Volume 2. Issue 56
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.
Quote of the day
“There will always be rocks in the road ahead of us. They will be stumbling blocks or stepping stones; it all depends on how you use them.” —Friedrich Nietzsche
13 smart tips for keeping costs down while RVing
By Gail Marsh
I’m certainly no expert, but my husband and I have been RVing for a while now. Our years on the road have taught us many important budgetary lessons. Here are our suggestions for ways to cut costs while RVing.
Route planning
When we first started RVing, we didn’t always stick to our planned route. As we traveled, if we saw a local festival or heard about an event on the local radio stations, we’d leave our planned route to investigate. It was fun!
- Side trips = extra money. It didn’t take long for us to figure out that all our little side trips were costing us money—serious money, once we added it all up. Here’s why: A big expense was fuel. We towed our fifth-wheel RV with a 350 dually truck. The truck’s fuel efficiency wasn’t great, to say the least. Then, too, many of our “side trips” cost extra cash. Entrance fees, food, and other expenses we hadn’t planned on added to the costs.
- Plan and budget. Now, we try to take the most direct route if we want to save money. We try to plan any extras—sightseeing that takes us off the direct route—and budget for the extra costs ahead of time.
Did you miss last weekend’s RV Travel Newsletters?
If so, here is some of what you missed…
- RVers, if you see purple paint on trees, stay away
- Has “greedflation” taken over RV campgrounds?
- Water gadgets you need for your RV
- I have become too comfortable in my sticks-and-bricks home
Features
Some of these articles are from past issues of RVtravel.com and have been updated for this newsletter.
How I scored a National Park campsite on a weekend
By Nanci Dixon
I scored a campsite on a weekend in a National Park! How amazingly lucky am I? Two available days at Hot Springs National Park and, get this, with electricity! I wish I could say I had been trying for days but, no, not this time. I just went online and there it was. A cancellation! Truly a gift! … Find out how you, too, might be able to score a campsite here.
Ways you can brighten the campground manager’s day
It’s a thankless job: campground manager (CM). S/he’s often the person who helps you reserve the perfect RV spot. When you arrive, the CM shows you to your site and may even help you park your rig. S/he is also the one who makes sure the restrooms, laundry facilities, and shower stalls are clean and sanitized. … So. Many. Jobs. It’s important to recognize all of that work. There’s a simple way to do that: Be nice to the campground manager. Here are some easy ways to do that.
Campground community centers are hidden gems
The next time you go camping, be sure to check out the campground community center. Over the past few years, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these facilities closed down for health reasons. With the pandemic easing, it’s time to rediscover this often-hidden gem. … Continue reading about all of their benefits here.
Reader poll
Quick tip
Keep out the bad water, pardner
Before filling your rig’s fresh water tank, do what the cowboys did before leading in the cattle: Take a sip and see what the water tastes like. You can put bad-tasting water in your tank easily, but getting that bad taste out is a tough job!
RVing and wine tasting in Mendocino County, California, with Harvest Hosts
By Cheri Sicard
I’ve talked before about how awesome a match Harvest Hosts is for wine-loving RVers. Not only do you get to enjoy great wines, you get a scenic, safe place to park as a bonus. After visiting several great hosts in California’s Paso Robles wine region, I decided to head further north up Highway 101 to check out wine tasting in Mendocino County. Continue reading about Cheri’s “two favorite Harvest Host wineries ever… at least so far!”
Life lessons in cleaning toilets. What years as a work camper have taught me…
By Nanci Dixon
My husband and I have come to the end of our six-year run as work campers (volunteers) at a regional park in Arizona. I have learned more than I thought possible. It has been wonderful, though sometimes trying and definitely hot. It’s been stinky and dirty at times, but I have learned a whole lot during our time as work campers. … Continue reading this very open and honest account.
How it happened: The history of our favorite fire-preventing Smokey Bear
You may have driven your RV past his famous image. You’ve probably known him since you were a child. I’m talking about Smokey Bear, the iconic character dressed in jeans and sporting that distinctive ranger’s hat. For more than 70 years, Smokey Bear has reminded campers: “Only YOU can prevent wildfires.” Learn all about Smokey Bear here.
FACEBOOK GROUP YOU MAY LIKE: RVing Fulltime. Check it out.
Featured recipe for full-time RVers
Crock Pot Mexicali Chicken
by Barbara Perkins from Springfield, MO
A good chicken Crock Pot recipe is essential in a recipe box and this is one of the easiest. Six ingredients and you have a delicious shredded chicken that can be used for tacos, served over rice, or just eat it alone (it’s that hearty). The chicken just falls apart after being slow-cooked. It reminds us of chicken tortilla soup. So good!
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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