Volume 2. Issue 43
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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This newsletter is sponsored by our friends at Wholesale Warranties.
Page Contents
Quote of the day
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” —G.K. Chesterton
Save money while RVing with these 24 tips
By Gail Marsh
Who doesn’t like to save a buck now and then? Owning and driving an RV down the road isn’t cheap, but there are ways to save significant money and still live the RV lifestyle at the same time. You just need to know where to look to find the savings.
Here are some suggestions for saving money. (We hope you’ll add your own ideas in the comments.)
On the road
- Plot out your route before your trip begins. Use phone apps like GasBuddy and others to find fuel stations along your route. Then check gas prices at these stations and plan to go to the station with the best price for fuel.
- We joined the group called TSD Logistics Open Roads. Here’s how this system works: We deposited $200 into a secured account. The company issued us a card which we use to purchase diesel fuel at various truck stops. We get a discount for every gallon of diesel fuel we buy.
- Pack travel food and drinks instead of eating out along your travel route. Not only will you potentially eat healthier, but you’ll save money too.
- Try boondocking. Check with Walmart, Cracker Barrel, and other businesses about their policies for free overnight RV stays.
- Make reservations at small local city parks if you prefer not to boondock. These out-of-the-way spots are often underused and come at a lower cost for the amenities you may find at larger (and more expensive) parks. Simply call the town hall or park commission for information about their park system.
Did you miss last weekend’s RV Travel Newsletters?
If so, here is some of what you missed…
- Secret bunker found under Arizona RV storage yard (with photos)
- Campground Crowding: ‘If camping looks the same in 2023, we quit!’
- Around the Campfire: The true cost of RVing
- Small RV refrigerator? These 30 foods don’t need refrigeration
Features
Some of these articles are from past issues of RVtravel.com and have been updated for this newsletter.
Downsizing… or not? An RVer’s struggle of what to keep and what to leave behind
By Sandi Sturm
After living 12 years in Alaska, I had quite the library going. Four large bookcases were full of pages I loved unconditionally. I did not read every title, but I loved the thought of them and the people who wrote them. Then we decided to leave Alaska and hit the road. At the time we still had our 19-foot travel trailer, which we used to get there. I could sit at the table and put dishes in the sink without getting up. No couch or extra storage. I guess you can say it was “quaint.” We pulled it with a six-cylinder Toyota Tacoma, so weight was always a concern. … Continue reading about Sandi’s huge collection of books here.
Lemon Laws (kind of) protect new and used RV buyers. This is how they REALLY work
If you have purchased a new or used RV, only to have your rig stuck in the shop for weeks or months for warranty repairs, you may have a “lemon.” If your dealer/warranty repair shop repeatedly tries and fails to repair the problem(s), you do have a “lemon” by definition. The definition is in the “Lemon Laws” enacted by the states. A U.S. federal lemon law generally applies, even if the state laws are not applicable or ineffective in addressing your specific situation. Learn more.
Why it’s important to have a plan in case of a health scare
Reader Lisa Adcox writes: “Do you have a plan if your partner has a health scare? This week it happened to us. My husband had a stroke. He was first at the ER, then an acute care hospital and now in a rehabilitation center. Will be in hospital for at least another 14 days. Why am I speaking about this? To tell you to talk about the ‘what ifs’ now, not while it is happening.” Continue reading this extremely important message.
Reader poll
Quick tip
Use a fresh bleach solution when you set up camp
If you use bleach water to spray down water fittings when you set up camp, listen up. Diluted bleach has a short life, so it’s best to do a small batch for spraying each time you make camp, rather than relying on old diluted stuff to protect you from bugs.
Hubby is a night owl, wife is an early riser. Different sleep schedules hard to manage in RV
By Gail Marsh
“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Or so the saying goes. But what happens when your hubby is the night owl and you are the early riser? Or the reverse? And what happens when the two of you try to navigate your different sleep rhythms while living in a 34-foot RV, or even less square footage? Yipes! Continue reading for an explanation of what causes different sleep schedules, some suggestions to deal with this situation, and then please add your comments to the conversation.
Beat-ing feelings of isolation while on the road; find what keeps you company
By Sandi Sturm
“I spend a lot of time alone. Being a traveling entrepreneur and digital nomad has me spending hours and hours at a time inside the RV reading, learning, creating, and typing on the keyboard. This is something that I have had to get acquainted with because it goes against everything that I am. …” Read Sandi’s tips for relieving feelings of isolation and adapting to constant change here.
Camping with the Corps of Engineers
Many RVers consider Corps of Engineers campgrounds to be the best in the country. This guide is just for RVers – boat-in and tent-only sites are not included. Of all the public lands, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has some of the best parks and campgrounds available. In fact, it’s the largest federal provider of outdoor recreation in the nation. Learn more or order.
Your assignment
What advice would give an aspiring full-time RVer?
From the editors: We asked our readers this question. Here is one response:
“The best advice I was given when we first started out 10 years ago, was ‘set a direction, not a destination.’ Now I know that things have changed, and reservations seem to have taken over our lives, but don’t restrict yourself so much. Be open to serendipity and suggestions from others you meet along the way, you never know what adventures you might happen upon that you would have missed by dashing off to that ‘next reservation.'” —Marie Beschen
Featured recipe
Sweet Potato Cornbread With Cinnamon Honey Butter
by Lisa Myrick from Wilmington, NC
What a delicious way to prepare cornbread! If you’re not team sweet for cornbread, you may not like this though. Nice and fluffy, the cornbread is super tender and almost has a cake-like texture. The bread itself is slightly sweet and has bits of sweet potato in every bite. Topped with the honey butter, it’s almost like a dessert that’s not too sweet. Yum!
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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I left for Maine with a 21 foot bunk model last May. Let me tell you it was cramped for one person. Awful if it was more then 2. Next year I plan to return to Maine with a 25 foot better model that works better and I can live in it for 6 months. Retiring the bunk model and yes, I thought I could go full time but nope. I like my sticks and brick house as well. So 6 months in an RV and 6 months in my house. It is a challenge to live out of an RV.
We use isopropyl alcohol in a glass sprayer to sanitize/spray down water fittings when we set up camp. We spray the city water connection and let it dry thoroughly before we connect. I don’t believe that isopropyl alcohol has a short life.
I carry a can of Lysol in my rig, for spraying faucets, sewer hose & fittings…….whatever needs to to sanitized….No short life …………….
“Diluted bleach has a short life” What the heck do you mean by that. When you dilute/add water to bleach it deteriorates? Evaporate? I know water does. Would expect bleach also but don’t know it’s rate or volatility.
Hi, friz. Here’s some info from WHO relating to using bleach in hospitals, etc., but the information is generic: “Bleach is a strong and effective disinfectant – its active ingredient sodium hypochlorite is effective in killing bacteria, fungi and viruses, including influenza virus – but it is easily inactivated by organic material.” “Sodium hypochlorite decomposes with time. To ensure its effectiveness, purchase recently produced bleach…. If using diluted bleach, prepare the diluted solution fresh daily. Label and date it, and discard unused mixtures 24 hours after preparation.” Happy Thanksgiving. 😀 –Diane