Well my Wife and I will be setting out the first week of April / 2012 for our first trip, or should I say venture! Where? Am not sure right now, but we are going, Right now, I guess it’s pointing more towards the south part of the Country, But who knows where we will end up? I guess that’s the fun of owning a Motor Home, there are no limits to where or when you choose to go.
My wife and I are in our late 50’s, “I hope my wife never reads this part, with her age” however it is our truly fist time ever camping or owning a motor home and we need all the advise you guy’s out there have .
Do’s and Not’s, Places to see , Places not to waste our time to see, The best Camp sites to stay in, The camp sites to avoid, Most important activates for our grand children at camp sites.
I,d still watch the weather frozen pipes are a nightfare. slow down enjoy the ride ,your in pa how about a tour of the candy factory, theres a great camp grnd close by.
As stated, stay pretty close to home for your first trip, also close to a walmart is a good idea so you can run out for things you forgot. I would make your first trip no longer than 1 or 2 nights. Bring a pen and paper to make a list of the things you need. Make sure you pack the necessities like clothes, food, plates and utensils, things needed to cook meals, linens, pillows, etc. Make a list before you go and really think about what you want to have. We stock ours like a light version of the house. YOu might also want to make a checklist for setup and take down so you don't forget things like putting down antennas or putting up steps etc. We made one and after a couple of trip of adding things and taking them away, we laminated the final copy and use a dry erase marker to check off each trip. You might want to bring a few tools also (we bought a small tool set for the TT). Bring extra beer to offer those who help you at the campground. This is very important! Your first trip will be about figuring out your MH and how to properly use its systems etc. Most importantly, remember to have fun.
As to things to things for your grandkids. How old are they? I have a 4 1/2 yr old DD. We always look for family friendly campgrounds that have playgrounds and kids activities. Being in the south, in the summer we want a pool, lake or ocean for a place to cool down. If your grandkids are older, you may want to look for arcades or hiking trail opportunities. Some RV resorts have water parks. It really depends on what the kids and you are into.
Places to go are again related to what you like. Do you prefer to have full hook ups and lots of things to do or do you prefer to have less amenities and be more in the middle of nowhere? This will dictate what kind of places you like to go to. We prefer having more amenities which typically means RV resorts for us. These are more expensive than state and national park campgrounds. In PA you have places like hershey and gettysburg to visit. There is also the DE, MD and NJ shore to check out. VA has mountains and beach campgrounds, each with their own attributes. If you are looking farther south like your post inferred. Lots to see and do along the blue ridge parkway. NC has many wonderful mountain campgrounds that are considerably cooler in the summer then their beach campgrounds. Asheville is a neat area to visit with lots of nature in the area and biltmore to go see. Outerbanks is nice, several state park campgrounds and Camp Hatteras or Rodanthe KOA (if it is finished being rebuilt from the hurricane). State parks in NC close and lock at dusk so you must be back at your campsite before they close the gates or you are SOL for the night. Jordan Lake near Raleigh is another nice area to camp. You also have Myrtle Beach in SC that has a ton of good campgrounds. A simple search will show you everyone's favorite MB CG tends to be either pirateland, ocean lakes, or Myrtle Beach travel park. As you can see, there are tons of possibilities and it really depends on your interests. happy camping.
There is nothing "wrong" about your wife age...age is a fact that we all have to live with.
We all were once at our first RV trip and we all were concerned about this or that,so take it easy.
First get to KNOW your MH.
Load only what you need into it.
Pick a C.G not far from home and camp there for a few days.
Practice connecting to hook ups,leveling and operate all your appliances
If you feel good and confident drive further on doing at the end a loop back home.
The most important take it slow and ENJOY.
We explored PA for 2 months and LOVED it , especially the Northern Part.
I do not know where you are located but do not miss this S.P http://www.rickettsglen.info/
It is also interesting for the kids.
If you need more info just drop me a PM.
Take a look http://danyshula.blogspot.com/2010/08/ricketts-glen-sp-pennsylvania.html
F-350 ,2006,XLT,SD,LB,EC,6.0LT,Auto,SRW.
5W Cruiser 2006 CF29CK Crossroad
RVing 4-5 months every summer since 2002.
P.A,Good Sam,TomTom GO720 Website
As stated. First trip and a new rig has to be the closest campground to home. You'll be suprised at all the stuff that goes wrong, no mater how expensive the RV is.
Well if you Search this Forum for `first trip' there are more than 2400 posts. The typical advise is to camp for a day or two in your driveway then go just a few hours away from home. This allows you to correct any problems when close to home.
Take a map and draw a circle with a radius of how many miles you want to drive then decide.
For more ideas do a Google search for `______ tourism' and put any State or City in the blank to see what the experts say you should see in their area.
Dick_B
2003 SunnyBrook 27FKS
2011 3/4 T Chevrolet Suburban
Equal-i-zer Hitch
One wife, two bikes (both Electric Schwinn's with motor assist)
Please see recent post "advise vs advice"....lol
You ASK adviCe, you adviSe someone what to do or not to do.
Anyway, we are also new to the life. We are taking the advice given on the forums, to go somewhere VERY local the first time out. Many have advised us that we will be sorry if we wander too far on the first voyage.
Just kidding with the grammar lesson...have fun and be safe!
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