Volume 2. Issue 41
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.
This newsletter is sponsored by our friends at Wholesale Warranties.
Page Contents
Quote of the day
“I like to think that to one in sympathy with nature, each season, in turn, seems the loveliest.” —Mark Twain
Thoughts on a first try at full-time RVing
By Randall Brink
My decision to adopt the full-time RVing life seemed like a logical step. I would carry on with plans my late wife and I made. The idyll of the freedom of the road was alive. It was a time in the spring of the year after she died. I got busy moving out of the townhouse and prepared to hit the road, this time with Bebe the Labradoodle as co-pilot.
We got off to a rough start.
Moving from a home we had lived in for many years was unexpectedly taxing and stressful. I got COVID, then underwent surgery just days before the official moving day at the end of July. The daily temperature reached 106°. We arrived at our first camp at the end of the day on July 31, exhausted and already questioning the move to full-time RVing.
Did you miss last weekend’s RV Travel Newsletters?
If so, here is some of what you missed…
- These products are RVers’ “must-haves” while RVing
- Indianapolis newspaper report blasts RV manufacturing industry
- Around the Campfire: Should RVers be worried about nighttime theft in RV parks?
- It’s spider season. Know which dangerous spiders to avoid across the U.S.
Features
Some of these articles are from past issues of RVtravel.com and have been updated for this newsletter.
Visit the two incredible highways in the U.S. that sing to you as you drive! It’s true!
By Gail Marsh
Call me a skeptic, but really? A highway that sings? Yes, it’s true! The original concept came back in 1995 when two Danish artists invented the Asphaltophone: a series of raised pavement dots spaced apart in varying intervals to create different sounds as a vehicle drives over them at a specific speed. In other words, orchestrated rumble strips. Learn more.
Is a mobile RV repair service right for you?
Imagine you’re enjoying an RV getaway. You’ve parked your rig in a quiet campground and enjoyed several days of relaxation. Alas! Like “all good things,” the time has rolled around for you to roll out. You push the button to bring in your slide-out, and instead of the reassuring rumble of the slide coming in, you get a “crunch!” and the slide won’t budge. Your relaxation has ended – there’s no way you can head out with an extended slide-out. Is a mobile RV repair service right for you? Find out here.
Young nomads follow their dreams in homemade RV. What they can teach us
By Nanci Dixon
Last week I brazenly followed what was definitely a homemade RV into a parking lot to talk with the owners, Kyra Campaña and Andrew Morrison. What I at first thought was an armored car-turned-motorhome was actually a 1998 diesel construction truck. Kyra and Andrew were delighted to talk with me and even invited me in to see the inside. What was so very refreshing was to hear their unbridled joy in RVing. They talked excitedly about the places they had been and all the wonderful fellow RVers they had met. Continue reading. (You’re gonna love Kyra and Andrew. Just sayin’. –Diane)
These socks don’t stink!
If you don’t believe us when we say these compression socks really work, look at the overwhelmingly positive reviews and maybe you’ll change your mind. These socks provide instant relief to your arches and heels and work to increase blood and oxygen circulation, which helps reduce lactic acid buildup and aids muscle recovery in ankles and feet. Click here to learn more.
Reader poll
Quick tip
An alternative to holes in RV walls for hanging pictures
Florette and Jeffrey Schilkraut suggest the following for hanging pictures in an RV: “We used two Command Strips Picture Hangers on each side of [our large] painting to hang it on the wall of our Tiffin Allegro. We’ve had no problems with it on the road, did not have to make holes in the wall and can change its location easily if we choose to.” Thanks for the suggestion, Schilkrauts!
Personal landmarks are important to visit; remember the best parts of your life
By Chris Epting
I love visiting historic landmarks. But as I get older I have also started visiting some “personal” landmarks that have helped shape my life. You know the places. Maybe a first date or a memorable ballgame. Where you became a witness to something great or even small. Where you learned to ride a bike. Or where you first fell off.
They may not have plaques or markers but personal landmarks represent our own histories, and if you go back once in a while and even document them, you might be surprised at their power. These are places where memories may still hang; memories that may trigger some strange emotional pulse that helps clarify or make sense of your life today. Continue reading.
Take a hot shower anywhere; no fresh water tanks required!
Water is one of the most important things that you cannot live without while camping. Among the constant and never-ending questions facing RVers, particularly while boondocking, is, “Will I be able to take a shower?” It’s not just about the lack of fresh-running campground water. The other concerns are: How much fresh water do I have onboard? How quickly do I want to fill up my gray water tank? Given the capacity of fresh water and wastewater, how long can I remain in camp? Read more.
Your assignment
What advice would give an aspiring full-time RVer?
From the editors: We asked our readers this question. Here is one response:
“Decide on the type of RV (trailer or motorhome) first by looking at the pros and cons of each and rent/borrow one to try it out. Once decided, BUY USED as your first RV.” —Bob P.
Featured recipe
Pizza Stuffed Peppers
by Jeannie Potter Hurocy from De Soto, MO
Jeannie’s stuffed peppers are delish! They have all the wonderful pizza flavors stuffed inside bell peppers. We love how she layers the meat, toppings, and cheese. It creates a wonderful bite. If you want, as we did, add your favorite pizza toppings for even more pizza flavor and style. We opted for pepperoni.
Contact information
Editor: Emily Woodbury
CONTACT US
Editorial (all but news): editor@rvtravel.com
Editorial (news): chuck@rvtravel.com
Advertising: Advertising@rvtravel.com
Help desk: Contact us.
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.
RVtravel.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Regardless of this potential revenue, unless stated otherwise, we only recommend products or services we believe provide value to our readers.
Mail us at 9792 Edmonds Way, #265, Edmonds, WA 98020.
This newsletter is copyright 2022 by RV Travel LLC.
The house, upkeep, expenses,…not one bit! But Ditto “missing the tub” but have visited Hot Springs, Spas, and Hotels on overnight day trips(but then I won’t sit in the hotel tub) kind of eases the need. After a day out there is nothing like an Epsom Salt soak for me…miss that!
I only miss our big tub! Been full-timing since 2016!
My better half ordered an inflatable tub that works wonderful for her. Just check carefully the dimensions and the space you have to set it up in. We set hers up at the top of the steps in the bathroom area of our 5th wheel. That way we can drain it into a bucket.
We don’t miss the house, was too big for us after kids left. Do miss our beautiful lush green lawn and all of my flowers tho. I do have a rose bush and some veg plants but it’s harder to grow. No lush green lawns at too many places we go, but we get to travel and sleep in our own bed.
Miss the house? NO! I do miss the whirlpool tub & oversize deluxe shower. If I wanted another “stick & brick” I’d buy one but, I do NOT see that happening anywhere in my foreseeable future.