Tom & Marilyn Clark
[Part II of a Series on Full Timing]
In our last article we told you that once our interest was sparked, we couldn't wait to start learning more about RVing and fulltiming. However, we couldn't find any RV magazines on the newsstand. In fact, most of the publications and books we have read to date were not found on the newsstand or in our library or bookstores. The good news is, there are a lot of good publications out there, and once you find one, it will usually lead you to another. Here's what we have found and where you can get the information you need to learn more about the RV life.
Magazines
Tom: We were already interested in fifth wheel trailers (5W), and because our friend Hank gave us a gift subscription to "Trailer Life", we began there. Trailer Life Publications has a similar magazine for motorhome owners, called "MotorHome." This monthly magazine features useful technical tips, a beautifully illustrated US travel article, and a tow vehicle/trailer review. We especially like their Action Line column, where they assist RVers who need help dealing with reluctant RV manufacturers. There is a very good classified section for campground memberships and new and used rigs, and usually there are advertisements for other publications. You can start your Trailer Life reading at www.tl.com or call 800-765-5927.
"Highways" is another excellent monthly magazine that you receive when you join the Good Sam Club. Content is similar to TL, but no articles or features are duplicated between the two magazines. Good Sam has local chapters, rallies, and supports the community in various ways. The Good Sam Club offers more benefits than we can list here; we recently became lifetime
members. Their net site is www.tl.com and you can get full details on benefits and enrollment there, or call 800-765-6080.
Marilyn: We found "Workamping News" in a Trailer Life advertisement. This is a bi-monthly newsletter that lists available workamping jobs by state. We have subscribed to the newsletter for over a year and plan to workamp the first few years of our retirement fulltiming. We keep (and re-read!) every issue. We have sent resumes to private and state parks listed in the News and have already lined up our first workamping jobs -- one month at a state park in Texas, and a 6-monthstint at a private campground in Florida for the winter season. After that, maybe Alaska? You can get sample issues and subscribe at www.workamper.com or 501-362-2637.
Tom: For fun reading about the RV life, and for things to see and do, we enjoy two quarterly newsletters. "Two Lane Roads" (formerly "Heartland Highways") by Loren Eyrich is a journal of his backroads trips east of the Rockies. The stories and photos are interesting and funny, and Loren always gives you a review of the meal he had at some out-of-the-way diner. "BBQ
sandwich, cole slaw and iced tea, $2.95, five COWs." (COW is his Condo-on-Wheels -- a truck camper) Call 1-800-432-7852 for info or E-mail COW2LANE@aol.com. Loren offers numerous RVing books, some at a discount, at his homepage www.rvusa.com/rvlife/twolaneroads/index.shtml.
"Out West" is a collection of stories and sights to see in the US West. Marilyn and I are born & bred Yankees, so this newsletter is a real treat for us. We can hardly wait to travel our western states, and this publication makes waiting these last few months sheer torture! For info or to subscribe, call 1-800-274-9378 or visit www.outwestnewspaper.com/
Marilyn: We joined the Newmar owners club when we purchased our 5W, and have enjoyed camping with our local chapter. We get the Newmar Newsletter, a monthly magazine for Newmar owners. It contains chapter news and offers info about local, national and international rallies, as well as special trips. Look into a club sponsored by your RV brand.
After doing lots of homework on campground memberships, we joined Coast to Coast (C2C) this past Fall. Their magazine is superb; they even sent us some back issues for free when we opted to pay our annual membership fee for multiple years. More about membership parks in a later installment...
Tom: We've saved the best for last -- the Escapees have a monthly magazine that is almost worth the annual membership dues alone. The Escapees (SKPs or "Skips") is an organization founded with the fulltimer in mind. We first heard about them at their booth at a big RV show in Harrisburg, PA. We could probably do a whole article about the SKPs, but briefly, your membership offers:
You can find these folks at www.channel1.com/users/escapees/ or E-mail Joe Lacey at 71053,3355@compuserve.com, or call 1-800-976-8377. We'll have more to say about SKPs when we discuss communications, and places to park. Stay tuned!
Books
Tom: Marilyn and I scoured our local libraries, but didn't find too much on the RV life. Most offerings were either very old books or focused on tent camping. However, once we purchased one or two books, these led to others, and then we found a great travel book source, which then led to others. RV info on the net has expanded rapidly this past year, and now you can find sources for most of what we've read (and more) a couple of mouse-clicks away. First we'll tell you what we've read, then we'll help you get started finding these treasures.
Books about the RV Lifestyle: These books are easy reading, informative without getting too technical, and definitely inspirational. If you aren't already hooked on FT living, you will be after your first book! They cover everything: choosing an RV, budgeting, handling emergencies on the road, deciding what to keep, finding doctors, and where to go. We kept all but one of these books for our permanent library.
"An Alternative Lifestyle" by Ron & Barb Hofmeister
"Survival of the RV Snowbirds" by Joe & Kay Peterson
"Home is Where You Park It" by Kay Peterson
"Snowbird & Winter Texan Guide" by Bill Farlow
"Freedom Unlimited: The Fun & Facts of Fulltime RVing" by Bill Farlow and
Sharlene Minshall
"Whaddayah Mean Leave Home & Travel for the Rest of My Life" by Gene & Deanne
Townsend
"How-To" Books: These are more technical and serious in nature. We kept most of these, too. You might find Howells' books in your library.
"Full-Time RVing - A Complete Guide to Life on the Open Road" by Bill and Jan
Moeller
"The RVer's Money Book" by Bob Howells
"Retirement on a Shoestring" by John Howells
"Where to Retire" by John Howells
"Selecting an RV Home Base" by Martha Weiler & TL Publications
Choosing and Buying an RV: These books will help you effectively deal with RV dealerships, understand how RV's are priced, what to look for, and how to avoid big mistakes. Absolutely do consult J D Gallant's work, whether you buy new or used. He has two "green books" that list all makes, models, and sizes of either motorhomes, or travel trailers and fifth wheels by year. His
independent RV Consumer Group organization rates the vehicles separately on safety, durability and overall value. It was quite an eye-opener and we believe it saved us from major mistakes in RV selection. When we were shopping, he offered single ratings sheets, too, if you didn't want the whole book, but were just interested in a single brand, year, and model. I don't know if he still offers this service, but you can check at www.rvhome.com/consumer/index.htm, or E-mail rvgroup@olympus.net.
"The RV Rating Book - 1992-1996" by J D Gallant
"How to Buy an RV Without Getting Ripped Off" by J D Gallant
"How to Buy an RV...and Save $1000s!" by Don Wright
"The Kelly Blue Book" - local library
Where to Camp books: Campground directories, free or cheap campgrounds. We just listed the ones we have, there are others out there.
"TL Campground/RV Park Directory" by Trailer Life Publications
"AAA Campbook" by American Automobile Association (books are by geographical
region)
"Save-A-Buck Camping ($5 and under)" by Don Wright
"Free Camping" by Camperforce Publications ("free" for your volunteer labor)
Marilyn: Ready to order yet? Here's how we got some of these books:
TL Publications offers many of these books, you can start at their homepage: www.tl.com. Workamper News also offers publications through their bookstore, call 501-362-2637 for info.
Tom found a super source for travel books, called "Have Book, Will Travel." They are great to turn to when you just can't seem to locate a source for a particular book, and they can provide you with a customized listing of books that fit your area of interest. They don't have a homepage yet, but you can send inquiries to Tony Manzi at havebook@aol.com or call 203-761-0604. Tony has 85+ books on the RV list, some include scenic places to visit by RV. He routinely offers a 10% discount, and was so pleased to hear that we planned to mention him in an upcoming article that he will knock off an additional $2.00 to anyone who mentions this article! (No, we're not on their payroll, either!)
Tom: If you haven't totally OD'd on reading materials yet, you can always visit the RV shows or attend special RV seminars or rallies that provide more educational information on the great RV lifestyle. We attended a terrific RV show in Harrisburg, PA in Fall, 1995. There we listened to Gaylord Maxwell, an entertaining and informative speaker who promotes the RV lifestyle very
convincingly. If you ever get a chance to hear him, do so.
Gaylord sponsored the first "Life On Wheels" conference at the University of Idaho in June, 1996. We didn't have the time to travel from VA to ID in our RV, so we flew in and stayed in a motel nearby and soaked up lots of great info. Of course, Tom and Stephanie Gonser have already filled you in on the daily events -- you should have seen Tom, typing each speaker's presentation into his laptop faster than a court reporter! The conference was such a success that it's being repeated there in July. Gaylord is also coordinating a 4-day extension course with much the same agenda on September 7-10, 1997 at the Harrisburg Area Community College, in Harrisburg, PA. Idaho may be filled up already, but if you can make the Pennsylvania conference, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Call 1-800-732-2226 for info.
Marilyn: We can never get enough of this stuff! Even though we have our rig all set and the next 12 months mapped out, we still want to read more, and see more, and talk with other RVers more. Just last week we incorporated a visit to the Tampa RV Supershow while visiting family in Florida. We continue to tour RVs, shop the vendor booths, and meet some very nice people along the way. We got some free hugs at the Escapee booth, and let Loren Eyrich and Vicki Kieva know how much we appreciated their seminars at the Idaho conference. Are you ready yet?
Next time: Buying the RV that's right for you.
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