I'm an RVer in the UK and am now considering getting myself one (most likely a fifth wheel) in Western Canada to explore the same and the Western US.
I'd be very pleased if you guys could help me out with a few answers to my questions! Hope there aren't too many to start with!
As I'll be spending 3/4 months "there" and then 3/4 months "here" (repeating as necessary) I'll need to find secure storage for both the RV and tow vehicle for 3 to 4 months at a time.
- Is secure storage easy to find?
- How does one find it?
- Is it generally reliable? Any gotchas?
- Is there a guide (like a camp site guide) to secure RV storage?
How do you secure your fifth wheel if you drop it off, say, to get groceries or supplies in the tow truck, or to scout out a site or two, or when it's on a camp site for several days at a time? Is there some sort of security lock for the hitch pin, or do you clamp the wheels, or what?
I'll obviously need insurance for the both the RV and the tow vehicle, and health insurance for myself. Will insurance companies accept a) a UK address for the policy holder's details, b) a PO Box number, e.g. somewhere in British Columbia, as the policy holder's address, c) a mail forwarding service address, such as escapees.com as the policy holder's address?
Tow truck/vehicle for the fifth wheel: diesel or petrol? Why?
Anyone use a woodstove for heating in their RV/fifth wheel? Good experiences? Bad experiences?
Where are you "resident" when fulltime? Is it where you have your mailbox? Are banks and credit card companies happy with a mailbox as your "home" address?
Do/will campsites hold mail for you?
Any experience/recommendations/gotchas with the Satellite Internet systems?
Do you tow your fifth wheels in winter snow conditions? Do you change the regular tyres (sorry, tires) for winter tyres as for the tow vehicle?
I guess that's just about it for now, so...many thanks in advance!
RV storage is easy to find, phone book, Google it or call the campground you will me at.
Alot of campgrounds have wifi so getting on the net is easy however if you want your own
service I suggest a wireless card. It's as big as a thumb drive and plugs into the USB Port.
I have. AT&T and am happy with it but you need to check the service area maps. It's suppose
to work anywhere your cell phone works.
You can buy a king pin lock. Campingworld.com ehitch.com or Google it.
Please don't burn a wood stove in your trailer. They come with a propane
heater and if it's real cold you can run an electric heater.
The mail thing, you will have to call the campground. Where I am at they will not accept USPS mail but I can get Fed-Ex and UPS packages. You might consider a mailbox at a package store.
The above post answered your questions as I would for the most part.
I have never seen anyone in the U.S. use a wood stove in their 5th. wheel. Propane light weight & is very readily avialable everywhere and so much easier to use. A electric heater is also a good thing to have.
Myself I would not pull my 5th. wheel in the snow. I have heard of others that install studded snow tires on the trailer but I would not feel comfortable in doing so. I sure would not want to look out my side window and see my 5th. wheel next to me.
I agree with Gary B about towing in the snow. I'm from south Texas but started working here in north Ohio so I'm full timing in a 5er. When I got up here I saw so many cars that were rust buckets and I mean newer cars/trucks. I might be way off base but besides the actual driving hazzard, I would be worried about
the salt on my truck and trailer.
Gas/Diesel. I"ve been on here for years and because a diesel engine generally
has more towing power, I'd be willing to say the vast majority of people tow their big 5ers with a diesel truck however depending on the weight limitations, a gasser would be a decent choice. One thing to consider and like I said I"m new to the northern climate but with a diesel truck you will have to deal with keeping the block warm in order to start easy. Most trucks come with a block heater you plug into a wall outlet where as a gasser, at least from what I understand is more trouble free in the cold.
Another thing to consider is the fuel economy. These are ball park numbers but you will typically get better economy towing with a diesel, say 9-12 mpg and a gasser might get you 7-9, someone correct my numbers but I think I"m pretty close. With that in mind, for the last couple of years, diesel has cost about a dollar more per gallon than gasoline.
The question about the satellite internet. Hughes Net offers a dish and a friend of mine has one. Its not as portable as a wireless card but your pretty
much guarrantied a signal anywhere here as opposed to being dependant on wireless towers.
If your camping in the cold, you need to consider water pipes/waste tanks and your water supply hose as these will freeze if not properly dealt with. If you haven't already bought your rig, you can get four season trailers and there is much debate about whats considered a true four season. I have a Cedar Creek Silverback and its got a fully enclosed, insulated underbelly with heating pads on the waste water tanks. Its also got dual pane windows and according to the factory its cold room tested to zero degree's F with no problems. Alot of people have told me that my trailer isn't a four season trailer but I have been in consistant temps down in the 25F range with a few hours at night of 18F and I have had no problems yet. Unless you want to refill your propane tanks all the time, I"d for sure get an electric heater to help offset your propane usage.
Another tip on the propane. I would only turn on one bottle at a time. They come with an automatic change over so it will switch to the full bottle but if you don't realize it, you will suck both bottles dry and then you have nothing.
I have been using my fiver in the winter in Canada for the last 13 years and have had no real problems. As for towing in the snow we avoid it as much as possible. By keeping our schedule loose we watch the weather and look for the better days to tow. When I get close to my destination I will take my RV into a car/truck wash and give it a thorough cleaning paying particular attention to the under side where the road grime splashes up. Only had one time I couldn't do this as all the car washes were closed because of freezing. Had to wait a week then haul the rig for cleaning.
Welcome to the Forum.
As for securing your trailer when it is parked at a campsite, lock the doors. Theft at campgrounds is not common. They are probably one of the safest places to be. The crime rate here is not as bad as shown on television. Really. You can get a hitch lock to use when storing your trailer. Look in the yellow pages and find a storage facility with 24 hour gated access and have television cameras monitoring the grounds. Often, campgrounds will have secured fenced in areas for RV storage.
Check with some US or Canadian insurance companies to see what they will require.
If you are towing a 5th wheel, get a diesel. Depending on the size trailer, either a 3/4 Ton or 1 Ton will be necessary. Diesels do get better mileage and have more torque for pulling power.
DO NOT use a wood stove to heat inside your trailer. They make numerous electric space heaters, and most fiver's I've seen have large enough gas furnaces to keep you toasty warm in the cold. There are a number of manufactuers that offer additional insulation for cold weather camping.
As already mentioned, get a wireless card for internet access, if you don't want to use the campground's wifi.
I live in the South, so I don't have to tow in the snow.
Good luck, though.
2007 Dodge RAM 2500 Quad Cab w/6.7 Cummins
2008 Palamino Sabre 31RKTS
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Prodigy
Firestone Air Bags
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Travel in peace, left the M-I-L at the zoo with her relatives...
Not so fast. Before you start thinking about campgrounds & such you will need to cross the bridge of 'how to own a RV' in Canada or the US.
If you are not a US or Canadian citizen you cannot just buy one & take off to the wilds. Having a US or Canadian relative may be a big help. Having a US or Canadian address could also be a big help. If you don't have any of these, you will need to do some reseach BEFORE you go RV shopping. I can't speak for the details of Canada but in the US, if you are not a US citizen, with a SSN & address, you cannot personally own a vehicle.
Lets not hear any comments about what walks in over the Mexican border from the peanut gallery.
To be completely legal you can, however, own a company in the US. You can then drive the company vehicle (your RV).
There are a number of states which have companies which will set up & host an LLC for you. Montana comes to mind. Do a search & proceed from there.
Have fun & good luck.
Boat: 32' 1996 Albin 32+2, single Cummins 315hp
40+ night per year overnighter
Leonardtinker, sure non US citizens can own a car, provided they have an address that they can be reached at. Can you register a car to NOWHERE? Of course not. LT, just why do you think I had to find out about this stuff anyway? Look at my home 'state'.
The LLC provides the necessary address &, depending on state of registration, the re registration each year. For some states there is no inspection. It is all paperwork to get new tags. People with green cards or in the US on a visa, such as a foreign student can get a car.
Those of us who come on extended visits & do nothing but SPEND $$ have a few hoops to jump through. No biggie.
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