How To Travel In A RV and Love It!
This could be you!
You see amazing photos on Instagram of far off places to travel, places that you want to go to, but how can you with a small budget or even a limited means of travel? Maybe flying to another country is not in your plans, plus crowded spaces with people on an airplane or even a ship gives you the heebie jeebies.
May I introduce traveling in a RV? You do not have to be a fulltime rver to travel in one, but it is a learning curve that you can accomplish. Rving has become very popular due to how much fun you can have (really, you can!) and even save some money traveling. What about gas prices going, besides food and inflation? There is no easy answer to that, but I would like to share tips to travel in a RV for your summer vacation! Find out with these savvy tips how you can RV and have a blast!
Tip #1: RENT an RV! Yes, please do this if your interested in purchasing a RV. So many people purchase RVs thinking they have the best deal with their little home on wheels, but then later regret it. Renting an RV can save you headaches and a recreational vehicle loan, basically saving you a lot of money. Research the web (is it not wonderful we can research with our fingertips in mere moments?) and look for a RV to rent. Find out the costs (gas, food, rv parks), insurance if needed and how to use it. Maybe plan for a night or two for the first time to see if it is a good fit.
Tip #2: Now that you have been convinced to rent a RV, what is the next step? Again, this calls for research. Do you like dry camping, or boondocking, your OWN space, lots of room and amazing night views away from civilization and no amenities, or do you like to be in a RV park, having the comfort of others nearby, amenities such as electricity, water and sewer? This is only something you can decide on, but I will give you some links to think about: Campendium is the one we use to find boondocking spots, RV parks, water and dump stations. Freecampsites.net is also another one we use, especially for boondocking, as some of the sites are free and some you have to pay for (inexpensive sites, maybe $10 a night). Another site we use is rvdumpsites.net for our dump and water needs. Do research on these websites I suggested to see what would be a good fit for your family. Also, make sure you look at reviews of the sites you want to stay at. It would be better to stay at a place with rave reviews than one that had sketchy reviews!
Amazing scenery at a wildlife preserve in northwestern Nebraska!
Tip #3: You have decided to either boondock or go to a RV park, but where should you go? If you are on a tight budget, then find something in your state. It will help stretch your dollars not to travel too far, and not stress you out thinking about your money having wings and flying away from you. You can have as much fun in your local state as others could in different states. When things get more affordable, then you can go to another state. It still will be there! Or if money is not a problem (lucky!), then take a look at the above mentioned links, plus Google Maps and Google Earth. The maps will help you get to your destination and Google Earth can help you look at the roads you are taking to your destination, plus the area you are camping at, especially if you are boondocking. It is reassuring knowing what the place looks like visually to know if you really want to go there or not.
Tip #4: Find some activities close to the area where you will camp at. There is so much to do outside! Do you like to hike? Find a trail on alltrails.com. Do you like seeking backroad adventure? Find a trail on trailsoffroad.com. Do a search in the area you want to adventure and go from there. Would you rather stay indoors and look at museums? There are so many out there! Look at the state you are visiting and see what kind of museums you can find! Are National Parks on your bucket list? The western part of the U.S. is full of them, and if you have the time and money, you can probably visit them in a year. If not, how about trying at least one if you can? If you happen to be someone 62 years of age or older, do you have the Senior Park Pass or America the Beautiful pass? This is so awesome!!! We have one and purchased it when it was $10. It is now $80 and is a lifetime pass. Click this link for more information how to obtain one. You will not regret it, plus you get to go into the park for free as many times as you want!
Imagine hiking right here, in Moab, Utah! Simply adventurous!
Tip #5: And our last tip: What did you decide? You will not regret seeking new destinations with a RV. And if you like it so much, you might want to consider purchasing a USED RV. The reason I capitalized those last words is because, like a car, an RV loses value as soon as you roll it off the RV lot. A lot of people are selling their RVs for way more than it is worth today because of the craze for traveling in a RV, but again, that magical word, “research.” There are always deals to be made out there, and it is up to you to find those deals and negotiate.
I am grateful we have a RV to travel in and find amazing adventures and destinations with our RV. I hope you will too. Please feel free to comment or leaves questions and I will be happy to answer them for you. HAPPY TRAVELS!
What amazing destination are you going to?