USA RVing Tips, Tech, Pets & More

During the 8 years we spent RVing across the USA I wrote a bunch of articles covering just about everything we ever learned about the lifestyle. Below you’ll find a summary of all the main categories of “stuff” that I covered from general RV tips to technology, RVing with pets, volunteering and health care. There’s lots of juicy stuff here, so whether you’re a newbie RVer or someone who’s been on the road for a while hopefully you’ll find a few tips to help you on your way.

All my general articles about the RV lifestyle from detailed financial costs to buying warranties to how to caravan with friends. I’ve written about general maintenance, driving (tolls, low clearances), and planning your RV travels. I’ve got posts on selling you house items (before you move into an RV) and even a few posts how to handle the BAD side of RVing (yes, it does happen). Lots here….

A sample of my most popular posts

• 10 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Fulltime RVing…
• The Costs Of Fulltime RVing (Part I) – Budgeting & Planning Your Spend
• The Costs Of Fulltime RVing (Part II) – Specifics & Links
• RV Driving In The East -> Tolls, EZ Pass & Low Clearances
• 5 Tips On Handling RV Maintenance, Repairs & Downtime On The Road
• RV Camping Club Memberships – Are They Worth It?
• Does It Ever Get Bad? Our Top 6 Road “Incidents” & How We Survived With Our Sanity In-Tact
• The Darker Side Of FullTime RVing? 5 Thoughts To Ponder Before Making The Leap..
• 3 Tips To RV Caravaning With Friends (Without Driving Each Other Nuts)
• 4 Tips For Tackling Humidity & Moisture In Your RV On The Coast
• Planning RV Travels Part I -> 4 General “Rules” For Planning Where To Stay & When To Go
• Planning RV Travels Part II -> Selecting Pace, Map Routing & Campsites
• Planning RV Travels Part III – Maps, Resources & Links
• 3 Simple Steps To Protect Your RV During “Downtime”
• The Ins & Outs Of RV Extended Warranties
• RV Tank Sensors &The GEO Method
• Fulltime RV Insurance – What’s the Difference?
• Free Overnight RV Parking = Finding “Freebies”
• Our 5 Favorite Kitchen Items For RV Cooking
• Lessons in Cold-Weather Dry-Camping = Our Sierra Nevada Week-end
• 6 Tips To Survive Being Together 24/7 In An RV

Adding solar to our RV was one of the very first things we did to “the beast” back in 2010 and we loved it so much that we upgraded to an ever bigger, better system in 2016. Plus we switched our batteries from AGM to lithium which we absolutely LOVED!! If you’re at all interested in solar, this is the section for you!

• The Big “Beastly” Solar/Battery Upgrade Part I – Why?
• The Big “Beastly” Solar/Battery Upgrade Part II – Component Details
• The “Big Beastly” Solar/Battery Upgrade Part III – Installation
• The Big “Beastly” Solar/Battery Upgrade Part IV – Summary
• An Early Christmas Present -> Our New MSH3012 PSW Inverter
• RV Solar Part IV – Panel Tilting & Winter Solar Optimization

In this category I’ve got detailed posts about all the other cool upgrades and mods we’ve done over the years from installing WiFi extenders to interior decor & replacing the fabric on our valences.

A sampling of posts:

• Easy RV Mod -> Slide Topper Replacement With Tough Top Toppers
• RV Tow Bar Upgrade -> Our Snazzy New Roadmaster Sterling All-Terrain!
• Easy RV Mod -> Re-Cover & Update Your Window Valences (For Under $100!)
• Easy RV Mod -> Install MCD Shades
• RV Electrical Fire (Almost!)-> Our Automatic Transfer Switch Failure & Replacement
• RV Surge Protectors = Protecting “The Beast” Against Bad Power & Surges With EMS-HW50C
• 4 Tips For Creating Instant Indoor RV Coziness

Wondering how to RV with pets including 2 cats AND a dog? Our pets were an integral part of our travels so naturally they became a big part of the blog too, and it wasn’t all smooth sailing either. During our 8 years on the road we dealt with the whole gamut of pet issues from adapting our cats to RV life to serious health problems, emergency & surgery. Plus just figuring out where we could go that was pet-friendly (Pro Tip: if you click on my camping map you’ll see EVERYwhere we went that was!)

Some of my biggest posts on traveling with our paws:

• Handling Pet Medications On The Road
• Handling Pet Care & Emergencies On The Road
• 5 Tips For RVing & Camping With Cats
• Taggart’s I-131 Treatment & Radioactive Kitty Update
• Summer Plans Change Again (This Time It’s The Dog)
• Polly 3-Week Post-TPLO Surgery Update
• Polly 7-Week Post TPLO Surgery Update
• Polly 3-Month Post TPLO Update

We volunteer hosted almost every year we were on the road. Our specialty was hosting at lighthouses as docents (although we also did a few other gigs), and we absolutely LOVED it! Not only did it provide a way to indulge our lighthouse obsession, but it also allowed us to spend several months for free in absolutely stunning coastal locations. If you’re spending significant time on the road I HIGHLY recommend picking up a few gigs like this. It’s super fun, it’s social and it’ll save you money.

A smattering of the topics covered:

• Volunteering On The Road Part I – Why Do It?
• Volunteering On The Road Part II – Where To Look For Openings
• Volunteering On The Road Part III – 4 Steps To Securing Your Dream Job
• Top 10 FAQ -> Lighthouse Volunteering/Hosting
• Volunteering as Lighthouse Hosts -> What Do You Actually DO?
• Volunteer Hosting at Cape Blanco Lighthouse, OR
• Volunteer Hosting at Mount Constitution, Orcas Island, WA – What Do We DO Here?
• On the “Job” At North Head Lighthouse – Cape Disappointment, WA
• Workamping & Volunteering As A Solo RVer

Health care can be a major hassle on the road, and one of the biggest obstacles to going fulltime RVing. Not only can health insurance be very expensive (especially pre-Medicare) but with insurance laws changing all the time it’s hard to keep up. Plus how do you keep a network of doctors when you’re traveling all the time? I don’t have all the answers, but in this category of blogs I’ve got a few:

• Health Insurance Time -> 2018 Considerations For Pre-Medicare RVers
• Self-Medical Care Part I – Why Do It?
• Self-Medical Care Part II – Self-Testing Links
• Self-Medical Care Part III – Negotiating Doctors, Hospitals & Clinics With Cash Pay
• Getting Dental Work In Mexico Part I – Clarifying Myths & Facts
• Getting Dental Work In Mexico Part II – Our Los Algodones Experience