10 Things Every RVer Experiences on Their Maiden Voyage

Your RV’s Maiden Voyage is always a highly anticipated trip. You plan for weeks, months, maybe even years to take your rig out further than just a few blocks. Every RVer remembers their first journey in their rig, but it’s not always the highlight of one’s RVing career, for many reasons.



A Maiden Voyage is a journey that will leave you speechless, dumbfounded, and even stressed. But maybe with a little guidance, you can at least avoid some of the mistakes that most RVers experienced on their first ride out of town and enjoy the better parts they experienced, too.

The Not So Great:

1. You’ll Lose Something(s)

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve lost a small, imperative pin, cord, nail, etc., on my first trip. I would set something down and immediately lose it at the campground or drive away from the gas station without a second thought. The easiest way I got over this habit was to make a checklist. Then all the questions like: “Did I put the pin in the hitch? Did I remember to put the lock back on the door?” become irrelevant.

2. Things Fall Out...Everywhere
The first time you hit the road with everything in cupboards or drawers, you may find out the hard way that things don’t stay where they’re supposed to stay once you get moving. From bumps on the road to twists and turns, you’ll realize that some drawers and cabinets are prone to opening. You’ll spend some time (at least twice) putting things back where they belong after a long ride.

3. You Get Very Familiar with Bodily Fluids
Sure, you can hook up your sewer hose to your campsite, but when it comes time to hit the dump station or time to roll up the hose, you’ll most definitely come across some kind of liquid on your hands or clothes. You can avoid this early on by packing gloves, but honestly, it’s just an extra hassle for me. So, I just wash my hands and move on with the day.

4. Bad Drivers are (Indeed) Everywhere
Not only do bad drivers exist in your hometown, they exist EVERYWHERE. You’ll find that on the road with a big rig, not many people understand how long it takes you to stop, change lanes, or what your tires are rated at. It’s annoying and scary. Mostly the former, but there are times where annoying turns into scary on the road, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for any kind of distress in front of you. Read, react, repeat. Or something like that.

5. The Stress Can Be Real
Driving your RV for the first time can cause some serious anxiety. You may feel like you don’t know enough or that you may injure your ride. You may forget something at home despite triple checking your checklist. Your co-pilot may not take you on the best route, leading you to reroute an additional hour or go down a scary mountain road. It happens. Stress on the road is as natural as being stressed at the office. Things out of your control (and in your control) go awry and that’s okay. Prepare yourself for the mistakes, take a deep breath, and keep driving forward.

The Great:

6. You’ll Learn Something Every Day
When you’re on the road, you learn something new every day. Whether you learn something about yourself or your RV, you realize that living on the road, despite the ups and downs, really is worthwhile. You’ll learn to patience, perseverance, and flexibility. All of these virtues are hard to come by in an ordinary life.

7. You’ll See New Things (And Be Amazed!)
The world is your oyster! When you hit the road with nothing but a GPS and your belongings in tow, you realize that there is so much more to life than sitting at home and watching Netflix. Flowers, mountains, trees, lakes, beaches, parks, and everything in between become your backyard everywhere you go. It’s something that most people will get to feel, see, or do.



8. You’ll Come Home with Stories
Whether you have a great road trip or a bad one, you’ll always come back with a story or two to share with your friends. Many will look at you in awe of your courage, grit, and tenacity, while others will shake their heads in disbelief. But you can wake up every day knowing that you’ve seen it all (or a lot more than other people anyways) and feel good about your adventures.

9. You’ll Meet New Friends
Whether you like it or not, you’ll meet someone along the way that does exactly what you do: RVing. At almost every campground, people will help you back in your rig at a campsite. Others will strike up conversation waiting in line at the bathroom. When you stop to check out an attraction or find yourself on a hike, you’ll find even more friends. Meeting people on the road is easy and they often find you before you find them. There’s not anything much better than meeting like-minded people, especially when you need a little help sometimes.

10. Gratitude Will Visit You Often
Living life on the road is not something that everyone is capable of. Many give up before they start, others have jobs/families/goals that don’t flow well with the traveling lifestyle. Many times, even on your hardest days of your first voyage, you’ll look up at the sky or find yourself smiling despite it all. Gratitude becomes a friend that teaches you kindness and empathy on the road. It gives you the ability to laugh at your struggles and find happiness in every adventure.



Hasta La Vista!
With all of this in mind, your Maiden Voyage may be slightly different than these few experiences, but it’s a good list to get you out the door and on the road. Most first-time RVers fret over the small stuff and find it difficult to get themselves behind the wheel, but your Maiden Voyage should be taken with a grain of salt. If you struggle on your first trip, that’s okay. It’s all about learning and trying again. If you have a great trip, then you know that you can handle it time and again.



Just relax, grip the steering wheel at 10 and 2, and hit the road. You’ll never know what it’s like until you set sail.