Toronto to FL, Newbie need some advices.

Peter

We just completed the trip from London, ON to central Florida along I-75 and were lucky enough to stay in campgrounds all the way. North of Cincinnati, there are very few open but there are a couple. Once you get into Kentucky and south, there are more open campgrounds -- and most within 1/2 mile of I-75.

We found that using campgrounds, the electric heater kept us cozy at night in our 32' motor home and the hydro was free.

Any campgrounds that are open, are not busy and reservations not necessary. Once you get into Central Florida, things will change as they are filling up with snowbirds. Call in advance just to be safe.

Have a safe and enjoyable trip in your new rig.

p.s. -- we stayed in KOA and Good Sam Parks and found all were clean, had friendly, helpful staff and last but not least -- good wifi connections.

Just a heads up about the dog. MANY CG's have a size and weight limit. Usually around 30 lbs. Some even have a banned breed list which you dog might be listed.

Sooo, call ahead and see which CG's will allow your pet.

Welcome and have a nice safe trip. :C

Thanks Dream_Chaser! & rockhillmanor . Very useful information for me. My dog is about 65 lbs. I'll call ahead and check which CG's allow my pet. When I call the CG to make a reservation in FL, do I need to tell them the accurate arrive date? If the weather is no good on the way, the date may be delay, can I call them to keep my reservation in that case?

Thanks again.

Peter

You will definitely need to be close to accurate on your arrival dates. We're in FL now and have noticed that parks are definitely more crowded this year compared to our past 2 winters.

I suggest that you utilize RV Park Reviews.com for researching potential parks. Using this site you can click on the various park websites and those sites will often list their rules (dogs included). You can sometimes reserve a site online too.

http://www.rvparkreviews.com/

You will likely want to get into warmer temps before camping because, as you say, you're a newbie and your inexperience will likely work against you in regard to what some of us long-timers have learned over the years. And the comment about taking an electric space heater is a great suggestion. Keep using this forum and others on this site to ask questions about what to take, where to camp, and anything else that pops into your head.

Many of the parks will be full or nearly full in February. Don't let that discourage you though because there are a lot of parks in Florida. The further north and central the better your chances. Check around Ocala, Bushnell, Clermont in the north/central area. Sebring, Avon Park, Winter Haven, Arcadia further south. Definitely call ahead though.

Good luck with your trip and safe trailering.

The toughest will be your first stop. I believe the KOA in Findlay OH will do the trick for you. It is open on the honor system (unmaintained and no water in winter), but it is a place to park and if I remember correctly it should be around 6ish hours from Toronto. Kentucky Horse Park State Park near Lexington KT may be a good second stop, again around another 6 hours but also no water in the winter. If I remember, both stops are just off I75 and once you clear the mountains you will probably have no trouble finding open parks and you may be able to de-winterize at the next stop.

I know you said that this would be your first RV trip but have you ever pulled an RV before? If not, I recommend a short trip in Ontario so you can learn what's what. Unfortunately, this is not the time of year to be doing that.

I'm concerned that you'll be taking a brand new trailer across the border with no shakedown. You know that these things never work perfectly right out of the box, right? Could be warranty issues.

joebedford wrote:
I know you said that this would be your first RV trip but have you ever pulled an RV before? If not, I recommend a short trip in Ontario so you can learn what's what. Unfortunately, this is not the time of year to be doing that.

I'm concerned that you'll be taking a brand new trailer across the border with no shakedown. You know that these things never work perfectly right out of the box, right? Could be warranty issues.

Good point!
You could try a night or two in the driveway. Not quite a full shakedown but if you pack like you are going on a trip, no going back into the house for the forgotten toothbrush :) that may be enough to feel comfortable with the rig and to identify any major deficiencies.

Blueberry Hill RV Resort in Bushnell, FL, right off I-75 will suit your needs and they always seem to have room.

Thanks everyone. Thanks joebedford & rwbradley's special point.

I never pulled an RV before, and my trailer is brand new. I know the driving will be more difficulty when pulled an RV, especially in turning. Maybe I need to use one day to practice how to driving with my RV in local area before we go.

Peter

First of all I commend you on your spirit of adventure and willingness to take on something new. I saw this post earlier and it kind of raised my eyebrows but I thought I would just stay out of it. I just can’t keep quiet any longer though.
Please do not take this the wrong way but I believe you are being very naïve and unprepared for what you are about to do. You will be travelling on the 401 to Windsor at the absolutely worst time of year for surprise weather conditions, you are towing a moderately sized travel trailer with an SUV, you have absolutely no towing experience, and you have absolutely no experience with RV’ing.
So here is my 2 cents for whatever it is worth;
• Do you have a proper brake controller on your tow vehicle?
• Do you have adequate mirrors for towing?
• Do you have a hitch, equalizer bars, etc. that are rated for the tow vehicle/trailer combination?
• Is your tow vehicle equipped with a towing package that includes a transmission cooler?
• Make sure your dealer spends at least an hour with you going over your trailer when you pick it up.
• Make sure your dealer sets up the trailer tongue and hitch height correctly when you pick it up.
• Find out if any major warranty work will be honoured by dealers in the U.S. and where they are located.
• Before you even think about embarking on this trip try to get a few miles under your belt towing on the DVP, 401, 404, or similar roads around Toronto convenient to you. If you can find an area with some narrower construction lanes to try out then even better.
• Be very aware of the weather and road conditions you will be encountering. For example, there is a fairly long stretch in northern Ohio that is quite open and prone to crosswinds similar to the 401 between London and Windsor. There is also a stretch about 15 miles long when you first enter Tennessee that is at a higher elevation and can have winter weather or heavy fog when the rest of the area is clear.
• Have you ever backed a trailer of any kind into a driveway?
• Do you have any idea what your fuel tank range will be while towing?
• Get a decent measurement on the trailer height for when you try to go under that hotel canopy.
• Get an emergency road service provider (CAA, Good Sam, Coachnet, etc.) that will cover the RV as well.

As for the trip down I-75, I have done it many times in January and February from the Hamilton area. Based on your limited experience I recommend using hotels until you get to at least Chattanooga. The KOA at Findlay/Bluffton will be too far north and too cold for you. No washrooms or showers, nothing open nearby, and electrical hookup only. They advertise full hookups but they are either taken by permanent residents or frozen. If you insist on using a campground earlier then the Lexington Horse Park may be an option if the weather is mild. Their showers and washrooms are open and clean. There are electrical hookups but the water is shut off until March but their dumping station is open with water available.
There is a lot of knowledge and experience on this forum so don’t be afraid to ask questions. We were all newbies once. With mild weather and clear dry roads it could very well turn out to be an uneventful and enjoyable trip. It is quite an undertaking for your first trip out and I hope everything goes well for you.