Table of contents for 005 Aug/Sept 2022 in RV TODAY

Many RV owners have a deep-cycle battery to power the living quarters of their vehicle. At a developed campsite, we mostly plug into the electrical outlets and don’t think about how much power we’re using. But when we venture to primitive campsites or take boondocking trips to areas without power, keeping these batteries in top condition is essential. Deep-cycle RV batteries are made to provide long-lasting power, but it’s important to make sure they’re not drained beyond the manufacturer’s recommended depth of discharge (DOD). The DOD is the total amount of power drain on your deep-cycle battery versus its rated capacity at that rate. In general, battery manufacturers do not recommend draining your battery beyond 50 percent of its rated capacity (50% DOD), or it will deliver shorter cycle life.…

My wife, Becky, and I have been RVing full time since 2018. We started in a travel trailer, and when the timing was right, we upgraded—not only to a Jayco NorthPoint 377RLBH fifth wheel, but also to a family of three! We completed a few projects in our RV before Junior was born, and we’ve made further changes as he’s grown and become more mobile. Here are six tips based on changes we’ve made so far to make our RV more baby-friendly, and one that we’ll be implementing soon. 1 Sleep is important! If you want to skip a crib or any renovations and want something that can grow with your little one, a pack ‘n’ play works perfectly. It can fit in the slide without any big renovations, or…

Solar systems are the highly-coveted key to really great boondocking, but they’re also widely unknown and misunderstood. There are so many questions! What do I need? How much do I need? How much will it cost? Can I do it myself? And of course, can I run my air conditioner? Even after doing a fair bit of our own online research into solar over the years, we still felt confused as to what we needed, and how the whole thing would even work. Plus, the daunting task of drilling holes and wiring an RV for solar can overwhelm even the most ambitious do-it-yourselfers. Also, solar technology is changing pretty quickly. When we started our full-time RV journey just a few years ago, the idea of running solar for the air…

There is something about the 20,000-mile journey we took around the country that has shaped who I am indelibly. Reflecting back now, this was an experience that defied expectations in many ways. Let me start from the beginning. My wife and I decided to take our five kids and new puppy on the road. We’d tossed around the idea for some time, never landing on any particular path forward, but in January 2020, we made the decision to go. When we shared our plan, many people had strong feelings about the idea—and about a family of seven living in such close quarters. I had a different concern in mind. As I thought practically about the prospect of traveling through what one might call “Trump country,” my anxiety began to rise.…

In 2018, my husband, Jim, and I purchased a 24-foot expandable travel trailer for weekend camping trips with our kids. We took it on several trips and really enjoyed it, but about six months later, we realized we needed to upgrade because we wanted to be able to live in it for five months while we finished construction on our house. This led us to purchase a 2014 KZ Spree Bunkhouse. While the trailer’s layout was functional, the drab interior really didn’t do much for us. So after our house construction was complete, I convinced Jim that we should renovate the KZ Spree. I had seen gorgeous renovations online, and I knew we had the construction skills to make it happen. Though my husband thought I was crazy, he finally…

Our family of four started our RV adventure five years ago with the goal of visiting as many national parks as possible. The Thor Motor Coach Vegas Class A RUV was perfect, with its massive windshield to take in the beautiful landscapes, roomy interior for comfort, and compact design to drive inside parks. So far we’ve visited Yosemite, Sequoia, Grand Canyon, Zion, Death Valley, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton national parks. We also lead a Facebook group for Asian RVers where we share our passion for the outdoors with others, provide advice and tips, post our trips for inspiration, and host meetups. Since the beginning of COVID, we’ve seen a spike in new and inexperienced RVers who need help, and we realized we’ve developed a specific expertise that only years of…

Visiting all 103 state parks in Michigan might seem like a good bucket list item to check off over a few years, but we managed to knock it out in just 10 months. Back in 2018, we learned that the next year would be the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Michigan State Park system, and the Department of Natural Resources was going to celebrate all year long. We decided to pursue what seemed like a crazy idea—visit every state park during 2019 and document our visits to share. We knew it would be a lot of work, but we also expected to have a lot of fun. While planning for this adventure, we intended to work from the road and travel full time throughout the whole year, but…

We had an amazing adventure traveling to Utah’s Bryce Canyon from Northern California in June 2021. Although we had been RVing full time for 4 years already, we’d recently purchased a new Keystone Fuzion 427 toy hauler to expand our travels and try out boondocking. We researched and planned by using various travel apps and social media platforms, and by talking to other RVers who have taken this trip. Sometimes word of mouth is the best source of information because you’re able to pick up little-known tips about the area. With excitement for our big boondocking adventure, we were packed up, hitched up, and ready to hit the open highway. We decided to boondock at Tom’s Best Dispersed Camping, where we learned a big lesson—if possible, scope out the lay…

A luxury limousine that explored the camping possibilities of the automobile appeared in 1911. At the time, Thomas Coleman du Pont, a member of the family that founded the DuPont conglomerate, was building and financing a highway to help Delaware’s economy and tourism. Without alternative accommodations there, he commissioned a “camping auto.” This vehicle contained elongated modular lockers along its sides to hold maps and construction drawings, as well as boxes for two tents, a six-foot mattress, a gas stove, an ice box, a battery, and camping chairs. The camping car’s most unusual features, though, were its two attachable tents, made out of waterproof balloon silk instead of canvas. When fully assembled, the camping auto provided three rooms, with the bedroom as part of the vehicle in the central section.…

Have a campground you’d like to share? Send an email with subject line “Campground Highlights” to collab@rvtoday.com for more information on how you can share a spot in an upcoming issue. Pacific Morro Dunes RV Park 1700 Embarcadero, Morro Bay, CA 93442 This RV park is all about location, location, location! It may not provide the best views of the beach, but it’s right beside the beach and Morro Bay. The campsites are divided by wooden fencing and a bit tight, but still doable for a big rig. Sites come with a picnic table and fire ring. Wi-Fi actually worked well, and they also provide cable TV. There are 170 sites, of which 139 have full hookups. Some sites have electric and water, plus there are tent sites, three restrooms, two…

https://amzn.to/3wGYatr https://amzn.to/3loki6D https://amzn.to/39FaJ0t WAYS TO BE PREPARED 1. TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR Changes in temperature and altitude can affect tire pressure. A tire pressure monitor helps you monitor pressure easily, making you safer and increasing your fuel economy. A bonus with this monitor—you can receive information on tire temperature and warnings for air leaks. 2. PORTABLE AIR COMPRESSOR Regardless of the amount of tires you have, air compressors allow you to maintain accurate tire pressure. Portable ones make it more convenient so you don’t have to pull your rig up to gas station air compressors, and also mean you won’t have to pay for air anymore! 3. BATTERY BOOSTER PACK Be safe, not sorry—if your engine battery dies, now you can easily jump-start it. You can be the hero, too, and…

My family is pretty normal. I was a homemaker and homeschooling mom who did crafts and sold them for a little extra cash on the side, and my husband, Roland, worked in sales for a major industrial manufacturer. He did extremely well in his field and reached the top 5% at his company. We have two daughters, Ariel and Victory, and we volunteered at our church and in our community. Like I said, completely normal people. So how exactly did we get to be living full time in a 27-foot travel trailer and loving it? Well, it’s kind of a weird story … Roland tried out for the 2020 Olympic trials for karate, and almost made it! Thinking about it still gives me goosebumps. Please don’t think he’s completely out…