How long to go from idea to execution for a trip?

My RV is ready to go except for food and water. I usually stop on the way to purchase food.

Every trip is different and the time of year always makes preparation time different too.

Getting read for the first Spring outing usually takes some thought as we've pulled everything out of the camper over the winter months, clothing, food, different supplies. Sometimes, it takes 2 or 3 trips out to finally feel comfortable we have everything back in the camper that was stripped out over the winter.

By the end Fall, the camper is ready to go at a whim's notice. We literally live in the camper all Summer long in the drive way. Why air condition a 2800 square foot house when we can get away with about 270 square feet? Besides, we enjoy the camper much more than the house. So, there is always food, clothing and water in the camper.

I also have the truck prepared all the time. Unless I need to haul something in the back of the bed of the truck, the bed always has our camping stuff in it (blue tote, water hoses, sewer hoses, fire wood, tool boxes, blocks, stablizing blocks for the jacks, extra water tank, air compressor. In the side tool boxes in my truck bed shell, I keep (always) an electric drill, 100 foot long extension cords, more wood for leveling the camper, jumper cables, floor jack, rope, bungee cords, straps, tent pegs, hammer, stuff like that.

So, basically, on a whim we can just "go."

Except for an extended stay trip (like a week to 2 weeks), we plan our next outing about 6 days in advance, making reservations. Mostly because we both have jobs that all over the charts and could demand our time at any time, day or night. It's hard to plan ahead much more than a week.

But we do plan our 1 or 2 week trips, almost a year a head of time. Getting reservations to our final destination points and then planning out the path to get there and making reservations for all stops along the way getting there. We do this a year in advance. And then plan ahead as the time approaches closer for what we might need or want on that trip thats different than everything or any else we might have been to. The week-end jaunts helps prepare for the big trips of the year. I say trips (plural), because we usually do 4 one week trips over the course of the entire year (including Winter) or 2 two week trips.

Winter trips take a bit more planning, as there is often de-winterizing the water system involved, and packing warmer. But we plan ahead.

Do we still forget "stuff"? Absolutely yes! All the time, there seems to always be something we wish we had that we left behind. It's never 100 percent perfect. But... there's usually a WalMart near by. And then every 2 years we clean out the camper from all the excessive "junk" we've accumulated.

Your next question should be; After you own your camper for 2 years, how much time does it take you to get rid of your excessive hoard of accumulation you never use?

Enjoy your camping. Don't over think it. Just have fun with it. If you didn't bring "it" along, improvise. That's part of the fun too you know.

It varies. Initial clean & stock after winter storage happens over a few days, though there's lots of other tasks that get done.
After initial setup and the first trip, we pull only consumables & dirty clothes, and clean the interior & sometimes the exterior.
Next trip prep - load desired clothes (ya gotta have clothes in this country even if we are naturists...) for the expected weather and activities, and consumables. Wash the rig, clean windows, touch up the interior as needed, then run a maintenance check on oils & pressures and the like.

Most shutdown activities take a half day, prep for a trip can be as short as a half day, but typically are 2-4 days ahead of the event, with perhaps 4-6 hours of actual activity spread over that time.

Day-boating prep/shutdown takes a lot less time...

It takes as long as it takes (or took is more appropriate). Not a contest, not a challenge, it just is. Some trips were fast, some weren't. Never gave it any thought as it never was that important.

IMHO, the secret or trick to planning and actually doing an RV trip is to figure out what you would normally want to bring along on your trip i.e clothes, food, tools, general supplies etc etc. Now put all your list of items in the RV and take off for your trip. The secret is, when you get home from your trip DO NOT take the list of items out of your RV, just leave them there. Now you can ready for your next RV trip in 1/2 the time!

Our RV (5th wheel) is parked on our property (FHU pad) and is fully furnished ready to go........except for perishables

Load up the groceries, disconnect/store power cord and hookup to truck ----- 45 minutes tops

Sorry, apparently I'm not allowed to post relevant content.

You are my hero!!!!. I fly by the seat of my pants but DH has to plan every detail. Me on the other hand could be gone in a matter of hours. Really like the way you think.

6 hours fresh water bleach soak time, rinse and fill while fridge cools down, clothes are loaded and tires aired up. Twenty minutes at the market for fresh foods...everything else is replaced upon return including propane. Otherwise Winnie is ready at all times for adventure...as am I.