Coronavirus tips for RV travellers

The coronavirus is proving extremely disruptive to everyone, and it’s not about to disappear soon

It’s affecting everyone, too. By this point, you’re either working from home or doing the mandatory two weeks of proactive bench time due to the risk of potentially being exposed to someone carrying coronavirus.

All of a sudden, the daily commute to work starts at your side of the bed and ends at the kitchen table. That’s a lot of time back in your pocket to do other things.

Why not dedicate some of that time to your caravan, camper trailer or motorhome? Here’s our top five tips to surviving the virus lock-up and getting a better RV as a result.

Draft up an RV renovation budget

One of the ideas behind social isolation is you only go out and mix with other people when you absolutely have to.

While the idea of limiting human-to-human interaction can be tough, a not-so-obvious benefit is the realisation that you’re not spending huge dollops of your hard-earned cash going out and having fun.

Instead, limiting your spending to Jenny Craig home deliveries, a side-diet of Netflix, and tap water should be plumping up the bank account to a healthy level.

Also read:

Should you restore an old caravan?

Draw up a budget and look at your spending before and after going into self-isolation. On the left side of the page write down all the things you’re spending money on while in social isolation. On the right side, write down everything you haven’t had to spend money on while in social isolation that normally you would have.

On top of the left side of the page write the title “Money I need to spend to survive”. On the right side of the page write “Wasted money I can tip back into the van”.

Spruce up your RV

Yeah, that big lump taking up all the space on one side of the shed/garage/driveway could always do with a few running improvements.

There’s always something that needs rewiring, replacing or repairing to make a good RV better. How about an exterior polish to make it look like new again? Does the canvas need some more water-proofing or roof need a new layer of silicone sealant?

There are a number of online RV accessory stores that deliver straight to your door, so you don’t even need to venture outdoors to get all the bits and pieces you’ll need.

It would also be an ideal time to organise any chassis, suspension, plumbing or other skilled maintenance chores that are normally beyond your 9am to 5pm reach to tee up.

Bear in mind that some of the work you do now will not only benefit you the next time you’re out in the great outdoors but should also help get you a better price when it comes the time to sell it.

Camp vicariously through others

Watching people camping and enjoying the great outdoors isn’t a patch on doing it yourself, but in desperate times, we all have to adapt.

To get you inspired for your next trip there’s a bunch of RV-related shows on free-to-air platforms, including old episodes of All 4 Adventure, Daryl Beattie Adventures, Fishing Australia, Pat Callinan 4x4 Adventures and What’s Up Down Under on 10 Play, along with Creek to Coast, Hook, Line and Sinker, The Great Australian Doorstep and My Road to Adventure on 7Plus.

One of the better quality YouTube series for RV enthusiasts is Patriot Games produced by Gold Coast based Patriot Campers. Fourteen episodes of Series 3 are now available online, and if you like your camping and off-road travel fast and furious, then you won’t be disappointed…

Go bush

One of the beauties of owning a modern RV is that they’re usually self-contained and equipped with enough storage capacity and utilities to allow you to comfortably free camp away from civilization, at least for a few days.

So if you’re suffering ‘cabin fever’, stock up with a few hard-to-get essentials (including Panadol and toilet paper) hitch up the van and head to your favourite campground or caravan park (or mate's farm) for a few days of fresh air and 'self isolation' under the stars...

Chances are you’ll have the place almost to yourself, but just check it’s open before you go as some parks are either closed or have restrictions in place at the moment.

Plan your dream RV trip

Now is not the time to be going on a holiday, even if you’re legally allowed to. But that doesn’t mean you can’t plan ahead.

We all need something to look forward to once this whole mess disappears, so why not plan your ultimate RV trip? Get online and research locations, routes and accommodation. Make a list of all the essential items, and start prepping your caravan or camper trailer.

Maybe you’ve always dreamed of doing the big lap, so get on social media and ask others how they did it. It might seem like torture at first, but just imagine how good it will be when it finally happens.

Research that next RV

We wouldn’t be caravancampingsales.com.au without plumping our own pillows. Caravancampingsales.com.au is Australia’s leading place to buy and sell caravans, camper trailers and motorhomes, and there are still plenty of buyers and sellers out there, keen to interact and do a deal where possible in these challenging times.

While shows are off the agenda for a while, it's business as usual at most dealers and local RV manufacturing facilities too. Handshake deals are definitely out, but most retail outlets have introduced stricter hygiene practices and even one-on-one appointments with social distancing, so best to call before you head in...