New Age Travel and Services began as a way for us to explore nature and share the unique vanlife experience near Banff. Our success is your enjoyment. So, we created a list of items that we noticed helped us maximize our own adventures. We hope it will help you with yours.
Get Organized, Stay Organized
It can be very tempting to hit the road right away. But we recommend taking the time to plan where to put your stuff. Unpack and designate “this” as the place that my toiletries will be for the rest of the trip. Or “here” is where I put my day clothes and sleeping clothes.
Having designated spots can be useful for finding your belongings during the trip. Things can get lost and the camper vans can get messy. Know where to put something if it’s out of place or where to find something you’re looking for. Staying organized will save a lot of hassle.
As part of your planning, also be mindful of how you intend to use the parts of the RV rental. For example, if one person is right-handed and the other left it might be better to store one person’s luggage on one side vs the other. You may also want to claim a spot at the table so you're not playing "battle elbows" like we sometimes do ;)
Cleaning
You may find that keeping a small space like your camper van clean is a constant effort. After each meal, we tend to clean the entire camper van. One perk of a small space is that it is quick to clean! And the fruits of your labour are noticeable and fulfilling.
Take the time to find a procedure that works for you during your RV rental road trip.
One trick we found useful was splitting the jobs into sub-tasks. Below is our vanlife experience dishwashing process:
Person A: Scrapes the crumbs off the plates or uses a paper towel to soak up something saucy.
Person B: Scrubs and washes the dishes leaving them on a towel.
Person A: Dries the dishes.
Person B: Puts the dry dishes away.
Planning
We know it is exciting to get on with your trip and see all the fun things you have planned for your travel adventure. But there’s one more thing to add to your plans: bathroom and shower pitstops.
Confirm whether your campground has a shower. Not all campground showers were open due to COVID. Otherwise, there may be truck stops between some of your destinations.
While all RV rentals from New Age Travel and Services come with camping toilets and battery-operated showers, nothing replaces the real deal. Further, taking showers in the camper van may deplete your water stores.
Consumption Monitoring
One of the beautiful aspects of the vanlife experience is reconnecting to consumption. Our modern homes provide water and energy at your beck and call. This is not quite the case when you’re off-grid.
Check your water and energy levels and factor those against your current usage rate from time to time.
Here’s the rule of thumb we use:
Two people use around 5L/day for cooking and drinking. One shower is just under 5L of water per person per shower. New Age Travel and Services supplies 20L of water with every RV rental. This should suffice for a 3 days off-grid weekend before loading back up.
You should still keep an eye on how much you’ve used, you have left, and how long you plan to stay off-grid.
Likewise, check the battery level once in a while. See if the solar panels are charging or if the battery level is dropping. On sunny Albertan days, you should be able to charge phones, use the lights, and plug in the fridge. On several consecutives cloudy days you might want to consider options like buying ice for the fridge rather than using power.
And there you have it!
Know where your stuff is. Keep the camper van tidy. Plan bathroom and shower breaks. Watch your utility levels. And you will be set up for success!
If you are considering a camper van rental from Calgary, and still unsure of how to mitigate potential challenges, please feel free to contact us! We’re here to help, and to share the authentic vanlife experience with you!
(587) 287-7127 info@newagetravelandservices.com or book online, today.
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