Lets talk RV brands

[dennishoddy]

So question to the group. Say you were doing this and moving from wayyyy up north to south Texas for the winter. You obviously can't drive it in a day, so do you rent a campground spot for the nights you are traveling? Motels? Where do you stay on road trips where you're hauling your trailer? Obviously you can stay in the trailer you are hauling, but do you set it up each night while on the road?

We spent 2021 in Brownsville Tx in January, and by September of that same year had ventured all the way to Glacier NP in Northern Montana. The Canadian portion of the park was closed, or we would have gone further.
13 states total that year, all in the Rocky Mountain area other than Arkansas on a side trip and Arizona, getting there on Dec 30, so that counts.
We like to drive about 300 to 350 miles a day. Everything is preplanned with reservations. We sit down with an Atlas and map our route, using google maps to tell us the mileage between stops.
As has been said, one can just pick a truck stop or surprisingly some Walmart's will grant parking privileges. If you're a member of the Elks Lodge, some of those provide free or low cost parking overnight for members, Harvest Host does the same.
Typically smaller locally owned parks for just travelling through charge $35 to $45 a night. We do a lot of reviews before selecting one and have been fooled a couple of times. If it looks sketchy, we bail out and go look elsewhere.
If the park rules say the rigs have to be 10 years or newer, we are in. A lot of them have that rule unless one can send in a pic that the park can approve. Keeps the broken down junkers out that may never leave.
We set up every night, but as earlier stated, we are less than a minute after unhooking and then another ten minutes hooking up the electrical and water. We have a portable water softener and filtration system in addition to what the rig supplies, so it may be 15 minutes.
After doing this for 7 years now, we both know our jobs and routines. Words are rarely spoken; we just get it done and then go explore the area to see local attractions.
There is a whole lot of America out there that nobody knows about that is fascinating in some of these small towns.
Like the Blue Hole in Santa Rosa New Mexico that is a extremely deep. Huge scuba diving destination. It's so popular, the local hospital has a hyperbaric chamber for divers that come up to quick and get nitrogen narcosis and a host of other attraction in every small town.
It's a great life.

 

[OKCHunter]

So question to the group. Say you were doing this and moving from wayyyy up north to south Texas for the winter. You obviously can't drive it in a day, so do you rent a campground spot for the nights you are traveling? Motels? Where do you stay on road trips where you're hauling your trailer? Obviously you can stay in the trailer you are hauling, but do you set it up each night while on the road?

When we take longer trips with the RV, I plan the route to stop at RV parks along the way and make reservations. Sometimes it’s just for the night, other times we stay a day and see the local attractions and then move on. There are thousands of RV parks across the nation.

 

[XYZ]

I guess there are still RVs manufactured in Oklahoma.

 

[SoonerP226]

I don't remember whether this was discussed earlier in the thread, but when purchasing a travel trailer or fifth wheel, it is wise to choose the RV based on the weight capacities of the towing vehicle. Many a person has "got a good deal" on a pickup only to find that it is too light to pull the trailer of their choice. Also, don't go by the vehicle manufacturer's "Towing Weight" rating. Look at the Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) of the tow vehicle and then get the weight of that vehicle with full fuel and passengers and any other cargo planned on carrying in it.

Once one has the tow vehicles total weight, add that to the trailer's GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) and make sure that the total is less than the GCWR of the tow vehicle. NEVER take the word of the salesperson, whether they be in the auto business or RV business.

One other thing to consider is that a primary difference between a half-ton and a heavy duty pickup is the designed duty cycle. Yeah, you can buy a half-ton that can safely tow six tons, but the difference is that 3/4- or 1-ton is designed to do it day in and day out, where the half-ton is only designed to do it occasionally. If all you're doing is hauling the boat to the lake on weekends or going RVing on vacation, a half-ton with a high tow rating will do the job, but that's a different proposition from using a truck to stay on the road.

 

[Parks 788]

So question to the group. Say you were doing this and moving from wayyyy up north to south Texas for the winter. You obviously can't drive it in a day, so do you rent a campground spot for the nights you are traveling? Motels? Where do you stay on road trips where you're hauling your trailer? Obviously you can stay in the trailer you are hauling, but do you set it up each night while on the road?

Most will stay in their 5ers or TT's when overnighting. When choosing your RV be sure to check access to everything you'd want for a comfortable late/last minute stop to sleep for the night. What I mean is, make sure you have access to the refridgerator, bathroom and bed without having to put any slides out or setup to have a quick and comfortable overnight stay in a safe parking lot/area.

 

[montesa]

I'm been reading on a forum https://forum.expeditionportal.com/ for awhile following guys who sold the house, loaded up a truck bed camper and hit the road for months on end and yes, there are plenty of places to park free or little charge. Ive read some pretty interesting stories of peoples journey. Some go as far as to load their rig on a boat to other countries, hop a plane and pick up the rig on the other side of the drink. These stories are very rich and inspiring.
And when there's nothing left in OK for me, as in now, its something I ponder more and more rather than just stagnate and hate this city as it continues to turn to a crap hole.

I have no family. God didnt have it my plans to reproduce (not for lack of trying lol). Mom is almost at her end, Dad is gone and my brother is in MO, sister in CA. I'm not going to CA ever again but I could park an RV at my brother's house (10 acres) and stay for a minute whenever I wanted.
Life after retirement has been an adjustment beyond any I ever experienced and this is 1 last part of it. I need a new purpose and it isnt anywhere in this city or this urban neighborhood.
Decisions.....
Hell, if you get and RV and want to travel along side with me that would be fun.

Interested in seeing what you end up doing. Unfortunately I still have to work. But I'm similar to you in options at some point.

 

[dennishoddy]

Some go as far as to load their rig on a boat to other countries, hop a plane and pick up the rig on the other side of the drink. These stories are very rich and inspiring.

A former Co-worker of mine took his fifth wheel into Alaska with his brother and his wife.
They stayed up there after travelling the Alcan highway for a couple of months.
There was a medical emergency that forced all but him to fly back to the lower 48.
He put the RV and truck on a barge and had it shipped back to Seattle.
As everything for the most part has to be shipped to Alaska there are a lot of barges and a lot of competition to get a load back to the lower 48. He said the cost wasn't much more than driving and paying hotels.
There is a huge ferry service in Canada that can accept RV's of all sizes.
Those folks do this every day, several times a day so they know when guiding one in, they do it right. The app alert folks to exactly what's happening, when to move back to your vehicles and when it's your turn to start moving to the ferry.
Then you go on to the deck, see live bands, have cocktails, eat, watch a movie, and so on. Like a mini cruise ship for a few hours.
One of our RV friends are going to do the ferry hop from Vancouver to Alaska by taking a series of ferries up there and back in the inland waterway.

 

[CHenry]

Interested in seeing what you end up doing. Unfortunately I still have to work. But I'm similar to you in options at some point.

I am fortunate and blessed to be kinda wealthy at age 55 and its growing as I speak. Not bragging or anything like that but like said I am blessed.
Now I just have to figure out if I wanna do something with it or die and give it all away.
I prefer to do a bit of both.
And I will.

 

[CHenry]

One other thing to consider is that a primary difference between a half-ton and a heavy duty pickup is the designed duty cycle. Yeah, you can buy a half-ton that can safely tow six tons, but the difference is that 3/4- or 1-ton is designed to do it day in and day out, where the half-ton is only designed to do it occasionally. If all you're doing is hauling the boat to the lake on weekends or going RVing on vacation, a half-ton with a high tow rating will do the job, but that's a different proposition from using a truck to stay on the road.

absolutely, a dualy is what I ran before and it was so incredibly more stable than a 4 tire rig. heck I forgot that load was behind me sometimes.