RV Tenting concepts for learners
This summer season we did one factor for the first time. We rented an RV and explored the northern part of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. We’ve used an RV as quickly as sooner than, nonetheless that was sooner than children. This weblog put up shares RV tenting concepts and courses found from our first family RV avenue journey.
Initially, we deliberate to rent an RV and uncover the Southwest USA. Nonetheless then Covid hit. USA-Canada borders closed. You perceive how the story goes.
So, we shifted our focus to Western Canada. The new plan was to drive the RV to the Canadian Rockies and go to Banff, Jasper and Yoho Nationwide Park. We love the Canadian Rockies so it’s an easy compromise.
Nonetheless, shortly sooner than making our RV rental reservation, Covid numbers began to spike as soon as extra. Provincial borders between British Columbia and Alberta have been as quickly as as soon as extra in question. Then the summer season wildfires ripped by way of British Columbia and journey to central BC was restricted.
2021 was starting to actually really feel hundreds like 2020.
Our summer season avenue journey plans modified as quickly as as soon as extra. This time, we decided to go to northern Vancouver Island.
RV Tenting Vancouver Island
As quickly because it was decided that our summer season RV tenting journey could be to northern Vancouver Island, the following step was to hunt out an RV that match our family desires. We researched plenty of decisions on Outdoorsy, RV Share and RVezy using our desired dates and placement.
These RV rental web sites are largely the an identical, so it doesn’t matter who you make the most of. What’s further needed is discovering the RV that matches your family members desires.
After hours of study, we decided to go along with RVezy on account of it has a complete lot of RV decisions obtainable on Vancouver Island.
As you can see throughout the photos, we chosen the smaller Class C Motorhome. This model is 24 toes prolonged. We considered an RV trailer nonetheless had issues about towing it with our small SUV. We have a hitch nonetheless we’re not cozy pulling a heavy trailer.
Search for provides on RV leases proper right here. Or, check out these RVs available on the market.
Here is a quick video tour of our RV Camper
Having problem viewing the video? Watch instantly on Fb proper right here.
Uncover the suitable RV in your family members desires on RVShare.com
What we like about RV tenting
Sooner than we share our RV journey concepts for learners, we’d choose to share what we like about RV tenting. There are lots of causes to determine on RV tenting vs tent tenting or staying at lodges.
- Consolation – an RV provides all of the belongings you need. It’s good to have a rest room on board in case of emergency (which happens ceaselessly when touring with children).
- Simplicity – as quickly because the RV is parked at its tenting spot, it solely takes 5 minutes to hook up {the electrical} vitality and water. No should organize tents at the hours of darkness or inflate air mattresses.
- Security – from rain, wind, animals and bugs. We’re not huge followers of tent tenting on account of unhealthy local weather and bugs can harm the experience. An RV motor-home protects you from the climate.
- Storage – extra storage makes the tenting experience way more pleasing. Packing a automotive with tenting instruments, non-public objects, meals, drinks and outdoors instruments is annoying. There’s not at all enough room! And, you usually must make highly effective choices on what objects make the decrease. With an RV you can take all of the issues!
- Fridge – tenting with a fridge is a sport changer. You’ll be able to do an accurate grocery retailer and by no means worry regarding the milk spoiling. No ice required.
- Cooking instruments – most RVs are completely stocked with a propane cook-top, microwave, toaster, utensils, cutlery, espresso maker, and so forth. All it is important carry is the meals and drinks.
- Comfort – further room to sit back out. Journey days are further pleasing, too. Our boys like that they are going to stretch and won’t be caught of their automotive seats.
- They’re Satisfying! An RV’s is a comfortable home on wheels. Our boys love sleeping throughout the half above the cab. It’s a novel sleeping experience.
What we dislike about RV tenting?
Like most points in life, you might want to take the nice with the unhealthy. It’s not all roses and rainbows when tenting with an RV. Proper listed below are some issues we did not like.
- Caught on the campground – with the Class C RV model, if you organize camp, you can’t drive to sights besides you pack up as soon as extra. This is not wonderful, significantly within the occasion you intend to go to shut by factors of curiosity.
Nonetheless, within the occasion you get a trailer, that’s a particular story. You might then use your automotive to find. Nonetheless then you definately undoubtedly need the appropriate automotive to pull the trailer and so they aren’t as useful as a result of the Class C RV. - Parking – deciding on up groceries, getting fuel and visiting factors of curiosity is not easy with an enormous clunky RV.
- Driving – driving an RV takes apply. They’ve large blind spots and it’s robust to reverse. It’s just a bit unsettling when driving up hill and/or downhill as a result of burden change. You need to drive sluggish and pack your persistence.
- Value – RV tenting is expensive. You need to take into consideration the value of renting the RV, insurance coverage protection and roadside security. RV campgrounds with hookups worth between $50-$100 per night (counting on the place you retain). For those who start doing the maths, it costs $300-$400 per night.
- Gasoline – RVs are heavy they normally burn fuel quickly. We spent about $175 to refill the Class C motorhome. This obtained us about 400-500 km per tank.
- Campgrounds are crowded – most RV tenting spots are packed shut collectively. Some spots solely give you 10 toes of outside home between your RV and your neighbour. RV campgrounds may very well be noisy and fewer personal than you’d like.
Vancouver Island RV Road Journey
After we booked the RV camper with RVezy, we mapped out the road journey route and began making campground reservations.
Reserving a campground in British Columbia by the summer season is troublesome on the good of events, so it’s necessary to make reservations. Campgrounds are in extreme demand now that many people are deciding on to journey nearer to accommodate.
To evaluation Vancouver Island campgrounds, go to BC Parks Uncover Tenting. Moreover, this website is beneficial to hunt out RV campgrounds in British Columbia.
It did not make sense to rent the RV in Vancouver and pay the pricey ferry costs to cross from the Lower Mainland to Vancouver Island. We made the selection to pick-up the RV rental in Comox, which is about an hour north of Nanaimo. Offered that RV’s are gas guzzlers, it’s extra economical to pick-up the RV nearer to your first trip spot.
Proper right here’s the itinerary for our RV avenue journey on Vancouver Island:
- Nanaimo – 2 nights
- Comox – Determine up the RV from its proprietor
- Alder Bay RV Campground in Port McNeill – 2 nights
- Telegraph Cove
- Port Hardy RV Resort – 2 nights
- Moutcha Bay RV Campground, Nootka Sound – 3 nights
- Courtney – 1 night at this lodge
- Nanaimo – Ferry once more to Vancouver
The first trip spot on our Vancouver Island RV avenue journey is Alder Bay RV Park, an oceanfront campground positioned between Port McNeill and Telegraph Cove. Most campgrounds require two nights minimal when making a reservation, so we stayed for two nights.
We visited Telegraph Cove sooner than departing to our subsequent trip spot, Port Hardy. In hindsight, it should have been larger to spend further time in Telegraph Cove. It’s a cute earlier fishing village and launch degree for whale watching excursions, fishing excursions and sea-kayaking adventures.
We spent two nights on the Port Hardy RV Resort, positioned 3 km south of Port Hardy on the Quatse River. Our campground spot backed onto the river, which was a nice shock. Our boys spent many hours fishing proper right here. On the time of our go to in late August, there have been really plenty of of salmon swimming throughout the river. Sadly, the fish weren’t inquisitive about our cope with and bait.
After Port Hardy, we returned south and made our methodology once more within the route of Campbell River. We then drove west to our final trip spot, Moutcha Bay Resort. This location was the highlight from our RV tenting journey. The RV campground is positioned on Nootka Sound, home to world class fishing.
We’re going to write a separate weblog put up about this experience rapidly.
RV Tenting Concepts for Inexperienced individuals
We found hundreds all through our first RV tenting journey. Proper listed below are some issues to ponder:
- Plan your select up and drop off – within the occasion you information with RVezy or any of the other RV reserving websites, you will normally wish to choose up the RV from the proprietor’s home. Don’t assume they will be obtainable as soon as you intend to achieve or drop off the RV. Make preparations ahead of time and be versatile.
- Inquiries to ask the RV proprietor – the place do you park your automotive? If pick-up is positioned a residential neighbourhood, is street parking obtainable? Can you park your automotive throughout the RV proprietor’s driveway?
- Confirm exterior objects that embody the RV rental – you’ll have folding exterior chairs, propane BBQ (a small, transportable grill is okay), propane tank, fireside ring (if touring all through a fireplace ban), and so forth.
- Carry your private towels and linen – many RV owners will provide linen, pillows and towels for an additional value. We favor to hold our private. They might take up room throughout the automotive, nonetheless it provides us peace of ideas that we’re sleeping on clear, cozy sheets.
Campground journey concepts
- Make campground reservations BEFORE you start your avenue journey – don’t assume the campground you need could have availability within the occasion you current up with out reservations. Notably all through peak tenting season. Many personal RV campgrounds require a 2-night minimal.
- Does the campground have appropriate hookups? Don’t make assumptions. Ask questions. Does the tenting spot have electrical vitality, water and septic? How huge are the spots?
- Confirm the voltage for the RV tenting spot – does the spot you reserved have the suitable voltage in your automotive? We made this error on the primary campground we visited. We should all the time have chosen a particular spot on account of the voltage output was too low for our RV.
- Take away grey and black water sooner than you allow the campground – lighten your load sooner than you start the following leg of your RV avenue journey. Each time you might need the prospect to empty your water tanks, do it. For RV newbies, the grey water (or graywater) is gently used water from the bathe or sink. Black water is waste out of your toilet. Moreover, use campground bogs for amount twos, within the occasion you may.
Driving the RV motorhome
- Avoid cities – driving an RV throughout the metropolis is nerve-racking. Parking is not easy and metropolis website guests is daunting. When creating your avenue journey itinerary, stay away from cities as lots as potential. Stick to the agricultural communities and nation cities instead.
- Do not depart free objects when driving – shut doorways and drawers, pack up free objects and retailer one thing which can fall. It’s distracting to the driving power if points are rattling and shifting spherical.
- Drive sluggish – take it easy. You’re on journey! Drive events shall be longer than common. Plan for it.
- Do you are taking heed to music or radio when driving? If certain, you should definitely inquire regarding the RV radio / music system. Don’t rely in your phone on account of the automotive may not have bluetooth, which suggests you can’t entry your music recordsdata. And, within the occasion you’re in a distant house, the radio may not work (this occurred to us ceaselessly on journey days).
Older RV fashions might need a CD participant, so it’s not a nasty thought to hold plenty of of your favourite CDs, merely in case (as I write these phrases, I actually really feel earlier). - Acquire reveals for tablets – don’t assume you will have WIFI. Even when the campground says it provides WIFI. It’s very hit and miss, and most campground wifi is not very sturdy. Within the occasion you’re touring with children, it’s best to acquire plenty of reveals or movies BEFORE you hit the road.
- Gasoline up usually – don’t let your fuel tank go beneath quarter tank (half tank is even larger). Plan your driving route and do the maths on distances between cities. For those who could be in a distant house for 100’s of kilometres, you should definitely have adequate fuel.
What to pack for an RV tenting journey?
There are so many points to ponder when packing for an RV tenting journey. Proper right here’s plenty of concepts.
- Sheets for beds, sleeping baggage, pillows and pillow circumstances, gentle blankets (get this blanket)
- Towels that may be utilized for the bathe and seaside (we use these journey towels)
- Delicate waterproof jacket (all of us use Columbia jackets)
- Outside instruments like fishing rods, kites, soccer ball, inflatable raft, Frisbee, and so forth
- Outside folding chairs (if not provided)
- Fire ring and propane tank (if not provided)
- Sunblock, bug spray, afterbite (we on a regular basis carry this when tenting)
- Multi-charging station in your models (RV’s have restricted vitality outlets)
- Rope – on a regular basis seems to be helpful
- Pocket knife, fireside lighter and flashlight(s)
- Cooking requirements – salt, pepper, condiments, oil, butter, sugar, and so forth
- Consuming water – carry larger than you assume you’ll need
- Bluetooth audio system – for the seaside, campfire, contained within the RV, and so forth. That’s the model we have.
Related put up – 10 Widespread Family Journey Errors (and recommendations on learn how to stay away from them)
Final concepts from our first RV tenting experience
We liked our first RV rental. Our boys had pleasant sleeping throughout the cozy motorhome they normally love consuming marshmallows by the campfire. It was good to spend this top quality time collectively, as a family. We slept in late, we went fishing day by day, we flew kites, we swam throughout the ocean and we walked throughout the forest. It checked a complete lot of packing containers.
This was a superb introduction to RV tenting. We spent an entire of seven nights contained within the RV, which was merely adequate for us. By the highest, now we have been making an attempt forward to our cozy beds and a scorching bathe with sturdy water pressure.
That said, we’re undecided if we’re RV people merely however. It’s a pleasant technique to journey, nonetheless we could also be further cabin people. Time will inform.
Underneath are photos from our RV journey on Vancouver Island
Marshmallows and tenting go collectively like peanut butter and jelly.
On the lookout for creatures and treasures on the seaside at low tide.
Simple lunch on the campground – scorching canines and noodles.
I’m going to want to see your driver’s license youthful man…
Breakfast contained within the RV. It’s actually pretty spacious for a family of 4.
Evening campfire session at Moutcha Bay Resort. This campground affords a complete lot of privateness.
Rope on a regular basis seems to be helpful when tenting.
We launched sleeping baggage and sheets for our boys.
For our mattress, we launched a quilt, sheets and extra pillows with pillow circumstances.
Bathroom and bathe contained within the Class C RV model. Tight, nonetheless environment friendly.
The kitchen has a 2-burner cook-top, sink, microwave, fridge and plenty of storage.
Are you planning an RV avenue journey?
Did you uncover these RV tenting concepts helpful?
Depart us a comment if you’ve bought explicit questions. We’re nonetheless rookies, nonetheless we’ve found plenty of points which can be helpful collectively together with your journey planning.
Related – Why it’s best to go to Telegraph Cove on Vancouver Island
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