As part of the not-so-risk-free trial for transitioning towards the full-time RV lifestyle, a shakedown trip just isn't enough. So we now go on our first real trip: One week in North Carolina. To get there, though, a travel day, or in our case days, is needed.
As was mentioned in the previous trip, driving with the RV is quite a bit different from just driving a car, or even a pick-up truck without something in tow. However, the fuel costs were quite exorbitant. Merely going approximately 650 miles one way made quite a dent on the pocketbook for fuel. And that's with the mistake of both filling AND splashing the tank in a high priced state. There wasn't much of a choice because of how much of the trip was done there, but some clever planning can help. Know what states are relatively cheap for gas, and try to do fill-ups there, with large or small splashes elsewhere.
The traffic was quite the interesting dynamic. When you have one person who hates heavy traffic, a driver who thrives in it, an easily anxious pup, and then add an additional 25 feet of length to the back, you can have an interesting travel day. Usually you want to avoid rush hour times on your trip if you can help it, but why not experience the Capital Beltway during the evening peak, even if it's only for masochistic tendencies? Surprisingly enough, the pup did just fine with it, but you really must have potentially different habits when driving with a trailer. You're not going to be able to weave through traffic, so commit yourself to a lane. Try to get a feel for how things flow. Make sure you allow for more room from the guy in front of you, but be ready for "that driver" who will cut into the spot and slam on the brakes. Also be sure there's enough room in the back before you switch lanes. And don't get too annoyed if everyone's passing you; you're not necessarily going to be able to get up to full highway speed when pulling, and some states will have a lower limit.
With our first trip came our first "boondock", courtesy of a popular gas and travel station chain. We filled up to make sure we were a customer, and were able to secure a spot in the lot to park for the night. Needless to say, the trailer was quite warm on the inside, despite a cool breeze outside, and the shock of southern workers turning on the heat and wearing sweatshirts in 60 degree weather. Opening some windows to get the air flowing certainly helped, and although it wasn't as comfortable as a few times during our car camping days, we made it work.
Posting here from North Carolina, it is a bit on the hot side, but a very nice place, and a great journey to get here. More on the area will come in a later post, but for now, remember to follow your internal compass.
After six days, hundreds of miles, four arguments, and twelve ticks, the initial shakedown is complete.
First, we'd be remiss if we didn't acknowledge a few people. First, we'd like to thank Roadabode Productions for both inspiration to go on this adventure, as well as many helpful tips from their years of experience. Next, we'd like to thank our host for the shakedown who has been more than accommodating in many different ways, not just land and amenities. Our respective families also need to be thanked for all of the love and support they have given from the time we decided to start doing this, to today, and throughout the future. A "thank you" also goes to Jersey Girl Beauty for managing our T-shirt sales that help to fund the website, as well as supplement our travels. Lastly, but most importantly, we want to thank all of you for reading, watching, liking, subscribing, and sharing with your friends. It's your support that helps us to keep these pages going and hopefully inspires others to embark on this adventure.
We've learned a few things on this shakedown. The most important is that we're going to need checklists for just about everything. This includes packing, hooking up, unhooking, setting up, tearing down, and some other procedures. Sure, putting them together is tedious, and it will seem somewhat time consuming to constantly "do the checklist", but with our proclivity for neglecting things, it's something we very much need. These checklists are not only procedural, but to make sure we take everything we need. Needless to say, we have a somewhat extensive list of things we didn't bring with us and either had to borrow from our host or worked around. Those will be fixed for our first real adventure, and we'll probably have to fix a few other things as well, but it's a learning experience as we go. Secondly is the importance of hydration. With the three of us being outdoors much more, the sun takes its toll, and heat exhaustion is no fun whatsoever. This isn't limited to just regular water, but also nutrients your body needs to survive. Finally, all three of us must love and support each other in everything. This not only includes the two humans involved, but also the pup. Each of us is an integral part of th ejourney, and we must be there for each other. Openly trusting yet solidifying each of our positions to make the best possible choices in everything, and hopefully limit the number of arguments.
With that, it is now time to announce the location of our first official trip: North Carolina! It will be one week in the south, along with some travel time. It's the first time that the three of us will be on our own with the RV. What adventures will we have? What will become of our journey? You'll have to keep reading, as well as following our social media, to find out.
Always remember to follow your internal compass.
Shakedown continues for us in our not-so-risk-free trial. Be sure to visit our social media pages, links in the title bar, to see our video on Day 3.
Day 4 involved one of the dirtiest jobs of the RV lifestyle: The emptying of the tanks. This included both the grey tank, which is used sink and shower water, and the black tank, which I'm sure you can imagine as to its contents. It's a messy job, but it must be done to not only keep the weight down, but so we're able to continue living. Normally it's a simple hook and dump, but when the RV isn't level because of the location, some interesting things can happen. Needless to say, the sensor readers are not exactly something to be trusted.
As we progress from day to day, one common annoyance that seems to creep up quite a bit is the amount of accumulated garbage. This includes food wrappers, compost, and especially the number of empty bottles of water. Sure, we brought tumblers to carry with us, and we have a hook-up for potable water, but that doesn't always mean it's the best to drink. Back in the house life, we were lucky enough to get a commercial water dispenser with a decent filter for our water needs, but no such dice on the road. Tack on that many places we go will be truck-in-truck-out, and some solution will need to be found. It may be as simple as smaller litter bags and gas stations.
One of our major lessons learned, if we're banking on the generosity of family, friends, or even the house we still have in preparation, is to be cautious of electricity usage. We're up to three breaker trips from overloading household electricity. Although the trailer is rated for 30 Amps, that doesn't mean we can run everything at full blast, as most household breakers are only rated for 15 or 20 Amps. The air conditioning and water heater seem to be the biggest culprits, although the refrigerator and electronic entertainment options could play a factor. There's still some time left in the shakedown to get it right, so here's to hoping we find that sweet spot.
Just a little time left on the shakedown before our first real trip begins. We'll be announcing that location very soon, so be on the lookout. And always remember to follow your internal compass.
In order to pull your RV, you need a hitch. Finding the right hitch, as well as the right truck, can be overwhelming. Here's some of our experiences to help you with finding the right equipment for your RV adventure.
The first thing you'll need to do is to select a truck that can actually pull the type of trailer you want. When shopping for a truck, you'll want to look at some very important numbers: Curb weight, Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), and Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR). Curb weight is how much the truck weighs without anything in it. The GVWR will be your curb weight plus your payload, or what is carried along in the truck, including yourselves, as well as part of the trailer setup itself. The GCWR is maximum amount that you will be able to carry, trailer and all.
When looking at your trailer's capacity, consider the full load, not just the dry weight, because you're going to want your stuff along for the ride. The best rule of thumb is to take the truck's GCWR, subtracted by the GVWR. However, because the trailer's tongue is sitting on the truck, that weight needs to be considered on the payload of the truck. Generally, this is about one-tenth the trailer weight. Sometimes, your hitch itself will only be able to carry a certain amount of total weight, so you'll need to take that into consideration.
With all the weights down, now you'll need a hitch. Some trucks will already come with one, and that's great news! However, you'll need to be mindful of the type of hitch to use, whether it's a simple receiver hitch, or a fifth wheel hitch. The receiver hitch is perfect for a smaller to medium size trailer. This hitch is installed on the underside of the truck, located by the bumper. The fifth wheel hitch is needed for fifth wheel trailers and some toy haulers. This hitch will be located in the center of your truck. Whichever one or ones you need, make sure your truck can handle the hitch, along with the weight of the trailer.
Hitches are something that can be self-installed, however it is recommended to be done professionally. The representatives are typically very knowledgeable, and will make sure you have what you need for your truck to pull the trailer. The best places to go are the service mechanics that deal with the trucking industry. We highly recommend against big box store servicers, especially U-Haul. These companies will take your money for the product, hook it up incorrectly by taking shortcuts, and then blame the manufacturer for the inferior job they do, especially when it comes to wiring.
With all of this knowledge in hand, you should be ready to put together a setup for your RV adventure. Happy travels, and remember to follow your internal compass.
Living the RV lifestyle full time is quite the adventure. We move the home from place to place, work camping as we go, usually for a site hook-up, and perhaps also a small stip-end for groceries and fuel. All work and no play, though, would make life on the road quite boring. We have to find some way of entertaining ourselves.
The easiest way for us to find entertainment in our spare time is to step outside the RV. Each time we setup and un-pack, it’s a different environment to allow for good variety. Sometimes it will be as simple as taking a walk around the grounds. Usually the place is rural enough that there are trails or natural features to intake. We could be at a national park or forest, which offers plenty of goodness in nature. If we’re parked near a small or mid-major city, the local Chamber of Commerce may sponsor free concerts and events in a park during warmer weather to bring business traffic. Even if it’s just a night on the town, many of these cities offer free parking in the evening.
Sunny days don’t always come to home, even if you’re in a desert oasis. Remember that you may need to pack a few things to be able to do inside the RV. Card games, board games, and puzzle books are always a nice choice. If you prefer the electronic route, you could hook up a video player and bring along a collection. Remember that you may not have internet access, and streaming videos will chew up a lot of your data quota (running videos all day on a streaming service can easily get up to 10 GB per day), so be prepared. Maybe you want to program something for a laptop, a tablet, or even a cell phone that could entertain you. So long as you have room to be able to store it, you can do just about anything. Remember that a wireless router will still work to connect devices between each other, even if it’s not connected to the outside internet.
There’s always some way to entertain yourself when RV living full time. Take stock and consider what you want to do, and if necessary, how much you’re willing to spend. All you have to do is to follow your internal compass.
The not-so-risk-free trial begins! With everything packed, we begin the shakedown adventure and prepare ourselves for our lives ahead.
The first thing we figured out, with an attached trailer, is that gas mileage goes out the window. When we say "out the window", we mean that the efficiency was nearly cut in half, down to about 10 miles to the gallon. It's not that surprising because we're carrying more, but the realization of fuel costs has arisen, so it would seem all the more reason to take advantage of monthly and even seasonal rates, and to mosey our way to different parts of the country instead of making cross-country trips.
Settling in was the next challenge. The shakedown is being done at a location that isn't exactly the most truck-friendly, not in terms of allowances and permissions since our host has been more than accommodating, but in terms of turn radius. It's good practice for when we have to back into a campsite or a truck stop, since "pull-through" spots are more expensive or sometimes plainly not available. The two of us seem to have a good system down, having picked it up almost immediately. Setup took some figuring out, but we have ourselves in a good spot.
As with any couple, we're not going to agree on everything. The argument count has already reached two, barely 24 hours into the adventure. Surprisingly enough, parking the trailer wasn't one of them. Details won't be disclosed on the arguments themselves unless we somehow landed a reality TV show contract, though the best "ratings" would come from the first 30 days of the adventure. For any aspiring producers out there, although it doesn't "push the envelope" as much as some of the offerings out there, it may help to promote the RV lifestyle.
With Day 1 complete, we leave you with some lessons learned that we hope will help you on your upcoming RV adventure:
Happy travels to all, and remember to follow your internal compass.
We have everything planned out, and the heart of our adventure comes soon, so now it's time to announce the trip. For those with some experience with this, you guessed it, it's our shakedown!
Yes, that's why it's going to be trip zero instead of one. The trip will be a shakedown near our current home. This will give us a chance to try it all out. We'll want to make sure everything in the rig works, using the various modes available. This adventure isn't going to go very far, just in case we need to enact something on the limited warranty. Packing what we need and setting up what we anticipate as has been detailed in this blog, we'll head to an undisclosed location and live for a bit. Heading back, that'll give us time to adjust what we do or don't need, and then we're off on our first real adventure, which we'll be telling you about in the coming weeks.
The packing process is going to be arduous. One tip about this is to try to find some family that will help you store your belongings. Even if you have to rent a small storage shed for a while; the last thing you want to do is to throw everything out. When you get rid of something, you may find that you'll need it later, or it's a family heirloom, and you'll regret tossing it. Obviously you shouldn't be a complete pack rat; you'll probably find some things you definitely don't want. However, don't feel like you have to give it all up. There are reasonable storage sheds out there, and if you find you really didn't need it after a while, you can always have a shed sale. That's similar to a yard sale, but you'd sell what's in the shed.
With the shakedown just days away, remember to follow your internal compass.
We're back again with another session of questions and answers!
We sure do! Individually, she spent a great deal of time traveling with a trucker in the family, and also with the family campers and tents. Although he spent a good deal of time living the city lifestyle, he brings experiences of car camping and long road trips with him. Together, we've taken several camping road trips documented in this blog's "Before the RV" mini-series, and as we learn more and more, we're taking our big leap into full-time RV living.
Bringing our fur baby is certainly going to be a challenge. First, we have to make sure that we go places that are pet friendly, or that we're able to leave her with the trailer as we venture out. Secondly, although places may be pet friendly, a number of the managers have a prejudice against certain breeds of dog, especially our lovable pup's breed, the pit bull. Although she isn't violent, the stigma has been created that may further restrict us. However, she is an integral part of this family, and we believe our travels will work out with her just fine.
It is very simple why this tag line stuck. We are finally doing what our hearts have been wanting us to do. So, we consider the heart the compass of our body and soul. We also need a compass in traveling to know where we are going. It just works, and we feel that everyone should follow their heart.
We'll be answering more questions as we receive them. Remember to leave a comment if you have a question you'd like answered, and as always, follow your internal compass.
In today's world, it seems like the internet is used for everything, from research, to shopping, even to reading this article. However, so many have taken for granted the connectivity within traditional houses and the grid of large cities. How would someone RV living be able to cope?
A number of private campgrounds have been equipped with wi-fi service. This is one service that is not very reliable. Not only do you have to have yourself be close to a repeater, but you also have to compete with the other campers that want to use the signal. If you've ever been to a major outdoor event, whether it be a fair, rally, or maybe a concert, you've probably noticed that your connectivity isn't very fast, and it's no different when at the campground. Sometimes, the place is even more remote, such as a more rural campground or a National Park, where there's no wi-fi at all. So if you require connectivity for something like a telecommuting job while in your RV full-time, you need a better option.
Many people have cell phones with data plans. This can also be a good choice, but again, you are beholden to repeater towers. Remember that very rural areas aren't going to have cell phone towers, so you won't be able to get 4G, or sometimes even telephone service. If you're going to go the cell phone route, you'll also want to make sure that you have features available, such as being a wi-fi hot-spot for your family's laptops. A file server for important information can be a godsend, but you have to be able to access it. In our experimentation, we've found that Apple likes to charge for a lot of these basic features that are offered complimentary by the Android operating system. Maybe a router that's only for a Local Area Network (LAN) would be for you, while having the cell phone be the central point for outside access.
One up-and-coming technology in BETA at the time of writing this, but could be useful in the near future, is Starlink. This is a constellation of satellites in low-earth orbit that provide internet connectivity. This is different from traditional satellite media and internet services. Those satellites are in a geostationary orbit, meaning it's always at the same point in the sky any time of day. You'd be spending a lot of time orienting the dish, and then latency is very high because of how far the signal has to travel. Starlink has its satellites much closer to Earth in a lower orbit, with its receiver constantly self-adjusting to pick up a satellite in the sky. There are some questions with regards to weather for satellite internet, which has always been an issue for traditional satellite services, and is something being tested in the BETA. However, once publicly available, full-timers may ditch their data plans for Starlink.
Perhaps you’re one that doesn’t need to be streaming the latest episode of a television show, and just want to do some quick business? One possibility is to go into a nearby town. Public libraries almost always have wi-fi available to their patrons as a public service. Coffee shops and restaurants are also a possibility. Always be careful about using a public wi-fi, because anyone can see your information, especially if you’re doing something sensitive, such as online banking. You’ll want to stick to a cell phone, or have access to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that will encrypt what you do on the web.
No matter where you go, or what you do, there are going to be options for you to stay connected. This should give you peace of mind in your affairs as you follow your internal compass.
Your trailer is packed, you're ready to go... but where? And how can you make sure you get there safely and in a timely manner? Here's some tips for you on how to plan your destinations and route.
The first, and probably most important thing, is to know your limits of how much you and your traveling companions can drive in a day. Take some drive-around road trips. Make one part of your first "shakedown" adventure. You may have been able to once drive from one coast to the other in a day and a half, but with a trailer and a family, that probably won't happen. Even with car camping, we've found our limit to be 900 miles in a day. This is something you'll have to measure on your own. Remember that the specific route also needs to be taken into account, as traffic in a major city, such as Chicago, Seattle, or Washington DC, will slow you down. Peak traffic times, such as holiday weekends and rush hour need to be considered. Put in some contingency time. You can always boondock at a rest area if you're early, but you'll lose money, and potentially a reservation, if you're late.
Speaking of reservations, if you're going to be staying at campgrounds or National Parks, you're going to need a reservation. Try to figure out the upcoming season in advance, and get a basic idea of your route that way. Holidays book up quickly, so you may want to use that time to visit some family or friends. Maybe consider booking weekly or monthly to take advantage of better rates, or apply for some work-camping jobs through a month or season. Cancellations are going to happen to open up some sites, but you can't always depend on that. Sometimes you may want to boondock on public lands, but be aware that those sites are first come, first serve, so be sure to have a backup plan. Give yourself plenty of time to get from place to place, and maybe you'll want to check out something along the way. Flexibility is always a good thing.
The concept of a "boondock" has been mentioned a few times. This is where you stay for free without utilities at a given location. Sometimes, this is done on public land, such as a National Forest. If it's an overnight rest, there are some other options. Wal-Mart has been known for offering free overnight parking at many of its locations. This is assuming they own the land, and there isn't a city ordinance to prohibit doing so. This trick is something that car campers will typically use as well. There are a few things to keep in mind, though:
There are a few other places known to offer this service, such as Cracker Barrel, Cabela's, some truck stops, and self-parking areas at some casinos. The same guidelines apply to these other places. There are plenty of apps and websites dedicated to boondock parking, such as Walmart Atlas.
You don't have to kiss us, nor smile for us, but we certainly hope these tips will help you in planning your next adventure. Remember to follow both your internal and external compasses.
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