RV Trip Planning

If you get to Corpus Christi check out Padre Island National Seashore, no reservations needed, If you are a Sr, buy a lifetime pass to National Parks ($10) and stay for $4 per night,

I make reservations at "destination" CGs where I plan to stay for several days. Between those places for just one night, I don't make reservations, but I pull out about 8AM and plan to stop about 3PM. With stops for gas and potty breaks, that's about 300 miles a day. I prefer FHUs including cable and WIFI and have to have 30A electric for medical reasons, so I search for KOAs because they have the amenities that I like and so many people on this board hate them that there's always a spot for me. :)

Captain_Happy wrote:
Heads up. If your planning on driving through west Texas, you won't find an RV Park space on I-20 between Van Horn & Abilene because of the oil field workers.

And most of the way across rte 10 as well.

oh, and X2 on the Allstays app. Best app ever.
has rest areas, campgrounds, truck stops, low bridges, stores such as Walmart, Costco, cabelas, and so much more

We full-timed for 16 years without making very many reservations. Since your trip is in March and April you definitely will not need reservations.

You didn't state your interests but if you enjoy the outdoors, scenic beauty and perhaps some light hiking, definitely consider staying in public parks - national, national forests, state parks and even city and county parks. You would enjoy it much better than the KOA types, plus, it will be cheaper.

Benchmark puts out a terrific atlas for each western state. You can find them online or sometimes in book stores or even Costco. They have so much detail in them with easy-to-read maps of side roads and the public parks and that's where you'll find the beauty - not on the interstates.

Also, don't try to travel a lot of hours. A good plan is around 200-300 miles max and even less in prime areas. Pull into your campground early afternoon and you'll still have time to do a little siteseeing, shopping or just relaxing.

You'll have a great trip and I predict you'll go for more at a later time!

Thank you all for your suggestions. I also appreciate all of the resources you shared with me. I am not prone to making reservations way a head of time. Ever since I retired I like to maintain flexibility to stay longer or pursue an area of interest that popped up on our route.

Thanks you all again.

I would suggest avoiding beach areas in TX during the 2 week of March due to Spring Break at most Texas public schools & colleges...It may even run over into the 3rd week, but most I know are around March 9th...You may not even be anywhere close to Texas by then, but just thought I'd give a heads up!

sdianel wrote:
I use www.mapquest.com or google maps to trip route. Then I find cities along the way to stop, about 300 miles apart. I use www.woodalls.com to locate campgrounds near that city (search by city and state and filter by distance). I select a couple of options and check them out on www.rvparkreviews.com for final selection. I also use google maps satellite view to zoom in and see the entrance and what the sites look like. We don't make reservations unless it's the weekend or a popular tourist area. We do call on our way to make sure they have sites.

These are good and we've used these as well. Another good resource for reviews of local sights, restaurants, etc is TripAdvisor.com.

I only make reservations for areas with heavy tourist traffic such as National Parks, etc and my primary destinations where I intend to stay for extended periods. For overnight I guestimate where I think I'll stop and start calling mid afternoon. On the road I use the allstays website and rvparkreviews.com. Both have provided me with some very nice campsites.

Heads up. If your planning on driving through west Texas, you won't find an RV Park space on I-20 between Van Horn & Abilene because of the oil field workers.

For public campgrounds: uscampgrounds
For cheap private campgrounds for laundry and dump day: passport america

We typically look at our schedule in two month increments. For example, our recent two months were the southeast US. We decide the 'one thing we must do' during the two months. For me, it was the keys, for DH it was the leaves changing in the Smokies. Then we wing it but keep those two things in mind. I visited reserve america every morning, and managed to snag oceanfront campgrounds in Bahia Honda and Long Key (two weeks in the keys!) when someone else cancelled theirs. We got a creekside site in Smokemont for a week when someone cancelled their days.

Except for the 'two things,' we bounce around to where ever we find a campsite we like - on a river, on a lake, with a mountain view - in an area we would like to explore. I have a hard time staying in an unattractive campground squished in like sardines so we tend to spend most of our time in state and national parks.

If you get the chance, Utah is very much worth your time, if you haven't been there already. In Arizona, check out the Cottonwood/Sedona area. If you go down Phoenix way, try Usery Mountain Park or Lost Dutchman State Park.

Have a great trip! Four years ago, DH and I bought a 22' tt to see if we liked rving. We loved it so much, we sold everything and are now full time. I hope you enjoy your travels just as much.