We bought our 3320bh to do a lot of camping, we went 5 times in 3 months....which is a lot as we hadn't gone camping ever in 10 years previously.....but in November, I have to tow it to Brownsville, TX. 1743 miles. Is it feasible to just pull into a campground without a reservation and expect a spot? Or should I plan out 500 mile days and book a reservation ahead of time? Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.

It is feasible but may not be best.Can you spend a night without being plugged into shore power and connected to water?If you cannot then reservations are best.If you can spend a night or two in a rest area or Walmart then no advance reservations just call as you get close. The have been reports of no spots in some popular areas after 4-5 PM as RVers tend to stop early when going to spend an overnight

I think it would depend on if you're trying to take it slow and enjoy the trip or just get to TX. I would make a general plan and research some options so you can see what kind of availability they have if you do need to roll in at a random hour or without a reservation. Also research a few WalMarts or Cracker Barrel's in the area and make sure they allow overnight parking as a last resort or a quick napping spot.From my experience most places will have a spot open unless it's some vacation destination or an event is going on, but to play it safe do some research and call some places, so you have options and certain points throughout your trip. For me, reservations make me feel like I'm locked in to making a stop when I have an RV for freedom of stopping whenever we want. Again, it all depends on what you want to do during the trip. If you're trying to camp along the way, find the best stops with things to do and find a campground near there. If you're trying to get through it as fast as possible, have some check points in mind with phone numbers handy and whenever you're ready to stop, just pull in and get some sleep. I haven't used it yet, but I have the RVParky app on my phone. Good Sam also has a campground directory available. I love state and national parks personally, but there are time restrictions on when you can arrive to some.Over 1700 miles will take at least 3 days of a lot of driving, so I'd prob pick some hot spots to stay along the way and spend a little time enjoying the area, so I didn't drive myself insane by just staring at the white and yellow lines going by for 3 straight days.When we drive from FL to MD and back, I researched a few options of places to stop overnight. I found a Walmart in Florence, SC that was a good mid way point for a break. That's a 1000 mile trip (FL to MD) that we do in 2 days with the trailer. Sleep for about 6 hours in the Walmart lot at the midway point and then back on the road to finish the trek.

I appreciate it, I am doing a no cost move from Virginia to Brownsville. Definitely not a sight seeing trip....as fast as I can get there, the better. I thought about the walmart thing, but it's a travel trailer, and no electricity? How does walmart work? Do you park then go into Customer Service? Not sure I want to do advanced reservations as then I feel like RavensFan and LOCKED in. Not sure how much more strenuous this is going to be than just driving my truck without a trailer....I am usually good for about 600 miles without towing.

For me personally, 400miles/7.5 hours pulling is a tiring but doable day. 500 miles/9 hours is at my limit.If you're worried about electricity just buy a cheap generator. The're noisy, but it doesnt really matter if your are boondocking at a truckstop for the night

In November, I don't see you needing electricity for an overnight stay. If its super cold, some extra blankets will get the job done. Or like 'GolfCart' said, grab a generator to be able to run your heat if needed. If you're looking to save money though, just suck it up with blankets. We stayed in Florence, SC in late June in a Walmart and it was hot, but I just turned on the Fantastic Fan and a floor fan plugged into an inverter and we stayed cool enough to sleep through the night, even though it was already 80 something early in the morning.To avoid being bothered at Walmart, just go in and let them know you'll be staying in the lot overnight. They appreciate the heads up and might tell you to park in a certain area. I typically just park without notifying if I see other RVs or tractor trailers parked there and I stay towards the back and as far from others as possible. Some WalMarts don't allow overnight parking, but there are usually signs if that is the case. It's rare and most of the time that happens in/near cities. The nice thing is many are open 24 hours so you can grab some late night supplies or food and be ready to roll come the morning.Just don't push it too far. The last thing you want is to be tired, trying to find a place to sleep and hauling a few thousand pounds behind you. One quick head doze when you're sleepy and you could have 50ft of vehicle/trailer flying all over the road. Plan for 100 miles every 2 hours while towing. That's a basic rule some truckers use and it worked out to be almost exactly that on our trip from FL to MD and back.

TRAVELLING FROM VIRGINIA TO BROWNSVILLE, TX | Good Sam Community

2112
Explorer II
Sep 25, 2015
theogre1969 wrote:

Going to work, work, work in South Texas. I cant wait. I am so excited, you have no idea. A new adventure in my life.

Welcome to Texas :C
theogre1969
Explorer
Sep 24, 2015
Trailering Texans wrote:
Buy a Good Sam RV Directory. Buy a couple of battery powered lanterns. Fill up your fresh water tank. Charge your batteries. Drive till you get tired the first night. Pull into a Walmart. Look for the other folks in RVs parked out on the fringes. Park near a light. Go inside WM and use the facilities, buy something to eat that doesn't require heating up or much clean up (Deli, etc Or maybe just eat in their McD's if they have one.) Go out to trailer, eat dinner by lantern light, go snuggle under the covers and read your book by lantern light til you fall asleep. Get up the next day and start over. If you think you need a shower and a hot meal by the second day check out your Good Sam Directory and find a park along the route. Call ahead and make sure they have a spot. Try to stop by 6 or 7pm. Set up. Have a hot shower, cook dinner, watch tv, fill up water tanks, dump. Get up the next day and repeat day one. Hope you enjoy South Texas!!

Going to work, work, work in South Texas. I cant wait. I am so excited, you have no idea. A new adventure in my life. I like your ideas the best. I think I will go your route...thank you for the advice.
theogre1969
Explorer
Sep 24, 2015
txredfish1 wrote:
It could depend on what part of November you arrive. Winter Texans start arriving in November. A lot of them already have reservations way ahead of time. I would certainly call ahead a couple of days before arrival and get reservations at least for a couple of nights to insure you have a place to stay.
I live near Corpus Christi and RV parks begin to get crowded from November to April. If you are sure about a particular campground, then you should make reservations for a few days prior to when you think you will get there. Paying for a couple of extra days prior to arrival is better than not having a place or having to wait for an opening. Just some things to consider.

I am staying long term at VIP La Feria when I get to the RGV area.
prichardson
Explorer
Sep 24, 2015
At that time of the year you should not have a problem finding overnight stops without reservations. Long term in Brownsville may be another story as the Snowbirds will be starting to arrive. I think you will find that 500 miles is a very long day.
jmaotto
Explorer
Sep 24, 2015
I don't think you will have a problem finding an RV park, especially if you travel during the week. I usually call ahead maybe a couple of hours before arrival to check for a vacancy. You will rest better with a full hookup.
wtmtnhiker
Explorer
Sep 24, 2015
We traveled around the south and southwest for 2 years without making a reservation and always found a spot. When we were getting tired we would get out our Woodall's and start calling. We were never turned away. We were were on the road December to March/April. Making a reservation obligates you to be somewhere at a certain time. There may have been times when we would have wanted to drive farther or stop sooner.
Trailering_Texa
Explorer
Sep 24, 2015
Buy a Good Sam RV Directory. Buy a couple of battery powered lanterns. Fill up your fresh water tank. Charge your batteries. Drive till you get tired the first night. Pull into a Walmart. Look for the other folks in RVs parked out on the fringes. Park near a light. Go inside WM and use the facilities, buy something to eat that doesn't require heating up or much clean up (Deli, etc Or maybe just eat in their McD's if they have one.) Go out to trailer, eat dinner by lantern light, go snuggle under the covers and read your book by lantern light til you fall asleep. Get up the next day and start over. If you think you need a shower and a hot meal by the second day check out your Good Sam Directory and find a park along the route. Call ahead and make sure they have a spot. Try to stop by 6 or 7pm. Set up. Have a hot shower, cook dinner, watch tv, fill up water tanks, dump. Get up the next day and repeat day one. Hope you enjoy South Texas!!
txredfish1
Explorer
Sep 24, 2015
I don't know your plan or if you have traveled coming to TX from VA in November. I have traveled from eastern KY to Corpus several times. I like the southern route versus a northern colder route due to weather in November which sometimes can be unpredictable. When leaving Corpus we take state Hwy 35 around south Houston, to Bay Town TX, to Beumont TX, to Baton Rouge LA, to Mobile AL, to Chattanoga TN, Knoxville TN, on to eastern KY. Return the same way. Your exact route may vary from mine depending on what you want to see or visit, and where you are leaving from in VA. But you get the idea. This way I bypass the larger cities like Houston and Atlanta. Houston is OK on Sat or Sun, but other than that you might want to avoid. When traveling through TX by the way of Houston, Hwy 59 and 77 are very good hiways. The only reason I take hiway 35 from Corpus, I live about 30 miles north of Corpus right off hiway 35.
Going to 77 to 59 is a little out of my way.
txredfish1
Explorer
Sep 24, 2015
It could depend on what part of November you arrive. Winter Texans start arriving in November. A lot of them already have reservations way ahead of time. I would certainly call ahead a couple of days before arrival and get reservations at least for a couple of nights to insure you have a place to stay.
I live near Corpus Christi and RV parks begin to get crowded from November to April. If you are sure about a particular campground, then you should make reservations for a few days prior to when you think you will get there. Paying for a couple of extra days prior to arrival is better than not having a place or having to wait for an opening. Just some things to consider.
BarneyS
Explorer III
Sep 24, 2015
theogre1969 wrote:
thank you everyone for the tips.....unfortunately time is not my friend. Once I get to Brownsville area I have to set up the trailer for full time living and explore the area as I have never been there. Never been a car sleeper. Don't like to get to the point of exhaustion. I guess I will try for 500 miles a day. that should be a safe distance. Get a good nights rest and get back at it the next day.

500 miles per day is going to translate into 10 hours of driving time. You will average around 50mph if you stop for gas and potty breaks a couple of times.
Barney

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