Keeping a Journal

I have a basic excel spreadsheet to track preferred campsites, fees, etc. I use one worksheet to identify all the campgrounds I like (or want to try), and then a second worksheet to list my trips for the year (dates, when reservations were made, cost of reservations, etc.). This stays on my laptop as it's only used beforehand.

For mileage, I keep a small notebook in my visor. On one page, I list the miles driven per tank, on the second page, I list the amount of fuel filled per tank.

We're old school. Allison keeps a "diary" or "journal" of our travels in our PUP. She doesn't write anything for any other days of our lives, just camping. No mileages, no gas or expenses, just a recap of the highlights of our day.

We write it on a calendar and then transfer to our waypoints, poi's, in the comments section for the GPS. Mileage and gas use go into a spread sheet.

This appears to fit what you are looking for and what we used for years before going full time.


http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/campers-daily-log-binder/2152


Hope this helps.

It is interesting how varied our different experiences are. I have designed a very simple checklist/log. It fills a letter sized page. On one side I have the checklist for "take off" from each campsite. On the other side there is a corresponding number for that campsite where I enter the location, site number, any comments about that site and campground. I keep the original, but enter a summary into an Excel spreadsheet where I keep up with the total mileage on the RV. I have used this same system for four different fifth-wheels which we have owned and used over almost 20 years.

I do not keep the mileage records as we travel, but work up the mileage based on the actual route we have taken as I enter into the spreadsheet. Not a conscious decision, just the routine I've fallen into.


I have also begun to keep copies of an annual calendar on which I have brief notations. I wish I had begun this sooner. I produce the calendars with Microsoft Publisher.

BTW, in writing this post I checked my Excel logs. On our present HitchHiker we have 59,421 miles. I won't go into the others, but I did come up with a total of 146,359 miles.

Absolutely - keep a journal (any how that works for you!) You will be surprised at how many arguments/discussions of where/when were we, in the future!! At least once a week for us. Our RV adventures and journal started in 1961!!

FWIW: Our RV Journaling came into being when our sales rep presented us with a beautiful journal with a metal plate on the outside front inscribed with our names, year and model. Inside the front cover he placed a photo he took of us and our youngest standing besides our new beast. Very thoughtful gesture and we've used it to log every trip whether a weekend or 8+ weeks ever since. Just a basic diary where we document where we went, stayed, thoughts and worth going back or not. We also for each trip keep a financial scrap piece of paper and log of mileage start and end each day and at the end of our combined trip do a brief conclusion of "must go back", "waste of time/money locations/attractions",, mileage, Nos nights boon docking versus CG's and costings for trip. Having hit well over 40+ states, inc Alaska & Hawaii (not by RV the latter obviously!) albeit in vacation mode, it will serve us well when we slow down and smell the roses heading into FT in about 2 years now.

So we keep it very basic, and at the end of every year since 2002 add up how many nights we spent in the RV so one day when we sell/trade it we can calculate on the depreciation what it cost us per night average (LOL).

Do whatever makes sense to you and is easiest to ensure it doesn't become a chore to keep up to date. I'm an excel spreadsheet person for most areas of our lives but for our travels, just love grabbing the journal and updating quickly and it's easy to throw the receipts as we travel in the back of it until I update every couple of days or so whilst travelling.

DW keeps a notebook of where we stayed, the dates and what we did. Each trip also has a campsite picture after we're done setting up. It's neat to look back on from when we started camping with our pop-up and mini-van and progressed to what we have now.

we have from our very first trip in out new tt where we camped what we did some pictures from each trip now that the kids are grown they like looking though it makes for good campfire stories

I use MS office ... outlook contacts and outlook calendar.
Make a journal entry each day... put the rv campground info in the contacts.
... make a category for each state.

Make as many categories as you wish... Xmas list, new friends, old friends, electronics... repairs ... etc

I have categories for my charge cards, medical doctors, recipes, appliances, ... ANYTHING I want to track... medications/suppliments ...

And you can keep it all backed up on a travel drive or in the sky on icloud.

(I don't keep anything on paper anymore.)