A New Journey with Kim and Bob and Eva

1 April 2016

We are overdue for another great RV road trip. We are in the planning and preparing stage now. What with all the maps, routes and new places to go it is exciting to say the least. It has been a longer than usual search for a travel trailer this time around, but we finally found one that will suite our needs perfectly. It is basically the same size and layout as the last few, but a different manufacturer. Many people ask me the question? "Why don't you just keep your trailer if you know you're going to go on a trip again?" Well, there are a few reasons..... let me explain. I think, basically travel trailers are similar to boats and new cars in that they depreciate rapidly as soon as they roll off the lot. That rules out new ones. They take room to store, and they don't particularly store very well here in Florida with the heat and humidity. Most travel trailers, 5th wheels and motorhomes are not built very well. The materials used are light weight and usually inexpensive, to save weight and reduce production costs. With travelling, things work loose, move around, caulking moves, things shrink and swell, moisture accumulates, condensations occurs and rust starts. Almost all of them will develop a leak or two and without proper and timely maintenance large repair costs will arrive. An imperceptible leak will only start to show once damage has spread to where it is obvious that there is a problem. If your unit is stored for months at a time, without useage this could be a problem. If one is good at preventive maintenance, resealing windows, vents, doors, seals, etc. a trailer can't last a good while, but out of site, out of mind. There are also costs, insurance, etc. So, in the end, we found it was better financially and time-wise for us to buy a good condition used trailer, that was maintained well and required only minor TLC, to keep up on the maintenance as we used it, and then sell it after 6 to 8 months for a little less than what we bought it for. So far, it has worked out well for us.

Everyone has their preferences for an RV, and we decided we like a towable trailer. The first one I had was 28' and it was too long. Since then we've had between 23-25' and it seems just right. It is not to big that we can't get into some campgrounds, and not too small that we're tripping over each other. Mind you, it is only myself and my wife, no kids. We like to have a separate bedroom with at least a walk around bed (actually we prefer separate twin beds, but those models are hard to come buy), and a bathroom big enough that you don't have to back into it to use it. We can unhook whenever we want to go to town or explore areas around where we are camped, in fact, this is a near necessity if you've visited the huge National Parks where the features are miles away from where you are set up. The entire back of our pickup is still available for secure storage, tools, lube, generator, spares, BBQ grill, kayak, etc. We tow it with a Dodge Ram diesel, it has plenty of power and gets great fuel mileage. We use an equalizer hitch with a sway bar.

Planning - We have been using software (Microsoft Streets and Trips) for the last few trips and it has helped quite a bit when figuring mileage, and alternate places to stay. The software has been discontinued, but there are alternatives available. With GPS and planners available on phones it should be easy to find something suitable. The internet is indispensable with our planning. Not only is it easy to make reservations, it is the only timely way for you to know if there is availability at your destination. There are also good reviews on the conditions of the park and what others think about it. On weekends and holidays, the more popular parks are often booked up, so make reservations far enough in advance if there is a special place you want to go.

How we decide to go where we go? Basically the initial stage of planning is decided by the time of year and the weather. So, if you're travelling in the fall and winter, stay to the southern states. If you decide to travel way up north, you have a smaller window for travel. The last time we returned from Alaska, the weather chased us all the way down through Canada to Montana where it eventually snowed us in for two days. The prior two weeks were rainy and cold, it was September. By the way, there is no reason NOT to go to Alaska, it is paved all the way and has been for a few years. The first trip I made up there, there was 750 miles of gravel road one way, I stayed for 15 years. This time, we're leaving at the beginning of April, things are warming up all over the south and west. We'll look for National Parks, COE Parks, National Forests and State Parks that have camping, at least partial hookups and fishing. In general we prefer the state parks over the national parks. They are usually well kept, you actually get to camp in or close to the feature of the park, and usually less people. Many of the states have annual passes that allow you to camp in their parks for a year and only pay an entrance fee. In a large state like Texas is a great deal because of how many parks they have, and you can fish in all of them also! Don't discount some of the city and county parks, they can be exceptional.

We like parks that have beauty, off the beaten path, of course fishing, but we also really enjoy when the park rangers or naturalists give campfire talks about a particular species of animal at the park, or give an in depth talk on the geology or history of the park. Oh before I forget. Get yourself a pair of decent binoculars. Not just any binoculars, but something that will really enhance your viewing experience. With all the animals and birds you'll see (and who doesn't like animals and birds?), you're viewing will be much more pleasurable with good binoculars. For general all-round use at a decent price I can't suggest any better than a pair of Nikon Action Extreme (water proof) 8x40 or 7x35. They should last forever, and have excellent glass. I also like Leupold, but never go higher that x10 power, you won't be able to hold them steady enough and they start weight a bit more.

Nikon Action Extreme 7x35