Few things in life are more enjoyable than taking a road trip. Whether you are visiting family or friends, or simply driving into the wilderness for a little R&R, there’s something to be said about jumping behind the wheel and hitting the open road. That is, unless your van crashes on you, leaving you stranded on the side of I-5 with no cell service and a broken radiator hose. We bet you understand how to drive your van. And we’re sure you can find a way to stop it, but plenty of people do not realize that a few cool tricks will really take your van experience to the next level. Some of these hacks are just for convenience, while others are just for fun.
Charging While Driving
While connecting to campground resources is tempting, it can be expensive. That’s also not all the time possible with some of the smaller campgrounds out there. Charging your van while driving requires a little extra effort, but it is well worth the payoff.
You’ll need an inverter, an extension cord long enough to reach from the rear of your vehicle to the front, and a side cigarette lighter outlet. Remember that you cannot plug your car and RV into a single outlet – you will blow the fuse.
If you want to use this setup for a long time, you’ll also need to buy a generator. If you are not sure how to set up your inverter, there are many tutorials online that can help. There are advantages, obviously, of learning to charge your van’s battery while driving, so you must look for the right charger and be sure you set everything up the right way. You may additionally want to have your vehicle checked by a specialist to ensure it’s in proper working order.
Keeps Your Clothes Fresh
When you travel in a van, you must deal with the smell. It cannot be helped. At some point, your clothes will start to smell like body odor and dirty shoes. You cannot shower every day, and after a while, it tires you out. The excellent news is that there are ways to keep your clothes fresh while traveling in the van.
Many people know that dryer sheets are great for deodorizing and adding fragrance to your laundry, but did you know? important oil is also effective keep things smelling fresh?
Use a combination of essential oils to keep your clothes fresh. You can use peppermint oil for garments in the van, and lavender oil for garments in the house.
Curtains for Shade and Privacy
Curtains in the back of your van are an amazing way to keep your living space private from onlookers and to get creative cool and dark environment for sleep. It’s easy enough to make blinds for your van, and here’s how to do it.
First, go to a fabric store and find some fabrics that you like. You are free to use whatever color or design you want. Get enough fabric to cover any windows you want to cover on all sides of the van.
You can cut the curtains to your own size or have a store do it for you. It may be easier to have them cut it for you, but if you want to do it yourself, be sure you measure your windows and get enough fabric to cover each window. Once you have the fabric, you need to ensure that it’s not too heavy. You do not want your curtains to be so heavy that they weigh on the curtain rod and cause it to fall off the wall.
Garbage Bag as Poncho
Have you ever been traveling and found yourself drenched when it started to rain? Have you ever had to pull over to the side of the road to put on your raincoat because it came out of your bag at high speed?
What if we told you that there’s a way to avoid getting wet in the rain without having to depend on your expensive raincoat?
A trash bag is an amazing item that will keep you dry during a downpour. It’s waterproof and windproof so you can wrap it warmly. It has a reflective strip so cars will see you in the dark. It’s light and small so it does not take up much space in your bag.
Wear it like a poncho. Fold the bag in half and stick your head through the hole. Put your hands in your sleeves and you are ready to go!
Traveling in your van may be an amazing experience, and maybe these recommendations will help you make it probably the greatest in your life.
