class C - large motor home -questions from a newbie

[chris.harry4000]

hello,
i am a first time RVer- a newbie.
plannig to  renting a RV next month and heading to miami from north florida.
it is a class C - large motorhome..

-
few things i wanted to know -

1. what it the purpose of generator in the RV and what are the things that it powers...rental companies charge by hourly for the usage of generators..so i am looking for a conservative to use it..
2. what is the purpose of propane in the RV and what are the things it powers.
3. how often do i need to refill the propane on the road..
4. what is the gas mileage  (miles per gallon) that i should expect from a class c - large - motorhouse
5. do i need to take care of any battery recharging while the RV is parked
6. anyway to get a wifi service on a RV...
7. any website where i could get the list of RV parks by just putting the zipcode

lot more to ask...but just want to get started wtih the above.

 

[debrey]

The generator runs the house power. That is the 110v outlets, microwave and ac. You will need to run the house ac unless everyone is in the cab.
Being plugged in at an rv park should be sufficient to maintain the battery charge.
The propane is for the stove, water heater and one source for the refrigerator.  You won't likely use much.
Many rv parks have wifi, otherwise take a hotspot,
I would get about 8-9 mpg one the interstate if I maintained  the speed between 55 and 65.
To map a trip I use mapquest.
I change the destination to how many hours I want to drive, then I just enter the nearest town rv parks .

 

[chris.harry4000]

thanks for the clarification.
also, are there any restrictions with driving a large RV into cities.
if i want to get into miami downtown and take a visit..can i just park it anywere i like...
when it comes to driving a RV large motorhouse, what sort of on road restriction do we have especially on the cities.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Generally you can park anywhere you fit, which is not necessarily anywhere you like. And you generally cannot park for an overnight overnight, i.e. camp in the RV on city streets. Most cities frown on that.

Watch for height and weight restrictions on all highways but especially in cities and on bridges and tunnels. That implies that you must know the weight and height of your RV.

 

[ArdraF]

I'm not sure I would recommend that any new RV driver attempt driving in any large city, whether Miami or elsewhere.  We usually try to find a campground out of the city and take their shuttle, subway, or other public transit if you don't have a car.  If you want to take a bus tour (such as Gray Line) they often pick up at larger campgrounds within a reasonable distance of the city.  Parking is very difficult in some cities and just getting around can be a nerve-wracking experience.

Google is your friend.  Put in the name of the city and the word campground and you should find what's available.  Check the web sites of the campgrounds and they often will tell you how close they are to major attractions, what transportation is available, and answers to other tourist questions.

ArdraF

 

[chris.harry4000]

ok ..thanks
also,  if i am just going to do a stop over for 5 hours on the road for the night(as i dont like night drives) and not really do any camping or anything of that sort.
what sort of a RV park facility should i look for..do i need to look for a full RV facility.
also..i am heading to key west from Miami..are there any things to take care before heading into the key west road,
one advise i received was to get the gas tank full as it is really expensive at key west..any other tips ...please advise

 

[George Lewis]

Avoid going to Key West on weekends...lots of traffic....tuesday thru thursday if possible.

 

[Larry N.]

...
The propane is for the stove, water heater and one source for the refrigerator.  You won't likely use much.
...

On most rigs the furnace also uses propane, and it uses quite a bit more than the above devices, when it runs.

 

[Maddie]

As far as a brief stopover, which 5 hours would be, you can look for a Walmart ( just ask the manager) or a rest stop on the interstate as long as you don't put out slides or run the gennie.

A lot of your questions should be answered by the rental company.

 

[rebelsun]

As far as a brief stopover, which 5 hours would be, you can look for a Walmart ( just ask the manager) or a rest stop on the interstate as long as you don't put out slides or run the gennie.

A lot of your questions should be answered by the rental company.

And if you stop at a truck stop, such as the any of the truck stops off I-95 that allow overnight truck parking, or the Rest Areas off I-95 with truck parking areas, you can run the generator for A/C, refrig, lights, TV, etc.

 

[ArdraF]

It will also be very noisy!  Just so you know, many rest areas do not allow overnight camping.  Stays are supposed to be short to make room for others who also need the space.  Be sure to check for signs before parking anywhere, including rest areas and Wal-Mart.

ArdraF