, despite your size advantage, the best thing to do while on the road is to defer to all of the small vehicles which are faster than you. Always pay attention to your surroundings on the road, be courteous in terms of using the right lane whenever possible, and give other cars plenty of room to move around you.
Don’t Go on a Shopping Spree
What is the first thing that many new RV owners want to do when they take possession of their rig? Go shopping, of course! There are countless RV gadgets and gizmos that you can find at your local camping store, and surely you need just about all of them if you are going to have a good time on vacation – right? Not really. Most of those gadgets are useless for your purposes, and there will be plenty of time down the line to buy a few of them if you do find that you have a specific need. For the time being, keep your credit card in your pocket and save your hard earned money.
Always Keep Up with Maintenance
It is easy to allow your RV to fall into disrepair if you ignore its needs early in your ownership. Make it a point to address any maintenance concerns as soon as you return from a trip so you can be sure that your RV is ready for the next vacation when it rolls around. You don’t want to have to go through a long checklist of maintenance points before you can take a trip, so handle those issues right away when you return. This will make your RV more enjoyable to own, and you will stand a better chance of getting a long useful life from the rig.