In the early part of 2020 when Covid-19 first started to sink in its claws and the cases were slowly starting to rise, no one envisioned that our Summer would be taken away from us. All of us RV campers had such plans in mind, but the universe had other plans.
On a global scale, we started to social distance, we started to stay at home and we allowed ourselves to become accustomed to those major changes and the general hope was that it would last for just a couple of months at most.
But unfortunately, we did have to sacrifice vacations, trips to the beach and garden parties to keep the vulnerable safe and though we have a light at the end of the tunnel now, it looks like it might be fall of this year before we can start getting back to normal, so summer 2021 will still be a time for caution.
What does this mean for RV camping? Well, like everything, it will have to be different. But now that we’ve been in the pandemic for over a year and we have a better understanding of how to keep ourselves safe, it’s not out of the question for us to go camping.
If you want to go on a road trip or two in your RV this year, you can, as long as you take the necessary precautions. While it would be great to just be able to relax and enjoy the journey, this will probably be our last summer with the virus, provided we stay safe.
So let’s just stay on our toes for the time being so that we can get ourselves back to normal sooner and with less people suffering along the way. So here’s some important things you should keep in mind:
Have a Route Envisioned
The hope right now is that everybody will be vaccinated by the end of the year, but there are some areas who are moving faster than others and there are still quite a few places where the cases are rising.
In the USA, things are still progressing differently in every state and so if you are planning a trip that is going to take you through multiple different states then you need to be sure to keep this in mind.
Now the best course of action is to stay inside your RV as much as possible, but you will need to get out and move around sometimes and you want to be doing so in areas that are safe. So before you set off, do your research and determine a safe route.
Stick to areas where cases are stable, or are decreasing and keep an eye on the changes over the course of your journey so that you can alter this route if necessary.
Keep it in the Family
This is pretty simple, just don’t invite a bunch of people on your trip who you don’t live with. Go with your family, go with your roommates, don’t turn this into something that is going to be a spreader event.
When you gather people from different households and you get them all into the same enclosed space and using the same small kitchen and small bathroom, the likelihood of an infection gets higher.
This is just asking for trouble. Either keep the occupants of your RV limited to those you share a home with, or be strict and rigorous about quarantining for two weeks before the trip.
Load Up on Supplies
The less time that you spend going into stores on your journey the better. This just means more interacting with people and more touching the contents of the shelves which other, infected people have already touched.
You have lots of room in your RV, and you should make use of that. Load up on food and be smart about the type of food that you bring with you. Think about what kind of meals you make easily and which require non-perishable food.
Cooking in an RV isn’t exactly fun, so you want to spend as little time doing it as possible. Quick and easy meals are the way to go. Anything you can think of that you might need on the road you should get in advance.
Toilet paper, as much clothes as you need, bug spray, cooking utensils, toiletries, entertainment, pack up all of that stuff.
Disinfect Regularly and Thoroughly
Regardless of how careful you are to make sure that no one is infected and that you are not putting yourself at risk of picking up the virus while on the road, it’s still worth it to keep everything disinfected.
I would say disinfect the RV twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening and if someone has had to go out for any reason, have them disinfect their hands as soon as they get back in.
For the RV, use a good disinfectant spray, like a strong one that’s designed for kitchens and use it on every surface. The kitchen, the tables, the bathroom, door handles and the dashboard and steering wheel.
It won’t take too long, especially if everyone does their part and it will give you peace of mind as you’re travelling.
Minimize Interaction
This is the hardest part, because one of the most fun things about RV camping is meeting other campers along the way. But for this summer, I think it’s wise to do without it. Some community sites might be okay.
If they are strict about keeping everyone separated into pods then you can probably enjoy some time sitting outside away from other groups, but avoid mixing and if you see a party around a campfire, stay far away.
And you can also still do some camping out in the wilderness of course, but find secluded spots. Have all of your own equipment, from tents to sleeping bags to flashlights and lanterns and don’t hesitate to move if the place starts to get crowded.
It’s frustrating that we still have to think about these things over a year removed from the start of the pandemic, but we are getting so close to the end now. We can still enjoy ourselves out there and still head out into the wild in an RV, we just have to be careful for a little while longer.
And, don’t forget, make sure that you are covered by our recommended Tire & Wheel Coverage for those unexpected emergencies.
