100 Tips to Make Life Easier And Earning Money From The Road

100 Tips to make life on the road easier

1. Mount any electrical adapters in order to keep them organized and neat.
2. Use one of your dry food containers as a mini garbage can.
3. Bubble wrap is great for insulating windows during the winter months.
4. To keep flies at bay wipe down everything using Pine-Sol.
5. Get yourself a dry erase board. Can be used to keep emergency and campground information on hand for each new’ location you’re at.
6. Velcro is great for holding in place your black out curtains.
7. Command hooks are excellent for hanging up your curtains.
8. Line all your drawers and shelves with a nonslip liner.
9. Use tape that glow’s in the dark on your entry/exit stairs. Helps with visibility at night.
10. Keep out wasps with old flea collars that have been cut up. Cut the collar in two and place in any compartments where propane is stored. Wasps go crazy for the taste and smell of propane.
11. Not sure why, but a bar of soap called Irish Spring helps to keep any mice out of the RV.
12. Using a rod in your shower will allow you to hang up clothes that are still not dry.
13. Mesh sleeves are great for keeping items from clanging together like wine bottles.
14. Spray paint is a great tool for touching up any plastic areas on the RV that got sun faded over time.
15. Glad Press n’ Seal will easily turn any cup into a nice travel cup. Just pop a hole in the top with your straw, and you’re good to go.
16. Anti-fatigue mats are great for insulation and added comfort when used on the bottom of sleeping bunks.
17. Install a towel rod in order to keep all your bathroom products stored safely in one place. Just place the items between the rod and the wall for secure storage.
18. Collapsible laundry baskets are great as temporary garbage cans when at your camping site.
19. If you don’t want to constantly wrap up your glasses in bubble wrap while traveling, try sliding a koozie over them. Will dramatically decrease the chance of the glasses hitting each other hard enough to break.
20. Always keep duct tape and clothespins handy. These can be used in a variety of different ways.
21. Buy a flashlight hat. It can come in handy out on the road. Whether getting to the facilities during the middle of the night in your campground or fixing something outdoors at night you’ll be glad you got one.
22. Buy a stick lighter. This is an essential tool. Great for lighting campfires, pilot lights, and grills. Makes those jobs simple.
23. Buy a clear elbow to put on your sewer. It allows you to see everything going on in your sewer and also allows you to backwash your system and make sure things are getting drained properly. Not a pretty thing, but a necessary one.
24. Buy a good set of headphones. This holds true especially if on the road with other people. RV’s are tight spaces and having a good set of headphones will allow you to escape one another when you need some alone time.
25. Buy a good folding chair. You’ll be using them a ton around the campfire so get ones that are comfortable. Always get an extra chair or two. This serves two purposes. Makes a great backup if one gets broken and also, you can set out an extra chair to encourage new campground neighbors to stop and sit for a bit.
26. Buy an Extend-A-Shower. In the majority of RV’s shower space is almost laughable. If you’ve got a curtain in your shower, then an extender will give you a good amount more room. I’m not a tiny man so this one was a must have for my RV.
27. Buy a nice tablet. These are great for a multitude of reasons. They’ve become relatively inexpensive, they take up very little room, and they offer a ton of entertainment value. You can play games, listen to music, watch a video, read books, write, work and surf the internet all from the same device. I also have a laptop and cloud printer with me but I work part time from the road.
28. Buy a small fan that comes with a nice sized extension cord. You can get one that runs off batteries, but I’ve had less success with those types over the years. Either way, they’re great for hot nights, and quite frankly I can’t even sleep at night unless I have the sound of wind blowing in my ear.
29. Buy an electric blanket and a sleeping bag, for those extra cold winter nights. Will help to save from running the heater all night long.
30. Buy either a bike or small electric scooter. Great for getting around larger campgrounds and small towns without having to navigate the RV. Bikes are also great for daily exercise and seeing some nature.
31. Purchasing an aerodynamic RV can save you a ton of money in the amount of fuel you’ll buy over the lifetime of the RV.
32. Traveling with pets requires work and patience but is completely worth it.
33. Solar power is awesome. It works and you should strongly consider getting it.
34. Always keep your tanks full. Getting stuck in traffic with low gas reserves has stressed me out more times than I’d like to remember.
35. If you don’t want to pay for the Internet in your RV, places like libraries, FedEx Kinko’s, and KOA Kampgrounds are excellent places to go online.
36. Be careful with your medications. If they cause drowsiness don’t drive while on them.
37. Don’t go without a cell phone or satellite phone. RV living off the grid can be great, but having a cell phone has saved me in quite a few jams over the years, especially if your RV living full time.
38. Portable space heaters are good for cold nights when temperatures dip. They can help your propane furnace from getting overworked.
39. Having a water filter on your RV is a must in my eyes.
40. High beams don’t do a damn thing when traveling in fog. I usually try to find a safe place to park and call it a night. RV’s are too big to be driving around blindly.
41. Always check rubber seals around windows and doors. You want to replace them if they’re looking worn. It can lead to unpleasant water leaks if you don’t stay on top of it.
42. I always use two pairs of shoes. One for inside the RV and one for outside the RV. Help yourself cut down on tracking in dirt and mud.
43. If you have a roof leak check your air conditioner right away. I always check all the bolts and seals. Most of the time this is the area causing the issue.
44. In winter, I always weather strip, use more rugs and heavier curtains for better insulation.
45. WD40 is your friend. Always have some in the RV.
46. Driving in hotter weather is hard on the RV. Try traveling in the early morning and late afternoon to minimize the impact.
47. Realize it can take your RV almost the length of a football field sometimes to stop completely. Always give yourself plenty of room. Especially during rain or snow.
48. When backing up always go nice and slow. Don’t try rushing when driving in reverse you’re only asking for trouble.
49. Be nice to your RV plumbing. Get RV toilet paper and keep up on the maintenance.
50. Get your engine serviced at least once every year. I would also clean the engine at least once a year.
51. On the road, some of the best food I’ve ever had has been at greasy spoons and roadside diners. Be sure to experience it for yourself.
52. Keep your roof clean. It will lengthen the life of the roof tremendously. I routinely clean my roof 3 times a year.
53. Get a slide topper to keep debris and moisture out of slide out rooms.
54. I spent more to get cruise control, a nice stereo, and electronic mirrors. Let’s just say it turned out to be a great decision. One I recommend you considering.
55. Get your chassis rustproofed. It’s a smart way to protect the foundation of your RV.
56. Know how to read a map properly. This will save you a lot of time.
57. Clean the entire interior of your RV thoroughly at least 3-4 times a year. Clean the AC, furnace, drawers, floors, walls and compartments. Helps to keep out bugs and just makes your RV a nice place to live in.
58. Protect any sensitive information. I use an encrypted thumb drive to store all my important information. I also have two backup copies, one of which stays with my family who are not on the road. I also back up anything important to my Amazon Cloud Drive and my Google Drive. I like to have multiple backs up because I got burned once before.
59. Buy a portable tankless air compressor. This is a great item for fixing flat tires on bikes, topping off your spare tire and inflating items. For example, I have an inner tube for those lazy summer days on the river.
60. Join some RV clubs and associations. They offer a lot of wonderful benefits and networking opportunities. Well worth the money I spent on them.
61. Add extra batten’ capacity to your RV. This will allow you to go further off the grid to those hard to get to spots, for longer periods of time.
62. I installed a Fantastic Vent Fan in my RV and I love it. It does a good job of cooling the RV and removing unwanted food odor, among other things.
63. Install a good surge protector.
64. Install a good digital thermometer. Mine was garbage, so I immediately changed it out with a better one.
65. Get unique set of locks for your RV. There are many dishonest people in the world. I prefer to be careful instead of being sorry.
66. Upgrade your shower head and faucets. I got the Oxygenics brand fixtures and I’ve been very pleased with them.
67. Invest in a portable ice cube maker. No more trips into town for ice!
68. Have a reflective vest in your RV in case of a roadside emergency at night.
69. Buy a temperature gun. So many handy uses. Great for checking tire temp, brakes temps, how well your AC is working, checking your grill temp, refrigerator temp, freezer temp, and oven temp.
70. During winter use heat strips on your fresh water hose and then cover it with a foam insulation. Stops water from freezing and damaging your pipes and plumbing.
71. During winter keep the waste valves closed when not in use and keep them covered with insulation.
72. Only dump tanks when they are full. Helps reduce the chances of freezing. I also add a splash of antifreeze.
73. During winter keep a heating pad handy. Good for warming up pipes.
74. Have a shovel on your RV. If you ever get caught in the snow you’ll need to dig yourself out.
75. Get a portable power washer for cleaning your RV. Makes the job go a lot quicker.
76. When traveling spend some time at each location and get to know what the area has to offer. You’re on the road to experience new things. Don’t lose sight of that.
77. When planning your route try and avoid toll routes to save some money.
78. Many parks offer deals where you can camp at the park for free if you put in some volunteer work hours.
79. Call the chamber of commerce for towns you’ll be going to. Often they can let you know of any interesting activities going on while you’re in town. They will also sometimes offer you free coupons for businesses in town or events in town.
80. Camping world and most Walmart’s are alright with you parking in their lots overnight. Some motels and rest stops are also fine with you parking in their lots. I usually ask permission just in case. If you don’t want to do that I suggest using some discretion. Don’t pull out all your slide outs, leave early in the morning and don’t cause a scene.
81. Learn how to perform general maintenance on your RV, if you ever get stuck somewhere you’ll be better prepared to handle the situation.
82. Keep spare parts like ignition coils, air filters, spark plugs, fan belts, water hose belts, wires and a soldering iron on your RV. At some point, you’ll be glad you did.
83. If somewhere looks too small to drive through or park in it probably is. I’ve rolled the dice before and it always comes up snake eyes.
84. When traveling to go somewhere make sure that the place is open when you get there. I’ve had this happen to me once before where I traveled out of mv way to see something and it was closed. Now I know to always double check before heading off.
85. Know the weight of your RV. You don’t want to let it get overloaded.
86. Try to drive a maximum of 400 miles a day. Any more and you’re starting to push it.
87. Your cockpit can’t get too comfortable. Driving for long periods can be difficult so the space around you should be as comfortable as possible.
88. Always check your carbon monoxide, smoke, and LP gas detectors on a regular basis.
89. A nice set of mud flaps will help to keep any debris off the RV.
90. When you’re not at the RV use an onboard timer system to trick would-be thieves.
91. In order for you refrigerator to work optimally, your RV must be level.
92. CB chatter can help you determine upcoming traffic and weather issues when traveling. They also make a good companion when bored.
93. If you don’t like a campground or spot you’re in go somewhere else. There’s no need to tough it (unless there’s inclement weather).
94. Keep a roll of quarters handy in your shower kit. You never know when you’ll hit a campground with pay showers.
95. If you’re traveling with other adults, teach them to drive the RV so you can lessen the burden of driving on yourself.
96. When tackling hard uphill areas be sure to go down the hill in the same gear you went up it.
97. When deciding on a backup camera for your RV, be sure to make sure it works in the dark. If it doesn’t, it won’t do you any good half the time you need it.
98. Change out your windshield wipers bi-annually.
99. I got an electronically operated awning and I love it. You should check them out.
100. It’s not a real camping trip without some a few delicious smores.

A Guide to earning money from the road

For many of us, the idea of RV living full time seems like a dream that will never be within our grasp. Unless you’ve come into some money or saved for years until retired, how is someone able to live on the road with no steady job income. Well, I’m happy to report it’s completely possible. It will take some work and a lot of planning/budgeting but it’s completely do-able. This section will discuss many different ways you can earn money while out on the road full time.

If you’re like I was and want to live an RV lifestyle but still need an income, this section is for you. Whether you want to work part time or full time, I’ll go over some ideas and opportunities you can use to your advantage. There are endless ways to earn a buck if you get creative. Here a few of my personal favorites, some of which I use myself to this day.

1. Try workamping. What’s that you ask? Well, it’s a popular term referring to people who work at spots like RV parks, resorts, motels, hotels, amusement parks and other similar jobs in order to get free parking, utilities, and additional wages. These jobs are usually seasonal and while some are good, many complain about the rate of pay and amount of work required. I don’t do this one anymore, but I did when first starting out. I’ve built up other streams of income over the years to avoid doing work that requires manual labor. I get enough of a workout maintaining my RV.
2. Become a Freelancer – If you have writing skills, technical skills, and design skills you can easily find work on sites like Elance or Upwork. These sites allow people like us to work online and use our skills to make some additional money. When first starting out you need to gain some experience so it may take a while to get the ball rolling. However, once you’ve earned a good reputation you can make a nice amount of money each month.
3. Virtual Assistant – There are companies out there that need virtual assistants and will pay a premium for qualified applicants. This was never my cup of tea so I don’t have personal experience with it, but I’ve met others who’ve made a good income from working this way.
4. Start an eBay or Amazon business – For living on the road I prefer Amazon FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon), but you can do whatever you’re comfortable with. I make a few thousand a month using these sites. I’m always traveling so I take the opportunity to buy and resell items I find deals on along the way. I love going to yard sales, flea markets, and thrift stores so this one doesn’t even feel like work most of the time. The great thing about Amazon FBA is you can send your items into Amazon and they’ll handle everything from shipping to the customer to handling communications and returns.
5. Start another type of online business. I know people who create and monetize niche websites. I also know^T people who create digital products or courses and sell them online. Get creative! There’s a lot of opportunity in starting your own business.
6. Telecommute – Before you quit your old job, see if they’ll allow you to telecommute from the road. More and more companies are offering this option with the advances in technology over the past few years.
7. If you’re a skilled laborer sell your skills on the road. You can offer your services on Craigslist for the area you’re visiting in.
8. Sell at Flea Markets – Maybe you don’t want to sell your items online. You can still sell at flea markets. Almost every area has at least one, and there a great way to pick up some extra fast cash.
9. Sell Your Photography – Traveling the country will give you the opportunity to take amazing pictures. If you enjoy photography try turning it into something that will earn you some extra money.
10. Sell Your Musical Talent – If you’re a singer or musician try and book gigs to places you’ll be visiting.
11. Stall a YouTube channel or a blog – It will take some time to build a following but many people have great success in these mediums.