Category: RV Park Crane Lake MN

Are you searching for a memorable and enjoyable family vacation?

Families, like yours, are avoiding the trouble of staying in hotels in favor of taking their children on an adventure to new areas. They’re having fun roasting marshmallows over a campfire, breathing fresh air, and rediscovering their love of the outdoors in the process.

Get Away From It All While Maintaining Home Comforts

Family holidays are popular among both children and adults, but you don’t have to deal with the difficulties of tent camping in a busy campsite. Your family will have all of the conveniences of home while yet being outside in the fresh air at the RV park! It’s ideal for family time.

There is nothing better than spending quality time with your family on vacation. What could be more bonding than getting outside with your family, playing engaging family games, or sharing meals?

Get Outside and Explore Nature

Taking a family vacation in an RV is like combining all of your favorite activities – camping, nature walks, and seeing new places – with quality time with your family. And it’s simple to start a family adventure when you’re spending so much time outside together. Bring some old-fashioned games like frisbees or badminton, and you’ll be ready for an afternoon of family outdoor fun that will keep everyone entertained.

RV campsites also allow you to relax by spreading out around your RV. Set up chairs outside to enjoy a meal, start a campfire, or simply gaze up at the skies.

Pets from the family are welcome

All members of the family will enjoy RV family holidays. Pets are welcome on family RV excursions, especially if they are enormous dogs, and many parks even have pet-friendly sites or areas where pets are permitted!

This is a fantastic opportunity for a multi-generational trip.

An RV vacation with the family is also a fantastic opportunity to include grandparents! Grandparents may be retired and have the time, energy, and desire for family bonding that children long for. RVs can comfortably sleep up to six adults. The family can also be split up between one or several RVs. In addition, campgrounds provide a variety of activities for people of all ages.

RV camping etiquette involves unwritten rules. Whether our neighbors are cutting through the campsite late at night or playing loud music,

You shouldn’t walk through camp sites

To get from one site to another or to nearby amenities, it is tempting to quickly cut through “common grass” between sites. It may add a few minutes to your walk time, but it is always best to respect others’ space by walking on the road or public paths at the RV park.

Avoid blasting your music

When you’re having fun camping, it’s easy to get carried away, but if your music is too loud, it can disturb your neighbors. Make sure your music is at a level where it can’t be heard from your neighbor’s campsite. If you’re unsure, stroll by nearby sites and listen to your music. Make sure the volume is appropriate.

Observe quiet hours

There are usually quiet hours at RV parks, resorts, and campgrounds. The rules of the park will typically be included in a pamphlet given to you at check-in. For example, quiet hours are those hours (from 10 p.m. until 8 a.m.) during which guests can expect there to be little or no noise. During designated quiet hours, many campers are either inside their RVs or are relaxing by the campfire, and you definitely do not want to be reported to the office for noise.

Slide-outs in your RV should be taken into account

You should account for your slide-outs when parking and setting up your campsite if your rig has them. There’s nothing more annoying than slides from the rig next to you encroaching on your space. Before we unhook, we park our rig and examine the slide-outs. It is faster than hooking everything back up and reparking. In the event that you have a rig with larger slides, you can also check which RV site might be best for your rig in advance.

Pet owners must ask permission before bringing in their pets

Furry friends are always welcome at RV parks. Petting a dog at a campground is tempting, but always ask the owner’s permission first. Generally, pet owners and their animals are friendly, but it’s polite to say hello. There have been some owners who have been sensitive to petting over the years.

Park and settle your neighbors first

It’s always exciting to welcome new camp neighbors. Rvers enjoy checking out other rigs, seeing how people set up camp, and saying hello-but please be mindful that the family is trying to focus on parking and setting up. If the family seems to be settled in, feel free to introduce yourself.

Grills Shouldn’t Be Placed on Picnic Tables

You might be tempted to set up your portable grill on the picnic table at the campground, but think twice. Tables can be stained, warped, and left with residue from grills. Bring along a portable table instead so you can leave the campsite clean for future campers.

Arrive at the dump station prepared

Preparation is key to avoiding long lines at the dump station. Our gloves and the black tank hose and connector piece are always available by the time we get to the dump station.

Your tow vehicle can be parked at your site

Make sure you don’t block the road and park at your site as much as possible. Never use an empty site as your personal parking lot, even if it is nearby. You may find additional parking near the clubhouse or registration area.

You Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

RVers at the campground are generally friendly and helpful when needed — it’s all part of the RVing culture.

Our RV camping season is just around the corner, so many of us are getting ready! There are approximately 355,000 new RVs sold each year, so many RVers hitting the road this season are totally newbies.

After you get the hang of it, RV camping is one of the most enjoyable, rewarding, and relaxing experiences you will ever have. Our goal is to help you prepare to go on your first adventure with your RV by putting together this guide!

Checklists:

If you’re a new RV camper, checklists can be a lifesaver! Making a few checklists and keeping them on hand is a good idea until you get the hang of things.

Making a packing list will help you not to forget any essential items. As you go on more trips, you’ll learn what you need and don’t need, and what you bring but never use.

Make a list of all the things you need to do before you go… this might include packing, ensuring that your home is ready for a vacation and all the appliances are turned off and other things like:

• Checking the RV tires
• Making sure the awning is pulled in (you’d be surprised how many people miss this and lose their awning)
• Making sure the RV Jacks are pulled up
• Everything is latched and secured
• All passengers are accounted for, etc.

A setup checklist will ensure that you don’t make mistakes like forgetting to connect the sewer hose for the shower once you’ve arrived at camp. A checklist for setting up a camp should include the following:

• Leveling the RV
• Securing Wheels
• Hooking up Water
• Hooking up Sewer
• Setting up Pop-Ups or Opening Slides
• Setting up lawn chairs/outside area

Walkaround:

No matter how old or in what condition your RV or travel trailer is, you should get in the habit of  doing a walkaround every time you stop. Every time you stop at a gas station, grocery store, or campground, look around your RV for obvious problems. When you travel down the road, you are subjected to a lot of vibrations. Make sure your tires are in good shape, your storage bins are latched, and there are no obvious signs of  trouble. An easy and quick walkaround could save you a whole lot of headaches down the road.

Driving Tips:

If you’re driving a motorhome or pulling a trailer, the driving experience is going to be different than if you were in just a normal vehicle on a daily basis.

RVs and trailers are both large and wide – you will need to use your mirrors to help you see. Make sure your mirrors are in the proper position for driving and learn how to use them. In general, one mirror helps you see traffic behind you, while the other shows where your RV or trailer tires are, as well as some of  your blind spots. Making turns is easier if you know where your RV or trailer tires are in relation to you, the driver, and in relation to curbs. You will also be able to stay within your lane with these mirrors – your truck is much wider than a standard vehicle.

Keep a slow speed and start braking earlier than you would in a car – an RV or travel trailer weighs more and requires a longer stopping distance. Don’t ride the brakes while going downhill. Shift down and let the engine do the work, not your brakes. When downgrading, tap the brakes for a few seconds at a time to prevent overheating.

Protect Your RV:

As an RV owner, you want to enjoy your investment for years to come. In addition to insurance and  preventative maintenance, RVers also use a few devices to provide themselves with additional  protection and peace of mind.

• Surge Protector: A surge protector protects your system from power surges by plugging it between the rig and an external power supply. In the event of a power surge from lightning or bad campground wiring, it will protect your rig from electrical damage. It monitors the quality of the power source, protects your rig from ungrounded connections, and will prevent your rig’s electrical system from getting fried. It is a small investment that can help you save your entire electrical system! To ensure that it does not get stolen, you can purchase a lock.
• An TPMS, or tire pressure monitoring system, can notify you of potential tire hazards you might otherwise overlook. Tire pressure and temperature sensors are available for RVs and travel trailers alike and provide alerts when the conditions change. In this way, blowouts and rig damage can be prevented.

This is the ideal time to assess how your RV and trailer are doing so break it out of storage and check it out. Keep reading for more guidance and additional de-winterization maintenance tasks to prepare your RV for The Spring Camping Season.

Basic Inspection & Safety Checks

You should first check your RV’s major systems to ensure it is roadworthy:

• power system
• propane system
• tire health

Make sure you do this early, so you have time to schedule any necessary maintenance before your first trip. Make certain that your carbon monoxide detector, smoke detector, LP detector, and fire extinguisher all work properly.

Check Electric Power

Look over all battery connections first. If they are corroded, disconnect the shore power and wear safety goggles and latex gloves when cleaning them off. Then, charge your batteries and check the fluid levels in the batteries, adding distilled water if necessary. If you have a generator, check it for nests and make sure the filter does not need to be replaced. A lack of fuel in the generator’s lines usually causes it to fail to start. Prime your generator by running the pump for about 20 seconds to deliver fuel to the carburetor. After that, it should start much more quickly. Once you have your generator running, check the oil level. Test all appliances on the electric setting.

Propane

Check the water heater (exterior of RV) closely in order to remove any debris from the burner tube. Make sure all of your propane appliances are turned off (furnace, stove, oven, refrigerator).

Visually inspect your propane system to make sure the seals and hoses aren’t cracked. If everything looks okay, open the valve on the tank(s) all the way. If you suspect a leak, use a soapy water solution around the valves and look for bubbles. Other important gear to have on hand is refillable RV propane tanks, alarms, and detectors.  The last step is to ensure that your appliances are working properly using the propane settings. Be sure to inspect your propane appliances and furnace each spring when taking your RV out of storage.

Tires

If your tires (plus the spare) are in need of replacement, get them installed at your earliest convenience. Check the tires for proper inflation, inspect the sidewall for any cracks and the tread depth.

Dewinterize and Check Your Water Systems

The antifreeze will need to be drained and flushed from your system if you winterized it with non-toxic antifreeze. There are a couple of easy steps you can follow:

1. If removed, re-insert the low point drain plugs.
2. Replacing the anode rod with an Atwood water heater or the drain plug with a Suburban water heater is imperative if they have been neglected previously.
3. The bypass water heater valves must be changed to “use” mode, which means closing the bypass valve and opening the hot and cold valves.
4. The water system can be re-pressurized with a hose or at the pump by filling the freshwater tank and turning it on.
5. To flush out the antifreeze in your system, open the faucets and the shower heads for indoor and outdoor use as well as the toilet.
6. Then turn off the water pressure and remove the caps from the low point drains.
7. Turn on the pressure again to flush out any of the remaining antifreeze in the system.
8. Then turn off the water pressure to put the drain caps back on.

Test all valves, including faucets, outside shower, and toilet while you’re at it, including the water pump and city water hook-up.

Interior Inspection & Resupply

Clean the interior thoroughly. Drain any dehumidifiers (or replace any disposables). Check inside the cabinets and under the sinks for signs of rodents and pests. Now is a good time to go through all of your supplies and restock the camper with the essentials. If you discover any evidence of them, find the source and take care of it now before you add any new food items to the pantry.

Exterior Inspection & Wash

You should inspect the interior of your RV and climb up on the roof to check for chips, cracks, or missing caulking around exterior windows, doors, roof vents, and other seals. The awnings in your RV are exposed to the weather and rarely see sunlight, making them prone to mildew. Finally, rinse the RV well with a gentle biodegradable soap solution. Simply Green works well. To clean, use a soft bristle brush with the soap solution. Rinse well and let them air dry for a few hours before retracting.

All Systems Go!

Making sure these checks are run on your RV and performing any necessary maintenance will go a long way toward making your camping season a success.