If , on the other hand, you want to get away in a rented RV instead, read on before signing on the dotted line.
We are back home, 14 glorious days have gone by in a flash! Our goal was to reach San Francisco, a mere 1460 km away from Vancouver. In European, small car terms speaking, this would be a 15 hour drive - not so in North America:
The speed limits are way lower (sometimes as low as 80 km on a highway), having an RV makes for slower driving and you need to hit the road early to get some driving time in; unlike us who left our RV parks by noon only every day. Combine these three reasons and you might make it to Northern California only.
Let me make a few assumptions first.;
let me assume you are a woman,
who loves to drive but is afraid to sit behind the wheel of one of these Beasts,
First things first, does your husband love driving?
If not, abort the whole RV idea right now, board a plane and get to a resort. If he does love driving, let him know he will be the designated, chosen driver for the entire trip. (And no hanky-panky as compensation, you will experience family time 24/7 during the entire trip)!
Planning your Trip
If you want and need to know where to park at night, book RV sites with a proper website. Otherwise you might end up like we did at our first night - I should have been more aware, they mentioned their on site washroom facilities...
All in all, we never had trouble finding a spot for the night.
If you drive the Beast you need to know if you can 'pull- through'(the easiest way to park) or if you need to 'back-up' (much more challenging, you need to reverse in).
We had enough battery power for at least a night, we had enough water to brush our teeth, use the WC and to do the dishes. What you need to watch out for is not to overflow your holding tanks. That's why you need a dumping station at least every couple of days
Staying (WIFI-) connected is impossible in National Parks!
Yes, that means back to basics, spending time with the kids, playing games, talking, singing or roasting Wieners. The best example for us were The Redwoods in Northern California:
sounds great,
what it really means is, the views are spectacular
the roads are curvy which makes for slow progress. Some of the routes are inaccessible for RVs. Plus, it is WINDY, a better word for COLD
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| Here, the shirts came off only for the sake of being on the beach! |
Three days before we had to bring the Beast back across the border we had transmission fluid leaking, which in turn left us stranded half way up a hill on the side busy Hwy 5 in Oregon. Patience is a virtue indeed; it took the tow truck five hours to find us and tow us to the nearest resort for a replacement RV.
If you want to or not, as soon as you hit the road, your Beast needs to be tidied up, the dishes washed and stored away. Otherwise, they will break if left unattended in the sink. A ladder, pushed carelessly up onto the sleeping quarters above the driver, or an untied sleeping bags at the same location can become a health hazard to the driver. Dominic experienced it first hand when both items landed on his head -
Rest assured,
there will be laundry facilities along the way. Washing and drying cost us $ 3.50 each time.
Costs
Depending on the site and their facilities, a night will set you back between $29.00 - 45.00.
Our boys loved KOA (Kampgrounds of America) . They offer a swimming pool, free put-put golfing, a play ground, a game academy, great Wifi, a bike rental and lots of children. Great for a family a big NO if you want quiet and peace!
Please let me know if you have any questions in regards to where, what and how while on the road. I look forward to hearing from you!
Tomorrow I will give you our TOP 10 of everything from along the trip!
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