Fifth Wheel Camping Tips
A fifth wheel is the most home-like RV trailer that you’ll ever find. It has all the amenities and appliances that you need for a convenient vacation, allowing you to better enjoy the serenity of the great outdoors. But getting ready for a great camping trip can sometimes be a challenge, especially when you’re new to the RV lifestyle. Thankfully, we’ve got a lot of experience with fifth wheel vacations, and we’ve learned a few tricks along the way. So read on to learn more about how to plan a smoother vacation experience, and if you need any service before your next trip, feel free to come into our service department at Camping Country Leisure RV near Kelowna and Kamloops, BC.
Planning
Building a memorable vacation is easy, but you’ll need to make sure you plan everything ahead of time. For one thing, you’ll need to make sure you book a campsite. Especially during the summertime, campgrounds fill up extremely quickly, so you’ll need to book your spot several months in advance. Otherwise, you might find yourself turning around after getting to your destination, and you don’t want that to happen!
You’ll need to remember to keep your propane tanks completely full before getting there. If you’re used to vacationing in a travel trailer or smaller vehicle, remember that a fifth wheel is much bigger and requires more electricity. Running out of propane in the middle of a vacation is the pits, as it would leave you completely without power. You might have solar panels on your RV, but even with these, you should assume that there’s a possibility of minimal sunlight, so always keep your tanks full for something to fall back on.
Finally, budget is another important consideration before a fifth wheel vacation. You don’t want to run out of money while in the middle of your camping trip, so make sure you overestimate the costs for all of your expenses, such as food, fuel, activities, and souvenirs. You’ll almost always spend more than you think, and it’s better to be left with extra than to run out during your vacation.
What to Pack and Leave Behind
After you’ve planned out your trip, you can start thinking about how you should pack your fifth wheel. Even though this is one of the largest RV types out there, you’re still pretty limited on space. To keep within your limits, we recommend creating a list of everything that you need to pack. It’s important to distinguish between what you want and what you need to bring. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you can’t bring along some fun stuff, so long as you get the important luggage on there first. After you get all the essentials on board, go ahead and start loading up whatever extra items you have room for.
Towing
Finally, towing a huge trailer might sound a little bit stressful, but if you have some knowledge and practice, learning to tow a fifth wheel won’t be any trouble at all. First, we recommend you take it to a large, empty parking lot long before your first vacation. You should practice turning, reversing, and parking, so you can get familiar with the way it handles. Remember that you won’t be able to stop nearly as quickly, so make sure you increase your following distance when driving on the road. Also, be careful when driving on the highway, because the higher profile of a fifth wheel catches wind much easier, which can throw you off. Overall, if you drive slowly and controlled, you won’t have any problems getting to your destination safely.
If you’d like any more information about fifth wheel adventures, or if you just want to check out our selection of RVs, come visit us at Camping Country Leisure RV. We’re in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, located near Kelowna and Kamloops.
