This summer I had my very first campervan experience in the Dolomites, and I have to admit that as a girl who appreciates a nice hot shower and a comfortable bed, I wasn’t sure what I was in for think about it. But twist, it was one of my favorite travel experiences to date! I really loved the freedom that comes with traveling in a camper van, the ability to stop and sleep surrounded by nature and wake up in the middle of the mountains. Absolute happiness.
That being said, I drove to the van rental station without any prior planning, which meant I learned a lot of lessons on the road. When I travel in a van again, I will definitely do things a little differently. So learn from my mistakes and use these tips to make your first campervan experience go as smoothly as possible!
1. Give yourself time to get used to driving the van. If you usually drive a small, nervous car, getting behind the wheel of a big van is a baptism of fire! Add to that the fact that it can be manual or automatic, and driven across the road… and there’s a lot to navigate! It’s totally manageable, but I recommend allowing some time to get used to the van before you start your big trip. I did a few laps of the parking lot, practiced reversing and parking, and realized its size before leaving. Ultimately, the more you drive it, the more comfortable you’ll feel, so take your time and don’t. Don’t rush onto the main roads.
Advice: Make sure you know the exact height of your van, as some car parks have low barriers and you don’t want to hang on the roof.
2. Pack light. Storage in RVs may be limited, depending on the size you rent. The less you pack, the better. When unloading your items into drawers and cabinets, try to make sure you place them in comfortable places so that they feel fairly secure. When you drive, everything moves! So the tidier things are, the less chaos you’ll face when you park and open your cupboards again! The packing cubes were perfect for this.
Advice: Before you start driving, close and lock all drawers, remove loose items from tables, close windows, and secure all personal belongings from movement.
3. Do a big shop at the supermarket when you arrive. Firstly, when you book your van, check what is provided. You may be able to pay a small extra to get a selection of cookware, crockery and cutlery, as well as bedding and linens. Then, once you go to the supermarket, I recommend not only picking up food and water, but also household essentials like trash bags, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, sponges and rags.
4. Establish the van administrator you need to do. Motorhomes come with a bit of admin, the amount varying depending on the model of van you hire. I had a larger van model with shower and toilet, which meant my main tasks were:
- Empty gray water
- Filling the water tank
- Emptying and cleaning toilets (a humiliating experience)
- Charge the battery
This meant I had to access a campsite with the necessary facilities approximately every 3-5 days to complete these tasks. Once you know how many nights you will need at a campsite, you can then move on to tip #5.
5. Pre-book a handful of campsites. If you’re like me, you probably love the idea of wild camping anywhere and everywhere. And even though that’s what we did most of the time during our travels, we stayed at a formal campsite 2 nights out of 9 of our trip in an effort to manage our van. We were a bit caught off guard and didn’t book any campsites, which caused us quite a bit of stress as we tried to call them last minute to reserve a spot, but they were all booked up. So next time I rent a campervan, I’ll definitely book a handful of campsites along the way, just to make sure we have somewhere to do our essential van admin.
Advice: When booking a campsite, look for those that have the essential amenities you’ll need, such as gray water drainage, trash disposal, electricity and fresh water.
6. Download the Park4Night app. It was our daily essential during our road trip. It’s a very handy app that shows you where you can park safely while traveling. Each location has reviews and photos, which can help you decide where you want to stop for the evening. Personally, I found it useful to use the “wilderness”, “picnic area” and “day/night parking” filters to find the best spots. The “campsite” filter also helped us find campsites. I recommend having a few parking spots lined up each evening, as you can show up to find them already occupied and save them to Google Maps in case you lose signal along the way.
Advice: Make sure your van comes with chocks which are basically small blocks that you can use to make sure your van is flat when parked. This is essential to allow for proper water drainage and also help you get the best night’s sleep.
7. Give yourself more time. Traveling by van is not like staying in a hotel, it requires a little extra effort and time – which is ultimately worth it for the incredible experience you get. But you must take this into account in your trip. Allow a little wiggle room for planning, cooking, organizing, managing the van and taking long trips. It makes the whole process more enjoyable when you’re not in a rush and can just slow down and enjoy the journey.
We rented our campervan from Roadsurfer and had an amazing time exploring the mountains in our home on wheels! I rented the “Road house” which met all my expectations, and I particularly appreciated being able to take an indoor shower. The whole experience was reassuring for a first timer, with lots of pre-trip information sent out, including a detailed tutorial on how to use the van.
I can’t recommend them enough and will definitely use them again for future van adventures!
Travel safely,
Zanna x
(Disclaimer: we were treated to our van experience, but all opinions are my own).