Lower 48

[RVMommaTo6]

I know it's super early, but I've been planning a trip around the country with my kiddos. We're leaving July 31, 2019 and coming home, to NY, in June 2020. By then, we will have been to all 48 of the continental United States. We're so excited. I have a lot of the planning done, but not all of it. We'll be staying in some campgrounds and doing some boondocking along the way.

 

[Arch Hoagland]

Sounds like a fun trip. I think kids benefit a lot from traveling. 

Keep us updated once you start. What kind of RV are you taking on the trip?


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[RVMommaTo6]

I'm looking for a class A with a bunk and a drop down bed over the driver. I found a 2015 Thor Motor Coach 30.2 in Fl that I really want to go get but I was talked out of buying one so early and so far away. So I'll wait a while so I'm not paying insurance for a vehicle just parke somewhere. But it's killing me not to get this one lol

 

[Arch Hoagland]

Are you planning to tow a car behind the class A ?

 

[RVMommaTo6]

Yes, I was thinking a Journey. I want something as small as possible, and something inexpensive yet reliable, but still able to hold all of us, myself and my 6 kids. So my choices are limited. A Journey is at the top of the list right now.

 

[SeilerBird]

Small and seven people is not possible in an RV. You are looking at needing a 35 to 40 foot class A. Every person has 'stuff' and that stuff ends up being a lot of weight and a lot of room. Everybody uses the rest rooms. Small RVs have small holding tanks which mean visiting a dump station on a daily basis.

 

[HappyWanderer]

Small and seven people is not possible in an RV. You are looking at needing a 35 to 40 foot class A. Every person has 'stuff' and that stuff ends up being a lot of weight and a lot of room. Everybody uses the rest rooms. Small RVs have small holding tanks which mean visiting a dump station on a daily basis.

Of course it's possible. They're currently in a pop-up: horrors!

There are untold thousands of people traveling the country in far less than 40 foot units.

 

[SeilerBird]

Of course it's possible. They're currently in a pop-up: horrors!

There are untold thousands of people traveling the country in far less than 40 foot units.

They are camping in pop up, not living full time, huge difference. There are thousands of people travelling the US in less than a 40 footer but do they have seven people in them?

 

[RVMommaTo6]

We travel very light. We spend every weekend in our 35ft TT and have spent weeks at a time traveling with our pop up, all along the east coast. You'd be surprised how little space 7 people can live in lol.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

A year trip sounds like a lot, but I think you will find it challenging to see 48 states in that amount of time. It's a BIG country!  Since states can be reached and seen easily enough in 5-7 days, but others may take weeks.


I think you should buy well before your panned departure and get some hands-on experience in whatever rig you choose. And since you are in NY, buying one in the winter isn't real helpful. If you don't purchase this fall, make it early next spring.  In fact, go south and buy in Jan-Feb so you can have it ready to go by June.

 

[RVMommaTo6]

I found a great deal on one in Florida, I'm still tempted to go get it, but I'm thinking I'll probably wait a little while longer, but you're right, I want it ahead of time enough to be comfortable with it and know what I'm doing.
As much as I'm a big planner, I'm also very easy going so our plan specifics can be altered if we decide to spend longer in one place or leave one place earlier than planned. Some places I've planned to be in longer than others because I planned in time for doing laundry and getting maintenance on the RV. I also don't want to be driving long distances daily for that amount of time. 
Here is a very generalized itinerary for those 10 months:

July 31 Presque Isle, PA
August 8 Cedar Point
Aug 9 Upper Peninsula, Michigan
Aug 14 Apostle Islands
Aug 22 Badlands National Park
Aug 23 Mt Rushmore
Aug 25 Yellowstone/ Grand Teton 
Sept 8 Glacier Park
Sept 15 Seattle/ Olympic National Park Sept 29 Portland
Oct 3 Redwoods
Oct 8 San Fran
Oct 13 Lake Tahoe
Oct 18 Yosemite
Oct 29 Big Sur and Pacific Highway
Oct 30 L.A./ Hollywood
Nov 8 or 9 San Diego
Nov 24 Vegas
Dec 2 Hoover Dam
Dec 3 Grand Canyon
Dec 10 Zion National Park
Dec 12 Salt Lake City
Dec 19 Denver
Dec 27 Albuquerque
Jan 3 San Antonio
Jan 10 Houston
Jan 17 New Orleans
Jan 28 Tampa
Feb 5 Everglades
Feb 6 Key West
Feb 7 Ft Lauderdale
Feb 14 St Augustine
Feb 18 Savannah
Feb 25 Nashville
March 3 Memphis
March 10 Arkansas
March 11 Oklahoma
March 14 Kansas
March 18 Nebraska
March 22 Iowa
March 26 St Louis
April 2 Mammoth Cave
April 5 Lexington
April 14 Myrtle beach
April 20 my college room mate in NC
April 21 Virginia Beach
May 5 Dewey/ Rehoboth beach
May 13 six flags NJ
May 19 Lancaster/ Hershey

 

[SeilerBird]

Sounds like a dynamite trip Amanda. You should know that reservations at Yosemite are very different from any other place. They must be made five months in advance. There is a schedule and if you want to camp on Oct 14 then you must make your reservation on May 15th at 7am Pacific time. Not 7:05, they will all be booked by then.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/camping.htm

 

[RVMommaTo6]

Thanks for the advice! I'll put it in my calendar!

 

[darsben]

Please try to include Canyon De Chelly and the four corners in your plans.
Most people who  have been to Canyon De Chelly  consider more beautiful than the Grand Canyon.
Four Corners allows you to be in four states at one time.

December in the Rockies might be problematic  snow comes early there and the snow and ice can make the journey less than nice. Also in the winter the Campgrounds in the area most likely will be closed  so you will be boondocking in the cold.

 

[RVMommaTo6]

I'll add that to the list! Four corners we were going to play by ear, but if we're already that close on a day trip out there during our time at Grand Canyon, I'll plan on Four Corners too.
As for Denver, that was actually a concern of mine, I have plan Bs (or even Cs lol) for most of our journey lol, I'm ridiculously prepared before I go. I definitely don't want to drive in bad weather.

 

[RVMommaTo6]

Gary, or anyone else who has experience, which is all of you lol, I found a great deal on one now, am I better off taking it ($55,000 for a 2015 Thor ACE 30.2 with 11,000 miles in great condition) or hold out until the end of the season and look for people just wanting to get rid of them before summer?
I really appreciate any opinions offered, I'm struggling with this one.

 

[SeilerBird]

Gary, or anyone else who has experience, which is all of you lol, I found a great deal on one now, am I better off taking it ($55,000 for a 2015 Thor ACE 30.2 with 11,000 miles in great condition) or hold out until the end of the season and look for people just wanting to get rid of them before summer?
I really appreciate any opinions offered, I'm struggling with this one.

I don't think price varies that much over the course of a year. If you find the RV of your dreams at a good price you should jump on it. It is hard to find exactly what you want at the price you can afford.

 

[Arch Hoagland]

A bird in hand is worth 10 in the bush. 

Are you sure you like the layout and has your price checking confirmed that's a reasonable price? 

I'm kind of a person who will buy something I like when it is available because sure as the devil I'll never find another one like it.

It's a tough decision but you've made a bunch of those in the past...trust your gut feeling.

 

[RVMommaTo6]

I'm buying it! Now I'm super excited! Is it July 2019 yet? Lol

 

[Arch Hoagland]

I'm buying it! Now I'm super excited! Is it July 2019 yet? Lol

Onward and upward!!  Now you'll have plenty of time to train the crew. I assume each one gets a chore?