RV Tip : Q & A about RVing

We often receive questions looking for an RV tip on one subject or another.

We hear from our RV Days readers and site visitors, as well as fellow RVers we meet in our travels.

We are happy to share our opinions and will continue to add questions and answers to this section of our website.

Please let us know if you have a question or are looking for some information. Feel free to contact us.

I am recently retired and want to travel around the country in my RV. The problem is that I am not sure if I want to give up working all together. Are there any options to continue working while on the road?

RV Tip: Answer:

There are many opportunities for work while on the road. RVers can find jobs workamping in campgrounds, selling products at RV rallies and shows, in online businesses, positions in casinos, retail establishments, theme parks and so on.

As you ponder various types of work, it's a good idea to give some consideration to your individual needs and preferences. Think about factors such as the length of time you want to stay in a particular location, the number of hours you want to work, if you have sufficient space to run a business of your own, if you want to carry inventory, etc. Thinking about the nature of work you want to do is important in finding a job that successfully meets your needs and that of your employer.

Feel free to take a look at our list of considerations and ideas for RVer jobs.

I want to start doing some traveling around the country but don’t know where to begin. I know the Grand Canyon is a “must see” destination for many folks, but I am looking for something a little off the beaten path. Any suggestions?

RV Tip: Answer:

There so many places to see in the US, Canada and Mexico. The National Parks are simply amazing and not to be missed. We like to venture off the beaten path ourselves. When we are planning a trip to a well-known destination, we look for side trips in that vicinity (or along the way).

For instance, we spent a few months visiting the Grand Canyon and the Grand Circle of National Parks in Utah. Some of these parks are well known (i.e., Zion and Bryce), others less so (such as Capital Reef and Canyonlands). And beyond the National Parks, while we were in this area, we also visited a number of "off the beaten path" sights in southern Utah (read more).

Depending on your interests and hobbies, you can usually find some wonderful and lesser known places to visit, hike, browse or otherwise explore. An RV tip we've learned is that it helps if you take time in your travels. The longer you are in an area, the more you learn.

Chat with the locals, fellow campers and the helpful employees and volunteers in places like the Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Centers. Look at local papers, bulletin boards and brochures for ideas. Search the internet for a particular geographic area and type of activity you enjoy.

We have posted our experiences and thoughts on places to RV. You are sure to find some gems of your own.

Can you suggest some good RV sites promoting RV trips? I am interested in taking some trips with other RVers, but I don’t know where to begin to look for such things.

RV Tip: Answer:

If you are looking for organized RV trips, there are a number of RV caravan companies that organize comprehensive trips to a variety of destinations, including places like Mexico, Alaska and Canada. A few popular RV Caravan companies are:

Fantasy Tours - http://www.fantasyrvtours.com
Tracks to Adventure - http://www.trackstoadventure.com
Adventure Caravans - http://www.adventurecaravans.com

If you are simply looking for ideas on where to travel, we have posted our experiences and thoughts on places to RV. That might be a good start.

Another way to proceed is to join a few RV clubs, such as Good Sam or FMCA, which hold reasonably-priced rallies and also have numerous local chapters you can join. Some of these chapters are targeted to a particular geographic area, others to a particular brand of RV, others to interests or hobbies. The chapters are a great way to join up with other RVers and often gatherings and weekend getaways of their own.

We explain more about different RV clubs here.

I am a first time RVer and am not sure what to look for when purchasing one for the first time. Also, is there an advantage to buying new, or am I ok looking at used RVs?

RV Tip: Answer:

As you might expect, there is no quick or easy answer to your question. There are advantages to buying new and to buying used. The best RV tip we can give you on this topic is to carefully consider your individual circumstances - in other words, begin at the beginning. Consider who will be traveling in your RV, where you will go, if you will RV occasionally or often, how you envision spending your days while RVing, your own budget and so on. We mention numerous things to consider on our home page and throughout the Your RV Lifestyle website, and we can't overemphasize the importance of this step. Not only does it help you sort through the tradeoffs of buying new vs. used, it also helps you to narrow down your preferences for type of RV (motorhome, 5th wheel, trailer, etc.).

When we bought our motorhome, we looked at both new and used. We ended up buying new, but the deciding factors centered around finding a rig that would suit our planned RV lifestyle at a price we could afford. If we had found a used RV that fit our needs as well, we probably would have bought used. And before we ever seriously went looking for an RV, we had spent a lot of time doing research - reading books, going to RV shows and dealers to look at the various models and brands, and renting an RV to try things out.

In a nutshell, the biggest advantage to buying a pre-owned RV is price. You may be able to get more for your money. New RVs start depreciating once they leave the lot. Shop wisely and patiently and you may find a good price on a well-equipped late model used RV.

One of the potential pitfalls of buying used is that you might get stuck with someone else's problems. On the other hand, you may benefit from someone else "breaking in" the RV and working out any bugs. In this regard, know what to look for and who you are buying from. Make sure you have any pre-owned RV inspected. Take the time to read some of the books on this subject -- packed full of RV tips relevant to an RV purchase. This is a big investment - whether you buy used or new. It's worthwhile to be informed.

What is the average yearly revenue needed to be a fulltimer? We are curious about costs for things like fuel, RV Maintenance, RV Sites, Food, etc.

RV Tip: Answer:

Regarding the cost to RV fulltime - again there is no "one size fits all" answer. We assume you have read our our page on RV costs. We really can't throw out a number - it really depends on personal preferences about how you want to live.

For instance, you know better than we do what you spend on groceries, dining out, medical bills and premiums, auto maintenance/fuel/insurance, life insurance, long term care insurance, barber/hairdresser/etc., clothing, recreational activities (movies, sports, cultural events, etc.), cell phone, internet access, cable or satellite TV, and so on.

A lot of those sort of expenses are apt to stay the same. You would know better than us how to tweak some of those expenses depending on how you plan to live your RV lifestyle vs. how you live today. Depending on what sort of housing situation you are in now, what may change is the housing, home insurance and utility bills. Again, you need to estimate the puts and takes. For instance, when we moved from our townhouse to a motorhome, we no longer had expenses for a mortgage, property tax. association fees and homeowners insurance. Instead we had fulltimers RV insurance, campground fees and membership dues, mail forwarding and fuel expenses.

As far as utilites go, the electricity, sewer/trash and water bills were gone, since they would be included in camping fees. Our cell phone and internet ended up costing us more because we needed broader coverage, added our parents to our plan.

And do not underestimate the cost to maintain the RV - again, this will depend on the type of rig. But it is a hefty item - you have to keep these things in good shape if you want them to last, and you need to budget for unforseen occurrences. Remember too that an RV is a depreciating asset.

What we did when we started out is we put together an excel spreadsheet to estimate expenses. We started with our existing budgets and expense records, tweaked them on what we thought would change. Based on the type of rig we planned to have, we did research on what it would cost for insurance, maintenance, fuel. We now use Quicken to keep track of what we are spending.

Some big ticket items are medical and insurance expenses, food and RV maintenance. You can control fuel bills by staying put, but assuming you want to go out and see the sights, you will still be running around in a car or truck.

Campground expenses can be managed, but that depends on where you choose to stay. We have chosen to buy into campground memberships that give us reduced rate stays. Some of these, like Thousand Trails , save us money in the long run - but it is be a few years pay-back period.

We can tell you this - most RVers we talk to agree that you don't go out to be a fulltime RVer because it will cost you less. But it really does depend on how you live. Certainly people can settle in an RV park semi-permenantly with no medical coverage or insurance and go nowhere and live for less than someone with medical coverage, who wants to travel and have some discretionary income.

We also know that you probably really want a number - we did too when we were starting out. We now realize that it really is a personal matter - and we encourage you to actually write down your current and planned expenses and do the math. And if you are serious about selling house and home, then build a cushion into your estimates, so that you don't get caught by surprise.

Reading a few of the books that we list on our fulltiming page, and elsewhere on our site, is another good idea. It gets you thinking about things that might not otherwise occur to you.

We think it is worth it to join a few and try them for a year or two ...and then decide. Good Sam and Escapees are good choices for the magazines alone, plus the tips, rallies, support. If you have a motorhome or are thinking of getting one, join FMCA and go to at least one of their conventions. That will get you started. More about RV clubs.

My wife and I love to RV and we have traveled extensively across the US, but we have not yet made a trip up to Canada. Have you traveled there and if so could you suggest some places to see that are RV friendly?

RV Tip: Answer:

Canada is a huge country with many wonderful places to visit. Personally, we have only scratched the surface. Our very first RV vacation was to Canada, in a rented Class C motorhome. We toured Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Island, Prince Edward Island, and made a brief stop to see the Hopewell Rocks at the Bay of Fundy. We loved this trip and would highly recommend visiting the Maritimes.

Our second foray into Canada was to Montreal and Quebec. We were there for the Montreal Jazz festival. While jazz predominates, we also found a variety of music and a number of free outdoor performances. This is a great destination if you enjoy live jazz/music -- just be prepared for an urban environment and lots of crowds. Aside from the Jazz Festival, both Montreal and Quebec offer cultural and historical sights, museums and fine food. Don't miss the Walled City of Quebec. We stayed in RV parks on the outskirts of the cities. We learned to use the Montreal subway, which was a good way to get around. We drove into downtown Quebec, found a parking garage and then toured the city on foot.

We still have a lot of Canada to discover and look forward to visiting other provinces. British Columbia is at the top of our list. Alberta and the famous Calgary Stampede also come to mind. When we get ready to plan our next Canada RV trip, we expect to start our research with the RV Travel to Canada e-book, which has lots of RV tips, info on logistics and links to travel planning resources. We will probably start our research on campgrounds via the internet, but will validate our findings with the ratings in the major campground directories.

One thing we know for sure, we'll allow as much time as possible to appreciate all there is to see and do.

RV Tip: Answer:

Cooking in your RV may be a bit different than cooking at home, but not necessarily.

• One consideration is what type of cooking facilities your RV has. For instance, we have a microwave/convection oven, and for the most part, oven cooking is not that much different. My RV oven has regular and fast bake settings. It is smaller than a typical oven, but that has not yet been an issue for us. I have used it to cook a 9-lb turkey on Thanksgiving.

  Every now and then, I miss having a broiler, but it is pretty seldom. If I needed one often enough, a counter-top unit could be purchased.

• Another consideration is the size of your kitchen area and cooktop. In many cases, RVs tend to have less space than a conventional kitchen - but it all depends on the RV floor plan and what you are accustomed to. Much to my surprise, I have actually been able to get three pots on the three burners on our cooktop - but it is not something I do often.

  And as in any kitchen, the more counter space you have, the easier it is to get meals assembled and prepared. If you are short on space, you'll probably adapt how you do things to compensate. Freezer space is another consideration, especially if you typically freeze many make-ahead meals. We have an RV-sized fridge and freezer, and I still make spaghetti sauce and soup in the same quantities I always have.

• When we hit the road, I cut down on my cookware. I still have about four different sized pots, a wok-type pan I use a lot, a big frying pan, a small fry pan we use to fry a couple eggs...and then some Corning Ware/Pyrex, a loaf pan, cookie sheet, muffin pan and a couple roasting pans. And I have used them all - some more than others. Storage space and how you cook are key factors.

• If you don't already use a crock-pot or electric fry pan, these might be something you want to try. It would be a new way to cook, which might be something to look forward to. If you already use these modes of cooking, they seem to work well in the RV lifestyle. RV tip: If you don't already have these items -- wait to buy them until you have some time to see how things go in the kitchen. You might be fine without them. I don't have either and we have been fulltime for over four years. Other RVers swear by them.

• Since we are usually in good weather, we also use the grill more than we ever did in a regular house.

• One other RV tip worth mentioning is that there may be some circumstances where power-management comes into play. Depending on how many amps you are hooked up to and how your RV is configured, you may need to be mindful of the number of concurrent power draws. For example, we usually need 50-amp service to run both air conditioners and the microwave at the same time. If we are hooked up to 30-amp service, we can only run one air conditioner concurrently with the use of the microwave, or else we will trip the outside circuit breaker.

• For the most part, I have been able to make the same sort of meals as I did in a conventional home. But there are also many cookbooks with recipes geared to the RV lifestyle.

Put A Smile in Every Mile!
Jose' and Jill Ferrer
Your RV Lifestyle
http://www.your-rv-lifestyle.com

RV Tip: Answer:

In general, RVers use the term "boondocking" to refer to camping without hook-ups, typically for free or a nominal fee. Since there is no real official definition, the term is used informally for a variety of circumstances. These run the gamut from an overnight stop (in places like a rest area, Wal-Mart or truck stop) to dry camping for a several days at an RV rally to longer term parking/camping on private or public land. Public land that permits this independent parking is managed by various state and national agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Forest Service, Army Corp of Engineers, etc.

There are RVers who boondock for extended periods of time -- equipped with solar panels and the like, and quite adept at managing power and water resources. Other RVers may only boondock for an overnight stop or a rally. Some RVers will only boondock when necessary. Others look for opportunities to save money and/or commune with nature.

We are probably pretty typical boondockers. The overnights are convenient. Dry camping is often the norm at rallies. We have made the trek to Quartzsite, AZ to boondock for a couple weeks. And we will spend several days on public lands now and then, to get out in the "boonies" and take advantage of a star-filled nighttime sky. We have some RV tips on boondocking from our experience. We have found it handy to be able to use the RV as the self-sufficient vehicle that it is.

Put A Smile in Every Mile!
Jose' and Jill Ferrer
Your RV Lifestyle
http://www.your-rv-lifestyle.com

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