Volume 2. Issue 10
Welcome to the Full-Time RVer Newsletter, published every other Wednesday by RVtravel.com. Here you’ll find helpful RV-related and full-time RV living tips from the pros, travel advice, and anything else of interest to full-timers or those who aspire to be. Thanks for joining us. We appreciate you. Please tell your friends about us.
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Quote of the day
“How does one become a butterfly? They have to want to learn to fly so much that they are willing to give up being a caterpillar.” ―
“The Grasshopper and the Ant”: Why your RV should always be prepared
By Adrienne Kristine
Perhaps some of you remember Aesop’s Fables. They were written hundreds of years ago and contain timeless stories and parables. There is a moral at the end of each story. I think the moral of the story “The Grasshopper and the Ant” to be prepared is especially important today.
The story
An industrious ant was toiling all summer gathering food and taking it back to the underground tunnels. He was preparing for the winter when snow would cover the ground and food would be scarce.
The grasshopper reclined under a shady tree and watched the ant working, scurrying back and forth with his burdens. He would laugh at the ant and tease him. “Why do you work so hard? Why don’t you sit under this shady tree with me and relax? There is plenty of time before winter.”
The ant would always respond, “I can’t do that. The tunnel needs to be filled so we won’t be hungry.”
“Surely you can stop for a day, can’t you?” asked the grasshopper. “Relax.”
“No! And if I were you, I would be gathering some food and storing it for winter. If you don’t, you’ll starve.”
“There is plenty of time.” The grasshopper just laughed and watched the ant work day after day.
Winter came early that year and the chill winds blew. The grasshopper was cold and started down the path to look for food. He looked on both sides of the path. There was no food, just a couple of leaves that swirled around him much too fast for him to catch. The pond was dry. He was alone, he was afraid and he was hungry.
He went to the ant tunnel and called out to the ant. “Can you help me?”
The ant came to the opening and replied, “What do you want?”
“I’m cold and I’m hungry. Can you spare some food?”
The ant sneered and said, “You had all summer to gather food for yourself. I worked all summer gathering food for my family and me. We have none to spare. Now go away.” The ant rolled a small stone across the opening and left the grasshopper standing outside.
Continue reading to see what this has to do with RVing, and why it’s so important.
Retired or retiring soon and thinking about full-timing? This book is for you!
A Practical Guide to Full-Time RV Living: Motorhome & RV Retirement Startup by Jack and Shirley Freeman is a wonderful guide to how to get started full-timing after retirement, and how to live an affordable life on the road. They’ve done a wonderful job answering any questions you may have about this next chapter in your life. Check it out here.
Did you miss last weekend’s RV Travel Newsletters?
If so, here is some of what you missed…
• Are “phantom” campers stealing your campsite?
• Why go big? The case for owning a king-sized RV
• Are Idaho RVers “crazy”?
• Truck & Towing Trends: 2022 Toyota Tundra “leaks” teaser images
PLUS: Our latest RV Travel Podcast, hosted by Scott Linden
Features
Some of these articles are from past issues of RVtravel.com and have been updated for this newsletter.
Miss your sewing machine? This one was practically made for an RV!
When we became full-time RVers we got rid of a five-bedroom house and 40 years’ worth of stuff. Lots and lots of stuff. I liked to sew and had two sewing machines, one a 1940s Necchi boat anchor in a cabinet and a smaller portable Brother machine. I could not envision hauling even the portable one around, so, sadly, out they went. Read about what Nanci Dixon found that takes care of her sewing needs but only weighs about 5.5 pounds!
10 harsh RV realities for beginners
Many of us that have been RVing for years have learned the realities of RVing via direct experience (aka school of hard knocks) long before the advent of the “information super highway” aka the internet. Nowadays you can easily perform an online search for any subject and be presented with a huge choice of articles and videos. … Here’s a short video (viewed almost 1.8 million times since March 2018) depicting the “10 Harsh RV Life Realities for Beginners.” How many can you identify with?
Visit a ghost town with “wild” animals to feed
There’s a certain ghost town along Route 66 where wild animals roam the streets, and where the local merchants encourage tourists to feed them. Oh, they’re not so wild that people are afraid of them (but don’t stand behind and get kicked: that’s another story). Here’s a one-minute video by RVtravel.com publisher Chuck Woodbury, with a surprise ending, when one of the critters he encounters while driving out of town tries to eat part of his car. Watch the video.
Travel off the beaten path…
Off the Beaten Path spotlights more than 1,000 of the United States’ most overlooked must-see destinations. In a state-by-state A-to-Z format, this budget-friendly planner reveals the best-kept secret spots so that no matter where you live, you can plan an unforgettable local vacation. Revel in nature, science, art and culture, and encounter the unexpected as you explore undiscovered gems. Learn more or order.
Reader poll
Is your RV 30 feet or longer?
Answer here and see how other full-timers’ RVs measure up.
Quick tip
Furnace won’t start?
If your factory furnace won’t start, go outside and take the cover off the intake/exhaust port. Now clean any crud out of the two tubes you’ll see. Try a restart. Still no go? Fire up your motorhome engine (or your tow vehicle while hooked up to your trailer) and try it again. If it starts now, there’s a low-voltage issue in your coach – check the “house batteries” first. If the furnace still won’t start with the engine running, you’ve likely got a furnace problem requiring a technician’s attention. Also see: Ask Dave: Why won’t the furnace burner light in our Minnie Winnie?
Don’t miss today’s RV Daily Tips newsletter!
Inside:
• Guidelines for RVing with pets for a safe and pawsitively fun experience
• RV Review: Alu-Cab Canopy Pickup Camper
• Ask Dave: What’s the cost to repair a water-damaged floor?
• A rewarding way to RV: Volunteer along the way
• Recipe: Fajita Dip
…and much more!
A neat trekking pole that helps light your way
When a manufacturer actually goes camping you can tell. For example, SylvanSport sent Tony Barthel their WayLight Multi-Functional Camping LED Light and Trekking Pole. You can tell that these folks camp. The WayLight is an LED device, among other things. Essentially this is a walking stick with two different USB-rechargeable LEDs on the top: a round ambient light and a more focused beam-style flashlight. Continue reading. (Note: Tony really loves this gadget!)
Video: $380,000 Class B motorhome? You read that right!
Mike and Jennifer Wendland of RVlifestyle.com recently visited Advanced RV in Willoughby, Ohio, for a walk-through tour of the company’s brand-new B Box, a very expensive Class B RV built as a box to be bolted on the Mercedes Benz Sprinter cutaway chassis. The cost? How about $380,000? … “You have to see it to believe it,” the Wendlands said. Well, you’re in luck. You can see it here.
Tour an ice house RV. Camp on frozen lakes, catch fish!
You may have seen an ice fishing RV in a campground and wondered what the heck it was. They’re low riders, their floors hugging the ground. There’s a reason for that. These specialized travel trailers, manufactured in Minnesota, are made to be towed onto a frozen lake where they will be used by anglers, who can fish while being sheltered from the elements in comfort. … After watching this video, you may wonder why traditional RVs are not available in such cozy, rustic designs. They’re gorgeous! Read more and watch the video.
Your assignment
What advice would give an aspiring full-time RVer?
From the editors: We asked our readers this question. Here is one response:
“First, go for it sooner rather than later. Second, do not get caught up in the pretty bells and whistles in the new RVs. You will be living in it. You can make changes but you can’t add or take away space. Look at it as a home when shopping. Consider storage space, note how you all sleep and how you all gather inside and out. Think about the weight of everything you put in it. Next, do short local trips first. Learn how to use it, learn how to live in it, and see what you need and don’t. Then get ready and enjoy. It’s been wonderful for us. You have to be able to not sweat the little things. You will have bumps in the road but lots of fun too.” —Lisa Adcox
At last! A directory of where to camp on public lands!
Camping on the public lands of the Bureau of Land Management has become so popular that the newly published guide “Bureau of Land Management Camping” from Roundabout Publications and the Ultimate Public Campground Project has been updated after only a few months in print. The new edition profiles 1,273 campgrounds and camping areas in 14 Western states. Details for each camping area include the number of campsites, amenities, facilities, fees, reservation information, GPS coordinates, and more. You’ll want this book if you camp or are interested in camping on BLM land. Learn more or order.
Featured recipe
Sweet Balsamic Glaze Caprese Burger
by Kisha Washington from Upper Marlboro, MD
These are extremely flavorful burgers. The spices added to the patties enhance the flavors. Starting them on the stovetop and finishing in the oven creates a juicy burger with a crisp outer crust. With a garlic basil flavor, the mayo blend is fantastic. It would be great on other sandwiches too. The balsamic glaze is sweet, tart and gives a great flavor balance to the burger. Crisp and melted mozzarella is the real star of the dish – it oozes in every bite.
This would be easy to make on the grill too! Get the recipe.
RVtravel.com Staff
Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Editor: Emily Woodbury. Associate editor: Diane McGovern. Senior editor: Russ and Tiña De Maris. Senior writers: Nanci Dixon, Tony Barthel, Mike Gast. Contributors: Mike Sokol, Gail Marsh, Roger Marble, Dave Solberg, Dave Helgeson, Janet Groene, Julianne Crane, Chris Guld, Machelle James, James Raia, Kate Doherty, J.R. Montigel, Clint Norrell, Darian Armer and Chris Epting. Podcast host and producer: Scott Linden. Special projects director: Jessica Sarvis. Moderators: Gary Gilmore, Linda Brady. Financial affairs director: Gail Meyring. IT wrangler: Kim Christiansen.
CONTACT US
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Everything in this newsletter is true to the best of our knowledge. But we occasionally get something wrong. We’re just human! So don’t go spending $10,000 on something we said was good simply because we said so, or fixing something according to what we suggested (check with your own technician first). Maybe we made a mistake. Tips and/or comments in this newsletter are those of the authors and may not reflect the views of RVtravel.com or this newsletter.
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I’d be way more interested in many of the books featured on RV Travel, if they had Kindle versions. We full-time … can’t be bringing all kinds of books into the coach… weight is No. 1 consideration!
The “$380,000 Class B motorhome” is a Class C.
When I was five I was given a portable record player and an huge book with a record called Aesops fables. Almost all of them. I gave it my daughter when she was five with yes, a portable record player. She took it in to school for show and tell were upon one child said O M G I did not know CD players were that big. No one knew except our daughter what a record player looked like. We still have the record player, needs fixing but still, if we can get it working it will go to her children. Everyone needs to read these fables. Very apropos in todays world.
How cool to see my comment about Aspiring Fulltimers. It has been something we talked about several years before it happened. Life got in the way. I have not looked back. Love tiny living. I hope many have the same fun I am having.
Advice to the aspiring full-timer. Check out the bathroom. Is it roomy enough? Next stand in the shower. Is there enough room for you to wash your body? Next on to the bedroom. Both of you need to lay down on the bed. Is there enough room? Can you walk around the bed? The less room the more exercise you will get changing the sheets and making the bed. Next check out the cargo carrying capacity. Storage doesn’t matter much if you will be over-weight once you add a couple hundred pounds of stuff. Often called “Cargo Carrying Capacity” If the bathroom and bed room feel comfortable (and big enough) then ogle the kitchen and living area. You spend about 1/3 of your time in the bedroom and important time in the bathroom. Be critical of that space.
If nothing else use the bath house. I do if I want a lengthy shower. We need to get a better water heater tank. But since it is just me and the husband it is more room then we need.
We love Oatman Arizona. Our winter park is in Laughlin Nevada and across the Colorado River is Bullhead City Arizona. Oatman is a short drive away and we take lots of visitors to see. Our favorite place to eat is in the old hotel and decorated with dollar bills with signatures from all over the world from people who visited. Watching the burros is so much fun and seeing them walk on the wooden board walks trying to get into the stores is funny. Burros have the right of way so be careful. The stores have many unusual and beautiful displays of local craftsmanship. If you are a Rock enthusiast you will love this unique town. Enjoy
The best advice we got was
You and your spouse must be excited about going full time. If one just going along with the other they will not be happy and could become grumpy and not a good companion.
You and your partner must be best friends.