Reba's Maiden Voyage: A First-Timer's Guide to Overthinking an RV Adventure
June 30, 2025
Well, folks, the day has finally arrived! After months of planning, plotting, and probably way too much internet browsing, Todd and I are getting ready to embark on our first major RV adventure with our trusty (we hope) tenement-on-wheels, Reba. Yes, we named her after the country queen herself – because just like Ms. McEntire, our RV has character, attitude, and occasionally makes noises and does things we can't quite explain yet.
The Great Research Divide
You know how they say opposites attract? Well, Todd and I continue to fit that mold with our completely different approaches to trip planning. While Todd has been deep-diving into the mysterious depths of "the interweb", armed with actual data and little-known-facts about Reba (such as we can only bring 800 pounds of additional wait to her!) I've been conducting my own highly scientific research through the Facebook groups.
And let me tell you, the Facebook RV community is INTENSE. These people know their stuff! I've learned more about black tank maintenance, the proper way to level an RV, and why you should never trust a campground that doesn't have recent photos than I ever thought possible. All of this information has been properly shared with Todd so that he can add it to his maintenance charts and grafts, but I've got insider knowledge about which campsites have the cleanest bathrooms and what tasty dishes to make in my new double-sided crock-pot which every good mid-westerer must have on a trip such as this.
The List Situation Has Gotten Out of Hand
I thought I was organized. I was wrong. We now have lists for our lists. Here's what we're dealing with:
The Food List (aka "How to Feed Two Adults and Two Adorable Dogs for Three Weeks Without Poisoning Them") This started as a simple grocery list and has evolved into a 47-item masterpiece that includes everything from "fancy crackers for when we feel civilized" to "emergency chocolate for when the leveling jacks won't work."
The Clothing List (aka "Preparing for Every Park Climate Known to Mankind") Apparently, we're packing for the Arctic, the desert, and a monsoon rain storm all in the same trip. It looks like a small fabric store exploded!
The Household Items List (aka "Bringing Our Entire House Just in Case") This is where things got ridiculous. We have backup toilet paper for our backup toilet paper, four different types of duct tape (each with their own "specialty"), and enough cleaning supplies to sanitize a small hospital. Todd insists we need the portable vacuum AND the handheld vacuum AND the dustpan set. I'm not arguing – I've seen what happens when he tracks mud through Reba.
The Entertainment List (aka "What If We Get Bored for Five Minutes") Books, games, cards, crafts, my adult coloring books, and something called a "LargeYahtzee Dice" that seemed like a good idea at 2 AM on Amazon. Did I mention that I'm surely in the running for the Amazon "Most Valued Customer of the Season" award? We're either going to have the most enriching vacation ever or look like we're moving in permanently at every campground.
The Packing Paradox
Here's the thing I"m learning about RV packing – it's like playing the world's most frustrating game of Tetris, except the pieces are oddly shaped, you care about all of them, and you're running out of space fast. We've somehow managed to pack too much AND not enough simultaneously.
We have enough outdoor furniture to host a small festival but only one can opener. We have three flashlights per person but just realized we still need to test each and every button, lever, and monitor on Reba twice before launching this epic adventure!
Todd spends an hours organizing the storage compartments like we're preparing for a military inspection, apocalypse like any good end of the world prepper would do while I keep adding "just one more thing" to various corners, nooks, and crannies. Poor Reba is now sitting in the street driveway looking a little stunned by all the stuff will be cramming into her.
The Final Countdown - Less than 2 days
As I write this, Todd is out shopping for any last-minute items that we can't live without, and I'm racking the corners of my mind to make sure we haven't forgotten anything crucial. (Spoiler alert: we definitely have, and we'll realize it approximately 50 miles from home.)
The excitement is real, though. After all this planning, listing, researching, and mild panic-packing, we're actually doing this! Reba is loaded, our route is planned, and we're ready for whatever adventures await us on the open road.
Will we use everything we've packed? Absolutely not. Will we wish we had something we left behind? Without a doubt. Will we have stories to tell and memories to treasure? You bet!
Here's to first-time RV adventures, to trusting that Reba will get us there and back, and to the beautiful chaos of hitting the road with everything you think you need and the person you want to share it all with.
Wish us luck, and if you see a slightly overloaded RV with "REBA" spelled out by the side door, give her a wave – that'll be us, living our best life and probably arguing about whether we remembered to pack the marshmallows.
Adventure awaits! 🚐✨
