RE: AK State Parks
Not to complicate matters more, but consider checking on the Federal campgrounds, too.
I would also check with Alaska Recreational Management. (I assume you can find them on the web.) They manage many of the campgrounds, both state and federal, I believe. I know they do a LOT of them on the Kenai Peninsula. Not sure if they also oversee other parts of the state.
Most campgrounds want someone for the entire season. Not sure how many openings they have for just a month. But, you don't get if you don't ask. :-)
Bob
RE: Packing ceramic/glass dinnerware for travel
I have to echo what Deb said - Cut off socks around glasses works best.
I think someone else also mentioned our other tip - (flimsy) paper plates between the plates.
Have fun!
Bob
RE: Advice From Full Time RVrs
We did a 5 1/2 month trip last winter. Here are some of our tips.
Update the GPS. We used it a LOT. Not so much to figure out what roads to take as much as find out where the next campground, gas or Walmart was. Our GPS also has phone numbers, not just location. Makes it easy to call ahead.
Make sure you're set up to pay all your bills online (or by phone). Prescriptions? Get them ahead or make a plan to get them on the road. Insurance? Taxes? (I kept a file with "deadlines" in it.)
If we were doing a "long day", we tried to make a reservation before we got there. If it was a "short day", we didn't worry about it because we had time to go to the next spot. Our trip was in the winter, so there were USUALLY spots available. We did encounter a few places where we got surprised.
We were prepared to dry camp. Some areas that's easier to do than others.
We enjoyed staying at casinos. Besides the fact that I like to play cards, they're usually a place to get a cheap meal. And, many are VERY RV friendly. (As a bonus, we were even able to use a few of our "players cards" to get a gas discount at certain stations!)
We kept the fridge and freezer pretty full. That way, they stayed cold while we traveled. (No, we don't leave the propane on when travelling. Want to start a real argument? Debate the pros and cons of that here!) We also didn't have to shop that often unless we WANTED to.
We used a "mifi" for internet on the road. We found a couple good websites online that gave gas prices. We'd always check the towns along the way to find out gas prices. For instance, in Utah, the prices could be as much as 30-40 cents a gallon different! So, filling up in the right town could save you a lot of money. Note: The prices were sometimes out date slightly, but the "relative prices" were accurate. (The expensive towns were still the most expensive.) I'm sure we saved $200-$500 on the trip just by knowing where to fill up. Having said all that, when in doubt, keep it full.
When you find good tasting water, top off the tank. Don't worry about the weight. We showed up at one state park where the water came out brown and foaming! We didn't even hook up to that. And, some of the water in the desert has a very flat taste. (Yes, we drink from the tank.) For the MOST part, it wasn't too hard to find water. (We're good dry campers and can go a week without filling or dumping if we really have to.)
We avoided the freeways. Unless you like to drive fast or have to get somewhere real quick, avoid them. We drove the "red roads" on the map and we very pleased. Good roads and almost NO traffic on some of them. (Our gas mileage REALLY falls off at freeway speeds.) We met some friends who had a book called "Next Exit" (or something close to that) that tells what services/activities/etc are at each freeway exit. Even if you're not driving the freeways, they intersect the red highways or sometimes parallel them. So, you might find it useful.
If you're going to go to very many of the National Parks/Monuments, get the annual pass. We paid for ours about 3 times over. (And that's the "full price pass." We're not old enough to get the cheap lifetime one... yet!)
Don't take too much "extra stuff." There's nothing you can't buy along the way. Since we were going to be gone so long, we had a LOT of stuff with us. We usually have a large pantry at home. Next time we do this, we're going to make a better effort at reducing the pantry items (in the house) so we don't have to take them all with us in the RV. For us, that means start planning/using stuff up 3-4 months ahead! And, for us, almost everywhere we went, prices were lower than at home. (We live in Alaska.) The only place prices were more was on the drive through Canada.
Speaking of "a lot of stuff," we did a week long trip prior to the "long trip" with the RV "fully loaded" to see if there was room enough for everything or if there was anything we really wished we had. Being on the road for a few months is different from a long weekend. For the weekend, there are lots of things you can do without or substitute. You may or may not want to "do without" for months. But, the next time we do this, we hope/plan to do it with less stuff!
We planned on doing laundry about once a week. Usually at an RV park. We still took too many clothes. (Probably had 2+ weeks worth of clothes with us.)
I may have to print this out for myself to put in the file! We're hoping to do a similar trip again in a year or two. I don't know if I have all this in my notes or not.
Lots of information. Hope it helps.
Bob
RE: Advice From Full Time RVrs
We did a 5 1/2 month trip last winter. Here are some of our tips.
Update the GPS. We used it a LOT. Not so much to figure out what roads to take as much as find out where the next campground, gas or Walmart was. Our GPS also has phone numbers, not just location. Makes it easy to call ahead.
Make sure you're set up to pay all your bills online (or by phone). Prescriptions? Get them ahead or make a plan to get them on the road. Insurance? Taxes? (I kept a file with "deadlines" in it.)
If we were doing a "long day", we tried to make a reservation before we got there. If it was a "short day", we didn't worry about it because we had time to go to the next spot. Our trip was in the winter, so there were USUALLY spots available. We did encounter a few places where we got surprised.
We were prepared to dry camp. Some areas that's easier to do than others.
We enjoyed staying at casinos. Besides the fact that I like to play cards, they're usually a place to get a cheap meal. And, many are VERY RV friendly. (As a bonus, we were even able to use a few of our "players cards" to get a gas discount at certain stations!)
We kept the fridge and freezer pretty full. That way, they stayed cold while we traveled. (No, we don't leave the propane on when travelling. Want to start a real argument? Debate the pros and cons of that here!) We also didn't have to shop that often unless we WANTED to.
We used a "mifi" for internet on the road. We found a couple good websites online that gave gas prices. We'd always check the towns along the way to find out gas prices. For instance, in Utah, the prices could be as much as 30-40 cents a gallon different! So, filling up in the right town could save you a lot of money. Note: The prices were sometimes out date slightly, but the "relative prices" were accurate. (The expensive towns were still the most expensive.) I'm sure we saved $200-$500 on the trip just by knowing where to fill up. Having said all that, when in doubt, keep it full.
When you find good tasting water, top off the tank. Don't worry about the weight. We showed up at one state park where the water came out brown and foaming! We didn't even hook up to that. And, some of the water in the desert has a very flat taste. (Yes, we drink from the tank.) For the MOST part, it wasn't too hard to find water. (We're good dry campers and can go a week without filling or dumping if we really have to.)
We avoided the freeways. Unless you like to drive fast or have to get somewhere real quick, avoid them. We drove the "red roads" on the map and we very pleased. Good roads and almost NO traffic on some of them. (Our gas mileage REALLY falls off at freeway speeds.) We met some friends who had a book called "Next Exit" (or something close to that) that tells what services/activities/etc are at each freeway exit. Even if you're not driving the freeways, they intersect the red highways or sometimes parallel them. So, you might find it useful.
If you're going to go to very many of the National Parks/Monuments, get the annual pass. We paid for ours about 3 times over. (And that's the "full price pass." We're not old enough to get the cheap lifetime one... yet!)
Don't take too much "extra stuff." There's nothing you can't buy along the way. Since we were going to be gone so long, we had a LOT of stuff with us. We usually have a large pantry at home. Next time we do this, we're going to make a better effort at reducing the pantry items (in the house) so we don't have to take them all with us in the RV. For us, that means start planning/using stuff up 3-4 months ahead! And, for us, almost everywhere we went, prices were lower than at home. (We live in Alaska.) The only place prices were more was on the drive through Canada.
Speaking of "a lot of stuff," we did a week long trip prior to the "long trip" with the RV "fully loaded" to see if there was room enough for everything or if there was anything we really wished we had. Being on the road for a few months is different from a long weekend. For the weekend, there are lots of things you can do without or substitute. You may or may not want to "do without" for months. But, the next time we do this, we hope/plan to do it with less stuff!
We planned on doing laundry about once a week. Usually at an RV park. We still took too many clothes. (Probably had 2+ weeks worth of clothes with us.)
I may have to print this out for myself to put in the file! We're hoping to do a similar trip again in a year or two. I don't know if I have all this in my notes or not.
Lots of information. Hope it helps.
Bob
RE: Expenses
We haven't gone full-timing YET... but here's an exercise that we did. We sat down and made 2 columns on a piece of paper. On one side: What will cost us more. On the other side: What will cost us less.
The other question is, do you really know what you spend now? Or, more specifically, what you spend the money on? Without knowing that, you may not be able to figure out what categories REALLY go up or down.
Then, you need to figure out how your activities will change. (Dine out more? Visit more museums/parks/etc.) Of course, as soon as you start, the plans could change! But, having a plan, YOUR plan, is the only way to go.
Other than that, Barb did a real nice job laying out some of the variables. I know people who "full-time" but never move their RV. And, I've met others who think a week in one place is a "long time."
Good luck!
Bob
RE: Safety
Hmmm. Am I really the first to say "cell phone"? 911?
Part of the "situational awareness" would be: "Never open your door to strangers. Go to the window to ask 'what do you want?' No matter what they say, your answer is 'I can't help you.' (Many ways to get you out of the rig are: my child has run off, my car won't start, etc.) Offer to call someone."
I actually stole most of that from Ron Jones (RV author). He has a lot of good advice about security.
We were on the road for 5 1/2 weeks last winter. Never really felt threatened in any way. Half of our stays were in RV parks/campgrounds and half in "free spots" (mostly casino parking lots, some Walmarts, in front of friend's houses, BLM land and a couple truck stops & rest stops.) But, we keep everything locked and out of sight.
I own guns (hunter) but seldom carry one in the RV. (Didn't on the trip.) My biggest worry would be how far a bullet would travel. RV walls are thin! IF I carried for protection, it would probably be a 44 with birdshot rounds. Good at close range. No chance of penetrating the neighbor's rig.
Bob
RE: Driving to Alaska in the winter.... Insane?
Sped,
There are a couple hurdles I haven't seen addressed yet.
First, you mentioned that you have no bathroom. So, where do you plan to go??? There are a few commercial campgrounds open year-round in Anchorage (one for sure, anyway). There's also one in Trapper Creek. I have no idea about Fairbanks. VERY few of the public campgrounds are open in the winter. (The only one I know for certain that's open year-round is Seward.) So, without a campground, bathroom facilities might be hard to find!
They even close some of the public restrooms along the highways during the winters.
There are also few boondocking opportunities, since the areas "off road" aren't plowed.
Having said that, I know people who go out in the winter. But, it's usually for a few days to go snow machining. Not something they do for weeks at a time. You can deal with a lot more inconveniences for a couple days than you can for a couple months! Batteries only have to last a few days. Same with propane, etc.
The actual "driving up" isn't as big of an issue as "living" once you get here. At least, that's how I see it.
My .02 worth.
Bob
RE: Winterizing Black tank
We don't blow out the lines. Just drain lines and tank, add pink. Don't do anything special to the black tanks (same as those above).
RE: Border Crossing
Four crossings in the last 11 months. (Two into US, two into Canada.)
The ONLY things that were the same every time were "weapons, alcohol, tobacco".
And, I'm not even sure about being asked those things on the US side or if it was just at the Canadian crossings.
I think we were only asked about firewood once. Produce twice. Three times maybe. But, sometimes they only wanted to know about citrus. Never asked about computers. Asked about "how much money" we had one or two times. Asked a lot of questions about "how where are you going and how long will you be there?" (Really surprised me how many questions I got at Canadian customs about "where I was going in the US." I was only passing through Canada.) Seems hard to answer some of those questions when all you're doing is "wandering around the southwest" for a few months. And, "where are you coming from?" is also an interesting question (or answer?) in a case like that! (We decided to keep it simple as "mostly Arizona and Nevada.") In one case got asked about salmon/halibut.
So, I figure it varies from one border to the next (all were at different crossings), one guard to the next, your answers to their questions, and, of course, the "area of emphasis of the day/week."
So, as the saying goes: Your mileage may vary!
Bob
RE: Why does Good Sam Rally Cost More
The only rally we've been to was Phoenix (March 2012). When we figured out what it would cost for tickets to the entertainment, we figured we got everything else for free. AND, got the entertainment at a "discount" of what we'd expect to pay. Of course, we enjoyed all 4 shows.
The rest of the show was similar to any other trade show. And, I've never gotten into one of them for free, either.
Bob
RE: Free nights?
A LOT of our "free time" was casinos. Some of those are more RV friendly than others. WalMart was on the occasional "travel day." I think we only did a couple nights at rest stops. Those were usually when we were traveling and it was the first place we found when we got tired.
The BLM land is something we'll have to figure out better if we do more of this. :-)
Good for you volunteering at the parks. You may not pay cash, but I'd question whether it's really "free!" I appreciate ALL the work that state/federal volunteers do!! Too many people take what you do for granted. I'll have to say that we haven't been that generous with our time. At least not yet. Maybe when/if we truly go to full-time it will be nice to have a place to call home for months at a time.
Free nights?
Just curious how often most fulltimers camp for free? This winter we spent nearly 6 months on the road and found free places to stay almost 50% of the nights. (Casinos, rest areas, BLM land, Walmart, truck stops and a few nights on the street in front of friends' houses.)
We spent as much as a week at a time in RV parks and a week at a time boondocking.
Thanks,
Bob
