Campers are ready to camp! Several states lightened the restrictions for several businesses to open with limited occupancy but still practice social distancing regulations which means 6’ separation and other criteria which we will cover later. Some parks and campgrounds are opening in a limited capacity, however, if you plan to travel, you need to be prepared. For example, several campgrounds are limiting only local RVers and some have a restriction that out of state or even out of county RVers need to quarantine for around 15 days! You don’t want to get stuck in a campground unexpectedly.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have warned about not “celebrating” too soon. One of the concerns or warnings of the CDC and WHO is that when restrictions get lifted slightly, people are creatures of habit and go back to their old habits. So we are not saying that just because you can go to restaurants, hair salons, and even camping locations that you should flock to them immediately. On the contrary, if we are allowed to venture out we need to do a little homework and adjust our RVing accordingly.
The point is, if state parks, campgrounds, beaches, and other recreational points of interest open, it doesn’t mean you can just throw caution to the wind and go there without doing some research. If implemented properly, your RV is the perfect “shelter at home”.
Here are some tips to safely RV during the next few months:
Intra-state traveling is not advised due to “hot spots” around the country that might get you into a quarantined area. If you do need to travel, check with campgrounds directly or on their website/Facebook page.
Protect Yourself And Others During Your Travel
Wash your hands often with soap for at least 20 seconds. Avoid touching your eyes or nose. Avoid close contact with others, stay at least 6 feet away, and avoid close contact with others.
Here is the recommendation from the CDC on protecting yourself:
- Clean and disinfect surfaces that many people come in contact with. These include tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks. Avoid touching high-contact surfaces in public.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds immediately when you return home from a public place such as the bank or grocery store.
- When in a public space, put a distance of six feet between yourself and others.
- Most importantly, stay home if you are sick and contact your doctor.
Disinfecting
Now is the time to pay very close attention to your usual cleaning routine and use a disinfectant to kill germs. Here is a current list of products that meet the EPA’s criteria for use against SARS-COV-2, the cause of COVID-19.
Continue reading below for an overview of the CDC’s recommendations for disinfecting different surfaces.
Hard Surface
Wear PPE protective gloves such as a 5-7 mil nitrate glove, most RVers have these to use when dumping the holding tanks. Clean the surface first with a mixture of soap such as Dawn Dish Soap in water, then disinfect with an EPA-registered household disinfectant which could be a spray or towelette.
Soft Surfaces
Inside your RV you will find several soft surface items such as carpets, fabrics on couches and chairs, bed linens, window treatment, and even older woven wood window blinds. If possible, get them laundered with the hottest water possible. If not, treat them with a CDC recommended disinfectant spray as listed previously.
Cell Phones, Computer Screens, TVs, and Other Electronics
The most important thing you can do is stay away from populated areas or businesses that might have crowds such as supermarkets or discount stores. Even though they are trying to enforce social distancing, I have walked into a few home improvement stores and large chain grocery stores and walked right back out as not everyone is participating!
If you do go out, wear an approved face mask, nitrate gloves, and always carry hand sanitizer! Sanitize before going in and after coming out. Don’t use the public restroom. Most campgrounds that are open have not opened the restrooms, showers, and even pools. Use the one in your rig. At the fueling station, wear nitrate gloves and wipe the pump handle down with disinfectant spray or wipes as well as the touchpads.
Some restaurants are opening inside dinning to 50% capacity plus social distancing. Many have refused to open inside rather siding on the cautious side to provide only curbside and drive-thru dining which is difficult for big rigs. Most grocery stores are providing delivery either with employees or delivery services such as UberEast or Drive Hub. You can go online and shop/pay and have it delivered to your rig out in the parking lot. Most campgrounds are too far away for delivery but some campgrounds have worked out an arrangement with a local store for delivery once or twice a week if several RVers participate. So cook your own food!
Above all, use extreme caution and do not put yourself into a dangerous situation. RVing can still be enjoyed if you abide by the recommendations of the CDC and take it slow, don’t rush to the most popular and populated tourist areas.
Stay Safe.
About the author: Dave Solberg: Managing Editor, RV Repair Club
For the last 25 years, Dave has conducted RV maintenance and safety seminars, developed dealer and owner training programs, written RV safety and handyman articles, authored an RV handbook reference guide and logged over 100,000 miles on the road in an RV.
RV Repair Club is your go-to online resource for enthusiasts who want quality RV maintenance, repair and upgrade information – a community where passionate RVers can come together to gather knowledge and share their experiences.
Learn more about RV Repair Club.
Marian D. ~ “Your RV Tech was very knowledgeable and call rep was very patient and helpful! The RV tech was able to walk me through the issue so I could do it on my own and it worked. Saved me a trip to the dealer for work. Excellent service!”
The most challenging aspect of the trip was pulling the airstream behind the truck. I have pulled a few 10-12ft flatbed trailers in the past to move into my home or help friends move, but hauling a 23ft Airstream down the highway was a new and daunting task. No, it’s no 40ft RV, but it was without a doubt the biggest trailer I’ve ever hauled. However, it was definitely worth the nerves.
RVing allows us to bring the comforts of home to the beauty of nature. In my mind, it’s the best of both worlds, one moment you’re out exploring and breathing in the fresh air and the next you’re nice and cozy on the couch in your RV. I can’t really ask for more! 
The first and most obvious option is to visit campground laundry rooms or local laundromats along the way. This is what we recommend for those who are 1) staying near cities or in RV parks with facilities, and 2) will be in their RVs for the short term. It’s the cheapest short-term option and is rarely complicated by the challenges that tend to come our way while adventuring on the open road.
While many laundromats are now accepting cards, there are still just as many that require users to have quarters. Because not all laundry rooms necessarily offer a quarter machine, it’s a good idea to keep a good stash of quarters on hand at all times.
Haley is our fun-loving, funny & spunky office manager here at Coach-Net! She has been essential to Coach-Net for the past year in making sure everything in the office is ship shape! She was able to take out our Airstream recently, here’s how it went!
Way back in 1987, Coach-Net was created for RVers by RVers. Many years and even decades have passed, resulting in so much change. RVs have progressed in size and with countless electronic updates. And the widespread use of the internet has not only made our trip planning infinitely easier, it has allowed our exploration of the outdoors to be so much more accessible. And with the passing of time, even Coach-Net has changed, continually updating our methods and tools to better serve our members. But while many things have changed, there is one thing that has always stayed the same. We are RVers! The only way to truly understand the intimidation a new RVer has when driving their RV, or setting up in a campground for the very first time is by experiencing that moment ourselves. For this reason, Coach-Net proudly owns not just one, but two RVs – a motorized and a towable unit both available for our employees to go camping with family and friends, at no cost. We want every person working for Coach-Net to have that personal camping experience and we want to be able to share our experiences with you.
This especially holds true for full-time RVers. I sure as heck brought along way, WAY too much. I only have about 20% of what I brought remaining.
