Frugal RV Travel Blog

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."

Dec 1, Resources For RVers

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:32:04 GMT

A wealth of resources for RVers is available on the Internet. These sites are geared to those looking for affordable adventures.

Nov 25, cold weather best friend

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:29:08 GMT

We camp/Rv even when the snow flies, but I hate the cold and feeling cold. So my best friend is.... an old fashioned hot water bottle. And when there

Nov 23, Water Miser Pasta

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:17:34 GMT

We love pasta while camping/boondocking but hate the huge use of water needed and the steamy fog created in out small RV. Years ago found this

Nov 22, Think pressure cookers for economy of fuel AND time

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:42:31 GMT

Nowhere have I seen anyone mention how efficient and wonderful and safe the modern day pressure cooker is today. It can be used as just a regular

Nov 20, sun power and cooking brown rice

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:18:08 GMT

More people should consider using solar ovens when boondocking. If you love healthy brown rice but hate the cooking time and use of fuel, a solar oven

Nov 17, boondocking laundry help

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:57:07 GMT

While boondocking in NZ for 5 months, we met a man who customized RV's One thing he added to units made us chuckle but was oh-so-sensible for long

Nov 17, free hot water

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:54:21 GMT

Those solar showers are amazing! If you have a place to secure the bag of the solar shower on the top of your RV (roof rack with short wind protection

Nov 17, spray bottle magic andhappy feet

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:51:49 GMT

TIP # 1 Seems hard to beleive but one can use a spray bottle (dollar store new or recycled windex type) containing clean cool or warm water to do an

Nov 17, Purifying water

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:58:39 GMT

Water purification We've tried a number of purification systems. Most are expensive, bulky, heavy, complicated and output very little. Worthless

Nov 9, rving to arizona in march

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:01:01 GMT

Q. Is this a good time to go? A. I presume you're asking about the weather and temperature. Arizona is a big state and the weather will vary

Nov 6, Conserving water

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:30:54 GMT

1- You can fill your tank with water from just about any source, then sanitize it by adding 5cc of chlorine bleach per 10 gallons. When you want to

Nov 4, Campground Showers

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:59:48 GMT

We usually forgo hook-ups, even when they are avaialable, but we NEVER pass up a chance to use the campground's showers. Besides conserving our own

Nov 4, Check for water before you "go".

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:58:47 GMT

Am I the only one who has had the experience (in a johhny-on-the-spot or an airplane toilet) where I'm frantically pumping the foot pedal and flushing

Nov 3, Handwashing Tip

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:21:53 GMT

Every morning I put 2 or 3 inches of soapy water in a small plastic container and use it all day to wash my hands. This saves water as well as soap.

Nov 2, Reading Lights and Screens for Windows

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:54:30 GMT

We have a 1994 Ford van that we have gradually converted as a camper over the years. It suits us to be quite low-tech and basic, preferring wild

Nov 2, EarthRoamer Update

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:24:12 GMT

In last week's newsletter, I made reference to EarthRoamer RVs. Just thought I should let you know that, while I was writing about them, they were filing for bankruptcy protection.

Oct 28, Conserve Water When Boondocking

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:53:10 GMT

Boondocking - it's all good fun 'til the tap dries up! Tips for RVers to conserve water and waste tank capacity.

Oct 28, Conserve Power When Boondocking

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:43:45 GMT

Boondocking - it's all good fun 'til the lights go out! Tips for RVers to conserve power while boondocking.

Oct 10, RV Insurance for Full-Timers?

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:27:21 GMT

Q. I'm thinking of becoming a fulltime RVer with no fixed address. Any suggestions for getting drivers licenses and RV insurance? A. I'm going to

Oct 4, Frugal RV Traveler Newsletter

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:46:17 GMT

the only e-zine newsletter dedicated to boondockers and frugal RV travelers

Oct 2, A Novel Idea - An RV Resort Exchange

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:28:23 GMT

You bought an RV because you wanted to travel, but you've discovered the best, (most frugal) deal on RV campgrounds is the annual plan....so now you're considering staying stationary and camping in the same resort all year long. Well, here is THE solution for you! We've all heard of home swap vacations. I just discovered a brand new venture - a website dedicated to the exchange of RV resort sites. And because it's new, for a limited time, you can join RV Resort Exchange for free. That's right - no membership fee for the first RVers to sign up for this amazing, new concept. P.S. There's nothing in it for me but I'm trying to help this new and very good idea get started so, if you could, I'd appreciate if you let them know you first heard about this website through me at frugal-rv-travel.com. Thanks!

Sep 23, Boondocking And The State Of The Economy

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:52:53 GMT

Q. With the state of the economy I expect the number of boondockers to go up substantally, not out of choice, but out of necessity. Will this (1)

Sep 13, RV Bookstore

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:39:45 GMT

RV Bookstore has the largest on-line selection of books, ebooks, and dvds about RVing

Aug 18, Inflatable boat

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:47:39 GMT

An inflatable boat - a perfect compliment to our RV lifestyle

Aug 5, Find Free RV Camping

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 02:24:41 GMT

17 tips to help you find free RV camping anywhere

Jul 16, Life's Awards And Rewards

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:34:43 GMT

Tripbase Blog Awards 2009 Notice something different at the top of my blog page? I'm pretty excited to be the proud winner of a top finalist award in the prestigious 2009 Tripbase Blog awards category for budget travel, ranking within the top 20 sites on the world wide web in this category. This deserves a huge thank you to all my loyal followers! I'm reminded that there are many kinds of awards and rewards in life.... I'm home in Ontario enjoying a cooler and wetter than usual summer. We have a few local RV trips planned but nothing major this summer. In fact, we're embarking on an entirely new kind of journey - we're awaiting the birth of our first grandchild next month. I must admit that Randy is a little skeptical about future travel plans. He's worried that I'll never be able to drag myself away from a grandchild. Having never experienced this before, I can't really say how that will feel, but I'm doing my best to reassure him that my desire to travel is very strong and that, if he's been paying attention, he might have noticed that we won't be the only grandparents on the road. I think having the best of both, no, actually, all worlds, is possible. We have found ways to have it until now, and will continue to do so. Besides, I want my grandchildren to grow up knowing that there are options - life doesn't have to be lived 'cookie cutter' style. And maybe grandma and "great one" which Randy has chosen to be called (ha, ha) will just have to be the ones to demonstrate this by example.

Jul 5, Disabled Traveller And Caregiver

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:28:48 GMT

Hi, I am Anne, the sister of Hugh, an ambulatory 52-year old man who sustained a brain injury when he was 15. I am administering a supported living

Jun 29, Outdoor Showers

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:38:51 GMT

Hi Marianne; One device we purchased last summer and use at out lot up near Bancroft was a portable shower unit from Coleman. (available at Canadian