Editor’s Note: This post is written by a member of LTV’s sponsored content team, The Leisure Explorers. Do you own a Leisure Travel Van and enjoy writing? Learn more about joining the team.
As new LTV owners, we wanted to take on an adventurous trip that was longer than our initial pair of short trips, as described in Our First Forty-Five Days. A desire to visit Nashville from our home base in Houston, Texas, led us to the Natchez Trace Parkway. LTVing the Natchez Trace Parkway was an ideal extended shakedown trip for us, and below I explain why.
Goals of Our Extended Shakedown Trip
Having gained basic familiarity with our new 2025 Wonder Rear Twin Bed, we wanted to develop how we would camp in her. LTV blogs and the LTV Enthusiasts Facebook group had shown me the diversity of LTV ownership and associated experiences. We expected to be nomadic with our van, but did not know how we’d travel and camp. Having fitted out our motorhome in the way we thought we’d use it, we needed to understand our RV lifestyle. To help us work this out, we wanted a trip as follows:
- A trip that required planning. We are planners, and we wanted to see how to plan an adventure with our Wonder.
- A spectrum of camping options. We wanted to try different ways of camping to help find our preferences.
- A range of driving distances. How does the LTV drive compared to a car, and how does that impact driving fatigue?
- About a week long. This would allow us to get into the rhythm of motorhome life.
- Refining what we carried. What onboard items did we not use, and what did we miss?
It was also essential that the trip was successful, fun, interesting, and comfortable.
I recognize that each owner has a different lifestyle. Below, I outline our preferences, recognizing that other LTV owners may have different priorities.
Planning
The idea for the trip was born just a couple of weeks before we left. Our daughter and future son-in-law were going to be in Nashville. I had read a little bit about the Natchez Trace Parkway as a National Park you drive, so I dug more. Finding this story by Bill and Denise Semion about their LTV adventure, which outlines the Trace’s fascinating history, confirmed it was a viable choice. We created a detailed plan, making campground reservations and identifying stops along the way.
RVLife’s Trip Wizard provided proper itinerary-planning functionality. With a connection to our Harvest Host account, we were able to include those stops in our plan. We could also add custom stops for staying with family. The only issue I found was keeping the driving route on the Natchez Parkway, as it calculated a “better” route, but this had an insignificant impact on the plan. Trip Wizard’s “driving radius” functionality helped me work out how to divide the long drive back from North Carolina to Houston.
However, I wanted to see the data in a tabular form, which is how I plan our other adventures. So, I created an Excel sheet to complement the RVLife Plan.
Camping Options
Private Full-Service Campgrounds
We wanted to try a full range of camping options. This included the private, full-service facilities at the River View RV Park and Resort overlooking the Mississippi River by Natchez and Timberlake Campground on the shore of the Barnett Reservoir near Jackson. Our journeys after the Trace took us to Toqua Campground on the Little Tennessee River near Vonore. All three had good reviews, and they met or exceeded our expectations, while showing us variation. RVLife’s Trip Wizard gave easy access to reviews, complementing Google, and it has given me motivating feedback on how many people have read the reviews that I left.
We especially loved our first night next to the Mississippi, strolling along its banks and watching the barges speed downstream or motor hard upstream. Seeing the Mississippi’s strong current up close emphasized the need for a route for traders in the 1700s to walk back upstream, having floated their wares to Natchez. Hence, the Natchez Trace!
Campgrounds on Public Land
We stayed at Davis Lake Campground in a National Forest just off the Natchez Trace near New Houlka, and, after completing the Trace, we stayed at Old Stone Fort Archaeological Park near Manchester, Tennessee. These campsites were more natural than the private full-service campgrounds, which we preferred. We realized that a sewer hookup was unnecessary, and that a water and electric site was all we needed, using the campground’s dump facility as required.
Thousand Trails or Boondocking at a Free NPS Campground
We had been given a free year’s membership to Thousand Trails with our motorhome purchase and were happy to try it out at their campground on the Natchez Trace. It was a very large campground with over 530 sites and offered lots of facilities. There appeared to be many semi-permanent RVs, and the area was very busy, likely due to it being a Saturday and close to Nashville. We had already learned that we loved having space around the unit and felt crowded on the site they gave us.
A nearby alternative was the National Park’s Meriwether Lewis Campground, one of three such campgrounds on the Trace itself. They were free, first-come, first-served, with no water or electric hookups. I had planned to avoid them, as I was worried about running our AC all night. We decided to try it instead of our cramped site, recognizing that this trip was about experimenting. As we had not planned for this, our batteries were not fully charged, so we ran the generator to top them off. We were able to run the AC all night, thereby avoiding the noise of running engines. I share details about battery life in my story, How Long Will the Batteries in My New Wonder Last? We were so glad that we took the risk, as we loved camping there.
After driving the Trace, we also stayed at a Harvest Host, a private campground right next to the Interstate, and with family. I was unable to find an LTV Driveway Host to complete the camping options I wished to explore. While there is variation within each category of campground, our range of experiences in this shakedown trip increased our awareness of the different types and will help with planning future adventures.
Driving Distances
Our daily mileage ranged from just over 100 miles to over 450 miles. It was no surprise that the longer days were more tiring. Driving the LTV was more taxing than travelling in a regular car, and this might get easier with familiarity. Being able to access the house while driving, or easily pull over and stop, made the trip more relaxing. We know that we can drive longer distances if we choose to, and recognize the value of taking time to enjoy the journey and experiences.
Trip Length
Spending nine nights in the van enabled us to get into the rhythm of camping. It was sufficiently short that we did not need to stop for laundry or a significant grocery resupply. This allowed us to leave our brick-and-mortar home behind and embark on the journey. Our itinerary allowed us to stay only one night at each campground, which was fine for a trip of this length. Indeed, one of the unexpected benefits was gaining familiarity with the basics of hookup and dumping. Performing the basic tasks for eight days developed good habits that are less likely to form over multiple two- to three-day trips.
Were We Carrying What We Needed?
One advantage of a shake-down trip on the Natchez Trace Parkway is the proximity to towns. Natchez, Jackson, and Tupelo are conveniently located nearby, offering stores for equipment and resupply. We only needed to buy milk, and we noted desirable additions. The main improvement was a 25-foot coiling water hose that fits in the wet bay, eliminating the need for the longer regular hose on the majority of occasions when I could park near the water faucet. Other additions ranged from a squeegee for the windscreens to a paw cleaner for our dog.
I was also aware of what we were not using. I had made the mistake, against all advice, of buying things early, thinking we might use them. Our camping style so far has meant that we don’t sit outside much, so we haven’t used the outdoor rug, dog pen, or chairs. We take hikes instead. With the fridge not being sensitive to slope, we’ve been able to tolerate a slight gradient, so we have not used our leveling blocks yet. As we fill the water tank, the pressure regulator is not required, and the water filter remains unopened. I mounted a bike in the Wonder’s garage, but have yet to use it. I’m not ready to leave stuff behind yet, as our LTVing lifestyle continues to evolve, and these items might be helpful in other environments. We still have plenty of spare storage space and weight. The main thing that remains uncomfortable for me is driving without a spare tire, which I plan to resolve.
Other Learnings
We were content with the frequent lack of connectivity, which helped us disconnect, although there were some lessons learned—one was watching TV.
At home, I’d set up and tested mirroring apps from my iPhone onto the TVs and had downloaded some shows and movies to watch. However, on the trip, I discovered that such mirroring only works when connected to wifi. I’ve since learned that HDMI connectors from the phone tend not to support Netflix or Amazon Prime, even the expensive Apple one, though playing downloaded shows from a PC works fine. Another learning was the need to download before going off-grid. The National Park Service had a great interactive map of the Parkway, but you need to download it before you lose signal.
A pedestal’s 30-amp breaker at one park got very hot and kept tripping. We had a 30-amp to 50-amp dogbone adapter, so we could plug into the 50-amp and not worry about the breaker. Loose papers revealed that we needed a better way to organize our planning printouts, and a simple envelope does the job. On multiple occasions, we discovered that acorns are very loud when they land on the LTV’s roof, and it’s wise to consider the risk of falling limbs when parking under trees.
Did We Have Fun?
While we had practical goals for the trip, it would have been pointless if we had not enjoyed it. We had a great time! This adventure was a conservative step up from our previous trips, ensuring we were not pushed beyond our limits into stress. The trip’s variety and the multitude of sites along the Natchez Trace Parkway ensured we stayed interested. Janet had prepared many scrumptious meals, and eating them in the van was a highlight. We ate at fewer restaurants than expected. I knew that a key ingredient in success was “happy wife, happy life,” and we both had a great deal of fun on the trip. Read this personal blog for a day-by-day account with more photos and details. While we plan to continue to take trips as adventurous as this, the next “step-up” will require laundry and resupply. Learning and stretching ourselves is part of the fun.
An essential success criterion was a happy dog. Our 8-pound miniature longhaired Dachshund, Saydee, was part of the family. She loved looking out of the window and was happier going for walks than staying at home. Her nose incessantly explored the nooks and crannies of the motorhome.
Conclusion
Traveling the Natchez Trace Parkway was an ideal step-up adventure in our new LTV. We gained confidence, learned what went well, and identified areas for improvement, and all three of us had fun. We were pleased with the detailed planning approach and moving forward each day. During our planning, I was happy to discover a wealth of blogs from LTV owners on the Leisure website.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://leisurevans.com/blog/shaking-down-on-the-natchez-trace-parkway/