RVs And Campers

There are several good reasons why anyone might consider RVing. For a start it's fun and it's easy. You can throw your gear in your RV and set off at any time that suits you. You can go where you please for the most part, and if you get tired you can stop and have a nap. If you see an interesting road you can go explore it, or come back the next day to do so. You can seek out all those little villages and shops that are never seen when traveling commercially. Once you get to a place you like, you can stay there for longer than you intended if you want to.

Now imagine if you went to your holiday destination by plane. You'd have to line up at the airport for hours to catch a plane that's leaving at some ungodly hour of the morning or night. There are sure to be delays due to bad weather, and bumpy flights, not to mention that ever-present fear of terrorism.

Your luggage could easily go astray and there's the boredom of sitting for hours at a time with very little scenery to look at. You get to see nothing of the country in between your departure and your destination. You will need to pay for the cost of accommodation, cabs or public transport as well as the plane fare. And you cannot go where there is no public transport, unless you walk or hire a car and that's even more cost.

RVing is the cheapest form of holiday travel - apart from hiking - that there is. The only cost is for your fuel and the relatively small cost of booking into a park, which is optional. Of course you will have to buy the RV to start with, but when comparing that cost with staying at motels or resorts, you'll find the RV wins hands down. Once bought, you'll have your RV for years to come and the price won't have risen every year as accommodation costs do. Besides, you can rent one if you don't want to buy.

RVing offers freedom from the schedules of commercial traveling. Even if you stay at a resort, you usually need to keep to their timetable at least for meals. When you go on the road with your RV you can stop when and where you like, eat when you like and you don't have to be out by 10am the next morning.

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Once you decide to step out and take that trip, you'll need to decide exactly - well, more or less - where you are going to go. Although RVing is all about freedom, it will facilitate your trip if you have a general plan. Where you actually get to may depend on how far you want to drive and where you start. If you fancy traveling to the Oregon Coast Peninsula, try the Winchester Bay RV Resort. Every site will give you a water view of either the Pacific Ocean, Umpqua River or the harbor, where the lights from all the moored boats light up the night sky, creating a beautiful backdrop to night-time ramblings.

Beverley Beach State Park, Newport is another great RV destination. There are full hook-up sites for your RV, or your choice of yurts, tents and cabins. An easy walk to the beach will keep the kids happy, while a visit to Yaguna Head Lighthouse should prove interesting.

If you are into wine tasting, you'll be delighted with a stay at Wine Country RV Resort, Paso Robles, California. There are one hundred wine- tasting rooms within a ten-mile radius so you'll have plenty of choice. They also have pool, spa, gorgeous sunsets and lots of flowers. If you are lucky you may be able to enjoy some of the special wine-tasting events, but these sell out quickly so need to be booked ahead; certainly worth a phone call before you leave home.

East Shore RV Park at San Dimas, CA can offer you the delight of soaking in a hot cedar tub to get all those driving related kinks out of your body. The tubs are located at Puddingstone Hot Tubs Resort, just outside the entrance of the Park. You could dive in as soon as you arrive and set up.

If you want to get up close and personal with nature Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Valley is the place to go. RV facilities are good and there are giant sequoias to admire along with snow-capped mountains and waterfalls. If you go when the moon is full and the waterfalls are in spate, you may get to see the fabulous and rare moonbow they create.

Of course there are many more RV resorts and parks along the west coast - 1800 or more in fact, so you're sure to find something to suit you. Most offer quite good facilities and activities. Many have wheelchair access. There are lakes, fishing and wildlife viewing, beaches, forests and urban areas. There is the Columbia River Gorge and the San Juan Islands, so what are you waiting for?

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Many who go RVing on the east coast find that the facilities are not as good as in the west. For a start, many of the campgrounds have only 30amp power, so you can't use too many appliances at the one time. There are also a lot that won't accept dogs, so if you have the family pet along, you really need a good book like the Good Sam Directory to guide you. It has ratings for RV parks in every state.

Some of the more common complaints about RV parks in the east are that the waste dumps were difficult to use due to inconvenient locations and the size of the site so small as to make slide-outs and awnings almost impossible to use. Of course, you may see these things as challenges that simply make life interesting. Many RVers like to rough it and use a minimum of appliances and no luxuries like hair driers. So if you are more interested in the outside activities and getting close to nature, don't let these complaints put you off RVing on the east coast.

Many RVers believe the Florida State Park System is excellent and happily RV around there every chance they get. At Chassahowitzka River Campground you'll be able to enjoy fantastic canoe rides and see the wildlife at the adjacent National Wildlife Refuge. If you can't do without your Internet fix, Rock Crusher Canyon RV Park has a broadband connection at every site, along with everything else you will need. If 1200 miles of sandy beaches and nine major theme parks aren't enough to keep you happy, you can always hop in your RV and head off up the coast to any destination that takes your fancy.

You might choose Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park in Central MA, or the Adventure Bound Camping Resorts at North Truro, MA. Or if you've a family, the Peaceful Pines Family Campground at Templeton might be more your style.

Or what about Virginia where RV Parks abound? With places like Shenandoah Valley, Blue Ridge Highlands and Chesapeake Bay, even the names seem to beckon. Whatever you do, don't miss out on seeing America's underground treasure, Endless Caverns. They are to be found on the side of Massanutten Mountain overlooking the Shenandoah Valley.

At Calleb's Cove Campground, you can choose between biking, boating and fishing for great stripe bass, muskee and walleye, or try out all three activities. It's located at Whitaker Hollow Road, Abington. You can phone them on (276) 475-5222. See the new light Gallery while you're there and support the starving artists by eating at their café.

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One of the most popular RV trips through the midlands is the Santa Fe Trail, Scenic and Historic Byway. It starts at Trinidad and winds for 188 miles right through to Lamar. There are Welcome Centers at both ends of the trail where you can access information on the history of the place as well as the necessities such as interesting places to stop, gas and food supplies and free maps.

On the journey you can stop at Trinidad State Park and try out your fishing skills on the trout, bass, catfish, wipers, walleye, bluegill and crappie. Over half of the sites have electrical hookups and showers are available within the park. There's even a boat launch in case you've brought your own boat. If you are into roughing it the Comanche National Grassland offers primitive accommodation where you can get as close to nature as the pioneers would have.

There is much more to see on this scenic tour, from Fort Carson's tank training grounds to the Indian Museum at La Junta; Rocky Ford with its famous roadside booths of fresh produce, to costume clad docents at Beth's Ford where large RVs can easily be accommodated. The Kit Carson Museum is located at Las Animas, while boaters and anglers will delight in the 2,000 acres of water in the John Martin Reservoir State Park. If you missed out on a campsite further back there are another 213 available here.

Once you get to Colorado, the giant steam engine and windmill blade outside the Welcome Center there will delight you and tempt the photographers of the family. The journey takes about four hours, but if you stop to look at everything and fish as well, it could take weeks, all of which are sure to be wonderful.

You could also visit that most famous hole in the ground, The Grand Canyon. Since part of it's south rim lies parallel to Arizona Highway 64, any trip that takes you along there will give easy access. There are numerous restaurants and shops to wander through if the weather turns foul. It's always well crowded due to the easy access; so if you want to get away from the crowds, consider visiting the North Rim. It's not always open due to weather conditions, but mid-May to mid-October are good times. Once you get there, you may decide to hike, but never go alone as the conditions can turn nasty in a few minutes and accidents can happen.

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Many people who go RVing do so because it is easier on their budget, but are disappointed to find that RV Resorts charge quite a bit for the wonderful amenities they offer. But you don't have to go to an expensive RV Resort. There are many low-cost places to stay that still have basic facilities, or you can reduce your costs even further by finding free places to stay on your RV trip.

One of the lesser-known free places to stay with your RV is Wal-Mart. That's right, they quite like RVers to park overnight in their car park and use the bathrooms in the morning. Of course, they like it even better if you buy your provisions there too. It goes without saying that you would not leave your trash lying around the park either while you are there or after you leave.

It's company policy to allow RVers overnight parking, but some stay longer than that. Just don't roll out your awning and lawn furniture, or you might wear out your welcome. If you go out for each day it won't seem like you are living there. Low key is the word for Wal-Mart. Some Wal-Mart stores have Signs displayed that state "No overnight RV Parking", so you need to look at all entrances to the car park to make sure you can. There are also many of the Big Kmart stores that allow overnight RVs - except for in Florida.

It's possible to camp for free on any Bureau of Land Management land, unless specifically forbidden. The limit is two weeks, but that is not always enforced. In any case, the next BLM area may be quite close. You can camp for zilch on State Forest lands too, with an approximate limit of two weeks and no permit needed. Rules vary by the state, so check your area.

Woodall's Directory, available from any large RV dealer, will give you a list of free camping grounds. Some even have hot showers; how good is that? William's Landing, Florida is one free camping place on Lake Talquin where you can stay for two weeks. There are many more.

Another free place to stay is at a "Flying J" truckstop. No need to feel guilty as they really like your company and your business. Just don't get in the road of all those big rigs. Other free places to think about are rest stops, gas stations and schoolyards. You may even be a member of an RV club and find you know another member who will let you camp in his yard.

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Many people don't even think of weight distribution when they load up their RV. They simply pile in all their stuff and take off. This can be a dangerous practice as the Recreation Vehicle Safety Education Foundation (RVSEF) has found that the loads contained in many of the RVs they weighed exceeded the capacity of the tires. An overloaded RV is a dangerous one, so be sure to check yours before you take it on the road. You can find scales to weigh your RV in the yellow pages or online, and it is vital to check individual wheel positions as well as overall weight.

In many cases of overload, it was the back of the vehicle that was the problem. People tend to store their heaviest equipment in the back of the RV, thinking it will create stability, however if the back is overloaded it causes your RV to be out of balance. Weight needs to be distributed evenly throughout the vehicle.

The manufacturer of the RV is the one to establish various weight ratings. Not adhering to these is one of the major causes of accidents and breakdowns of RV vehicles, due to the extra wear on parts, or uneven distribution. RV.net sponsors safe RV driving lessons where you can learn about safety including weight distribution. Anyone who is a beginner at RVing would be well advised to attend one if they can, and they will find even veterans go to them and learn something new.

Weight distribution doesn't only mean the way in which you pack all your stuff, though that is important too. Weight distribution refers also to the way in which - say, a pop-up is hitched to the towing vehicle. Unless you have the right equipment for hitching, the weight resting on the ball mount could exceed the allowable 15% of the towed vehicle.

To know what class of hitch or receiver is needed on your towing vehicle, you need to estimate the weight of your additions to the RV; things like batteries and air-conditioner, plus all your equipment. The combined weights of the people and gear that will be in the towing vehicle must also be taken into consideration. If you have a towing hitch that is inadequate, not only will you wear out parts more quickly, but RV sway will be a problem. Mounting a friction sway control can be a good way to help minimize RV sway. You need to do everything necessary to make your RV trip a safe and enjoyable experience.

Visit http://www.rvs-and-campers.com for a great selection of new and used RVs and campers and accessories