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rmstockley

Reservations in FL

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Hi all,

I'm planning a trip from CT to central Florida in March.  Our departure date is flexible, and largely weather dependent.  Will I need to make reservations before hand, or will I be able to find campgrounds with space for a 40 ft coach?

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An update on my trip to FL.    It was cold and snowing when we left Eastern CT  The bus heater wouldn't get warm  The refrigerator wouldn't stay cold.  (Norcold in case anybody's wondering)  We found a nice little campground just off I-77 in St Mathew SC.  No frills, not very level,  perfect for a night off the road...  After some research, I disconnected the Thermistor and got the fridge running in "back up " mode  

I had reserved a space at the Beginning Point RV park in Wesley Chapel, and checked in on schedule.  I ordered a new thermistor from a Large RV dealer in Tampa, and was able to pick it up the next day.  We got our windows measured and new glass ordered and we moved down the coast to Ft Myers just in time for the lock-down.

So here we sit in self isolation at Lakes Park RV Park,  until April 21.  By then our glass should have arrived,  and we'll head back to Lakeland for installation.

 

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By March,  many Snowbirders will be returning home.  Yes, if very early in the month, may be an issue in some parks.

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Personally if I were traveling that far I would make a reservation. Especially if there is a specific campground/area preferred.

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FWIW, the most popular FL "winter" reservation period is Jan,Feb, Mar. Next is Dec -Mar 30. Nearly every RV resort is virtually empty by April 30.

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Mid FL. east coast...I would go with Joe L.  West coast, like Brett, none needed.  Central, depends on where!

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Thank you all for your answers...

This will be my first trip with no set destination, and no set time frame.  

The trip south should take 3 days, boondocking along the way.  I'm thinking a reservation starting on day 6 would give us some wiggle room for travel, and then see if an early check-in is possible.  The worst case would be a couple more days of boondocking.  

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I was going to mention, if you are ok with boondocking a few extra days that could help a lot. I’d hate to see you stuck at Walmart for a few weeks while you wait for a site to open. 

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We used to travel  by "whim" and now we try and make reservations if we can, and have the time.  We have noticed over the years that after the 2008 economy crash and RV Mfg's closing shop there was a decline, and then the economy returned.  It seems that there are a lot more RV's on the road today then yesterday(s). 

We travel 5 or so months out of the year getting away from the Summer heat of Texas. (Yeah, everywhere was hot in 2019) We had originally planned on a month in Flagstaff, AZ and then maybe points West. Made two reservations from the Gulf Coat to San Angelo, TX than decided to see if there was anything at Flagstaff before proceeding. Called, nothing available for the month of July/August and it was stated there wouldn't be anything for 90 miles around the area.  Cancelled plans and traveled north to Ohio and Indiana. Even then it was many calls to find spots.

Next trip we take we'll plan ahead, even though I don't prefer to do it that way.

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I'm planning to get some windows replaced in Lakeland,  so that will be our first stop.  They tell me that it takes 6 weeks for the new glass to arrive, so for that time we will be free move around...  We do have a plan to visit my daughter in Vero Beach, and see some friends in the Ft Myers area.  I'm hoping that campground vacancies will be easier to find as we move into the non-peak season.  

 

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What is wrong with the windows?  Dual pane fogged up? Other?

Do you know that glass replacement is your only solution-- usually the most expensive solution to fogged windows.

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Yup.  The majority of the windows are fogged.  Since the driver's side is a big 4 pane unit, I'm reluctant to tackle it on my own.  And since further fogging is a safety issue, I've decided to go with Laminated glass.  I will deal with the other windows later.  Since they're smaller, and not mission critical, I might attempt a DIY repair for some, but I suspect a couple have been etched.  

After many years of owning and working on sailboats, I have learned that nothing is ever easy or cheap!  Owning a land yacht is no different.  On the plus side, a land yacht won't sink!  On the negative side, a land yacht won't sink

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2 hours ago, RMStockley said:

On the plus side, a land yacht won't sink!  On the negative side, a land yacht won't sink

That is priceless :lol:

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Yup, Hudson, FL is where most of us go, or call and get it done at the National rally or Winter rally.  I'm having my last one done by Suncoast in Tucson,  AZ. this march. 

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On 3/30/2020 at 4:02 PM, RMStockley said:

An update on my trip to FL.    It was cold and snowing when we left Eastern CT  The bus heater wouldn't get warm  The refrigerator wouldn't stay cold.  (Norcold in case anybody's wondering)  We found a nice little campground just off I-77 in St Mathew SC.  No frills, not very level,  perfect for a night off the road...  After some research, I disconnected the Thermistor and got the fridge running in "back up " mode  

I had reserved a space at the Beginning Point RV park in Wesley Chapel, and checked in on schedule.  I ordered a new thermistor from a Large RV dealer in Tampa, and was able to pick it up the next day.  We got our windows measured and new glass ordered and we moved down the coast to Ft Myers just in time for the lock-down.

So here we sit in self isolation at Lakes Park RV Park,  until April 21.  By then our glass should have arrived,  and we'll head back to Lakeland for installation.

 

In cold weather, absorption refrigerators do not work well, especially if the interior of the RV is unheated. The  LP nor 120VAC heaters can generate enough heat fast enough to keep the fluid boiling. It often helps to tape a piece of cardboard over the lower vent louvers; BUT,  closely monitor the refrigerator cooling unit for over-heating.

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