Owning and maintaining an RV can become very expensive. Between the purchase, upkeep and escalating gas prices, it can be difficult in these tough times to save the money necessary to enjoy what is supposed to be a “recreational vehicle”. Another caveat added lately has been the rising prices of staying at a public campgrounds. While staying at a public campground has been popular due to these costs, the rising costs added in with the lack amenities has begun to rub RV owners the wrong way. Last week, a survey was done for the RVtravel.com newsletter regarding the escalation in prices of these campgrounds. While the figures might surprise you, it is fairly obvious that these prices are beginning to become a hindrance to travelers.
According to the RV News Service, the survey was prompted by RVtravel.com Editor Chuck Woodbury’s recent experience of coming upon two California state parks where the fee for primitive campsites — those with no utility hookups — were $35 a night. “My reaction was that it was too much,” he wrote. “The park system, of course, is trying to raise more money to keep its parks open. But I wonder if they have priced themselves out of the market.”
More than 95% of the recreational vehicle enthusiasts who responded to the survey said they would never pay — or probably never pay — that much to stay in a public campground. “Look at it from this perspective — $35 per night equals $1,050 per month,” one reader commented. “Would you pay that to rent a house with no walls, no water, no electricity, no toilets?”
While the point is made that it is necessary for the parks to raise revenue to continue to provide the space for such vehicles, Mr. Woodbury’s statement regarding pricing RV owners out of the market is a valid one. How can a part-time RV user justify these costs added on to the plethora of other charges incurred by owning your dream?
Would you spend $35 a night to stay in what is described in the article as a “primitive campsite’? Do you have personal stories or comments about a situation like this you would like to share? Share your comments below!
I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to start my day without a nice hot shower followed by a nice breakfast. Many modes of transportation and trip taking make these things difficult if not impossible without the security of a hotel room. But that is why you have an RV, so you don’t have to worry about these things. Along with this luxury comes great responsibility. Maintenance of your RVs water heating system, while tedious at times, is imperative for its functionality and preservation. In Mark Polk’s first edition of Mark’s RV Garage, he discusses this topic in depth. When the water system is not in use, it is necessary to drain the stagnant water in order to keep bacteria and other minerals from corroding your system. In the episode, he uses a product called the Tank Saver in order to clean out the sediment from the system. I stumbled across this video and wanted to share the tips he gives on maintenance of the system and how to avoid such problems.
Do you do your own regular maintenance or do you have a professional look at it? Make sure to leave a comment below!
RV campgrounds are a great place to have fun, park your RV, relax, or go on an adventure. Although if you are unfamiliar with these places they may be confusing, but don’t let that ruin all the wonders they have to offer. We can’t guarantee that every campground will be the same, but here are some things you should look for when choosing where to park your RV.
There are two main styles of campgrounds, private or public. Public campgrounds are usually at state parks, national parks and forests, BLM areas, and Army Corps of Engineers. The reputation and offerings are pretty consistent within these similar types of campsites. As opposed to private campgrounds which may have more amenities than its public counterparts, but may also be more expensive to counteract these upgrades.
Something to keep an eye out for at both types of campsites, is what kind of services do they offer. Do they have electric and 50amp hookups? Do they offer clean water and sewer removal? These are probably the two more important questions to find the answers to. With others offering onsite pools, wireless internet and cable TV, please be sure to ask as many questions as possible to know your campground. Don’t forget about Fido! Even though these days it’s rare to find, some campsites still don’t allow pets of any kind! Be prudent though. Look around and determine if the owners take care of the grounds, keep their site clean and waste-free, and don’t be scared to ask some of the present tenants about their experience.
If you are still not sure about your selection, several organizations are dedicated to rating campgrounds, such as AAA, Trailer Life, Woodall’s and Wheelers. See what the experts have to say about your choice in campground. According to www.about.com, AAA “maintains a continuous program to examine and evaluate every campground listed in its AAA CampBooks. Unfortunately, only Private camps are typically rated, but as we mentioned earlier, public camps are reliably consistent.
Still lost? We can help you decide where to stay! Leave us a comment below about your recent campground experience and let us know which type you prefer.
Storage space can be difficult to maneuver whether you are a weekend RVer or a full-timer. With everything we bring along with us to knickknacks we pick up along the way, there always seems to be a little less room than we need. While we do our best to keep things tidy and in order, it can become very difficult to achieve this goal. So when we find us in this situation, it becomes important to come up with some efficient ways to make the best of your space. I compiled a couple tips to help you out with the clutter in your RV.
1. Think vertical. Find ways to use space vertically in your RV. Try reorganizing your cabinets and closets that utilize the space vertically.
2. Removable adhesive hooks might be our most favorite invention in the last couple of years. They do wonders organizing utensils, hanging small boxes to organize papers and the best part, they don’t do any damage when you’re done with them.
3. Multi-use containers – try to find items that can be used for more than just one thing.
4. Collapsible Storage Containers – these are great to use when you’re doing laundry, but when you’re done they collapse and don’t take up much room.
5. One In, One Out Rule – this is a pretty good rule that has helped keep our RV with minimal clutter. When you bring something new into the RV, something must go!
6. Use non-slip liners to keep your stuff in place and from sliding all over the place and getting messy.
7. Clean out the RV four times a year if you’re a full time RVer. I know this sounds like a lot, but with your best efforts, stuff will still add up.
8. Get some Space Bags to store items that are seasonal – these are the giant bags that you vacuum air out of and will save tons of closet space.
9. If you haven’t used an item in a year, toss it. Or rather, donate it. Chances are if you haven’t used something in a year you won’t be missing it.
10. Put all of your cleaning supplies in a basket. This will keep them secure as well as travel very handy when you need to clean different parts of the RV.
As useful as these tips are, you will need to keep an eye on the weight of your RV. It is important that you do not exceed the maximum weight guidelines for the safety of you and others on the road. Do you have any other organizing tips for the rest of the readers? Leave a comment below and let us know!
In the United States, motor homes are well-liked leisure automobiles, evidenced by the fact many travelers partake in them across our great nation. Many motor home owners use their RVs to go camping and others use them to travel and discover the country. With the increase in popularity recently, chances are you’ll be questioning whether or not you can purchase a motor home sometime in the near future. If that is something you are considering, please read on.
If you enjoy traveling, especially touring the countryside, you may want to look into RVing. Each year, a lot of individuals, namely retirees, choose to journey the country. However, since it may be expensive to rent a house or stay in hotels all the time, many vacationers make the choice to purchase or rent their very own RVs to defray costs. Motor homes are perfect for cross nation trips, as you not only have a mode of transportation with a RV but accommodations as well.
Another sign that you may want to think about shopping for a motor home is that you enjoy camping, however prefer to be sheltered from the elements at times. Tenting is a pleasant leisure activity, however sleeping in tents isn’t for everyone. Maybe you have a medical situation, or if you just don’t want to sleep on the ground while you go camping, you may want to consider shopping for a motor home. Additionally, if you will be camping with a bunch of individuals, like your family, you may discover that a motor home is a nice, simple, convenient, and fun solution to go camping if traditional methods aren’t “your bag”.
When searching for either a new or used motor home, there are a couple different ways you can go about it. You will want to check the automotive section of your local newspapers, as many motor home house owners choose to advertise in their motor properties close to home. You may additionally be able to discover a wealth of information on motor homes online. But your best bet is to go in person and check them out to see how you would fit in the particular RV. Analyzing motor homes to check if they’ve had any part recalls or to see if the motor home selling value is a good value will help to make sure that your money is spent wisely. Be thorough in your search as this is a big purchase and has many different aspects to each RV. With the wealth of information out there, any novice can become well educated through these different channels.
With the costs of travel rising on a daily basis, it might be a good idea to look into it to see how it fit your lifestyle. Have you shopped for or bought an RV recently? Leave a comment below and tell us about your RV shopping experience!
Hi, my name is Dan Pearson and I am the Owner of PleasureLand RV Centers based out of St. Cloud, MN. We have three other Minnesota locations to serve all of you RV needs. I look forward to providing you with all your RV information from buying an RV to tips and maintenance. If you would like to contact me, be sure to leave a comment.
