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RE: Route 13 & Route 17 to Fl
Both highways are fine for RV travel. We have used both numerous times. Have traveled with a TT, a Class C and, most recently, a 34' Class A with a toad. Never in a 5er.
I would not suggest using the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel in any kind of windy conditions, and you might want to check the height limits going through those tunnels. Cannnot recall them. There will be traffic in the area just following the bridge-tunnel as well (Norfolk, Chesapeake) but after that little at all until Jacksonville and Wilmington, NC. Traffic again in Myrtle Beach, SC area, then again in Charleston (may choose to take I 526 around). 17 joins with I 95 at MP 33 in SC into Georgia, taking you around Savannah. Then into Florida. A little tough in Jacksonville, then goes west of I 95. Haven't taken it farther south than that. No where near as fast a trip as using I 95, but, for us, far less stressful. Any way you go, enjoy!
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2 Retired
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12/11/21 11:21am |
Roads and Routes
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RE: RVs over 10 years old are valueless
DH and I have a 2006 Class A - we keep it in very presentable condition - would NEVER claim it wasn't over 10 years old - can tell simply by its design! Don't think a Georgie Boy Pursuit has been produced since maybe 2008? Anyway. Most of the CGs we have come across with a "10 year" rule have been priced beyond our willingness to pay! We like the "bells and whistles" of a "Resort", but can easily do without. No point or reason to argue - we just go somewhere else! Love state parks when a site is available, but also very willing to use a privately owned park. One thing we have learned inover 45 years of RVing - flexibility is the key!
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2 Retired
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11/28/21 01:23pm |
General RVing Issues
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finding value for the RV
Anyone have any experience with a free internet site that could give a ball-park value for our 2006 32' Georgie Boy Pursuit? We DO NOT want salesmen calling to offer to sell it for us - been inundated with them lately even without seeking them out! One told us he had '25 buyers waiting - could get us over $36,000! All we needed out of pocket was to send him $5oo for advertising fees!" If there were so many buyers already waiting, why did he need to advertise?????
Tired of this ****. Would just like a legitimate idea of what we might get if we sold it! Bought it in 2011 for less than $50,000 with only 8,000 miles on it. Now a bit over 35,000. Made some cosmetic changes, but it is basically the same rig. New tires, brand new awning, would call it in good condition considering its age. We're both 70 and just in the 'thinking maybe its time' stage. Only the right price would get us to sell - we still use it, not like it's just sitting there. Planning our next trip month long in February as I type this. Just wondering if there is a site where we could get an idea of its value without being inundated with phone calls. Thanks.
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2 Retired
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11/25/21 11:57am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: giving it up
Understand and appreciate your circumstances. DH and I are both now 70. We have been RVing (from a pop up to our present Class A) for over 45 years and have both said this is our last RV. It's a 2006 32' Georgie Boy Pursuit. Love it, and so love using it, and now being retired we do far more often. BUT - I can't drive it - never have had the faith in my abilities to do so and our physical realities make doing everything just that much harder! No longer go more than 5 hours on the road a day, and never back to back days! With the costs continuing to increase for a campsite, gas, and evrything else, we have sometimes been able to find a decent motel room for only a little more - and when factoring in the difference between 7 MPG in the RV and over 30 MPG in our traveling car, we have sometimes chosen to leave the RV at home! We still love camping, and nothing will ever replace the joy of sitting around a campfire, meeting others, but the time is close when that part of our lives will be closed. We will continue to travel, just in different ways. We have definitely created many, many forever memories for ourselves and our sons. Wouldn't have done it any other way, but things always change.
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2 Retired
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11/25/21 11:48am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: What's a reasonable towed vehicle?
WE have a 2012 Ford Fiesta, auto transmission, that we can tow flat. All Very, very easy. Comfortably fits 4 adults and we use the trunk for extra storage for our Class A. Takes less than 5 minutes total to fully hook up and less than that to separate. Cost of the car was about $3,000/
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2 Retired
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11/25/21 11:35am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Tybee Island Fine Me Beach
Sounds like Tybee Island has regulations similar to many of the very crowded beaches in the Northeast. I lived along the Jersey Shore most of my life and, basically, take a towel and your sunscreen - leave the rest at home!
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2 Retired
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11/21/21 07:52am |
RV Pet Stop
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RE: February Trip
Thanks for the ideas.
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2 Retired
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11/21/21 07:43am |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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February Trip
Looking for ideas for our annual February trip. Will be in our Class A with toad. We are into history and food, and enjoy wandering. LOve the back roads vs. Interstates. Starting out from home in Va, plan to visit Savannah, St Augustine, and the Pensacola areas. What I am asking for is ideas on where to go other than those places. Have done Charleston, Myrtle Beach (lived there) and not a huge fan of most of Florida. Any other places on the Gulf Coast we should make sure to see? How about Alabama or Georgia? We have about a month for the 'wander'. Just DH and I - no kids, no pets. Thanks for letting me pick your brains!
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2 Retired
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11/19/21 06:27am |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: Putting new decals over old.
We used a hand-held hair dryer and a putty knife to remove decals that had begun pealing on our RV. Just took some time, a little physical effort, and then used goo b gone to get the glue residue off.
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2 Retired
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08/16/21 11:24am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: RV state sticker map opinions
Grit Dog got it right! This is exactly the kind of discussion that takes place around a campfire, sharing a couple of adult beverages! Bottom line - there is no rulebook, there are no directions except how to attach the map to your RV! Do what ever you like - why would it matter? Enjoy your time in your RV and every "doesn't matter" discussion you can share around a campfire!
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2 Retired
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08/16/21 11:19am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Just experienced our first Non-refundable campground
The no refund policy was clearly stated when you made your reservation. No refund means exactly that - no refund. Was there any kind of statement that outlined a timeline for the no refund policy? I do know some campgrounds allow for at least a partial refund if a cancelation is made more than 10 days out from date of arrival. If there was no such timeline, what did you expect from the owners? A personal exemption from their policy? Honestly do not understand your consternation. We recently had reservations in a CG in Florida, in anticipation of a month long trip to the area in September. Due to the high rate of Covid in that state, we decided to go elsewhere. I called the CG, explaining our rationale for canceling. They do NOT have a "no refund policy" posted on their online site. There was no question, no argument, no hesitation. Our deposit was quickly returned. I chose this campground for several reasons, but one was the absence of a no refund policy. I did anticipate a fee for our change of plans, precisely because it was done with a credit card and the campground is charged a fee for every transaction. Even that did not occur! We will definitely use this park (Compass RV Park in St. Augustine) when we visit in the future!
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2 Retired
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08/14/21 01:43pm |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: Campground Rates
It really is Economics 101! The demand for campsites has expanded as the availability of sites has decreased in several parts of the country - notably the Northeast. In that area land values have exploded and the costs of both creating and particularly running a campground have gone up perhaps every higher. Very few newer campgrounds have been constructed over the past 20 years and so many older ones have sold and have become shopping malls or residential developments! Ask anyone who owns a campground today. Costs for everything have skyrocketed over the past decade far beyond their ability to absorb them. DH and I have been RVing for over 45 years. We have seen costs increase over all this time. We used to camp often in the Myrtle Beach area, generally in the 2 state parks there. Their price for a site with full hookups was $25/night for SC residents for years, with a significant discount for Seniors. Over the past 3 years, the state has gone to the 'price determined by demand' system. This season, the base price for the same site is $56/night, higher during periods of the most demand - and getting a site over a weekend is basically an impossibility! The many privately owned CGs in the area, for the same dates, are getting over $100/night - and they are full as well! While I agree almost $100/night for an RV site is absurd, I look at the cost of a simple motel room in the same area, then factor in the enjoyment we both get from camping, the security we feel when being in "our own bed" and the expenses we do not incur when making our own meals, etc. and we still find it well worth while. So, to answer your question directly - yes, prices are climbing much faster than I would like. I do not see a "3 night minimum" reservation requirement as anything particularly new or 'gimmicky" - we have seen them often for many years, particularly in high-volume tourist areas, over holiday weekends, and during high-demand times for years. Airlines and hotel chains have used the "prices determined by demand" process for years. A number of attractions, like theme parks and others, have "in-season and off-season"- pricing too. That's similar, I think. They are all about supply and demand. The more something is wanted, the higher a price it can be sold for! Reservations are still very hard to come by when planning a trip in our RV for weekend stays. The demand for each site is very high. I am in the process of finalizing our plans for a month long 'voyage' in September. still not complete, and I began it in April! There may well be a few nights while traveling spent boondocking in a parking lot (which we do not like to do, as we believe in supporting local campgrounds as much as we can) simply because the travel is over a weekend night and there is 'no room at the inn'! Fortunately we belong to a national fraternal organization and have found several of their lodges that allow for and have facilities for our RV, or the planning would have been much more difficult!
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2 Retired
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07/31/21 10:13am |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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september trip
DH and I and our 34' MH with toad are planning a trip for September. Leaving from near Tappahannock Va, going to Charleston, then St Augustine, across to Destin Fl then over to Vicksburg Ms then across to Savannah, up to Myrtle Beach, then back home. It's planned to last about a month. We are flexible. Hope to avoid as much of the Interstates as possible. Any suggestions on any leg of the 'voyage' as to which roads we might follow? CGs to stay in? Have several reservations made (state parks mostly) but very open to suggestions. Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to share.
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2 Retired
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07/22/21 01:16pm |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: Thousand Trails allowing public access???
DH and I just had a weekend at a Thousand Trails CG in Oak Grove, Va. It is open to the public. Members get preference for ressies and, of course, what they pay is based on their membership. We paid $60/night for a pull-thru. No restrictions as to use.
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2 Retired
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07/09/21 06:21am |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: Check in/out timing...
We have arrived early a few times. Generally, our site has been empty so no problem at all. If it is not, we leave and return later. We ALWAYS leave before the stated check out time - we see it as being courteous. Once we arrived after check in to a large private CG near Disney World. We had made our reservation almost a year ahead, and I had called a week before we were scheduled to arrive to guarantee the reservation (we paid extra to pick a specific site) was still OK. I was told everything was fine. We arrived about an hour after check in and were escorted to our site that was not only clearly occupied by also clearly no one there planned on leaving. They weren't even there but everything was still totally set up. Chairs out, awning out, awning rug out, everything. We went back to the office and were asked to wait. After over an hour, we were told "apparently the other campers had chosen to extend their stay". Did they get permission to 'extend their stay'? "Apparently the evening staff approved it and they have paid for 3 extra days". Really? No, Really? My next question - "So which site will we use?" Our next answer - "We don't have anything available at this time". You have our money, paid in full for a week beginning TODAY, and NOW you tell us there is nothing available? My next question "So what are you going to do now?" The manager was summoned. He apologized. Once again I asked "What are you going to do now?" I was offered a full refund. I asked that he call around and find me a site at a competing Campground that was similar to the one I had reserved with him. He told me that was "against company policy but I will see what I can do". He disappeared. After 30 more minutes DH, even more annoyed than I, asked to speak with him again. Apparently he really did disappear! No where to be found. After another hour,(as I tried in vain to find another site somewhere else) as my blood was boiling, we were escorted to a site, and told it was absolutely the only one in the whole park. Our RV just fit - but we could feel every car that went by! The man who escorted u s there helped put us in so neither end would be hit by a car going by, but he also said it was really too small (he was great, BTW!). We had to park our toad about 1/2 mile away. We did get a full refund on our credit card from Tropical Palms, along with a written apology, but we most certainly will never go back! I know mistakes can be made, but the way we were treated was unacceptable. No one seemed really surprised or even very concerned. In more than 45 years of RVing, there have been more than a few times when reservations have been lost. One time, I made them for the wrong month! We showed up in March - I had reserved on line for May! The CG was also full, but the KOA in Tampa Florida found a spot for us - a site that was set aside and almost never used precisely for mistakes like mine. They were wonderful. DH and I have been camp hosts at several state parks. Each of them held a site 'in reserve' for 'unexpected circumstances'. We had to take advantage of this a couple of times. Once when the RV in a reserved site would not start and could not be moved to make room for the next camper. Once when a camper became very ill, had to be transported to the hospital and his wife needed to stay until he recovered (fortunately only a few days). Each time the incoming campers were very accepting and understanding. As the original post stated, Check in and Check out times are determined based on what needs to be done by the workers so each of us can enjoy our stays. Courtesy, following the rules, and treating others as you would expect to be treated makes it so much better for us all.
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2 Retired
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06/21/21 01:16pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Las Vegas
We were in Vegas 2 years ago in late June. Circus Circus is at one far end of the Strip - you will need to Uber or Lyft to enjoy most other Casinos. Don't let anyone tell you different - it might be "a dry heat", or it might be "very low humidity", but 115' is still DAMMED HOT! The Vegas Strip is all macadam and concrete. No shade anywhere! It's too hot to walk very far at all! Just my experience.
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2 Retired
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06/21/21 12:39pm |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: Full hook up?
Some here make it sound like doing a full hook up at a FHU site takes forever! DH hooks up electric, then water, then sewer when we arrive at a campsite in less than 5 minutes, tops! We keep black tank closed until full, and the grey water open until last night, as another explained. Before we dump I fill the Black tank through the toilet completely to create a stronger flow when the tank is opened. DH does black first, then grey to help clear the hose. When he's done, I put toilet chemicals in and put about a gallon of water in the closed grey tank. He then unhooks the hose from the RV and rinses out the sewer hose again. It's not time consuming at all. We almost never travel with our water tank full. Water is very heavy (over 8 pounds a gallon!) and we just don't need the extra weight. We carry 2 gallons of water to use, if necessary, for the toilet or for drinking. If we arrive at a CG and don't like the taste of the water, I just get some bottled water at a store. Been doing this for over 45 years and it has always worked for us. We almost always stay at a traditional CG with at least W/E hookups. We dont boondoggle. DH is a disabled Vet so we can now camp in military campgrounds State Parks are our secondt option. Then private ones. We feel it is right to support campgrounds so they can stay in business, not be turned into housing developments! It's getting harder and harder to find a site - if many more CGs 'go under' there will be no place left. We are fortunate to be able to do this.
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2 Retired
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06/21/21 12:33pm |
Truck Campers
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RE: Bonehead Blunder, I'm an idiot!
DH and I have a handwritten list we keep in our RV. It contains all the steps for setting up and breaking down. Every single step is on there because at one time we forgot to do it! Add this one to yours and be grateful the only negative impact was to your self-image! You'll never forget the pin again!
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2 Retired
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06/21/21 12:15pm |
Towing
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suggestions for camping around Vicksburg
DH and I are planning a visit in our 34' MH (with toad) to the area to explore Civil War History mid-September. Any suggestions on campgrounds, where to eat, what to do, what to ignore? Have never been close to this area, and will be traveling from Destin, Florida. Any "don't miss" along the way? Suggestions on best route to take? Thanks.
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2 Retired
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05/27/21 07:30am |
RV Parks, Campgrounds and Attractions
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RE: Route suggestions Fredricksburg, Va area to Memphis area
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. They all are helpful.
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2 Retired
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05/16/21 08:40am |
Roads and Routes
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