Created by Bob Hoffman
Well, I don't know it all, but I've been RVing for 20 years and have some opinions. Below, I've made a list of the top ten things I think anyone should have before they hit the road in an RV -- the list assumes you already have an RV. I've put them in order of importance and I'll gladly change the list if someone emails me at rjhoffman@yahoo.com with some better ideas.
1. Passport America Membership: First, you need a place to camp. I've checked out most of the camping clubs and have found this to be the best for providing low-cost, high-quality campgrounds. You camp across the USA at half what everyone else is paying -- can you beat that? Go to my camping clubs page to read more.
2. Road Atlas: #1 gives you a place to camp -- now you need to know how to get there. On our first long trip in 1984, we bought a bunch of state maps and area maps and spent much of our time shuffling through them to find the right one. The Road Atlas in a book form that has all the states, Canada, and Mexico is really great when you're moving from state to state. They're also very convenient for planning ahead and most contain other useful information related to travel. I buy mine cheap at Walmart's, but there are a number of others available.
3. Nation-Wide Cellphone: I didn't have any connection when I first travelled in 1984 and really felt out of touch. Now I have a cellphone with FREE LONG DISTANCE AND NO ROAMING CHARGES. I emphasize that because I've heard of people thinking they've got a free service, then learning that roaming charges can really add up in a hurry. I'm with Cingular, but I hear that AT&T and Verizon also have good nation-wide plans. Just make sure it's free calling anywhere to anywhere (in the U.S.) and that the coverage areas cover everywhere that you plan to be (e.g., I hear you lose Sprint PCS as soon as you get a little ways off the interstate).
4. Motor Club: I'm a real believer in the value of paying for a motor club that provides RV emergency roadside service. I didn't have one until a couple of years ago, but have used it about 5 times since then for flat tires. I joined after changing a tire on the left side of my fifth wheel on the edge of I-10 -- an experience I decided I'd rather not repeat. It sure is much easier to phone someone and watch them change the tire -- well worth the $70 or so that it costs each year. I'm with Allstate and have been very satisfied, but I'm sure there are others equally as good.
5. National Medical Insurance: I mention this one because it's something you'll need to set up well in advance of your RV travelling and something we overlooked in planning for our first trip. If you're currently signed up with an HMO or POS insurer, you'll probably find that they don't do much for you when you're away from home. I've found that it commonly takes 6-7 months to get individual coverage -- something many people don't realize while they're employed and being covered by that convenient employer's policy.
6. Flashlight in a Convenient Spot: This sounds trivial, but has saved me several times. I keep one just inside the door, where it can be easily reached. Although I try to make it a practice to never travel at night and to find a parking spot while it's still light, I've learned that this isn't always possible. In my book "Retire and Travel for $1000 a Month", I suggested having a spotlight on the RV. Since then, I've realized that a flashlight that's not attached is a much better idea.
Now these next few assume you want to get on the internet while you travel. If not, skip to #10.
7. Laptop: Although you can get by going to libraries, etc. where they supply the computer, I'd highly recommend spending the $700 or so to get a laptop of your own. It significantly increases the number of options you have for getting online, plus you'll no doubt find additional uses for the computer as time goes on. My Online On-The-Road page points you to many types of hookups you can find if you have a laptop.
NEW 8. 2007 UPDATE: WiFi Capability: Many campgrounds today have high-speed wireless internet (WiFi) available, either in a small hotspot or around the entire resort. Newer laptops are equipped with internal WiFi capability, so no additional equipment is required. For older computers and desktops, check my WiFi page for equipment suggestions.
NEW 9. 2007 UPDATE: Wireless Card: To have internet access almost anywhere in the USA, get a wireless card for your laptop. These provide service faster than dialup and slower than WiFi, and have both positive and negative features. For information on different types of wireless cards, check my Wireless Cards page.
10. Digital Camera: Now we're getting down to the not-so-critical, but I did promise 10 after all. While you travel, you'll find that you want to email pictures to several friends and family and you might even decide to set up a website to tell the world how much fun you're having. A digital camera makes these activities extremely easy. I tried the Polaroid camera and Scanner route for awhile and really had problems (as you'll note in the first 9 chapters of My Travel Log). Since getting the digital camera, I can't believe anyone uses anything else. I still disagree with my wife about her desire to have hard-copies of photos, but even that quirk can be easily accommodated with some of the new technology now available.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
One Fee for Nationwide Wi-Fi
September 11, 2008 by Chris Guld
I just received an email “Boingo announces the addition of NomadISP to the Boingo Roaming Network, giving Boingo members access to close to 300 new hotspots located at RV parks across US and Canada.”
If RVers could pay one monthly fee and have access to Wi-Fi hotspots at RV parks all over the country, they’d be signing up in droves! Boingo’s ad claims “Connect any time you like, for as long as you want, at thousands of North American hotspots for just $9.95/month for 3 months!”
So, what’s the catch?
The main thing is simply that RVers are not Boingo’s target market. Most of those ‘thousands of hotspots’ are hotels, restaurants and McDonalds. Boingo is servicing the traveling business person.
If you found yourself in the campground with the sign pictured here, a Boingo membership would do you no good. They’ve never heard of Boingo and you need to pay $9.95/day to get online here!
NomadISP, the subject of their press release IS for RV parks. But many, if not all, of the parks listed on their site offer Wi-Fi as an included amenity. So, once again, you would not be using your Boingo account.
What Boingo is doing is admirable. They are providing a backoffice system for Wi-Fi hotspots that allows ‘roaming.’ Think of Wi-Fi hotspots like the early days of cell phones when there was no roaming among the different carriers. And Wi-Fi hotspots today are a lot more scattered than Cellular providers ever were. Many hotspots at RV parks are even homegrown systems.
I don’t think roaming among RV park Wi-Fi hotspots is ever going to happen. My husband, Jim, and I used to do contract work for Coach Connect (now MatrixRV) who installed Wi-Fi in RV parks all over the country. It was Jim’s job to support those parks. At one time, we were part of a aggregator similar to Boingo, and it just didn’t work. If you’re paying Boingo, for example, and you have a problem; you’re going to call Boingo for help. But they don’t have a clue how the Wi-Fi is set up where you are! They just do the billing.
Luckily for RVers, we really don’t need roaming with Wi-Fi hotspots. So many RV Parks offer Wi-Fi as a free amenity now. And most of the ones that charge are very reasonable, $2 - $5/day. If you need Internet more reliable than the ‘catch-as-catch-can’ Wi-Fi hotspots, you can get a data card from your cellular provider. The coverage from cellular data has improved immensely in the last couple years.
The bottom line is, don’t sign up for a national Wi-Fi plan, it’s not a good deal for RVers. The only exception would be if you know, ahead of time, that you will be staying all in parks that are covered by the plan.
I just received an email “Boingo announces the addition of NomadISP to the Boingo Roaming Network, giving Boingo members access to close to 300 new hotspots located at RV parks across US and Canada.”
If RVers could pay one monthly fee and have access to Wi-Fi hotspots at RV parks all over the country, they’d be signing up in droves! Boingo’s ad claims “Connect any time you like, for as long as you want, at thousands of North American hotspots for just $9.95/month for 3 months!”
So, what’s the catch?
The main thing is simply that RVers are not Boingo’s target market. Most of those ‘thousands of hotspots’ are hotels, restaurants and McDonalds. Boingo is servicing the traveling business person.
If you found yourself in the campground with the sign pictured here, a Boingo membership would do you no good. They’ve never heard of Boingo and you need to pay $9.95/day to get online here!
NomadISP, the subject of their press release IS for RV parks. But many, if not all, of the parks listed on their site offer Wi-Fi as an included amenity. So, once again, you would not be using your Boingo account.
What Boingo is doing is admirable. They are providing a backoffice system for Wi-Fi hotspots that allows ‘roaming.’ Think of Wi-Fi hotspots like the early days of cell phones when there was no roaming among the different carriers. And Wi-Fi hotspots today are a lot more scattered than Cellular providers ever were. Many hotspots at RV parks are even homegrown systems.
I don’t think roaming among RV park Wi-Fi hotspots is ever going to happen. My husband, Jim, and I used to do contract work for Coach Connect (now MatrixRV) who installed Wi-Fi in RV parks all over the country. It was Jim’s job to support those parks. At one time, we were part of a aggregator similar to Boingo, and it just didn’t work. If you’re paying Boingo, for example, and you have a problem; you’re going to call Boingo for help. But they don’t have a clue how the Wi-Fi is set up where you are! They just do the billing.
Luckily for RVers, we really don’t need roaming with Wi-Fi hotspots. So many RV Parks offer Wi-Fi as a free amenity now. And most of the ones that charge are very reasonable, $2 - $5/day. If you need Internet more reliable than the ‘catch-as-catch-can’ Wi-Fi hotspots, you can get a data card from your cellular provider. The coverage from cellular data has improved immensely in the last couple years.
The bottom line is, don’t sign up for a national Wi-Fi plan, it’s not a good deal for RVers. The only exception would be if you know, ahead of time, that you will be staying all in parks that are covered by the plan.
Home Sweet Motor Home
Time Magazine By Elisabeth Salemme
Moving from a big house to a smaller one isn't the only way to downsize. Luxurious recreational vehicles, stocked with every possible modern convenience from Jacuzzis to wi-fi, are becoming full-time residences for a growing number of Americans. Some are retirees looking for a new adventure, others have jobs that keep them on the road and see RV living as a way to have a home life, and a few just crave the freedom of being on the go now that cell phones and the Internet allow people to work from almost anywhere.
According to Kampgrounds of America, which operates some 450 campgrounds, 400,000 people are full-time RV dwellers. And many of them are enthusiastic proselytizers for their neo-nomadic lifestyle. "This is the ideal American subculture; it's the way everyone would like it to be," says Howard Payne, a real estate lawyer who, along with his wife Linda, traded a five-bedroom house in Louisville, Ky., for a 400-sq.-ft. (37 sq m) motor home in August 2005.
Some RVs cost as little as $4,000, but it's the luxury market--where units range from $300,000 to over $1 million--that is booming. Country Coach, one of the nation's largest manufacturers of premier motor homes, offers models that include hardwood floors, leather couches and guest bathrooms. Last year the company reported a 22% increase in sales of RVs priced at more than $550,000.
While parking in muddy public campgrounds and Wal-Mart lots provides some full-timers with a convenient and low-cost place to spend extended periods, others are turning to the small but growing number of upscale parks that offer country club-like amenities. One such stop is the Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort. Nestled in a forest in the popular South Carolina vacation spot, it boasts 400 landscaped lots, with access to a pool, exercise room and tennis courts. Each lot has satellite TV and electricity, water and sewage hookups, for a rental fee of about $50 a night or an outright purchase price of around $100,000.
Russell and Rena Knisely, a retired couple from Wallingford, Pa., who started full-timing four years ago, spend the colder months at a lot they own in Hilton Head. Every Saturday morning at the resort park, they gather with a group of friends, cook a full breakfast for everyone staying at the park and trade stories about their road adventures over the shared meal. "Our happiness and health are much better in this lifestyle," says Russell, 64. "We have no worries here." "The only downside is that we don't have a church anymore," says his neighbor Wyn Hull, 73, who was active in her Greenville, S.C., parish before she and her husband took to the road seven years ago. "It's nice to visit other churches, but you have to make more of an effort."
Others have gone mobile precisely because they want to cut old ties and obligations. Kevin Ewert, a programmer for his family's Web development company, sees full-timing as a refuge from the pressures of his more conventional existence back in San Jose, Calif. "I was working my life away, and I just got tired of it," says Ewert, 44. He and his wife Angie, 35, have logged about 13,000 miles (21,000 km) in their 40-ft. (12 m) motor home, which has satellite TV, TiVo, three Internet connections, Sirius radio and a private office space where Ewert works mainly at night, leaving his days free for hanging out with Angie.
Even volatile gas prices do little to temper the enthusiasm of full-timers. Howard Payne estimates that he travels between 1,000 and 1,200 miles (1,600 and 2,000 km) per month, but he still insists that "the cost of fuel is not the big issue many folks think it is." The Paynes, both in their early 40s, opted for an earlier than expected retirement after a FORTUNE 500 company bought their small real estate insurance business and imposed heavy demands that strained the couple's relationship. The choice has required them to live on a tighter budget, but they are closer than ever and happier. "Now I can't afford to play golf, but golf was like an escape for me," Howard says. "I don't need that escape now."
Moving from a big house to a smaller one isn't the only way to downsize. Luxurious recreational vehicles, stocked with every possible modern convenience from Jacuzzis to wi-fi, are becoming full-time residences for a growing number of Americans. Some are retirees looking for a new adventure, others have jobs that keep them on the road and see RV living as a way to have a home life, and a few just crave the freedom of being on the go now that cell phones and the Internet allow people to work from almost anywhere.
According to Kampgrounds of America, which operates some 450 campgrounds, 400,000 people are full-time RV dwellers. And many of them are enthusiastic proselytizers for their neo-nomadic lifestyle. "This is the ideal American subculture; it's the way everyone would like it to be," says Howard Payne, a real estate lawyer who, along with his wife Linda, traded a five-bedroom house in Louisville, Ky., for a 400-sq.-ft. (37 sq m) motor home in August 2005.
Some RVs cost as little as $4,000, but it's the luxury market--where units range from $300,000 to over $1 million--that is booming. Country Coach, one of the nation's largest manufacturers of premier motor homes, offers models that include hardwood floors, leather couches and guest bathrooms. Last year the company reported a 22% increase in sales of RVs priced at more than $550,000.
While parking in muddy public campgrounds and Wal-Mart lots provides some full-timers with a convenient and low-cost place to spend extended periods, others are turning to the small but growing number of upscale parks that offer country club-like amenities. One such stop is the Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort. Nestled in a forest in the popular South Carolina vacation spot, it boasts 400 landscaped lots, with access to a pool, exercise room and tennis courts. Each lot has satellite TV and electricity, water and sewage hookups, for a rental fee of about $50 a night or an outright purchase price of around $100,000.
Russell and Rena Knisely, a retired couple from Wallingford, Pa., who started full-timing four years ago, spend the colder months at a lot they own in Hilton Head. Every Saturday morning at the resort park, they gather with a group of friends, cook a full breakfast for everyone staying at the park and trade stories about their road adventures over the shared meal. "Our happiness and health are much better in this lifestyle," says Russell, 64. "We have no worries here." "The only downside is that we don't have a church anymore," says his neighbor Wyn Hull, 73, who was active in her Greenville, S.C., parish before she and her husband took to the road seven years ago. "It's nice to visit other churches, but you have to make more of an effort."
Others have gone mobile precisely because they want to cut old ties and obligations. Kevin Ewert, a programmer for his family's Web development company, sees full-timing as a refuge from the pressures of his more conventional existence back in San Jose, Calif. "I was working my life away, and I just got tired of it," says Ewert, 44. He and his wife Angie, 35, have logged about 13,000 miles (21,000 km) in their 40-ft. (12 m) motor home, which has satellite TV, TiVo, three Internet connections, Sirius radio and a private office space where Ewert works mainly at night, leaving his days free for hanging out with Angie.
Even volatile gas prices do little to temper the enthusiasm of full-timers. Howard Payne estimates that he travels between 1,000 and 1,200 miles (1,600 and 2,000 km) per month, but he still insists that "the cost of fuel is not the big issue many folks think it is." The Paynes, both in their early 40s, opted for an earlier than expected retirement after a FORTUNE 500 company bought their small real estate insurance business and imposed heavy demands that strained the couple's relationship. The choice has required them to live on a tighter budget, but they are closer than ever and happier. "Now I can't afford to play golf, but golf was like an escape for me," Howard says. "I don't need that escape now."
Travel for a Year for the Cost of Staying Home
Veteran road-trippers release second edition of award-winning book, Live Your Road Trip Dream
by Dale Myers
MotorHome Magazine
Veteran road-trippers and Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) spokespeople Phil and Carol White have released the second edition of their award-winning book, Live Your Road Trip Dream -- Travel for a year for the cost of staying home.
The new edition includes updated information on budgets, Web sites and technology, and new sections such as information on midlife sabbaticals, working on the road and "road-schooling" your children as you travel.
The Whites have traveled more than 50,000 miles in the last several years and visited all 50 states, all national parks in the continental United States and hundreds of other fascinating places.
For more information about Live Your Road Trip Dream, call (888) 522-8747 or go to www.roadtripdream.com
by Dale Myers
MotorHome Magazine
Veteran road-trippers and Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) spokespeople Phil and Carol White have released the second edition of their award-winning book, Live Your Road Trip Dream -- Travel for a year for the cost of staying home.
The new edition includes updated information on budgets, Web sites and technology, and new sections such as information on midlife sabbaticals, working on the road and "road-schooling" your children as you travel.
The Whites have traveled more than 50,000 miles in the last several years and visited all 50 states, all national parks in the continental United States and hundreds of other fascinating places.
For more information about Live Your Road Trip Dream, call (888) 522-8747 or go to www.roadtripdream.com
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