Volume 2. Issue 21
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.
Please consider signing up for other newsletters from RVtravel.com. Easy unsubscribe if you don’t like what you see.
Quote of the day
“‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’
‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.’
‘I don’t much care where –’
‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.'” ―Alice in Wonderland
Popular Full-Time RVing articles you may have missed in the past…
Getting the best out of your shower
Adjusting to the full-time RVing lifestyle includes many different areas of life. One of them is access to hot running water. Sure, you have a water heater in your RV. Typically it’s a six-gallon job, while your old land-based heater was probably 40 or 50 gallons. All is not lost: Most of you won’t be doing piles of laundry, so the biggest adjustment will be showers. Continue reading.
Staying warm—without busting the bank
Can you live full time in your RV on $1,000 a month? We know some that do. While that question is too multifaceted to tackle in just one little post, we thought it might be good to talk about one aspect: Heating your rig. Continue reading.
RVing will not make you happy
By Tammy Williams
Two and a half years ago, I completely dismantled my perfectly good life. I exited the Rat Race, downsized drastically, and embarked on a journey of travel and discovery. So what did I learn? Find out here.
Forget boring campgrounds—Stay at incredible “campsites” in 2023
With a Harvest Hosts membership, you can stay overnight at more than 4,500 wineries, farms, breweries, etc., for free! Harvest Hosts offers an alternative to traditional campgrounds, where members can meet interesting people, taste great wines, eat fresh produce and stay in beautiful, peaceful settings. SAVE 15% on your membership! Use code RVTRAVEL at checkout. Learn more.
Did you miss last weekend’s RV Travel Newsletter?
If so, here is some of what you missed…
• The winter of their discontent: Many proposed RV parks facing stiff public opposition
• Self-powered trailers speak to the future of EV towing
• Campground Crowding: “I resent snowbirds for taking over everything”
• Heading for Tampa or another winter RV show? Here are a few warnings to consider
Features
Some of these articles are from past issues of RVtravel.com and have been updated for this newsletter.
DON’T MISS IT! We’re inheriting a house. Can we still be full-time RVers?
If you missed this article in last Saturday’s newsletter, you’ll want to read it here.
Ways for RVers to stream free (or almost free) TV
By Gail Marsh
Who doesn’t like a cable or satellite television bill? Me! How about you? It’s aggravating to pay for 200+ channels and still find absolutely nothing you want to watch. … In this informative post, Gail lists numerous ways to get free (and legal) TV services as well as low-cost streaming services. Learn about them here.
For newbies: How expensive is traveling with an RV? Here’s what you can expect
Traveling by RV is a great way to see the country and it has many advantages. You can cook your own meals, sleep in your own bed, and use your own bathroom no matter where you are. You can save money, but it is important to note that traveling with an RV might be more expensive than you think. Many families purchasing an RV for vacations only consider the cost of the RV itself, and not the other expenses that go along with RV ownership. Learn about other expenses and watch a video, “How much do campgrounds really cost?” here.
Professional photographer says this tripod is best for RVers
By Nanci Dixon
I need to preface this by saying I was a professional photographer with access to everything photographic – and I mean EVERYTHING. Every lens, camera, film (in the old days), printer, computer, strobe units and tripod ever made. When I retired, for better or worse I ditched it all. I said goodbye to my camera closet and decided to use only my cell phone. The worn phrase “The camera you use is the camera you have with you” is so true. But I’ve found the perfect tripod for RVers. Continue reading.
Reader poll
Quick tip
Under-rig cheapy creepie!
“I always carry what I call a ‘cardboard creeper’ in the bed of my truck. It stands straight up alongside the utility bed out of the way. I just got a new one, made out of the thick cardboard that made up the box our new TV came in. It’s glossy on one side and ‘cardboard’ on the other. Easy to slide around on and great for any kind of under-vehicle work. Not so good on wet surfaces, of course.” Thanks, Tommy Molnar!
RV Gadget: Drinkmate carbonator, worth the space? Yup!
By Tony Barthel
If you drink carbonated beverages, the Drinkmate carbonator might save you space in your RV (no more bulky cardboard boxes or dozens of cans) and money. Read what Tony thinks about this gadget, and see what he carbonates (hint: mimosas just got a lot easier!). Read more.
Moving from a “house RV” to an “apartment RV.” How do we downsize?
After a popular trend to “Go Big,” more and more RVers are deciding to ditch the big rig and downsize to a smaller RV. Class B van-style RVs and smaller Class C’s are definitely more nimble to drive and park, not to mention the ease of backing into tight spots and stopping for groceries and dining out. Campground crowding is making it harder to find big rig campsites, plus a smaller RV opens up far more opportunities to camp in national and state parks. Readers Suzanne and Danny R. asked how is an RVer supposed go about the Herculean task of downsizing? Get a gazillion great tips here.
Can you RV camp at a military campground?
Are you or a member of your family on active military duty? Are you retired, disabled, or have an honorable discharge? If you are, did you know you’re eligible to camp on military campgrounds? If you’ve never heard of the program, it’s called the MWR branch. And all branches of service have one. It stands for the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) branch. Continue reading this very thorough article.
Your assignment
What advice would give an aspiring full-time RVer?
From the editors: We asked our readers this question. Here is one response:
“Research! For at least 6-12 months before jumping in. Understand that everything, EVERYTHING, is a compromise. You need to be comfortable with simplifying your life. Downsize everywhere you can and know you don’t need as much stuff as you think you do. Get as much solar as soon as you can so you don’t annoy everyone around you with your generator (obviously doesn’t apply to people who will exclusively stay in RV parks). Please, don’t use a contractor generator. Understand what in your rig is powered by your batteries and how long those batteries will last before you need to recharge. Use a medium-sized pure sine wave inverter to charge your devices. Find community. Even if you are shy, be friendly and you will be rewarded with wonderful friendships.” —Angela Krause
Featured recipe
Ultimate Nachos With Homemade Cheese Sauce
by Fran Say from Sunnyvale, CA
This homemade nacho cheese sauce recipe is going to become a staple in your house. The array of cheese makes the sauce super-creamy. We love the added flavor from the different chili spice blends. Pour this cheese sauce over tortilla chips and add your favorite toppings for some killer nachos.
Homemade cheese sauce?! Count us in! Get the recipe.
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Contact information
Editor: Emily Woodbury.
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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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The further the distance the better I am. I love my family but there are days I want to run away. If it was not so cold the trailer on my driveway would work. O well.
I didn’t vote in the Reader Poll because the correct answer for me was not available. “Not at all” would have been my choice had you not added, “I like the distance!”
I agree!
Great tip on the “cardboard creeper”. I’ve used it in the past when I had a real house. The best cardboard is a refrigerator carton that is three layers thick. Try to get one 72″ long by 24″ wide. You can even fold it , then reinforce the joint with duct tape. Shade tree craftsmanship at it’s best.
I miss seeing my daughters, and especially their children, my grandchildren. Before Covid, I would fly back to see them nearly every month. Can’t do that now.
Well that’s a choice that you have made. I live in Ky my daughter in LA. And we talk on the phone. Text and she has been here and I have there numerous times since this Covid has started. Yes we have have been sick numerous times but no different from when we were passing colds or the flu back and forth. Spent 4 months touring the west this summer . Two weeks seeing family in Texas and taking care of my elderly parents between trips. We use commonsense hygiene and in the case of my parents we will wait two weeks before we face to face. But our life has continued pretty much as before. I could lose precious time with loved one hiding in my home. I choose not to.
It’s not natures way for parents to be so involved in their children’s lives. In nature the parents bring their young into the world, nurture them, train them how to survive, and then let them go into the world. As human parents we naturally stay connected to our families, but too much interference can stifle their ability to survive on their own because they never cut the apron strings and will always depend on mama. Someday mama will no longer be around and then what will baby do? Just say’n
Then you have never been in an Italian or Mexican or Cajun family….family is everything. And my daughter would laugh her head off you thinking she is tied to my apron strings. My daughter is a proud strong woman who is capable of defending herself and her family, can repair most things and when the time comes will be the proud matriarch of this bunch. Family is support not control you have some weird ideas.
Elephants, dolphins, bees, most primates…and the list goes on. Humans are one of many species that live in family groups.
Yep!
Going full time you need to remember you’re retired or not working full time. Don’t move every night, stay at least 2 nights. Every little town has a mom and pop restaurant, museum, or land mark to see. All kinds of historical sites, battlefields or someone famous lived there or is buried there.
That’s the best advice I have ever heard about being a full timer.
Agree with Gary. Don’t check out areas to see what is there you’ll miss out. Otherwise may as well be a tractor trailer driver going from point A to point B fast as you can
That was my original plan for retirement, travel into an area that looks promising, set down and take my time seeing every thing they had to offer before moving on to the next place. Didn’t happen due to late wife’s conditions, now the interest is not as strong, been retired 21 years 3 months and I’m almost content to spend the rest of my life with the new wife which is not a bad life. So see the country one month at a time while you’re young enough to enjoy it, follow the sun and stay warm. Old age is very unforgiving so make the best of it while you can.