21 surprising things I learned from taking a road trip in an RV for the first time

Sophie-Claire HoellerSep 2, 2020, 03:55 IST

My rented home of five days and me.Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

My friend and I rented an RV for five days, driving almost 1,100 miles from New York to Maine and back.
Setting up at a campsite and hooking the RV up to water and electricity was a lot simpler than I expected.
RV-ing is basically camping, and there's an unexpected amount of stuff you need to pack to be fully prepared.
While it's a safe and comfortable way to travel during a global pandemic, renting an RV was a lot more expensive than I thought it would be.

When my friend and I were handed the keys to a 20-foot-long, 12-foot-high, and 7.5-foot-wide motor home for a road trip with nary an orientation, we didn't drive away feeling confident. Mildly terrified and drenched in sweat might more accurately describe us.

Twenty minutes in, we barreled through a freeway overpass with a 9.7-foot clearance, yet somehow made it through unscathed. That was just one of the many mistakes we made renting an RV for the first time.

We survived to tell the tale, logging 1,100 miles in five days while driving a Class C motor home from New York City to Acadia National Park, Maine. And while five days does not an expert make, my RV trip taught me a lot about the lifestyle.

Here's what I learned.

The RV rental company let us drive off the lot and go on our merry way just like we would if we were renting a car.

My friend drove off in a giant motor home with no prior experience. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

RVs are loud!

Me entertaining myself by taking selfies because I couldn't hear my friend. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

They're also wobbly.

I felt like I was getting my sea legs on this thing. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

Planning your route is actually the biggest stressor, in my experience.

Depending on your height and weight, you can't drive on just any road. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

Not everywhere is RV-friendly and it can be very difficult to find parking. This can really limit where you go.

We parked the RV outside of a Whole Foods while exploring Portland, Maine. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

When you have a motor home, you can nap and pee anywhere.

Peeing in a parking lot? No problem. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

Setting up camp is actually very easy.

It's like plugging in a large charger. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

You will have to deal with sewage, no matter how short your trip.

Campsites all have dumping stations. You probably want to avoid getting assigned a lot near one. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

Dumping the tanks was actually a lot easier — and far less gross — than I had feared.

Put the sewage pipe down the hole in the ground at the dumping station, open the valves, and wait. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

RV life is a lot more like camping than I expected.

Luckily, I'm excellent at making fires. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

You need a lot of stuff.

Even without having to bring kitchen items, we had bags of food, water, towels, and bedding. Sophie-Claire Hoeller

You need to put everything away that isn't nailed down every time you drive.

This drawer was essentially always open. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

It can be really expensive to road trip in a rented RV.

Ocean views will always cost a premium. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

Our RV was definitely a gas guzzler, though it used less gas than I had expected.

We refueled four times over the course of 1,094 miles. Shutterstock

You have running water… but can't use it for much.

We had to stock up on water a few times. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

The RV was not as difficult to drive as expected.

After only a few hours, he was honking at and overtaking others. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

Our RV seemed a bit dated.

The RV seemed older than it was. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

The fridge runs on propane, and you need to turn it off every time you're pumping gas.

The fridge runs on propane. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

Keeping the generator on eats fuel.

Keeping the lights on isn't cheap. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

Despite being the smallest available motor home, our RV was roomier than I thought it would be, though it didn't seem to have the space-saving features I expected from a tiny home on wheels.

The cab-over bed was queen-size, and the second bed was for children. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

Despite being the smallest available motor home, our RV was roomier than I thought it would be, though it didn't seem to have the space-saving features I expected from a tiny home on wheels.

There's always the lingering smell of sewage.

The picnic tables and fire pits were usually not far from the RV. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

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21 surprising things I learned from taking a road trip in an RV for the first time

The RV rental company let us drive off the lot and go on our merry way just like we would if we were renting a car.

RVs are loud!

They're also wobbly.

Planning your route is actually the biggest stressor, in my experience.

Not everywhere is RV-friendly and it can be very difficult to find parking. This can really limit where you go.

When you have a motor home, you can nap and pee anywhere.

Setting up camp is actually very easy.

You will have to deal with sewage, no matter how short your trip.

Dumping the tanks was actually a lot easier — and far less gross — than I had feared.

RV life is a lot more like camping than I expected.

You need a lot of stuff.

You need to put everything away that isn't nailed down every time you drive.

It can be really expensive to road trip in a rented RV.

Our RV was definitely a gas guzzler, though it used less gas than I had expected.

You have running water… but can't use it for much.

The RV was not as difficult to drive as expected.

Our RV seemed a bit dated.

The fridge runs on propane, and you need to turn it off every time you're pumping gas.

Keeping the generator on eats fuel.

Despite being the smallest available motor home, our RV was roomier than I thought it would be, though it didn't seem to have the space-saving features I expected from a tiny home on wheels.

There's always the lingering smell of sewage.