Heading to pickup our 1st RV in 2 weeks!

rgscott · 07-15-2018, 07:09 PM

Hello all,
We are heading to Florida, Lazydays RV, to pickup our 1st RV, a 2015 Forza 34T. We live in Oregon and excited but nervous at the same time(at least I am, the wife who plans everything). Not sure of the best travel route. We've been exploring the travel clubs but not sure about which to join. Thinking we want to make it safely home first, talk to RV owners before deciding, while still making a fun 2 week trip of it. Any ideas, warnings, etc. Are rest stops okay to spend the night? What are good tow vehicles? Thanks for any feedback!

GaHoosier · 07-16-2018, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgscott

Hello all,
We are heading to Florida, Lazydays RV, to pickup our 1st RV, a 2015 Forza 34T. We live in Oregon and excited but nervous at the same time(at least I am, the wife who plans everything). Not sure of the best travel route. We've been exploring the travel clubs but not sure about which to join. Thinking we want to make it safely home first, talk to RV owners before deciding, while still making a fun 2 week trip of it. Any ideas, warnings, etc. Are rest stops okay to spend the night? What are good tow vehicles? Thanks for any feedback!

I remember our journey in 2014 to LaMesa RV in Sanford, Fl to pick up our first MH. We only had to drive from Georgia so not as far to drive in anticipation as you. LaMesa gave us a couple nights at a local campground to get use to all the bells and whistles, develop some questions and do a good inspection prior to heading home. That would be a good idea even if they don't pay for it. You can iron out any bugs, scrapes or dents before you get too far away from the service center. It will be hard to get factory warranty work done elsewhere since its peak camping season. Service centers are really backed up this time of year. You will be at the head of the line at Lazydays though. I have heard nothing but good things about them. Apparently their customer service facility is awesome. Since you will be traveling across country to get back home, I suggest you look at a Passport America membership. The annual membership is $44.00 and will save you 50% per night on associated campgrounds which are located all over the country, Canada and Mexico. https://www.passportamerica.com/ Typically the campgrounds are $15 - $30 per night. For that price we prefer to over-night in their campgrounds especially during these hot summer nights. We have stayed at Walmart or Cracker Barrel parking lots when its cooler so we don't have to run the generator all night. Make sure you know your vehicle height for those low bridges when you are off the beaten path. The main thing is to have fun and keep your sense of humor when things go wrong, because they will. You will meet a lot of people along the way that have been there and done that, it all works out in the end.

SarahW · 07-16-2018, 11:58 PM

Welcome and congrats on the new rig. Some states allow overnight parking in rest areas and some do not, so the answer is "it depends." Look for signs when you pull in, and I doubt they would chase you away if you say you are too tired to drive safely. Have fun.

rgscott · 07-17-2018, 10:05 PM

Thanks so much for the feedback. It was incredibly informative and made us feel a bit more prepared and aware. I saw the different clubs to join and was not sure which was were the most valuable, we will definitely join the passport one. Is there a GPS or phone app that helps with showing which roads are safe to travel in an RV, so we don't run into a low overhead? It's great that people take the time to share their knowledge and experience. I've heard that RV folks are great at helping and sharing but until now we've yet to experience the "RV love". Thanks again, it means a lot to us newbies.

GaHoosier · 07-18-2018, 06:33 AM

For planning, I use RV Trip Wizard. I believe it is the most comprehensive planning tool available. TW allows you to transfer the map file from computer to Google Maps and several other brand name GPS devices. You can customize TW settings by entering your RV dimensions, fuel tank volume, driving preference speed or distance, campground information such as directions, cost, amenities, discounts, ect. TW may still allow a free trial period before making a decision. Since I retired in 2016 we have gotten out on the road for longer periods of time and I can tell you its hard to meet a stranger in a campground. See you down the road.