Table of contents for 003 May/June 2022 in RV TODAY

When I attended the RVDA (RV Dealers Association) show in Las Vegas, I had the chance to speak with Courtney Bias from Go RVing. One of the things Go RVing was working on was finding ways to encourage and educate people in hopes of getting them out one additional time per year. That’s right—one additional time out in their RV per year. That really stuck with me. The average RV owner uses their RV two to three times per year. When I had to put my RV in storage for a month in 2017, I had trouble finding a place to store it. When talking to the manager of the place I finally found, he said about 60% of the RVs haven’t left the facility in years. This isn’t unique…

Buying your first RV can be a daunting task, as we all have different needs and there’s a seemingly endless variety of vehicles available. As a journalist from Canada who has been full time for 14 years with my wife, Sandy, I have several tips to share that will simplify the decision-making process for new buyers. 1 DECIDE ON THE INTENDED USE OF YOUR RV. Do you want to live in it full time, or do you want to hit the road occasionally for weekend adventures? Full-timers will usually require a larger rig with more amenities than people who want to camp occasionally, and a family of four will require more space than a solo traveler. 2 CHOOSE THE TYPE OF RV THAT MEETS YOUR NEEDS. Spend some time researching…

We’re full-time RVers living off-grid in our Class A motorhome. We both still work full time, but we didn’t want to wait until retirement to travel more. We chose RV life in order to chase adventure and enjoy little moments of retirement every day. We travel in a 42-foot Gulfstream Yellowstone with a Jeep in tow. After staying exclusively at RV parks for the first 20 months of our RV life, we cut the cord and never looked back. Now, you can almost always find us camping in nature and exploring trails with our pup, Maddie. In fact, we’ve only spent 16 of the past 365 nights at RV parks. If you love wide open spaces, being out in nature, and having big, beautiful backyards all over the country, off-grid…

When thinking of an ultimate road trip, Route 66 is usually at the top of a short list. Historically, there are multiple landmarks representing eras from the 1920s through the 1970s. It’s a glimpse into a disappearing part of United States history, and it travels from the Midwest to the West Coast, through a wide variety of landscapes. THE BACKSTORY As a kid, I would hear stories from my grandparents about trips they took to visit family. Leaving from Ohio, they would head northwest to Chicago and weave their way into Wyoming and Montana. These were summer trips they took with my mom, my aunt, and my two uncles, using vacation time they had saved up. Eventually, I was able to finally see and experience what I only imagined. My…

Alexis Nascimento Chelsea Gillespie Lydia Blanchard Pamela Colon Tedy Pham Robin Goudeau-Baxter Peggy Dent Larry McDonald Danielle Isermann Molly Totoro Kelsey Lowman Kristen & Jameson Sargent Bob & Grace Bouchard Lauren & Jon Gusanders Tom Cox Kristin Halls Taylor Fortunato Carrie Shoemaker Cory Anders Jazzy Skye JR Smith Laurie Rivers Heather Van Leeuwen Contributor Spotlight Maureen Hochdorf @mommymoadventures One More Weekend Maureen Hochdorf is a family travel writer and podcast host specializing in helping families plan their next trip. She runs the National Park Trippers podcast and creates RV and Travel Guides on her website: MommyMoAdventures.com. Joy Newcomb @ayj_adventures Picturesque Route 66 Joy has been living and working from her home on wheels with her two dogs since 2018. As a photographer and designer, you can find her perfecting her craft and…

My husband, Warren, and I have been RVing full time since 2017, and we love this lifestyle of traveling and experiencing new adventures. We had owned tents, travel trailers, and a Class A before, but never a fifth wheel. When we began our journey to find the perfect rig, we were amazed by fifth wheels and how many different floor plans they offer—the possibilities were endless! We were downsizing from a large home to about 400 square feet, so we really needed our new space to feel like home. We initially bought and renovated a Keystone Montana 3790RD, and learned a lot in that process, but we eventually needed something bigger as our family started visiting and staying with us. We shopped for different options, and we kept coming back…

There are pros and cons to living in an RV full time as opposed to camping seasonally, and ultimately, it all comes down to what fits you and your family best. Here are some of the things you’ll want to consider if you’re on the fence. Seasonal Camping PRO: CAMPING WITH THE COMFORTS OF HOME Camping seasonally is great for beginners who are curious about the lifestyle. It requires less commitment than full-time RVing because it’s more of a vacation. It’s a great opportunity if you aren’t ready to make the leap to full time, because it allows you to camp while still having the comforts of your own home. Camping part time is also the best option for people with a steady job that can’t be done remotely. PRO:…

Located in South Dakota, Badlands National Park is one of the most underrated national parks in the United States. Despite its name, it is anything but a bad experience. In fact, when it was first suggested to be a national park, it was almost named Wonderland National Park. With many geological features, the largest undisturbed mixed-grass prairie in the United States, a variety of wildlife, a mix of easy to moderate hikes, and one of the richest fossil beds in the world, Badlands National Park is guaranteed to instill wonder in anyone who visits. ABOUT BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK Badlands National Park became a national monument in 1939 before becoming a national park in 1978. The park is home to a geologic formation called badlands, which is a type of dry…

Planning an epic road trip is one of the best ways to see the country. Not only does a voyage of this nature offer complete freedom and flexibility, but you’ll also discover the best gems in your own backyard! Planning your first car-camping road trip can be a bit intimidating, so we spoke with three families to get their favorite tips and hacks for planning a memorable coast-to-coast journey. MEET YOUR PLANNING GUIDES Chelsea Gillespie, @unsettledown Travel Style: 2020 Toyota 4Runner with a 2021 Intech Luna Rover teardrop trailer Experience: 30 months of full-time nomadic travels, including 20 European countries and 25 states, as well as RV camping Lydia Blanchard, @myadventuregang Travel Style: Subaru Outback with a rooftop tent Experience: 80 nights rooftop tent camping in 1.5 years Pamela Colon, @miamivanfam Travel Style:…

An electric bike (e-bike) is really just a traditional bicycle with a battery-powered motor that assists the rider with propulsion. There are two types of e-bikes—pedal assist and throttle. Pedal assist e-bikes augment the rider’s pedaling effort. In many models, the amount of extra propulsion added to the rider’s effort is adjustable and can be preset by the rider, so the cyclist still gets some exercise when riding. With the throttle variety, a simple push of a button or turn of the handlebar creates forward motion without the rider applying any pressure to the pedals. The throttle variety more closely resembles a moped or motorcycle than a bicycle, since the rider doesn’t add any effort to create forward motion. Different Styles of E-bikes There are several distinct styles of e-bikes.…