RV Retirement – How Much Did We Spend for Food, Fuel, and Campground Fees in 2024?
River Edge Resort and Steakhouse
Ruff Road Review
When you live full time in an RV, there comes a time that you need to grab a washboard and bucket or head to a full hook – up RV park to get the laundry done. That’s how we ended up at the River Edge Resort and Steakhouse just off of Interstate 90 near Alberton, Montana.
What does this park have to offer travelers?
This park is small but packs a lot of options for travelers. You can camp in the RV Park, which includes tent sites. There is a motel there, as well. Dirty clothes? Their laundry facilities worked great for us. Even though we have an on board washer and dryer, we opted use their facilities to get the job done quickly. If you like gambling, there is a casino there. Finally, you never have to leave the park because there is a full service restaurant on premises with yummy food and desserts. The restaurant even has a little gift shop area. They also will book customers for white water rafting trips. There really is a lot packed into this little park.
Local Area
We didn’t explore much in the area other than walking the pups down the quiet country road. There is a fishing area and lovely bridge about a mile from the park. We enjoyed poking around there and looking at the beautiful Clark Fork River.
Phone Service
Verizon worked great!
Dog Walking
You’ll have to utilize the nearby fishing trails and the frontage road, which is sparsely traveled to get a good walk in – for larger dogs that is. Smaller pups will probably be just fine walking around the RV park.
Short Stay, Worth It!
This stay was a short one but we enjoyed our time at River Edge Resort. The park is peaceful with most campers popping in for an overnight stay. You can’t beat the convenience to I90. There is a train track across the river from the park so expect to hear a train now and then.
If you are interested in learning more about River Edge Resort and Steakhouse, here’s their website: http://www.riveredgemt.com
What was our last stop in our trek from Oregon to Florida? We had an awesome boondocking experience at Cabela’s in Post Falls, Idaho!
https://ruffroadrvlife.com/boondocking-cabelas-post-falls-idaho/
About Us
We are two retired, full time traveling RVers with two dogs who keep us on the go! You can follow us on our You Tube Channel, Facebook and Instagram.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHRpIFHJItKn3X_7DKY77Mw
https://www.facebook.com/Ruff-Road-RV-Life-775489835979588/
https://www.instagram.com/ruff_road_rv_life/
We are heading on down the road…to our next adventure…
“We like looking at freedom!”
Safe travels to all!
Boondocking: Cabela’s, Post Falls, Idaho
Ruff Road Review
This stay was another first for us! We enjoyed two days of boondocking at Cabela’s in Post Falls, Idaho! I had scheduled us to stop in Post Falls, Idaho for two days so we could buy groceries before moving on to our next scheduled campground, River Edge Resort and Steakhouse, in Montana. Since this was just an overnight stop, I decided on one night at Cabela’s and one night at the nearby Walmart. We pulled into the Cabela’s parking lot in Post Falls, Idaho and found plenty of room for us and the other few RVs there. When we went in to check on staying there for the night, we found the most genuine and welcoming people. Wow! We signed in and by this time had decided to stay both nights there.
Boondocking at Post Falls – Friendly Folks!
Now, it was amazing enough to be warmly greeted but this stop held some other fabulous surprises. Of course, the budget worthy food prices, friendly staff and tasty food in the cafe brought us back more than once. We don’t eat out often but every now and then we enjoy a meal out for something different. While I’m on food, Cabela’s has fudge! I’m not much for sweets, but I do love some fudge every now and then. Of course, no visit to a fudge shop is complete unless a fudge purchase is made and it’s wrapped up, tucked into a pretty box, along with a miniature knife that I will typically open as soon as I’m out of the store!
But wait, there’s more!
The best part of our stop here at Cabela’s is the location. We headed out for a dog walk, walking behind the store and down the dirt road. There, not far from the store, we found ourselves on the rocky shores of the crystal clear Spokane River. What a treat! This place was peaceful and a little surreal in the mornings especially. We hopped from rock to rock and the pups enjoyed frolicking in and around the water.
Area Parks
Since we had a little time, we drove around the area and checked out some nearby parks. Apparently tubing is a popular summer past time here because a couple of these parks were slammed with people and tubes. We did find a scenic park, small but scenic. Falls Park has a playground, picnic areas, pond, dam, gorge, and trails. We enjoyed this little slice of Idaho.
Walmart Nearby
Now a word about the Walmart, less than one mile from the Cabela’s. We scheduled our grocery pick-up there and found the same welcoming, “we’re glad you’re here” attitude as we’d encountered at Cabela’s! The staff who brought out our groceries answered questions about the area and made suggestions on places we might want to visit. They welcome RVers there and we saw a few RVs overnighting in the parking lot.
By the way, if you have not considered Walmart Grocery Pick-Up, I encourage you to check it out. That is unless you like going in various, different stores and trying to find your grocery items among throngs of people. A trip to Walmart is nice sometimes, but for grocery shopping, we like pulling up, paying, and heading out without the hassle. After many pick-ups across many states, we’ve not had one bad experience.
Final Thoughts
So, is it a Post Falls thing? Is everyone this welcoming and friendly? We had a great experience hanging out and boondocking at Cabela’s in Post Falls for a couple of days.
For future reference, I now know that Coeur d’Alene is less than ten miles east of Post Falls. That is a place you may have heard of and definitely a place worth checking out. It is breathtakingly beautiful! Next time…
For now, we are on our way to Alberton, Montana, ever so gradually making our way back to Florida.
Check out our previous stay in Washington at Hood Park, Army Corps of Engineers campground.
https://ruffroadrvlife.com/hood-park-washington/
About Us
We are two retired, full time traveling RVers with two dogs who keep us on the go!
You can follow us on our You Tube channel, Facebook and Instagram.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHRpIFHJItKn3X_7DKY77Mw?view_as=subscriber
https://www.facebook.com/Ruff-Road-RV-Life-775489835979588/
https://www.instagram.com/ruff_road_rv_life/
We are heading on down the road…to our next adventure…
“We like looking at freedom!”
Safe travels to all!
Lake Ouachita State Park, Arkansas Ruff Road Review
Overview
Ruff Road is heading west, steadily and slowly from Florida. One stop along our journey was Lake Ouachita State Park located on Arkansas’ largest lake. This park is surrounded by the Ouachita National Forest and close to Hot Springs, Arkansas. Our stay was one week at the end of March. We found this park scenic and just what I needed for a mountain fix and Gary needed for a water fix! You can check out Lake Ouachita State Park, Arkansas Ruff Road Review on our You tube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c7nqegyVC8. You will be able to see the campground and park areas to get a clearer idea of what this beautiful park looks like.
Things to Do
What is there to do at Lake Ouachita State Park in Arkansas? You can hike, bike, fish, sightsee, kayak, and boat. Additionally, swimming, skiing, and scuba diving are three more activities listed on the park’s website, but we were there off season and it was still a little chilly. Also, there are boat launches and a full service marina with boat and kayak rentals. Of course, the kids can enjoy the playground near the marina. Important to us, this park is pet-friendly with dog pots and bags located around the area and plenty of room to walk your fur babies. There are day use areas, camping, cabins and on site is the historic Three Sisters Springs. The ranger station has a gift shop and they do have ranger led activities.
What did we do while here? Of course, we went on lots of dog walks, kayaked,and hung out at camp.
Hiking: There are two hiking trails here and miles of camp roads for walking. The Caddo Bend trail is four miles long and provides nice views of the lake as you follow the trail. However, it can be a little challenging due to ups, downs, and rocks. It is designated as “strenuous” according to the brochure. If you want an easier walk to the point or back, there is a service road that the trail crosses several times. There are deer here so if you are hiking with a dog who gets excited around wildlife, be aware. Additionally, there is a shorter half mile long trail called the Dogwood Trail. This one meanders along in a loop through the wooded hillside. The difficulty rating for this trail is “easy”.
Kayak: I kayaked around the peninsula here and in the little coves along the way. There are rocky cliffs and boulders in some areas and colorful rocks along some shores. The clear water and the mountains surrounding the lake made a peaceful paddle. Unfortunately, it was too windy to kayak on some days, but when it wasn’t it was amazing.
Hanging out at Camp: Finally, we enjoyed just hanging out with the ruffs at our waterfront campsite. It was simply peaceful to just be in this space surrounded by water, mountains, and trees. We watched and listened to the many birds here. My favorite times are when we have our propane firepit brightly burning, Gary playing the guitar, and ruffs curled up at our feet. Ahhh. Good times.
Phone Service
How was the phone service at Lake Ouachita State Park? Well, I drove ahead and tried to call Gary to warn him about a steep hill entering into the camping area and he wouldn’t answer. That’s when we learned that we had no service in that specific area. We had limited service at our campsite. The ranger station had wifi that we could use anytime if needed. In case you are wondering about the hill, it was fine and looked worse than it was.
Noise Level
Lake Ouachita State Park was quiet during our stay. It wasn’t full but there were quite a few campers. Overall, peaceful and quiet.
Park Views
One feature we love about Lake Ouachita State Park is the views. Almost every site has waterviews and mountain views. As a bonus, many sites are waterfront. The sites are large, with trees and grass. Each site in our area had a gravel tent pad and a concrete pad for rvs. There is plenty of space between each site. Our site was waterfront although we did have a steep little walk to get to the water. Still, we were able to launch the kayak from our backyard and retrieve it up the hill.
Cleanliness
Lake Ouachita State Park is clean. We have stayed at a few parks with a little litter here and there, including many dead fish or fish bones. That was not the case at this park. We found it very clean, including the bath house. Nice job, Lake Ouachita State Park!
Campsites
Lake Ouachita State Park really spoiled us with 50 amp service, sewer and water hook ups! We stayed at site #25. There are 93 campsites with 58 being full service and the rest being walk-in sites or no hook up sites. Also, they have full service cabins with all the comforts of home. You can reserve a site or cabin on Reserve America. https://www.reserveamerica.com/
Would we stay here again? Yes, indeed. We enjoyed our stay at Lake Ouachita State Park. As a bonus, this park is close to Hot Springs and Hot Springs National Park where you can visit historic bath houses and dip your hands into the warm water flowing from the earth there. Look for our Ruff Road Review of Hot Springs in pictures coming soon.
If you would like to see a video of Lake Ouachita State Park, check out the link in the first paragraph. We want to share pictures and videos of the places that we stay because that information isn’t always available for every campground. We wish that it was available as explained in our last post, Campground Reviews: Ruff Road Reviews. https://ruffroadrvlife.com/blog/
Stay tuned for more Ruff Road Reviews as we continue our trek west!
“We like looking at freedom!”
Our TO DO List for Full -Time RV Life
I am a list person but this one was overwhelming! Our TO DO list for full-time RV Life really began when we made the decision to travel and live in an RV full- time. That was about two years ago! We have been living in our RV, Ruff Road, for over a year at this time. Our plans were to be in travel mode before now, but circumstances and my Appalachian Trail hike delayed our launch. We did go on a few camping trips to get our travel feet wet and of course, living in Ruff Road everyday allowed us to get to know the ins and outs of RV living.
So my one piece of advice if you decide to become a full-time RV dweller and before you make your own TO DO list for full-time RV life is to be flexible. There were circumstances beyond our control that required us to delay our plans. That’s ok. We have lived happily as stationary full-time RVers. We are looking forward to finally “hitting the road.”
This list will include our final TO DOs. Our process for stocking, and moving in to Ruff Road can be found in our previous posts. In addition, see our previous posts for our downsizing experience. https://ruffroadrvlife.com/the-move-downsizing-and-moving-in-three-weeks/
TO DO List for Full- Time RV Life
- Purchase taller dog pens -Terra and Luna have grown. https://www.amazon.com/MidWest-Foldable-Metal-Exercise-Playpen/dp/B000H91R92/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1548649145&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=dog%2Bpens&th=1
- Purchase bike and kayak rack system
- Purchase and install tow bar system http://etrailer.com
- Practice driving with tow car
- Purge and reorganize cabinets and storage bays – This one is regular and ongoing, RV Life. https://ruffroadrvlife.com/category/organizing/
- Purchase camera to view dogs while away https://www.amazon.com/Wyze-Indoor-Wireless-Camera-Vision/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1548649574&sr=1-3&keywords=wyze+cam
- Purchase side window tint or screen
- Resupply our water filters
- Resupply our AC filters
- Change oil in Ruff Road, generator, car
- Check tires (this is ongoing)
- Fix passenger chair, tank and battery monitor panel, LP detecter, bedroom door https://ruffroadrvlife.com/fun-with-fuses/
- Schedule eye, doctor, dentist appointments and follow-ups
- Schedule veterinarian visit, update shots for Terra and Luna
- Obtain prescription for heartworm preventative
- Renew drivers license – My license will expire this year.
- Replace lenses and wipers
- Shop for insurance- We are due to renew soon, looking for better rates. Update-Fail, we are sticking with our same company.
- Research DOT requirements per state
- Research senior camping discounts per state- We like state parks.
- Make camping reservations
- Join Harvest Hosts https://harvesthosts.com/
- Wash RV and roof
- Plan for prescription meds
- Command strips to hold some shelf items in place
- Plan travel route
- Book campsites for first month
- Schedule goodbye visits with friends and family
- Final load plan- what goes in the car, what goes in the RV, what stays behind (trash/ donate)
- Make sure bank cards don’t expire. Replace if needed.
- Do taxes!
- Scan pictures and copy videos- as many as I can get done, organize remaining picture/ video totes in my daughter’s shed.
How are we doing on our final TO DO list for full-time RV living?
Well, I’m happy to say that most items have been checked completed. We still had a few weeks to go at this point. This list is not a comprehensive list of all we’ve done. However, it includes the things that we needed to purchase and/or to do before we begin our full-time RV travel life. In addition, it includes items that we didn’t even think about initially such as check bank cards.
We hope this last minute list helps others beginning their journey. Follow us on our journey here and on our You Tube channel Ruff Road RV Life: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHRpIFHJItKn3X_7DKY77Mw/videos?view_as=subscriber
How to Tow a Vehicle With Your RV
We are moving forward with our plan to “hit the road” soon. One important task for motorhome owners is to determine how to tow a vehicle with their RV. That was a biggy on our TO DO list in terms of cost and decision making. We learned about different methods to tow our car. Then, we made our choice and began the process.
What was our reason for a second vehicle?
Ruff Road is a class A motorhome and we wanted a second vehicle for our journey. We have taken trips without a towed vehicle and in some locations that worked out okay, however as full timers we want the flexibility of a smaller vehicle to run errands, get to trailheads, sightsee, and of course to transport our toys.
We have heard of others who found that renting or ubering when they arrive at their destinations is more cost effective since you don’t always need a second vehicle. That is an option to research or consider if you are traveling in a motorhome. We have not tried that and with our two lovely shedding 55 pound dogs, I don’t think it’s even an option. Yes, we have the extra maintenance and the insurance on this towed, however the benefits for us outweigh these factors. So, we dived into how to tow our vehicle with our RV.
What are the different ways you can take a second vehicle with you?
There are four ways to take a second car with you while traveling in a motorhome. We explored each method when deciding how to tow our vehicle with our RV. However, the first method doesn’t involve towing at all.
- Your partner can simply drive the second vehicle. I know there are rvers out there doing this. We’ve done it ourselves on some trips. Pros: You have a second vehicle with you. You avoid the expense of adding a trailer, dolly, or tow system. Cons: You don’t have that ride time with your partner- that could be a pro for some, however. You will be paying more for gas/ diesel to cover miles in two vehicles. Your vehicle will experience more wear and tear driving the extra miles which could increase maintenance costs. Entrance to some campgrounds could cost more due to the second vehicle. Many campgrounds consider a motorhome with a towed car as one vehicle. While we haven’t had any experience with campgrounds that charge extra, they are out there and you could end up paying a daily fee to have that extra car. Cost: No extra cost for equipment.
- Another option is to trailer your vehicle. You would need to pull a flat trailer behind your motorhome with your car strapped to it. Pros: This one is probably the best to save wear and tear on your second vehicle. You can back up if you find yourself in a tight spot. A trailer can tow any vehicle. This is a quick way to just get rolling- no installation required outside of a hitch. Cons: You will need to find a place to store your trailer at your campsite. There may or may not be room at the site requiring you to park it at a designated overflow lot. We have limited experience with getting a car onto a trailer, however in our experience it is just a little stressful. Although with practice this should become fairly easy and straightforward. You will have the cost of the flatbed trailer plus maintenance and insurance. You also have the extra weight. Of course, you will need to purchase a tag yearly. Cost: $2,700 – $4,200 approximate costs, varies based on weight and size of the vehicle you are trailering
- The third option is to tow your vehicle on a dolly, two wheels on the dolly and two wheels on the road. Pros: This tow option will take up less space in your campsite. Dollies are cheaper than flat tow trailers and do not require installation of equipment that flat tow vehicles require. It is a quick and easy way to hit the road. Cons: This, for me, would be another stressful option driving the vehicle onto the dolly correctly and insuring it is strapped down appropriately. Not all vehicles can be towed by a dolly. Check your owners manual to determine if yours can be dolly towed. You will have to ensure that your vehicle’s running lights, brake lights, and turn signals are connected to the motorhome. Cost: $1,600 – $2,000 approximate
- The final option is to flat tow your vehicle behind you. We researched the other options but went with flat towing when deciding how to tow our vehicle with our RV. We really wanted to keep our truck but the only way we could have towed it was on a trailer or to back it onto a dolly- yikes. So we went with our older, but still great, Acura. Pros: You will not have to store extra equipment at your campsite. The tow bar folds out of the way and you are done. It’s easier (read less stressful for me) to hook up to a tow bar than the dolly/ trailer option. Cons: You can’t back up. Not all vehicles can be flat towed- check your owners manual. This method requires installation of a baseplate to connect the tow bars. It also requires the purchase of a braking system mandated by many states. Additionally, you will need to ensure that your lighting system is connected either through your vehicle or through magnetic attached lights. Cost: $2,363 for our system- Roadmaster Falcon All Terrain non-binding tow bar, Roadmaster baseplate kit, and Blue Ox Patriot II Braking System- purchased from etrailer.com. http://etrailer.com We had to add a six inch hitch adapter which added another $115. We did not pay for installation since we did it ourselves. Installation cost can be $1,200.
Moving on, we are flat tow ready!
Deciding how we would tow our vehicle with our RV was the first step. Then we purchased the equipment and made a date to install it. We “did it ourselves” or rather Gary and our son-in-law did it themselves. They installed the baseplate on our Acura MDX so we can connect it to our Falcon All Terrain non-binding tow bar. The install took about four hours and since they did the job we saved approximately $1,200.
I’ll admit that it was scary as Gary sent me pictures throughout the morning of our car in parts. However, it all hooked up fine except there were more than three inches from the center of the RV hitch receiver to the center of the base pin on the baseplate. This meant we had to purchase a high- low hitch adapter to ensure we were towing safely and to not void our warranty. Our next step is to tow our car to the dump station next week.
How do you tow your vehicle with your RV? Share any lessons learned or tips in the comment section. We’d love to learn from others. Our decision is based on our situation and of course, your decision on how to tow your vehicle with your RV will be based on your specific situation and your needs.
This brings us one step closer to finally “hitting the road”. If you want to see that baseplate install, check it out on our You Tube Channel, Ruff Road RV Life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpyvKQkis74&t=18s
Learn about us, who we are and why we are full time RVers. https://ruffroadrvlife.com/
If you want to follow our adventures in full time RV life with dogs, subscribe and click notifications. We will be posting more content as we become more mobile. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHRpIFHJItKn3X_7DKY77Mw?view_as=subscriber
RV Life – Month 6
We have enjoyed our life in Ruff Road for six months now! Incredible. This month is special because it was one year ago that we took possession of Ruff Road. In that time, we’ve enjoyed several trips and finally moved in full time in July 2017.
So how has it been after six months of living in an RV and not in our sticks and bricks home?
In one word- GREAT! We don’t mind the space at all. Even though we haven’t officially hit the road yet, we enjoy short trips and even our weekly dump run. There is plenty to do in our county. Gary continues to be involved in our church music ministry and has been writing some great music. I have reunited with the Florida Trail Association in our area to hike and volunteer. Of course, having family close by is a bonus right now.
Do we miss our sticks and bricks home?
No, we do not miss our sticks and bricks home. My daughter and her family have done a beautiful job of decorating it and making it their own. We don’t even think of it as ours anymore, it’s theirs. We don’t miss the upkeep and the constant cleaning that went with a larger home or all the stuff that went with it. Truthfully, we only lived in our bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom anyway. As the children left home, the rest of the rooms were just there and prone to collect clutter.
How are RVs and stick/brick homes similar? Different?
I thought about what it was like before living in Ruff Road. Much of what we do in Ruff Road is similar to what we did in our house. Rearranging, decorating, purging, cleaning, and organizing took place in both homes, however in Ruff Road it is on a much smaller level which is nice! Rearranging and organizing seems to be the two that we have worked on the most as we continue to “squeeze” into our new space. Most recently, we removed the pedestal table from in front of the couch. We had contemplated this for some time but where would we eat or work? We finally had enough and bravely unbolted it from the floor. We put our long rug over the area in front of the couch and now use the top of one of the dog crates for our table. No problems! We talked about adding a hinged wooden table top for more flexibility but for now, this works!
The biggest difference between life in a house and life in an RV, is that everything in the RV is magnified due to the smaller space. For example, dirt gathers more easily in the small space of an RV vs the larger space a house offers. Things can accumulate more in a house but in an RV, the clutter becomes screamingly evident and you have to deal with it. In the house, if I wasn’t sure about tossing or donating something, I’d put it away in a closet to decide later. In the RV, space is limited so this is not an option. Even as I write this and everything is put away, we are aware that we have too much on board with us and we have a little RV purging to do. We have too many clothes. The dogs have too many toys. We have too many linens. So we’ll whittle these things down. Finally, we don’t have the anchor of a large yard to maintain. Anywhere is our yard. This was more freeing for me than I realized and there are no arguments from Gary about this. Here’s another bonus: We interact more in an RV. We like that. If we need our space, we have outside, one can go to the bedroom or to the coach area.
What has happened this month?
If you read our previous post, we sadly said good-bye to one of our ruffs, our 15 year old mini poodle Phoebe. We miss her and she will always be in our hearts.
We attended the Florida RV Super Show in Tampa, Florida. This event is huge featuring many vendors, seminars, RV types, models and manufacturers. You can view the bare chassis frames that are on display and learn how to maintain your generator. If you are exploring the RV lifestyle, attending an large RV show like this one provides the opportunity to see everything from pop-ups to large class A coaches and everything in between. Of course, if you are already RVing, you can see what’s new and how space is used in the different units. Also, I’m sure the dealers were looking to make a deal with new owners and with those willing to trade in their current RV. We spent most of our time looking at the vendor stations and attending seminars. We especially appreciated the seminar about maintaining your generator and diesel engine. We also attended a couple of seminars for RV newbies and full-timers which was helpful. If we were going to look at RVs as well, we would have needed a second day which was included in our ticket. Visitors with RVs could stay on the site with no hook-ups for a fee. Learn more about RVing in Florida by the group that sponsored this event, the Florida RV Trade Association at http://www.frvta.org.
What RV supplies did we purchase this month?
As trivial as it might sound, we were in the market for new pillows so we picked up two bamboo pillows at the Florida RV Supershow. They are super soft but can be used to prop up so you can read or work. Also, we found some stick on lights for a few of our dimly lit cabinets and bins. These were our two Florida RV Supershow purchases.
Other purchases were:
DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid): This is required for all diesel coaches to ensure that the exhaust from the engine is environmentally friendly.
Leveling Blocks: These are long overdue but we’ve only had one major problem not having them. Wood planks from a nearby dumpster provided the solution. In all other cases, we were able to maneuver the coach so all four tires were firmly on the ground.
Tank Tech Microbials: Gary says this is like RidX on steroids. This is the second month we have used this to minimize tank odor and ensure the right bugs are living in our tank to work on decomposition. All it takes is two ounces per dump. After using this product, we don’t have the pungent odor when our black tank is almost full and improves our tank’s health.
What’s next?
Watch for a link to be posted soon for our newly launched Ruff Road RV Life You Tube Channel.
Also, coming soon-
- What are our plans for 2018?
- Torreya State Park Review
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Ruff Road RV Life Resources
Our Ruff Road RV Life Resources Page has been updated. Check it out!
http://ruffroadrvlife.com/resources/
You will find a list of items that we purchased or brought from our house to outfit Ruff Road. Remember, I am an overthinker so all of these items have been researched and pondered before hitting BUY. We have reflected honestly about them and will update as we add new purchases. Of course, this list doesn’t reflect all of the items from our hobbies that we had on hand such as guitars, speakers, mini sewing machine, art supplies, backpacking gear, bicycling gear, kayaking gear…but we’ve made room for these and did not include them on our list.
Your list will look different based on your RV, your preferences and needs. Use this, or any list, as a guide. It might jog your memory regarding something you may have forgotten about or that you were not aware that you needed. We looked at multiple lists found on the internet and listened to countless vlogs to help us with our plan to set up Ruff Road. We then made our own list prioritizing items we would need to purchase first. We took it step by step, one bite at a time. Little by little, our RV turned into a home.
We hope you find these resources helpful. Share some of your helpful resources. Was there anything that you discovered you needed but didn’t have? Was there anything you purchased thinking that you needed it only to find out you didn’t afterall? Comment, subscribe and share. We are looking forward to building this community. Thank you to our subscribers.
RV Life – Month 5
Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!
This is our first holiday in Ruff Road. It was almost one year ago that this dream began. My Facebook timehop popped up with One Year Ago today…my friend and I were taking pictures of RVs at a local dealership. This time last year, we had no idea we would be “looking at freedom” everyday. So here are our tweaks, tips, and trials at Month 5, as well as some general observations.
General Observations:
- It’s cold even in Florida, but Ruff Road has stayed warm and cozy. Temps were chilly, but not freezing. Stay tuned for Month 6 reflection to see how we’ll do in much chillier weather. However, so far so good.
- When you retire, you don’t have to be the one to cook and host. We enjoyed going up to the big house and eating our Thanksgiving feast with my daughter and her family.
- This leads me to another observation. We love being with family. What a difference it makes when the cloud of a stressful job is not hanging over your head and you can enjoy your family mornings, middays or afternoons. This is something that was difficult for us to find time to do in our past life. We know not everyone reading this is retired. We were there. My advice that I tried to follow while I was working was to work towards a work/ home balance. It was an ongoing goal. Sometimes I was really good at it and sometimes work just took over. However, as long as you set it as a goal, your chance of success are higher than if you don’t.
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- Christmas with the family in St. Augustine, Florida
- One more observation, a retirement bonus that I noticed. Christmas shopping and events were so freeing because I didn’t have the work load I did in past years. My budget was smaller-retirement budget-but we all still had a great Christmas and I loved looking at freedom this time of year.
Tips:
- Make a plan to balance work and home. Hang in there and know that the day will come when you can look at freedom everyday.
- Need space? Rethink it. Even though we feel like we have ample room here, the use of space needed to be improved. I was using the table for an office but that meant it was always cluttered with the computer and papers. We were also busy digitizing home videos (part of our downsizing process) and the video and second computer were always on our limited counter space along with copied and to copy VHS tapes. Clutter, everywhere! We also observed that the passenger chair, when turned around toward the living room served mostly as a catch all as you came through the door- ugh, more clutter. What was our solution? We have a very roomy cab area. There is a small table next to the passenger chair and the dashboard area is quite large. I already had office supplies and photography equipment stored there, so…naturally this became our office. We left the passenger chair turned forward and the space is quite roomy to work in. We were also able to gain some room by moving one of the dog crates to right behind the passenger chair giving a more closed off look to the space. We like it. Expect that tweaking space and rearranging will be the norm when you begin RV living.
- Protect your RV floors. We made a huge mistake when we moved in. We were leaving behind ceramic tile floors that seemed to be indestructible no matter what you pushed across them. Ruff Road has laminate tiles. We now know, they will scratch easily. When we moved in we took baskets, boxes, and crates of belongings to Ruff Road and, like an assembly line, shoved them in the door and pushed them inside to add more. All of this pushing of weighted items put fine scratches all over our floors. You can’t really tell unless you are on the floor so that’s the good news. Then I wondered, were they there all along? No, I think we did it. To further protect our floors, we stopped sliding things on them. The dog crates rest on rugs. In addition, we put felt on the bottom of our ottoman and free standing chair. Lesson learned.
Tips relating to dogs:
- Keep nails trimmed. We should know this but we let it slip. Our girls’ nails grow long and sharp if not trimmed. We wish we were part of the group of folks who know how to do this, but we aren’t- yet. Our dogs’ nail trimmings require a trip to the vet after a calming pill. They are overdue and our dash paid the price. We now have one little pinhole from an excited Terra who jumped up before she could be stopped.
- Set boundaries for pets. This should go without saying but…sometimes this doesn’t happen. Our girls are allowed in the driver and passenger chairs, the ottoman, or the floor. They are not allowed on the couch or the bed. They also know to “stay” when we are coming and going through the door. Consistency is the key. Make sure both pet parents are on the same page. If one allows a rule to be broken, pets become confused and, like children, will push their limits.
- Use Velcro to keep covers on furniture. When we purchased our RV, the coach seats were already starting to flake. We keep them covered with blankets and that works well. Our ottoman is looking a little worn as well so it is covered with a quilted piece of fabric. I used Velcro to attach the fabric to the ottoman. I plan to use Velcro to help keep blankets on the coach chairs. I’ll let you know how that works out. Until then, we will just rearrange them after the pups mess them up.
What are some trials we’ve had this month?
- Our onboard water tank filled up twice this month. The first time water was actually leaking out of the fill tank area. We thought we had the switch flipped over to city water, but it still happened twice. After draining the tank twice and rechecking, we haven’t had anymore issues. Maybe it wasn’t all the way over. It’s still a mystery.
- This is tragic! We purchased a Powilling Dehumidifier from Amazon to take care of excess moisture in the air. It rode on the built in side table next to the couch. We had no problem in all of our travels. However, on one fateful day, as we turned into our driveway, it took a tumble and fell to the floor never to work again. We recommend this unit. It has worked great for us.
We are just days away from our first full time RV Christmas. The tree is up. The lights are hung. We are warm and cozy and happy. Peace to everyone.
RV Life – Month 4
I moved out!
That’s right! I moved out of Ruff Road. We had scheduled some warranty work to be done at Tampa Lazy Days on November 4th. Our list of needed repairs were the leaking AC in the rain, refrigerator not cooling and freezing up, toilet ring would not keep water in the bowl even though we had used the lubricant, our antennae handle just fell off, possible air leak in the brakes, and our propane tank gauge did not work. So the girls, Phoebe, Terra, and Luna, and I moved out into the “big house” while Gary headed south to Tampa for our appointment. Lazy Days allowed him to stay in the RV at night. This should have been simple but we learned that the refrigeration tech only comes once a week on Tuesday. The scheduling department scheduled us for Wednesday so that delayed the refrigerator even being looked at for one week. All in all, Gary was gone November 1st – November 17th. While we loved the buying experience at Lazy Days, we didn’t love the service there. They did repair the items on our list and our warranty was effective in keeping these costs down. Some things that had to be fixed weren’t covered. It didn’t cover the roof reseal, AC gaskets, or the AC fan motor. It did cover all the other items so all in all, not bad.
Lesson learned
- Before you go to a repair shop, make sure your pantry is fully stocked. We intended to shop but ran out of time. Gary was stuck there without a car. There was a gas station nearby, Cracker Barrel, and Lazy Days restaurants. He wished he had food in the pantry.
- Plan on it taking longer than you expect. That seems to be the norm from what others have said. I’m sure there are exceptions and it depends on what needs to be fixed. I’ve also heard nightmare stories of it taking weeks or months to have repairs completed.
- Don’t expect buyer loyalty. We did and when Gary arrived, he was just another person. We emailed with no response. We did let the service manager know our concerns regarding the service. Of course, you never complain without a solution. Here are ours:
If the service volume is high, extend the service hours.
Have a plan for repairs.
Don’t allow outside vendors to dictate their work schedule.
Overnight parts
It wasn’t all bad.
Gary had electric, water, and dump access while there. Lazy Days is a beautiful RV Park and RV dealership. Gary walked the grounds and even did some RV shopping. He is loving those 5th wheels. I’m glad they finished the repairs or he might have traded Ruff Road for a 5th wheel! Another bonus is he attended several RV seminars while there and learned about RV tanks and electrical systems.
Happy Holidays are coming!
While he was away, my granddaughters and I decorated the “big house” for Christmas. We also had a sweet sixteen birthday party for my granddaughter. All of this was so much fun and I enjoyed not stressing about work and just enjoying this time with family.
Tips:
- Walmart battery operated lights are inexpensive and have a timer. This works great for RVs.
- Don’t leave your vents open if you don’t have a vent cover. It rained. It poured. It flooded. Good thing I had my camping towel to mop it up.
When are we EVER going to leave?
You may be wondering when and if we are ever going to “hit the road”. There have been a couple of hiccups that delayed us leaving. The major one is it took a long time to get rid of our stuff. Once October passed, neither one of us really wanted to venture north of where we are. We love the warmer weather, plus we wanted to be home for the holidays. We do have some trips planned for 2018. We are looking forward to venturing away for awhile. So stay tuned, it’s in the works.
Do you have any RV repair stories? Comment and share what you learned from the process.