tvman44
Southwest Louisiana
Senior Member
Joined: 09/25/2007
View Profile
 Offline
|
I prefer reservations that way I know I have a place to stay. This summer we went from Louisiana to vicksburg, MS to Rome, GA to Hiwassee, GA to Cordele, GA to Fort McAllister state park in GA to Tallahassee, FL to Mobile, AL back to Louisiana and had reservations all the way. 
Papa Bob
1* DW "Granny"
1* 2008 Brookside Sunnybrook 32'
1* 2002 F250 Super Duty 7.3L PSD
Husky 16K hitch, Tekonsha P3,
Firestone Ride Rite Air Springs, Trailair Equa-Flex, Champion C46540
"A bad day camping is better than a good day at work!"
|
CloudDriver
New Jersey Shore
Senior Member
Joined: 10/30/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
In addition to the good advice above, another factor to consider is "when are you going?" We travel mostly in the Spring and Fall when the kids are in school, which avoids the Summer crowds. We also avoid the major holiday weekends for the same reason. We have always found it easy to get a site without the need for advance reservations. We have been to Yellowstone twice with the MH during the off-peak times and had no problem getting a site each night by calling ahead in the early afternoon. The only times that we have made reservations months in advance were when we had to be at a certain place at a certain time (e.g. a wedding on Long Island this past June).
Since this is your first trip with the RV, you probably should make a reservation, if only to avoid the "what if" stress. After a while, you will get a feel for whether a reservation is needed for the times and places you like to go.
2003 Winnebago Minnie 24F - Ford E-450
|
kknowlton
Wisconsin Border Country, IL
Senior Member
Joined: 05/27/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
I agree on the reservations for SPs. Also if you are camping on a weekend. We did our maiden voyage with a MH we bought years ago, with no reservations, and if someone hadn't showed up for a site they reserved, would have had to turn around and go back home after driving for an hour to get to the CG. Learned our lesson.
|
cruzgal
Arklahoma or somewhere warm/cool
Senior Member
Joined: 06/20/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
We prefer NOT making reservations--but we're fulltimers and much more flexible than when we had a limited time to travel. Seems every time we do make reservations (other than just calling a few hours before arrival time), we end up either wanting to stay longer or leave earlier from the previous stop.
However, if you're on a limited time schedule, if you know where you want to stay and when you want to go (especially if it's a popular place and you plan to be there over a weekend), it would be wise to make reservations. What we've found at a lot of State Parks is that sites are reserved in such a way that if you want to stay more than a couple of nights, it means constantly moving to accommodate others' reservations--not a fun way to spend a week!
"Time passes but memories remain"
Fulltime since Jan. 2004
40' Allegro Zephyr
|
Terryallan
NC
Senior Member
Joined: 06/28/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
taylormade wrote:We are trying to decide where to go on our 1st RV adventure. Wife ask me if we need reservations.... Do you make reservations or just roll the dice?
Where in NC ae yopu going? and when. Labor Day you will find most CGs full. Call now. Most weekends you will find most mountain CGs full, and most MB cgs as well. I always make reservations. Except for the NP on the BRP. If you get to them on Thursday evening, or Friday morn. You usually can get in no problem.
But for Raccone Holler, Toe River, Buck Hill, Holly Cove, Happy Holiday. You need to call.
Gas cost too much to have to hunt a CG, and it ain't fun either.
Terry & Shay
Pioneer 23T6
04 F150, 5.4, Lariat SuperCab
Lazy Campers
NC
|
|
|
taylormade
North Carolina
New Member
Joined: 03/05/2008
View Profile
|
Thanks for all the advice. We live close to Boone NC and may make the 1st trip to Gatlinburg TN, but we would not go until school starts and not for the weekend. We bought a used class A and can't wait to get on the road.
|
Erie Tom
Willoughby, ohio
Senior Member
Joined: 08/09/2002
View Profile
Offline
|
After school is back it does not seem to be a problem unless there is an event in the area. We usually have a direction we are traveling but not a set adgenda. We have been through North Carolina , Virginia into upper Maine for 7 weeks after Labor Day and would call the two days or even the night before and not have a problem. Timing is everything.
Erie Tom N8UAZ (Better Half Pat)
Ohio Winter Steelhead Country
25' Innsbruck 5ver
2003 GMC 2500HD 2x4. Extcab SB Duramax/Allison
Reese Kwik Slide Hitch
Prodigy
Ham radio listen to 146.52 simplex. HF 20M and 40M mobile
Retired and free as a bird
|
K3WE
Missouri
Senior Member
Joined: 05/24/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
Murphy's law:
Make reservations...you won't need them.
Don't make reservations...you might need them.
Bottom line: Which is better?: To have reservations and not need them or to not have reservations and not have a campsite?
By the way- our first night ever out with the camper was spent in a Motel because we didn't make reservations, and we have made plenty of reservations to stay at campgrounds with plenty of open campsites.
|
Rangerdave
Austin Texas
Senior Member
Joined: 07/04/2008
View Profile
 Online
|
a few things to help you get started:
get a set of walkie-talkies-you will find many uses for them when you are starting to rv.
make a check list of what you can think you cant live without while in the rv, you will always find something else to add to the list--so main point: start your first few trips kinda close to home. it will help you get the feel of the rv and what you need to have to stay going without saying--where's my glasses...?
a few sites i use for reservations and some somewhat reviews--:
http://www.rvparkreviews.com/ ---this is a pretty handy site that will allow you to read some reviews from other campers and usually gives the web site of that camp site as well.
http://www.reserveamerica.com/ --this one is way too handy. i have used it from way back when we did tent camping.
always be sure that the site you want has the hookups that you need. check your electrical. most all sites offer 30 amp service, you may need 50 amps for your rig. make sure the site has 50 or your going to play hokie-pokie with your electrical.
there are a few other sites that will offer up some location finders for rv parks/camps. koa, good sams..... google is your friend.
2 other things--get a water pressure regulator for the city connection and a good surge protector for the rv. you will most likely forget you have them after a while but when other peoples rv's get whacked, you'll thank the rv.net board for helping you get a fighting chance to get started right.
RD
2002 Gulf Stream Ultra Supreme-Demco Kaddy SS Toader Camry
2 peeps 2 poops and lots bbq!
No Fuss Flush
Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?
I feel like I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe.
|
Terryallan
NC
Senior Member
Joined: 06/28/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
taylormade wrote:Thanks for all the advice. We live close to Boone NC and may make the 1st trip to Gatlinburg TN, but we would not go until school starts and not for the weekend. We bought a used class A and can't wait to get on the road.
If you decide against Gatlinburg. Try Raccoon Holler in Glendale Springs.
|
|
|
