A must-see for Crazy Family Adventure was the redwoods in Northern California. In this episode of Life on the Road, the family visits Humboldt Redwoods State Park. They got to camp right in the park among the trees, hike some gorgeous trails, and explore the small towns north of the park. From there it was to Fern Canyon, Patrick’s Point State Park, and on up the scenic Highway One.
You can watch the rest of Crazy Family Adventure’s Life on the Road series by clicking here.
If you want to escape the cold during the winter months many people think of Florida or Southern California first, but The Lone Star State is an excellent place to visit. Texas has a rich history, fantastic moderate weather during the winter, and plenty to see and do for RVers.
If you haven’t visited Texas in your RV yet, consider heading that way this winter. Here are five destinations worth traveling to.
Looking for a way to enjoy some pristine beaches? Visit South Padre Island right near the southern tip of Texas. Take state highway 48 east from Brownsville, Texas, and you’ll be out on one of the most beautiful islands the Lone Star state has to offer.
The southern end of the island is the resort town where there is plenty to do and a thriving nightlife scene. Head north and you’ll find some beautiful, secluded beaches. South Padre Island is also home to all kinds of unique activities like parasailing, fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, waterparks, and other theme parks. It’s fun for the whole family.
Camping in your RV is easy. There are numerous RV parks on or near the island. The South Padre Island KOA is a great option for a more luxurious spot. If you want something a little more basic, you can always camp on the mainland closer to the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, and then head over to the island during the day.
Want to experience some history from long before mankind was the steward of the earth? Visit Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, Texas. The park is home to dinosaur tracks. The tracks can be found in the riverbed. While not always easily visible, this is one of the coolest experiences to have with your family. Call ahead of time to find out how visibility is for the tracks.
In addition to the dinosaur tracks, you can go picnicking, hiking, horseback riding, and fishing at this wonderful state park. Camping in an RV is easy. The park has RV campsites with water and electricity hookups, making it a wonderful place to spend a weekend or even longer.
Indulge in some Texas history at the Fort Griffin State Historic Site in Albany, Texas. Remnants of the fort remain at this gorgeous place, and you can walk the grounds and imagine what it was like to be there in the late 1800s when the fort was in its prime. The site is also home to the Offical State of Texas Longhorn Herd, which makes for a great photo opportunity while you’re there.
The site is only open to the public from 8 am to 4:30 pm., but make sure to stay in the area well into the evening hours or consider camping close by. The lacks much of the light pollution many places experience and you’ll get a view of the night sky like no other.
Camping is easy. There are numerous campgrounds close, and the site itself offers 33 campsites ranging from primitive to full hook-up. To be sure you’ll get a campground at Fort Griffin, be sure to call and make a reservation.
There’s a massive pink dome of a rock that rises above Central Texas known as the Enchanted Rock. The site is also home to fantastic hiking, camping, rock climbing, picnic areas, and plenty of other outdoor activities. If you’re looking for a good place to camp and enjoy nature for a few days, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is it.
Another close by attraction is Fredericksburg. There you can get some of the best food and wine that the Texas Hill Country has to offer. It’s a great place to go with just your significant other or with the entire family.
Camping at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is easy. The campgrounds are primitive, though, so if you’re looking for something with full hook-ups, you’re going to have to go down the road closer to Fredericksburg. There you can find everything from basic campgrounds to luxury RV resorts.
If you’ve never been to San Antonio, then visiting the city is a must. You can check out all the city has to offer, including it’s beautiful and fun-to-wander River Walk. You can hit the shops the walk connects to, get some food and drink, take a little boat ride, or just enjoy the views.
Also, just up the road from the River Walk is The Alamo, the historic fort and Texas history museum. You can tour one of the most iconic and important historical sites in the nation.
There are a number of RV parks to choose from in the city. Most are full hook-up campgrounds, which makes RVing in San Antonio extremely easy. Two that are close are the Alamo City RV Park and Traveler’s World RV Resort. Both are only a short drive to the downtown area of the city.
Have you traveled to Texas? Where would you suggest newcomers go? Leave a comment below.
As fall comes to an end, many people are winterizing their RV and preparing to store it away for the long, cold winter. Their RV is going into hibernation until springtime. But what if camping season didn’t have to end?
What if instead of bundling up and riding out the winter, you could hit the road and enjoy your RV? Not only is it possible, but winter RVing is also as a great time to RV!
If you need a little convincing, here are four great reasons to RV this winter:
There’s something so magical about a winter vacation, especially if skiing is involved. Whether you love to ski or snowboard or just enjoy the feeling of being cozy and warm while watching the snow fall outside, what better way to experience the mountains than in your RV?
Surprisingly, there are many wonderful ski towns/resorts that have RV parks. Staying in your RV is a cost-effective way to enjoy a dream ski vacation. Here are a few RV parks near popular ski resorts that might be the perfect place for you this winter:
Tiger Run RV Resort in Breckenridge, CO
Park City RV Resort in Park City, UT
Whitefish RV Park in Whitefish, MT
Jackson Hole Campground in Jackson, WY
Spring and summer are the most popular seasons for many common RV and camping related activities – hiking, biking, fishing etc. Sure, spring and summer bring warmer weather, but they also bring larger crowds.
RVing in the winter still allows you to experience many of these activities but with fewer crowds. Visiting destinations, especially the national parks, during all the different seasons can be so rewarding. You’ll experience the beauty and attractions from a different perspective.
With winter come the holidays. For many, the holidays are synonymous with hectic travel and hilariously uncomfortable sleeping arrangements. The holidays provide a wonderful opportunity to take your RV to your family gatherings for many reasons.
You can sleep comfortably in your own bed instead of on the couch or an air mattress, and if you need to, you can retreat to your own space when you need a little peace and quiet. Or perhaps you have the responsibility of hosting your family this year. Having an RV could allow for more comfortable and private sleeping arrangements for your holiday guest.
If a cold weather RV trip isn’t your cup of tea, hit the road and escape to warmer weather. RVing to warm weather destinations is a tried and true way to enjoy your RV year-round. Luckily, the US has many destinations that stay nice during the winter months and these places tend to be very welcoming to RVers.
As shorter days and colder temperatures approach nearer, remember the fun doesn’t stop just because winter rolls in. There is lots to do and many places to go this winter in your RV. If you don’t already have an RV and are looking to enjoy do some of these activities, winter is also a great time to purchase.
Where would you like to RV this winter? Leave a comment below!
Few places are as full of adventure and opportunity for life-altering experiences as Alaska. Ben and Rebecca are two people who have experienced this first hand. They came to Seward, Alaska, from California in 2008 seeking “a life less ordinary.”
The two of them were nice enough to get on the phone with me to discuss their lifestyle and how their RV fits into it.
The lives they built for themselves in Alaska, America’s last true frontier, were definitely less ordinary. Ben became a Fishing Guide and Rebecca worked with the native population as a Physician Assistant.
To be fair, the couple was far from ordinary to begin with. Before their marriage, Rebecca traveled extensively abroad and Ben was busy with engine driven action sports. Their love for new, exciting experiences only further blossomed once they got married.
The couple’s choice to move to Alaska was the beginning of a long list of adventures they would have over the next several years and continue to have today.
After being in Alaska for some time, Ben and Rebecca ended up going to Anchorage on a regular basis for business trade shows and other needs. Seward, the town they moved to, is small and secluded.
“Our town is not city Alaska,” Ben said. “We’re 125 miles away from city Alaska up one of the most beautiful and dangerous highways in the nation.”
During the winter months, going to Anchorage and getting a hotel wasn’t such a big issue because rooms were affordable. Once the weather warms, though, Anchorage hotel prices jump considerably. With prices being so high in the summer months, Ben and Rebecca decided to buy an RV.
“For 12 nights in a hotel during the summertime, we could pay for an RV for the year,” Rebecca said.
The couple bought their 1999 32-foot Tiffin Allegro RV in 2010. They named it Nellie, after Nellie Lawing (a famous Alaska frontierswoman). Not long after purchasing it, Ben and Rebecca started to use the RV for more than just Anchorage trips. They explored Alaska and focused on discovering new locations and having new experiences.
“There’s really not a road left unturned in Alaska that we haven’t driven down,” Rebecca said.
During all this, Ben and Rebecca were filming and posting videos to their YouTube channel His & Hers Vlogs. Their travel-focused channel is an honest look at their adventures. It covers the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Ben and Rebecca seek to give people accurate, practical advice and present everything in a genuine way. Their channel garnered them quite a following.
Ben and Rebecca didn’t stop with Alaska. They visited the lower 48, too. In the fall of 2015, they drove all the way across the country to Maine. Then they chased the leaves all the way down the East Coast and spent Thanksgiving in Florida. They had to be in Arizona for a wedding in January, so that was their only real location commitment. The rest of the trip, they explored whatever they wanted.
“It was more of a bucket list trip,” Ben said.
During the trip, they visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, got lobsters in Maine, went scuba diving at the Blue Hole in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, and so much more. Ben said they tried to check off as many things as they could along the way.
Eventually, they took their rig down to Mexico after checking off many of their bucket list items in the States.
The couple spent time in San Felipe, Mexico, and their videos inspired other RVers to visit the location. There’s now an Xscapers Convergence (run by the Escapees RV Club) to the same area. The organizers of the Xscapers Convergence know Ben and Rebecca and saw their videos of the location.
“Our ultimate goal is to make the world a better place,” said Ben. “I think that’s an example of a time we have because we inspired people to visit a new place and experience a different culture.”
After Mexico, the couple spent the spring going up the West Coast and back to their home base in Alaska.
The next year, they toured the western U.S and a few other places to see friends and family. The year after that, they stayed mostly in California and made their way down to Mexico again.
Their adventurous spirits still going strong. Ben and Rebecca decided to sell Nelly and move on to a different kind of vehicle, a Mitsubishi FUSO 4X4 Expedition Vehicle.
The Mitsubishi FUSO is smaller than Nellie and provides an opportunity for overlanding (self-reliant adventure travel to remote destinations). Their FUSO is still a camper. It allows Ben and Rebecca to stay on the road and camp basically wherever they want.
Their rig is equipped with a kitchen, bathroom, and a dining and sleeping area, though they obviously have far less space than they did in Nelly.
They have taken advantage of the features of the FUSO, too. They traveled around Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, back up through the states to Maine, and then up to the Canadian maritime for a month before heading back down the U.S. East Coast.
Ben talked about the need for them both to keep having new experiences as they continue on.
“It wasn’t until we got this rig that I realized there’s a distinct pattern of having to up the ante in our lives,” Ben said. “First, we moved to Alaska, then we had the desire to travel around in the RV, and then that got to be old hat. Then we spent winters touring America in the RV. Now, we have the EV so we can explore more places. Next, we’re going to up the ante and go to Europe. Then African, Asia, and Australia.”
Ben said the FUSO allows Rebecca and he to live the lifestyle they want. Rebecca said she loves being able to take their home with them.
“It’s a place where we know we can go and be comfortable and get solitude when we need it,” she said.
That said, the FUSO isn’t necessarily like living in a Class A like they were before. The size alone is a big difference.
“It’s a significant adjustment for us,” Rebecca said.
Both Ben and Rebecca talked about how small the rig actually is and how only one of them can really move around it at any single time. That said, neither of them seemed to be unhappy with the FUSO. It works well for their needs.
Ben and Rebecca said the thing that keeps them going is experiences they have traveling and the lifestyle itself. They enjoy meeting new people and making friends on the road.
“You meet kindred spirit-type people out here,” Rebecca said. “With a lifestyle like this you don’t always fit into the normal tracks anymore, and the people you meet out on the road are amazing.”
Ben said he doesn’t think they could ever go back to what most people would think of as a normal lifestyle.
“I just don’t know if we could do it,” he told me.
Just because Ben and Rebecca have the RV as their home doesn’t mean they’ll give up their place in Alaska.
“I think it’s good to ground ourselves every once in a while,” said Ben. “You do get exhausted if you’re traveling hard enough.”
This year, Ben and Rebecca’s focus isn’t on hitting as many spots as possible. It’s more about taking their time and enjoying the places they visit.
They will continue on with their YouTube channel, and share more of their travels and travel tips and experiences while on the road. You can expect to see videos from a faraway country and culture soon.
Ben and Rebecca’s lifestyle is a unique blend. One that provides the ability for full-time RVing while still allowing the couple to have a home base to go back to.
It’s stories like theirs that remind me of the true value of RV ownership. The possibilities are endless, and you can build the life you truly want no matter what that looks like. Full-time, part-time, weekend warrior—it’s up to you.
What do you think of Ben and Rebecca’s story? Leave a comment below.
Exploring the Local Life is a Latino RVing family of four (Robert, Jessica, Daniel, and Nadia) that learns and travels together in their 2016 Forest River Grey Wolf 26DBH Travel Trailer.
They are balancing life, fun, and roadschooling while handling unexpected RV and truck repairs and rainy days. Keeping a positive attitude is key and they are reminded every day why they are doing things differently.
You can follow their journey at exploringthelocallife.com.
Some topics we covered:
When planning an RV trip, whether you know it or not, the trip’s success depends upon your vehicle’s tires. Tires are important for safety reasons, but they can also be the difference between a stress-free trip and not making it to your destination at all.
Some knowledge and planning can help ensure you find the right tire for your vehicle. Here’s a look at the basic RV tire information you need to know:
You wouldn’t use the same tires from your car or SUV on a huge motorhome. Knowing that you have the proper tire for your RV is a priority. If you use the wrong tire on your rig, you’re going to be facing some serious issues, and likely before you get very far down the road.
A blowout can ruin your trip fast, and getting the right tire can help reduce that risk. Check your owners manual for the proper tire type to use on your rig. Never make an assumption and only use what the manual recommends or a certified tire professional suggests. With that said, here are the tire types out there:
These tires are designed for a comfortable ride and good grip on the road for a variety of weather conditions and road surfaces. The weight limit on these tires is considerably lower other types of tires, and generally, you should not use them on your RV.
These tires accommodate heavier loads with reinforced sidewalls. The design supports good traction on the road and the tires can handle heavy loads. This type of tire is a lot tougher than regular passenger tires, but they usually aren’t the best option for trailers.
LT tires are suitable for a variety of RV applications, but you need to be sure that the LT tires that fit on your vehicle are rated properly when it comes to load capacity. If the tires you choose can’t handle the weight, you will have serious issues.
Also, most LT tires are rated for a maximum speed of 75 mph. If the tire can handle speeds higher than that, it will be expressed.
The characteristics for these tires differentiate them from other tire types as they are designed to offer a durability level that accommodates seriously heavy loads and the rigors of tires attached to a trailer axle. They’re designed specifically for trailers and should only be used that way.
Also, most ST tires are only rated for 65 mph top speed. Some are rated for higher speeds, but that rating will be expressed. If there’s no speed rating listed, assume 65 mph is the fastest you should go. If you do exceed the recommended speed, you will hurt the longevity of the tire and could experience a blowout.
On every tire, you will see a numeric code that reflects the maximum load capacity recommended for the tire. Always know what tire load capacity is recommended for your RV and do not exceed it. If you do exceed that capacity, you could experience a blowout. Where’s the best place to find the rating suitable for your RV? Your owner’s manual.
Your RV’s owner’s manual should have the proper load capacity per tire listed. This makes it easy when shopping for new tires. You either meet or exceed the load capacity listed in the manual.
It’s important to note that this number should be related to your Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). The GVWR is the most weight the RV can carry at any time. This includes the water in your tanks and all the clothing and gear you bring with you.
If, for example, your owner’s manual lists a 3,500-pound GVWR, then your tires need to be able to meet or exceed that weight (you should try to exceed that weight to be on the safe side).
If you have a travel trailer with a single axle and a single tire on either side of that axle and it has the 3,500-pound figure used above, you should buy a tire that has a load capacity of at least 1,800 pounds. That’s 1,800 pounds per tire. That means, combined the two tires could support up to 3,600 pounds. (Just to be clear, these numbers are based on nothing real and are only for the sake of simple math.)
The tire size is also something you need to pay attention to. Proper RV tire sizes will be printed in your owner’s manual and will also be included on the side of your current tires. The proper size is listed as something like ST225/75D16.
In this example, the ST is the tire type and stands for Special Trailer. The 225/75 means the tire is 225 millimeters wide and has a height ratio of 75 percent. The D means it has a bias ply construction, and the 16 is the interior diameter (the part of the tire that the wheel fits into).
Your owners manual may have a couple different acceptable sizes listed. Any size listed in the manual should work fine. However, just because a tire fits on your rig, doesn’t mean it’s properly rated for the weight of your RV. Double check that a tire you’re considering has the proper size and proper load capacity before trying to use it on your RV.
Proper inflation is key to getting the most out of your tires. An improperly inflated tire can’t carry its maximum load capacity, could hurt your rig’s efficiency going down the road, or even cause a blowout. Overinflating or underinflating your tire is never a good idea, and either condition could spell disaster for your rig.
Check your tire pressure before every trip and keep in mind that temperature changes and changes in elevation can impact your tire pressure. A good rule of thumb is to add a tire pressure check to the pre-drive checklist that you go over before you leave on a trip and before you depart from a campsite.
With the wide variety of tires out there and the weight and size concerns, we highly recommend going to a professional tire expert for your RV tire needs. They will be able to ensure you receive good service and get you the tires you need.
You should also make sure you know some of the basic specifications recommended in your owner’s manual. That way if the tire specialist suggests a different tire, you can ask why. Understanding the reasons behind certain tire choices can help you better understand your rig and how it operates.
Camping World’s service department is happy to provide you with the help you need when it comes to your RV and its tires. Stop in and let one of our service technicians help you.
What tires do you use on your RV? How did you come to use them? Leave a comment below.
