Newbie Planning 1st Out of State Trip

[porthole]

The All Stays app Dave mentions is really great if you have something like an ipad with a net connection. I tried the free version and quickly upgraded to the $10 version. I find it very useful with excellent filtering.

Is Ohio the only sate that has RV sections at the rest stops on the turnpike? $20 gets you electric and water for 24 hours.

Driving alone I can do 1000 miles a day, but I wouldn't want to do it more then one day in a row.
I've pulled the camper as far 750 miles a day solo and it is not a big deal. I will stop at the rest stops as needed and the turnpike rest stops can get a bit noisy. But, we have a genny, so with the AC on the noise is a non issue.

When we are camping though it is a different story. Besides the right seat passenger, I have two dogs we travel with. Every stop for either us or the dogs takes at least 30 minutes. So towing on a typical day whatever we get between roughly 8am to 6 pm.

Our current truck is way more comfortable then the last, and the "right side seat" has been able to do 500 mile days if our destination is a greater goal then the travel to get there.

All in all - 300-350 miles a day is a good start. Plan on 8 hours to do that and when you arrive a bit earlier you'll be pleased.

 

[oldmannj]

All I want is a nice setting, campfire and a few cocktails. Wonder what the homeowners association here would say.....Naaa, the trip is on. Thanks for the advice. We'll take it easy and try to enjoy the whole trip. Am looking forward to some nice scenery to camp at. Good views and close by features to check out at our leisure. I'll see about oading the apps you've suggested. Thanks again.

How big is the front yard ??? If ya'd like 7 or 8 of us can come on over and make it a Heartland campout!! The homeowner's association will be even more pleased with you!! TEEHEE ED. :angel:

 

[whp4262]

I've been a Good Sam member for several years. I think the Good Sam road atlas is worth the money, it has lots of good stuff in it and is reasonably priced. I usually buy a new one every couple years.

 

[JohnD]

I pulled from Denver to Custer, South Dakota last summer . . . just under 500 miles and took about 9 hours including gas and food stops.

That was far enough for one day.

 

[TXBobcat]

All the information is very good. Although I fulltime I limit my travel to 250miles, drive about 63mph but average 45mph. I stop often but always stay in an RV Park. It is safer for your family. I strongly agree with TravelTiger. Never pull into an unfamiliar RV Park at night. I have seen many bent up trailers that hit poles or dropped an axle into a ditch. I came very close to dropping the DS axle into a ditch when I arrived after dark. Never again.

BC

 

['Lil Guy']

Again, all good info. Ordered the GS Atlas already. Front yard isn't that big but the cul-d-sac is large. Hey, could be the 1'st annual Baker Rally. On another note, I'm dying to meet some of you at one of the Heartland socials. Yall have to have a sense of humor listening to us rookies, especially the one with the tiny TT. Don't want the big boys teasing and giving my TT a complex. Seriously, I've looked at the membership of the HOC and you could park my TT inside of every other rig I saw. When they do the tour of everybody's rig, we'll just turn our lights off and not answer the door.lol Again, thanks for the info and really looking forward to getting on the road.

 

[oldmannj]

Just a word of warning. Rallies are addictive , as well as the people you meet. 2 years ago I was the "new guy" on the block. Today, I'm the N.J. chapter leader and proud to call the 60 or so people I've met friends!! I'm looking forward to meeting some new friends this coming week in Urbanna. Hopefully you will have the same situation when you get to rallying as well. Maybe our paths will cross sometime and I can add you to "the list". In the meantime. good luck on your trip and HAPPY CAMPING!!!! ED. :angel:

 

[porthole]

Again, all good info. Ordered the GS Atlas already. Front yard isn't that big but the cul-d-sac is large. Hey, could be the 1'st annual Baker Rally. On another note, I'm dying to meet some of you at one of the Heartland socials. Yall have to have a sense of humor listening to us rookies, especially the one with the tiny TT. Don't want the big boys teasing and giving my TT a complex. Seriously, I've looked at the membership of the HOC and you could park my TT inside of every other rig I saw. When they do the tour of everybody's rig, we'll just turn our lights off and not answer the door.lol Again, thanks for the info and really looking forward to getting on the road.

Although there might be a couple here that started out with a 350/3500 truck and 40' Landmark, for the most part, everyone here started somewhere below that level.

 

[travelin2]

Another free app we used a good bit on our just finished trip was "RVParking.com". Have it on the iPhone and iPad both. Provided a list as well as pins on a map of rv parks and campgrounds. Tap on a name or pin for details.


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[JohnD]

Most RV'ers are a great source of info and help when needed...

Just a word of warning. Rallies are addictive , as well as the people you meet. 2 years ago I was the "new guy" on the block. Today, I'm the N.J. chapter leader and proud to call the 60 or so people I've met friends!! I'm looking forward to meeting some new friends this coming week in Urbanna. Hopefully you will have the same situation when you get to rallying as well. Maybe our paths will cross sometime and I can add you to "the list". In the meantime. good luck on your trip and HAPPY CAMPING!!!! ED. :angel:

Yes they are!

We attended our first chapter rally last weekend near Colorado Springs, Colorado . . . what a blast!

We had lots of fun and met a bunch of new friends!

While all but three of us had 5'vers (us included in the non-5'ver crowd) . . . it doesn't matter.

We are all Heartland owners!

By-the-buy . . . most everyone there was impressed with the fact that our 2013 Heartland Trail Runner has two entrance doors instead of one (which that, and the rear kitchen, was the main reason we chose our trailer over all of the others we looked at):

2 years ago I was the "new guy" on the block.

Before we went to the Colorado HOC Spring 2014 Rally last week, we spent three nights at Cheyenne Mountain State Park just down the road from where the rally was to be held.

While we were eating breakfast and getting around for the day, I was watching the couple across the drive from us getting hitched up to haul out.

They were all hitched up and ready to roll, but they were just sitting there with their infant child at their picnic table with the hood up on their Ford Explorer.

I put on my hat (hadn't taken my shower yet, so had bad camper's hairdoo goin' on ) and asked them if they needed a jump.

The husband said "YES! We do! But I don't have any jumper cables . . . "

To which I replied "I do!"

He said that they called the ranger station and that they had someone on the way, but it had been over an hour and so far a no-show.

So I drove my truck the whole 50 feet across the way and gave them a jump . . .

While I left my truck hooked up to theirs to get their battery juiced up a bit, I noticed that their camper didn't have a battery and the wires were just hanging there, so it looked to me like they were running off of the truck battery all weekend, which is why the battery was dead.

So, being the professional sales person that I am, I pumped them for information (without them realizing it, of course ) and found out that this was the very first time ever that they had been out by themselves on a trip like this and that not only was this their first shakedown trip with their new to them (ie.- used) camper, but they had also borrowed the tow vehicle from one of their parents.

I let them know that they didn't need to feel bad as that anyone who has a camper has all gone through the same process, and I told them the 'horror story' of our first outing when we bought our first travel trailer 14 years ago . . .

Well . . . we all shared a good laugh . . . I advised them to get a good deep-cycle battery for their trailer . . . and they were on their way home!

Oh yeah . . . forgot to mention that the park ranger showed up in a modified golf cart with a set of jumper cables as I was unhooking my jumper cables from their truck (about 90 minutes after they had called the ranger station)!

 

[porthole]

Re: Most RV'ers are a great source of info and help when needed...

Well . . . we all shared a good laugh . . . I advised them to get a good deep-cycle battery for their trailer . . . and they were on their way home!

Next time also offer for the campers to pick up a copy of Robin Williams "RV"

 

[JohnD]

Re: Most RV'ers are a great source of info and help when needed...

Next time also offer for the campers to pick up a copy of Robin Williams "RV"

LOL!

I have that movie on DVD and keep it in the trailer as we watch it when we are out 'camping'!

I think that all dealerships should just provide this movie with every camper they sell!

 

['Lil Guy']

Re: Most RV'ers are a great source of info and help when needed...

JohnD, 2 doors? My Little guy has 2 also. One for the entrance and another for the toilet area. Every time we park our LG, it looks smaller. It's like being in stop and go traffic and you notice you have the oldest, ugliest car on the road. I might bolt some patio furniture onto the roof so I can get away from the wife periodically. Don't get me wrong, it's not that small but if it has a flat, I can put it in the bed of my truck and take it home. Being honest, it sure looked bigger on the showroom floor when we bought it. When I picked it up, it was next to some massive 5th wheel that looked like it would crush a 1 ton truck. So, for the time being, I'm stuck with my NT21FBS. I have name and address decals I was going to put on the rear. I'm going to hold off and put a Lil Guy decal on it now. If you see us at a park, we'll be the ones with the little trailer and the bags over our heads. I'll be the one with a drink in my hand up on the roof.

 

[oldmannj]

Re: Most RV'ers are a great source of info and help when needed...

DUDE, be proud of your TT. Whether it's a $50 tent or a $500,000 motorhome your still doing what you love with the people you love !!! Cherish what you have with the young ones, once they move out the house is an awfully lonely place. Although, the bolted on furniture isn't a bad idea!!!

 

[Jim.Allison]

I was going to tell you not to rely on TowMax tires or any other China bombs. But I notice you have already addressed the issue with the 17.5s and the G114s. Have a great trip.<object type="cosymantecnisbfw" cotype="cs" id="SILOBFWOBJECTID" style="width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block;"></object>

 

[Seren]

Although there might be a couple here that started out with a 350/3500 truck and 40' Landmark, for the most part, everyone here started somewhere below that level.

How did you hear about us? Sold house, sold or gave away almost everything and starting full-time with 2014 3500/Landmark Grand Canyon which we bought in March and never owned a RV or even a truck for that matter. I sure hope we know what we are doing. Nonetheless, I know with the wonderful, experienced world RV travellers on this forum, there is nothing to worry about. Ok, we may be a little anxious, maybe even alot anxious, but we also feel more alive now then we have in many, many years.


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[porthole]

2014 3500/Landmark Grand Canyon which we bought in March

I sure hope we know what we are doing.

Sounds like you're off to a great start !

 

[danemayer]

Our first RV is a 39' Landmark towed by a GMC 3500. We've had them for less than 4 years and have spent 562 nights in the RV so far. We'll be heading up to the Colorado mountains in about a week to spend the summer in the cool mountain air and hike, bike, kayak, and read.

 

[Seren]

Our first RV is a 39' Landmark towed by a GMC 3500. We've had them for less than 4 years and have spent 562 nights in the RV so far. We'll be heading up to the Colorado mountains in about a week to spend the summer in the cool mountain air and hike, bike, kayak, and read.

Yes! I knew there was some else like us! Ah, the Colorado mountains, now that is a plan. Didn't John Denver sing a song about it...


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[JohnD]

Our first RV is a 39' Landmark towed by a GMC 3500. We've had them for less than 4 years and have spent 562 nights in the RV so far. We'll be heading up to the Colorado mountains in about a week to spend the summer in the cool mountain air and hike, bike, kayak, and read.

Where are you gonna be?

Maybe we'll see ya this summer . . .