Getting around after arrival in camp - advice please

[v v]

Just started detailed research for our visit with our camper to the US, basically we now intend to ship to Baltimore MD then drive full circle around the edges of the US in a clockwise direction.

Over the years we have visited the US maybe 20 times, using different methods to travel, but never in an RV. We have seen much of mid America and some of the coast, we have also visited a number of major cities too.
Our route will follow coasts and borders, but will also travel away from these from time to time up to about 300 miles inland.

We are not RV novices, but during the last 18 years have been caught up with work and had almost no use from our RVs, but previous to that we were RV full timing for 3 years from 1999 before buying and living on a Dutch barge for 5 years.

So we have a bit of experience of the US and a bit more past experience of travelling with an RV through Europe and North Africa.

Back to researching for the coming journey. Have now noticed that after a location is selected and a suitable place to stop for a couple of days is found that in a few locations we are restricted to where we can visit locally due to various factors. No public transport, distances too far to walk, distances too far to keep using Uber on our budget.

We will not be pulling a toad, we will not have a motorbike or scooter, we will not have push bikes, we do enjoy walking and are very comfortable with using public transport.

As our RV is only 24' long it is possible to use it more like an auto particularly in the US, but in some places that is also not possible. For example.
To spend a day in Norfolk VA but camping at Virgina Beach, 20-25 miles from downtown or the navy dockyards there is public transport, but, taking 2-3 hours each way depending on where to. That is too much of the day to spend on public transport each way for such a short distance, but of course we could pitch up for Uber for such a situation.
I also researched RV parking in the center of Norfolk and didn't find anything, but maybe I'm not looking in the right direction?

There are locations where a secure campground is say 3 hours walk each way to the place we would want to visit, but with little or no public transport. A 3 hour walk is ok, but after visiting whatever maybe not walking back to camp too.

Is there a something that I'm missing here, or is it that we can only visit locations if either the campground or RV parking is at or near that place, or there is good public transport over a greater distance.

There are good reasons for us not wanting to cycle away from dedicated cycle paths, and towing a car loses many of the advantages of travelling with a small RV, plus the cost of setting that up and buying and registering the auto.

Thanks for any help, we really are RV novices in the US.

 

[Isaac-1]

At 24 feet the only place you are likely to find major problems is in the larger cities, say any place over 500,000 people. Sure you will be limited in where you can park at 24 ft, but not too bad, most places you want to visit can be managed with a bit of advanced planning, google maps, etc. E-bikes can really help expand the exploration range beyond immediate walking distance, as well as speed up commute from where you can find parking to a nearby destination, ie park in visitor center parking lot or some other form of free short term public parking and then take the ebike the last half mile (kilometer) to your point of interest. We have a 28 ft class A (29'5" bumper to bumper) with 178 inch wheel base which you can see in my avatar photo backed into a standard parking space overhanging the curb at a visitor center parking lot in central Texas. We traveled about 20,00 miles around much of the central US in this coach without a TOAD for the first 5 years we owned it, before investing in a small cheap TOAD last year (2007 Toyota Yaris). Having a TOAD along allows for spur of the moment exploration, with no worries if there is a place to turn around at the end of the street or not. We also found that when we traveled without a TOAD we would spend more time in campgrounds, as it just was not worth the hassle to go places in the coach, ie having to break camp, store everything, etc. in order to go check out some local attraction.


Don't get me wrong there will be places that are not practical to visit, places where there is no nearby RV parking, but if you don't mind walking up to about 1KM, then 90+% of the time there will be a place to park, probably more often than that at only 24 feet. About the only real problem would be major cities with little on street public parking, and lots of parking garages, even then there are plenty of people that live in cities in the US that drive large pickup trucks, my old Ford F250 crew cab pickup truck measures in at close to 21 feet, and I have driven it in downtown Houston, Texas a couple of times and was able to find parking.

p.s. Public transit simply does not exist in much of the US, and most of the places where it does, it is a very slow way to get around, sometimes waiting for over an hour for a bus at each stop making a cross town trip an all day affair..

 

[Ex-Calif]

As Isaac said and as you probably know from your prior US visits. The US generally has huge parking lots for our shopping malls, strip malls and most of our "tourist" sites.

Your biggest problem will be in the "big cities" where downtown parking may be untenable. However there are several US cities where public transport is viable. New York, San Francisco and Chicago come to mind.

On a side note I can't imagine the logistics and expense of shipping a 24 foot RV back and forth from France makes sense... Hats off to your tenacity.

 

[SeilerBird]

I full timed it for 10 years without a toad in vans, class As and class Bs from 20 foot to 39 foot. Never had any problems touring without a toad.

 

[Laura & Charles]

For a day trip to a larger city you could consider parking in long-term lot at an airport. Good security there for the RV and should be just about any option for public transportation.
I also think electric bikes could serve you well.

 

[v v]

On a side note I can't imagine the logistics and expense of shipping a 24 foot RV back and forth from France makes sense...

I'm with you on makes no sense re logistics, but add to that rental costs for 7 months, plus the cost of fitting out an RV with all the stuff we all carry around and it starts to make sense.

I don't have the final costs yet but do have a good idea. Including shipping from Europe return, marine insurance and road insurance, I will be quite close at 18,000 USD.

The cheapest rental I have found for a different class of RV which doesn't include 'miles' "no kilometers included" (is that a mileage charge doesn't exist or there is an additional charge for mileage?) is 24,000 USD.

To that you have to add our small A class RV will use between 1/3 to a 1/2 less fuel on an about 16-18,000 miles journey and that we can bring all our own stuff with us, we think there is an advantage not just in cost but also other benefits to counter the logistics challenge.
Our RV is on a Sprinter base which is known in the US so I understand, we've also owned it for 6 years and are familiar with it.

Thanks for bringing it up though, it made me check what current rental costs are for this year as I was basing everything on 20/21 prices.

I wonder if the hidden ingredient is because it will be a challenge? "We do this because it is hard..."

 

[Skookum]

For a day trip to a larger city you could consider parking in long-term lot at an airport. Good security there for the RV and should be just about any option for public transportation.
I also think electric bikes could serve you well.

This is a great idea. Airports typically have "Oversize" vehicle parking, as well as good access to public transit, shuttles, rental cars, and other transportation options.

Rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft might be useful depending on your destinations.

Another option might be to rent a vehicle just for the days and locations where you need it. We've done that a couple of times....Hertz and Enterprise typically have neighborhood or off-airport locations.

 

[v v]

You have all given us confidence that mostly we can overcome local transport problems, and there are some good ideas that hadn't occurred us at all.
That parking places are much larger than in Europe has not until now registered although now on thinking of places we've driven to it's now obvious.

Really helpful, thanks very much.

 

[Isaac-1]

v v, Given the expense it might be worth it to buy an RV here and sell it after the trip. There was someone either here or over on IRV2 a few years ago that was planning on doing this. As I recall he had an arrangement with an RV consignment dealer in the Las Vegas area to buy a motorhome, then when they were done traveling after 6 months, the dealer agreed to list it on consignment sale and if it did not sell within a certain buy it back at a discounted price (I think $5,000 - $10,000 below the initial sale).

 

[JudyJB]

I live in a 32' motorhome and do not tow a vehicle. I mostly stay in state and national parks, but if I go to a city, I often will park for a day in a shopping mall or other large store such as a Lowes Hardware. Another suggestion is to call a visitor center and see if they have a place you can park and then take a shuttle or bus around a city area. And museums and such also usually have an area for motorhomes.

This past fall, for example, I visited Colonial Williamsburg and the Jamestown National Park. Both places had adequate parking for me. I just checked Norfolk and the visitor center is in a parking garage, but nearby is a big parking lot at 1170 E Water Street. Call the place you want to visit and ask them for help. Then check out Google Maps. FYI - no one minds in a big parking lot at a mall or big store if you park on the furthest edge of the parking lot and take up several spaces.

For example, I am in a state park south of Cleveland right now and this is where my son lives and where I declare residency. I have been here for 4 weeks, so have been catching up on doctor appointments and medical tests. When I make an appointment for an echo cardiogram, as I had today, I have choices of places where I can get it. Most of the big medical centers in the suburbs have huge parking lots, but the one today was really tight. I managed, but next time I have to go there, I will park in the big shopping center across the street and walk to the medical center by crossing the road. No one will mind even if I stay there several hours.

Sometimes I have gotten sneaky. For example, there is absolutely no parking in downtown Key West for big vehicles and even car parking is ridiculously expensive. I discovered, however, that there is a state park on the edge of town and within easy walking or biking distance to the touristy places. Fee for entrance with my big rig and one person was $4 for the day pass, so I parked in a big dirt lot there and rode my bike around town. Also, In a lot of tourist places, such as Savannah or Charleston, will have hop on and off tour shuttles you can take from visitor centers. In fact, I was able to get on the shuttle in Savannah from my campground!!

When you arrive here and want info on parking near particular places, just post here and ask.

There are a handful of places that i would never drive a motorhome, such as San Francisco, anywhere within 50 miles of Los Angeles, Boston, New York, etc. Las Vegas is easy, as are most cities, however, I suspect that most of what is really worth seeing in this country is in national and state parks, not big cities.

 

[Ex-Calif]

I'm with you on makes no sense re logistics, but add to that rental costs for 7 months, plus the cost of fitting out an RV with all the stuff we all carry around and it starts to make sense.

I don't have the final costs yet but do have a good idea. Including shipping from Europe return, marine insurance and road insurance, I will be quite close at 18,000 USD.

The cheapest rental I have found for a different class of RV which doesn't include 'miles' "no kilometers included" (is that a mileage charge doesn't exist or there is an additional charge for mileage?) is 24,000 USD.

To that you have to add our small A class RV will use between 1/3 to a 1/2 less fuel on an about 16-18,000 miles journey and that we can bring all our own stuff with us, we think there is an advantage not just in cost but also other benefits to counter the logistics challenge.
Our RV is on a Sprinter base which is known in the US so I understand, we've also owned it for 6 years and are familiar with it.

Thanks for bringing it up though, it made me check what current rental costs are for this year as I was basing everything on 20/21 prices.

I wonder if the hidden ingredient is because it will be a challenge? "We do this because it is hard..."

First off - trust JudyJB. She definitely knows from what she speaks. She is our "Solo, No Toad, Far Traveling" poster girl.

Thanks for laying out the numbers for me. I wasn't judging, I was really curious. We've had folks ask about long RV rental vacations and rarely has there been a specific number to give.

Even $18000 for a vacation sounds super expensive to me and probably most of us but it's not really a "vacation" is it? It' really a 7 month adventure.

Some here will say you can't circumnavigate the US in 7 months. I think you can hit the highlights. Do you think you'd have the option to leave the RV here for one tour and come back later?

That reminded me of something. When we sailed out boat internationally (Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia) most countries (especially Indonesia) required us to "bond" the boat to deter us from selling it without paying import taxes. Usually if you left the same port you arrived at it was pretty easy but if you were transiting say the north of Indonesia on your way to Australia you would leave at a southern port of Indonesia and that always created a bureaucratic nightmare.

Any issue on the import/export side?

 

[v v]

v v, Given the expense it might be worth it to buy an RV here and sell it after the trip. There was someone either here or over on IRV2 a few years ago that was planning on doing this. As I recall he had an arrangement with an RV consignment dealer in the Las Vegas area to buy a motorhome, then when they were done traveling after 6 months, the dealer agreed to list it on consignment sale and if it did not sell within a certain buy it back at a discounted price (I think $5,000 - $10,000 below the initial sale).

Thanks for the suggestion, I did look into that but as every other option it came with advantages and dissadvantages.
I believe pre Covid there were a number of these buy back deals around but have since all but disappeared at the moment.
Not having to ship is a major advantage so there is always buy and re-sell privately. But that leaves us open to having to ensure the RV is in good order or having to get it into good order, that may or may not cost real money.
We have to fit it out to some level and wouldn't/couldn't bring some of our personal things from Europe.
Fuel costs on a longer journey would be higher although I don't have exact figures for various US RV's but ours gives a regular across the board 17 mpg and that is US gallons.
We would have to rely too heavily on our Americans friends to help out with various details, some of them are not young either so we'd prefer not beyond accepting a letter or two for us.
On balance the buy and re-sell hasn't got enough going for it for our personal circumstances, and we are really attached to the idea of using our own RV in the US which is probably too sentimental.

 

[v v]

We're off to the UK first thing tomorrow so if I can't respond quickly I will in a few days or so.

Thank you all for taking an interest and helping out with ideas, what a friendly place to have come to.

 

[Isaac-1]

We had a member here attempt to do a complete US tour in 11-12 months a couple of years ago, (it was cut short by covid). She spent over a year planning out the trip, buying a motorhome for the trip and her young kids, etc. She also had a blog covering her travels. See Lower 48 and RV Mama to 6

 

[donn]

Well, from my prospective I would avoid large cities like the plague. Too much crime, especially San Fran,Chicago, NYC. Actually any west coast cities are big Nonos due to crime IMHO. Also depending o. Time of year you land you may want to adjust your trip plan to match the weather.

 

[cully]

Actually any west coast cities are big Nonos due to crime IMHO

Seriously, If your going to hand out information like this please be honest. Every BIG freaking city in the USA is a can of ****. You singling out the West is off base

 

[Isaac-1]

The west coast is worse, or at least different in the rampant type of crime. Though some of the east coast cities will give them a run for their money.

 

[cully]

Wow. Guess you have all that information to back that up? Or are we talking Seattle, Seattle, SF and LA? Ever been to Detroit, Chicago, New York, Miami, Dallas, Minneapolis. Oh never mind....Id be happy to have you never visit the West as I will never set on tire east of Wyoming. Why bother, done did it and it was like outer space. A big black hole

 

[jackiemac]

Back to the question asked...

If there's anywhere in particular you want to see that isn't RV accessible the thing to do would be to hire a car or jeep etc.

There will be few places that your RV won't go unless it's off road. Certainly out West where we travel.

If you want to go to the big cities and see the sites some will be driveable but may not be a pleasant experience.

Out east we found the roads were much busier, more like driving in the UK actually. Some places like New York might be very difficult to navigate.

Look for truck routes for each state, they tend to be pretty good to keep you right if unsure.

 

[JudyJB]

My advice is go where you want and do what you want, regardless of any of the advice we give you. It is your trip, and parts of it may be harder than others, but all of this RVing is a big adventure. You will likely have tire blowouts, get stuck in traffic jams, and have days when you are exhausted and would rather stay in bed.

The option is to stay home and never go anywhere. But that would not be fun, nor would you learn about things or have terrific experiences that you did not expect. When I started out, my grown son said I would die in a firey crash less than 200 miles down the freeway. I told him that I could choose to sit in my recliner and die that way in 20 years, but I would rather take the chance of the fiery crash!

Just in the last two years, I have had an elk stick her nose within a couple of inches hands holding my hose as I was filling my water tank, been hissed at by a gopher tortoise who did not like his photo being taken, had desert bunnies beg for carrot snacks at my campsite, watched an elderly bighorn sheep guard "his" hard-won broken campground faucet, and watched hundreds of other "wild" animals closeup. Could not have done any of that from my recliner in my old condo.

So, do what you can do and expect the unexpected experiences, both good and bad. We'll be glad to help you as best we can, but make sure you do it all your way, not exactly ours.

And, by the way, I was born and spent a lot of my life in and near Detroit, and still enjoy driving through that city, crime or no crime.