More Things Learned While Traveling & Living the RV Lifestyle

1. Traveling like this is divided into 2 categories:

a)     The “Destination.”  When you arrive at your destination, you set up camp, hook up the utilities, and set about to do what you came to do.  I breathe a sigh of relief when we are at our destination—an RV park somewhere in the area we want to be in.  This will be our home for however long we stay and I feel safe and secure. 

b)      “Being On The Road.”  This is fraught with uncertainties.  We try never to be on the road longer than a few days before we arrive at the destination.  Because we pull a travel trailer, everything is in laundry baskets on the floor and cupboards are bungie-corded shut and the bed is loaded with stuff and the kitchen table benches are also holding things.  We have to do this to secure everything while we’re driving.  It may be different in a motor home.  So, it’s not easy to right everything every evening and therefore we don’t.  We usually only unload the bed so we can sleep in it.  We drive most of the day so we don’t really use the trailer except to use the toilet if necessary, although for that we also use public restrooms when we can.  We don’t cook meals either because the microwave doesn’t work (we don’t have a generator).  The only thing that works is the stove but we don’t like to cook when everything is piled on the floor in the way and we don’t want to be stuck with dishes to wash and fill up our tanks.  So, we usually pull into a truck stop for the night if we’re on an interstate, or we find a McDonalds where there is plenty of room to park or a Wal Mart shopping center.  Many Wal Marts allow campers to park overnight in the back corner of the parking lot.  The truck stops are called Travel Centers and we like them.  It’s free parking and we tuck ourselves in amongst the big rigs.  It’s noisy all night long with generators running, but at least it’s free and we feel safe there.  However, if you don’t get there early enough to get a spot, it can be packed with no place for you.  A few truck stops have separate RV parking areas but most do not.  Another option is to look around you at the fast food restaurants off the interstate and if you see any Big Rigs parked in empty lots or dirt fields nearby, then you can pull in with them.  You’ll notice that when you do this, other rv’ers will also join you before the night is over.  We all feel safer when we band together for overnight parking.  In the morning we usually buy a “team shower” in the facilities ($10-$12 usually) and buy coffee in their restaurant, and gas up the truck there too.  Every other month we’ll buy a car wash at their facility if one is available.  They will wash both the truck and trailer for about $40-$50.  Always behave as a guest and stay out of the way of the big rigs when you can.  At truck stops, they are king, and we are just the uninvited interlopers they tolerate.  If we are parking overnight anywhere but a truck stop, our morning shower is reduced to a “spit bath.”  This means using baby wipes and washing our body the best we can with these, and then sporting fresh, clean clothes if possible.  Unfortunately, my hair is an unruly mass of curls so I either tuck everything under a hat, or clip it on top of my head.  I don’t do anything with it until I get a real shower.  I also don’t wear any makeup while in-between being stationary.  In fact, I don’t really wear makeup all that much while living this way.  It’s too much of a hassle.

c)     We never sleep overnight at the Rest Areas that are found along the interstates, unless we see Big Rigs and RV’s there.  It’s not safe to be alone in these places.

d)     If we are really desperate, sometimes we’ll sneak into a hospital parking lot and sleep there for a few hours.  The worst that will happen is their security will come knocking on our door and kick us out.  Most of the time it’s not a problem.  We usually just explain that we didn’t know where to go and became too tired to drive anymore.  They are often very nice and helpful and will either let you stay or will suggest somewhere close by.  That is true of cops too.  They are usually very helpful.

e)     Sometimes the restaurants will let you stay in their parking lot overnight, especially if they have a very large parking lot and business is slow that night.  They will let you do this if you are a customer and come into the restaurant to buy a meal.  This is true of places like Denney’s or other 24 hour restaurants.  If you reassure them you are going to be gone by early morning (like 6:00 a.m.), they won’t have a problem with it.

f)     If worst comes to worst, then go to a motel and ask to pay to park in their back lot.  It should still be cheaper than a hotel room but don’t be afraid to stay in a hotel now and then if you have to.  If you get stuck somewhere in bad weather, pulling into a hotel and renting a room will be a good thing to do.

g)     The reason we don’t just stay in RV parks while on the road is that we aren’t going to be there long enough to make the price worth it.  We aren’t going to hook up the utilities, nor unpack anything, so why pay?  RV parks are often closed at 5:00 pm so if you arrive later you can’t get in anyway (unless you have a reservation and they have given you a space with codes to open the gate ahead of time).

h)     We try very hard to never drive past dark and we try to get settled for the night by about 4 pm in the winter, or later in the summer when there is more sunlight.  It’s not good to drive in unfamiliar places in the dark especially if you’re an older person and your night vision isn’t all that great.  It’s important to be able to recognize the parts of town you find yourself in.  You don’t want to be parking in the “bad” part of town, especially in a deserted lot or something.

2. Weapons:  Some states allow you to carry guns, others do not.  We don’t happen to have any but we do have a baseball bat, pepper spray and a stun gun.  The stun gun was a gift from our son who is a gun enthusiast and he was terrified we were going out on the road without “adequate protection.”  We try to live in such a way so that we don’t become a target of criminals while traveling, and so hope we never have to use any of this.  However, if you do plan to carry guns, I would suggest you keep them safely hidden out of plain view, and if anyone asks if you are carrying weapons, be sure to say no.  Why invite trouble?  We tell white lies to the customs officers when they ask us if we’re carrying produce from other states.  We just say no, and do not get into a discussion about the head of lettuce or 2 tomatoes in our refrigerator.  That’s not what they are concerned about anyway.  They just don’t want you transporting crates of infected produce from state to state.  They don’t care about the cucumber in your refrigerator.  There is such a thing as living by the letter of the law, and the spirit of the law.  So that applies to weapons as well.  The authorities aren’t concerned with an older couple with who are safe with their gun and only going to use it for self-defense.  They are concerned with gun trafficking and criminals and people so paranoid that they would shoot at anyone who looked at them suspiciously.  So be a normal, level-headed, considerate traveler and you shouldn’t have any problems.  Just don’t volunteer information to the authorities which doesn’t need to be volunteered, or you’ll force their hand and make them do their job—take away your expensive weapon and charge you with a crime that you’ll pay dearly for, for no reason.  Personally, I’ve talked to travelers who were on the road for years and never needed a weapon so you have to decide for yourself whether you really want to take chances.

3. Always get a weather report the day before and the day of, so you’ll know what kind of weather you’re going to be driving into.  The morning news on tv, the radio or even on the internet will give you information.  We drove right into a terrible rain storm with thunder and lightning once because we failed to check the weather report.  It was so bad that by afternoon there was flooding and it became unsafe to continue driving.  So we had to scramble to find a place to hole up until it was over.  The next day all was clear.  It would have been better to just wait the extra day in the first place.  Incidentally, we later heard on the news that there were several fatal accidents in the area we were driving in, and a tornado had even touched down behind us at one point.  Don’t take chances like this!

4. Be careful where you park your vehicle when away from the rv park!  Most of the time the vehicle will stay safe, but it’s not difficult for criminals to spot a traveler, just by the license plate.  If they see that you have valuable items in the car—such as stereo, GPS, other electronics, bags, luggage, they may decide to break in.  It only takes a few minutes to smash a window, open the lock, open the door and grab what they want.  They can even steal the vehicle itself.  So pay attention to where you are going, try to park where you can see the car, or park in a lot that has security.  When we were in New Orleans we parked in lots that had security but we paid a lot of money for that.  We also left as much stuff at the trailer as possible.  And this was during daylight.  For night time, if we were out at the French Quarter, which we were not, we would have taken taxi’s.  Part of the time you can take a shuttle or bus to and from the French Quarter and transfer to a trolley when you get there, so you can leave your vehicle back at the RV park.  The same safety rules apply for wilderness areas.  I have friends who go hiking and where people park at trailheads is a beehive of criminal activity sometimes.  People come back from a hike to see their windows smashed and their valuables gone.  In this case, it’s also best to lock valuables in the trunk where no one can see them.  It also goes without saying, to always lock your doors!  It’s also wise to talk to your RV park hosts—they are usually a gold mine of good information about the area you are in.

5. Most RV parks will cost between $25 and $40 per night.  Of course, they usually have better prices for weekly sites and monthly.  So be sure you budget enough money to pay for RV parks and gas for driving.  Food, repairs, parking and other sundries run extra.

6. I keep a roll of quarters in the glove compartment of our truck and use these for parking meters, phone calls (although with cell phones, it’s rare to need a pay phone), extra change for the Laundromat, vending machines and anything else that requires some change.  If someone were to break into our vehicle and steal the quarters, it would be the least valuable thing to steal.

7. RV Heater System:  Our RV heater broke down and the repairman said it was probably a circuit board which would run a minimum of $200 to repair.  We decided to forgo this for now and instead we bought a small electric space heater for $25.  The propane we have to pay for but the electricity is included in the space rental at the RV park, unless we stay by the month.  In that case, they charge less for rent than the daily or weekly rate, but you get charged extra for electricity.  Still, it’s cheaper than propane.  When we have no hookups then we have no heat at all.  The only option then is to buy a Little Buddy Propane Heater and the little canisters of propane and use that.  However, I’m not certain of the safety of running one of those without ventilation.  And if we have to keep a window open, then our trailer is not going to heat up and we waste the propane.  So what we do during those brief times when we have no hookups, is to stay away from cold areas as best we can, and when we do encounter a really cold night, we wear warm sweatsuits with our coats on to bed with thick socks, gloves and a beanie cap and use all the blankets we have.  This enables us be warm enough to get a nights sleep.  Thankfully, we don’t have to do this very often.

8. Clotheslines:  Most RV parks do not let you hang a clothesline outside, not even the type that fit onto your back bumper.  So what we did is buy a clothes dryer rack and use that when necessary to hang wet clothes that cannot go into the dryer.  We also bought 2 cheap, short shower rods that are spring-loaded and placed them high up in the shower.  We use these to hang wet towels, bathmats and sometimes wet swimming suits.

9. An article in Highways Magazine (Good Sam Club), May 2011, entitled “RVers’ Best Friends,” really captured the truth about what services you use while traveling and how the familiar is what we are drawn to.  For instance, Walmart is a place we often go to for all sorts of things including RV supplies, and they have them everywhere.  We like The Pilot Flying J or Loves or any of the other truck stops for fuel, truck & trailer wash, gift shop, restaurant, showers and free overnight dry camping amongst the big rigs.  We eat at McDonalds far more than we ever did back home when we are on the road because it’s cheap and they have free wifi and good coffee.  Somehow, we feel psychologically reassured to see the familiar amidst the unknown and unfamiliar of every new place we go.

10. What is better to have—a Motorhome, 5^th Wheel, or Trailer?  I think all 3 have pluses and minuses.  The minuses of a trailer are that, suppose we park overnight at a Walmart or other public place.  We can’t really unhook the trailer to go exploring and leave the trailer there because then it’s obvious we are camped there.  A motorhome which tows a little car can easily unhitch the car and take off for a few hours and no one would be the wiser for it.  Also, with our trailer we are forced to spend 30 minutes packing things up and clearing countertops so that nothing falls or spills while we’re on the move.  We end up not being able to do anything in it except sleep in the bed and use the toilet.  The floors and table booth are loaded with things packed and wedged in.  All the cupboards are wrapped with bungie cords so it’s a hassle to try to get into one.  It may be that motorhomes and 5^th wheels don’t have to be packed up as much while on the move. 

Choice of RV is a matter of preference and budget.  A 5^th Wheel is the most economical if one owns a suitable truck.  However, the majority of RV full-timers prefer a Class A motorhome.  Motorhomes usually get the better gas mileage.  New RV’s get the bells and whistles but depreciate fast.  A gently used RV with low mileage is probably the best way to go.  There may be some way to check if certain makes and models are lemons, perhaps by checking with Consumer Reports. 

Visit CampingWorld.com/rvsales to get a brief description of all three.

It’s a good idea to rent an RV before purchasing one.  Then you’d have an idea what to expect.  I also think, if you’re planning to live in your rv full-time, that you should go live in it for a month or two at a park near your home before you actually live in one full-time.  That would give you an idea of what you need to fill it with, what kind of provisions you’ll need.

Visit CampingWorld.com/rvrentals for info on renting an rv.

The size or length of an rv also has pluses and minuses.  A smaller one can get you in and out of difficult camping sites.  Sometimes rv parks cannot even accommodate anything over 34 feet.  But having a larger rig means you’ll have more space inside which is a definite plus.  My old 26’ no-slide-outs trailer is definitely too small for full-timing, but it’s all we can afford.  We bought it for $4000 about 4 years ago off my husbands brother, then bought the Dooley truck off his other brother for $5000, and fixed it up a bit.  At that time we had no plans of full-timing.  My husband just wanted to go camping now and then.  But now we feel like we’ve learned to make-do.  The priority is just to travel and see the US and maybe Canada.  Our truck and trailer are paid off, and this is how we can afford to do it.  We try to keep our possessions to a minimum as best we can, and I continue to purge our trailer of un-needed things now and then.

If you are planning to buy a motorhome and tow a car or other item (called a toad or a dinghy), you may want to check MotorHome’s Guide to Dinghy Towing at MotorHomeMagazine.com/Category/Dinghy-Towing.  It’s easier to tow a 4 wheel on the ground than a 2 wheel.  You’ll need to find out if your motorhome is able to tow a 4-wheel-on-the-ground or not. 

11. I love to feed the wildlife when we are camping.  I keep bird seed and squirrel food for this purpose, but I learned that it is not a good idea to do this and that some RV parks or campgrounds forbid it.  Throwing seed around your RV draws in unwanted rodents like mice which can cause damage to your RV by getting into the underside openings and chewing through wires and tubing, even making nests and having babies there.  It can end up being a nightmare.  Having rodents draws in the snakes and reptiles which feed on them, and no camper wants snakes in their campsite.  As a result, we no longer feed wildlife near the camping sites or in the park and the only time I do it is if we’re out on a trail and there are no camps nearby.  If you do get assailed by mice/rodents and you didn’t do anything to encourage them—then there are a few helpful tips that may work:  first, inspect the openings around pipes, siding and the underbelly of the RV and install some exterior-rated foam sealant to these areas.  Make sure there is no water source for them near your RV.  And never keep food or garbage outdoors.

Campers often have all sorts of home remedies for common problems in camping and here is an example:  Someone wrote in to Trailer Life Magazine that placing bars of Irish Spring Soap under the trailer would work as an effective poison of rodents.  Then 2 other readers wrote in to say they tried it and it was a disaster.  The rodents ended up being driven by a terrible thirst so they came into the rv, bled out, and died in the toilet.  It was a huge mess to clean up, so maybe not such a good idea.

The techs at Highways magazine recommend a product called Shake-Away Small Animal Repellent.  According to the manufacturer, this stuff is organic and safe to use around people, pets and plants.  It comes in a 20 ounce container that sells for $14.95 (www.criter-repellent.com).  To use, you just sprinkle the granules on the ground, and critters stay away.

One remedy that works for us to repel insects and spiders, but may also repel rodents, is that we got some prescription bottles from a pharmacy, drilled holes in the top of the container cap, and placed moth balls inside.  We placed several underneath the trailer and in the outside cubbies.  The mothballs disintegrate over time so you have to periodically refill the bottles, but as a result, we’ve had no problems with insects or rodents yet.                                                                                                                             

12. Having problems with window shades and blinds?  Check out www.dirtyblindman.com.  There is a lot of information listed and the company sells repair kits.  The kits have all the parts you’ll need if you’re willing to spend a few hours on re-stringing.

13.  I’ve learned that we prefer to have a mail-forwarding service than have our relatives back home have to deal with our mail. We went through the Good Sam Club mail service, which is actually called American Home Base and it’s located in Florida.   They provide us with both a post-box and a legal residence.  You can get your mail every week from them but we only order ours 1-2 times per month.  This service costs us about $20.50 per month.   Florida, along with South Dakota and Texas are the most popular states to change your domicile to since they are no income-tax states.

14. Technology Must-Haves:  For us, we’ve found that we do need a GPS even if it’s not that accurate or has little quirks we don’t like.  We also use a road atlas, and city paper maps along with it.  We like our little Trac-phones and they are cheap and easy to use.  A laptop computer is also an important thing for us because we keep in touch with family and friends through email and facebook.  I also have a blog and use Flickr.com to post our travel photos.  Skype would be nice but we don’t actually have it.  Our music and my recipes are all on my laptop, as well as photos and other information.

15. We also like the idea of the Good Sam Club chapters, and they are often promoted on Facebook.  These are rv clubs that are within your home town or state and are especially great for camping because they provide networking and a chance to meet new friends.  Chapters get together for monthly gatherings, travels to state Samboree Rallies and take summer trips together.  Everyone shares a host of helpful hints, ideas and experiences.

16. You’ll need insurance on your trailer, just as you do on your vehicles, but it’s also good to have rv insurance which covers the contents of your rv as well.  Most RV clubs offer these policies.  CheckGoodSamRvInsurance.com and get an instant quote.  With newer rigs you can get full replacement cost coverage, in case of total loss.

17. There are often hidden costs to RV travel.  In Washington they have instituted a hotel tax of 11% (or so I read).  Camping fees, state tax, city tax, value-added tax, hotel tax…with all of these added costs, will there be any money to actually go anywhere or money to get home on?

18. I learned real fast that I wish I had spent some time losing weight and getting into shape before I ventured out on this trip.  Dan is also out of shape after being inactive for a year from back problems and then back surgery, prior to this trip.  Walking is hard on us and we often come home with aching feet, hips and back.  If we’d gotten into shape before the trip, we would be a lot more efficient with our time—able to see more and do more on a daily basis.  Being fit also means a better metabolism so that little treats and eating out isn’t as problematic for weight gain.

19. I’ve learned a lot about RV Safety, which I will post a list.  There is so much a new RVer like us has to learn and it’s often too late when you do.  Have you had an LP check done?  Do you have a CO detector, LP detector, and a Smoke detector in your RV?  Do you have A/C testers?  Do you have a roadside kit of emergency and safety items?

20. I’ve learned that no matter how nice the camp hosts are, they either outright lie or they don’t quite tell the whole truth.  We see this when asking if they have internet.  If I hear them hesitate before answering, then I know they have no useful internet even if they say they do.  If I ask about whether or not they have clean bathrooms with private dressing areas and they hesitate before answering, then I know to take whatever they say and divide it by 2 and subtract.

21. Don’t bother the park hosts incessantly.  Talk to them when necessary but don’t go to them constantly with questions or complaints.  Once we’re in a park, our park staff will rarely hear from us.  I see people who make it a daily ritual to venture into the office for a half-hours’ gab with the staff about mundane things or complaints, and it’s not a good thing to do.  Leave them alone!  They are not there to entertain us!  I’ve learned to ask the standard questions either over the phone when we are checking a park out, or when we arrive.  I use the map they provide and take a tour of the facilities by myself, and be as proactive as I can be on my own.

22. A paper map of the city and state you are in, especially the cities, is very helpful.  Once you’re in a town, a paper map can help give you an overall view of how your city is laid out, and the best routes to take.  If you have a AAA Auto Club membership, you can free maps from their service centers.  The free maps the Visitor Centers give you are helpful but not complete.

23. If you’re planning to stay in an RV park longer than a week, here is a tip we received—check into a park for only 2-3 days and then spend those couple of days checking out if there better parks nearby at better prices. They aren’t all listed in directories or online.  We found at one park we stayed in for 2 weeks did not have adequate internet but the park down the road had perfect internet service.  If we hadn’t already paid for and committed ourselves to the one we were in, we could have moved to another park and been a lot more happy.  This is a good plan for us because it’s not easy to drive around town with a trailer hitched looking at dozens of sites, and once you’ve paid to stay somewhere they won’t give you a refund if you leave early.  It’s best not to commit to a long stay unless you’re sure you like your park enough to stay the duration.