Helpful Information About RVing

One of the things I try to do in this column is to provide helpful information to those of you who are thinking about buying an RV, or those who have one and are planning to hit the road fulltime. Your questions let me know what I need to write about. I just realized that I have been negligent in passing on useful Websites after I received some questions about towing a 5th wheel and Internet service while traveling.

Internet
I think most of you probably already know that we use, and are happy with both Verizon cell phone and wireless Internet services. Cell phone usage is limited to 450 minutes each month with free service on weekends and late evenings. We’ve only exceeded our limit one time, and that was only by a couple of dollars, and was because we were near relatives and were constantly phoning back and forth to each other. Internet usage is unlimited—and hopefully—it will remain that way. We pay about $60 per month in addition to the cell phone service, which is about $40. So for a total of $100 per month plus tax and surcharges, we can keep in touch as much and often as we need.

RVing
There is a website where you can buy books and DVDs on RVing and various, related topics, including cooking in an RV. It is located at www.RVBookstore.com. Also, you can receive a weekly newsletter that provides all sorts of useful information, including RV product recalls, by contacting www.RVTravel.com. I don’t know if there is a charge for this newsletter.

If you are retired from the military or still on active duty, you will find lots of information on military camping at: http://www.rvtravel.com/blog/militaryrving/. You can also buy a guide book to campgrounds on military installations, called FAMCAMPS, at the above mentioned RV Bookstore.

RV Travel also provides a link to a site that tells about work-camping while RVing. Many RVers work for a few hours each week. Some earn a free site with hookups by volunteering as hosts at federal and state park campgrounds. Others earn extra income by working at RV parks or at places like Disneyworld, Silver Dollar City, and Dollywood. Some folks work in the North during the summer and the South during the winter months.

I hope these links will help answer questions you may have about the RVing lifestyle. Meanwhile, I will continue to update you with any news and information I come across. Happy travels to those of you who travel by RV, and happy dreams to those who want to.