Ok, so this year we spent a grand total of a week camping in our Ambulance RV. That is a week more than I did in the past 20 years. So after watching many, many YouTubers over the past few years and now part of that community, I feel even with limited first-hand knowledge I can give some common sense tips.
1. Expensive RVs
We wanted to explore our world, a lot, and maybe even live in our RV, but life, covid, gas prices and a business got in the way. So tip number one is, don’t get an expensive mortgage on that fancy rig when you have no idea what your end goal is. A fixer-upper might be the best way to start to even see if you like the lifestyle.
2. Be Spontaneous.
Forget the planning of every trip. Be able to jump in your rig with no expectations except to get outta town and have some fun!
3. Ah, Have Some Fun!
Grab your honey, a bucket of beer and some hot dogs and get to where you can relax and enjoy yourself. For us, we have decided to boondock as much as we can. We have food, water and full propane always ready to go in our Ambo. We love ours so much, we often just take a bottle of fine and some snacks and spend the evening in our ambo in the driveway watching the fire in our stove. Ahhh!
4. Every RV needs repairs.
After watching sailing channels for years, their truth is that besides all the fun we see them having frolicking on beaches, most of their time is consumed, yes consumed by maintenance and repairs. I think we have it easier on land, but you need to embrace Dr. Google, read forums and watch videos to be able to fix your rig when it eventually breaks down in the forest.
5. A Dry Run
I love this one! On our first dry run, we went with two ambulance buds in a convoy for a weekend in February. We decided not to go too far, so camped in a nice spot on the coast only 80 miles away from home-base. After two nights of a fun time, our starter went as we pulled into a gas station. Thank heaven for the AAA. Take your RV, even a new one, on a k cruise just to make sure everything is working, and you have everything you need.
6. Essentials
I think we carry too much! Once, we ran out of booze – yikes! The next time, clothes, but the food was abundant. It’s like packing for a trip, I always take one or two suitcases when a backpack works fine. I think that’s a common sense thing but some things to make life easier are rope, duct tape, simple tools and my best friend – bungie cords!
7. The Right Connections
I don’t mean networking, but rather those electrical plugs, adapters you will need at a campsite. On our first trip (see 5 above) we discovered the campsite had 30amp connections while our Ambulance only had 15 amps. Thanks to the camp host for the loan of the right plug.
8. The Ins & Outs of Towing & Stuff
For those pulling their home, it’s best to figure out how much turning room you need before heading out. I’ve seen those cowboys who whisk around a corner only to take out the stop sign. Our Ambulance is a heavy beast and at almost 6 tons it is built to carry everything including the kitchen sink. It will also pull around 18,000 lbs with no problems. The average RV is so flimsy, and underrated in tire selection and power, that being overweight is plain dangerous. Carry what you need!
9. Backing Up
Lol. This goes hand in hand with number 8. You need lots of practice to do this right. Our ambo is not long at 23’ but I still need a backup camera to feel at ease. If I had a trailer, I’d probably spend a lot of time at Walmart, not sleeping as many do, but using their space to practice. Remember, when you turn the wheels, the RV goes the opposite way. Many people have their partner as a lookout, suing hand signals or a walkie-talkie or cell phone to guide the parking process. You must be on the same page here, so I suggest you refer to Driver side and passenger side when speaking commands.
10. Know Your RV Dimensions
Most ambulances have the outside height on a sticker on the dash. We’ve added a smoke stack, air foil and solar, so we had to change that by 18”. I had a friend drive a 5-ton moving truck into an underground parking garage. It didn’t turn out well, what with the roof being peeled off.
Phew, there are a lot of considerations when camping. I hope these tips are not too basic for you, but from my little knowledge, anyone can ruin a perfectly nice weekend.
Stay tuned for more actual camping tips assuming you make it to your destination.