TAKING UP SPACE

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our E-mail Digest or RSS Feed. We will then send you the stories that are posted each day in an e-mail digest. We use a service called Feedburner for delivery of these emails. You will receive an e-mail from Feedburner after you subscribe and you must click on that email to activate your subscription. Thanks for visiting and enjoy all the information! RV.Net Blog AdminBy Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers Friday we arrived in Huntsville, Alabama, “the Rocket City,” climbed the mountain to Monte Sano State Park, unhitched and set out for NASA’s U.S. Space & Rocket Center, where in the 1950s, a team of scientists, led by Dr. Wernher von Braun, designed and tested the rockets that put men on the Moon. Monique acceded to my whim to visit the center, mildly interested at best.  When we walked in, I was blown away by the exhibits.  I think Monique was even more impressed.  (Last blog I mentioned that the World War II Museum in New Orleans is a “must see.” This certainly is another “must see.”) I thought it was a hair dryer for King Kong -- turns out, it was the cones beneath the rocket. In hall after hall, what we saw and experienced was grand.  When we walked into the space center, we were overwhelmed with the grandeur, the spectacles, the active exhibits – and how the designers put into perspective the importance of the space program to our everyday lives. Our trip to Huntsville... Read more

Saving money on the road: Many states offer special rates for seniors or state residents

By Bob Difley The following is “Number 7 State Parks” from my ebook, 111 Ways to Get the Biggest Bang from Your RV Lifestyle Buck which is available in the Kindle store at Amazon or in PDF format from my website. Many states offer special rates for seniors or state residents Many state parks offer special reduced rates Examples of special rates include California that offers $2 off their regular rate to seniors over 62 and Oregon that offers an annual pass for off-season camping at reduced rates. New Jersey offers free camping Sunday night through Thursday night in the off season; some states offer a small discount for non-weekend camping. Georgia offers discounts to veterans. Check as you go from state to state as some states alter their rates based on their current visitation, such as in Arizona where some state parks will offer seven days if you pay for five if they are not full. How to find these special rates. When you visit a state park check with rangers or office personnel for any special rates being offered. You can find official information on the park’s Web site, but some deals are made only at the individual park. Offer to do some park clean-up, maintenance, or other volunteer services in trade for a free campsite. ►Tip By checking in advance on states’ specials, you may be able to plan your trip to take advantage of the best rates offered. The following is “Number 7 State Parks” from my ebook, 111 Ways to Get the Biggest Bang from... Read more

RETURNING TO THE ROAD – PART 1

By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers We remember when, six years ago, we bought our first 22-foot travel trailer and prepared for full-time life on the road.  We were parked at our son’s desert hide-away, learning everything we didn’t know about living in an RV.  Joe and Vicki Kieva’s books and columns on RVing were too advanced for us.  (The 22-footer, as cute as it was, lasted a year before we decided the RV life was for us, but the time had come for a more durable vehicle.) I fondly recall mentioning to the satellite dish installer working on top of the trailer in the desert heat that we didn’t know where to connect the hose to fill the freshwater tank.  He showed us what we should have learned in the 45-minute walk-through when we purchased the trailer. Monique and son Patrick do all the work while I write about it on the computer. We’ve progressed far from those neo-natal days of excitement and dread.  We have parked 403 times in different places overnight in 36 states and 3 provinces so far.  We’ve been to what I consider every conceivable kind of camping spot, from a cousin’s driveway to Yellowstone, from Alaska to “I’m too tired to go any further.” Bear with me for a moment more to find out where your experience and expertise comes in. After five years of continuous RV travel, we have been almost stationary for the past year while we turned a tiny mountain cabin into a livable abode, as we look farther down the road... Read more

How to live the RV Lifestyle in turbulent and unsettled times – Part 3

By Bob Difley In last Saturday’s post I wrote about how spending just a few days a month boondocking can save a pile of money on campground fees. There are other ways also to rein in expenses , one of the perks of living the RV Lifestyle being the ability to abruptly change course when current economic conditions continue to fluctuate. One of these methods is to work out a monthly budget based on current income and expenses. The key is to make the budget flexible so you can instantly adjust for unfolding events. Here are examples: Fuel prices rise – Reduce miles driven by making shorter trips, staying longer in each location (which can also result in lower campground fees by taking advantage of longer term discounts), use the internet to find the cheapest fuel along your  route and filling up even if you aren’t yet low on fuel. Fuel prices fall – Bank (hold in reserve) the savings in reduced fuel prices and use when prices rise again. Income (dividends) from stock portfolio drops – Prepare a list of discretionary spending ahead of time from which you can make cuts when necessary, such as from eating out, gifts (your gift list recipients don’t really care how much money you spend on them–it’s the thought that counts), visits to expensive attractions (they will still be there when the economy improves), and spending less time in expensive RV resorts and more time in scenic and more rustic campgrounds. Take temporary positions as... Read more

How to live the RV Lifestyle in turbulent and unsettled times – Part 2

By Bob Difley In last week’s post I wrote that RVers were uniquely suited to survival  ”in unsettled and turbulent times” that we are currently living through in our economy and politics. By survival, I mean the ability to continue the RV Lifestyle, when the feces hit the rapidly spinning cooling device. And as I write this, the news from Europe is anything but encouraging, with some analysts predicting a global recession if elections don’t turn out right. This will in turn cause our stock market to take a downturn, causing consumers to lose confidence and tighten their spending belts, the reduced spending will cost jobs, etc. etc. If you haven’t made the transition from stick house to fulltime RVer, you will still unfortunately be locked into the expenses associated with “normal” living, house payment and property taxes, predictable fuel costs for commuting, a food bill that doesn’t change much month to month, and other everyday expenses that vary little. About the only control you have over discretionary expenses are in how often you eat out, how many toys and gifts you purchase, and how many vacations and weekenders you take. But the bottom line is that you are not going to be able to reduce your expenditures much as long as you stay in a stick house. Now compare that to the RV lifestyle where you live fulltime in your RV. First, you trade a house payment for an RV payment, which will likely be lower than your house payment.... Read more

Travel Management Plans will change forever how you use the national forests and BLM land

By Bob Difley As many of you boondockers know by now, the National Forest Service (FS) is in the process of implementing their new Travel Management Plans (TMP) throughtout the nation’s forests. These new rules, once approved by each individual forest, will apply to everyone who uses a national forest for driving and camping, designating which roads you are allowed to drive on and where you are allowed to camp or boondock. Allowed driving roads will be limited to only those legal roads built by the FS, usually with specifications that will support cattle trucks, firefighting equipment, and logging trucks, and therefore presumably suitable for RVs as well. All illegal roads will be designated and driving will not be allowed on them–that includes off-road vehicles if you happen to be towing one. Camping and vehicle parking will only be allowed within 30 feet (or one vehicle length, depending on the forest) from the side of the road unless in a designated “dispersed camping area.” These areas and roads will be defined on Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM) that will be available free online, from rangers, and at  ranger stations and regional offices. Not following the rules will result in a fine after a period of up to a year (as long as you are not a flagrant violator) for informing and explaining the new rules to the public. The FS has been putting the TMPs together for several years and has asked users and the public for their input all along in the process,... Read more

Doing your own RV repairs can save a bundle from your RV Lifestyle expenses

By Bob Difley You learn a couple of things early on when going to extended-time or fulltime in your RV after years of a life of work with the cash flow that comes with it.  One is that it is easier to spend money than make it once your income stream is disrupted, and the other is that you place a different monetary value on your time when the outflow starts approaching the inflow. This predicament raises its conspicuous head when you are faced with a decision to do something yourself–mostly an unpleasant or unfamiliar job or chore–or pay someone to do it for you. This very situation confronted me on Saturday when my wife’s Volvo wouldn’t start. The easy solution was to tow it to our mechanic and let him deal with it. The downside was that it wouldn’t get looked at until Monday, be out of commission to at least Tuesday, and would probably cost a bundle (from experience I know there is no such thing as an inexpensive repair job). Unfortunately, my meager mechanical skills do not include automotive repair. But I learned over the years that some things that I’ve never done before can be accomplished if taken slowly, researched well, making sure I had the proper tools, and a Plan B was available. But I had never taken on a job like replacing a starter, which in a Volvo meant also removing the battery and battery box (including wiring) and dismantling and removing the fan and housing and all the various attached plugs, wires, and vacuum hoses in... Read more

YOUR DESTINATION ‘WISH LIST’

By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers Where to your want to point your RV in 2012? __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ For many of us, the holidays are an excellent time to plan for the days ahead when the weather warms up.   Have you thought about where you want to go and how to get there? Envision Spring -- Travel Time Ahead Those of you who use your RV to hop between the homes of parents or to impose on your kids and grandkids in distant states, you have an obvious starting point on your planning. Over the years we have crossed paths with lots of people who travel with a checklist at their side – “We want to visit all state capitals … visit the highest peak in each state … go to a different music festival every weekend … etc.”  Snowbirds will be packing up in two to four months to head north, ready to resume their alter-personalities on solid ground.  The point is, you may soon be on the move, heading for destinations. Here’s our recommendation:  Don’t just look at Point A (where you are now) and Point B (what you want to get to). Think outside the box – or more appropriately off the ribbon of interstate that can get you to Point B the fastest.  We suggest that you route yourself through at least one state park or national park on your way to your ultimate destination. Monique and I are journey folks.  We set our sights on... Read more

What does it cost to become a fulltimer?

By Bob Difley Almost every new RVer or former weekender thinking about going fulltime asks the question “How much does it cost to live fulltime in an RV?” The answer is, pick any number and you will find someone who says that is what it costs. And they’re right–for them. However, that is probably not the best question to ask. Try rephrasing the question to “I will have a net income of (fill in the blank), will this be enough to cover the RV lifestyle that I define?” And that, of course, implies that you have to first define the RV lifestyle before you can cost it out. What does costing it out entail? This question is very individual, which only you–and your traveling companion or spouse, if any–can answer. So get out a piece of paper or open a  new document on your computer and answer these questions first: Is your RV paid for or will you have to factor payments into your budget? Is your RV old or new? An old RV will require more dollars budgeted for maintenance and repairs? Do you have a residence that will require maintenance or will provide additional income by renting? Are all your financial obligations paid off or will payments–other than monthly usage of credit cards–have to be factored in? Add in health insurance and prescription drug plan premiums, and average monthly co-pays. Add in cell phone costs, a gift budget, hobby costs, and anything else that will be recurring expenses. That was the easy part, numbers... Read more

Visit these high desert locations on you way to the desert this winter

By Bob Difley This is the time of year when RVers are either putting the rig in mothballs for the winter or thinking about heading south to their snowbird hangout. If you are in the latter group and usually plan to head south in one continuous flight, driving 300 or more miles every day until you get to your destination,  try a new plan this year. Many RVers tend to think of their RV year as consisting of two time periods, summer and winter, missing out on the two “shoulder” seasons between the two. These time periods can add another level of enjoyment to your RV calendar if you use them to visit and explore those places that are either too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter. And fortunately, many of these shoulder locations lie between your summer location and your winter haven so that can become part of your trip south–or north in the Spring, taking the stress of long days on the road. These locations are mostly in the high desert, at altitudes between 2,000 and 5,000 feet, and are missed as you rush past like a migrating goose. Here are some suggestions to explore on your journey south this winter. Red Rock Canyon State Park (photo)- In California’s Mojave Desert at 2,277 feet, this state park has spectacular white and red rock formations, trails to the top for great views of the surrounding desert, and a side trip to the Burro Schmidt tunnel, where Schmidt carved a tunnel with nothing but hand tools and his burro through a mountain to shorten... Read more

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