REFLECTIONS FROM THE ROAD

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 We’ve been traveling cross-country for two weeks now on our way to the Canadian Maritimes from California.  I’ll let you know more about the travels in Part 3 of this article. PART 1 – FREE OVERNIGHT PARKING – From my “I wish I could find the picture I took Department,” I send along this: In Mark Polk’s March edition of RV Consumer Magazine — http://issuu.com/rveducation101/docs/rv_consumer_magazine_march_2013/1?utm_source=RV+Consumer+emag+this+Month+March+2013+++&utm_campaign=RV+Consumer+magazine+RV+101&utm_medium=email — he has a brief item about Walmart parking, which probably applies to all one-night on-the-road no-charge parking places.   He mentions how putting down the jacks on hot asphalt to level the rig can damage the parking lot surface. We have seen several instances of what we feel is parking-lot abuse during our travels, but none so memorable as the Scamp mini-trailer on the edge of a parking lot with awning out, rug down, barbecue going and chairs... Read more

Go RVing, hit the road–and save money too with these tips

There hasn’t been a better time in the last few years to hit the road in your RV than now. The economy moving ahead–if a bit sluggishly, Spring is almost here, and the RV industry is on the rebound. You can make your RVing even better by saving money on the road to further extend your camping days by trying some of the following cost-cutting measures to reduce your overhead while not constricting your lifestyle. Most are just changing your old habits for new, more efficient ones. Drive 55. Lower speeds means more miles-per-gallon. Relax, and you will enjoy the scenery more and have less stress at lower speeds. Avoid fast starts and quick stops. It’s all about torque and kinetic energy, which with the proper use will save fuel. Keep tires properly inflated. It can save up to 3% on fuel mileage. Stay longer at campgrounds or boondocking sites. Check out campground weekly rates, sometimes significantly less expensive than the daily rate. Boondock more often. Save campground fees, and losses at the weekly rec. room poker games. Install a solar system. Provides renewable free power to enable camping longer off the power grid–and you can save on campground fees by staying at no-hookup campgrounds. If traveling and staying only one night in a campground, pay less by choosing a non-hook-up site (sometimes called a tent site) or stay at lower-priced regional or state parks, or at businesses that welcome over-nighters like Walmart, Kmart, and Cracker Barrel Restaurants. Eat... Read more

Alternative free (or cheap) overnight camping when on the road

Bob Difley Campground costs are an important aspect of the RV Lifestyle, and taking some extra effort in choosing where you will spend the night while on the road can save a considerable amount from your monthly expenses. You may enjoy a full service campground when you are spending several days enjoying their amenities, but when you just want to stop for the night and leave early in the morning, paying for a full amenity RV resort can get expensive. However if you keep your eyes out as you travel, and do some advance research on the area you plan to travel through, you may find some opportunities to save some money, but also enjoy something different for a change. The three ideas below for alternative overnight stopping spots are taken from my ebook, 111 Way to Get the Biggest Bang From Your RV Lifestyle Buck. Boat Launching Ramp and Marina parking lots Check with the Harbor Master’s office whether you can park overnight in the parking lot or elsewhere in the harbor (photo – Port San Luis harbor, Central California), or if you see other RVs, ask them. Boaters and anglers often sleep overnight in order to get early morning starts. You don’t necessarily have to have a boat, and you might enjoy a walk around the harbor area and even find fresh fish available if a pier or wharf is part of the set up. Most will charge a moderate overnight parking/camping fee, while others won’t, so don’t be afraid to ask. If the marina is large, you can probably get by just by pulling... 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

How to find en route one-niter boondocking campsites – Part 2

By Bob Difley In Part 1 last week I wrote about the basics of finding one night boondocking sites when on the road in unfamiliar territory by having the Forest Service and BLM providing some help and information. This week is about finding campsites when this help is not available, and you are trying to find a scenic, private, and quiet boondocking campsite in a place where you have never camped before. Both Part 1 and Part 2 are from my ebook, BOONDOCKING: Finding the Perfect Campsite on America’s Public Lands. Since you are on the road with an ultimate destination or tight timetable, the ideal spot would be one not too far off the main road (which in national forests and on BLM land would be a quiet two-lane road, not a major noisy freeway), and with a large turning radius so that you do not have to unhitch just for one night. That is the trick. I have found the following to be the best—and easiest—way to find a spot with a minimum of fuss and lost time. First, we slow down so that we don’t sail right on by a likely campsite. I watch one side of the road and Lynn the other. When one of us spots a side road, we slow down and pull off to the side of the road and walk down the road for a couple hundred yards (we’re usually due for a leg stretcher by this time and welcome the walk) to see if we can find a likely spot. If so, we retrieve our rig and settle in. We have found good campsites along most of our regularly traveled routes and those spots become daily destinations... Read more

DATES AND DEATH VALLEY — PART I

By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander*, the Never-Bored RVers This is a two-part blog, beginning with our off-the-beaten path near Tecopa, California, in Death Valley (a mere 85 miles west of Las Vegas) to the China Ranch Date Farm in an oasis among America’s most arid tract of land.  I’ll post Part 2 in a couple of days, describing our return to the Death Valley 49ers Encampment, and I conclude with a golf tale, which I call “Why I’m glad I four-putted the 18th green.” PART 1, THE DATE FARM – For those of you who have never experienced the nothingness of the vast Western deserts, trekking across broad sandy basins lined with jagged mountains holds more interest than you might realize.  Last year we drove and hiked through several unique scenic venues, including the beautiful Artists Palette trail, the Devil’s Golf Course and the lowest point in North America. This year, we pulled out a day early from among the long lines of RVs parked at Furnace Creek for the 49ers Encampment heading for the legendary China Ranch date farm.  It was harvest time, the perfect time to visit.  “What have we gotten Is this really a road? ourselves into?” we wondered as we left the blacktop side road and urged our trailer onto a winding dirt road cut through steep cliffs and serrated hills.  Despite sharp turns on the narrow road, it looked worse than it was. Before long the labyrinth wound past acres of palm trees all dressed in the apparel of ghosts, white-robed spirits... Read more

RVs Pose Carbon Monoxide Dangers

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas that is toxic and the number one cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the United States. Carbon monoxide can be particularly dangerous in recreational vehicles. The Associated Press recently reported that five people were found dead inside a rented camper at a Tennessee motorcycle festival that raised money for sick children. Investigators said the victims appeared to have been overcome by carbon monoxide fumes that leaked into the camper from a generator. Recreational vehicles are part of a broad spectrum of products called “after-market, modified, or incomplete vehicles,” which also includes limousines, ambulances, conversion vans, and handicapped-accessible vans, reports InjuryBoard.com. These vehicles are either purchased as an incomplete chassis from a major automaker and then assembled into a different finished product or cut apart and modified from their original factory configuration. Unlike original equipment manufacturers (OEM), these non-OEM manufacturers may not be held to the strict design and testing requirements to which original manufacturers are held. In fact, these manufacturers may not even be held to the minimum federal requirements under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). RV manufacturers may not properly seal or vent sources of carbon monoxide gas (either from the engine, exhaust, or generator). In other instances, the equipment may be installed, but a manufacturing defect (like a... Read more

Money Saving Tips: Extending Your RV Travel Dollars

The latest Campfire Canvass survey of RV owners conducted by Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) revealed that 53% intend to use their RV more this spring and summer despite higher fuel prices, while 38% plan to use theirs the same amount and just 9% say they’ll use their RVs less. Of the respondents who plan to use their RVs more often, 65% said one of the reasons is to take more mini-vacations. A recent study indicates 53% intend to use their RV more this spring and summer despite higher fuel prices. Motorhome parked at Sliding Rock Overlook, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved Many RV owning families plan to take shorter but more frequent trips in their RVs. Sixty-three percent plan to spend five or more weekends in their RVs this spring/summer; 19% will reserve a seasonal site at a campground this summer and visit it on weekends. According to the report, 68% said they expect fuel prices to affect their spring/summer travel plans. Of those respondents, 61% said they’ll travel closer to home, 42% will travel fewer miles and 37% will stay longer in one place. These figures indicate that people are looking for inexpensive vacation options, and RVing leads the pack. RV owners love the RV lifestyle and rising gas prices won’t stop them from getting away. RV family vacations are, on average, 27% to 61% less expensive than other types of vacations, according to a study by international travel and tourism experts Collier’s... Read more

The Zen of Boondocking Part XIV – Camping along scenic byways

By Bob Difley National Scenic Byways, a program administered in part by the National Forest Service (FS), describes routes through some of the most scenic lands in the country, many through national forests where you can find FS campgrounds and scattered boondocking campsites along your route. You can find the nation’s byways on the America’s Byways website and order a free brochure listing all the byways. Some states also have scenic roads or byways that are not yet listed as “national” scenic byways. You can find these, and often more complete information on the state’s national scenic byways, at the individual state’s byways web page. Type the state name followed by scenic byways in the search box for your state. What fun it is to dawdle along these scenic roadways with no need to travel the entire route between RV resortss on either end, or even further away. When you’ve perfected your boondocking skills, you can find multiple dry-camping/boondocking camping possibilities along the byway enabling you to slow down to fully appreciate the area and to spend a few extra days enjoying the beauty of the byway and the nesty campsites or campgrounds you find along the way. Watch for marked FS roads or obtain a list of dispersed camping possibilities and primitive campgrounds from the byway, FS office, or online at sites like Forest Service Camping. National forests also surround many of our National Parks, where you can find FS campgrounds... Read more

The Zen of Boondocking Part XII – More public land camping options

By Bob Difley In last week’s post I wrote about camping on public lands other than the two big entities, the BLM and National Forest Service. This is a continuation, since I ran out of space last week. But it does indicate just how much area in this country is available for boondocking–if you know where to look. NATIONAL MONUMENTS In National Parks you can camp only in a designated campground. National Monuments are less restricted, have fewer facilities, and may allow boondocking in certain areas. Check at the visitor center or online whether the park allows dispersed camping before making camp. Many monuments also have primitive campgrounds (photo – Craters of the Moon, near Arco, ID). NATIONAL RECREATION AREA (NRA) Eighteen NRAs are managed by the NPS, with the FS managing several more and the BLM managing one. It depends on the NRA itself whether dispersed camping is allowed. Most have designated campgrounds, some with partial hook-ups, some without, but with amenities like dump stations and drinking water. NRAs are often found within National Forests and on large reservoirs with lots of recreation possibilities. One of my favorites, the Sawtooth NRA in central Idaho, has lots of dispersed campsites on the edge of the forests bordering the Salmon River that flows through the valley. East of the town of Stanley, the hub of the NRA, dispersed sites also lie along the Salmon River, several with hot springs bubbling and steaming into the cool river. HARBOR DISTRICTS Don’t... Read more

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