calling all experienced campers!!

[serenitygr]

OK- all you experienced motorhome people- here's your chance to shine!! We went to our very first Disney trip early this month, and stayed at the cabins at Fort Wilderness. Needless to say, I fell so totally in love with everything there I want to live there permanently! Unfortunately I live in MN, and have 4 small kids and alot of family and none of that makes relocating very easy! So we did the next best thing- we bought a motorhome!! WooHoo!! 37 feet long- sleeps 6- looks like it's a perfect new "home" for us! lol Now I do realize there are MANY places in the country to see, and with kids ages 6-9, we should try to experience those opportunities for them over the years. However, to be honest, all I really want to do right now is go back to the Fort... At least for our first trip! There was so much there we really didnt' have time to do, and we'd all love to spend another week there.

So what I'm looking for is advice for a new motorhome family. ANY type of advice- from supplies I may not think of, to driving tips, to places to stay between MN and Florida (or other parts of the country as well)how far ahead the fort books up,and anything else you think of... Remember- we've NEVER done this!! We are planning just a short weekend trip right here by our town for a trial run, but then once summer comes we definately want to get out and explore! So help me out everyone! TYIA!

 

[bama_ed]

Congrats on the new MH.

Bama ED

 

[North of Mouse]

Congratulations We have camped all our married life in just about everything (tent 3 nights - all I could take), every type trailer made, but the best is the last 10 years in our MH (2nd one now). I'm not much at knowing how to give advice (DH has the upkeep and driving responsibility ), but I am wondering if you tow a vehicle?? If so, there are definitely different ways to do it - most common, front wheels on dolly, or all four wheels on ground. The latter is what we do, but there are only certain vehicles that you can do that with. We have a 4WD Suzuki which is common and there are others that meet the same criteria. Also, you can NEVER back up. We've been in a situation where we have had to unhook, turn around, hook back up - you get the picture So you are very limited what places you turn into when you are towing a long rig. Ours is 34' plus our vehicle - makes for long rigs!! We never tow when we go to Disney as we only use Disney transportation and don't leave the parks, so that makes those trips much easier. You would have more nights on the road than us (we take one) and we just pull into a Flying J (most have been changed over to Pilot) at night and fill up with fuel then pull into a designated free overnight area and sleep. We don't get out, or put out slides - it's a courtesy thing from them, and there are no hook-ups, just parking, but that's all we want - you do need to consider the temps. You can always find private campgrounds near the interstates. I assume you have camped before so basically put the same things in a MH as any other. I don't COOK at Disney as it's MY vacation too, but lots of people do. There's a lot of maintenance on a MH - my DH is very handy at such, so keeps on top of it. I'm sure, after re-reading this, it probably is not very helpful because I'm just the "inside" person - DH does the rest But, hopefully, someone else will step in with helpful things for you. I do know that the Fort is the best - great MH'ing days to you One other thing - you learn most of it as you go!!

 

[JBear66]

Ed what part of Birmingham are you from? We live in Pinson and do the fort 2 or three times per year.

 

[2goofycampers]

Congratulations on the MH. Here is a packing list that may help out. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1115732 Book Fort reservations ASAP when you get your dates.

 

[WeCampDisney]

Congrats on the new RV! And welcome to the Fort family.
My main tips: 1 Get the book The Next Exit. It shows everything available at every exit on every interstate hw. All RV friendly gas statios are in red letters so its easy to find your next fuel stop. 2 Check tires often. You pick up a nail, have a slow leak, tire gets low, you will have a blowout! When you check the tires, put some water or spit on the valve stem to be sure the valve does not stick open a little. If you see bubbles, just pop the valve quickly with a key or something. The small bit of dirt will blow out. Check again for bubbles. Low tires, old tires (6 years or more), overloaded tires cause most tire failures. This is your biggest threat on the road. 3 When driving in traffic, have everyone seated and not distracting the driver. Have a copilot up fron helping to look out for dangers. I try to keep my speed under 65 mph even on interstates. Take it slow, be alert, check those tires and you will be safe and have wonderful trips.

 

[bama_ed]

Ed what part of Birmingham are you from? We live in Pinson and do the fort 2 or three times per year.

I'm in Hoover buddy.

If you have any follow up, let's not hijack this thread. Send me a Private Message (PM) and we can talk offline.

Bama ED

 

[ob1quixote]

Invest in the best folding chairs you can find. I prefer these over the "multi-x frame" types.

I have 4; two as pictured, two with folding side tables, all bought from Costco "in season"

 

[John VN]

Been MHing since late 70's and one of the first but not so glamorous things would be to weigh the MH to check axle weights for possible overloading and to also set proper tire pressure.

Some MHs are close to axle weight rating from the factory and might be above the limits when loaded with supplies. This can create a safety issue. Set the tire pressure at the recommended psi according to the tire manufacturer's guide for the tires on your MH.

 

[serenitygr]

Thanks everyone for the good wishes and the helpful advice! Please continue to maention anything you think of! Our MH arrived last night(thanks to my brother, who lived only about 20 minutes from where we bought it!), and I have to go to my mom's apt. to drive it home today. I have to beat the blizzard that is supposed to arrive later this afternoon/evening. YUCK!! It'll just be me and the 4 kids- my hubby is out driving his semi right now, so this will be a new experience for us! I've driven trucks and horse trailers, but never a motorhome! It's only 30 minutes away, tho, and just 2 or 3 turns so it should be a good learning experience!

Maybe we should just keep heading southeast??? About 1400 miles later we will be at the FORT!! WOOHOO!! (think anyone here would notice?)

 

[djblu883]

Ed what part of Birmingham are you from? We live in Pinson and do the fort 2 or three times per year.

Welcome to the camping thread!!! I'm from Tuscaloosa and we adore the Fort too!!!

 

[CAFarmerGirl]

How exciting! We will be driving from the west coast to Fl in July. On our way back, we will be driving the northern route (i.e., S. Carolina, Ga, Tn, Mo, SD, Wy, OR and home). It has been a lot of fun planning all of the stops on our way to the fort and on our way home. RV.net has a lot of helpful posters, too, about all aspects of RV'ing (from modifications, stops, tires, etc...). roadfood.com has been good for figuring out places to eat.