Its almost surreal (Our first RV Trip Ever)

[CJAG]

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays. Well we have traveled over 650 miles on our fist trip so far and ended up at Sunset Isle RV Park Cedar Key, Florida.

No major issues with our rig. Drove nice in rain and wind and I will do some tweaking with stuff as I get to know this life.

Our first night in TN (Raccoon Mountain, Chattanooga TN) we parked our rig backwards in our spot (rookies) I had to turn it around in the morning to pump out, I found out I need a longer Pump out hose. All in all our first night went smooth. Heater worked good.

Night Two: Walmart parking lot in Voldosta, GA, wow I never realized how much activity there is in a Walmart parking lot at night. There were a few fellow RVers there, We spotted a few drug deals and some shady characters there (Is this common for Walmart stays). It was nice to be able to get my pump out hose and other supplies we didn't remember before we left. Very convenient but noisy and we we cant complain about the price.

The wife and I are loving it so far. Hitting the road is a very freeing feeling. I have worked since I was 15, raised kids, beat cancer, survived  divorce and was lucky enough to meet my love 16 years ago and now the payoff!

It was cold and windy the first 2 days. It is suppose to warm up just in time for Christmas day! Attached is our first Sunset here.

All in all this coach is great, I am happy we bought it in spite of a few hiccups. Driving it was easy. I felt good in rain and wind. It gets pushed a little but nothing to out of control. It was much easier than I thought. I have never drove a rig this big.

We are here for a month then headed to Recreation Plantation RV Resort for 2 weeks to visit our friends who live in the villages (Possible relocate there for us). Our agenda after that....well we just don't know, How exciting!

I want to thank everyone here who helped me in the last 2 months. These forums are a wealth of important information. I have read so much before leaving that I feel it helped us be much more prepared.

Merry Christmas!
Chris and Amanda

 

[Gizmo100]

Congrats on successful start.

I've wondered about the Walmart parking myself. Most of them seem to stay busy even in the overnight hours. Not to mention being in a RV screams out of townee.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Most every Walmart we've ever overnighted at had a LOT of activity all night, everything from truckers making rest stops,  musician tour buses loading, lover's rendezvous and all sorts of shady characters & deals. Many of them now have overnight security, which helps keep a lid on the traffic. And it's not just Walmarts - we've experienced similar at KMarts and Home Depot lots that allowed parking.  We found that Sam's Clubs are usually quieter and most share the usual Walmart policies.

 

[garyb1st]

Congrats on a great start and best wishes for the holidays.  Every RV has problems so don't despair if it's not always 100%.  But the rewards as you are experiencing far outweigh those glitches. 

 

[AStravelers]

Yes, we have been in a very busy WM overnight a time or two.

However, most of our stays in a WM parking lot have been quiet to fairly quiet. 

What I do to hopefully find a quiet WM:

--  Plan to stay at WM in smaller towns, i.e. 20,000-30,000 population.  These usually quiet down after about 8-9pm.
--  Use the satellite function in Google Earth, Google Maps, or Bing Maps or on your smart phone to view the parking lot.
--  On the satellite view, I look for parking along the perimeter of the lot that opens on a curb.  Preferably with grass, trees or bushes next to the curb.
--  I also look to be sure I am not parking on the route the delivery trucks use to bring stuff to the store.  Or I am not parking right next to a busy hwy.

Take a look at the satellite view of this WM parking lot in Mountain Home, ID:  GPS  43.136266, -115.669336  The parking lot sticking out to the west is very quiet. Park along the edge. We have stayed here 3 times in the last 5 years and it has been very quiet.  Quieter than some RV Parks we have stayed at. 

It is not about "what you can't do".  It is about looking and planning for what you "can do".

 

[RVMommaTo6]

How fun! Congrats, have a great time! Merry Christmas!

 

[Isaac-1]

My take on Wal-Mart is that they tend to locate most of their stores in questionable parts of town in any city big enough to support more than one Wal-Mart, but in smaller cities only able to support 1 Wal-Mart they tend to locate in prime commercial real estate areas.

 

[UTTransplant]

Sounds like you have a good attitude. Enjoy the trip.

When we stay overnight at a WM, we generally do it is smaller town. We haven?t seen drug deals, but sometimes things get noisy, especially on a Saturday night.

 

[Gizmo100]

When I first moved to Arkansas at 19 years old...I asked...So what do kids do for excitement on weekends..Oh we cruise Walmart.
Yes you read that right. They would drive around the parking lot looking for friends. Once in a while the police would show up and tell the kids to clear out for a while...But for the most part the police were pretty cool with kids hanging out there....Oh Good Times ;D

 

[CJAG]

OK our first month is almost over. We have met the most amazing new friends here.
I'm in awe....never realized so many people lived this free. We love this life so far. If you are reading this and thinking about it...don't wait go for it. You will not regret it.
I am sad to leave here on Sunday, leaving our many new friends behind. The amazing sunsets, the good fishing and the joys of RV park culture.
Our rescue dog has adjusted well, so many dogs and scents, she is in heaven.
So if this is life I am excited to get to the next park and meet more great people.
Bob from this site and his wife came for a visit and took us kayaking, helped me with my coach. We cant wait to hang with you and your wife again. Thanks Bob

I told the wife "I don't even want to think about going home yet." So as far as I am concerned we can stay on the road as along as we want.
What a feeling! We booked a few nights in St Augustine FL after visiting our friends in The Villages. Then we are open to the next destination!

Thanks for all the tips here this is a good forum.

 

[jackiemac]

I'm so happy you guys are having such a great trip. It is addictive that's for sure. I get sad about the fact that we can't catch up with all the folks we meet as they are spread around a bit.  Anyhow safe and enjoyable onward travels. Keep us posted on progress  ;D

 

[RVMommaTo6]

I love it!!! So great, I'm glad you're having fun and loving life!