Frugal RV Travel Blog

Jul 28, The Evolution of the RV

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:47:17 GMT

The RV is 100 years old this year. Here's a cool look back at the evolution of the RV over the last century. Happy Birthday, RV!

Jul 27, Be careful dispensing insurance advice

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:16:26 GMT

Not just your insurance company offers this deal if there is a problem (unforseen circumstance) with your RV down in the USA. The coverage is called newly

Jul 24, RVing Stories

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 22:58:08 GMT

Share and compare RVing stories....for sure there are some real doozies

Jul 14, Importing an RV? My Experience May Help You

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:28:55 GMT

My experience, shopping for and buying a motorhome from the US. My search began with a Google search for sale class A motorhome. I quickly discovered

Jul 12, Run

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:16:24 GMT

A thirteen week walk/run program - you will be able to run 10 kilometers

Jul 12, Rest Stops

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:29:48 GMT

Which Rest stops allow overnight RV parking?

Jun 27, safe drinking water....

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 13:31:27 GMT

Hi Marianne, I enjoyed reading your advice and, yes, I had an experience which taught me to be careful where you drink the water on the road. I did not

Jun 20, Ontario Boondocking

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 04:01:34 GMT

Ontario boondocking locations - my RV roadtrip with a quest for frugal (affordable) adventures

Jun 20, Ontario Passion

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 03:33:15 GMT

My Ontario travels - I follow my passions with a quest for frugal (affordable) adventures

Jun 15, 31 Strangest Places to Sleep

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:42:40 GMT

What are the strangest places you've slept in your RV? Here are a few good laughs, courtesy of Extra Distributors - The RV Mattress People.

Jun 15, Nature's Water Heater

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:25:53 GMT

Paint a one gallon plastic container with black spray paint, fill with water & set out in the morning to be heated by the sun. By dinner time, you will

Jun 15, Travel Dreams Come True?

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 02:57:20 GMT

Q. My husband and I are both 44 years old and we are about ready to sell everything in this ugly economy and enjoy each other and stop working just to

Jun 5, Ontario Trip Blog

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 19:30:48 GMT

An Ontario RV roadtrip with a quest for frugal (affordable) adventures

May 25, Ontario Trip Blog

Tue, 25 May 2010 20:37:29 GMT

An Ontario RV roadtrip with a quest for frugal (affordable) adventures

May 6, RV Membership Clubs

Thu, 06 May 2010 13:45:52 GMT

What's are the best RV Membership Clubs for saving money on camping? Mostly we are boondockers but sometimes we have to pay for a campsite. So which discount camping clubs did we join?

May 6, Never take the phone word of the BUREAUCRACY

Thu, 06 May 2010 11:09:37 GMT

I called the RIV.CA 1-800 number, not knowing of the Internet site and, at the advice of my local AMA(AAA) office, to check on the status of a 1997 DODGE

Apr 25, Keeping Warm or Cool.

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 14:47:11 GMT

We've found that the portable propane heaters sold in the US (Big Buddy is one) are a great way to keep warm without having to worry about running down

Apr 24, How To Take A Free Vacation

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 02:49:20 GMT

I love Jennifer Jolly, The Good Idea Gal. She always offers great frugal advice. This week, her column in The View From The Bay is titled How To Take A Free Vacation. Jennifer lists many good ideas for affordable adventures - from wwoofing, couchsurfing, and home exchanges, to experimenting with the RV lifestyle for free by being an RV courier.

Apr 20, Recall Clearance Documentation

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:04:28 GMT

Q. I read, with great interest, your advice on importing an RV from the USA. We have an A Class diesel pusher right now and are interested in upgrading

Apr 16, Don't Miss Free Entrance to National Parks This Week

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 03:47:56 GMT

Don't miss free entry at more than 100 National Parks starting this Saturday, April 17th through April 25th. Here are the details.

Apr 15, Earthquake Rattles RV in Southwest Arizona

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 02:29:14 GMT

The recent Mexican Earthquake had our rig rocking and rolling. At first I thought some of our friends here in the RV park were pulling a joke on us as

Apr 12, Free Kansas State Fishing Lakes

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 01:35:41 GMT

Although we live in Missouri, north of Kansas City, we love to go boondocking in Kansas. Nearly every county has at least one free fishing lake, with maybe

Apr 10, Canon 10x30 IS Binoculars

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:10:29 GMT

Image Stabilized binoculars are WONDERFUL. I will never go back to regular binoculars. Just press a button and the image that you are looking at is stabilized

Apr 10, Abduction by UFO at Boondocking Campsite

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:08:33 GMT

Hi, Is it not better to camp with others than alone? Suppose a flying saucer spotted me out on the vast deserted desert. What would stop them from beaming

Apr 10, Plastic Spray Bottle - Paper Towels

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:04:22 GMT

Use fresh drinking water in a plastic spray bottle to rense dishes, hands after soaping up, to cool down by spraying your face, put some dish washing soap

Mar 26, Good News About Forest Campgrounds

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:58:53 GMT

USDA Forest Service Chief, Tom Tidwell, has announced his decision not to implement proposed changes to fees charged to holders of passes at Forest Service campgrounds operated by private businesses. The Chiefs decision means Seniors and people with disabilities will continue to receive a discount at Forest Service campgrounds run by private concessions. Thanks to everyone who commented to influence the decision - a victory for keeping camping affordable! Read the press release here: http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2010/releases/03/campgrounds.shtml

Mar 18, Look who's 100 years old!

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:05:05 GMT

This article in today's Globe and Mail caught my attention. It only took 100 years but it looks to me like we've come full circle in what we expect from an RV. Check the article out and be sure to click on the photos tab. You thought WE were driving an OLD RV?

Mar 14, Rattlesnakes in Arizona

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:45:27 GMT

Q. Howdy, My wife and I are snowbirds roaming around central Arizona in our 17' Casita travel trailer. The high axel wheels on the trailer and the 9

Mar 9, Boondocking at the Perris Valley airport

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:29:54 GMT

My husband and I are into our 5th month of our first year of RV travelling. We've been enjoying the journey thus far, spending a lot of our stays boondocking

Feb 27, State Park Closures

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 03:33:45 GMT

Which southwestern state park is closed due to budget cutbacks?

Feb 18, Affiliate Banners

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:54:14 GMT

Feb 17, Income While Traveling

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:26:16 GMT

Want to earn income while traveling? Here are four proven tips.

Jan 25, Roads Less Traveled

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:35:14 GMT

Looking for inspiration? I just stumbled upon this website that blew me away! Roads Less Traveled Emily and Mark, full time RVers have posted amazing photos, stories, and advice. Like us, they travel on a budget and love boondocking.

Jan 22, Toronto RV Show and Extravaganza

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:47:43 GMT

Yesterday Randy and I attended the annual RV Show in Toronto.

Thought Id mention a few things that caught our attention:

With more than 500 RVs on display, there were only two truck campers and not one Roadtrek. A friend tells us that truck campers are getting hard to find with many manufacturers closing up shop in the last two years. Our opinion of Roadtrek (although we drive one) is that they have lost their competitive edge, are (trying to) ride on their name but are currently grossly overpriced in the marketplace. It could be why they had to shut down last year for several months to regroup.
Of course we'll probably always buy used so we go to the show to look at the models we may buy ten years from now. Of all the RVs on display, we thought the Safari Condo would best suit our style of boondocking adventure-travel. The display model, a 20-foot Sprinter, has pre-installed solar panels but we're not crazy about the frigde without a propane option.
Several dealerships were promoting owner-rental packages, something that, I guess, has been around for a while but we hadnt heard of it. If you buy a new RV from the dealership, it can become part of their rental fleet. Block off the weeks you want and they find renters for the rest of the year. It may work particularly well in Canada if you travel south in the winter months and rent it out in summer.

All arrangements are handled through the dealership. 60 of the rental income is yours. Free storage plus routine maintenance and cleaning after every rental is included. Your insurance costs will go up slightly. It's one way to make your RV pay for itself and, in certain circumstances, may make sense.

At least three Ontario dealerships at the show were promoting an owner-rental package: Outdoor Travel in Hamilton, The Hitch House near Barrie (through Travel Rite Rentals), and Hughes RV near Orangeville. Only Hughes doesnt require that the RV was purchased through them.

If you're considering this, be sure the dealership doesnt also rent their own RVs because they would obviously rent those first.
If you're in the market to rent an RV, a small B-class is often hard to find but each of the above dealerships has at least one for rent.

The Toronto RV Show continues through Sunday Jan 24th, at the Toronto Congress Centre.

Jan 20, RV Traveling on Desert Back Roads

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:06:18 GMT

Q. Okay, so we two gals would really like to start boondocking with our 30 Ft. Class C Jayco. We are concerned about traveling, towing our toad, on

Jan 15, Big Bend Boondocking

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:23:46 GMT

Our favorite place to boondock is at Big Bend National Park in southern Texas. The park has many road side backcountry campsites and a lot of these

Jan 9, It's Easy to Import an RV to Canada!

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 22:37:22 GMT

Hi Marianne and Randy, The last time we spoke was at the end of October from Utah (Big Mesa and Lake Powell). We are now in Mazatlan, Mexico!

Jan 9, Exporting from the US

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 22:33:13 GMT

You have omitted one very important aspect of buying in the US for importation into Canada. The US requires notification 72 hours in advance of your

Jan 8, Why Boondocking?

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 03:39:11 GMT

Despite what you may think, the reason we choose boondocking over campgrounds is not just to save money. There are many other benefits.

Jan 7, Import An RV

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:33:41 GMT

How to buy and import an RV, new or used, from the U.S.A. into Canada

Jan 7, Buying A Used RV

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:32:41 GMT

Some common sense advice when buying a used RV

Jan 3, Can you help Belle Starr?

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 05:25:40 GMT

Al and Kelly, a couple of RVers from Ontario are in southern Arizona where they are trying to help a lovely lady and good friend of ours - Belle Starr. You may recall that Randy and I boondocked on Belle's ranch on our last trip and literally fell in love with her. It appears that Belle is badly in need of some help with her ranch animals and RVers are coming to her rescue. If you plan to be in the Tombstone, Bisbee or Douglas area, please go by and offer Belle a hand in any way you can. I promise your reward will be much more than just the free camping Belle provides. Just think, you could meet up with other like-minded RVers, enjoy a ranch experience, as well as start off your year - by making a real difference (without opening your wallet)! I'm so very pleased that Al and Kelly have started this ball rolling. Please go to The Bayfield Bunch blog for more details on how you can help out.

Dec 28, Wonderclean? YES! YES!

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:13:16 GMT

I used my Wonderclean weekly for 3 months this year, boondocking in Quartzsite. The key is to cut detergent down to 1/4 what you usually use. Don't

Dec 21, Last-Minute Gifts For RVers

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 23:09:50 GMT

The crunch is on...only 4 shopping days 'til Christmas. Even if you came up with a last minute idea, it's too late to order it from the Internet...or is it?? While this may be true with items that need to be shipped, here are a few suggestions for gifts that can be bought at the last minute and delivered immediately. These gifts are perfect for your travel partner and other RVers because:

They take up very little space.
They're practical and will be appreciated
They can be used year-round

How about a Sirius Satellite Radio Subscription? Packages vary with prices from $7.00 to $20.00 per month. An Amazon gift certificate can be sent to the recipient on-line. A Good Sam Club Membership. Sign your friend up for a one-year membership for only $19.00 or 3 years for $45.00 (includes a discount available only to new members). Two For One Sale: The Frugal Shunpiker's Guides to RV Boondocking For the next four days only! From now through December 25th, 2009, purchase my Complete set of four Frugal Shunpiker's Guides for yourself($49.00). Then write me through the contact us page on this website and give me the name and email of someone to whom you'd like to give the complete set of four ebooks as a gift. I will send a second "gift copy" download of the ebooks to them in time for Christmas along with whatever message from you that you would like me to include. Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season!!!! ~Marianne and Randy

Dec 17, Going in Reverse

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:02:25 GMT

Q. Glad to find your website. We have been going frugal since around 1970, however, we lived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and have traveled during

Dec 13, Filling Propane Tanks

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:28:39 GMT

Most grills and small campers use standard 20 lb propane tanks. A 20 lb tanks holds 20 pounds of propane, right? Not necessarily. Blue Rhino and

Dec 7, A problem adding gas to tank

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:02:46 GMT

Q. I have a 99 Damon. When adding gas to the tank, say 40gals., the first half goes in fine. The last half has to be pumped very slowly as the gas

Dec 4, Save Money While You Give It Away

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:12:36 GMT

With charitable donations way down this year, creating a greater need than ever, please consider "giving" rather than "spending" this holiday season. The Royal Bank offers some tips on creative ways to give while you save money through tax benifits. Of course, you'll also get the inevitable, best "feel-good" money can buy. In my family, we follow tip 2 from the above article - we jointly choose a different charity every year. The younger children are given the option to be part of a gift exchange or add to the charity. It's surprising that, at an early age (12 years), they are often already anxious to be part of the charitable gift rather than receive an item for themselves. Besides giving to a good cause now, by making this a focal part of our Christmas celebration and family tradition, we are also setting the example for the next generation.

Dec 4, Geocaching

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:38:45 GMT

A couple of weeks ago we were at a party - a gatherng of young and old alike - and I was shocked, when I mentioned geocaching, that not one of these (mostly) physcally fit, active, outdoors-loving people had heard of it. It made me realize that, until now, I've not mentioned geocaching on my website - mainly because I thought it was so mainstream that "everyone" has heard of it. I guess I'm wrong. So if, like the people at the party, the word geocaching is new to you, here's the link to the official geocaching website - and your ticket to a whole new world of fun and adventure!

Dec 4, This Month's Free Ebook Winner

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:20:32 GMT

If you're a subscriber to my newsletter, you may be aware that I ran a contest in November with the prize - Les' Doll's ebook, Guide to Buying a Used RV (a $27.00 value) going to the person who submitted the most suggestions for saving power and water while boondocking. Congratulations to the winner, Donna Rammo of Halifax, Nova Scotia, who submitted no less than 11 entries - all based on her own boondocking adventures. The second edition of the newsletter is currently in the works. If you haven't already done so, you might want to sign up to receive The Frugal RV Traveler Newsletter. It's the only way you'll find out about January's contest and another exciting and valuable prize that I'm sure every frugal RVer will want on their "bookshelf."