Cruising Past Seventy: The Inner Journeys: A Handy Booklet on the Basics You Need to Know about RVing

Friday, November 6, 2020

A Handy Booklet on the Basics You Need to Know about RVing

When coronavirus hit the US, traveling by recreational vehicles (RVs) became a preferred mode of travel. It was not surprising since with RVs you can have more control over what happens on your trip. You can keep an RV as sanitized as you want and not let anyone inside except for those in your safe bubble. Depending on the places you choose to go, you can minimize your exposure to just filling up at a gas station. And that may be a small risk compared to the benefits of the open road, the great outdoors, and absolutely no unpacking.

You must have wanted to get started right away. And you must have been looking for a short, sweet, and simple source of information to help you do just that. Well, I hope I have come to the rescue. We RVed for eight years across North America and reached forty-nine American states, nine Canadian provinces, and six Mexican states. Carolina: Cruising to an American Dream is the book I published in 2015 about the RV odyssey. This year, I have put together a little booklet that is meant to show you that there are an RV and a campground suited for the way you want to go. This little book comes in five easy-to-read short chapters: Cruising in an RV: the basics you need to know.

Chapter 1 outlines the three ways to RV: escaping for short periods, making longer seasonal travels, and making it your home on wheels. We have done the second and third. Now that we are settled in a base, we can do the first. The chapter then goes to describe two general classifications of RVs: motorized, with A, B, C, and smaller models, and non-motorized that are either trailers or fifth-wheels. The chapter ends with recommendations on the RVs best suited for a particular way of RVing.

Chapter 2 lists the four types of campgrounds that arise based on two factors. The first is where it is located, whether it is near a city or is actually out there in more rural places. The second is whether a campground has a lot or few or even no amenities or activities. So I have listed the Nature Resort or Nature Park, those that are out there in the boondocks where a Resort means many amenities and Park means few or none. The other two types are City Resort or City Park, those that are in a city or just on the outskirts. We hope you make sure that the campground you choose is the right one for what you want to do.

In Chapter 3, I have outlined the different resources one can find around a locale. When we stayed long in a place, we found public, educational, or religious institutions as excellent resources for things we can borrow or activities we can tap into. There are also the commercial establishments that are unique to places outside city centers, places that have, in fact, become more popular during these times. And we had been amazed at the many things government and non-government organizations offer. Lastly, I have mapped out creative campground substitutes.

Chapter 4 compares the costs we experienced among the seasonal RV travel we had in the first eight months, living at our condo in Seattle, and making the RV our home. You would be surprised to find that the last one, full-time RVing, was the least costly. Imagine being able to visit all the beautiful places America has to offer and saving dollars at the same time!

And the last Chapter asserts the “Ten Commandments of Fulltime RVing.” These are the ten big recommendations we have put together for an RV life that is well spent and better managed. It goes from where to go to, how to go, how to buy, where to get services, how to take care of health, when and how to use technology, how to cut costs, and when and how to work or volunteer, etc. As a matter of fact, it adds two other tips that did not rise to the level of a commandment.

Even if you don’t RV or go but only part-time, you may find principles in these chapters that will be useful for any way you want to travel. If you are already RVing, gift this to a friend. Otherwise, it may inform your preparation and enrich your forthcoming RV trips. After you finish reading this booklet, you will know how to start RVing. And pretty soon you will be enjoying the open road, the great outdoors, and travel without having to unpack in the safety of your own “home

HOW TO BUY THIS BOOK (AND TWO OTHER BOOKS OF MINE) :