Congratulations! You’re the proud owner of a new RV! But what comes next? Unfortunately, it’s not quite as easy as parking your RV in your driveway and leaving it be until your first big RV trip. Before hitting the road for your first adventure, you’re going to want to hit the road for an RV shakedown trip. 

What is an RV shakedown trip?

The word shakedown probably doesn’t give you very good vibes. You know what, though? When it comes to your new RV, this is the exact kind of trip that you’ll be happy to have taken. But you may be asking yourself what exactly is a shakedown trip? Well, according to Jelly Stone Park, a shakedown trip is a short RV trip taken close to home. Overall, the purpose of a shakedown trip is to test out your new RV’s systems and stock up on necessary supplies.

Why you should take your new RV on a shakedown trip

There are plenty of reasons to take your new RV out on a shakedown trip. Perhaps the most exciting reason is that you’ll actually get to use your new RV. Of course, that’s not the only reason to take an RV shakedown trip. There are far more beneficial reasons to take one too.

KOA reports that taking your RV on a shakedown trip is a great way to identify any problems and repairs that your RV might need addressed before your first big trip. It will also give you the opportunity to give all of your RV’s onboard systems a go and familiarize yourself with how certain things work.

How to plan your RV shakedown trip

Planning a shakedown trip might sound intimidating. But, it shouldn’t. Actually, planning this type of trip should be fairly easy. Axle Addict recommends starting your planning by finding a nearby RV campground that’s inexpensive and offers full-service sites. You should also work on creating a checklist of items you plan to bring along with you on your trip.

Once you hit the road, Axle Addict recommends paying close attention to how your RV handles itself on the road. If all goes well and you arrive safely at your destination, you can hook up your RV and begin testing out its systems. According to Axle Addict, you should be testing out just about everything, including the fridge, the AC, the furnace, and all of the other appliances and accessories that your RV has onboard.

Now what?

But what comes after a shakedown trip? It depends. If you didn’t experience any hiccups throughout your trip, then you’re good to go. But if you did? You may want to swing by the dealership. Whether you were unsure of how to use something, or found a problem with your RV, your dealer should be more than willing to help you remedy the situation.

Get ready to enjoy the RV lifestyle

Owning an RV can be great. But, it can also be pretty stressful. That’s what makes taking a shakedown trip so important. Not only will it help you familiarize yourself with your new rig, but it will also help you determine if there are any issues with your RV that need fixing.