Having a camper as your home base takes hunting to the next level. Pitching a tent or renting a cabin are both loads of fun, too, but overlanding means you can take the comforts of home with you wherever you feel the best hunting areas are. Before you hit the road, there are a few steps to take to ensure your RV is set up for the ultimate hunting experience. The staff here at Colorado Trailers is willing to help with that!

Preparing your Camper for a Hunting Trip

As a general rule, you’ll want to thoroughly inspect your hunting camper for any leaks or maintenance issues before you head out. If it’s a trailer, make sure it’s pulling well behind your tow vehicle. The best hunting often requires to be far from any civilization, so it’s best to have a checklist of everything that needs to be checked before traveling. Many hunters that bring their off-road camper along with them have a general checklist they refer to for each hunting trip.

Properly prepare for the weather

Depending on the area and time of year in which you’re hunting, you might need to take a few extra steps to ensure your comfort along the way. If you’re in mild weather, your RV is probably fine as it. However, if you’re in a colder climate, you’ll need to round up a few space heaters and several blankets to stay warm.

You’ll also want consider the pipes and water in your RV to make sure they don’t freeze and bust. For your black and gray water tanks, you can buy antifreeze to prevent any issues there. You can also buy tank heaters if your RV did not come with them! You can also insulate your hoses to keep the water from freezing, if you want to take it a step further, use insulated tape when you hookup your RV.

Choose the right location

Making sure you set up camp in the right area could make all the difference in a successful trip. With an RV, you can park near or right next to the best hunting spots you know of. Could it get any better than stepping right out of the door and into a hunting area? When scoping out, find a location that is close to water and has sun and shaded areas.

Find a way to transport and prepare meat

This is a step that’s significantly more important than any regular RVing trip. For most, the main goal of hunting is to bring back meat for the season. You simply cannot do this if you don’t think ahead and prepare for it.

If you plan to take your kill to a nearby processor, you should have your bases covered. You can call ahead and let them know you plan to come by, and they’ll tell you how busy they are. If they have room for you, it’s only a matter of safely transporting the meat back home safely in the correct coolers. It’s a good idea to ensure the meat is frozen before you start the trip back home, or it might not be safe to eat once you arrive.

Making the sure meat is frozen isn’t always an option – we get it! Try to find a high-quality cooler that will keep the meat frozen for as long as possible, and cover any extra space with ice.

Want to process your own meat? We understand that, too! We all know that bone-in meat has the best flavor, but taking the bone out under these circumstances will make your cooler easier to pack, and it will weigh less. Also cut off any excess fat you can during the process. It will only make the cooler heavier, and you’ll only end up cutting it off later.

Know where to store firearms

You can purchase a gun safe or some sort of lockable case while you travel. And always double (or triple) check that your firearms are unloaded before transport. Don’t forget about ammo, either. It should have its own case or safe away from any firearms.

While we’re on the subject, be sure you know your states’ laws and regulations on firearms. If you’re traveling out of state, read up on their rules. We feel this step isn’t something most people consider, because they’re more focused on packing enough to stay warm or making sure the RV is in great condition. While those steps are important, don’t forget to educate yourself on any gun laws that might pertain to you over the extent of your trip.

We hope these tips help you in having the best hunting trip yet! Have any great hunting tips of your own? Let us know in the comments.

As always, contact us about all your  trailer (or hunting camper) needs!