Could you see me driving an RV?

Over the Labor Day, my family and I took a trip to Wisconsin. On our way to Lambeau Field for the Green Bay Packer game, my husband kept pointing out all the RV traveling. Once again, he commented - that could be us. Just think. We could travel the country in an RV. Think of all the sites we could visit. From the biggest ball of twine to all the restaurants from Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, the possibilities are endless.

Of course, I let him go on, thinking to myself that an RV really isn't for us. But as time continued (it's a 4 hour trip in the mini-van), the idea of more space and less noise, might just be a possibility for us. 

Plus, when we arrived in Green Bay, there were lots of RVs in the various parking lots. These families camped out over night and saved on hotel rooms. (If you've gotten a hotel in Green Bay during a Packer game, you know that the price tag can cause quite a shock). 

Since, I like lots of information to make an informed decision, I spoke with Ryan Lee of Monaco Coach and Holiday Ramble and he answered my questions. Here are my questions and his responses.

RVs seem like big vehicles to drive. How hard is it? Also should I be concerned with going under an overpass or bridge?
They are actually very easy to drive once you get comfortable. We have many great features like side vision cameras that highlight blind spots along with a backup camera to help with parking. We have many male and female customers that drive the units and once they get comfortable the really enjoy the visibility and comfort our products provide. The only time you may run into clearance issues would be on old highways, we are well under all underpasses on major thoroughfares.


Do you need any special license or permit to drive?
This is state dependent. Most states do not require a special permit but some due.


With fuel prices increasing, how much to fill a tank, and what distance/range do you get? Do you think this is a good value?
Using the national average of 3.60 and using a typical Gas RV fuel tank of 75 gallons to fill up your cost is $270. Average fuel economy is 9 to 11 gallons so taking the median of 10 you can travel  750 miles on one tank. This is a very long distance and when you take into consideration that you are not paying for Hotel, Restaurants and a plan ticket for vacation this is a tremendous value.


Is there working TV/Satellite Radio/DVD player?
Yes we offer all 3 and even over blue ray, i-pod hook ups and blue tooth.


How do you get clean water?
The RV has a water filtration system on board so all water is filtered before drinking.


If I am driving for just a few days, do I need to worry about waste removal?
It really depends on your usage of the sinks, showers, and toilets. I would say if you were thoughtful no you would not have to worry about water removal. I would like to mention that waste removal is a very simple process involving pulling one valve and hooking a hose up to a waste station.


How hard is it to find places to stop that would accept RVs? Where can you find places with power hook-ups?
There are thousands of RV parks around North America so it’s very easy to find a place to stop. Also note that Wal-Mart and Flying J/Pilot fuel stations welcome RVers. Most RV parks have power and water.


Is there enough space for a family?
Yes many of our units have between 400 to 500 square feet which in some cases are larger than apartments.


Need any special insurance?
You do need RV insurance but it is very affordable and is easily added on to your home or car provider.


What do you with younger children?  Is there seating that is car seat ready?
We have seat belts in all of our sofas for children. You would have to bring you own car seat to put into the unit.


What is the most popular destination to take a RV trip?
National Parks, Disneyland/Disneyworld, Nascar Races, Sporting events and Concert events rank as some of the highest destination points. 

Needless to say, Ryan provided me with lots of information on why an RV could work for us. Now onto the other part, the cost. I'm continuing to look into whether an RV is right for our family. 

Do you have any questions or thoughts about a family traveling by RV or owning an RV? Please share your experiences with me as I continue to gather more information on our RV decision.  

5 comments:

  1. My husband and I always talk about traveling the country in an RV, a lot of our friends have RV's that cost more than three times the cost of our home! Sheesh, we go every year to the RV Show in Mpls and always find a cute one for like 20,000 :-)

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  2. I love this post because it is a dream of my husband's to cross the country in an RV and I am still trying to wrap my brain around it! Admittedly I do love the idea of packing up our dogs and heading off into the sunset to do a little antiquing and sight-seeing, but I have always seen myself as a room-service and comfy bed sort of girl.....but then again....all the money we could save on hotels and airfare just might mean more room in the budget for "souveniers," right??? :-)

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  3. I like the thought of RVing but don't really want to do it. We were near each other over the weekend though!

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  4. I think it's a great idea! I have always thought I would like to travel the country by RV one day and visit all the national parks.

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  5. My parents did a lot of RV-ing when I was young and those were some of the best memories I have of growing up. I also remember what a nuisance it was to set up the satellite dish so that we could watch games. Now I work for DISH Network and they just released the HDTV Tailgater system which eliminates the hassle of setting up the dish. It’s portable, lightweight and it conveniently aligns itself wherever you travel. Look into the Tailgater for the easiest and cheapest setup if you choose to have the luxury of HDTV on your future RV. http://goo.gl/vd4M4

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