Summer camping season is here, and if you’re getting your RV out for the first time this season, this comprehensive guide will ensure you’re prepared for unforgettable adventures. As full-time RVers for over three years, we’ve learned valuable tips and tricks about maintenance and gear that can make or break your summer camping experience.
We’ve had some incredible summers on the road – one of our most memorable was traveling up the California and Oregon coast. But we want you to have your favorite summer memories too! Here’s everything we’ve learned about staying cool, avoiding costly mistakes, and enjoying summer camping to the fullest.
Staying Cool: Reflectix & Fans
Reflectix Window Covers: Your Heat-Fighting Secret Weapon
Everyone’s battle in summer is staying cool (unless you’re lucky enough to be on the coast). The challenge is that you may have awnings on one side but not the other, and inevitably the sun will start beaming in where you don’t have coverage.
Reflectix window covers are absolute game-changers. When it’s super hot, you’ll really appreciate how much heat they keep out of your RV. You can literally feel the heat coming through the window, then put up the Reflectix and it all goes away.
Here’s the best part – you don’t need the fancy tape that comes with it. If you have blinds, just stick the pre-cut Reflectix pieces in the window, roll them out, and pull your blind down on top. We have pieces cut for every window – main windows, bedroom window, and small windows. It really works to keep the heat out, which is essential because nobody wants to be sweating it out all summer.
Small Oscillating Fans: Versatile Cooling Solutions
While many people use big fans outside, we prefer small oscillating fans for several reasons:
- Much easier to store (crucial for full-timers)
- Perfect for moving air around when cooking sets off the fire alarm
- Great for outdoor workouts when it’s buggy
- Excellent for general air circulation on those inevitable 90-degree days
We try never to stay places that hit 90 degrees, but it happens. Having air moving around inside makes a world of difference on those hot days.
Dehumidifiers for Comfort
This might surprise you, but dehumidifiers are key to summer comfort. We have two – one for each area during the day, then move one to the bedroom at night.
Having moisture pulled out of your air, especially when sleeping, makes you so much more comfortable. Just let them run if it’s the slightest bit humid. Having those stashed away for days when you need them is essential for a good summer camping experience.
Pro tip: Summer weather can be intense – we’ve had to evacuate to the shower house three times in Indiana due to tornado warnings!
Bug Protection Strategy
Indoor Bug Control: Zevo Bug Traps That Actually Work
Let’s talk about one of our least favorite topics – bugs inside the RV. We love Zevo bug zappers for this. You’ve probably seen commercials and wondered if they actually work since they never show you the gross stuff.
Well, here’s the proof – look at all those dead bugs in the collection tray! These are bugs that would have been flying around our ears (they always go toward your ears, ever notice that?). We just leave them plugged in all day long. They work great, and you can pick up refills on Amazon or at Walmart.
Outdoor Bug Protection: Know Your Chemicals
When you’re going into their domain, you need to up your protection game. Not all bug sprays do all things to all bugs, so you need to understand the differences:
For Mosquitoes:
- DEET-based repellents – effective but smelly (that classic bug spray smell)
- Picaridin-based alternatives (we love Sawyer brand) – just as effective, especially for mosquitoes, but smells much better
For Ticks:
- Permethrin is fantastic for ticks, especially for dogs
- Important: Human and dog formulations are different – get the right one!
- We treat Hugo with permethrin, and it works. Just last week in Indiana, we found five ticks crawling up his fur during a walk. After treating him, we found more ticks later but they were all dead.
For Gear and Clothing:
- Permethrin can be sprayed on tents, mats, chairs, and clothing
- Great for deep woods camping where bugs are heavy
For Flies:
- If you haven’t camped in fly-heavy areas, it’s awful. At the Badlands, people were literally walking around with nets attached to their hats because flies would swarm their heads
- Permethrin helps with flies too
Awning Shade Installation: Expanding Your Living Space
Thanks to our sponsor eTrailer for providing the Solera Super Shade featured in this section!
One thing that makes summer so much better is upgrading your awning game with awning shades. We got a Solera Super Shade from eTrailer, and installation is surprisingly easy.
Why We Love eTrailer
If you’ve ever ordered hitches or mechanical towing parts, you know it can be complex. eTrailer is the absolute best at helping you get the right part at the right time without ordering twice. They have great customer service and understand their products.
What most people don’t know is that eTrailer has a huge inventory of RV accessories beyond hitches – solar, shades, and accessories for everything from small trailers to Class A’s. They’re an American-based company where you can actually call and ask questions.
Installation Tips
The shade has a groove in your awning – just stick the line in the groove and pull it across. You may need a ladder if you don’t have a patio setup like ours.
For ground stakes, the plastic ones they provide work, but we prefer spiral drill-in stakes that we found on Amazon. These drill right into the ground and work especially well out west where the ground is super rocky (plastic stakes just bend and fold).
Smart Design Features
The shade has a zipper feature we really love. If wind is blowing hard or it’s pouring rain and you want to bring your awning in, it’s super easy to zip up the shade. It rolls right up when you roll your awning in and doesn’t have to be removed – it can stay there your whole camping trip.
This creates additional livable space and keeps that side of the RV cooler as the sun changes throughout the day. When we first used this in Arizona in July (our first mistake – don’t go to Arizona in July!), we couldn’t believe the difference it made.
Critical Maintenance Overview
Let’s switch to maintenance – the stuff that keeps your summer from being ruined by breakdowns.
Roof & Seal Inspection: Don’t Skip This!
Get someone up there to check seals on everything. It’s probably a good idea to replace questionable seals before they fail. We talked to a neighbor who pulled his trailer out of storage, got on the roof, and discovered a leak that had damaged wood and other components.
Summer brings lots of rain, and you don’t want a rude awakening at your first campground when it rains and you discover a leak. Check those roofs now!
Air Conditioner Cleaning & Filters
Your air conditioners are the number one thing keeping you cool, so take care of them. It’s time to get up there and clean them – you’d be amazed at how much gunk gets in there.
You need two specific products for cleaning (we have these linked in our Amazon store), and I have a complete step-by-step video you can watch.
Filter Upgrade Tip: Stop buying disposable filters! This was one of my pet peeves when we started full-timing. There’s a particular brand everyone knows that makes a big deal about disposable filters. Why do air filters have to be disposable? They don’t!
Get washable filters instead. Pull them out, wash them, dry them, stick them back up there. They last a long time and save you a boatload of money, especially if you’re full-timing and going through filters frequently.
Under RV Inspection: Critical Safety Checks
Nobody likes getting under the RV, but it’s so important. Here’s why:
I was working out one morning near the wheels and happened to look over – one of our suspension bolts was just gone! I got lucky and was able to replace the wet bolt myself, but if I hadn’t seen that, it could have been a serious road accident.
What to Check:
- Examine all bolts and hardware
- Put grease in wet bolts and torque them down (check manufacturer specs)
- Get proper torque wrenches – you might need two different sizes
- Inspect tires – tire blowouts are a big deal and can damage your RV interior and exterior
- Check bearings – if these go bad on the road, you’re stuck (see our bearing repack video if you need guidance)
- Secure spare tire – we just heard from a viewer whose spare was dangling around
If you can’t do this maintenance yourself, hire a mobile tech. These items are crucial for not having accidents or maintenance issues that ruin your summer plans.
Hitch Maintenance: Keep Your Connection Strong
Many people don’t realize hitches need maintenance, but if they have moving parts, they do. We have a B&W Companion hitch, and I do two things:
- Put grease where it contacts the pin
- Follow the maintenance procedure to grease the moving mechanism underneath
Anytime metal comes into contact with metal, it needs to be greased. It’s simple but easy to forget – and hitches are extremely important for holding onto your RV!
We love using lube plates instead of grease for some applications. These plastic pieces are inexpensive, go between metal surfaces, and are meant to wear down. Much easier and cleaner than grease.
Water Heater Anode Rod: The Sacrificial Protector
Before summer activities, check your anode rod. What’s an anode rod? It screws into your water heater and essentially sacrifices itself to keep your water heater interior from corroding.
When you pull the old one out, if it’s dwindled down to practically nothing, it’s time to replace it. If it looks weird and gross but isn’t completely diminished, you don’t need to replace it yet. Generally replace these every 1-3 years depending on RV usage.
There’s a process for removal involving hot water, so be careful and check YouTube for detailed procedures.
Water Filter System: Clean Water for Summer Adventures
You’ll drink lots of water in summer, so you want it clean. We use a Clear Source three-stage water filter system plus a water softener (Darlene says her hair looks terrible without soft water!).
All our water – including what we bathe in – is triple filtered and softened. Shout out to Aaron from the Irene Iron channel for filter tips: you can get replacement filters that aren’t as expensive if you buy in bulk.
Why We Keep Ours Outside: It used to be inside the RV, but these systems leak eventually. I’ve tried everything – pipe dope, plumber’s tape, quick connects – and something always leaks. Outside the RV, I don’t lose sleep worrying about water getting under the RV, and it’s much easier to work with when boondocking and filling from water bladders.
Summer Cooking Demo: Keep the Heat Outside
One really important thing for summer RV cooking: cook outside as much as possible. Using your stove and burners just fills the inside with heat and makes everything stuffy.
Simple Summer Recipe: Mexican-Spiced Chicken with Corn Avocado Salad
Today we’re making a perfect summer meal – fajita-style chicken with corn avocado salad. Super simple and fresh!
For the Chicken:
- Chicken thighs with paprika, cumin, garlic, chipotle powder, salt, pepper, oregano
- Let it sit with avocado oil for 10-15 minutes
- Grill on the Blackstone
For the Salad:
- Grilled corn (cut off the cob using the bowl-in-bowl trick)
- Cilantro, red onion, cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado
- Juice of two limes, salt and pepper
Pro Cooking Tips:
- That magnetic net curtain is fantastic for summer – you can go in and out while keeping flies and bugs out (even the dog can go through it)
- Use a metal grate table instead of standard outdoor tables – water goes right through instead of damaging the surface
- This compact table breaks down to suitcase size for easy storage
Bonus: Smashed Potatoes on the Blackstone
Boil potatoes, squish them on the grill, fry them, and add seasoning. Simple and delicious!
Trip Planning & Campsite Selection for Summer Success
Book Early and Smart
When summer comes, first thing I do is book holidays. You have to book holiday campgrounds way in advance – Fourth of July especially. Any big holiday weekend fills up fast, so think ahead and book ahead for primo state parks and campgrounds.
Choosing Your Sites Strategically
Two ways to think about campsites:
If You Don’t Need Great Internet:
- Trees are your friend – they’ll keep you much cooler with natural shade
- State park websites often show tree cover, or reviews will tell you
- Use Campground Views website for 360-degree drive-through views of specific sites
If You Need Starlink or Satellite:
- You need open sky, so sunny spots work better
- We sometimes book sunny spots just for backup internet even though they’re hotter
Indoor Backup Plans
Are you weather-ready? Sometimes trips get ruined by rain, so plan indoor and outdoor activities. Make sure there’s a museum, shopping mall, or state park visitor center with programs nearby. It’s a bummer being stuck inside the RV when it’s raining constantly.
Weather Awareness & Final Thoughts
Stay Weather Aware: Summer brings severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. We’re currently in northern Kentucky/southern Indiana and had tornado warnings last night – got evacuated to the shower house! Always know what weather’s ahead so you can plan accordingly.
Helpful Weather Apps:
- Standard weather apps with radar
- Climb Weather app – put in your current spot and destination to see weather during your drive
- Drive Weather – shows weather conditions and timing for your route
The Bottom Line
This isn’t an exhaustive list of everything you need to prep your RV – there are plenty of detailed YouTube videos for specific procedures. But these are the overall things we think are important to consider before summer adventures so you can have a great time and avoid costly mistakes.
Your Turn! What are your recommendations for summer camping? Share in the comments – you guys are a wealth of information and we love hearing from you. Your shared knowledge helps everyone have better adventures!
For those interested in comprehensive RV lifestyle guidance, check out our online course covering everything from initial planning to thriving on the road, plus ongoing support through our private Facebook community.
Remember: it’s much cheaper to prevent problems than fix them on the road. A blown tire, failed bearing, or water leak can ruin your entire summer and cost thousands in repairs.
Resources & Recommendations
We draw inspiration from creators like Wild RV Life, Kara and Nate, Keep Your Daydream and Happily Ever Hanks, combining adventure and heartfelt storytelling. If you enjoy their content, this article is for you.
Products We Use and Love
Products Mentioned in This Guide:
- Awning Shade from eTrailer.com
- Reflectix Window Covers & AC Cleaners
- RV Essentials – Headlamps, Vents, Levels
- Kitchen Products – Step stool, utensil holder, shelf liner, coffee pour over, sink caddy, vase
- Outdoor Products – Bug repellent, outdoor table, screen curtain
- RV Organization Products – Door handles, mesh bags, cup holders and more
Essential RV Services & Tools:
📌 RV LIFE / RV Trip Wizard – Plan Smarter, Travel Better! Your ultimate RV trip planner & GPS tool. Save 25% automatically when you’re ready to purchase.
🔋 Redodo Lithium Batteries – Our trusted source for boondocking bliss. Get an additional 6% off their already low price by using the code LIKE at checkout.
⚙ NRVTA Home Study Course – Stop paying techs to fix your RV. Save money and do it yourself! Use the code LTNT30 to save 30% off!
Related Video Resources:
📺 Summer RV Maintenance:
Cooking Videos:
