About two weeks ago, my husband and I started getting ready for our first RV trip this spring. If you camp, you know that getting ready just doesn’t involve spending an hour or so gathering what you need to set out.

The motor home was dirty. Sandy soil had piled up next to the wheel covers and the awning needed scrubbing. After the vehicle underwent a good exterior cleaning, we removed the wheel covers.

Our oak trees have produced an overabundance of acorns this year. As I bent down to unfasten one of those covers, a dozen or two acorns ground into my knees. When I pulled off the cover, I found leaves and other debris inside it. I brushed them off with a whisk broom.

A layer of pollen coated the windshield cover. We spread it out on the sidewalk, hosed it down, and cleaned it with long-handled brushes. The underside of it needed some whisk broom treatment. We threw it over an azalea bush to dry.

My husband hooked up a hose to an outdoor faucet, dragged it to the opening of the RV water tank, and signaled for me to turn the water on and off. After we completed that task, I started the motor home engine and let it run for a few minutes to check all the gauges. Later, he turned on the generator to make sure it ran right.

We checked the propane gas gauge. Then he lit the hot water heater and let it sit for a few minutes. He flipped the switch to see if it clicked on. It did.

We took the steps to prepare the RV’s sewer system for the trip. We made sure the electricity worked, the fire alarms functioned properly, and the refrigerator/freezer cooled. My husband vacuumed up the sand we had tracked in.

I hauled my summer clothes inside and replaced them with garments suitable for spring, including a sweaters and light jackets. I put linens on the bed. (That is absolutely one of the most maddening jobs in an RV, trying to make them fit with hardly any space to put your feet as you work). I made sure we had a couple of blankets, plenty of towels, wash cloths, dish cloths, and dish towels tucked away.

Our daughter put the groceries in place. My husband placed some of our favorite CDS and videos in their special niche.

I held back our coffee pot and perishable items from the refrigerator, our prescriptions, my toiletries, the laptop computer, and some other things. My husband held out his talking books player. All of them were to go during the mad rush to leave the next morning.

We worked all day. That night we watched a TV meteorologist map out the approaching weather system—at home and the direction we were heading. He predicted rain, strong thunderstorms, possible hail, and flooding just about all week.

There went our trip. Our only consolation—we are almost packed up for another trip.