We nearly learnt that lesson the hard way when my wife noticed that we were heading towards a bridge with a clearance lower than our RV. Thankfully, she spotted it in plenty of time. It was a useful reminder that however comfortable the vehicle might feel from the driver’ s seat, you can’ t navigate as though you’ re driving a normal car.
FINDING LEVEL
Arriving at our campsite brought another unknown. We wanted to camp close to the river, which meant leaving the sealed road and finding a suitable way in.
Again, the RV proved more manoeuvrable than expected. Its long wheelbase required some care, particularly given we were obviously not driving a 4WD, but once we identified a relatively smooth entry, we were able to make our way in without difficulty and find a beautiful spot beside the river.
Finding level ground is important, as the family discovered.
Setting-up was remarkably easy. The awning went out in minutes. From parking the vehicle to having the camp chairs out beneath it took perhaps five minutes. Anyone who has tried to set-up camp while simultaneously managing two small children will appreciate how significant that is.
One thing we would pay much more attention to next time is finding level ground. Our initial instinct was, naturally, to look for the nicest position beside the river. But with an RV, the practicalities of the site matter too. Keeping the vehicle relatively level is important for the water and other fluid systems, as well as simply making the interior more comfortable. Finding a campsite therefore became a balance between the view, ease of access and a sufficiently flat piece of ground.
Once we were settled, the advantages of travelling this way became obvious. We were in a place without facilities in the cold of June, but inside the RV we had a toilet, shower, heating, fridge, beds and somewhere warm to sit.
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