And, my friend, there’s much you can do about that. So hunt up your nearest library or magazine store and pick up a copy of Motor Home or Trailer Life, and check out online RV sites such as Jaimie Bruzenak and Alice Zyet’s RoadTripAmerica.com And let’s get started with your RV adventure.

What Kind of RVer are you?

Hitch itch or no, if you’re a newbie, there’s a bit of a learning curve to RVing. It’s not for everyone. There needs to be a certain flair for it, if you will. Some people have a natural inclination toward driving a motor home, staying up on the constant need for minor repairs, not to mention the big ones, and just taking on the responsibilities involved.  Some others might say, aw, heck, give me a hotel room with room service, please. It’s good to know the choice is yours.

There are lots of different types of RVers. Weekenders, for instance, just want to jump in their little camper and head down up to the mountains for a day or so. The vacationers pile the kids and the inner tubes in and spend a couple of weeks at the lake.

Part-timers may spend several months at a time traveling about, but they keep a home base. And there are the full-timers, who have permanently given up their “stick houses” for a life on wheels. Only you, your traveling tastes and your pocketbook can decide which bunch of folks you’ll hang with.

I fall into the part-timer category. For over 30 years, my husband and I traveled all over the U.S., Mexico, Canada and Europe in a variety of RVs. Like many RV owners, we started out small, with each ensuing new rig growing in length and gadgets until we ended up with a wonderful “condo on wheels” with all the amenities of home. After I lost my husband, I missed our life on wheels. So now I travel solo and I’m back down to the small end again, with a wee Class C I can handle myself.

Choosing the RV

Over the years we owned pull trailers, fifth wheels and Class A motor homes. They each served their purpose and were well used and well loved.  You’ll face those same choices, and there are pros and cons for each.

A trailer is cheapest because you’re not buying the auto part. Fifth wheels are roomy, but you need a pickup. Class A motor homes are luxurious, but expensive. Class C motor homes, kind of half camper and half motor home, really, are kind of in the middle somewhere.

Apart from cost, your first concern will be how much living space you need, and thus, how long your rig will be. You’ll want to consider your driving skill as well, and exactly how you like to travel. What is very handy about motor homes of any size is that when you park, all you have to do is turn your seat around and you’re home. No hitching up, no getting out of your vehicle in bad weather to dart back in the rig. And, if you feel uncomfortable parked someplace, all it takes to leave is sitting down in the driver’s seat.

What’s handy about trailers and fifth wheels is that you have transportation without having to move your whole rig. That’s why most motor home owners pull a “toad”. (Get it? Toad? As in towed?)

Start your RVing adventure with thorough research

There are many sources available to help you pick out the outfit that suits you best, to learn how to use it and to get the most out of the experience. The magazines and websites I mentioned earlier are just the tiniest part of all the help. Try the library for books on everything from what to look for in a used RV to how to dump black water. (And, uh, more about black water later). But your best source will be RVers themselves. Talk to people. Find a middle-aged pair who travels extensively, a young man who lives to fish on weekends, a single woman traveling alone, a retired couple who visit their grandchildren, someone else who is living his dream of touring the world by RV. There are people from all walks of life, from every economic and social category who RV. These are your experts.

Be prepared for one thing, however, when you open a conversation with any dedicated RVer. He’s going to tell you all about his favorite places to go. He’s going to give you his take on backing into a tight spot or driving a mountain road or keeping cupboard doors closed when you travel. And if you get two RVers together at any one time, you can bet that sooner or later, there will be a discussion on black water. (I warned you).

 

Read more about RVing by Myrna Courtney

• Hitch Itch: Essential RV Travel Information
• Hitch Itch - RVing Rules and Joys

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