Staying at a hotel or motel can be nice, but bringing your home with you is a much better deal if you are a spontaneous traveler. Specifically, Recreational Vehicle (RV) travel is a great option for many people who enjoy spending time on the road whenever their schedules allow.

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Having a house on wheels has many benefits, but if this is your first time preparing for this type of travel, here is everything you need to know to ensure a positive experience. 

No. 1

Looking for the right RV

If you are looking to buy your first RV, there are several things you need to consider. First, think about how many people will travel with you. Your party size will dictate the size of your vehicle.

Also, consider the amount of time you will be spending on the road. If you are just planning to use your RV on the weekends, you will be able to pack all of your necessities in a smaller one. On the other hand, if you are planning cross-country tours, you will need more room for not only your luggage but for tanks and generators as well.

Finally, before you pick your new RV, consider how you will use it in the future. Are you planning to park it somewhere and then explore your surroundings by bike? Are you going to spend plenty of time indoors, or do you plan to use your RV just as a place to crash? Answers to these questions will help you determine the size of your future home on wheels. 

No. 2

Making it a home

Whether you are planning to remodel an old RV completely or enjoy your new vehicle as it is, it is recommended to add RV insulation for extra comfort. This is especially important if you are planning to travel during summer or winter when the temperatures are extremely high or very low. 

No. 3

Setting a realistic budget

Traveling with an RV includes plenty of expenses, some of which are rather obvious, and some of which are not. For instance, besides gas and insurance costs, you also need to leave a place in your budget for hoses, wheel chocks, and other RV-specific purchases. 

No. 4

Finding the best insurance option

Your RV is just like any other vehicle, and you will need to insure it. Most insurance companies offer insurance for RVs, so shop around and look for the best rates. If you are buying an RV from a dealership, you will probably get an offer from an insurance company they work with. 

No. 5

Planning the route

To plan your next getaway in your RV, you must find roads that can accommodate the height and weight of your vehicle. Also, make campground reservations in advance. RV travels are very popular right now, so it is better to book reservations at parks or private campgrounds a few weeks before your trip than to end up having no place to park.

When it comes to packing, focus on the essentials first, and do not stress out about things you didn’t bring, which you can easily replace while on the road.

Keep in mind that getting from point A to point B takes longer when you are traveling with an RV, so look for gas stations that accommodate RVs, bring along extra gas in a gas can, and look for any roadside stops. 

No. 6

Storing your RV

Since you won’t spend every day on the road, you need to think about where you will keep your RV during those days when you are staying at home. If you live on a property where you can store your RV, you are in luck. You can save on storage fees and use your vehicle as a guest house.

If this is not an option, you will need to look for an RV storage. The costs of this storage will depend on the size of your vehicle, and sometimes these places even have a waiting list. Bear in mind that you will need a proper RV cover, tire covers, and locks to properly store your RV.

Takeaways

Traveling with an RV means traveling in your home away from home. No matter where the road takes you, you will have everything you need for a remarkable vacation. So long as you do a bit of planning and preparation, you can settle into the ease of taking off whenever you decide to go exploring. So, slow down, take a deep breath, and enjoy your next RV adventure.

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As more and more people around the world discover the importance of travel for health, road trips, in particular, are drawing many new discerning travelers. The choice to travel almost exclusively via road trips is largely becoming the mode of choice. The increase in travel costs, combined with waiting times at airports and possible delays can make driving to one’s destination more enticing than ever.

You may want to embark on a new adventure after coming out of an outpatient drug rehab clinic or you may want to get the taste of a new country. Whatever it might be, it is best to plan well for your first road trip experience.

In addition to that, discovering the world at large through taking advantage of nearby destinations, makes traveling accessible to anyone who is willing to step outside of their comfort zone. Traveling on road trips is also a great choice for those who are often deterred from traveling to far-off destinations due to work or family constraints.

If you are someone who has ever considered taking a road trip but has not taken the leap yet, there is no better time than now to start. To help you on this journey, if you have never planned a road trip before, there is a bit more to it than tapping in a postcode and heading out on the road. 

In this article, we will discuss several key details for you to prepare for as you plan for your first road trip.

No. 1

Route

The moment you consider taking a long drive anywhere, you should plan your route accordingly. Planning your route means you must start to do a bit of research. Consider any roadside hazards to expect, routes where you will encounter cities or traffic, and any impending dangers that are scheduled to occur including weather warnings. With the aid of Google Maps, you can even view and walk through the whole route in 3D several times prior to your trip to familiarize yourself with and get a better understanding of the route. 

Furthermore, you will need to look up and plan a backup route. If there is unexpected roadwork or other hazards that will affect your trip, you have another route on standby. This will provide peace of mind knowing that you will not ever be in a position of being stuck somewhere that is unfamiliar to you. You can simply proceed to the next route easily and seamlessly. 

Here are some route planners to use: 

• Google Maps

• Roadtrippers: Trip Planner

• Waze

In addition, always have a road atlas as a backup in your vehicle, and mark the pages in advance for further security for added peace of mind.

No. 2

Car Prep

To prepare for your upcoming road trip, inspect your vehicle to make sure everything is in working order. A road trip will require your car to be in good working condition to avoid causing any unexpected vehicle maintenance issues to arise.

Before hitting the road, it’s a good idea to check your vehicle’s fluids. If it's winter and you’re low on coolant, you can easily order car antifreeze online to ensure your engine stays protected during your trip.

Things to have a look at:

• Routine inspection: Is your vehicle current? If not, take it in and have it checked.

• Oil: Ensure your vehicle is up to date with an oil change.

• Brakes: Ensure that your brakes are not needing an immediate replacement.

• Tires: Check your tire tread condition.

• Windshield: Check for cracks, and working wipers, and ensure that your wiper fluid is full.

• Headlights: Ensure your headlights are working properly.

• Vehicle tags: Ensure that your vehicle insurance and registration are current.
  

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No. 3

Emergency Kits

No one likes the idea of being in an accident or in an emergency, but if you are unprepared, and it happens, the experience is always much worse. Important documents should always be kept handy. These include your vehicle insurance card, registration, and license, which should be stored in your vehicle along with emergency numbers, medical information, and a personal injury lawyer number to cover all of your bases.  

Here are a couple of extra things: 

• Water to drink and for your vehicle

• Snacks that are non-perishable

• Blankets, pillows, and socks 

• Cash and coins

• Spare tire (get it checked in the BET check)

• Jump starter battery or cables

• Chargers for your devices

No. 4

Fun Extras 

Road trips can be long, and you do need to get out of the vehicle to stretch your legs regularly, so what better thing to do than pick some fun side trips along the way? Side trips are a great opportunity to see places that you might not usually get to see. There are some very interesting places outside of the city limits, and you can start collecting trinkets from gift shops along the way.

No. 5

Prepare for added Miles 

Whatever the route planner tells you, it is important to add additional miles to be safe. Detours, traffic, and extra stops will use more gas than you think, so try to budget for more than is on the mileage estimation. Not only that but adding more miles will mean you are more mentally prepared to be in the car for longer if necessary. 

If you are heading out on two wheels rather than four, here is a guide for you: Travel Tips and Advice for Solo Female Motorcyclists. 

No. 6

Find local deals

With a bit of research prior to your road trip, you can find many cost-saving deals that could help with expenses during your trip. Take, for instance, local promotions for restaurants that you would not know about unless you had searched them up prior to your trip. In Las Vegas, for example, you can find deals such as all-you-can-eat sushi and sashimi at Neko Supremo in Chinatown for just $25.95 for lunch, $29.95 for dinner, and $21 after 11 p.m. Many establishments also offer reverse happy hour or bottomless mimosas, which can all add up to huge savings when you travel. 

Takeaways

When thinking about planning for your first road trip, it is always best to cover all bases to ensure that you have your focus on enjoying your trip once it rolls around. While various unexpected events will surely arise along the way, with some planning, you will be in a better position to approach any obstacles with ease. The whole purpose of your trip is to get away to experience something new and exciting, so once you have everything in order, you will feel a lot freer to let your hair down and enjoy all the fun times ahead.

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Do you have a local business and need to reach more people? Why not consider using vehicle wraps to promote your local business? Visually engaging vehicle wraps can turn the heads of both pedestrians and drivers, gaining your business visibility and exposure.

Vehicle wraps can be not only exciting and colorful, but they also provide an easy way to promote your brand regularly, within areas where you conduct business. Since reaching your ideal customers requires a strategic approach, vehicle wraps work to get your company noticed in high-traffic areas.

As you will soon discover, vehicle signage is one of the most effective marketing strategies readily available, yielding returns that will have you asking yourself why you did not implement it sooner.

Photo by Andre Tan x Unsplash

No. 1

An effective marketing strategy

Utilizing car signage is a highly effective and cost-efficient method to grow your business. By placing your brand message, logo, and contact information on your company vehicles, you can significantly increase your business’s overall reach.

Regardless of where you are located, be it in metropolitan areas and cities like Los Angeles and Las Vegas, or the suburbs where mobile services are becoming more readily available, car signage provides a versatile marketing tool to business owners looking for easy implementation and functionality.

By implementing a vehicle signage strategy, business owners can promote their brands successfully and get exposure for their businesses every time their vehicle is on the road. This acts as a moving billboard, attracting attention and generating interest in a company’s products and services while operating on auto-pilot.

As a supplement to your current marketing efforts, taking advantage of multiple advertising strategies and mediums like car signage has the power to create a memorable and lasting impression on potential customers, as it displays professionalism and reinforces a company's branding.

While vehicle signage is not a new concept by any means; in the past, it is best referred to as car logos or vehicle stickers. Today, however, they are more commonly called decals or vehicle wrapping. 

So, how do business owners use these graphics to grow their brands? Where do they start? To begin with, they can hire a professional vehicle wrapping company to design the artwork and install the vinyl stickers onto the company vehicles—usually a fleet of them.

If you would like to consider wrapping your company vehicles, one idea to think about is that your employee already drives the company vehicle everywhere in your local town or city. So, why not display your logo and brand and gain more exposure for your business in the process?

No. 2

Reach a broader audience

Vehicle wraps are one of the most popular marketing strategies being used today. Almost all tour and city buses utilize vehicle wraps. Third-party companies pay them to promote their brands on their largest buses while they are driven around the city and seen by thousands of people daily.

Having a high-quality vehicle wrap design made that communicates your company’s message effectively creates strong brand awareness. You have the flexibility to design your company’s vehicle wraps the way you would like as well, so you do not have to worry about over-committing to something you can change out.

It is, however, very important to hire a good vehicle wrap company to do the installation. The company must have the skills and tools to install graphics on your vehicle correctly and ensure that the graphics are installed perfectly and look great.

Vehicle wraps allow you to reach a broader audience within the specific area that you are targeting which would otherwise not likely be exposed to your brand through traditional marketing efforts.

If you have several vehicles, you will increase your reach even more. Additionally, if you want to promote your small business in conjunction with this, you can use local advertising to promote your brand and grow your business faster.

No. 3

Showcase Your Promotions 

You most likely hold promotions for a specific period. Use vehicle signage to showcase these limited-time promotions so you can get your promotions noticed quickly. If you can use vehicle signage to promote a special discount or a seasonal sale, you will likely reach more people. 

Since they can be changed out as well, you can create different wraps for seasonal promotions. Incorporate your company’s design elements, logo, and tagline to attract the attention of existing or potential customers.

While your company drivers are more likely to commute around the local area, your message will, therefore, reach the local neighborhoods. The reality is, some people may not use common marketing mediums like magazines, TV, or the Internet. They will see your vehicle signage while walking down the street, and your message will reach them.

Passerbys may even share your promotions with their family and friends by word-of-mouth. If they are already searching for the products or services you are offering, they are more likely to contact you. This is why adding your company’s contact information in a prominent location is imperative. You must make it easy for people to reach you.

No. 4

Build Customer Trust 

If your brand is more visible in your local community, many people may recognize it. People do business with brands that they know and trust.

Fortunately, you can use vehicle signage to build brand awareness and customer trust simultaneously. With effective vehicle signage, you can display professionalism to your potential customers.

You will, therefore, build customer trust in the process and foster customer retention because they will be used to seeing your business within the community. In short, building customer trust can help you attain loyal customers in the long run.

No. 5

Promote Your Business Locally 

Would you like to target the local market? It is helpful to use vehicle signage for this. It is the same concept as using local SEO to promote a local business. Using vehicle signage to target local residents will allow your business to be prominently seen within your target market areas.

Using vehicle graphics is essential in local areas because your drivers are already regularly making rounds around the local streets and neighborhoods, thereby increasing the probability that you will reach those looking for your service. 

Local residents will see your vehicle graphics, and if they see your vehicles regularly, they will remember your brand. In fact, planning your routes carefully can expose your message in particular regions, neighborhoods, alleys, and streets.

No. 6

Protect your company vehicles

Not only does vehicle wrapping promote your brand, but it keeps your vehicles in great condition. The wrap itself acts as a protective layer, preventing unsightly chips and scratches that may occur when going about your business. As you would protect your interior with car mats, you can also protect your exterior with this method.

No. 7

a Cost-Efficient marketing solution

If you are a new business owner or have an established business, you can use vehicle wraps to promote your business at a fraction of the cost of what it would be for a billboard or commercial.

It is inexpensive to install vehicle signage on your vehicles. On the contrary, it is costly to use printed ads, magazines, and TV to promote your business. By using this marketing strategy, you do not need to spend as much money to promote your business and build your brand. 

The most successful brands spend more money on prime billboard spots at train stations and bus stops. As a small business, you can not compete with these companies. So, alternatives such as this are there to help you stay within budget while meeting your marketing goals.

Takeaways

Avoid competing with large companies with your marketing efforts. Instead, use vehicle signage to advertise your small business. It is inexpensive to design and create vehicle graphics, and you can customize it to your liking. You can even change your vehicle signage anytime you want. If you do not need to change your vehicle signage regularly, it can also last for a very long time with proper maintenance. So, consider this investment to launch your business further and gain the visibility your business needs with the use of vehicle signage.

@hellolovelyliving on a road-trip to the Hoover Dam with Lake Mead in the distance.

It is always a thrill to make the decision to purchase a brand-new vehicle. The excitement level might skyrocket when the purchase is motivated by a desire to go on a cross-country road trip with one's loved ones. However, buying a new vehicle on car shopping sites like Edmunds involves more than just choosing the make and model you want. It is important to weigh a number of variables before making such a big investment.

01

financial plan

A financial plan is a top priority when it comes to being prepared to purchase a vehicle. You need to be sure you can afford a new automobile before you make the purchase. If you are not prepared to do a cash payment, you will need to consider your financing options. First, consider your budget, which will be based on your income, cost of living, and any fixed or variable costs. After you have settled on a spending limit, you may decide on whether to purchase a new or pre-owned vehicle.

02

New or pre-owned

After zeroing down on your financial health, the next step is to choose between new and pre-owned vehicles. A new vehicle is likely to be more costly than a used one, but it is more reliable and has fewer mechanical issues thanks to the manufacturer's guarantee. Buying a used automobile might save money upfront, but it could end up costing more in the long run. When deciding between a new and a used automobile, you should consider the benefits and drawbacks of each option.

@hellolovelyliving enjoying the overlook of the Lake Mead National Recreation area on the way to the Hoover Dam.

03

Make and model

Family road trip cars should have enough room and seating for all passengers. If you are taking the whole family on a road trip, it is important that everyone and their bags fit in the vehicle with ample space to allow for comfort throughout your travels. It is also important to think about the landscape you will be navigating through. Take into consideration the tough terrain you will be traveling through if you are planning a road journey to a distant place. You will need a vehicle that allows for optimal space, comfort, and superior handling and performance.

04

Fuel economy

When looking for a vehicle for a family road trip, fuel economy is another important element to consider. You are looking for a vehicle that can go far while maximizing your fuel economy and vehicle performance. With so many automobile manufacturers transitioning to sustainable energy with electric cars, solar, and integrated renewable energy solutions, there are so many great options to consider.

@hellolovelyliving learning about the Lake Mead National Recreation area.

05

Vehicle Safety

The car's safety features are another important factor to think about. If you are planning on taking your family on the road, investing in a vehicle with cutting-edge safety features is a must. You want to feel safe at all times while on the road, so this is something that you will need to prioritize.

For instance, an integral part of vehicle safety is the quality of its wheels. If you're about to purchase a car with forged wheels, consulting with an expert is crucial to ensure they are genuinely forged wheels. There's a difference between traditionally and rotary forged wheels, as the manufacturing process is different and greatly impacts their performance and safety.

06

Maintenance

It is crucial to give your new automobile the care it needs once you have bought it. To keep your automobile running smoothly and for as long as possible, regular maintenance is essential. If you want to keep your automobile running smoothly, it is best to have a qualified technician do any necessary maintenance as per the manufacturer's guidelines regularly.

@hellolovelyliving after enjoying a pit stop to the Lake Mead National Recreation area overlook before heading to the Hoover Dam.

Takeaways

In sum, it is thrilling to shop for a new vehicle for a family road trip, but it is important to do it thoughtfully. Figure out how much money you can spend, and think about the car's interior room, how much gas it will save you, and how safe it will be. Consider whether you want to buy a new or used vehicle, as well as how you will maintain it once you have bought it. The family road trips you take in your new vehicle will be more fun and memorable if you take the time to plan them out in advance so that your vehicle has you covered for many road trips to come.

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