While Motel 6 and Super 8 both have their place, neither of them can really be considered pleasurable places to stay.  For most road trippers they are simply a place to rest and recuperate between spells of driving.

This really isn’t the ideal situation.  There is no reason that you cannot take a trip and actually enjoy the places you are staying – rather than just tolerating them.

It is very easy to find nice RV parks to stay at if you are taking a long drive from any point A to point B.  Some people will make the whole point of their time on the road to get to those places!

Unfortunately, if you don’t own an RV of your own, you are really going to want to find a way to acquire one for the duration of your trip.  It is no good going to a scenic RV park if you have nothing to stay in after all.

Imagine selecting a mountainous destination by a lake in the beautiful Rockies.  You can pick yourself up a nice RV rental in Denver and drive it up into the mountains.  While the best camping spots are not cheap, they are comparable in price – even including the cost of renting the RV – with a nice quality hotel.

Odds are however; that you will enjoy yourself much more camped beside a mountain stream than you will in a small motel or hotel room.  With kids especially the extra space – and additional activities – can be a god send!

Activities like hiking, fishing, or simply relaxing to the sights and sounds of nature while sitting by a campfire are all opened up to you when you choose an RV rental for your vacation.

Taking your place to stay with you rather than taking yourself to the available places to stay is a wonderful thing, and will give you a good taste of the benefits available to those whom choose a life of fulltime RV living.

These are some of the many factors you will need to think about if you are considering adopting the RV lifestyle. There is certainly a lot involved in making the transition, so it is well advised to thoroughly research what is involved before making the leap.

Preliminary Research in preparation for RV living.

One good investment for people considering moving into a recreational vehicle is to subscribe to magazines ahead of time.  Publications such as trailer life magazine can provide lots of insight into exactly what life living in an RV full time is like, and can also be a great source of information about different types of RV’s available for purchase.

Membership in one of the many RV clubs – the Good Sam club is a very popular one – is another great way to immerse yourself in the RVing world even before you leave home.  Even if you do not yet own an RV, there is a lot of fun to be had just flicking through these types of materials daydreaming about the day when you will make the transition.

What do I do with my possessions?

Cars, clothing and furniture; there are just a few of the items you will have to find a home for when you downsize from a regular full-sized house to a small coach or travel trailer.  While you can – and will – keep some of your clothes for life on the road, space limitations mean that you will more than likely have to cut back on your wardrobe.

How about your furnishings?  There is no place for a three piece sofa sets or dining room tables in a travel trailer.  Along with your clothes, you will have to come up with a way of dealing with these when you start RVing full time also.

As for your automobiles, there is a good chance they are inappropriate for RV living also.  If you will be towing you require a large truck with a towing capacity large enough to tow a big trailer or a fifth wheel motorhome.  On the other hand, if you purchase a motor-coach you may want to keep a small vehicle for use as a toad vehicle.

Clearly all these superfluous personal possessions need to be handled somehow.  One option is to simply sell everything.  The advantage of this is that you can potentially raise quite a bit of cash, which can come in handy in covering some of the upfront costs associated with the transition to full-time RVing.

An alternative is to simply store your belongings.  This can either be in a secure storage facility – which entails a hefty monthly bill – or simply by leaving them with a kindly friend who has some space to stare.  If you are trying out the RV life for the first time, this may be the better option.  While RV fulltiming is a great lifestyle, it is not for everyone.  If you keep your possessions ‘stored’ somewhere then they will still be there for you, making a possible transition back to stick home living more economical.

Should I sell my home?

A lot of the factors that relate to disposing of your possessions also are applicable to retaining ownership of your home.  If you go ahead and sell your house, you lose the ability to move back into if you decide after a few months or a year that full timing is not the right life for you.

Reverting to a more traditional lifestyle will then entail finding yourself a new place to live. The transactional costs – buying, selling – of a home are substantial, so should be avoided if at all possible.

If you are not 100% confident of your commitment to the full-time RV lifestyle, you may want to keep your house.  Of course, this presents its own combination of challenges.  Very few people can afford to carry the service costs of their home as well as finance their life on the road.

A great option for people in this situation is to keep their home and make it a rental property.  If this can be done in a near cash-flow neutral manner, and the work taken care of by a property management firm, then you have the best possible situation.

What is my exit plan from Living in a RV?

Unfortunately we all reach the age where the full time lifestyle is no longer possible – no matter how much we may enjoy it.  For some people it is aging, others failing health, or perhaps you simply want to return to your hometown to be closer to kids or grand-kids.

If you will want to purchase another stick home, it is important to have funding in place to finance this when the time comes.  If this sounds like an expensive proposition, thankfully there are alternatives.

Some RV clubs have parks that combine some of the benefits of fulltiming – living in your recreational vehicle – with the safety net of on-site care.  This type of life allows you to share your post travelling years with many like-minded individuals and couples.

How will I get mail?

Once you are on the road you no longer have a house with a mailbox.  This, naturally, raises the issue of what do you do for an address? While this matters with regards to receiving your email, it also has other consequences.  Items such as registering to vote, insuring your vehicle and paying taxes are also impacted by your choice of domicile.

RV’ers refer to their address of record as their ‘home base’. There are certain states that are preferred by full timers over others.  Texas, Alaska, Florida and Nevada are popular due to their lack of state income taxes.  Oregon is also a frequent choice due to its lack of sales tax.

No matter what home base you choose, you will need to arrange a mail forwarding service.  Firms offering this service provide an address – in the state of your choice – that your mail will be sent too.  They then arrange to get the mail to you, no matter where you happen to be in the country.  Some firms will forward your packages to you for ‘general delivery’ at a post office near your present location. Many RV parks will even allow you to have your mail delivered to their office while you are staying there.

What type of RV?

Selecting an RV for your fulltiming life is a very important decision that needs to be addressed carefully.  There are many different types available.  The largest option is Class A motorhomes, these coaches resemble Buses and are mounted on a large truck chassis.  Diesel pusher motorhomes are very popular for those with plentiful funds, but those looking for motorhomes for sale may find better prices on a gasoline powered Class A RV.

Fifth wheel trailers are another popular option if you enjoy substantial space.  These are towed behind large pick-up tricks.  Their mount point is in the truck bed, allowing for very large tow weights.

Class C recreational vehicles are smaller than Class A motor homes, making them easier to maneuver in space restricted camp sites. These units are mounted on cutaways van chassis’, and the bunks are usually located above the drivers cabin. One advantage of this type of RV is the ease of moving back and forth between the driving area and the living area.

Class B camper vans – reminiscent of the 1970′s – are small RV’s popular with those on a limited budget.  They are relatively cheap to purchase, and some people even buy a regular van and convert it for full-time living themselves.  Another plus is this van type of RV can be used for ‘stealth parking’, a great way of reducing campground costs. While not exactly a luxury RV, Class B RVs are great options for those who do not require high end amenities.

The final practical fulltiming RV are travel trailers.  These caravans are pulled behind a towed vehicles. Even small sedans are able to tow small travel-trailers, so they are a good way to get started with RV’ing if you do not wish to purchase a new car or truck.  Although some people are able to fulltime in tiny teardrop trailers, unless you are a true minimalist you will want to consider a trailer that is a little larger than that.

Can I afford fulltiming in an RV?

Probably the most important consideration of all for potential full-timers is handling the financial aspects.  While living in a recreation vehicle can potentially – if wise choices are made – be substantially cheaper than living in stick home, clearly you will still need to be bringing in some income.  Many people fund their fulltime RVing lifestyle with pensions; social security, military pensions or corporate pensions.

Not everybody has these types of resources however. Another option is to build substantial savings before making the transition – perhaps through selling a house, or showing a lot of financial discipline over many years.

Hundreds of thousands of RVers are instead funding their lifestyle as they go.  They either pick up occasional part time jobs when they run short on cash, or take advantage of programs such as workamping or camphosting to make ends meet.  Some adventurous souls will take advantage of free – or very cheap – boondocking sites on BLM land, while others will make a habit of stealth parking in places where they really aren’t welcome.  While not without drawbacks, these are great ways to reduce the cost of living in an RV.

People with an entrepreneurial bent often run small business from their coach or motorhome.  These can be the production of handicraft for sale at RV fairs, doing freelance telecommuting work, or looking for income opportunities online.

Maintaining, Repairing and Protecting your Motorhome – RV insurance

When you spend your life on the road, you are taking your RV almost everywhere you go.  While a motorhome is a lot smaller than a traditional stick house, they can be quite expensive to repair – especially those types of coaches that include an engine.

As well as the traditional wear and tear items to your accommodations, you also have extra damage caused over time due to the vibrations and bumps of taking your home down roads, interstates and even gravel driveways.  Specialist RV repairs are unfortunately rather expensive, so it can be good to purchase insurance against these. A Good Sam Extended service plan can be a great way to shield you from these costs, and potentially save you thousands in repair costs.

Another thing to keep in mind is what if the unthinkable happens.  What if your RV is consumed by fire, or even stolen?  While we like to think these things won’t happen to us, it is wise to be prepared for this type of situation.  Unless you have cash on hand to buy a replacement RV should yours happen to be lost, you will want RV insurance that covers this.  Many lenders will require it – just an homeowner insurance is required for a stick house. I recommend getting a free quote for Good Sam VIP Insurance for RVs, these guys have been around for a long time and have a lot of experience working with RV owners.

What about Health Insurance?

Obtaining quality – yet affordable – Health Insurance is a challenge for any individual not working for a major corporation.  If you are maintaining a corporate job while living in an RV, then you can probably rely on your existing employer provided health insurance.  Finding in-network providers can be a challenge however if you are travelling around the country.  While your health insurance will be ‘based’ on your home-base address, you may well be at the other end of the country when the time for medical care arises.

If you have just recently retired from your corporate job to take up the RV lifestyle, then you are probably eligible for COBRA coverage. This provides you ongoing health insurance for 18 months or more after you leave employment.  To take advantage of this you will have to pay the entire premium – you will not get the employer subsidy – but this is often a cheaper and better option than seeking an individual plan.

Medicaid offers basic medical care for some low income – which describes many RVers! – groups.  Unfortunately it is of limited use to full-timers as the category’s of people it covers is rather limited.  If you are on the road full time with young children or teenagers however, you may be eligible.  Medicaid is handled by individual states, so eligibility criteria will vary depending on your chosen state of residence.

Medicare is an insurance option utilized by RVers who have passed the age of 65.  This is the standard senior citizen health coverage provided – and managed by – the Federal Government through Social Security offices.  Almost all travellers who have reached a ‘traditional’ retirement age will find themselves eligible for Medicare.

There is another option for the many ex-military personnel enjoying the fulltime RV lifestyle after retirement.  As a way of saying thank you to our veterans, the government provides them some health care options through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Unfortunately there are still many people, particularly younger retirees, who fall through the gaps of the US health care system. Thankfully there are ways to take advantage of the RV lifestyle to get health care on the cheap even without coverage.  Many full-timers will routinely travel to the border with Canada or Mexico once or twice a year to avail themselves of cheaper prescription prices available in those countries.  While care must be taken – particularly in Mexico – to get your medicines from a reputable pharmacist, there are significant savings to be had.

Services such as dental and hospital care are also available at steep discounts in Mexico.  It is possible to obtain high quality work – again, get references from trusted friends first – from top notch Mexican dentists and doctors at very reasonable prices.  The RV community as a whole will easily be able to tell you who does good work, and whom does not.

With careful planning snowbirders can get a years worth of scheduled medical care taken care of on their yearly trip down South each winter.  Unfortunately, if you need emergency care during the rest of the year you will still be subjected to the high costs of the American health care system.

Lake Osprey is nestled at the most strategic place in Alabama, overlooking a startling view of trees, park and other deluxe establishments. Here are some of the reasons why you should consider this place as a dashing vacation stopover for the family, or for an extended stay by RV snowbirds.  Exclusive, but not too much so, it is open to Class A, Class C and Fifth Wheel RVs all.

Lake Osprey is well known for its firm dedication of preserving the natural values of the environment. If you visit here then you would discover that everything feels refreshing and invigorating to the senses. Isn’t this something to look forward to in a typical vacation?

Good news welcome anyone who’s willing to stay and retire at Lake Osprey. All the needed amenities that you can find in a typical vacation package can be found here. The mood is warm and the atmosphere is very welcoming. Your recreational vehicle can never have a better place for a stop over than this.

No such thing as a dangerous ride. Safety is a major priority at Lake Osprey. As this is one of the hottest hotspots for retirement and vacation – especially for those RV enthusiasts – security is highly emphasized. The management doesn’t let their guard down, not that is much to worry about in the area anyway.

Vacation amenities are a-plenty. It feels like you’re all over the place with shopping stores selling exquisite products. Aside from the golf and country club features, expect you that will find amazing restaurants, museums and parks to explore. Notable singers like Rascal Flatts, Lynyrd Skynyrd, John Mellencamp and Tim McGraw have been here to perform.

At time of writing, prices ran $40 per night, $200 a week, and $550 a month.  While not the cheapest park, the prices are very reasonable for a park that frequently ranks well in lists such as the Trailer Life directory of best RV’ing locations.

This is the best RV destination site in the area. There’s no doubt about this. The place is serene, with landscapes few have ever seen – nature’s peace and natural sunshine abound.

If you are going to be parking your RV for the cold season, there are several things worth doing to protect the financial investment you have in your vehicle.

Install a RV Water Heater Bypass Kit

These kits, once installed, allow you to take your water heater temporarily out of the plumbing system.  This is important to do during the winter when not in use, as any water retained in there could potentially freeze, causing damage to the tank or water lines.

Drain and Flush Your RV Holding Tanks

You don’t want gallons of dirty water sitting in your gray holding tank for months over the winter.  Even more so, you definitely don’t want gallons of waste in your black holding tanks for all that time!  Use your RVs tank flushing systems to clean out both these tanks before parking for the winter. If you do not have a built-in flushing system then use a product like Flush King to empty those tanks.

Protect Your RV With an RV Cover

Anytime an RV is not in use, it is a good practice to cover it with a high quality RV cover.  These shield your investment from the harsh effects of the elements, and winter weather is particularly damaging.

Fill Your System With Non-Toxic RV Antifreeze

Use a water pump converter kit to pump antifreeze through your plumbing system. Ensure all faucets, showers, and the like are dispensing anti-freeze by the time you are done.  Flush the toilet until no more water is present, i.e. antifreeze appears.  The water heater bypass is critical here, as it will take many gallons of antifreeze if you need to fill its tank also.

This is a basic list of some of the winterizing tasks for an RV.  You should consult your owner’s manual for a full checklist.  Forums dedicated to particular models of motorhome – Airstream, Newmar, Casita, etc… – can provide an abundance of tips and tricks appropriate for the RV or travel trailer you own.

Those of us who are fulltime RV dwellers will not need to do all the items in this list, as our units stay warm year around.  However, we should still be aware of these items, as you never can know when circumstances may change.  One day we too may need to park our RV for the winter.

One way to find a great deal on a used motorhome is to look through expired newspaper listings. Most of the time, people who list their RV for sale by owner in the newspaper don’t sell them the first time that they list them. A lot of times people will list them in the newspaper and they may not have a lot of interest in their ad. Often, a seller is lucky to get one or two phone calls off of an add in the newspaper. If the seller feels like their ad is unproductive, they will not renew it. But they are still interested in selling their motorhome. I like to look at expired listings that are less that six weeks old. When you find a motorhome that seems like a good deal, you can still call them and ask them if they have sold it yet. Not only does this give you access to a lot more used inventory, but occasionally, you can also find sellers who are pretty anxious to sell. Sellers that have been trying to sell for quite a while without any success, may also be more flexible in price. When you find someone who is motivated to sell, you can save yourself a lot of money. A lot of times, you have to wait for a seller’s motivation to ripen before you can get the best price.

Occasionally, you can find good deals at a dealership also. This is the case if the dealership is having trouble or if they are selling bank repo Rvs for a bank or local credit union. Most of the time dealerships will have a 40% markup on their inventory and it will make it much harder to find good deals at a dealership. People who typically buy from a dealership aren’t trying to save money, they are trying to buy a motorhome more conveniently.

There are several other methods that you can use to find used Rvs and motorhomes for sale by owner. Another method involves going to and RV Park N Sell lot. This is a place where owners can pay $40-$50 to park there motorhomes at over the weekend. One lot may have Rvs parked from 20 or 30 different sellers. It is nice to go to a Sell lot because you can still buy Rvs directly from the owners, and you can get a look at a bunch of different Rvs at once so you can save yourself some time.

It is important to just keep looking. You may find a great deal while you are driving to work, parked on the side of the road. You may also find a good deal at a storage unit when you see a for-sale sign in an RV window. If you want to get a good deal, talk to all of your neighbors, family, and colleagues at work. You will be surprised at how often you will find that there is someone trying to sell a motorhome or RV. Keep in mind that Rvs and motor homes are much easier to buy than they are to sell. You should never be in a hurry to buy. If you spent a few hours looking each weekend plan on it taking you 5 to 6 weeks to buy an RV, you will probably save yourself at least 15%. On a $50,000 motorhome, saving 15 to 20% can be quiet and accomplishment.

Having the latest Garmin GPS updates is especially important for the typical RV lifestyle, because the majority of the time you will be driving to new and unknown destinations – so getting there safely and on time is of paramount importance.

Why Download New Garmin Map Updates?

Every day there are changes and alterations occurring on the nation’s roads.  Whether that is a new junction appearing or new roads being built, there is every chance that your Garmin Nuvi will be out of date as soon as you remove it from the packaging.

Garmin GPS Updates for RV Drivers

Having the most up to date maps and routing on your GPS is even more important for RV drivers because when you download Garmin map updates you will also benefit from millions of new POIs.  POIs are points of interest files and include “touch and go” destinations and useful locations such as:

• Camping and Trail Parks
• Hospitals and Police Stations
• ATM Machines
• Shopping Destinations
• Tourist Attractions (including all US National Parks)

How to Download Garmin Map Updates

Getting new map software on your Nuvi GPS is very simple.  Firstly, visit the My GPS Map Updates website by clicking this link for Garmin GPS updates.  Once on there you will find instructions and links to the cheapest suppliers of map software.  In most cases, this will be the official Garmin website itself.

Updating is quick, but you will need to register your device with the manufacturer first because you will then gain access to their online system which checks your model serial number, and then returns the best map updates choices to suit you and your product.

Costs for these Garmin map updates range from free up to around $90 US Dollars should you need maps for the lifetime of your product.  Free maps are only available if you have owned your GPS for less than 90 days so in most cases RV owners will need to pay a fee to get the new upgrade.

What About Factory-Installed GPS Devices?

If your RV came with an in-built GPS rather than a standalone like the Garmin Nuvi, then you can still update the maps on it.  However, in this case you will typically need to purchase a DVD from a company called Navteq who supply navigation update DVDs to the majority of motor manufacturers.

Planning Your RV Route with Your Garmin

Once you have the latest maps installed then the World is your oyster.  The Garmin Nuvi GPS will let you plot and plan your next journey, and they will let you select stop-off points along your way.  The adventures you will have on the road will be greatly enhanced if you have up to date GPS maps and should mean you live the RV lifestyle to the full and get the most from your vehicle.

Our trip was 6 months long, and I remember it as one of our best vacations ever.  To start with, we got several weeks off school – which of course to a teenager was great! I can’t say I remember exactly what we travelled in, but I believe it was a small camper like this one.  Looking back that looks pretty tiny, but it seemed perfectly adequate at the time!

During our trip, we explored vast areas of this relatively small country.  A highlight for me was our trip to Queenstown – undoubtedly one of the coolest travel destination for teens there is.  I remember seeing jet boats, raging rapids and other neat stuff.  I also remember walking up many hills – it was a quite mountainous region!

Another neat thing we saw was all the cool geothermal activity at Rotorua.  I found the bubbling mud and strange colored liquids fascinating, if just a little bit scary! We also were able to visit the site of a past volcanic eruption where they were doing archaeological work; that was a very instructive experience – and probably kick started my interest in archaeology.

My dad has family in New Zealand – so we got to visit with some new relatives we had never met before.  We stayed a little while on a dairy farm with some family, which was rather interesting.  Our family in Australia mainly raised sheep and wheat, so was fun to see how a different style of farm operated.

One thing that really stood out for me during the trip was the memory of the Chernobyl disaster. That occurred during our trip, and did cause me some worry!  Thankfully with all the great sights to see I soon got over that.  It is hard to get too worked up about something when you never know what the next day may bring – seeing a cool glacier, trying venison for the first time, seeing a beach made of shells.

Luckily for my parents this trip was well before the Lord of the Rings movies came out, or I would have been nagging them to go see all the movie locations.  But for New Zealand RV travelers now, the movies offer a completely new range of potentially fun places to take your teens and tweens above and beyond the natural beauty of the country!

RV Dish TV

Unlike most stick based housing offerings, it is possible to get satellite TV fro your RV on a month to month basis.  These contract free pay-as-you-go offerings offer huge savings – you can only pay for the service while you are on the road.  This service is grate for snow-birders who may only travel for half the year, and live in a home base the remainder of the time.  Instead of paying for two TV services, they can turn this one off when it is not required.

Some of the many benefits of the DISH-TV Pay-as-you-go program include:

• No additional monthly service fees
• No requirement for a contract
• No charges to stop or start monthly service
• Available HD programming (small extra charge)

One feature that DISH-TV boasts is support for Ku-band dome and portable satellite antennas.  These antennas are not supported by their chief competitor – DirecTV.  DISH also handles in-motion HD programs – this allows TV viewing not just when you are stopped for the night, but even while your RV is moving down the road!

DISH-TV offers many plans for RV travellers.  These include the basic DISH AMERICA plan – including 60+ channels for only $35 a month – and the AMERICA’S TOP 120 PLUS selectio for $49.99/month.  Those with bigger budgets – or who simply must have the best – can choose the AMERICAS TOP 200 or AMERICAS TOP 250 plans for sixty or seventy dollars per month respectively.

If you are a traveler who still maintains a stick home, DISH offers a budget friendly option of only 7 dollars a month to add RV reception to your existing plan. With the purchase of a mobile HD receiver and this small add-on fee you will have your favorite TV programs available both at home and on the road!

Satellite Antennas for RVs

Winegard offers a good selection of RV antennas.  These include the Winegard Carryout GM-MP1, the Winegard Dish Network 1000.2 Satellite plus Tripid, and the handy Winegard TR-1518 Tripod accessory.

Raysat is another provider. They sell high end systems such as the SpeedRay 1000 LE and the RaySat T5-R.

I have fond memories of camping on some dusty campground, exploring and getting into all sorts of mild mischief.  With the benefits of hindsight, I can see that we were not exactly living it up – these were cheap campgrounds – but that made no difference to me as a kid. I still had a great time.

Our little trailer was a popup.  My brother and I were squeezed into a little place that I don’t think I could handle sleeping in alone now; I have simply grown too tall! My head was right by the hum of the refrigerator, which I thought at the time was rather cool.

These travels did spoil me somewhat.  We had amenities such as a sink, a little stove, and the like.  While not luxurious, it makes tent camping look rather primitive to me as an adult; and I think all my camping exploits since then have been shaped by the desire for at least those basic comforts.

We did not have a bathroom in our camper.  I remember this distinctly, as in the middle of the night we had to go walking across the campground to make use of the facilities.  This was rather terrifying for me as a young kid – I recall expecting some sort of monster to be out there waiting for me.   I was also afraid I would tread on a snake or a spider – not unnatural fears for an Aussie kid!

I do not have kids myself, but if I did, I would definitely take them out on similar trips.  I had so much fun, and learnt a lot more about the world than I would have simply sitting in front of the television.  In today’s gadget oriented world children could really benefit from seeing more of the ‘real’ world.

Those early family trips fostered my great love of the outdoors, and a love of the ‘gypsy’ lifestyle that I wouldn’t trade for anything. I am confident I would never have fallen in love with the full-time RV’ing lifestyle without those early experiences.  Thank you Mom and Dad!