Never RV'd before, need help with cross country routes

[brandydan]

Hi everyone, we are super-super new to the whole RV way of life.

We are relocating from southernmost TX (Cameron County, pretty much seconds away from the border) to northern New Hampshire (as in north of the Presidentials). We have 9 pets; 6 cats, 3 dogs. All are used to doing day trips in the truck.

We have been preparing for this trip for a very long time, but only recently have been able to gather all the things necessary for our trip. We have a Toyota Tundra, 5.7L with tow capability, we purchased a 26' TT, have been taking literal lessons with setting things up, etc.

We KNOW we are way out of our comfort zone, but since we are in no hurry to get to NH, we know that we don't have to rush. Our plans are to travel no more than 300+/- miles a day, and overnight at RV sites along our routes. We pretty much know that it may take anywhere from 5-7 days taking into account weather, traffic, and as we get closer to NH, hills/mountains.

But the routes are a problem. When we input the start and end addresses, the only routes are along the coast of TX, along the Gulf Coast states, then enter the I-95 corridor all the way north, cutting through New England. I've done the NY to FL route in cars before and I personally have zero interest in doing that route with a TT, 9 pets and an almost-guaranteed cranky husband.

I can try to tweak websites to head north through the middle of TX, cut through middle America then through Ohio, PA and NY, at the middle area of NY turn east through VT and NH. But I have no idea how to find where the RV sites are located, or even how to add them into a map.

Can anyone point to perhaps a site or sites where things like this can be inputted? According to my sister, who RVs with her husband along the CA coast, she says it's easy to simply call ahead to any RV site, let them know that we need a pull-through for one night, and voila, there will be one ready. But I know that this is not normally true, and considering that we'll be heading out late August/early September, we may need to have reservations before we even pack the TT.

Outside of 'don't do this, you guys aren't ready' (we know that), can anyone point us in any direction to a site/sites that can help us figure out the route that will take us away from the nightmare that newbies like us really want to avoid with regards to traffic?:@

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

The Good Sam Trip planner with work. You can break the trip into shorter legs.

The shortest route is probably up US-77 to I-10 at Schulenburg, east to I-12 in Baton Rouge, north on I-59 at Slidell, La to I-75 at Chattanooga, TN to I-81 at Knoxville, TN, to I-84 near Scranton, PA to and up I-91 from Connecticut to a cut across highway in New Hampshire.

I would prefer to avoid that route because I don't like driving I-10 across east Texas or Louisiana, and would not want to follow 75/81 through TN and VA. But I haven't driven that route - someone else might be more familiar with it, and that could be a fairly flat route.

I've taken I-84 out of Connecticut to Dallas via Dayton OH, Louisville, KY, Nashville, TN, Memphis, TN, Little Rock, AR, Texarkana, AR/TX. Not bad hills anywhere along the route.

If you go north from Harlingen to the Dallas area, I'd recommend you follow US-77 north to US-79 - thus avoiding the traffic delays near Austin. (Though sometimes I use US-281 to the west of Austin).

[naturist]

I'll second Allstays. It has the most campgrounds in the database. I do use also RV Parky and Good Sam as each have slightly different takes on the parks they list.

I'll also mention that all three also run on the iPod Touch as well as phones, both iOS and Android.

[CloudDriver]

After years of using the Good Sam campground book, I started using the AllStays Camp & RV app on my smartphone last year. More campgrounds than in the paper directory and works great. The Android version is $10 and all the data is stored on the phone, so no internet or cell service is needed to locate a campground.

My suggestion on your route would be to pick up I54 near New Orleans to I75 then I81 to I84 near Scranton PA then I87 to I90 east to I91 north into NH. Avoids all the major cities on the I95 route.

[sayoung]

The GoodSam trip planner lets you change the route by adding a waypoint such as from your starting point you might add Texarkana which will change the route plus you can filter in types of campgrounds within range of your proposed route.
We also use as mentioned RVParky app.
You might get a big U.S. map & lay it out on the table & say I would like to go thru a particular place.

[midnightsadie]

your pets might be your biggest problem. if I owned a CG I might have to turn you away. some one who doesn,t no your animals is going to think about it. have fun and be safe.

[darsben1]

Do you have a generator or do you need full hook ups?

[Jayco-noslide]

Am I the only one freaked out by the number of pets? I don't even know what to say. Nightmare to us.

[ricklord2001]

If you have smartphones I would download the app rv parky. It gives you campgrounds, rest areas (nice for the pets), gas stops and Walmarts

[agesilaus]

Here is what I do:
1) Set an approximate endpoint for the next night, about 300 miles away
2) Use rvparkreview.com to locate campgrounds near that area.
3) Select one, actually I just make note of the CG phone number and when we are an hour or two out call ahead to make reservations. That adds flexibility for unplanned events, which will occur.
4) We use mapping software on a notebook that we run in the truck, it has a gps puck so it tracks our location and does navigation.
5) Go back to item one and repeat when you are in the CG from above.

As a note there is a semicomprehensive campground guide if you'd rather go paper than electronic: CG guide

It can be handy if you don't have a signal for your phone like many places out west.

I can't imagine dragging 9 animals cross country. Have fun

[stickdog]

Google RVpark reviews. GoodSam RV camping and RV parks
Might want to get a GoodSam membership on a trip this long it might pay for it self in park discounts.
Also pick a route and then check state parks near that route sometimes it's nice to get away from the Interstates and the Railroad tracks that so many RV parks are located next to.