When it comes to hitting the road for your next adventure, it should come as no surprise that you want to take your favorite people with you to share in the excitement. However, sometimes our favorite people are actually our pets. Yes, pets really are just like family. Man’s best friend? You bet. Our four-legged friends are our forever companions, so obviously we want to take them on the road with us when we’re RVing across the country to share in all the memory-making fun that happens along the way.

There are plenty of tips for RVing with your dog, but here are some of our tried and true rules for keeping Fido safe and happy whether you’re taking a long or short haul.

1. Get Daily Exercise

Just like us, our four-legged friends will need exercise. Depending on the size of your pet and RV, they may be able to get a healthy amount of running just playing a game of fetch inside. But for larger pets, finding a local pet-friendly park is a great option—especially one where they can socialize with other traveling animals. Additionally, the old saying that a tired puppy is a good puppy still rings true regardless of your pet’s age. Giving your pet a solid amount of exercise ensures they’re not itching to get out of the RV when you’re on the road. Instead, they’ll more than likely nap or at least relax in between stops.

2. Regular Health Checkups

On the off-chance that something happens to your pet while you’re on the road, it’s important to be able to find a local veterinarian. Smartphones can easily be your friend here, but some research into your destination and major places along the way can help make sure your best friend has a nearby doctor were something to arise. Your local vet may even be able to recommend a few along your route. Planning a few things in advance, such as where your pet will sleep in the RV and how to protect your pet from the heat, can go a long way in helping your pet enjoy the trip just as much as you.

3. Know Pet Policies

Campgrounds tend to have separate policies regarding animals versus human visitors. For example, some national parks don’t allow pets on the trails at all, while other campgrounds usually require that they be on a leash when outdoors and that owners clean up after them. Regardless of where you go, you should always clean up after your pet whether there’s a sign indicating to do so or not. Some places don’t allow pets to be left unattended, which can be a problem if you’re more of a park-and-explore type RVer. There may also be weight and breed restrictions for dogs at certain locations. Check out the campground’s policies before setting up camp with your pooch in tow to avoid any issues during your trip.

After the last few years, we’re all a little exhausted, to say the least. What is the best way to remedy exhaustion? Sleep! Not just any sleep though – quality sleep. Whether you’re taking a nap, tucking in after a long day, cuddling up next to your significant other, or hibernating for the season, there are a few things to stock up on to make your next sleep the best sleep.

Check out some of our favorite accessories for sleeping better in your RV that will have you well-rested and ready for your next adventure.

Sleep Number r5 Mattress

The success of your sleep will always come down to the mattress you’re sleeping on. With the Sleep Number r5 Mattress, you get the perfect balance of softness, support, and alignment. Each side adjusts individually to give you and your partner customized comfort for restful sleep that you both can enjoy even while on the road. Let’s face it, opposites attract and the chances of you and your partner agreeing on a firmness level for your mattress will be like the two of you deciding where to have dinner. Avoid the debate and skip straight to the good part.

The Sleep Number r5 Mattress is available in Short Queen, Queen, Short Queen Radius, Queen Radius, RV King, RV King Radius, and Eastern King. All sizes come with 7 unique comfort zones that contour to your body.

Sleep Number r3 Mattress

In case you two lovebirds don’t need as many individualized comfort settings, the Sleep Number r3 Mattress is a good option. With five zones that contour to your body, the DualAir technology adjusts firmness on each side with a convenient, wireless remote. Available in all the same sizes as the r5, this mattress focuses on cushioning the neck, back, and hips for a good night’s sleep that will have you both ready for a full day of exploring – although I’m willing to bet neither of you will want to leave the comfort of this bed. Choices! Life is full of them.

The RV industry is used to twists and turns which is exactly why you’ll see them making every effort to stay ahead of the curve. When it comes to advances in technology, RVs are sporting more features and high-tech gadgets than ever before. The comforts of home are included, as always, but we’re seeing more and more that RVs are starting to feel like high-end luxury apartments and not just a home on wheels. So, buckle up as we hit the ground running with our favorite cool new RV tech features.

All Things Solar

It’s rare to find an RV these days that’s not, at the very least, solar prepped. Many have solar panels already installed and are ready to roll fresh off the lot, but for those that don’t, it’s an easy upgrade to make. The benefits of having solar panels installed on your RV continue to grow. From operating your interior lights without any drain on your battery to the easy maintenance that prolongs their life and everything in between, solar panels are popular for good reason.

Let’s look at the 2022 Hideout Travel Trailer, for example. Solarflex 200 is standard on all new Hideout Travel Trailers. We’re talking 30A solar roof port with MC4 connectors and a 10 AWG MPPT solar charging circuit, a 200-watt solar panel from Future Solutions, an inverted 110-volt loop prep with up to seven outlets, and a Zamp Solar portable solar panel charging port. As if that doesn’t sell itself, it also comes with a 15A Victron SmartSolar MPPT controller that can be used with an app on your phone. How’s that for cool?

Tire Pressure Monitoring System

Nothing stops you in your tracks quite like a tire blowout. They’re not only inconvenient, but they’re dangerous. Losing control of an RV while it’s in motion is scary, so it’s better to plan ahead. How, you ask? With a cool new tire pressure monitoring system.

When you’re covering a lot of ground, having a tire pressure monitoring system to monitor your RV’s tires makes maintenance easier. How do they work? Sensors are placed directly on your tires that send information back to a monitoring screen typically mounted on your dashboard. The newest systems monitor the pressure in your tires and trigger an alert if the pressure falls below a designated threshold.

Did you spend winter dreaming about all of the warm-weather travel possibilities in North America? Now it’s time to turn those dreams into a reality. We’ve got a slew of under-the-radar spots in the South Central States that explode in color with the arrival of spring.

Arkansas

Out-of-the-way forests, hills and lakes help Arkansas live up to its nickname as the “Natural State.” Explore unspoiled landscapes in a fun, easy-going getaway in the state’s north.

Boat, Fish and Golf in Horsehoe Bend

Away from the busy highways and interstates, Horseshoe Bend is a refuge for travelers seeking a woodsy escape. Drop a line or go canoeing in the strawberry river. The 640-acre Crown Lake is an unspoiled water recreation hot spot, and the nearby Turkey Mountain Golf Course offers 18 holes with championship-caliber fairways and greens.

Visiting Badlands National Park in South Dakota might feel like you’ve been dropped onto a whole new planet. It’s a 64,000-acre Mars-esque landscape just waiting to be explored–with bighorn sheep, bison, and a litany of mind-boggling rock formations. 

Here’s your guide to RVing Badlands National Park in South Dakota:

Why Visit Badlands National Park in an RV?

Renting an RV, or taking your own on a national parks road trip, is a great way to visit Badlands because there’s an epic off-grid camping location right outside the park’s northeast entrance. You’ll learn more about that later, but setting up an RV basecamp is ideal here for other reasons. 

They don’t call it the Badlands for nothing, and on a really hot day here, shade is virtually impossible to find. So having an RV to retreat to will give you either an air-conditioned space to escape the heat or an outdoor area underneath your awning to enjoy the scenery without baking in the sun. 

The park’s main road is a little windy and slow speeds are advised, but it is accessible to most RVs and travel trailers under 40 feet. Larger rigs should consider parking outside and taking a toad to check out the park’s interior attractions. 

Every year, phone-based distracted driving causes 2 million accidents. Those accidents create 500,000 injuries and 4,000 deaths annually.

With April being National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and thousands of RVers hitting the road for the first time this camping season, it’s worth it to take a second to contemplate those numbers.

That’s 10 deaths per day. 10 people who would be with us if we eliminated distracted driving. Luckily, there’s something you can do about it. And no, you don’t have to forgo the latest technology. Instead, embrace technology and use it for good. That’s where This App Saves Lives (TASL) comes in.

TASL is a mobile app that rewards drivers who choose not to engage in phone-based distracted driving. In short, it incentivizes people to do the right thing, and with more people out enjoying the roads this spring and summer it will be more important than ever to drive safely.

Drive Smarter, Especially While RVing

Distracted driving can be a huge problem for anyone behind the wheel, but when you’re driving or towing an RV, the stakes are even higher. Most of the time, there are multiple people traveling with you and the vehicle is large. Those reasons alone should be enough for you to take extra care. RVing, and driving in general, can be done safely, but it requires your attention, and TASL can help you keep your concentration on the road.

I used to travel to far-flung destinations at every chance I got, but then the pandemic hit and I was forced to sit still in my hometown of Vancouver. With international travel curbed for over a year, I had to find other ways to satisfy my wanderlust. I began researching staycations and stumbled upon the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia.

Stretching 112 miles from Howe Sound to Desolation Sound, this slice of natural paradise is a short ferry ride from Vancouver but feels a world away with secluded beaches, old-growth forests and artsy oceanside villages. I spent three days on the Sunshine Coast (it was glorious) and compiled the ultimate itinerary to inspire you to take the same trip.

Day 1: Gibsons and Roberts Creek

Morning

From West Vancouver, board a ferry at Horseshoe Bay and enjoy a 40-minute journey admiring a dazzling backdrop of coastal mountains. After docking, drive 10 minutes to the charming community of Gibsons. Gibsons Landing is where much of the action happens, with the Gibsons Public Market, Sunshine Coast Museum and numerous art galleries lining the harbor. Peruse the shops and have fresh seafood for lunch at Smitty’s Oyster House or Molly’s Reach Restaurant.

Afternoon

Just a 15-minute drive away is Cliff Gilker Park in Roberts Creek. Spend the afternoon hiking easy trails, which lead to waterfalls and Douglas ir trees. What’s great about this woodland park is that it’s covered by a canopy, so you can hike rain or shine. You can also visit nearby Mount Elphinstone Provincial Park, home to one of the highest peaks in the lower Sunshine Coast. If you’re up for it, trek the 7.6-mile Summit Trail for views all the way to Vancouver on a clear day.

Washington’s Olympic Peninsula is a grab bag of outdoor recreation. Hardcore hikers can hit trails leading to towering, snowcapped mountains. Botany buffs can explore the lush rainforests that flourish with humid air and water. Surfers hit the big waves that roll into shore in places like LaPush.

That’s just scratching the surface of the 1,442-square-mile region. Visitors can experience it all when they stay at Elma RV Park, a laidback Good Sam Campground located in its namesake town 30 miles west of Olympia. Described as the Gateway to the Olympic Peninsula, this campground puts the region’s long menu of recreational activities within reach. 

Coastal Cruising

From Elma, follow roads that hug the Pacific Coast for uncrowded beaches and diverse communities. Forty-two miles west of Elma, motorists will discover a stretch of Pacific Coast lined with several charming beach towns. Hang around Ocean Shores and launch a kite into the sky, or grab a shovel and pail and dig for clams. Head north and watch the Moclips River empty into the Pacific Ocean near the town of the same name. Further North on the Coast, the town of Taholah serves up beautiful beaches near the outlets of the Quinault River. 

Surf’s Up

Venturing into Olympic National Park on the Pacific Coast, the community of La Push is home to fantastic waves, with beaches for surfers of all experience levels. Here, where the Quillayute River meets the Pacific Ocean, board riders can catch waves as high as seven feet. 

As we move toward another camping season, we relish the healthy lifestyle and fun activities that await. Just getting out and using your RV again can be a rewarding pastime. But along with enjoying the outdoor fun, we need to also relax in the comfort of our home-away-from-home. This is especially true on those hot, lazy days when rising temperatures blanket many parts of North America. And as we all know, robust AC units and other factors are critical in keeping our RV interiors cool during summer travels.

Here are just a few tips on keeping the temperatures low as temperatures rise.

AC Remedies

For many of us, RV air conditioning units have trouble keeping up with the climbing temperatures. We wonder if our air conditioners are just getting tired and worn out — after all, your RVs may not be as young as they used to be.

The good news is that RV air conditioning units generally last for many, many years. Consider the two likely solutions for the AC’s flagging performance: needed maintenance and the employment of collateral aids to remove some of the burdens on the unit. First, let’s take a look at what maintenance items that need addressing:

RV wheel bearings are extremely important to the health of all motorhomes and travel trailers. Without them, you’re not going to get far, but wheel bearings are often overlooked during regular RV maintenance.

Forgetting about them is as big a mistake; almost as dangerous as not maintaining your RV tires. Remember to service your RV wheel bearings regularly so you can travel safely this camping season. 

Here’s what you need to know about wheel bearings:

What Are RV Wheel Bearings?

Your wheel bearings are located inside the hub of your RV wheels. They allow the wheels to spin properly and they also carry the weight of your RV. So one way to protect your wheel bearings is to understand your trailer’s weight ratings and never exceed them. 

Some vehicles have something called sealed bearings. This design prevents debris from getting into the bearings and also traps the bearing grease inside. Sealed bearings do not need to be cleaned and repacked regularly like unsealed bearings do. 

Sometimes I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot being born and raised in Vancouver. Framed by rugged mountains, lush forests and the Georgia Strait, Vancouver is one of those rare places where you can start your day with skiing and finish it by the beach. The scenery is unparalleled, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

With immigrant residents making up almost 50% of the population, Vancouver’s rich multiculturalism has helped the city blossom into one of the world’s most vibrant food destinations. Growing up, I was exposed to food from all corners of the globe — from dumplings and tacos to curry and sushi — and developed an appreciation for diverse cuisines from an early age. To this day, I love trying new foods from around the world and owe it to my hometown for cultivating my passion for international flavors and local ingredients.

Whether you’re coming to Vancouver for a weekend getaway or long-term stint, I’ve rounded up my favorite street eats, restaurants and food markets so you’ll know exactly where to go to get the best grub.

Gastown

The cobblestone streets of Gastown are lined with chic bars and eclectic dining options. Look out for Japadog outside Waterfront Station. This iconic street stall blends Japanese flavors with the humble hot dog. Try the signature Terimayo, which comes topped with teriyaki sauce, mayo and seaweed.

We spend so much of our lives customizing and tweaking the abodes we call home. So it just makes sense to do the same to our home on wheels.

Decorating your RV living space isn’t just for fun–it’s healthy. Creating a comfortable environment results in a more relaxing, stress-free travel experience. RVing should be fun and easy, which is why designing a custom RV interior is part of the excitement and joy of the RV lifestyle. It’s not difficult or necessarily time-consuming to add some personal touches to your RV. With a few small modifications, your rolling home will reflect who you are.

Let’s take a look at some of the trendiest interior design styles and how to do them in an RV.

Scandinavian

Scandinavian style is a minimalistic, nature-inspired kind of interior design expressive of the northern European countries of Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden. The long dark winters in this region encourage residents to make their home cozy and inviting–a feeling referred to as “hygge,” in Danish. Add hygge elements to your RV with neutral earth tones like fir green, sandy beige, and snow white. Layer in textures with soft, chunky knit throws and natural woven rugs. Add in elements of nature with wood paneling and accents. Light candles and brew yourself a hot cup of coffee or tea and soon you’ll be transported to your personal Nordic cabin.

Shop for the RV bedroom

The majority of travel trailers, fifth wheels, and motorhomes have onboard holding tanks. These tanks collect the water from your shower and sinks, as well as the sewage waste from your toilet(s). When they fill up, you’ll need to know how to empty your RV’s holding tanks. 

What Are RV Holding Tanks?

RV tanks are separated into gray water tanks, black water tanks, and freshwater tanks. 

Your gray water tank holds sink and shower wastewater. Your RV black tank collects toilet wastewater. Your freshwater tank holds clean water for use in your kitchen, bathroom, and toilet(s).

Generally, the combined volume of your wastewater tanks is the same as your RV’s fresh water capacity, but the volumes of the gray and black tanks are rarely equal. The gray tank usually accounts for about 60% of your freshwater capacity and the black accounts for the remaining 40%. 

So, if an RV’s freshwater capacity was 80 gallons, the gray and black water waste tanks would hold roughly 48 gallons and 32 gallons, respectively. 

No matter where you plan to go, having an RV that is built to help you and your family stay comfortable at the campground is key. Today, we’ll show you five of our favorite RVs with two bathrooms on sale near you. These amazing RVs are idle for multi-family vacations or entertaining guests at the campground. Find even more RVs with multiple bathrooms for sale when you shop at RVing Planet. 

Find more deals on RVs with multiple bathrooms at RVingPlanet.com. 

2022 Keystone RV Avalanche 390DS Fifth Wheel

Traveling with your family in one of the Keystone Avalanche 390DS fifth wheels is a great way to bring your family closer together. You can easily sleep up to six in this fifth wheel and you’ll love having the privacy of a front master bedroom with a massive walk-in closet. The second bedroom in the rear of the RV features a full bath with an exterior entry door for easy access. 

Additional Features:

The loft over the second bedroom provides you with additional storage space. 

There’s a reason Lancaster County and Amish Country draw visitors from all over the country. Check out the fun things there are to do at our park, then explore the beauty of the area during your stay. Owned and operated by the Korznieckis family since 1981, Flory’s Cottages and Camping has a rich history built on a family-friendly atmosphere that always leaves our guests feeling right at home. We strive to make your Lancaster County vacation the best it can possibly be.

Flory’s Cottages and Camping is easy to reach, located between U.S. Route 30 and Pennsylvania Route 340 on North Ronko Rd. in the Village of Ronko, seven miles east of Lancaster.

Flory’s Cottages and Camping has much to offer you

We support a family experience and take pride in our clean and friendly park. Nestled into the scenic Lancaster County countryside where the Amish are our neighbors, Flory’s Cottages and Camping is a gathering place for friends and family. We promote a place to unwind, relax and enjoy the beauty of the area and the company of good people.

We provide your choice of housekeeping cottages, guest rooms and campsites with five-point hookups. Our campsites are clean, spacious, pleasantly located, well maintained and ready to accommodate you. Flory’s Cottages and Camping offers an Office, Camp Store, Laundry and Game Room, a Bathhouse, Dump Station, Playground and the Luigi Lounge on-site. We provide NH-EWS and Cable TV, EWS and Cable TV, EWS, Cable and Satellite Dish.

Whether you’re a full-time RVer living life on the road or a weekend warrior venturing off to the next destination, your RV is your home on wheels. And like any home, your RV deserves some tender love and care. The Camping World Design Center helps your RV feel like home by being a one-stop-shop for all your RV design needs. If you’re not much of a DIYer or don’t have time to do the RV renovations you crave, Camping World’s design center can help by offering the tools, resources, and installations to upgrade your RV.

RVs should be functional, but you also want them to match your personal style. That’s where the Design Center comes in. From regular maintenance to appliance upgrades, DIY design updates, and even complicated non-DIY repairs, you’d rather leave to the pros – the Design Center and Camping World’s service technicians can do it all. 

There’s a Design Center at nearly every Camping World location across the country. Here are 10 things you can do to your RV in the Camping World Design Center.

Brighten Things Up

Lighting can make all the difference in setting the ambiance in your RV. The Camping World Design Center has residential-style LED lights designed for RVs. That means you can say goodbye to the usual dome lights and say hello to wall and ceiling fixtures that look like they belong in a custom home. If you don’t feel confident in your lighting installation skills, the Design Center team can help you. We opted for a battery-operated light when we wanted to brighten up our space but didn’t want to mess with electricity. Whether your style is modern, farmhouse, or traditional, the Design Center has something for everyone.

Explore these Easy RV Interior Lighting Updates for inspiration.

Family-owned and operated, Country Roads RV Park offers down-home hospitality in a clean, quiet, country setting. Our large, full-service sites are perfect for all types of RVs, especially big rigs. Each site features a firepit and table. Onsite propane, indoor RV/car pressure wash, firewood, dump station and a great recycle program are all available right within the park.

Our on-site store offers an amazing array of treasures. Arts and crafts produced by local artists are featured along with our own homemade fare. We take pride in promoting the area’s local talent in our shop. Also available is a large selection of snacks and groceries. Did we mention ice cream?

The Old Barn

This facility offers a fully catered kitchen, washrooms, bar, tables and chairs ready for whatever your special event is from weddings, retreats to old-fashioned barn dances!

A community pavilion and gazebo are located away from the campsites and are available for groups, barbecues or family functions.

Your RV’s holding tanks need to be maintained properly for you to enjoy camping to its fullest. This is especially true for your source of fresh water in your RV. Your freshwater system not only needs to work right, but it needs to be clean too.

How Often Should You Sanitize Your RV Fresh Water Tank?

Each year, usually in the spring when you get your RV out of storage, you should sanitize the fresh water system. This is a routine maintenance task to guarantee you have safe water for drinking, showering, dishwashing, and doing laundry on the road.

While you can pay a professional to sanitize your RV fresh water tank, there’s really no need. It doesn’t require any special tools and you can do it with bleach or a more environmentally-friendly cleaning solution if you prefer. 

How To Sanitize RV Fresh Water Tank with Bleach

To sanitize your RV water tank, all you need is a measuring cup, a funnel, and some household bleach. From there, just follow these step by step instructions:

Step 1: Turn Off Your Water Heater and Water Pump

Draining your freshwater system with the water heater on can damage the water heater tank. Turn off your water heater and let the water in the tank cool before you drain it. If your RV is equipped with a water heater bypass switch, use it to prevent the bleach solution from entering your hot water tank. 

As North America reopens, we’re taking shorter trips and savoring the little things along the way. Travel restrictions may pose some obstacles, but they also give you the chance to Explore your Region, discovering new adventures in our own backyards.

That’s why you should check out your neck of the woods. Find the destination close to you in North America and start your RV travel adventures! Stay at nearby Good Sam Parks during your travels.

Winter will be a distant memory before we know it, and there’s never been a better year for RVing to the best flower festivals in the U.S. Mother Nature is preparing for what promises to be the most vibrant and cheerful flower festival season yet. It’s time to seed your road trip itinerary with some ideas from our cross-country RV flower festival tour through the blooming landscapes of Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, Washington and Oregon.

Tulip Festival, Skagit Valley, Washington
April 1-30

If you miss the famous daffodil bloom in March, don’t worry. Springtime presents one spectacular wildflower show after another in the fertile aggie lands lining the riverbanks just south of Bellingham. Come and enjoy endless flocks of swans, snow geese and ducks zoom fly across the skies. But keep an eye on the ground too, because local farmers grow more tulip and daffodil bulbs here than anywhere else in the U.S.  The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival celebrates the colorful harvest in area-wide events that keep the region hopping between April 1 – 30. Designed as a driving tour through vibrant fields lining the hills between La Conner and Mount Vernon, the month-long festival spotlights local flower farmers and their endless fields of technicolor beauty. Tourists are welcome to view and photograph their crops as long as Mother Nature cooperates. Meanwhile, local communities celebrate the coming of spring with tulip-themed art shows and family activities including a street fair, barbecues and dinners, a parade and more. Create your home base on the water at La Conner Marina & RV Park, and you’ll be within walking distance of local events, restaurants and outdoor activities that take advantage of the region’s temperate climate and the Pacific Northwest’s prettiest scenery.

Azalea Festival – Wilmington, North Carolina
April 6-10, 2022

Come for the annual Azalea Festival but plan on staying longer to experience this undiscovered Atlantic Coast gem. There’s so much to see and do in Wilmington during springtime. Start with the annual festival to get a feel for this welcoming community. The Azalea Festival shines a spotlight on the region’s native Azalea plants that bloom each spring. From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the sea, azaleas paint the terrain with a welcome sign that spring has arrived. This is the best time to enjoy cool mornings and nights, with humidity-free days and bright, sunny skies. Celebrate like a local and when you need a break from the concerts, art fairs and garden tours, spend some quality time at Wilmington area beaches. Cast your line from the oldest fishing pier on the Atlantic, paddle around the Intercoastal waterway and step back in time for amusement park fun on the Carolina Beach boardwalk. Set up base camp at nearby Lanier’s Campground and you’re just a few minutes from all the best springtime fun in Wilmington.