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Blog Entries posted by italo

  1. italo
    Yoda, the Jedi Master, once said, "Always pass on what you have learned."
    I've read a few RV blog articles that attempt to do this. They've got titles such as "Lessons From the Road," "Things I Learned Along the Way," and "RV Travel Tips." Some offer very practical how-to or what-to-do advice. I believe we can all learn something from each other. It is in that spirit that I share some of my learned RVing wisdom But it's not on what to do or how to do it, but instead on what not to do. These are things that help keep me from RVing's "dark side" (e.g., being in a hurry or being afraid). It's J. Dawg channeling my inner Yoda.
    Don't Plan the Destination, Plan the Journey
    When it comes to RV travel, rarely do I travel to get to a specific place. Yes, if it's for a weekend getaway, an event, or stay by the lake, my focus is to get to a place. But when I plan a major trip, its to usually to experience a general area or to have a certain experience, not to get to a destination. I learned this years ago when I was climbing mountains. Initially, I was bagging summits, but then I realized that the most enjoyment came from experiencing the hike up to the summit, not standing on the summit. The reward isn't at the destination, its what you experience along the way. When planning an RV trip I always plan loop routes; never to a specific point and never an out and back over the same roads.
    Don't Try to See It All
    A few years ago, when I first got into RVing, I read a book written by the ex-governor of Maine (Angus King). Upon leaving the Governors office, King took his family on a 5-1/2 month RV trip across the country. They did a big loop around the perimeter of the country stopping at all the major tourist areas. The book was great and for him and his family it was a trip of a lifetime. They saw a lot, but they missed so much. In starting my RVing journey, I decided to take my time and see the country over several years. No big 5-month trip for me, just lots of smaller journeys. I'm seeing and savoring it in numerous small bites, exploring the nooks and crannies. Staying away from the big cities, taking my time, staying extra days, not trying to see it all, just trying to see what intrigues me.

    J. Dawg on the Trail Ridge Road the day it opened
    Avoid the Popular Places During the Peak Season
    Seems like everyone wants to see the wildlife in Yellowstone in July or drive the Going to the Sun Road in August. Go to a popular National Park in the peak summer months and be prepared for a heavy dose of frustration from full campgrounds, full parking lots and clogged roads. I avoid the peak summer months for RV travel. I prefer to visit the popular spots in the shoulder seasons when the kids are in school and its not peak vacation time. Spring and Fall are my best times for RV travel. Yellowstone in early June can be cold but there's a lot less people. You can drive along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in April instead of having to take the shuttle.
    Don't Be Afraid to Change Your Plans
    Some of my best experiences happened when I asked myself - "I wonder what's down this road?" or "Hey, Lets check this out". Just last March, we were stopped overnight in Wilcox AZ (on our way to Tuscon) and saw a tourist map with a road route called the Golden Circle of Cochise. On a whim we decided to follow it. It diverted us for a 160 miles thru some beautiful country that we would have bypassed. The same thing happened when I was in South Dakota two years ago. Instead leaving the Black Hills and driving east on I90 like I planned, I decide to go south and spent a couple extra days driving the back roads thru the Sandhills of Nebraska. It was a worthwhile change of plans. These spur of the moment route changes can provide lots of unexpected pleasure and adventure.

    J. Dawg on the Golden Circle of Cochise
    Don't Be In a Hurry
    This one should be obvious. Sit on a rock and soak up the view for awhile. Stop at the scenic turnouts and get out of the vehicle. Wander down a path. Wait for the light to change for that photo. You don't have to drive 500 miles in a day. Don't be afraid to take a nap for a couple hours in a rest area. Stay an extra day or two. When you're retired, what's the hurry?
    These are just some of the wisdom's that I've learned while RVing. Its interesting that they are just the opposite of what I practiced when I was working. But as Yoda said - "You must unlearn what you have learned."
    If you've got some advise, wisdom, or Jedi wisdom you want to share, please leave me a comment because I'd like to hear them. And may The Force be with you!
    Follow more of my journeys at: http://jdawgjourneys.blogspot.com/
  2. italo
    If you're in New England and want to get south or if you're in the south and want to get to New England, you most likely have to pass somewhere near the New York City area. If you have an RV, it's inevitable that someday you'll have to drive through this area on some journey. Its a congested and confusing area to drive through with a maze of highways that crisscross each other. It can be very stressful and intimidating for someone driving for the first time through this area.
    Living in New England, I've been driving through this area for a several years now and developed my preferred routes and driving routines. I'm sure everyone has their own thoughts and routes about the New York City (NYC) area and there's no right or wrong answers here. So, in this post I'll share some of what I do when I drive through the NYC area.
    Drive on the Weekend
    Traffic is lighter on the weekend but this a relative statement. On the weekdays, traffic can be horrendous with lots of delays. On the weekends, it's just plain heavy with maybe one or two delays, if you're lucky. I always plan to leave on a Saturday so I can get thru the whole NYC and DC areas over a weekend and time my returns for the same time.
    Drive During Daylight / Drive in the Middle Lane
    With all the route changes, exits, interchanges, and lane shifts / merges it's so much easier to see where you're going during the day. Also, on these roads there's lots of exits and off ramps with traffic entering and exiting from the right. While I normally drive in the far right hand lane, I find driving in the middle lane thru the NYC area avoids dodging some of the incoming traffic and getting stuck in a exit-only lane. Also, some of the highways around NYC are 4 lanes wide. Crossing lanes with an RV isn't a quick move and these highways are not always easy for making quick lane changes.
    Don't Rely Totally on the GPS
    Your GPS will give you the fastest or shortest route based on distance or roads and probably route you onto congested highways like I-95. I turn off my GPS off when I get near NYC. I don't want to listen to Helga (my GPS) telling me to take exits or to go on roads that I don't want to take. Its confusing enough and I don't need to hear Helga jabbering away as I try to stay on my route. Also, have a map handy and study it ahead of time to known which routes you will take.
    Avoid I-95
    I-95 through southern Conn and into NYC is a very very busy road. Back ups at the George Washington Bridge (GWB) can be nightmarish. Also, the lower levels of the GWB has propane restrictions. I avoid I-95 at all costs. My preferred route going south (on a weekend) is I-84 thru CT. I go south of Hartford (to avoid driving thru the city) on the Charter Oak Bridge and then get on I-91 south. At Meridan, I get on I-691 west to get back on I-84. I follow I-84 west to I-684 south to I-287 west (what I call the 8 Lanes of Craziness) over the Tappan Zee Bridge (no toll going west) and then follow I-287 around the city until it intersects with the NJ Turnpike well south of the city. Some folks take the Garden State Parkway south off I-287 but it can get bogged down with all the toll booths and traffic is heavier than I-287.



    Going north, I'll take the NJ Turnpike north to I-287,then north on I-87 to I-84 east, then cross the Hudson River at Newburgh, NY and follow I-84 east thru CT. This avoids the whole I-287 craziness around the Tappan Zee and the bridge toll. If its a weekday, I'll take I-287 and then go north on the NY Thruway (I-87) north up to I-90 and then follow the Mass Pike (I-90) thru Mass and avoid all of Conn. On a weekday, traffic can be heavy around Danbury, Waterbury, and Hartford and is best avoided. The I-87 to I-90 route is a little longer but its a much easier drive with little to no congestion.



    Some avoid this whole area (and the tolls) by going I-84 to I-81into PA and down to MD and VA. I've done this route when heading out west or to the the VA or NC area. Its longer this way and at some point you've got to log some miles getting back to I-95 at either either Baltimore, DC, or Richmond. But it does avoid all the craziness and stress around NYC and that's worth something.
    Avoid the Parkways North of the City
    The Hutchinson, Saw Mill, and Merritt Parkways north of NYC all have low bridges (to low for RV's). The Taconic State Parkway and the Palisades Parkway don't allow RV's.
    The Garden State Parkway (GSP) does allow RV's. There might be a couple low bridges on the northern section. I've never had a problem on the GSP with my RV at 11' 3". Be prepared for lots of toll booths on the GSP. The NJ turnpike is fine for RV's and its a good road now that most of the construction is finished. It also has quite a few rest areas with fuel and food.
    Be Prepared for Tolls
    You'll hit tolls in Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts. It can run close to $20-$30 in tolls going thru this area or more depending on which bridge you go over. Its so much easier to use an EZ-Pass transponder thru this area. All the states on the eastern seaboard (except FL) accept EZ-Pass. You can get a transponder in your home state or apply in a New England state. Some states charge for them, some don't. Be sure to set it up with enough money. If you go thru the NYC area and then back within three days you could easily run out of money in your EZ-Pass account. I set mine up to maintain a $100 balance so I never run out of money.
    Avoid Buying Buy Fuel in CT and NY
    Fuel is almost $.30-$.40 cents higher in theses states due to fuel taxes. I tend to fuel up in MA and then again in NJ and vice versa on the return trip north. Also, be aware in NJ you can't pump your own (state law) but it does have low fuel prices due to a very low fuel tax.
    Limited Stop Overs
    Around NYC there's few if any campgrounds or places to boon dock for the night. You sort of have to plan to get thru the area before you stop for the night. On the northern edge, there's places to stay up around Newburgh, NY. On the southern end, there's a state park in Delaware (Lums Pond SP) that's open all year and is just a few miles from the highway. It got nice sites around a large field but only 5 have electricity. I've stayed at Lums Pond a few times en route through the area.
    That's my wisdom and info on how I drive through the NYC area. I'm always glad when its behind me. If you've got some advice or input on this, please leave me a comment.
    You can follow more of my journeys at: http://jdawgjourneys.blogspot.com
  3. italo
    Assateague Island is a barrier island on Maryland's eastern sea shore. Its one of 10 protected National Seashores. Its got miles and miles of unspoiled beaches. Its also known for its wild feral horses that roam the island. The horses have their origins back to colonial times when colonists released horses for grazing on the island.
    The 37 mile long island is a large undeveloped barrier island off the Delmarva peninsula. Its protected on the northern end by Assateague State Park. The state park has a large campground (350 sites) and provides beach and bay access. The lower part is protected by the Assateague Island National Seashore and the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. The National Seashore has two camping areas with a total of about 100 sites. If you're into rustic beachside camping and love the ocean, it doesn't get much better than Assateague Island.
    Assateague Island is about 10 miles south from Ocean City. Along this short distance you experience a dramatic landscape change going from over developed condo / retail land to rural countryside to barren island. On our way there, we stopped at the National Seashore Visitor Center. The Visitor Center is on the mainland before you cross over to the island. It has good information about the island, some exhibits, and a short movie about the wild horses that is worth watching.

    Assateague Island is undeveloped, which is what makes it so special. There's no stores, no houses, no gas stations, no ATM's. On our first day, we spent a couple of hours exploring the National Seashore. There’s some hiking trails, a picnic area, and a boat launch area on the bay side. The bay side is popular for kayaking. There are two main beaches on the ocean side with large parking areas. The beach is much like the Outer Banks with endless miles of beaches, high dunes, heavy surf, and lots of salt spray. There’s a nice bike path that starts at the Visitor Center, goes over its own bridge, and follows the paved road on the island until it terminus. To drive beyond the paved road onto the beach requires and off road permit and a four wheel drive vehicle.

    J. Dawg's campsite in the H Loop
    We stayed at the State Park campground because the facilities are better (hot showers vs cold) than the National Seashore campground and it has a section with electrical hookups. The campground borders the beach and the water is just steps away. It’s a very open camping setting with little to no protection from sun and wind. The campsites and roads are all paved and well spaced. There are bath houses with showers in each camping loop. There's one dump station for the entire campground. Camping at Assateague Island is very popular. The campgrounds recommend reservations during the peak summer and fall months. I had made my original reservations 10 months in advance for a spot in the State Park section that has electrical hookups (H Loop).
    There’s evidence of the wild horses everywhere (i.e. horse droppings) and they are readily seen. On the Maryland section of the island the herd of wild horses numbers about 100. The horses run wild foraging on grasses, tree bark, and plants. They group themselves into bands consisting of about 5-6 horses. Each band is led by a male stallion who protects his harem of mares and folds. The horses are all over the place – in roads, parking lots, beach, and campgrounds. The horses aren’t tame but they are unafraid of humans and do not appear aggressive. But they will bite and kick. The Park Service manages the size of the herd by vaccinating the mares to limit their ability to reproduce. They do this with dart guns to inject the horses from a distance. The Virginia section has a herd of about 140 horses. This herd runs wild but is owned and managed by a local firefighters group. There’s an annual round up of these horses and a certain number of folds are sold off each year as a fund raiser.
    On our first day we saw horses in the National Seashore and right in the State Park campground. They were right near the campers grazing, joining in on camp fires, and seemingly begging for a handout. Here are some pictures.




    During our stay over Columbus Day weekend, it was warm (mid 70's) and partially sunny. We have some beautiful beach weather on our second day. The wind blew constantly at 15-20 mph and surf was heavy. Our loop in the campground was full but elsewhere it was pretty empty. The State Park campground is open until the end of October.


    A popular activity on Assateague Island
    Assateague Island is great RV destination. Camping here reminded me of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Cumberland Island in Georgia, and St. Josephs Peninsula in Florida. All barrier islands, remote, and unspoiled. They’re all harsh places beaten by weather. The air is moist with salt spray and it quickly covers everything. The wind blows constantly. The roar of the ocean is ever present. All are beautiful places.

    Sunset over the bay

    Sunrise over the ocean
    Follow more of my journeys at: http://jdawgjourneys.blogspot.com
  4. italo
    You've probably got thousands of them stored on your computer, just sitting there, filed away. They're your travel photos and the images contain your fun moments, great experiences, and fond memories. They show much of your living history.
    Your parents probably used to paste them into albums or had slides made and showed them on special occasions. I used to do that up until about 15 years ago when digital photography made things so much easier. And now with technology, there's so much more you can do with your photographs. So, in this post I'll share some of the things I do with my travel photos.
    1. Organize Them
    I organize the photos into file folders set up on my desktop computer at home. When I travel, I offload pictures everyday onto my laptop (and backup the laptop) but then transfer them to my desktop when I get home. I created a file structure that has them organized by year and by trip. Within a trip folder, I have them organized by state or major attraction (e.g. national park name). I also created folders for people, landscapes, objects, and animals. I store copies of my best photos in these folders. I also just started using Photoshop and have begun tagging photos and organizing within the Photoshop Organizer to make it easier to search the photos.
    2. Back Them Up
    I back up my picture folders onto a Seagate Backup Plus Slim 1TB Portable Hard Drive. I have two of these drives and use one for when I travel and one for my desktop at home. I also upload some to Google Drive, which creates another copy.
    3. Share Them
    I use Google Drive for my cloud storage and as the main way for sharing my photos. I'm a Google guy and have accounts for Gmail, Calendar, Youtube, Google+, and Blogger all under Google. For me, it was so much easier just to use the Drive service under my existing Google account. Its free for the first 15GB of storage and then I'll pay $9.99 for 1TB of storage. I have the Google Drive app on my Android smartphone and tablet so I've got access to my photos from anywhere to show people. Its also easy to post a link (J. Dawg Photos) to my photos so I can share them easily by sending the link in an email or posting the link on sites like Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest. I like the quality of how my photos are stored on Drive and prefer using Drive versus uploading them to Facebook. There are other services such as, Flickr, Dropbox and iCloud that do the same thing as Drive.
    4. Make Them Better
    I just started using Photoshop to improve and organize my photos. Its called post processing and its a whole new photography skillset to learn. I use Photoshop Elements, which is intended for amateur photographers and is less expensive than the full Photoshop Creative Cloud version that the pros use. I'm amazed at what you can do with this software. You can edit the photo, change the size, enhance the color, remove unwanted objects, remove shadows, and even whiten a persons teeth. It can't make a bad photo good, but it can make a good or great photo even better. Here's a sample of a picture before and after enhancing with Photoshop.

    Original photo

    Enhanced photo
    The software is pretty sophisticated so I bought this Photoshop Elements 12 book to help me learn how to use all the features.
    5. Use Them
    I use some of my favorite photos as a screen saver slide show on my PC's and tablet. It lets me enjoy them while I'm using these devices. I get prints of some photos to display around my house. I like seeing the photos displayed to remind me of the places I've been. I also sometimes make a slide show of pictures with my video editing software (Power Director) or with Photoshop and can upload these to Youtube. I especially like making a photo album book on each trip I take. I use Snapfish. It lets me upload my pictures, customize the style of the book and paper theme, select the page layouts, and position the photos within the book. I can make a book with up to 150 pages. Snapfish can also make calendars and greeting cards from my photos along with regular photo prints. There are other companies like Shutterfly and Walmart offer similar services.



    There's a lot you can do with your photos.
    Follow more of my journeys at: http://jdawgjourneys.blogspot.com/
  5. italo
    It might be a bit early, but I'm already thinking about my winter in Florida. One of the reasons I bought my current RV was so I could use it to escape New England winters. I love summers in New England. I love traveling across the country in the spring and fall. But I really look forward to going to Florida for the winter. I don't do winter activities and I'd much rather be sitting on the beach in January or riding my bike instead of the being stuck inside and complaining about the cold.
    Spending the winter living in an RV is a different type of RV travel. You can drive to a warm place like Florida or Arizona and do a some road tripping for a several weeks. I've done that, driving and exploring various parts of Florida for about a month. But now, I do my RV road tripping in the spring and fall and like to find a nice place to stay put for most of winter. For me, it's the drive-the-rig-south-and-park-it-for-three-months type of RVing.
    Its a stationary version of RVing and lots of folks do it. Some like to go to the southern Arizona desert in places like Quartzsite and park out in the desert for little or no cost. I've been to Quartzsite and it's not for me. I prefer finding a nice RV park that has amenities, activities, and has an attraction nearby like a beach. After spending the past six years wintering on Florida, my favorite winter roost is the Fort Myers area. Its has a nice tropical climate and its right near the ocean. I found I like the west coast of Florida much more that the Atlantic side. Things seem to be a little less expensive and its more laid back.
    Spending the winter in an RV park is big change from where I normally live. I reside in a small town in a very rural part of New England. My neighbors are trees, cows, and corn stalks. The only sounds at night are the coyotes yipping. When I go to Florida, its a dramatic change of habitat and pace. While I like rural living, I like being able to make a change for a few months to be closer to people and urban conveniences. It makes me appreciate both types of living.

    Walking Fort Myers Beach
    At the RV park, I give up my three acres and spacious country home for a parking spot with a concrete pad. We're packed in pretty close together with neighbors just few feet away. You can't help but meet and interact with people. I'm there for an extended time (not just a short vacation) so it helps if there are activities in the park or things to do nearby. I like the group breakfasts / dinners and sporting activities that they have in the RV park. They're things I don't get to do at home. I also like bicycling, reading, and going to the beach (nice things to be able to do in the winter).

    Waterfront sites at San Carlos RV Park

    The big rigs parked for the winter
    So, what's a typical day like. Here's a sample of things that happen on a typical day.
    I often wake up smelling bacon wafting into the RV from a neighbor cooking breakfast outside.
    I say high or stop and chat with 2-3 people on my way to take a shower. People in the RV park are super friendly. I usually see a half dozen more people by noon. These impromptu chats happen often and through out the day in the RV park.
    I get on the Internet to write, check the news, and keep in touch with my family.
    I take a nice long walk or bike ride just about every day.
    I go to an activity if there's one I signed up for or run some errands, if needed. Two to three times a week I ride down to the local fish market and get fresh-off-the-boat seafood. Sometimes we go out for a drive and explore the area.
    Almost every day is a beach day and I either ride my bike or take the bus to the beach. Its only a mile away.
    Many restaurants have free live music at happy hours so I may go to one that's near by or just go to the daily happy hour in the RV park. You don't have to drink alcohol or spend a lot of money to enjoy a happy hour. Its a great chance to meet other snowbirds and enjoy some free entertainment.
    We eat out more when in Florida. Everything is so close - we can walk to many restaurants.

    Its definitely the easy life. However, after 2-3 months of this easy life, I'm ready to work my way back home where there's more space and more work to do.
    The cost to stay at an RV park can be all over the place. At the place I stay, its about $3,900 for a three month stay. For that I get water, electric, sewer, a pool, showers, laundry, and free wifi. That averages out to be about $44 per day. I used to pay around $2,900 to rent an ocean side condo for a month so for me the RV park is a good deal. There are cheaper places to stay, but I like being close to the ocean and for that I'm paying a little bit of a premium.
    Also, many places in southern Florida fill up quickly for the winter season. I made my reservations in May for my winter stay. Most of the state parks in southern Florida are booked solid a year in advance for the winter months. Its best to make reservations well in advance if you're planning for an extended stay during the winter. Northern Florida is different. There's plenty of places with availability but its a lot colder and they can get some nights with freezing temps.
    The RV park lifestyle is not for everyone. But I like it. I think is fairly economical and its sure beats staying home and looking at the snow and counting the days until it goes away. With my RV, its so easy to make it go away with just a couple days of driving.
    Follow more of my journeys at: http://jdawgjourneys.blogspot.com/
  6. italo
    "Jim, you've got to do something more than just play when you retire. If all you do is play, then your play will become like work and you'll dread it." Those were the words of advice my retired friend, JP gave me when I asked him about his retirement. It was good advice and I often reflect back on it as I undertake my travels.
    These day's I'm spending a lot of my time in retirement traveling the country in my RV. Being able to travel was my dream for when I retired and it has become one of the main ways of how I spend my time. Some might label it as "playing", but I try to add purpose to my travels, to enhance the overall experience.
    Doing road trips and just sight seeing across the country can be lots of fun. I've done a few cross country trips just to see the sights. But I found after a few weeks on the road, I would get bored and things would start to blur. After several days of new and different scenery, I would loose track of time and tended to forget where I had been and what I had seen just a few days prior. I decided that I needed to add more purpose to my travel to make it more enjoyable and meaningful.
    So, in this post, I'll share some of the things I do to add purpose to my RV travels.
    Share the Experience with Others
    I've always liked to write and have kept journals about interesting things I did so I'd have a record to reflect back on. I kept them private, but a few years ago I started this blog so I could share my experiences with my family and friends. I became my own traveling reporter. It gave me an activity to do while on the road and a new skill to enhance. I try to become a better writer and story teller with each entry and I try to broaden my audience. I don't do it for money and think of it as a way of giving something back. There's a lot of people writing blogs about their travels and I enjoy reading others experiences and learning about new places. Web sites like Blogger and Word Press make it easy to start a blog. Social media sites like Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest make it easy to share your travel experiences with others.
    Develop or Enhance a Skill to Use on the Road
    I took up photography back in the day when 35 ml film was popular and even had my own dark room. Digital photography has made things so much easier and faster. The past couple of years I've focused on becoming a better photographer so I could better record my travels. I've read books about photo composition, techniques, and landscape photography. I travel with three cameras for different type of photography (close ups, telephoto, and video). I've even got into film ending and some post production. Its a fun and challenging skill to learn and its helped add more purpose to what I do while on the road - telling my story thru better photographs.

    J. Dawg on the Shelter Island Ferry
    Use Your RV to Travel to an Event
    I love music and use my RV to attend a few music festivals each year. A lot of music festivals have camping and allow RV's. It's a great way to go experience and immerse yourself in different types of music. I'm also a Nascar fan and take my RV down to Daytona each year. There's Nascar races all over the country and I'm going to try visiting some different tacks. Next year, I'm planning to spend part of the summer in Colorado attending local rodeos. Rodeos are great local entertainment. I have yet to attend an RV rally but I'm sure it will happen one of these years. And then there's football tailgating. If you've got a hobby or a passion, I'm sure there's an event dealing with it somewhere. Traveling to an event is a great way to enhance your hobby and RV experience.

    J. Dawg at the Daytona 500
    Explore History and Culture
    This past spring, I did a trip through the south and southwest experiencing different cultural areas. I went to the Cajun country in Louisiana, some Spanish areas of Texas and New Mexico, and some Native American areas in the southwest. In addition to seeing the sights, I visited historical sites, ate the local food, danced to the music, and talked with some of the people. It was a great experience. Also, this summer I went out to Kansas and took the back roads shadowing the Santa Fe Trail. It was very educational and inspiring to see the trail and country side that our ancestors traveled. I'm also a Civil War buff and have traveled to many of the battlefields. There's a lot of this that can be done in our country. All you need to do is just pick an area or historical period and go.

    J. Dawg in Mexico
    Travel to and Experience a Different Part of the Country
    When I retired, I started spending part of the winter in Florida. I started out renting condo's but now I stay in my RV for 2-3 months. I love getting out of winter and sitting on the beach in January. It's also fun to become familiar with and "soak up" another area, to meet new people, and see how others live. I want to do more of this in other areas like the southwest and in some of the mountain states.

    J. Dawg on St. Augustine Beach in January
    All of what I describe above has helped me add more purpose to my RV travel. Its helped make it much more enjoyable and avoid the pitfall that my friend JP warned me about. And, it may be old news or obvious to some but perhaps it might light a spark in someone else about what they can do to enhance their RV travels.
    Follow more of my travels at: http://jdawgjourneys.blogspot.com/
  7. italo
    Everyday, I try to remind myself how fortunate I am. I'm safe and secure. I'm not in want of food or shelter. I'm mobile and can travel. I have a great supportive family. But, I also struggle living with an incurable disease that at times causes me a certain amount of suffering.
    Four years ago, I got diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Its a disease of the large intestine that causes frequent and urgent loose bowel movements, cramping, discomfort, and bloody diarrhea. Its a disease that has no known cause and has no cure. About 2/3 of the people with colitis can manage the symptoms with a life long regiment of drugs. For the other 1/3, things never settle down. I'm in between these two groups - most of the mainstream drugs haven't worked for me. But most of the time my symptoms are moderate and at times, if I'm really strict with my diet, things settle down on their own for a short time.
    So, by now you may ask - what does this have to do with the RV lifestyle? Well, recently I was at a checkup with one of my doctors (I see four on a regular basis). He asked me what I had been doing for the past six months and I told him about all my travel and places I'd been this year. So far this year, I've traveled over 18,000 miles, been away from home for over 17 weeks, spent the winter in Florida, went to Daytona Speedweek, been out to the Rocky Mountains twice, went to Mexico, and have seen some spectacular country. He marveled at my all travels and was impressed with all that I'd done given my active colitis symptoms.

    J. Dawg in Mexico in March

    J. Dawg in Dayton in February
    I told him that since I'd been diagnosed, I had to give up a lot of what I liked to do and limit some other activities. Things like playing golf, long distance bike riding, hiking, and mountain climbing. But, I told him that RV travel was something I could do because everywhere I go, I've got a bathroom just a few feet behind the driver seat of my RV. He told me he was glad that I found something I could do and enjoy and mitigate the limits that colitis can place on me.




    With a chronic disease, it's so easy just to stay home where it's easier to deal with symptoms and discomfort. But, having a motor home has allowed me to stay active and get out and go places. Its become my second home. With my colitis, there can be can some days where I need to stay close to a bathroom. But, with my motor home, I've always got one with me. When I'm on the road, if an urge hits me, I just pull over. When camped, there's no late night running to the bathhouse or porta-john. At an event, my rig's usually close by. And, if my symptoms flare up for a few days, I can just take a break from the road and rest for a few days in the motor home.
    One of the things I've learned from suffering and living with a chronic disease, is that it makes you appreciate more the simple things many take for granted. A good day when you can get out, move and do something familiar. Going someplace and seeing a favorite spot or experiencing something new. Having a day without worry or pain. It also makes you crave for the feeling of normal. Traveling in my motor home helps me attain these simple things.
    I have several friends in my age range that are still very active, healthy, and vital. But, I know others that have suffered in silence with ailments. Some that are afraid to get out and travel or do something new. And some that think sitting on a bar stool is the best way to cope with a problem.
    For me, I'm grateful that I found the RV lifestyle. It's been a great therapy for helping me deal with a chronic disease. It's allowed me to get out, stay active, and continue to live my dreams.
    Follow more of my travels at http://jdawgjourneys.blogspot.com/
  8. italo
    Sebago Lake State Park is one of Maine's premier state parks. It sits on the north shore of Maine’s largest fresh water lake. Only 30 miles from Portland, Sebago Lake covers over 45 square miles and has over 100 miles of shore line.
    The state park is also huge. It consists of 1,400 acres on the northern shore of the lake right outside the town of Naples. It has a day use area for picnicking and swimming, a boat ramp, and two camping areas.
    I’ve been camping at Sebago Lake State Park for 5 years now. In my opinion, it’s the best lakeside camping that I’ve experienced. The park has trails for hiking and mountain biking but the big draw is the lake. The water is clean, clear, wonderful for swimming, boating, or just sitting by the water and enjoying the big views.
    The state park has two camping sections. Like most state or national parks, the camping is rustic. There’s no camp store for supplies, so you need to bring what you need. Both camping areas are set in flat wooded areas on the lake share. Each has two bath houses with flush toilets and showers. Both have nice long sandy beaches with sandy bottoms clear of rocks and debris. The town of Naples is 5 miles away and has a grocery store and several restaurants. Also, firewood is only sold outside the park, so you need to buy some before you enter the park.

    Witch Cove Beach
    The Naples Beach camping section is the smaller of the two areas. The sites at Naples Beach have good spacing, there are no hookups for RV’s, but the beach is wider. The Witch Cove Section is larger, has water and electric hook-ups at about 2/3’s of the sites. The sites are a little closer together and it tends to be noisier.
    The Naples Beach section tends to attract mostly tenters because of the lack of hookups. The Witch Cove area attracts popups and trailers. Neither area can accommodate big rigs much larger than 30 ft. All sites and roads are gravel. All sites are shaded and are equipped with a fire rings and tables.
    The campground is very popular for families on a camping vacation and with boaters. Most of the sites can be reserved but there are some non-reserved sites for walk-ups. The sites are in high demand during the peak summer months. Reservations for the upcoming year open up on 9:00 am February 1st each year. To get a site for a week in the summer, you’ve got to get online at 9:00 am because by 10:0am most have been taken.
    Here are some pictures of my stay.

    J. Dawg's Campsite at Sebago Lake State Park


    J. Dawg relaxing by the lake
    I really like camping at Sebago Lake. Camping in general is a great way to check out of our electrified, internet connected, car based lifestyles and do some living outside. I usually reserve my stay for 10+ days so I can get a good dose of relaxation. I like camping in a wooded setting especially during the late summer when there’s no bugs. Spending a sunny day sitting on the lake shore with a good book and a light warm breeze can’t be beat. Swimming in the lake is so pleasant. It’s warm and inviting. It’s perfect for floating on an inner tube. Kids stay in the water for hours on end. And, it’s much better than trying to swim in Maine’s frigid ocean water. In the morning, I love the smell of someone cooking bacon at their campsite. Wood smoke predominates throughout the campground all day. Cooking and eating outside under a shade tree canopy is a pleasant change of pace. And, ending the day by a crackling fire as the air cools is a great elixir for a good night’s sleep. It’s all these things that make camping at Sebago Lake so great.
    Follow my travels at http://jdawgjourneys.blogspot.com

  9. italo
    Back in January, I traded my Type B 2012 Roadtrek van for a Type C 2014 Winnebago View. I owned my Roadtrek 190 Simplicity for 2 years and loved it. I’ve now owned the Winnebago View Profile 24V for 7 months and also love it. With seven months of use and over 16,000 miles on the Winnebago, I feel I can give a first hand comparison of the two vehicles. I'm not trying to show how one is better than the other or give a detailed feature comparison since they are different vehicles. I just thought it might be helpful to others to share my experiences with the two products.
    First, let me say that I have no axe to grind and have no affiliation with or compensation from either of the vendors of these motorhomes. Also, I respect that there are folks who love their Type B and would never think of trading up and there are similar folks who love their Type C.
    We're all different and have different needs and different uses for our RV's. I'm more of a traveler versus a stay put camper, but I do some stay put camping during the year. I'm also a minimalist camper. I like small, simple, and tend to get by well with the bare essentials.
    So, it all starts with the reason why I traded up. I began traveling the country with my Roadtrek and logged over 33,000 miles with it. It is a great road trip vehicle and I loved traveling in it. But my reasons for trading were two fold. First, I wanted to be able to live in an RV for two months parked in Florida for the winter. I found that the living space within the Roadtrek did not suit me for that type of living. This was the major drive for trading up. Second, I wanted to stay with a small motorhome, but have just a little more space like a permanent bedroom.

    So why a Winnebago View? It best fit our requirements. I’ll give the specs below, but I think it’s still small, has the floor plan we liked, built on a very reliable chassis, is fuel efficient, is from a large reliable vendor with a large dealer network, and the model has a demand on the trade in market (lots of people own them). I had also talked to several campers who owned them (either a View and Itasca Navion) and all were very pleased with them. I also follow a few blog writers who have them and all have the same positive comments.
    So, now the comparison.
    Size
    Roadtrek - length 20' 5'', width 7', height 8' 9", GVWR 9,600 lbs, wheelbase 155"
    Winnebago - length 25' 5", width 7' 6", height 11' 3", GVWR 11,030, wheelbase 170"
    The Winnebago is a larger vehicle. For me, the most noticeable difference is the height (its a higher profile). You need to be more cognizant of trees and over hangs. The extra 3" on each side is negligible and I don't notice the extra 5 feet in length. It fits in parking space if you back in and can overhang otherwise it takes 2 spaces. So far, I have been able to go everywhere I went with my Roadtrek.
    Features
    The living features are very similar between both units. Same type of appliances, heat, hot water A/C, inverter, entertainment, toilet, on board generator, swivel seats, and batteries. The key differences - Winnebago has a 5.3 cu ft frig vs the 3.0 cu ft on my Roadtrek, 2 12V wet cell batteries in the Winnebago vs 2 6V AGM in Roadtrek, Winnebago has tank heaters, hot water heater is AC and propane, all lighting is LED, it has a shower stall, the beds are permanent (no fold out couch), a 16 ft power awning, and a separate range hood that vents outside. For me the biggest differences are the frig - it can hold a lot more food, the permanent beds, and the small slide out give more living space.
    Cockpit - I liked the onboard computer on the Chevy Roadtrek. The Sprinter has no TPMS, no fuel range estimate, and no MPG calculation. But you can check the oil from the dash display on the Sprinter. You can also use the coach batteries to help start the Sprinter if the chassis battery is weak. The cockpit on my Sprinter came with built in privacy shades on the windshield and door windows. I like these better than curtains.
    Handling
    Very similar. They both drive very easy. The extra length of the Winnebago takes a little more looking when making a right hand turn. I found both the Roadtek and Winnebago will get a small push when being passed by a semi. I drove the Winnebago recently in 25-35 mph cross winds. It did want to drift more in the wind and gusts did shove/push it more than the Roadtrek but it was not an unsafe feeling.
    Capacities
    Roadtrek - freshwater 36 gal, grey 23 gal, black 10 gal, water heater 6 gal
    Winnebago freshwater 37 gal, grey 36 gal, black 36 gal, water heater 6 gal
    For me, I really like having the larger black tank. I had to dump the Roadtrek every 2-3 days. I can go a week on the Winnebago. The dump on the Winnebago is gravity for the black with a pump to push the grey to the dump hose. I didn't mind the macerator on the Roadtrek. It was easy to use. The dump procedure on the Winnebago has a couple more steps.
    Fuel Usage
    Roadtrek - my Roadtrek had the 4.8L V8 gas engine. My fuel mileage averaged between 16-18 mpg.
    Winnebago - the Winnebago had a 3.0L V6 diesel. My fuel mileage is averaging 15-17 mpg.
    Diesel fuel is currently more costly than gas so, I'm paying more for fuel with the Winnebago.
    Maintenance
    Roadtrek - I only had one incident where I needed to go to the dealer and that was to do a propane test. My Roadtrek was super reliable. The Chevy Roadtrek could be also be serviced just about anywhere. I did all my own routine maintenance and the cost of supplies and parts were reasonable.
    Winnebago - The frig was DOA when we first started it up but that got replaced before we left the lot. Otherwise there's been no problems no far. The maintenance for the Sprinter is not as available as the Chevy. The cost (parts and labor) is also more. An oil change takes 13 qts of oil and a filter you need to get from MB. The diesel needs a regular fuel filter replacement and DEF added every 3,600 miles. Everything from MB is expensive. An extra key for the Sprinter cost almost $200. For the Chevy it cost $50.
    User Groups
    Roadtrek - I found little value in the RT International Group. The Yahoo group has 3,200 users and the Roadtreking FB group has almost 2,400 members. Both are very active and responsive to questions.
    Winnebago - There is a Winnebago Owners Club (WIT Club). There's a small (160 members) FB group and there is a Yahoo group for Views/Navions owners with 6,500 users who are also very active and responsive. There's also the Sprinter Forums group for Sprinter specific issues.
    Costs
    Roadtrek - My RT 190 Simplicity had a list price of $84K. I paid $71K
    Winnebago - My View Profile 24V with just about every available option listed for $122K (the paint job was a $6K option). I paid $52K plus gave them my two year old Roadtrek.
    So that's the comparison from my perspective. The bottom line - They both are great vehicles. Both are reliable. They drive very similar and can pretty much go the same places. I like having the extra space and for that I'm paying more for fuel and maintenance for the Winnebago. But I made that decision so I would have something to live in while wintering in FL.
    Follow more of my travels at http://jdawgjourneys.blogspot.com
  10. italo

    Living on the Road

    By italo,

    I've learned a lot about RV travel from others - people I met on the road and from reading other people's travel blogs. Most of the info is about places to see, places to stay, places to eat, roads to travel.
    But, I've found little out there about living on the road. I'm sure there are books and blogs about being a full time RVer, but I'm in between. I guess you'd call me a "sometimer." I'm still tethered to a home, a hometown, and local family, but I spend about 4-6 months of the year traveling on the road.
    Living on the road is different from taking a long vacation. When you take a vacation, its a temporary break from your normal life. Its easy to put things on hold and deal with the bills, mail, appointments, routines, and conveniences when you get home. When you're on an extended road trip, you're away from your home, friends, conveniences, familiar places, and routines for an extended time and its not possible to put everything on hold.
    Living on the road is not like living at home and its not like taking a long vacation. Over the past three years, I've slowly developed some practices and routines to help me cope and make it easier to be away for an extended time. I thought I'd share them here so that others may benefit from them. Everyone is different and what works for me may not work for others and vice versa.
    Stay Connected with Family - I communicate almost daily with my family. Technology makes it really easy. Text messages, emails, and Skype calls make it easier to stay in touch with family and friends. It also helps them keep track of me. I also blog about my travels to share with them. This is a priority for me.

    Go Mobile and Paperless - I've gone paperless on most bills and use electronic banking to pay bills. I can check balances, pay bills, and move money right from my smart phone. There's very little paper mail that I need and can go a few weeks without getting any paper mail.

    Have a Bank Account from a Big Country Wide Bank - I do most of my banking with a local community bank, but I maintain an account with a big countrywide bank that has branches all over the country. I can move money to this bank and I can get cash all over the country.

    Have a Full Power of Attorney - I have a Power of Attorney that gives my son (who is back home) full ability to sign my name and act on my behalf. My wife sometimes travels with me so I needed someone else back home who could do this. This has come in real handy when I've been traveling and needed someone to sign a document for me or act on my behalf.

    Carry Copies of Key Documents - I have a Health Care Proxy that allows my son to make medical decisions for me if I become incapacitated or unable to make decisions. I carry a copy in my RV. I also have photo copy of all credit cards and my ID's. I have two wallets while traveling - one on me and one that stays in the RV in case I loose the one I'm carrying. I split up my credit cards between the two and keep about $200 in the spare wallet. I also keep a photo ID in the spare wallet. I also carry a copy of my RV Title and RV insurance declaration page with me.

    Have a Doctor that Communicates Electronically - Stuff happens on the road and I let my doctors know when I'm traveling. I can communicate with all my doctors with email and all my medical records are on-line. If somethings happens, its easy to contact them and they can send prescriptions electronically to most pharmacies.

    Don't Drive Everyday - I plan a route and itinerary for every trip. Then I choose destinations to visit and have found that its best for me to stay 2-4 days at a destination. I can't be going every day. I need downtime. Time to do the things I would do at home like read, play my mandolin, read the news, watch some TV. I also need to get out and move. And need time to soak up the local flavors. I don't like to hurry. To get to a destination, I usually limit it to a two day drive.

    Build in Extra Days - When I plan a trip, I add in an extra day every couple of weeks with no itinerary. This comes in handy when I want to stay longer, do chores, or go off route.

    Only Make the Most Important Reservations - I only make advance reservations at places where it may be tough get a spot. Places like popular national or state park during busy periods. For everything else, I take it day by day. I don't want to have to juggle a collection of reservations and have to be someplace at a certain time just because of a reservation. So far this has worked out for me.

    Limit Driving Miles / Day - Back in the day when I was working and only had a few weeks vacation, I could drive 600 to 800 miles per day. Now, being retired, why hurry? I try to limit my daily driving to a max of 400 miles. My preference is to do around 200 to 250 miles. It gives you time to take breaks, smell the roses, take some pictures, and arrive at a place before sunset.

    Eat Like You Would at Home - On a vacation it is so easy to go off your diet and eat convenience foods or to eat out more than often. Because of my colitis, I need to stick to a special diet or else the "s--t will hit the fan." Whenever I can, I try to eat the same foods I would eat at home. I shop at local grocery and health food stores whenever I can and cook simple meals. I keep my favorite recipes on Evernote. But I do like to sample local foods at each destination. I just don't over do it.

    Have an RV You Can Make into a Home - I started out with a Class B van. It was great and I loved it for solo traveling, but for me, it was a tough place for 2 people to live for and extended time (2-3 months). It felt like a van vs a home and I found it was tough to sit parked in it for days when the weather was lousy. I recently traded up for a small Class C with a slide out and I love it. It feels like a home. It has a separate bathroom with a full shower, a separate bedroom that you don't have to make up each day, and a separate living/dining/kitchen area. I think this is key decision question when selecting an RV for extended traveling - can you live in it for an extended time?

    Take the Road Less Traveled - Interstates are great for getting from place to place, but I like to get off and log some miles on local roads so I can see the country side. That's were the best stuff to see is. I usually plan to do this on each destination drive.

    That's my list of the stuff so far. Next week, next month, next year they'll be some more stuff I learn.
    Follow more of my travels at http://jdawgjourneys.blogspot.com

  11. italo
    If you're a music fan, chances are there's a music festival for your type of music. Attending a festival is a chance to see several artists performing up close and immerse yourself into the music for a few days. Camping at one is way to deepen your involvement with the artists, music, and other fans.
    I'm a relative newcomer to Bluegrass music. I got interested in my early 40's when I heard Ricky Skaggs and his band Kentucky Thunder on an NPR radio program singing some old bluegrass tunes. I got hooked immediately. The high lonesome harmonies and string melodies hit a receptor in my body that made me crave to hear more.
    Fast forward about 15 years. I'm now a bluegrass music junky. I've learned a lot about the music, the artists, the legends, taught myself to play the mandolin, and can't seem to get enough of this music. And now, its mid July and time to attend the Grey Fox Bluegrass Music Festival. This will be my 15th year. Its an annual gathering of bluegrass music fans and artists held the third week-end in July in upstate New York. For the past four days, I lived outside in the warm summer heat, danced till my feet hurt, sweated thru a couple of changes of clothes per day, became sleep deprived due to late nights, endured camping neighbors strumming and picking music all night, and had a thoroughly great time. I also heard some great music.

    Lined up waiting to get into the festival grounds
    This festival is held on a farm in Oak Hill, NY, a few miles south of Albany. On Wednesday, four thousand fans set up camp in a large hay field and created a temporary city of bluegrass music. We all settled in for four days of picking, strumming, singing, and good times. There are three performance stages for artists, workshops for attendees to take lessons, and a bluegrass music camp for children to learn to play bluegrass music. There's also a dance pavilion and numerous vendors selling food and merchandise. Day visitors added to the crowd which seemed to swell to about 8,000 each day.

    J. Dawg's campsite
    Camping at a music festival is a unique experience and it's not for everyone. At Grey Fox, camping is in an open hay field with no hookups or assigned sites. There are different sections such as Quiet Camping, Family Camping, Generatorville (for RV's with generators), and Pickers Paradise for the all night music enthusiasts. Regardless of the section, I camped shoulder to shoulder with others in a field with no shade or amenities. I pretty much had to bring everything I needed and that included food, lots of water, a shower for bathing, chairs, shade canopy, and ear plugs in order to get any sleep.
    Like most folks, I started out tenting at Grey Fox, which can be pretty rustic. After about 9 years of tenting, I moved up to a tent trailer. This was my first year bringing my motor home to Grey Fox. I was little concerned about driving my RV in a field that had gotten a bit of rain over a few days prior to the festival. It was spongy but I was able to maneuver my small motor home around the field and find a nice level spot. I also got to try out my new solar setup. My 100 watt panel worked great at keeping my coach batteries charged during the day. I only had to run the generator a few times. Here's what it it looked like camped at the festival.




    Festival Camping Area



    Camping at the festival is like a big tribal gathering. For me, its started out as an exploration. Now, I'm a member of the tribe. Its a big community of people, young and old, with similar interests. We all gather here to play music together, see and hear some great performances, dance, and have a good time. The people I've met over the years have all been great people. You can't help but meet folks, engage in conversation, and perhaps play some music. There's a "we're all in this together" attitude and everyone helps each other and shares.
    One year, I worked as volunteer at the festival. Here's a link to a write up on that experience 2009 Grey Fox Memories.
    The big draw for me is the music. Some of the biggest and best come to play this festival. I've seen some legends (Earl Scruggs, Jesse McReynolds, Hazel Dickens, Del McCoury), some of the biggest stars (Sam Bush, Rhonda Vincent, Marty Stuart) and lots of new artists.
    This years festival was great. The weather was perfect with daytime temps in the low 80's. It was sunny each day with low humidity. At night, it cooled down into the mid the 50's. It was perfect sitting under the stars watching the music on the main stage.
    The music seems to get better and better each year. I like to see the new acts with their new and different sounds. Town Mountain and Elephant Revival were especially good. Established acts such as Del McCoury, Tim O'Brien, Claire Lynch, The Steep Canyon Rangers, and Nickel Creek were great as always.
    I got to see some of my friends who I've met over the years at the festival. It was great to visit with these folks and do some dancing at the dance pavilon. I also got to meet some new people, did some bluegrass picking, and learned some new songs.
    Here are some pictures.

    The Barefoot Movement

    Town Mountain
    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U7hNbpoCh3w/U8xE7HtMpJI/AAAAAAAADGU/lbld-P2HEAY/s1600/IMG_2848.JPG
    J. Dawg listening to the music
    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sH-rtT0w8Ig/U8xCRxUJolI/AAAAAAAADFk/dbCDgJL0bWo/s1600/IMG_2905.JPG
    Claire Lynch
    So, why do I keep coming back? Well, the music is an obvious answer. A chance to see a legend perform or to hear a new group. There's a chance to learn something new from an artist at a workshop, to pick some new tunes with new people, or see someone us close at the Masters Stage. A chance to see friends from last year or meet some new people. But, its also a chance to get a big dose of humanity. As a bluegrass music fan, its a chance to be "with my people". Whether its on a stage or a group camped next to you - this music is alive. Its not some synthesized, lip synced, manufactured, or electric sound. Its being performed mostly on acoustic instruments by people all around you. And for a bluegrass junky, it's an elixir that rejuvenates the soul and makes you want to come back for more.
    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kn6Pv9CDhTs/U8xEAT-28PI/AAAAAAAADF8/Rzjr4utWw20/s1600/IMG_2958.JPG
    Sunset over Grey Fox
  12. italo
    This question is not a new one. Just do a Google search with the words - "the cost of rving" and you'll see lots of articles from RVer's detailing their costs. But, it's a question that seems to keep surfacing.
    I recently got some emails asking about the cost of RVing. I also got an email from someone asking if I would write a blog post about how to travel frugally in an RV. I'm not into writing "how to" articles or into giving advice. Also, there's already bloggers who do a really good job covering the frugal RV travel subject.
    But the emails got me thinking. There's probably folks who read travel blogs or articles and aspire to get into RVing. They probably have questions about what it costs. Not about the cost to buy a rig but what it typically costs to travel in an RV. The idea for what I could write began to jell. I could do a post to share my insights and info about what an RV lifestyle really costs. And, while writing it, I'd figure out what it's really costing me.
    Before I spent any money on RVing, I first had to answer some questions.
    Planning My RV Lifestyle
    The first thing I had to figure out was what type of RVer I wanted to be when I grow up. Was I ready to sell the homestead and go full-time or just be a part-time RVer? Was this RV travel idea just a temporary itch that needed to be scratched (like a one time year-long trip around the United States) or a permanent part of how I wanted to live? Did I want to do road trips and always be on the road or do more stay put seasonal RVing?
    I figured out that I wanted to be a traveler and spend much of my retirement years exploring the United States. My wife wasn't into doing all the travel but she was fine with me traveling solo. We weren't ready to uproot and sell our house, so I'd be traveling part-time. I also wanted to do a little seasonal stay put RVing (e.g. wintering in Florida, vacationing in Maine).
    My RV lifestyle also needed to support my regular lifestyle. I'm a minimalist and somewhat frugal person. I like to keep things simple. I also needed to travel within my means. Figuring this out was key to determining the type of RV I wanted and it was a driver in what my RV lifestyle would cost.
    The Costs are All Relative

    For me, my RV lifestyle is an added expense to my current living expenses. It hasn't displaced too many costs. I look at it as all relative to my current living expenses. Many things like food, health insurance, medical bills, taxes, car maintenance, property maintenance, other insurances, utilities, clothing, cell phones, and entertainment have all stayed pretty much the same since I started traveling.
    Some have gone down slightly. I don't drive my car as much anymore, especially when I'm in FL, so I am saving some of fuel. Also, my electric bill goes down when I'm traveling and in Florida. I also got rid of the newspaper delivery, all subscriptions, cut my cable TV, and got rid to my land line. I did some of these things before I started traveling and even more after because I saw less value in them.
    But, my RV lifestyle did add new expenses and those are the ones I'll discuss - the ones that are directly related to my RV travel. I won't get into minutia with spreadsheets of costs. I'll keep it simple and put them into three categories - RV Related, Fuel, and Lodging.
    RV Related Expense
    The upfront cost of an RV can be the biggest expense in an RV lifestyle. Which one you buy is all related to what type of RVer you want to be. Towable versus motorhome. Class A bus versus Class B van. Gas versus Diesel. New vs Used. And the costs for RV's are all over the place. You can buy a used towable for $5,000 or spend $500,000 on an upscale diesel pusher. Which one a person buys is all based on that person's needs and budget. I won't try to answer the question of which one is the right one to buy. The only right answer is the one that's right for you at the moment.
    But, the type of RV will be a factor in the ongoing RV maintenance and related expenses. I wanted an RV to support road trip type travel. I wanted something I could drive anywhere. I wanted something that would be efficient and not be costly to maintain. I wanted something I could live comfortably in for weeks or months at a time.
    My first RV was a Class B Roadtrek van. That RV fit all my needs except the "live comfortably in for weeks or months at a time". After two years, I traded the Roadtrek for a Class C Winnebago View Profile. The View provided just the right amount of added space and was still small enough to be able to go anywhere.
    I wrote about my experience with the View in this post - My Winnebago View - A Two Year Summary. My ongoing annual RV related expense for the View over the past two years have been as follows:
    RV Maintenance: $1,800
    RV Vehicle Insurance: $763
    RV Excise Tax: $1,081
    RV Registration & Inspection: $79
    Incidental Expenses: $375

    Total $4,098
    The RV Excise Tax expense is a value related tax that applies to my domicile state. Not all states have this tax or they may call it a license tax. Some have personal property taxes instead. Some states don't have this type of tax.
    There are some incidental expenses that come up like replacing a sewer hose each year or replacing RV parts that break. This might total around $200 each year. Also, there's memberships (FMCA, Coach-Net, Good Sam) that total $175 each year.
    These expenses are specific to my RV and they're some what static. The Excise Tax reduces as the value of the RV goes down. I do some of the routine maintenance on the RV (oil and filters) to save a few bucks.
    Fuel

    This expense is driven by how many miles I travel, the fuel efficiency of my RV, and the price of fuel. I drive all over the country each year and log about 20,000 miles per year. Some drive more and some drive less. If you stay in a certain geographic area, then it's easy to limit the miles you drive and save money on fuel.
    My RV is a very fuel-efficient vehicle. I average 16.5 miles per gallon. Some days I get 18 mpg and some days I get 14 mpg. At 16.5 mpg, driving 20,000 miles per year, I burn about 1,212 gallons of fuel per year.
    My RV uses diesel fuel. This year the price of fuel has been falling, which has been great. Using an average of $2.30 per gallon (It's lower now), my cost for fuel last year was about $2,800. Last year, when diesel was close $3.80 per gallon, my cost was $4,600.
    Price is a big factor as is efficiency. If I had a similar sized gas RV that got 8-9 mpg, my fuel cost would almost double. The fuel efficiency of my a rig was a big factor in selecting my specific RV because I planned to drive a lot each year. If you don't drive a lot then fuel efficiency will be less important.
    Lodging

    By far, the largest RV lifestyle expense can be for parking the RV overnight. It's also the one that can be controlled the most by where and how often you travel.
    Campgrounds and RV parks all charge fees for overnight stays. The rates can be all over the place based on type and location. National and State Parks usually have rates lower than private campgrounds. I've seen fees typically in the range of $20-30 per night. Some places with minimal facilities can be as low as $12 per night. These places may be lower in cost but they're also at some of the most beautiful places.
    Private campgrounds or RV parks are usually slightly higher in cost. These usually can be in the range of $30-$45 per night, but it can go a lot higher. I've seen some high-end RV parks in Florida with water front sites charging over $100 per night. Prices at private campgrounds can also vary by season or special event. Campgrounds near Daytona all raise their rates for Speedweek and Bike Week. RV parks tend to have more amenities like full hookups, wi-fi, swimming pools, and cable TV. And some offer discounts for weekly or monthly stays.
    But there's also some places where you can stay for free. Many federal lands such as Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or US Forest Service areas allow free camping for a certain limited time period. These areas are usually undeveloped (undeveloped = no hookups or facilities) and many are in the western states. A good resource to find these areas can be found at this website : Ultimate Campgrounds.
    It's also possible to park overnight for free at many Wal-Mart, Cracker Barrel Restaurants, and truck stops. The OvernightRVParking website is a great resource to find these locations. It cost $25 per year to use this website, but it pays for itself with just one overnight stay. The key to staying at these places is to always ask permission to see if overnight parking is allowed.
    When I travel across country, I try to stay at truck stops or Wal-Mart while I'm going to or from a destination. Once at a destination, I usually stay at public or private campgrounds.
    When on a road trip, I try to use free overnight stays about 15-20% of the time to save some money. When I'm in Florida or on a stay put vacation, I'll stay at a campground of RV park because I want water and electricity hook ups. I don't track my detail expenses in this area. I'm usually in FL for at least 12 weeks each year and stay at an RV park. That's my largest lodging expense at around $4,200. There's another 12 weeks of road trip and vacation travel that I do each year. Looking at the number of days and an average rate, I probably spend another $2,100 for that lodging. That adds up to around $6,300 for lodging for about 6 months of travel.
    Many probably pay much less for lodging. You can boondock in Quartzsite, Arizona for the whole winter for less than $200. You can find RV parks in California, Arizona, or Florida that have monthly winter rates for around $500. If you're don't care so much about location and don't want to pay a lot there are many opportunities to save money on lodging expenses. And there's some who do all their road trips staying at truck stops or Wal-Mart.
    Summary

    So, I figured out what it's costing me for my RV lifestyle. It adds up to around $13,198 per year for me to be part-time RVer. I didn't include food as an RV travel expense because I pretty much eat the same or more simply on the road as I would at home. There are also some incidental expenses like tolls and propane for the RV that are minimal (maybe $250 per year).
    I buy a National Park pass each year for $80 which gets me into all National Parks / Monuments for free. I'm not much of a shopper so I don't tend to buy souvenirs. I may take a tour sometimes, but that's part of normal entertainment expenses.
    When I plan a trip, I use an average daily expense of about $100 per day to plan the budget for a trip. That figure includes food, fuel, and lodging but it's what I use to figure out the cost. Some do it for less, but it's good have this type of figure for planning a trip.
    When I retired and before I started RVing, I budgeted around $6,000 for a two month Florida condo rental each year and still had a vacation condo that cost me $6,000 per year in fees and taxes. I sold the condo to buy an RV and use the RV now for Florida so my savings close to what it costs me to be a part-time RVer.
    For me, that $13,000 is money well spent. Some spend that much keeping a vacation home or taking a couple of week-long cruises each year. That amount would probably only pay for one day stay in a hospital. But for me, it's buying some priceless experiences and memories. I'm traveling 6 months of the year, seeing some great sights, and having a ball.
    You can read more about my travels at: http://jdawgjourneys.com.

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