experiences and thoughts for a new guy in training

Here was our experience in 1990 with three kids and our "see the USA" vacation. We had a wonderful time. Kids were 12, 9 and 4 and we rented a Chevy mini van locally for a very reasonable price for 3 weeks. I think it was about $1200. We had a large (10 x 10) family dome tent and typical family camping gear. We packed camping stuff in those large rubbermaid containers and stored in the rear of the van. Part of the time we had the rear seats folded down so the kids and an adult could nap--we had an old station wagon vinyl covered mattress--no seatbelts with the seats down though. It was back before kids couldn't ride in the front seat.
Started in Indiana and stopped in Missouri for the George Washington Carver site, someplace that had red dirt that got everywhere for an overnight in Oklahoma (Red Rock State Park), stopped at Bandelier in New Mexico, Los Alamos, Santa Fe and on to Arizona and the Grand Canyon, up to Las Vegas, and yes it was the kids favorite place--stayed at Circus Circus one night for about $25--crazy. Then to Yosemite and on to San Francisco--my sister lives near there. Through the redwoods and up the coast to the Columbia River and Dalles Dam (homage to Woody Guthrie) and briefly into Washington to say we had been there. Back across to Yellowstone, so impressive, then to Mt. Rushmore and through the sand hills of South Dakota (that was a long drive) we stayed in Valentine, NE in the free city camping park--we decided we loved Valentine. Finally through Iowa and home to Indiana. I used a lap top and some Rand McNally software to plan the trip and the travel times. Ancient technology now. We also got a triptik from AAA.
It is more than doable to "see the USA" or at least some of its major sites in 3 weeks and our kids did get tired of travel but we read aloud and sang songs together. I'm so glad we did it.
We would have been more comfortable in an RV but it was not necessary or affordable for us at the time. Do it and make your memories. They are irreplacable.

Your original plan reads like a an outline of a movie about a RV vacation from Hell. If you had some past experience touring with an RV full of kids the number of activities and places to visit would be much smaller with provisions for just relaxing and enjoying camping activities between driving days. Plan on stopping every 100 miles or so for everybody to take a break. Kids need to run around, you and wife need to rest up from harsh ride and road noise of RV driving, eat lunch, etc. Make sure that the RV has good quality tires that are nearly new and properly inflated and that the engine cooling system, brakes, suspension and steering are in good shape. The generator should start easily and be able to run the roof AC and microwave at the same time. The awning should be in good shape and easy to operate.The fridge should operate properly in both propane and electric modes. The house batteries should charge properly from the converter/charger when plugged into shore power. All batteries should be in newish/good condition. The roof AC and dash AC should both blow cold air. The furnace and roof AC should operate properly from the thermostat control. There are specific procedures for operating the RV generator, water heater, fridge, roof AC unit and awning that you need to know before leaving. A practice run to a local RV park is a good idea to discover and correct problems before you take off on the big adventure.

I agree with the ones who say too much. I have been doing RVs since 1969 and if you want to keep mama happy make sure she doesn't end up getting to a CG at 7:00PM, having to set up, make a meal and clean up. She won't like RVing if that is what the schedule ends up to be. It is nice to be able to sleep late some days and just do nothing for a day. Are you planning a toad? It is a lot easier to take a small vehicle for parking in crowded tourist sites.

I see the comment from people who have TTs about making sure you can get to the bathroom. In all the MHs I have seen this is not a problem. They are designed differently.

For size being difficult to handle. I have also driven tour buses and school buses and have found there is very little difference in length. Turning does make a difference, but is something you get used to rather quickly.

About the only thing I could add , everybody has pretty much explained and covered everything else . RESERVATIONS AT SPECIFIC PLACES !!!

Last summer middle of June we drove down to San Fran , it had been years since we went out to Alcatraz , we went up to get tickets, the lady said sure 2 tickets first time we have available is JULY 1st.
Yosemite CG's same thing some are booked out a year in advance !

I know you said as it gets closer we can adjust places etc.
For major places you might want to be checking out their websites and reservation schedule's.

Two years ago we did the Sac Ca. to Washington DC run in 26 days (8 of those days we stayed in College Park CG MD and saw DC )and 21 states.
in a small 23ft C . Just the two of us no kids no pets , there were some long days in the saddle driving !
We saw alot of country ,but we also missed alot of country too !

You have received so much spot on advice thus far. Here is my two cents. My perspective is that of a brand new RV'er who has a 6 year old, has recently driven from NYC to LA and just purchased a used and former rental 25 ft RV.

Here are my new to the RV thing observations or things I have noticed that I didn't consider before purchasing. They may help you a little. One, driving 5 hours in an RV feels like 10 hours in my Mini Cooper. It takes more concentration. Two, driving in an RV takes almost twice as long. Literally. Three, the learning curve is higher than I thought and the appliances don't really work like normal house appliances. That goes for the toilet, fridge, stove and more. I assumed I was basically buying a house on wheels. Not so much. It is a "special" house on wheels. LOL. We mostly dry camp in our RV so that presents even more special considerations. Four, it is not safe or practical to let your kids run around in a class C RV like it is a house. For some reason my brain pictured this possibility but this is not a reality in a class C. This makes long driving trips almost as tedious for kids. Five, some people and kids and dogs get sick in a moving RV. These things bounce and shake like a boat. Six, if the brochure says it will comfortably sleep six then count on maybe four small people tops. Seven, after you buy one you still have to spend about 1k or more getting it ready to use. Sheets, pillows, pots, pans, chemicals, hoses, and more. It adds up quickly. So for all of these reasons and more, I would suggest renting one for a long weekend and trying it out before going out for 40 days. You may love RVing. We sure do! :)

One suggestion. If you are stuck on buying instead of renting and If your budget is tight take a look at buying a used RV from Cruise America. Their RV's have more miles and are generally older but they are cheaper. I just did. Previously, I spent a few years looking at private sales that were roached out and needed 5k in work and were still selling for 30k plus. I got one for under 20k with new tires, brakes, tranny, new bedding, belts, new paint, new battery, all appliances only a few years old, and they let me stay there for 8 hours with the guy who fixes the RV's while I made a list of 42 things I wanted replaced or addressed and they replaced them on the spot, no questions asked. Try that with a private seller! They even let me come back after two months and fixed a few more things I missed or wasn't happy with for free. They refurbish them with new paint and other items as well before selling them. IMHO, any first time RV buyer who will not be keeping his RV for a long time (I will likely sell or trade mine in in 4-5 yrs) and is just a weekend warrior like me should strongly consider this option. I now own a nice and fully functional weekend RV for what I would have paid for just the down payment on a new one in the same class plus a 10 year mortgage for an additional 40k. Yikes!

That said, it is not a good option for everyone. The negatives include a very basic RV with no frills, an engine you will likely be putting at least a little money into each year after the warranty is up unless you get the two offered extended warranties for five years assuming they cover the potential issue, a slightly used look, a slightly under powered engine in the mountains IMHO, and more I am sure I will discover as I learn more and use it more. Of course you may still end up with some of these negatives buying from a private seller used or even buying new.

Random answers: Slide outs? Not worth it but this is coming from a former and avid tent camper. I agree with getting a shorter RV. Many of the best places have size restrictions or a lack of spaces for RV's above 24 feet especially in the west and here in California. Plus, I can still easily park in most lots. One AC is fine. Spend more time in the west. The state and national parks out west are AMAZING! My wife still hasn't driven the RV. It scares her and to be honest it scares me a little too but then again my daily driver is a mini cooper. :). In California, buying a used RV froma private seller isn't easy. There appears to be two types of people here in Cali. One is the RV owner and the other is the person who wants to buy an RV. Californians love to camp and that reality drives up prices and dries up inventory. Maybe better in Florida? My daughter loves the RV. It has brought us closer as a family. No tv, no internet, just long hikes and plenty of card games!

I hope my ramblimg helps. Good luck!

You've gotten a lot of good advice ... I'd would be very careful with putting all your 10 yr anniversary "eggs" in one basket. My DW loves the rv life like me but for our 10 yr we went to Jamaica for a week and it was just the relaxing trip we needed.

My suggestion is to find a way to make sure momma will be happy with this trip, before you take the plunge. You're both going to have to learn quite a lot about rving in a relatively short amount of time and travel great distances.

The way I'd do it is to rent one and try a weekend away together as a family where she can set her beach chair. See how that goes. My 2 cents :)

travellandmark wrote:

Tyler0215 wrote:
but when we got home all they could tell there friends about were the bison in Custer State Park. My advice to you is cut your plans in half, start out and see what happens. Just relax, and everyone will have good time and good memories. If you have been to Disney 6 times in one year, why do it again?

Ironic you mention the Bison. As we are cutting the trip down my wife said she would like to see roaming buffalo. Custer state park it is. And... My wife is a Disney person and would go there every weekend if she could. She was raised in Jersey, both her parents were teachers and they would spend 3 weeks there every summer, 1 week at christmas, and 1 week for spring break. Every year.

Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground, one of the highest ranked campgrounds in the US (Also one of the more expensive ones).

Tyler0215 wrote:
but when we got home all they could tell there friends about were the bison in Custer State Park. My advice to you is cut your plans in half, start out and see what happens. Just relax, and everyone will have good time and good memories. If you have been to Disney 6 times in one year, why do it again?

Ironic you mention the Bison. As we are cutting the trip down my wife said she would like to see roaming buffalo. Custer state park it is. And... My wife is a Disney person and would go there every weekend if she could. She was raised in Jersey, both her parents were teachers and they would spend 3 weeks there every summer, 1 week at christmas, and 1 week for spring break. Every year.

WOW This isn't a vacation, it's a marathon. From my own experience I can tell you that you are trying to do way to much. Several years age my wife and I and three kids, age 10, 14 ,15 went for 3 weeks on a trip out west from Iowa. I planned each days driving time, stop and activities. Made all the reservations so we didn't need to worry about a full camp ground, and hit the road for an enjoyable, carefree vacation. The first few days were OK but I found myself falling behind my schedule and was constantly telling everyone to hurry up. It finally dawned on me that no one was enjoying themselves, me included. We stopped at a very nice campground that we had reservations for, And sat down with the family and re-thought the whole trip. Despite all my carefull planning, no one was enjoying the trip. We cancelled all the reservations that we could, and just chilled out for an extra day,slept late,fixed a big breakfast, spent the day swimming and just laziing around. The next day we decided what to do and where to go.
We cut my list in half, but we all enjoyed the rest of the trip. The only thing my kids wanted to do was stop at the Mall of America in Minnesota on the way home from the Black Hills, that was all they could talk about on the way there. but when we got home all they could tell there friends about were the bison in Custer State Park. My advice to you is cut your plans in half, start out and see what happens. Just relax, and everyone will have good time and good memories. If you have been to Disney 6 times in one year, why do it again?

You might consider a rental return. They usually have high miles but have been well maintained.
- Some come with 12 month warranty.
- Designed to minimize failures when used by inexperienced RVers
- Common size is 28ft
- No slide or awning to deal with
- includes air conditoner
- Usually include a 4000Kw Generator

Cruise America, elmonteRV, america adventure rv, etc