7 Ways to RVing Cheap

The cost of RV travel is one of the things that keeps some people from getting involved in this lifestyle. While there is no doubt that RV ownership can be expensive, it can also be rather affordable with some smart decision making along the way. If you are willing to make a few sacrifices, you just might find that owning and operating an RV is much more affordable than you previously believed.

To help you enjoy the RV lifestyle without totally blowing through your budget, we have compiled the following list of seven tips.

One of the easiest ways to get started in the RV world while watching your budget is to buy a used rig. This is a great plan for a lot of reasons. As a new RV user, you might make a few mistakes along the way – so it is good to make those mistakes on a used RV. Also, the upfront cost will be lower, so you can find out if you enjoy RVing before spending the money on a new, fancy unit.

#2 – Cut Back on the Miles
Taking trips that include destinations closer to your home is a classic way to save some money while still having RV fun. You will save money in a number of ways when you stay closer to home, from buying less gas to lower maintenance costs and more. Look around and you might be surprised to find just how many great RV destinations are located near to where you live.

#3 – Travel to See Family and Friends
If you would like to avoid the nightly fees that come along with staying at campgrounds, consider trying to travel with your RV to see family and friends that you don’t often visit. You may be able to park on their property to save money during the stay, meaning you can use your rig without the usual cost of a campsite.

#4 – Keep It Small
It is common for RV buyers to overestimate how much space they are going to need inside of their rig. You are probably buying an RV so you can travel and spend more time outdoors, so avoid the temptation of buying the biggest RV on the lot. Stick with a smaller rig and live the outdoor lifestyle when you travel.

#5 – Bundle Insurance
This is an often-overlooked way to save a small amount of money each month. You are going to need to have insurance in place for your RV, so look into the possibility of ‘bundling’ your RV insurance policy with the other policies you already have for things like your cars and your home.

#6 – Be Efficient with Food
Your RV almost certainly has some form of kitchen included in its design, so be sure to use that kitchen effectively as you travel. Try to plan out a meal list before you leave, and buy everything you are going to need for those meals in advance. By packing properly and being smart with food storage, you can avoid expensive meals out at restaurants during your trips.

#7 – RV Share
If possible, you may want to consider sharing your RV ownership with another family. For instance, if you have a sibling or close friend who would also like to own an RV, you could purchase the rig together in order to split the costs. As long as you build a schedule at the start of each year which outlines when each party can use the RV, this plan can work out beautifully for all involved.

4 Mistakes New RVers Make & How to Avoid Them

Getting started in the world of RV ownership can be a bit overwhelming at first. There is quite a lot to learn about owning and operating an RV, and you might find that you are getting advice from a variety of sources. While there is no better way to learn than to just jump in and get started, it will be helpful to have some good tips on your side. So, with that in mind, we have created the following list of four common mistakes, along with advice on how to avoid these issues. Keep these points in mind as you get started using your own RV for the first time.

#1 – Driving Off Your Leveling Blocks
Using leveling blocks is a great way to balance your RV in its place for the duration of your trip. However, when it is time to get back out on the highway, you obviously need to pack up the blocks so you can roll away safely. This certainly seems like an obvious point, but it is one that has been missed by the occasional new RV owner. In a hurry to get on the road, you might find that you forget all about these handy little pieces of equipment.

To make sure that you do not fall victim to this mistake, make it a habit to do a final lap around your rig before you pull out of the camp spot. Just make this a standard procedure – when you think you are all finished and ready to leave, walk one more time around the whole rig to confirm everything is ready to go. This practice will help you to avoid a variety of mistakes, including driving straight off your leveling blocks.

#2 – Underestimating the Size of the RV
When trying to pick a camping spot to call home for a few days, you always need to make sure to error on the side of caution when it comes to judging how much space you need. Many new RV owners make the mistake of thinking that they will be able to ‘squeeze in’ to a small space, only to find that they hit a tree or some other object on the way in. Take an extra moment to confirm that you have enough room to pull in safely, and take measurements when in doubt to be absolutely sure of your clearance.

#3 – Making Too Much Noise at Night
In most cases, you are going to have neighbors in the campground during your stay. With that in mind, you want to make sure to be as considerate as possible of those around you, especially as nighttime arrives. One frequent mistake made by new RV travelers is making too much noise during the evening and into the night, thinking that the RV offers more sound insulation than it does. Simply by paying attention to how much noise you are making at night, you can avoid making this embarrassing mistake.

#4 – Packing Too Much Stuff
This is a classic mistake, and it is one that applies to any kind of vacation you may take. When you get ready to head out in your new RV, you might be tempted to cram just about everything from your regular home into your mobile version. Of course, this would be a mistake. You don’t have unlimited space inside your rig, and even the most-spacious RV could start to feel crowded if you load it down. Make a packing list well in advance of your trip and stick to items that you feel are essentials for the journey.

What You Need to Know for RVing in Your Retirement

Turning to the RV lifestyle in retirement is a popular choice for thousands of people across the country. No longer tied to a work schedule, retired individuals and couples are free to explore the beauty of nature from the convenience of an RV. Of course, there are a few complications that can come along with living out of an RV in your later years, which is why we have offered up some tips below. By consulting these tips, you should have a great chance to spend many enjoyable retired years living in an RV on either a full-time or part-time basis.

You Need the Right RV
One of the keys to enjoying some of your retirement in an RV is purchasing the perfect rig for your needs. There are a number of considerations to make when buying your own rig, including the following points –

• Obviously, you don’t want to get in over your head when it comes to how much money you spend on the RV. You likely have a fixed income in place for your retired years, so work out your budget carefully and make a smart choice that will leave you with flexibility from a financial perspective.
• If you are going to be traveling with your spouse or partner in the years to come, you probably don’t need the largest RV on the lot. However, you do want enough space to live for weeks at a time without getting on each other’s nerves. As a general rule of thumb, you will want to match up the size of your RV with the length of the trips you plan to take. Those only traveling a few days at a time can easily get by with a small rig, while longer trips will require a bigger vehicle.

Think About Healthcare
We all need additional healthcare as we age – it’s just a fact of life. With that in mind, you will want to plan your RV trips to places where you can get the care you need on a consistent basis. For example, it would be a bad idea to plan a trip deep into the wilderness for an extended period if you or your partner has a condition that may require attention. A medical issue that arises when in a remote area can quickly become a serious emergency, so don’t put yourself in an unnecessarily dangerous situation.

Long-term Stays Offer Savings
If you are going to be taking long trips in your RV to a variety of destinations, think about looking for campgrounds which offer discounts when you stay for a long period of time. For instance, the rate for staying for a full month in a given spot may be significantly cheaper than what you would spend on a per-night basis. This is a great way to go for retired travelers who are willing and able to stay for a long time in a single location.

Retirement and RV travel are a great partnership, but it will be up to you do decide exactly how to best spend these years. Are you going to take on the RV lifestyle full-time, or are you just going to take a few trips throughout the year? Make a detailed plan and then set about putting that plan into action as soon as possible.

5 Must Have RVing Gadgets

One of the first things you will notice when you become an RV owner is just how many gadgets are available on the market today. If you stop by any camping and outdoors store, you are sure to find countless gadgets for sale that promise to do various things to improve your RV experience. Of course, most of these gadgets are unnecessary – and some of them are downright junk. However, there are a few that are worthy of your attention, such as the five on the list below.

#1 – A Cell Signal Booster
Most likely, your RV adventures are going to take you all over the countryside – including to places that lack a reliable cell signal. If you would like to be able to stay connected while out in these remote locations, consider picking up a cell signal booster for your RV. This type of device is actually pretty affordable, yet it can be a big advantage in the quest to stay connected while on your trips.

#2 – GPS for Your RV
At first blush, you might think of this as a gadget that is certainly unnecessary. After all, can’t you just use the GPS system on your phone to get where you need to go? You could, but your phone GPS is not customized to think about the needs of an RV driver. With an RV-specific GPS, you can keep track of information that is important to you, such as low bridges, steep hills, and more. Driving an RV can be a bit of a stressful experience, but you will find less stress along the way when you trust your RV GPS to get you to your destination with ease.

#3 – Solar Panels
Creating power on the go is always a challenge, which is why solar power is becoming a popular choice among RV owners. Rather than installing a full solar system on the roof of your RV, however, you could opt for a portable unit which you can set up on a temporary basis to pick up small amounts of power at just the right time.

#4 – Portable Ice Maker
If you plan on using your RV during the summer months, you are going to need to find as many ways to stay cool as possible. One of the best little gadgets you can pick up for these kinds of trips is a portable ice maker. Most RV freezers struggle to keep up with the demand for ice on your trip, so add a portable unit to your collection and count on it to keep your drinks cool day after day.

#5 – Tire Pressure Monitor
You certainly don’t want to have a tire blowout while you are driving to or from your destination, so consider adding to a tire pressure monitor to your rig (if you don’t already have one in place). By monitoring the tire pressure throughout your journey, you should be able to address any developing problems before they become a serious issue.

How Long Does it Take to Complete a Cross-Country RV Trip?

One of the advantages of traveling in an RV is the opportunity to take a long distance road trip that lasts a few weeks, or even longer. That kind of a trip is hard to do any other way – hotels get expensive when you are gone that long, and sleeping on the ground in a tent gets old pretty quick. RV’s were practically designed with the long road trip in mind, which is why so many RV owners have used their rigs to embark on a cross-country adventure.

If you have considered using your RV to travel across the entire country, one question has surely popped into your mind – how long would it take? Even if you are retired and have no specific schedule to keep, you will still want to know just what you are getting into when you pack up the RV to head across the entire country. The answer, of course, depends on exactly where you are leaving from, and where you want to go.

Some Estimated Travel Times
To get a better understanding of how much time you would need to plan for a cross-country road trip, it will be helpful to review some point-to-point driving times around the country. Starting in the north, it is approximately 44 hours of driving to get from Seattle to Boston along I-90. Obviously, you can’t drive non-stop for 44 hours, so you are looking at probably 4-5 days of driving to cross the entire country (without stopping to see any sights). If you are driving across the bottom of the country, you can take I-10 from Los Angeles, CA to Jacksonville, FL in about 35 hours of drive time. Instead of 4-5 days, you are looking at 3-4 days to go from coast to coast.

Don’t Forget About North and South
Those times will get you from coast to coast, but not up and down those coasts. So how long does that take? A trip from Seattle to Los Angeles along I-5 will require around 18 hours. On the other side of the country, you can make your way from Boston to Jacksonville in the same 18-or-so hours. Therefore, going north or south along either coast is basically a two day proposition.

With all of those drive times in hand, we can do a little bit of basic math to outline a road trip that would make a complete circle around this great country. Using Seattle, Boston, Jacksonville, and Los Angeles as our ‘four corners’, we find that the total drive time is around 115 hours. Assuming a drive time of around 10 or so hours per day, you are going to need 11 days of just driving to make the complete trip.

Obviously, your trip isn’t going to be much fun if all you are doing is driving the freeways around the country, so you will need to next account for how much time you want to be stopped at various destinations. As a basic rule of thumb, you should try to plan at least two days of staying put for each day that you spend out on the road. In this case, that means roughly 22 days of being stopped at various destinations to go along with your 11 days of driving.

In the end, you will want to plan for at least a month to make this kind of trip – but probably more. After all, this is most likely going to be a once-in-a-lifetime kind of vacation, so you might as well take as much time as possible to see everything you can. Ideally you will be able to set aside a minimum of six weeks to allow yourself to soak up as much of America as you can on this epic road trip adventure.

RV Hitch Locks

RV hitch locks are a necessity if you're towing a vehicle or trailer. Without them, your tow vehicle is extremely vulnerable—and thieves know it. Look for a high-quality lock that is tamper-resistant, made of high-tech materials that are tough and durable, and is weatherized so that it will last no matter how long you use it. One that is made by a reputable manufacturer is your best bet.

These locks come in different sizes to fit every type of hitch. Many come with extra keys; but if you still manage to lose your keys, some offer a key replacement service. Most all locks are guaranteed to keep your trailer or tow vehicle safe and secure. Even in an RV park or an RV security storage facility, you still need RV hitch locks to make sure your tow vehicle or trailer is safe and secure throughout the year.

RV Mirrors for Towing

When you tow a vehicle with your RV, there are often blind spots and areas that are out of view. This lack of visibility can be very dangerous. A combination of special RV mirrors for towing can help you eliminate blind spots, get a good view of your hitch so you can hitch up with more ease, and see traffic all around your tow vehicle.

There is not one set of RV mirrors for towing that is right for everyone and every situation. Before you invest in RV mirrors, head to your dealer and check out several different mirrors on your coach. You may choose many different sets of RV mirrors, from small spot mirrors that adhere to your current rear-view mirror to large, power-operated mirrors that give you a larger view of the road behind you. Whatever you choose, make sure to test them first so you know what RV mirrors are going to give you the perfect view!