WEnRV travel news, products, and industry trends

“Do you have a toilet in there?” The moment we downsized from Class A RV living to Class B van life, the bathroom situation in ... Read more

In the United States, many people have a difficult time teaching their kids about civil rights. There are a few different ways to do this, but one of the best ways is to spend time in an area that had a huge impact on the civil rights era.

A Civil Rights RV Road Trip is a fantastic way to visit several key places where world-changing events happened. Recent events and protests have renewed interest in the historic civil rights movement, making a Civil Rights RV trip a timely and important opportunity to teach children.

As a Black woman raising a Black child, teaching him about the Civil Rights movement is so important to me. We spent about a month in the south, learning everything we could about the Civil Rights Movement and it was heart-wrenching, but also amazing.

Teaching Kids About The Civil Rights Movement

We still have a long way to go before we can say we live in a society that is free of inequality and racism. However, one way to help close the gap is to take your kids on an educational trip that includes a Civil Rights RV Itinerary.

Before this trip, make sure to talk to your kids about the Civil Rights Movement. Engage their critical thinking skills prior by getting them books and watching age-appropriate videos. This will help make the trip more meaningful for them.

Get a taste of perfection by staying at a Top Rated Good Sam Park. For 2022, a total of 157 Good Sam Parks scored flawless 10/10★/10 Good Sam ratings based on our trusted evaluation system.

Our rep teams travel across North America and inspect parks for the cleanliness of restrooms and showers; environment and visual appearance. Each category is graded on a scale of one to 10, and a star is added for exceptionally clean restrooms. You’ll also find these parks listed by state and province — along with plenty of helpful RV-related content — in our 2022 edition of the Good Sam Campground & Coupon Guide.

Alabama

Ahoy RV Resort, Foley

All About Relaxing RV Park, Theodore

Arizona

De Anza RV Resort, Amado	Good Life RV Resort, Mesa
Sundance West RV Resort, Apache Junction	Mesa Regal RV Resort, Mesa
Sunrise RV Resort, Apache Junction	Sun Life RV Resort, Mesa
Superstition Sunrise RV Resort, Apache Junction	Towerpoint Resort, Mesa
Weaver’s Needle RV Resort, Apache Junction	Valle Del Oro RV Resort, Mesa
Black Canyon Ranch RV Resort, Black Canyon City	Desert Shadows RV Resort, Phoenix
Vista Del Sol RV Resort, Bullhead City	Far Horizons RV Resort, Tucson
Verde Ranch RV Resort, Camp Verde	Mission View RV Resort, Tucson
Sundance 1 RV Resort, Casa Grande	Rincon Country East RV Resort, Tucson
Pueblo El Mirage RV & Golf Resort, El Mirage	Rincon Country West RV Resort, Tucson
Eagle View RV Resort Fort McDowell	Bonita Mesa RV Resort, Yuma
Arizonian RV Resort, Gold Canyon	Del Pueblo RV Resort, Yuma
Canyon Vistas RV Resort, Gold Canyon	Villa Alameda RV Resort, Yuma
Gold Canyon RV & Golf Resort, Gold Canyon	Westwind RV & Golf Resort, Yuma
Apache Wells RV Resort, Mesa

California

Bakersfield RV Resort, Bakersfield	Pala Casino RV Resort, Pala
The Springs At Borrego RV Resort & Golf Course, Borrego Springs	JGW RV Park, Redding
The RV Park At Rolling Hills Casino and Resort, Corning	Redding Premier RV Resort, Redding
Yanks RV Resort, Greenfield	Coyote Valley RV Resort, San Jose
Indian Waters RV Resort & Cottages, Indio	Pechanga RV Resort, Temecula
Jackson Rancheria RV Park, Jackson	Vineyard RV Park, Vacaville
Berry Creek Rancheria RV Park, Oroville

Colorado

Royal View RV Park, Canon City	Mesa Verde RV Resort, Mancos
Canyon View RV Resort, Grand Junction

Florida

Looking for the perfect recipe to add to your camping menu? Check out this recipe from CountryLiving.com! This sausage and onion recipe with apples is the perfect combination of savory and sweet. With almost no prep work and a single skillet, it’s also an easy thing to throw together last-minute. Get the full camping recipe below.

Ingredients

Recipe found on CountryLiving.com and adapted for this blog.

1 tbsp. olive oil6 small sweet Italian sausage links2 Pink Lady apples1/2 red onion1/2 head red cabbageKosher saltfreshly ground black pepper1 c. fresh apple cider2 tbsp. fresh cider vinegar

Instructions

In a large cast-iron skillet, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat.Add sausage to the skillet and cook until golden brown, turning to brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside.Wash and dry all produce.Halve apples and slice the cabbage and onion.Reduce heat to medium, add the apple, and cut side down to brown them. Add onion and cabbage and season with salt and pepper to taste.Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until apples are golden brown.Flip the apples over and return the sausage to the skillet, pushing them down into the veggies to marry the flavors.Add cider and vinegar and simmer for 18-20 minutes, stirring and turning the sausages regularly to ensure they cook through.Serve warm with a slice of crusted bread, and enjoy!

To find the perfect RV to take you to the campground, shop at RVingPlanet.com.

When you’re towing something much heavier or lighter than usual, you’ll need to make adjustments to your weight distribution hitch. Fortunately, adjusting a weight-distribution hitch for safe towing is fairly straightforward. 

But if you need more guidance on how to connect your hitch in the first place, check out this article on how to hitch up a weight distribution hitch.

Now, let’s get into how to adjust your hitch. 

The Initial Measurement and Installation Phase

During the initial installation, you’ll take several measurements to establish a baseline. That baseline will help you determine how to adjust your hitch to transfer more or less weight to your tow vehicle’s front axle. 

Find Your Hitch’s Setup Table

Your weight distribution hitch comes with a technical manual that includes a setup table. In that table, you’ll find a simple formula to help you calculate the acceptable range of measurements when adjusting your weight distribution hitch.  

Full-time RV life isn’t just for retired couples. Younger folks are discovering the benefits of moving into an RV full-time, like downsizing their belongings and scaling up their outdoor adventures.

But it begs the question: are toy haulers the best RV for outdoor lovers?

Whether you’re into hunting, fishing, riding UTVs, or any other type of outdoor recreation, toy haulers give you the ability to carry all of your toys to your next outdoor adventure destination. 

Why Are Toy Haulers Great for Full-Time RVers?

You don’t have to be retired to enjoy living in a toy hauler full-time. In fact, toy haulers are one of the best options for young remote workers because their garages can easily convert into home offices. 

So instead of working at the dining room table while your partner is preparing breakfast, you can create a dedicated workspace in the back of your rig. And there are more advantages to a convertible space in your RV. 

Traveling the country in your very own RV is so much more rewarding when you can take along your favorite outdoor toys! Check out the best 2022 toy hauler fifth wheels that you can take home today and get more out of your campground adventures! See our five favorite floorplans below.

Alliance Valor 36V11

This incredible toy hauler fifth wheel is great for multi-family vacation and features 11′ of separated garage space that transforms into a second bedroom or dining area for your guests. The dual entry system gives you the option to enter the living room or garage space directly. You’ll find that the garage also offers tie-downs to help keep all your gear in place while on the move and a 60-gallon fuel tank to make it easy to refuel your toys before hitting the trails.

Additional Features:

Master Suite11′ Separate Garage60-Gallon Fuel TankFireplaceDual EntryFull-Width Wardrobe

When it comes to RVing, most people focus on all the exciting adventures the daytime holds. However, when the sun sinks below the horizon, the biggest adventure of all is waiting in the darkness. Stargazing is becoming increasingly popular, especially among the RV community, because of the breathtaking views that only appear between sunset and sunrise in locations without light pollution.

Why is Stargazing Great for RVers?

With stargazing comes astrophotography, which focuses on photographing celestial events, astronomical objects, and certain parts of the night sky. It’s only natural to want to capture what you’re seeing with the naked eye in an image to look back on later. As stargazing becomes more mainstream, the best places to see the stars without light pollution are ideal destinations for RVers due to their remote nature.

If you’ve ever wanted to see a shooting star or point out the little dipper, then consider this a wish granted. The RVer’s guide to stargazing and astrophotography highlights destinations, necessary equipment, and other must-haves perfect for seeing the stars at night from your remote RV campsite.

Must-Have Equipment for Star Viewing

Image: Shutterstock

Finding the ultimate viewing spot, parking your RV, and looking up at the night sky sounds easy enough, but having a few items on hand can take the experience from good to great.

Binoculars

For an up-close and personal viewing, plan to have a quality set of binoculars. While you will undoubtedly be able to bask in the subtle glow of the stars above, binoculars can give you a magnified perspective. Many models offer sharp, crisp images through lenses that allow increased light transmission for perfect viewing even in the darkest conditions. If there’s one must-have item to reach for, it’s this.

Roadside attractions are usually defined as some giant, green-spotted animal (dinosaurs, for the most part) you can see on Interstates. But roadside attractions are sometimes as-is: an attraction by a roadside that’s so eye-catching that you just have to stop and admire it. There are tons of these in the United States, and here we have compiled a list of the top 10 roadside attractions.

The Thing, Arizona

Before arriving in Dragoon, Arizona, you’ll most likely see some “precautionary” signs along the way to alert you of the presence of The Thing. Made up of striped metal sheds, it houses a number of strange things. If you take the time to go inside, you’ll be welcomed by a nauseating surprise. Not only will you be confronted with gimmicky taste in patterns, but you can also get a little history fix as you trek the sidewalk. No spoilers here though, you can simply pass by and admire it. Mini spoiler: Rolls-Royce and mummies.

Miles the Monster, Dover, DE

At the site of the Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware lives a massive rock monster with flame red eyes. While the speedway is less-than-scenic, posing with this 46-foot-tall car-crushing behemoth guarantees massive Instagram likes. It seems like it’s from The Thing and The Hulk’s same angular genetic branch. “It actually usually has legs,” says Joe Heller, the racetrack’s PR coordinator,  “but if it did, it could go up to 80 feet tall!” He does have a point there. They compromised by showing the monster’s upper half only.

When it comes to love at first sight, never underestimate the ability of a campground to steal your heart. Just like that first time you laid eyes on your significant other, there are campgrounds out there that give you butterflies in your stomach with a single glance.

If you can’t remember the last time you and your partner hit the road for some alone time, or even if you can and you’re longing to do it again, let this be the encouragement you need to go for it. Spark up more than a campfire with these romantic campgrounds calling for a getaway.

Start by finding the perfect RV for traveling couples, or rent an RV for a quick weekend getaway.

First Landing State Park in Virginia

Beach Campfire. Image: Shutterstock

What better way to start off this list than in the state for lovers–Virginia. If you’re looking for the perfect campground to escape to year-round, look no further than the shores of Virginia beach. First Landing State Park, tucked in near Virginia Beach, offers privacy when you need it and easy access to local tourist spots when you don’t. North Landing Beach RV Resort & Cottages offers 800 feet of private sandy beach for campers, too.

Does it get any more romantic than beachside camping at night? Probably not but exploring 19 miles of trails during the day is a close second. Not only is First Landing the ideal place for a getaway, but the beaches are dog-friendly. What’s not to love about that?

One of the best parts of owning a motorhome or camping trailer is having your home (or second home) on the road. Still, the choice between drivable coaches and towable campers can be tough because of this very question: can you ride in a travel trailer or fifth wheel?

Perhaps surprisingly, there are quite a few states that allow riding in a towable camper. But many have restrictions or conditions that must be met to do so legally. To stay on the right side of the law, follow these recommendations when considering riding in a travel trailer or fifth wheel.

Can You and Should You Ride in a Travel Trailer or Fifth Wheel?

This is a tricky situation because every state is different and the rules change depending on the type of RV you’re traveling in. Many states have different rules for travel trailers and fifth-wheels, for example.

Besides that, there’s the question of safety. Even if something is legal doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a safe or smart thing to do.

Most towable campers lack seat belts, which means getting into an accident with passengers riding in a trailer could result in significant injury or death. Few travel trailers or fifth wheels are equipped with airbags and other safety features that reduce the likelihood of serious injury in the event of an accident.

Known for its massive sandstone cliffs and spectacular canyons, Zion National Park is one of Utah’s “Big 5” National Parks. It was also the state’s ... Read more

The National Park Service, formerly known as the National Park System, grew in the century between 1872 and 1972 from a single, original public reservation called Yellowstone National Park to embrace almost 300 historical, cultural, recreational, and natural properties situated throughout the United States, its island possessions, and territories. The said properties have come to include increasingly diverse categories in 400 areas — not only National Parks, but also National Monuments, National Memorials, National Military Parks, and others. You may be wondering how this remarkable growth and diversification occurred. These areas now cover 84 million acres across all fifty states.

This incredible story began with just one park that didn’t bring any revenue. The concept of the national park is largely credited to George Catlin, an American painter who, in 1832, traveled across the Great Plains to document disappearing native American tribes. According to Catlin, “A nation’s park, containing man and beast, in all the wild[ness] and freshness of their nature’s beauty!”

Decades later, his dream came true when a natural wonderland spanning Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho became the world’s first official national park. They called it the Big Yellowstone.

In California’s Yosemite Valley, controversy was brewing. John Muir believed that the state-managed areas were being exploited and lobbied congress for it to become a national park under full federal control. In 1903 Muir convinced President Theodore Roosevelt to join him on a camping trip in Yosemite. Three years later, the park was under full federal control. Roosevelt took swift action, making Wyoming’s Devil’s Tower the first national monument that year and establishing a tradition of a continued today.

RVing is different for everyone. For some, it’s a weekend getaway or short vacation. For others, it’s an entire summer or season, crossing terrain and following the weather. And then you have those that make it into a full-time lifestyle.

Bryanna and Craig Royal of Crazy Family Adventure fall into that last category. For the past seven years, their family of six has lived full-time in an RV – traveling the country and growing as a family, without putting down any roots. The couple recently sat down with Camping World to discuss their full-time RV life and how they turned their RV into a family home.

To RV or Not to RV
“There was no ‘Aha’ moment,” explains Bryanna Royal regarding the decision to full-time RV with her husband, Craig. They seemingly had it all – a newly built home with four young children (ages at the time of 6, 4, 4, and 2) and a steady job. However, something was missing. “We wanted to do more, travel more, see more,” says Bryanna. They saw other people, including extended members of their family, living full-time RV lives. The two toyed with the idea of RVing as a family and began to question if it was something they could really do.

The answer evolved into a resounding “yes.” The Royals decided they could always pack it up and go back to their “regular life” if the lifestyle didn’t pan out, so they had nothing to lose. They were already homeschooling their children, so schooling on the road wouldn’t be too much of an adjustment learning-wise for the kids. Luckily, Craig’s career in the tech field allowed him the flexibility of working remotely. So, with all the initial boxes checked, they took the leap in May 2014.

Seven years later and still RVing, it’s safe to say the Royal family is a fan of RV living.

Adapting to the RV lifestyle can be overwhelming – overwhelmingly fun. Sure, there are a few things here and there to get used to but, overall, it’s an adventure you’ll wish would never end. To relieve any stress or anxiety you may have about the new lifestyle, and to help elevate the fun of it all, we’ve gathered 50 RV hacks and tips you haven’t tried to ensure your next trip is your best trip.

1. Create an RV Departure Checklist

Whether it’s a physical copy or one stored on your phone, having a checklist available can save you the trouble of leaving something behind or having to turn around once on the road.

2. Plan an RV-Friendly Route

Regardless of where you’re going, take advantage of tools like the Good Sam Trip Planner that help navigate your RV through the country while suggesting campsites and RV parks along the way.

3. Level the RV Before Filling the Tanks

Level your RV before filling any of the tanks (freshwater tanks, especially). This will help ensure that you’re really getting a full tank with each fill-up by preventing false reads on your tank sensors.

4. Turn the Propane Valve Off Before Traveling

This should definitely be on the departure checklist, but fire safety is worth stressing more than once. Traveling with your RV’s propane valve open is a fire hazard. With all the shaking that occurs on and off the road, propane connections can loosen or come apart entirely while in transit.

Levy County is an untamed slice of Florida’s Gulf Coast. Here, you’ll find rivers winding through lush forests and a profusion of wildlife that thrives in expansive public lands. After adventures on the mainland, head out to Cedar Key to savor a laid-back community that epitomizes “Old Florida.”

Cedar Key: Great for Snowbirding

Situated on Florida’s northwest coast, Levy County sits an hour west of Gainesville. U.S. Route 98, which runs parallel to the coast, connects many of the small towns in the region, including Chiefland and Crystal River. Those venturing out to the collection of islands known as the Cedar Keys will take Highway 24 west. The largest island is home to the small town of Cedar Key, with fewer than 1,000 residents. Snowbirds are attracted to this region’s mild winters, with lows rarely dipping below 50 degrees.

Florida Wildlife

Featuring a host of protected lands, the region is a prime location for hunting, fishing and wildlife watching. Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve and the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge entice hikers to explore salt marshes and grand cypress and oak trees. Nearby, the Waccasassa Bay Preserve State Park, accessible only by boat, is ideal for canoeing and kayaking in unspoiled landscapes. Keep an eye out for migratory birds, manatees, alligators and more. With both saltwater and freshwater fishing, anglers will find diverse habitats. Bicyclists won’t want to miss the Nature Coast State Trail, which includes 32 miles of a rail-to-trail conversion. The Gulf Hammock Wildlife Management Area offers more than 24,000 acres of hunting grounds that teem with whitetail deer and feral hogs.

If you are looking forward to a year of adventure with your family, the class C motorhomes for sale are the perfect RV to get you out to the campground. Today, we’ll look at four of the best class C motorhomes for travel in 2022. Check out these family RVs below!

Coachmen Cross Trail Transit 20CB

Your family of five will be set for a week at the campground in one of the Coachmen Cross Trail Transit 20CB class C motorhomes for sale near you! This RV features an over the cab bunk that can comfortably sleep two. You’ll enjoy the countertop extension that gives you plenty of space for cooking meals in the kitchen. 

Additional Features:

J-Lounge with TableRear Corner BathCabover BunkCountertop Extension

The tiny living movement has been growing off the charts over the last five years as more and more people chase a nomadic lifestyle of adventure. The trend to purchase or build a home on wheels gives so many of us the freedom to travel and take our homes everywhere. When we first became full-time RVers, we purchased a 30 ft travel trailer. Ever since then, we envisioned going even bigger and upgrading to a 40 ft fifth-wheel, but as time passed, we did the opposite – we went smaller.

Big rigs are great for full-timing in resorts and campgrounds, but they make it more challenging to get out into nature and off-grid. Over the past few years, we’ve seen more and more people selling their things, buying a small adventure camper, and setting out on an adventure of a lifetime. It makes sense why – the smaller your home on wheels, the more you can explore! Small campers like class Cs, class Bs or vans, and truck campers are all great choices!

We personally chose the truck camper route and wouldn’t have it any other way. We already had the truck, and we found the perfect truck camper. Since getting a truck camper, our country has become our playground. We’ve been able to camp on a sandy lakeside beach in Utah, among the red rocks of Arizona, and in the snow-covered mountains of Colorado! Traveling in our truck camper has allowed us to be so spontaneous – it’s so easy to hit the road without any plans in mind. We now have the freedom and capability of being able to stop anywhere because of our size. If you love adventure and being spontaneous, keep reading to learn more about how truck campers can be a great option.

A truck camper is an agile RV for boondocking in remote locations.

Why We Bought a Truck Camper

Choosing an adventure vehicle was tough – we were torn between a van and a truck camper. We weighed the pros and cons, cost, features, and more before deciding to proceed with truck camper life.

Overall, it made so much sense to choose a truck camper over a van for our situation. If we went the van route, we would have had to trade in the SUV that we use to commute to work in exchange for a van to build out. The costs of time needed to build out a van and the thought of getting rid of our current vehicle wasn’t worth it to us. We already had a capable truck and could find a used truck camper that was compact enough to fit inside the bed of our truck with our tailgate closed. And, it allows us to tow our 30 ft travel trailer at the same time. We were fortunate to find a road-ready truck camper that was in excellent shape, only two years old and less than half the price of a new truck camper off the lot.

Birds zip and zoom around us every day. But like many RVers, I hardly gave winged creatures a second thought unless a hummingbird buzzed past my head. All that changed the day I accidentally camped at one of the best winter birding destinations for RVers in the southwest.

Birds Bring Natural Stress Relief

It was getting late while driving to Tucson and we needed a place to stop for the night. An online directory pointed me to a nearby wildlife refuge near Willcox, where overnight camping is allowed. Easy to access with wide-open spaces, we pulled in alongside a stunning little lake. Little did we know that the daily display of Sandhill Cranes in flight was about to begin. Moments after logging onto our computers to manage an onslaught of incoming emails, an interesting faraway sound pulled us away from our screens.

As the deep orange Arizona sun sank low on the horizon, a loud chorus of honks and squawks slowly drifted toward us. We opened the trailer door just as thousands of giant cranes swooped overhead, traveling westward to their nightly destination. With broad wingspans averaging 78 inches across, they elegantly breezed along and dazzled us with their graceful V-shaped flight patterns. The Sandhill Cranes put on a show like no other, making us forget about the long, exhausting drive we had just endured. It was a free show that provided instant stress relief, connecting us to nature and the whole reason why we full-time RV in the first place.

Relax at the Best Winter Birdwatching Destinations

I had no idea that birdwatching can be a free, easy way to relieve stress. Armed with a great pair of birdwatching binoculars and a wide-brimmed sun hat, anyone can let go of their worries and get closer to nature through birdwatching.