How Long Does It Take?

[K0LCB]

Originally Posted by Mr Sunshine

I have a trip prep checklist that starts 7 days out. It's a general guideline, so I don't forget to check something important. Maintenance items for the first few days, then cosmetic items, then packing the day before. I don't care which day things get done, but I do care that all those things are checked off. If there is a problem, I want to know that in time to get it fixed before departure day!

Since we don't keep our coach at the house, we do staging in the garage and guest bedroom for things we want to take. For long trips we lay our clothes out a week ahead.

I have another checklist for things necessary for travel, things like phone chargers, rain gear, spouse, etc! Your results will vary...

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

... For you to get the rig packed, ready, and pointed out the driveway?
(Once you've got the destination picked out)
The Missus and I started getting ready for our annual Memorial Day weekend trip to Lake George RV park last weekend.
So we take our time, and try to not miss any steps: it's a two-week process for us.
How about the rest of you?

I try to always be ready. I am retired, so it doesn’t take long to get ready. But, it took me over 50 years to get here

[Muggs]

For general use, towing racecar to track or quick overnight trip Vegas is always ready to go.

For longer trips, multiday events or vacations in usually takes a day to prep.

Unit is always kept full of gas, propane and water. Since we live in very rural area, always chance of power loss or well pump failure. Vegas is like mobile hotel room.

Maintenance is pretty much automatic. I will check tire pressures arly in morning before sun makes match pressure side to side a pain.

Keeping it in a ready to use mode just seems logical.

There are times that all the racecar parts/tools come out if we are travelling for more than few days. This is just a matter of moving bins to shed.

[CaptnJohn]

No matter 2 weeks or 4 months it takes about an hour. TPMS to check tire pressure. Add a cooler of snacks and drinks and maybe a meal or two. Everything is in there always. We do not take clothes other than what we wear as some are always there, plus we have a washer and a dryer.

[sanapier]

About 90minutes. We have basic clothes but if its summer, just add shorts and t-shirts. Food takes my wife about 30 minutes after going the store. If we are towing my Ford Fiesta, another 30 minutes to hook up and go thru my safety checklist.

[mhbell]

Since our RV is parked at our home on a dedicated RV pad and hooked to electric it is always ready to go. Just load meds, clothes, and some food. Can be ready to go on a moments notice maybe an hour to load. Since the rv is always parked at home I do maintenance when it is not being used.
Mel

[Bob Denman]

...Enjoying the Lake George RV Park... The Missus forgot her charger for her Fit bit; but that's it for the list of forgotten stuff.

[Sstenander]

We keep all the nonparishable items stocked all the time so just clothes and perishables need to be packed. Having a good set of checklists tailored to your needs is a big help too: perishable and nonperishable food and paper items, checklist for what to pack at the last minute such as phones and for what to do at home before you leave. This last part eliminates the dreaded,”did you remember to..” question from the hubby when you’re a half hour down the road. Ha ha. Still seems to take at least a day to get ready though.

[Druff]

Ours is packed and ready to go all the time. We have been known to come up to the house from work (we own our own business) and decide to go off a day or two early on a trip and be gone in a half hour. We toss the 3 cats in, unplug, pull out of garage, hook up the toad and be off. There are stores everywhere we go so if we need something we buy it after we are gone.

[johnfgriner]

I’ve had a Thor Palazzo for around 6 months. I have a drive through garage with 14 x 12 doors and I leave it plugged in to electricity
I just use the RV for weekend trips to a local lake. Takes about an hour to fill with water and stock up. Have RVI tire pressure gages. Haven’t done a long trip yet. Time doesn’t include hooking up a toad which I don’t normally use.

[Pete'sMH]

Originally Posted by Druff

Ours is packed and ready to go all the time. We have been known to come up to the house from work (we own our own business) and decide to go off a day or two early on a trip and be gone in a half hour. We toss the 3 cats in, unplug, pull out of garage, hook up the toad and be off. There are stores everywhere we go so if we need something we buy it after we are gone.

That’s a sweet setup you have there! SO jealous. I have to keep our coach in an open lot about 2 miles from home. At least it has its own assigned space, is on concrete and is locked up at night. My previous storage was in an open, unsecured, unassigned, grass field. It wasn’t even especially cheap!

[Calico]

We are 'ready to go' at the drop of a hat. All that needs to be done is grab clothes, pillows and food from the house. While I'm grabbing these things, hubby is checking the MagicBus over while filling water and getting the fridge chilled. Last trip was 5 weeks and we left the house within 2 hours after the snap decision to take off on a trip. 'Impromptu' is our middle name.

[petef]

This is my ? your second home.. food to load and water, plus the bag you keep at home and throw the "needed for rv" stuff in you made from your last trip in..maintenance is a separate item, of course you do a pre travel check before departing..depending on the trip I am 2 days or 4 days out preparing, ie, buying food and wine!

[MS60ocb]

Pending the trip duration. We can load all in one hour if I take some time in advance to do the pre-trip and hook up. When ready pull up to the door and load. Took 40 minutes one morning to throw thing in with the Temp -2 F.

The unloading often takes longer than loading. Recent 5 month trip required about 3 hours to unload. I do any cleaning when parked off the street.
My wife is good at meal planning whether home or on the road, so food is easy to grab and go for a few days.

Clay with Fifth Wheel

[Pete'sMH]

Agree that end of trip takes longer than start of trip. It often takes me a couple of hours to clean, organize and refuel the RV before putting it back in storage. Then there’s usually repairs and modifications that need to be done...

[Blindcoyote]

Our Chateau 29G is parked and plugged in right next to our house. I can be ready to go in about one hour. Add 10 minutes if I have to get my son to move his car.
Why so short a time?
When we return from a trip I immediatley go into maintenance mode:
Oil, water, propane, waste tanks, tires, wash vehicle, etc. Then, as a labor of love I wander my yard and garage and visit my motor home almost every day looking for things to do.
We keep a go bag ready with toiletries, non-perishable food basics, clothing.
Served in the Army in Europe back in the days when Russia was our enemy and learned that those sneaky guys could attack at any moment. That has stayed with me all these years. (Now we love them? Oh well)

[Chance]

Originally Posted by Pete'sMH

That’s a sweet setup you have there! SO jealous. I have to keep our coach in an open lot about 2 miles from home. At least it has its own assigned space, is on concrete and is locked up at night. My previous storage was in an open, unsecured, unassigned, grass field. It wasn’t even especially cheap!

Yeah, I agree. Having to park motorhome miles from home eventually made me want a van I could park at home that doesn’t take so long to get ready. Our motorhome was parked under cover in fenced secure area, and I covered the back to keep sun from shining through windows. I had to get up on roof to remove cover, plus we both had to stop everything to go get it, which only took about an hour but seemed a lot longer.

Being retired with a bit more time has made us think of a larger RV we’d have to park offsite again, but it is such an inconvenience (and expense) that we keep questioning whether the extra space is worth it.

Time to get ready doesn’t seem like it should be that important, but it did affect how we use the RV. To spend the day at Galveston or at an organized bike ride, getting motorhome out of storage wasn’t worth it, so we drove SUV or minivan. With a camper van parked at home, we always take it instead.

I hope people who can park at home appreciate the great advantage.

[Engineer39]

Ours is always ready to go just grab the keys , jump in and drive away. Only thing that would slow us down is if we decide to pack food if not we hit the store on the way out of town. If we had too in an emergency we could live off of dry goods, I also bought emergency backpacks for each of us that gives us a weeks worth of food and water if needed. All the supplies and clothes for any weather are packed already. I fuel it up at a station near our house at the end of each trip. Check all fluids as soon as we get home and top off. Start and test all systems once a week. Living in the mountains in a high fire area we have kept it this way just in case we have to evacuate and end up losing our home..we will still have a place to live.

[Calico]

I honestly can't imagine parking the bus after a trip WITHOUT checking it over, restocking whatever is needed and giving it a thorough cleaning, inside and out. We even wax it and preserve the roof.

[Wrpt58]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Depends on the length of the trip: For just a weekend trip we'll pack either Thursday night or Friday during the day (depending on if someone is working from home on Friday or not).

If its a week long trip then we'll take an extra day--sometimes. Don't like to leave the RV at the house too long (don't want neighbors complaining you know--although the immediate neighbors have told us they don't mind).

Of course we try to leave the RV in "ready to go state" meaning all it needs is clothes and food and we're on the road. Sometimes we'll just load clothes and hit a store along the way for food.

Pretty much same here. Usually try to fuel up and top off propane when we get home so it's ready for next trip, however, been slacking on that lately. RV is kept at home.

[Vbates]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

... For you to get the rig packed, ready, and pointed out the driveway?
(Once you've got the destination picked out)
The Missus and I started getting ready for our annual Memorial Day weekend trip to Lake George RV park last weekend.
So we take our time, and try to not miss any steps: it's a two-week process for us.
How about the rest of you?

Guess it depends what size rig you have. We have a small 24ft Motorhome and takes us day and half to get her ready and packed to go.