A word of CAUTION about towing!

I need to share an unpleasant experience with my RVing friends.

First, understand that I have not had a ton on experience with towing anything behind our class A motor

home. Now, what happened to inspire this post.

My wife and I decided that we wanted to take a 9 hour drive to Yellowstone National Park with the motor

home. To be a little more fuel efficient, we decided to tow our 2009 Hyundai Elantra along on our tow dolly.

My owner's manual (Hyundai) said to tow this vehicle with the front wheels off the pavement. No problem.

We would drive the car around in the park for the three day visit while the motor home was parked in a

nearby forest service campground.

The morning we were to hit the road for Yellowstone, I loaded the car on the tow dolly and made sure

everything was tight and connected. Off we went and had no problems. After a great time in Yellowstone, I

again loaded the car on the tow dolly while in the campground and readied for the return trip home. Again, I

checked connections and made sure everything was tight (I thought).

We hit the road for the return trip and drove for 8 1/2 hours uneventfully. 30 miles from home all hell broke

loose! We were going up a gentle grade when a car pulled along side us in the left lane (4 lane highway) and

the people inside were yelling for me to pull over. 5 seconds after that, I thought we had a blowout! The

motor home starting yanking back and forth with a terrible grinding noise. I slowly applied the brakes and

pulled over to the shoulder. The car behind us pulled over as well. My wife and I got out of the motor home

and wnet around the rear to survey what had happened. The people behind us were extremely frightened

and asking us if we were okay. The 2" ball had come off the hitch and we were dragging the tow dolly 


and car by the safety chains!!! The nut holding the ball had worked loose and had fallen off. The ball was

still securely attached to the tow dolly. I had checked everything but the tightness of the nut securing the 


ball to the hitch! The couple in the other car behind us said that the dolly and towed car were flying all over

the road and it was a miracle that nobody got hurt or hit. Because I was going up a slight grade, there was

tension on the dolly and safety chains as I pulled over and slowly stopped. Otherwise, the dolly and Hyundai

would have smashed into the rear of the motor home!

We were able get the car off the tow dolly and drive into a nearby town, but a new 2" ball, install it tightly to

the hitch, load the car back up, and get home.

So, please don't let this happen to you! Before towing anything, check everything, I mean everything!

Never assume something is okay. It's the one thing you don't check that will get you! 

Buying an RV.

    A word about buying your first RV. I'll cut to the chase here. RV's can be very complicated mechanical and electrical units. They can be very expensive, even used. You worked hard for your money (well, most of us) and you want to see every penny work for you.

    If you don't know what you are doing and what to look for, get expert advice! This is especially true when buying a used RV. If you are buying a brand new RV from a dealership, you are pretty safe as far as defects go. Your RV will come with a warranty and everything is shiny and new. Now, if you are looking to save money and want to buy used, you can buy from a private party or a dealership. You may get a cheaper price when buying from a private party, but what are you getting? You may get lucky and get the deal of the century, or maybe not. Many honest people put their RV up for sale for a myriad of reasons, but can honestly sell you a whole bunch of trouble! There are many things to take into consideration when buying used. How much has the unit been used? How many miles are on it? How long has it been sitting unused? A seller may not know that the unit has hidden issues that won't reveal themselves until after you have bought it and taken it home. You get no warranty from a private party. A private party may unknowingly sell you an RV that is unsafe and needs thousands of dollars in repairs! Again, if you don't know much about RV's, but want to buy from a private party, bring somebody along who knows what to look for!

    We bought our used 2004 National RV Dolphin LX class A motor home from a dealership. They went through it completely and fixed most everything that needed repair before we accepted delivery. I remember looking at the tires and thinking how nice it was that there was plenty of tread on them. We had to get financing and it took two more weeks before we returned to the dealership to pick up the motor home. In the meantime, the dealership service department had gone through it thoroughly. When we went outside to do a "walk around" of the motor home, they told us that they had to replace all six tires. Why? At one point, they test drove it and heard rumbling sounds coming from the tires. Turns out that the tread was separating and the tires were very unsafe due to the fact that the motor home had been sitting for quite a while and the tires had begun falling apart, even though they visually looked fine. UV rays from the sun on tires just sitting for prolonged periods will destroy them (get vinyl wheel covers if you let your RV sit for weeks or months).  Cost to the dealership to replace six tires? $2,400.00! That came out of their pocket! The big awning had a hole in it caused by wasps building a nest in it. Again, replaced by the dealership. The TV in the bedroom didn't work. Replaced by the dealership. Thousands of dollars were put into this motor home on their dime. Had we bought this RV from a private party, guess who  would have paid the bill? You guessed it, us.

    So, when making your decision to buy, consider what I have said. This was our experience and may not necessarily be your experience. You may do better or you may do worse. 

    All righty then. What's so great about RV life? Let me begin by saying that RV life isn't for everybody. When I first told my older brothers (4 of them) the decision my wife and I had made, they thought I had lost my mind and gone off the deep end! It's not the life any of them want. That's the key. It's not the life any of them want. As I have gotten older (68) and hopefully a little wiser, I have learned that just because something doesn't fit me doesn't mean that it won't fit somebody else just fine! The RV community is pretty large with many thousands of us in this country alone. If I'm nuts, I have plenty of company! Billions of dollars are made off of us RVers.

    I digress.

    I suppose we all have diverse reasons why we love RVing. For us (I'll speak for my lovely wife, too), we talked about it for several years before finally deciding to sell our home, by a motor home and hit the road. As in most other things, there are pros and cons to be weighed. They will vary with each personal situation. For us, the pros outweighed the cons, so we pulled the plug and went for it. Believe me, downsizing from a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home to a 34' motor home was no easy task! We couldn't believe all of the junk we have accumulated over the years that had to be gotten rid of! A huge yard sale and another sale to sell all of the furniture and other household items. That's one of the cons about living in an RV. Storage! While the RV designers have made every attempt at utilizing all available space, the fact is that you can only do so much with a limited amount of space! Thirty four feet is thirty four feet. You can't stretch it. It is what it is. So, you downsize. Hard decisions have to be made. You've been carrying that whatchamacallit around for years. Now, sadly, you face the tough realization that your beloved whatchamacallit has to go. For some, this is the deal breaker. For others more stout of spine, it goes, painfully.

    Ah, but the upside is the freedom we have when we finally rid ourselves of the clutter, fire up the RV and hit the open road! Now there is a rush! You may have a destination in mind, maybe not. Are you a "snow birder"? For those of you unfamiliar with the term, those are folks who get out of frozen, icy, snowy Dodge and head for warmer climes for the winter. My wife and I love to travel. Before we bought the motor home, we would head down to Central America or Hawaii for a couple of weeks in January. That's all we could afford. There was snow and ice when we left and it was still here when we got back. Now, all of that is changed. We can leave Washington state in October, well before the first snow fall, and just mosey down, stopping here and there, until we settle in a nice park south of the snow line for the winter.

    Another "plus" for us is meeting new people and making new friends. Fellow RVers are pretty cool people! This is a great way to do it! At every new stop, new friends and acquaintances await. Some folks even decide to link up and form little RV convoys and head down the road to a new destination. How cool is that?

    So, what's so great about RV life? The freedom to go where you want, when you want. One day wake up with the Grand Canyon in your front yard, next day wake up to a fresh ocean breeze and the sound of surf crashing on a sandy beach! New friends await, new sights around every turn. That's what is so great about RV life! Come join us!

The TOAD!

What, a toad? Why are we talking about toads? I thought this was about RV's! Well, it is about RV's. A toad is a term used in the RV community regarding a towed vehicle or boat behind a camper or motor home. Towed-toad, get it? Yeah, it took me a minute too, the first time I heard the term.

  So, you are thinking of buying a motor home and you know that this beastie is going to get pretty rotten mileage. Aha, you have an economical car that gets good mileage and wouldn't it be nice to be able to drive that around when your motor home is parked and set up in a nice park somewhere. But how to manage that? Have the spouse drive behind you with the family car or jeep wherever you travel? Heck, that's not very economical, is it? Then tow it! It's really not a very big deal if you know what you are doing and you know the laws regarding towing wherever you are going.

    Basic towing 101.  There are three basic ways of towing a vehicle behind an RV or motor home. First, make sure you have a hitch or receiver hitch on your motor home. A receiver hitch is basically a square steel tube securely attached to the frame of your motor home. Your motor home probably already has one installed. The receiver hitch can "receive" various types of ball hitches for your particular towing need and is secured with a large pin. Oh, the three types of towing. First, and most spendy, is an enclosed trailer large enough to drive a vehicle into, or a flatbed trailer that you can drive your vehicle up onto and secure it. These get all four wheels up off the road and there is no wear and tear on the towed vehicle. These are ideal, but can set you back a pretty penny. The next choice is what is called a car dolly. With this trailer, the front wheels of the towed vehicle are raised up and onto the dolly and ride off the pavement. This is the next best way to tow and in the case of cars with automatic transmissions, the only way, but more on that in a bit. These dollies can run around $3,000.00 new, but can be had for under $1,000.00 used. The third method used for towing autos is a tow bar. These attach to the front end of the towed vehicle and are the cheapest and most popular way to tow. There are basically two types of tow bars. One type attaches to the undercarriage of the car and then stays there. When the car is not being towed, the hitch can be raised up to a vertical position and locked in place so that the vehicle can be driven around. You have probably seen these from time to time and wonder what the heck was going on. Needless to say, they are unsightly and you probably don't want to drive around town with one of these attached to your Lexus. They look pretty cool on a jeep, however (it's a "guy" thing). The other type of tow bar unattaches from the towed vehicle. Now here's the rub about tow bars. First, before buying anything, read the owner's manual of the vehicle you want to tow! Some manufacturers will insist that you do not tow the vehicle with all four wheels on the pavement! Serious damage to the vehicle could result. Most cars with an automatic transmission should not be towed like this without a special pump installed for the transmission. Some manual transmission equipped vehicles need to have the drive shaft disconnected before being towed. Get professional advise before considering any type of towing.

    Okay, once you have settled on what type of towing setup you will use, you're ready to hit the road. Towing a vehicle behind a motor home is pretty easy. The good news is you won't know it's there. The bad news is you won't know it's there! Always remember that you have a vehicle in tow! Remember when you are passing another vehicle on the highway and remember when it's time to back up. The next thing to bear in mind is that different states have different laws regarding towed vehicles. Many states have these laws, but don't enforce them.

Parks and campgrounds

    The wonders and beauties of RVing are endless. One of the wonderful things is the ability to take your home practically anywhere. Imagine all of North America as your oyster! All of the beautiful regional, state and national parks await your arrival and stay. One day the Grand Canyon is at your doorstep, another day you step out your door amidst the magnificent redwoods! They all beckon to you, whispering your name. New friends await you  at every stop. Private parks with full hookups are scattered across the country and all compete for your business. They have "pull-through" sites and back-in sites. If you are towing something or not adept at backing up, then a pull-through site is for you. There are fees for all of these places, but always much cheaper than most hotels and motels. Pay by the day, week, or month. You can generally get a nice rate break for longer stays. For example, a particular private park in northern California charges $49 per day. However, stay for a month and get a rate of $750, including full hookups and taxes. Ammenities abound in these parks. Wifi, cable TV, water, electricity(15, 30, and 50amp), sewer, pool, along with tons of seasonal activities are to be had and included in the rates.

    Want to make a great thing even greater? Buy an RV membership! These memberships are offered by Good Sam, KOA, and Passport America. Campgrounds honoring KOA and Good Sam give you 10% off the daily rate and really add up over time. Campgrounds honoring Passport America will take a whopping 50% off the daily rate. These memberships can be bought and renewed on a yearly fee and more than pay for themselves after one, three, or four uses. These are super savers when you are spending a day or two here and there. The discounts generally don't apply to longer stays like a month or so. These clubs also offer extra perks like roadside assistance, insurance, maps, etc. It is money well spent and I highly recommend purchasing one or all of the memberships. You can join all three for less than $100 per year and be covered with discounts for a huge percentage of the parks and campgrounds across the USA!

5th wheels and motorhomes

     An alternative to "tow behind" trailers are what is known as a 5th wheel. Advantages of these RV's is that you gain more room and tow easier than a conventional trailer. The 5th wheel is actually where the hitch is attached. A special receiver hitch is installed in the bed of a larger pickup truck and this is where the trailer attaches. Several feet of the unit actually overhang in and above the bed of the truck. The trailer pivots here instead of on a hitch behind the towing vehicle. This is usually the sleeping area or bed in the trailer. This allows for a longer trailer length and easier towing and maneuverability. The truck must be rated to support the tongue weight of the 5th wheel as well as the towing weight.

    The next group of RV's are the motor homes. The three categories are class A, class B, and class C. There are distinct differences between each. Class A motor homes are those that look sort of like buses. Fully self contained, they are true homes on wheels and can reach a length of 40' or more. We own a 34" 2004 Dolphin LX motor  home with a gas engine and purchased used. These large motor homes have all the conveniences of a regular home, only smaller. We have a queen size bed, stand up shower in the bathroom, full kitchen with stove, microwave/convection oven, four door refrigerator/freezer, tile floor and Corian countertops. Also included is satellite TV, cruise control, a back up camera. We have two "slideouts", one in the bedroom, one in the living area. These are mechanized sections which will expand out a couple of feet either manually or electrically to provide more room once you have found a place to camp. These are also found on the larger trailers. Class B motor homes are the type van that got started in the 70's. You know, the van that you could open from a double side door and had a bed in the back, a couple of swivel chairs (removable), a little sink and maybe a tiny refrigerator and camp stove. Today these are a bit fancier, but still have the limited space, so not too much can be crammed in there. Typically, these are not made to be lived in for any length of time and certainly are not self contained beyond having a small holding tank for fresh water and limited toilet facilities. However, many have roofs that extend so that you can stand up in them. Gas mileage is better on these and their popularity really increased during the gas shortages of the 70's. In between the class A and class B motor homes are the class C motor homes and are larger, with a "cabover" feature. This allows the living area (typically the bed) to extend over the cab of the RV. These are self contained and can be parked anywhere without the need for external hookups for short periods of time like the class A motor homes. Often referred to as mini motor homes, they also gained in popularity in the 70's. Added benefits of class C motor homes are gas mileage and crash worthiness. They are just safer for the driver and passenger in the event of a crash. Again, these are also true homes on wheels with all the amenities and comforts of home. Sizes vary and what you may want will depend on the size of your pocketbook. Actually, that applies to all RV's, doesn't it?

    A brief mention here about pop up campers. They are manufactured to be light weight towable tents ranging in weight from 1500 to 4,000 pounds. When situated in a campground they can be opened up into a tent type of affair on wheels. Some come with toilet facilities and kitchens. This is a happy medium between tent camping and larger RV camping. You have the feel of camping in a tent while having more creature comforts of larger RVS. They can also be towed by smaller vehicles such as mid size cars and SUV's.

    Lastly, there are "slide-in" campers. These are self contained campers that slide onto the bed of a pickup truck and also come in various sizes.

Types of RV's

    The day finally came to make the move to one of these contraptions, but what to buy? What the heck is out there and what does it do? What do they cost? If I get one, how much time do I want to spend in it? What type? What brand? New or used?

    After some research I discovered that recreational vehicles come in all shapes and sizes, depending on how much you will use it, how much you are willing to spend, what amenities you want, what brand, quality level, etc.

    So basically, there are four types of RV. There are travel trailers that are towed behind a vehicle with some type of hitch and can range in length from a little "teardrop" trailer to a 40' long rig with all the comforts of home. The small teardrops contain just a bed and small outside food preparation area. These can be towed by a midsize or larger car or pickup truck. Larger travel trailers are self contained and have a living room, full kitchen, and full bath with tub and shower. The larger the travel trailer, the larger the vehicle needed to tow it. The small teardrop trailers are not  "self contained". What is "self contained". That means that you can park the unit somewhere and everything you need is contained within the RV itself. Fresh water comes from a holding tank, grey water (dirty water from sinks, bath, and shower) and black water (sewage) flows into holding tanks all contained within the trailer. Gas (usually propane) comes from propane tanks and electricity comes from a generator or solar cells, again, all contained within the unit. No outside sources are required. Of course there are limits to how long the trailer can run as a self contained unit. At some point the fresh water tank will need to be filled again and the grey and black water tanks will need to be drained. The draining must be legally performed at a dumping station. These are located at parks, some rest areas, etc. Some places charge for this and some do not. More often than not, there is a charge.

    Bear in mind that one consideration when considering what trailer to buy is the length and your ability to maneuver it through traffic and obstacles in parks, campgrounds, and city streets. The longer trailers can be a real challenge! Also consider that longer is heavier and that means getting a bigger truck to haul it around. Another consideration is insurance. Insurance rates will vary depending on age, size, amount of use, and deductibles. Also take into consideration gas mileage. Bigger and heavier means fewer mpg. Big rigs can get you less than 10mpg on the highway.