Newbie needs advice for 1st RV trip in a week.
We just purchased a used Gulf Stream BT cruiser 5291 which we will pick up in Missouri and then head out to Colorado to spend some time with my parents. From there we plan to go through Rocky Mtn Natl, Grand Tetons Natl and Yellowstone. If all is still going well we will press on to Oregon (Portland, Salem, Coast, Bend) then down thru Northern California to Mammoth before heading back to Florida. The plan is to do it in about 4-5 weeks.
It will be my wife and I along with our 7 and 10 year old kids. We've traveled a lot and camped but have very little experience with Rvs so we really don't know where to begin and are very open to any suggestions. I realize we are jumping into a big trip right out of the gate but we have a lot of flexibility so we can shorten it as necessary.
Some newbie ?s I have are:
When it's hot out, does the dash ac cool off back to the couch at least or do most people drive with open windows, plug in internal fans, the roof ac going? Would you have to run generator to run roof ac? Can that be done while driving?
What appliances/outlets work while you are driving down the road and again, does the generator have to be started or does the engine generate enough power to watch tv, use microwave, etc?
Do we need to really plan out our dates and reserve campsites in advance? This may be hard because we won't know how far we will want to drive and what time we will make until we get some days behind us and know what it's like. What is a good website/mobile app to find sites along our route?
What are some things you learned the hard way that you wish you knew before hitting the road?
Any suggestions on routes or campsites around the Pacific Northwest?
The good thing is we will drive it from Missouri to Colorado and then stay there for a week or so at my parents before we head out on our trip so we will have time to sort through things and stock up.
Thanks so much for all your help!
It will be my wife and I along with our 7 and 10 year old kids. We've traveled a lot and camped but have very little experience with Rvs so we really don't know where to begin and are very open to any suggestions. I realize we are jumping into a big trip right out of the gate but we have a lot of flexibility so we can shorten it as necessary.
Some newbie ?s I have are:
When it's hot out, does the dash ac cool off back to the couch at least or do most people drive with open windows, plug in internal fans, the roof ac going? Would you have to run generator to run roof ac? Can that be done while driving?
What appliances/outlets work while you are driving down the road and again, does the generator have to be started or does the engine generate enough power to watch tv, use microwave, etc?
Do we need to really plan out our dates and reserve campsites in advance? This may be hard because we won't know how far we will want to drive and what time we will make until we get some days behind us and know what it's like. What is a good website/mobile app to find sites along our route?
What are some things you learned the hard way that you wish you knew before hitting the road?
Any suggestions on routes or campsites around the Pacific Northwest?
The good thing is we will drive it from Missouri to Colorado and then stay there for a week or so at my parents before we head out on our trip so we will have time to sort through things and stock up.
Thanks so much for all your help!
