Dear Eric,
Next Time...

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RV Checklist
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+ Leave explosives at home.

+ Bring a tent, after having trained at home on how to set it up. Kids would have fun setting it up (with or without any full night use) on site.

+ Reduce speed below 48 mph while driving through the only partially open community access gate.

+ Load up with plenty of maps beforehand of any possible intended routes; drill down via on-line maps beforehand, making printouts at different magnifications.

+ Make full reservations for all places in advance; a clear itinerary.

+ Involve kids fully in the route planning process. Map familiarity -- at different scale sizes. Involve them in navigation situational awareness during the trip.

+ Achieve work slow down days before departure date. Plan ahead to have full closure of outstanding work issues prior to departure.

+ Feel good about getting full value : pick up RV as early as available and leave as soon as possible.

+ Bring more warm blankets than we're likely to ever need.

+ Leave with good music CDs.

+ Leave with more good (newly rented & unviewed) DVDs than we are likely to ever watch.

+ Bring the other DVD player -- and extra batteries for it. (Does it run off batteries?)

+ Bring more/better firewood.

+ Bring a gallon-size container that could hold stove-heated water to give anyone taking a shower in order to have more on-hand.

+ Bring (buy if needed) binoculars.

+ Pack better -- putting things in cabinates, without anything ever having to roll around or constitute clutter on the floor.

+ ........