There’s never been a better time to take up the RV life. Whether you’re a weekend wanderer, a snowbird or a full-timer, there’s an RV to suit any travel budget and any taste. With baby boomers starting to hit retirement age, more and more people are taking to the road with their motor home, RV or travel trailer. The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association recently reported that nearly 8 million American households have and RV, motor home or travel trailer and that there are as many as 30 million RV enthusiasts in the US.

Seeing the country in a new or used RV offers many benefits to the traveler looking for an affordable and exciting way to spend quality family time. According to one study, a family of four can save up to 74% traveling by RV instead of more conventional ways. And with more than 16,000 public and privately-owned campgrounds in the US, there’s a site to fulfill everyone’s vacation fantasy, whether it’s an oceanfront view, hiking trails, casino gambling or tennis.

Map it Out

A large part of the RV appeal is the exhilarating freedom of the open road to go wherever you want, whenever you want. But it helps to have a solid travel plan in place. If you know where you’re heading, you can determine the best route, which offers the most interesting places to see. Look in travel guides, contact tourism boards in states you’ll be passing through, and search on the Internet. Make sure to have the correct road maps with you; a GPS system is a good idea as well, especially if you’re new to this kind of travel. If you’ve carefully designed the route you’ll be taking, it makes it easier to do spur-of-the moment things like checking out that oddball museum you just spotted on a roadside billboard!

Camping with Kids

If you’re traveling with children, make sure to set aside time during the day for outdoor activities, as even the roomiest RV can be confining for kids. And give each child his or her own space in the RV, no matter how small, for personal stuff and toys and games. RV traveling is a unique opportunity for your children to see new and different places and faces. There are often plenty of other kids at campgrounds but be sure to walk around a new campground with your children when you first get settled there. They need to know which campsite you’re in and how to find it from other places on the grounds. If you’re also taking the family pet, check beforehand to see if they’re allowed at the campground.

A Little Help From Your Friends

When in doubt, ask your fellow RVer. However well-traveled you might be, odds are there’s someone you’ll meet along the way who has been somewhere you haven’t, solved a problem you haven’t yet encountered, or spotted an out-of-the-way delight you’ve never heard of. No matter how much research you’ve done, there’s bound to be a campsite you haven’t read about, a storage system that has escaped your notice or a funny anecdote that you’ll laugh about for years to come. The new folks you meet may or may not become close friends for life, but they’re an important part of the journey.