Free Things to do at Niagara Falls

Ten Free Things to do at Niagara Falls

 

When coming to Niagara Falls in an RV, and you are cost conscious, there are great things to do that do not cost anything at all!  That is what makes this such an amazing destination for those that do not need to spend money to have a good time!  There are so many free things to do at Niagara Falls, it really took Pam and I by surprise.

We went for a weekend visit to Niagara Falls State Park while recently in western New York.  We had such a great time in the two days we were there we returned the next weekend to do it again.  We were unable to see and do it all the first visit as there were so many great things to do that don’t cost a cent!

free things to do at niagara falls

RV Boondocking at Seneca Niagara Casino and Resort

RV Parks around the Niagara Falls area are not in close proximity to the Falls, and parking can be a problem when it is really busy.  We visited Niagara Falls State Park in late August. We figured it might not be as busy as some of the U.S. public schools were already back in session.  What we had not counted on were all the foreign tourists that were visiting too!  No problem, though!  We just had to be a little more creative with our picture taking in some areas of the park.

Anyway, given the fifty to eighty dollar a night RV park rates, we decided to research some free options in the area using some websites that we utilize as we travel the country.  We found Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino. Their information states the following regarding RV’s parking at their facility.

Parking for oversized vehicles, including RV’s, is available on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis in the huge parking lot on the east side of the property (Use ‘Falls Street’ entrance for your convenience). The Native American casino allows vehicles to park on the east side of the lot, by the fence, even though the lot surface area is not marked for oversized vehicles. Utility hookups are not available. The Casino is located about a mile from the entrance of Niagara Falls State Park.

It only took us about ten minutes to walk to Niagara Falls State Park from the casino parking lot.  It is almost a straight shot west to reach the park entrance.  Once you walk around to the front of the Casino you are on Falls Street which takes you directly there.

We stayed a total of five nights between our two visits and found it to be a perfect place to boondock!  We were able to use our leveling jacks, put our slides out and use our generator as needed.  As long as you have enough onboard storage for your water usage, you can enjoy a few days in this area without having to pay RV park fees!

free things to do at niagara falls

Information Plaques Located Around the Falls

The second of the free things to do at Niagara Falls is to walk around, enjoy the sights and sounds of the Falls, and learn the history of the Falls.  There are numerous plaques spread around the grounds that describe different areas of interest.  Some are historical and others state current facts.  

One fact that I found amazing was that in just one second, seventy-five thousand gallons of water spill over the American Falls!  We enjoyed walking miles around Niagara Falls State Park enjoying all the different views of both the American Falls and the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.  All that water cascading down makes for spectacular sights and sounds!

free things to do at niagara falls

In Season, Niagara Falls Shines Brightly at Night!

The third free thing you can do while at Niagara Falls is to see the Falls at night!  Every night after sunset the Falls are lit in a rainbow of colors.  It is just spectacular!  It was so enjoyable and relaxing to just sit, watch and listen to the sounds of the rushing water! There are many ways to catch this event photographically.  Even pictures taken with my Samsung smartphone, at its lowest resolution setting for web use, captured the sites quite well during the night viewings.

free things to do at niagara falls

In Season: Free Fireworks Show Friday and Sunday Nights!

The fourth free thing you can do at Niagara Falls State Park is to see the free fireworks show that occurs Friday and Sunday nights during the summer months.  Now, this is not a really long fireworks display.  I figured the display lasted about five minutes or so. The fireworks shot from the river bed light up the Falls in a unique and spectacular way!

free things to do at niagara falls

Lots to See on the Canadian Side of the Falls!

The fifth thing you can do that does not cost you anything unless of course, you choose to shop, is walk across the Rainbow Bridge into Canada.  If you have the proper documentation it is a very easy thing to do.  The walk across the bridge only takes a few minutes and there are more great views of both the American and Canadian falls.

Once you get through customs you are right near all the sights and sounds of southern Ontario.  While we were there we saw beautiful gardens, water fountain displays, listened to free entertainment while enjoying the views of the falls.  We enjoyed walking around checking out all the shops and arcades that are in abundance in the area.

We had such a good time just walking around, we made the journey into Canada twice during our stay.  We figured the walk from the parking lot of the casino to the Horseshoe Falls in Canada was about two and a half miles. It was really quite easy and with a comfortable pair of walking shoes, it is really no problem.  With all the places to stop and enjoy the sites, it is really easy to take a break, if you need one.

free things to do at niagara falls

Pedestrian and Bike Paths Abound at Niagara State Park!

Biking around the Niagara Falls area and the park is a great activity that does not cost you anything if you bring your own bicycle.  If you don’t have one as there are rentals available, but then it is no longer a free activity.  If it is really crowded it can be more difficult to bike around within Niagara State Park because the foreign tourists do not seem to understand sticking to the right when either walking or biking.

If you visit during a busy time of year you can bike along Robert Moses Parkway to avoid the crowds.  One side of the street is an unused road that they have closed off for pedestrian traffic.  You can bike for miles.  This is not a scenic as being right around Niagara State Park, but if you want a good ride, this is certainly an option.

free things to do at niagara falls

Your Fur-Kid will Love a Walk Around Niagara Falls!

The seventh of the free things to do at Niagara Falls is to take your dog for a walk in the park.  They can enjoy themselves as much as we humans! Lindsey had a great time being photogenic when we placed here on a pillar right by the Falls.  After we took this photo we actually had a small crowd that had gathered while we were taking the numerous shots it required to get this one.  She was very distracted by all the attention!

free things to do at niagara falls

Plenty of Open Space for a Picnic!

The eighth free thing you can do is to have a picnic at Niagara Falls State Park.  There is plenty of open space to lay out a blanket, bring some food and enjoy a meal and the sights.  If you just want to pick something up on Falls Street before you get to the park, there are several options to choose from.

We found Mario’s NY Style pizza!  We really enjoyed the selection they had and the quality of their pizza.  It has been a while since this native New Yorker had a good slice of New York style pizza!

free things to do at niagara falls

Old Falls Street Fun!

When strolling up and down Falls Street you can enjoy the activities: games and music. There is an outside area right near the Econo Lodge that had large size game boards of chess and checkers.  There were also ping pong tables and large Jenga blocks to play with.  There was even a huge chalkboard where you can express your lifetime wishes to the world.

Lindsey decided she wanted to play chess, but none of the other fur-kids wanted to take her on.  So, we just let her sit there and look cute for a while.  She did get others to take her picture too!

free things to do at niagara falls

Awesome Photo Opportunities Abound!

The tenth of the free things to do at Niagara Falls is to take pictures while enjoying the area.  There are so many great places to stop and enjoy the Falls while capturing their splendor from so many different angles and distances.  There are numerous walkways where you can get up close and personal with the Falls.

If you enjoy getting wet, depending on which way the wind is blowing, you can partake of the mist created by the huge amounts of water cascading down.  This also creates some great photographic opportunities.  As I stated earlier, I was using my Samsung smartphone to capture the pictures I have displayed here.  It did a fine job of capturing day and night shots while being very portable and easy to keep dry when that was necessary!

If you have a chance to bring your RV to the Niagara Falls area, be sure to enjoy some of these free activities!  It is a great opportunity to relax, unwind and enjoy the beauty that is Niagara Falls!

Pam, Lindsey and I wish you blessed travels as you enjoy this great country of ours!! Let us know how your RV travels are going if you make it to this great location!

passport america campgrounds

 

 

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Cabela’s RV Park – Our Recent Adventure!

While trying to avoid the high RV park prices of a holiday weekend, Pam and I decided to boondock for three days at the unofficial Cabela’s RV park.  

As we travel about enjoying the full time RV lifestyle we try to average about twenty dollars per night for our camping fees.  We do that by occasionally seeking refuge in an approved parking lot site.

We also use camping club memberships when we are not on a monthly or weekly rate.

There are the usual places to stay like Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Camping World and rest areas, but we recently discovered that Cabela’s serves the RVing public too. So we checked out the Cabela’s RV park in Hamburg, PA.

cabela's rv park

Now I have not spent much time at a Cabela’s store before, but we have family that like to hunt and they speak highly of their offerings.

I have read other comments about Cabela’s that state that the store is like a Home Depot for people who like to kill things.  I did find that comment very amusing but know it is somewhat controversial as many people are passionate about hunting and fishing.  I have never had that propensity, but I did enjoy visiting one of their stores!

cabela's rv park

We were in Pennsylvania near the town of Hershey and we needed a three-night stay at a place that would not cost us the usual RV park fees.  We used freecampgrounds.com and found that the Cabela’s in Hamburg, PA would allow RV’s to park and stay at no charge.

They have a row in their parking lot that will handle many RV’s and it is marked accordingly on the east side of the parking lot.  They have access to non-potable water for aiding in reducing fresh water usage for sewer needs, and they also have a dump station available if needed.  That is why I have given this location the name of Cabela’s RV park!

cabela's rv park

We showed up on a Friday afternoon of the Labor Day weekend.  There were plenty of spaces to park.  We chose to be close to the dump station so we could easily get some non-potable water, in a bucket, to use to aid in flushing the toilet.  This allowed us to extend our fresh water for other uses!

The information on freecampgrounds.com asks that once you have parked your RV that you check in at customer service and let them know you are out in the RV area and are spending the night.  We asked about spending three nights and they were most gracious in allowing us to do so!  The women at the counter even offered the code to the dump station to avoid the five dollar charge for dumping our tanks.

We can’t say enough good things about how nice the service personnel were at Cabela’s, and how helpful they were.  They even offered best wishes for us to enjoy our stay!  I was very impressed with their customer service.  I was very appreciative that they allowed us to stay for the weekend!

We really enjoyed their store and will visit other locations around the country as we have the ability to do so when in areas they are located!

This particular store in Hamburg, PA had many activities other than just shopping. They had a large cafeteria inside on the second floor, they had many animal displays with educational information included, an electronic shooting gallery, an aquarium, hunting gear, fishing equipment, clothing, footwear, guns and ammo, and other related items.

You can spend a good portion of the day at this store, if not the whole day. It depends on your level of interest in these things.  We observed many other RV’s pulling in and spending the day visiting this store.

Some folks took advantage of the dog and horse area to leave their pets in an outdoor environment instead of in a hot car while they went shopping. Cabela’s even provides locks for the penned areas if you don’t have your own.

cabela's rv park

There are also other services available nearby if needed: Walmart, fuel stations, and many eateries if you want to avoid cooking in the RV.  Most of these can be seen from the Cabela’s parking lot.  That is how close they are. We walked over to Walmart for a few incidentals.

So, if you are in the Hamburg Pennsylvania area and need a spot to rest for the evening, free of RV space fees, check out Cabela’s RV park.  This is a very nice option as long as your RV is set up to comfortably allow you to boondock in a situation like this.

If you do, please be respectful of the area and the other RVers that may be there. Don’t look like you are moving in for the long haul with awnings out, chairs, area mats, and grills.  That is what ruined it for RVers with Walmart when they started to offer this benefit.  Keep it low key and clean up after yourself.

Do that and Cabela’s will continue to offer RVers the opportunity to avoid RV park fees while traveling!

 

Blessings,

Howard, Pam, and Lindsey

 

Passport America Campgrounds – Passport America Reviews

When looking for discount camping for full time RV living, there are several options to choose from. One of the options that Pam and I chose early on was to stay at Passport America Campgrounds.  We checked out a lot of the Passport America reviews and decided that fifty percent savings for an RV site was certainly worth the cost of the yearly forty-four dollar membership.

But, how could we be sure that the testimonials being given were not just advertorial but actual Passport America reviews?

After doing a little research, we found some RV park review sites where we were quickly able to determine what these Passport America campgrounds were really like.  Were they just run down old parks that were Passport America Campgrounds who joined the ranks so they could get more business?  Or, were they nice parks offering a special price on their nightly rates, during their slower times, and they wanted to offer a good deal to RVers like us.

passport america campgrounds

For us, we have found a mixture or both!  We have stayed in some very nice parks that were Passport America campgrounds and we got a great deal with our Passport America membership.  We have also stayed at other parks that got acceptable reviews, but for us, they were pretty run down, and, they nickel and dimed us with nominal charges for things like having an AC unit.

Personal Passport America Campgrounds Experience

We stayed at a Passport America Campgrounds park located in Gasport, NY. It truly was out in the middle of nowhere, but we needed a spot for four nights and that was relatively close to Niagara Falls.  We were boondocking at Seneca Niagara Casino and Resort, right near the Falls, but after three nights we needed to be attached to services.

passport america campgrounds

So, we drove the thirty-six miles to Gasport, NY to stay at Niagara Hartland RV Park.  The listed rate on the Passport America Campgrounds website was sixteen dollars a night, plus electric.  We looked for some Passport America reviews on the campground at rvparkreviews.com and they got favorable reviews from the few postings we saw on that website.

We wound up with a nice RV site at Niagara Hartland campground.  The RV park was quiet, except for the chickens that roamed the property and were the morning alarm clock, the early morning alarm clock!

passport america campgrounds

For less than eighteen dollars a night we stayed for four nights.  The accommodations were acceptable to us.  Yes, there were lots of seasonal units staying there, and some older units, but they were separated from the transient sites and they did not bother us.  The manager of the park was most accommodating and we would recommend this park to others.

After that, we ventured a little further south and chose another one of the Passport America campgrounds.  This one was in Bath, NY. This park listed on the Passport America website that their nightly rate was sixteen dollars. When we arrived they said the rate was wrong and that it was actually eighteen dollars a night, and not for a full hookup site. Their website information was a little more vague on what type of RV site the Passport America campgrounds discount covered.

This campground was old, had lots of seasonal residents with old trailers and RV’s, and it had very little transient RV traffic.  We felt a little out of place. The campground served its purpose for us, but we would probably not return if we were in that area again.  There were very few Passport America reviews for this campground so we just had to take a chance.  Sometimes you win and sometimes you don’t!

Overall I find the Passport America campgrounds meet our needs as long as we do our research ahead of time: check online for Passport America reviews of the campgrounds we want to visit, be sure their days of discounting match up with our travel plans, and we call ahead to verify that the information that is listed on the Passport America campgrounds website is correct.

passport america reviews

We recently had a chance to stay right on property at their new building that houses MY RV Mail mail forwarding services.  This is part of the Passport America brand.  We use this service too!  Since 2010 we have been able to receive our mail no matter where we are.

camping with dogs

Happy travels as you enjoy the RV lifestyle, and hopefully the full time RV lifestyle! Please feel free to leave a comment below if we can assist you with this topic!

Blessings,

Howard, Pam, and Winston

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Crossing Border Into Canada – Taking the Rainbow Bridge to Canada

Are you thinking of crossing border into Canada?  Are you going to be near the Niagara Falls area and thinking about taking the Rainbow Bridge to Canada?  Yes, there is a Rainbow bridge you can walk, bike or drive across to get into their country.  We were hoping to see our beloved pets on the other side but no luck there!  LOL

Crossing Border Into Canada

As a Rver, issues like border crossings become really important if you are considering crossing the border with your RV home.  It can be much more complicated than just driving across in a car.  We had heard it is much easier to get into Canada than it is coming back into the United States.

This post is about our story and experience with taking the Rainbow Bridge to Canada.  But first a little background.

We wanted to take our full time RV living home to the Niagara Falls area for a visit to this place that we had never been to before.  It looks so pretty in all the pictures so we wanted to visit while we were in that area of the country. We visited in late summer.  It appeared that most of the American families were not there, but there were sure a lot of foreign tourists!  We ran into a lot of Indians: the kind that says, “thank you for calling customer support!” LOL (A Jeff Dunham and Peanut joke)

We did want to park our RV close to Niagara Falls.  We researched campgrounds in the area and found most that were within 10 miles or so were $50 – $80 per night.  In our full time RV living travels, unless we are holding an RV inspection class, we try to keep our nightly park fees at an average of about $20 per night.  We do this by using multiple sources including Passport America, Good Sams Camping Club, and freecampgrounds.com.

Crossing Border Into Canada

We found a casino that is just about a mile from Niagara Falls State Park, depending on where in the park you want to go.  They allow RVers to park in their east parking lot as long as you park along the east side of the lot by the fence.  There are no utility hookups provided.  This is a boondocking option only.  The location is called Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino.  The parking lot entrance is right off Falls Rd.  It is easy to get any size RV to this location.

Crossing Border Into Canada

If you decide to take advantage of their kindness, be sure to visit the casino and patronize them in some way.  Oh, and this facility is owned by Native Americans: the ones that go Hiya Hiya, Hiya Hiya!  LOL (Again, more Jeff Dunham!)

We found this to be an excellent location as it was located close to the Falls. In the two days we stayed at the Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino, we walked to Niagara Falls six times.  It took us less than 15 minutes to do so! It is almost a straight shot west to Niagara Falls State Park.  

In addition to food choices at the Casino, there are also great eating opportunities along the way to the Falls.  We found Mario’s NY Style Pizza. After a day of walking around, and into Canada, we were hungry!  Their pizza was awesome, and they had many varieties to choose from.

Crossing Border into Canada

For this website post, I would like to focus on the easiest way to cross the border, and that is walking across the Rainbow Bridge to Canada.  For a United States citizen with a current passport, all you need to do is enter the border patrol facility from the west side bridge access point, go through the one-way turnstile and you are off to Canada.  

The views from the bridge are spectacular.  You can place one foot in the US and the other in Canada as there is a plaque that marks the dividing line between the countries.  We also observed that at the time we crossed the bridge the high volume of vehicles that were waiting to enter the United States.

rainbow bridge to canada

rainbow bridge to canada

rainbow bridge to canada

Once across the bridge, you are directed to an office where a Canadian border patrol officer will check your passport for entry into Canada.  If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you must carry proof of citizenship such as a passport, birth certificate, a certificate of citizenship or naturalization, a U.S. Permanent Resident Card, or a Certificate of Indian Status along with photo identification. If you are a U.S. permanent resident, ensure you carry proof of your status such as a U.S. Permanent Resident Card.

This was all pretty painless.  We were through that part of the crossing in just a few minutes.  There was only one other family ahead of us at the time.  I would never expect it to be that busy when walking the Rainbow Bridge to Canada as most people would probably prefer to drive.  

The only thing the border agent asked us was where we were from in the US and why we were visiting that day?  That was it!  We were now on Canadian soil.

rainbow bridge to canada

So, if you are in the Niagara Falls area on the US side, why would one want to venture across the Rainbow Bridge to Canada?  The Falls are beautiful and the views from Niagara State Park are certainly amazing, but the Falls are truly spectacular from the Canadian side.  The Horseshoe Falls cannot be truly appreciated unless you see them while in Canada.

rainbow bridge to canada

Now, you can take the Maid of the Mist boat tour and truly experience Niagara Falls, and get really wet too!  We watched many folks waiting in long lines to get their tickets and a plastic bag to cover themselves once in the midst of all the mist from the Falls.  

We also noted how wet they were when they got off the boat!  The plastic bag appeared to have failed many! On a hot day that would be awesome, but it was a rather cool day when we were there.

rainbow bridge to canada

rainbow bridge to canada

The mist from the Horseshoe Falls almost makes it appear like it is raining. The day we were there the wind was blowing the mist over the main walkway which is along Niagara Parkway.  There are plenty of opportunities to get a little wet while visiting Niagara Falls!  But it is so worth it to see views like these!

rainbow bridge to canada

Crossing back the United States via the Rainbow Bridge was just as easy as it was to cross into Canada.  It was a good thing we had some American currency with us as we needed fifty cents each to get back onto the bridge. They had a coin changer so we could get some quarters.

crossing border into canada

Once through the turnstile, we walked back across the Rainbow Bridge.  We beat all the vehicle traffic sitting in line trying and enter the United States. Once in the Border Patrol office, we only had to wait for one couple ahead of us.  We were asked if we had anything to declare, showed our passports and we were permitted back on American soil.  Simple as that.  Do be sure to remove your hat and sunglasses, if wearing them, before speaking to an agent.

rainbow bridge to canada

Well, there it is!  Walking across the Rainbow Bridge to Canada and crossing the border into Canada is as easy as that!  I would highly recommend the experience in order to view Niagara Falls from both countries.  It was truly a treat for Pam and me!  The round trip by foot was about five miles.  It did not seem like it though!  It was an easy walk with lots of places to stop and hang out.

We may do it again soon but the next time we may try biking across to Canada.  There is a little bit more involved in that process as you cannot use the pedestrian walkway.  We will share that experience when we have completed that adventure.

Please leave a comment about your border crossing experiences if you have visited Niagara Falls in your RV.

 

Happy RV Travels,

Howard, Pam, and Lindsey

Boondocking with Dogs at Niagara Falls

 

boondocking with dogs

Hello my furry 4 legged and human followers. Lindsey here checkin’ in again with my Weekly Bark Report. This week I want to bark at you about Boondocking with Dogs at Niagara Falls. (I think a better name would be Boon-Dogging.  Whatcha all think? Or am I barkin’ up the wrong tree? Ha! Get it? I kill me sometimes.)

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Dad caught me getting a snack before writing my bark report! I love Stella and Chewy!!

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Yummy!!

This venture was the bestest yet! We stayed at somethin’ called a Caaa-Seen-O. Mom said the name of it was Seneca Niagara. (She has to help with the big words.)  It was this really big lot behind a huge-mong-us building with lots and lots and lots of lights all over it at night. And some great pee-mail for this low-rider to check out too.

boondocking with dogs

So at this Niagara place, Mom and Dad took me there one day to check it out.  Whoa! That’s alotta water dude!  And it is movin’ really fast.  I bet even a Greyhound couldn’t catch it. I think someone musta forgot to turn off the water. That’d be one really wet house if we did that in ours.

boondocking with dogs But you know I was sooo kool sitting there at the water that all the humans around were watchin’ while I did my thing. Other people I don’t even know wanted to take my picture. Go figure. Dad called me a crowd magnet. I didn’t like being so close to all that water.  It was kinda scary but I had to pretend to be brave cuz everyone was watchin’ me. Just acted like I was chillin’ and catchin’ some rays.

boondocking with dogs

Yo, and on our way back to the Caaa-Seen-O I got to play chest.  We found some sidewalk games at a place called Old Falls Street.  Dad was gonna teach me but then some nice lady asked to take my picture to put on their website.

boondocking with dogs

 

How kool is that?!  All over the world humans will see me!  Fame is tough y’all but somebody’s gotta do it. (Okay, Mom just got in my face for that. Saz I don’t need a big head. A bubble butt is all we can handle in our house.)

There was this huge checkers board too, but I didn’t want to play that.  It didn’t look as fun as the chest game.  And after chest we got to kool off at a street Found-tin.  It was right by a hawnted house. I didn’t get to go in that house.  Too scary.

boondocking with dogs

 

Oh, oh and then I gotta tell ya about the day Mom and Dad went acrost the border.  I don’t know what that means, but Dad said I couldn’t go cuz I didn’t have my traveling papers.  Huh? I grew out of potty papers when I was a pupster.  That’s okay cuz I got a really good nap while they wuz gone.

boondocking with dogs

 

They walked acrost this Rainbow Bridge. I asked if they saw Maya over there cuz she went over a Rainbow Bridge last year.  No, no Maya. I’m sad about that. Then he tells me Mom almost did come back cuz she didn’t have any money to crost the bridge.  Barooo!!  He’z such funny guy. Gotta luv my Dad. I know he would’t leave Mom there.   I can’t help him drive cuz my legs are too short.  Best I could do is be co-pilot.

boondocking with dogs

Mom and Dad leave these stuffed things in the seats so I can’t write on the windows with my nose! Bummer!!

I got to see lots of purty pitures of that place Dad called Can-A-Da.  Maybe I coulda found some new furry friends from over there, ya know, eh?  (I’m trying to learn a new language. Any Can-A-Dee-An furry friends out there to help me out?)

I sure hope Mom and Dad do some more Boon-dogging at maybe some other really neato place. Stay tuned for our next adventure and feel free to bark at me below. I’ll check back with ya after my nap.

Lindsey out….

 

RV Safety Tips – Consider Weighing Your RV!

Traveling in an RV is one of the greatest ways to get out and visit great places.  No matter where you are you always have your home with you!  For full time RVers, this is especially true!  However, one thing I have observed in our seven years of full time RV living is that some people tend to forget about safety.  I would like to suggest a few RV safety tips that may help the seasoned, as well as the occasional RV traveler.

Consider Weighing Your RV!

The first, and most important one I think is to know how much your RV weighs!  If you have no idea what your fully loaded RV is carrying you should consider weighing your RV!   The biggest argument I hear against taking the time to get this done is, “I still have more storage space so I must be okay!”  That may be true, but it does not always work that way.

consider weighing your rv

If you were to take a completely empty RV, look at the data plate that specifies the gross vehicle weight rating and subtract the weight of your empty RV, you would have your carrying capacity of the vehicle.  Now depending on the class of RV you have there are several other factors to consider.  But for this discussion lets keep it simple.

From there you would have to know how much water you want to carry and calculate that weight and add it to the vehicle’s empty weight.  Then, you would have to weigh each individual item going into the RV and stop loading any more items when you reach the vehicle’s gross vehicle weight rating. But, how can you know that you have the vehicle loaded evenly?

What if you have not exceeded the RV’s gross vehicle weight rating but have more weight on one side of the RV than on the other?  This condition might be overloading the tires and axles on one side and possibly create a situation where a tire failure could occur.  Damage may also occur to the axles themselves if this condition continues for extended periods of travel.

When Pam and I bought another RV earlier this year I put weighing the RV on the top of the list of things I wanted to accomplish.  Given it is a class C RV, and that we are pulling a cargo trailer with all our stuff, I knew that this RV would be easy to overload.  Even in our 5th wheel we had to watch the carrying capacity very closely.  All the appliances and three slides were on the street side of the RV and only one slide with very little weight in it was on the curb side.  So, we had to put the heavier items on that side of the RV to balance out the carrying capacity of the RV.

Once we loaded our new RV we made it a point to find a service that could weigh our RV.  These types of services can be found at RV Owner’s group rallies and RV shows.  Now this is not like taking your RV to a Pilot / Flying J truck scale.  That only tells you the total weight of a vehicle.  What you need to know is how much weight is on each axle, and more important than that, each tire so that overloading can be avoided.

consider weighing your rv

We started this weighing process by filling out a form that asked questions about the RV, axle ratings, tire type and weight ratings of those tires.  Once the RV was weighed at each tire, and including our trailer, a report was generated to determine where we were at with our loaded RV.

consider weighing your rv

consider weighing your rv

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We found out that our vehicle was slightly overweight on the rear axle and slightly underweight in the front axle.  This included the weight of our trailer on the hitch of the RV.  Also, the trailer was slightly underweight and the cargo weighted evenly on each side of the trailer.  So, our major concern was the rear axle of the RV under its current load.  But, according to the folks that weighed the RV, as long as we keep the tires at the correct cold pressure values and don’t exceed 65mph, we are well within acceptable limits.

Given that Pam and I are never in a hurry when we travel, and maintain our speed between 60 – 65mph, we are good to go.  I will also add that as we continue to live the full time RV lifestyle we will continue to get rid of things we don’t use.  That will help us to continue to lighten the load!

I would like to comment on one more RV safety tip.  Please be sure that when you are traveling in your RV that you have your propane system turned off!  In the event that something should happen on the road: a tire blowout, hitting a road alligator (road debris), or some other unforeseen circumstance, you don’t want to have your energized propane system create a catastrophic event when the system is damaged during travel!

Most people travel with their propane tanks on in order to keep their propane refrigerator cold.  The truth is that if you do not open the refrigerator during travel it will remain at acceptable temperature levels.  

If you have a motorized unit you can use your generator and switch over to electric cooling to keep it cool.  If you don’t have that option you can put a small block of ice in the fridge to help with cooling.  Pam and I have used both methods successfully in order to travel safely when it comes to avoiding the use of propane to run the refrigerator.

I hope both these RV safety tips will help you to continue to enjoy safe RV travel!  

 

Happy Travels!!

Howard, Pam and Lindsey

Full Time RV Living Update

Greetings from our RV!

full time rv living

Parked at Lake Kenisee – Thousand Trails in Jefferson Ohio

Pam, Lindsey and I are currently in Jefferson, Ohio spending some time at a Thousand Trails RV park and enjoying full time RV living!  It’s hard to believe we started doing this back in 2008 and it has already been that long ago.  Time sure goes by fast!

full time rv living

The first RV Trip with a rental unit!

full time rv living

We had so much fun we thought we’d try a bigger RV!

full time rv living

A Class C Rental Unit in Vegas!

full time rv living

We were able to rent a nice diesel pusher!

full time rv living

A Class A gas rental RV in our driveway in the mountains of Colorado -this is what would fit in the driveway!

full time rv living

Back to the beach in Destin!

2008 – Finally, our first full time RV living home!

There have been lots of experiences and lots of learning too!  When we think of how green we were back in 2002, when we took out our first RV, we just have to laugh at all the silly things we did early on because we did not know what living in an RV would be like, or even how to use it:

  • Thinking the air conditioner should run just because it’s plugged into shore power. What?  It needs 12 volts too?  You mean there is a battery switch that has to be turned on?  Huh?? (an RV tech course solved those kind of issues!)
  • How come the TV had reception yesterday and not today?  You mean that little button has to be pushed in one way for cable and another for the over-the-air channels?   There’s a thing called an antenna booster?
  • Not realizing a sewer hose donut was not a strong enough seal to keep the sewer hose from flying out of the sewer pipe when pulling the black tank valve – a true RV movie moment!  Yes, there was a fecal incident outside our poo palace, our kaka castle, our dodo dwelling, our fart fort, well you get the idea!  LOL
  • Burying the rear axle of a 38′ diesel pusher in a drainage ditch while trying to enter an RV parks narrow entrance in the dark because we did not do enough research before trying to get to the campground.
  • Having a Suburban water heater and not realizing that it has an anode rod and that it needs to be removed/replaced, and the water heater flushed regularly, or some bad things happen to the tank!
  • Using the black tank rinsing system to fill the tank after dumping in order to flush the tank with fresh water but forgetting to pull the gate valve when it got full of water because someone got distracted and started talking to other campers.  That’s something you do once and never do again!
  • Traveling with the RV’s propane system energized and almost losing the RV due to a freakish incident inside the RV that caused the cook top stove to turn on full blast and burn up the cook top cover.  Had we decided not to stop and check the 5th wheel it would have been a goner!
  • Spending hours on the side of the road on a very warm day with a blown tire because we were overloaded and never figured that just because we have the room in the RV does not mean we can carry everything we want.
  • Tearing up a street side rear cargo door backing in an RV site.  I thought Pam was being attacked by a bee, but the dance she was doing in my rear view mirror was to tell me to stop because I was running over the water spigot that was painted brown and just blended into the scenery I was seeing in the mirror.  We have learned to communicate better over the years!

Okay, I could go on but you get the idea!  When one starts the full time RV living lifestyle with little previous knowledge, these things can happen. Fortunately for us we did most of these bonehead type things on rented vehicles.  A few more happened in our own RV but we have minimized that due to talking with others about avoiding such things, and researching, so we can learn all we can about our home on wheels!

This year we have been traveling much more than we have in the past six years.  We stopped work camping at RV parks and are traveling for our business helping to build up the NRVIA RV inspector workforce on the east coast of the United States.  We have been in a different location every few weeks and it has been a blast!

We have discovered that associations we made over the past seven years have helped us to secure reasonable RV park campsites even given traveling in the summer months in the northeast.  Several of our favorites are the KOA value card, the Passport America camping pass, and the Good Sams card.  We have also recently discovered freecampgrounds.com for one or two-night stop overs.  We find this a great way to make a quick stop in an area for little to no cost.  We have also been able to park in friends and families yards which has been wonderful!!

There are a few other things that are really important when enjoying full time RV living!  Be able to get your snail mail and ordering items online that you just can’t get in the areas you may be visiting.

We use Passport America’s mail forwarding service and have been since 2010.  It works well!  As long as we are in a spot for a week or so we can get our mail shipped to us by first class postage for just a few dollars.  We are only required to do this about once a month.  We get most of our important mail electronically, but there are still a few things that need to go to a physical address.

We like to eat as healthfully as we can and in some places we have been the past few months we were not able to get the items that we have enjoyed in other places.  Thank goodness for Amazon, and more importantly Amazon Prime membership!  For $99 a year we get free two-day shipping to whatever location we are at.  It’s awesome!!

We enjoy a pancake mix that is better than most called Pamela’s Baking & Pancake mix.  I was having a craving for some pancakes and we ran out. We could not find the mix in our current location so I ordered it through Amazon on Saturday and I had it on Monday early afternoon.  How cool is that!!  Guess what we had for breakfast the next day?

If it is not available through Amazon Prime, which is rare, I can usually find what I want elsewhere and order it.  The only problem is getting it fast enough so that it arrives before I leave for another destination.  And, sometimes these other websites back order items I have ordered and I don’t get what I need.  So, lately I have just been loyal to Amazon as free two-day shipping gets the job done!

So, in a few days we are off to the Niagara Falls area for a few nights of free camping, and not sure where we will go after that.  We will be in Hershey, PA for a month of September during the Hershey PA RV show, one of the largest in the country, and then teaching an advanced RV inspector class in early October.

From there we are off to Heber Springs, AR to spend time with the awesome folks from Workamper News and the NRVIA.

We are truly blessed to be able to live the life we dreamt of even before Pam and I were married.  Back in the 1980’s we were looking at RV’s and imagining a lifestyle that would encompass being able to travel and enjoy full time RV living.  We had no idea how that would happen.  But, here we are 30 years later and we could not have imagined when we started seven years ago how it would have manifested itself in this way!  RV life is awesome!!

Please leave a comment if we can be of assistance to you as you are considering, or perhaps just starting to enjoy full time RV living!

Blessings,

Howard and Pam

passport america campgrounds

Lindsey Lovin’ Small RV Living

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Hello my furry and human followers.  Lindsey here lovin’ Small RV Living with my Weekly Bark Report.  Mom and Dad call our small home on wheels a Winnie-Bagel Aspect. Not sure why.  I know what a bagel is but I thought Winnie was a bear.  A poo bear to be exact.  Hmm.  He must be pretty smelly if he’s made out of poo.  From my point of view our Winnie doesn’t smell so who can figure out humans?

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So this week I get to tell you all about small RV living.  (I like to call it our small RoVer.  Kinda cute, huh? Get it, Dog, Rover?  Sometimes I crack myself up.  Baroooo!) At first I had to really get used to Mom and Dad crowding me in bed but I trained them good enuff.  If I push just right I can push mom right off the bed.  That let’s her know who’s the boss of this RV!

Dad takes a little more leg action to push him. There’s a really neato place to help me get up on the bed.  Our other RV didn’t have that.  I have to be first to get dibs on the bed.  If I’m really good I can even get the tv thingy and change channels for them.  I sometimes like to sleep on it just in case the need arises.

Another great thing about small RV living is that we spend a lot of time outdoors enjoying the different places we stop at.  I love that because I always have lots of p-mail to answer!  Also, I get lots of Mom and Dad time. I keep close just in case they need me!

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My favoritist thing about our Winne is I get to sits between the seats when we are moving down the road.  Right there by Mom and Dad makin’ sure they are doing everything just right with their hands on that wheel thing. How cool is that?!  

AND playing ring when we are moving is the bestest game every.  They throw it and I bring it back!  Adds a new level to the game.  Just need to tell y’all to be careful to not hit the bed if they round a corner or start up real quick. Stops can send me slidin’ on the floor.  Don’t like that much. I fell down the door steps once or twice and it’s scary.  

With this RV I can look out the door all the time.  Dad thinks he’s so smart putting something on the seat when they are gone but I know if I lay just right I get a clear view out the door window.  All that action going on out there that I missed in that big old Box we used to have.  

Yo, and check out the kitchen. It is so handy for me to be ready for clean up when Mom drops something chopping or hang under the table waiting for my humans to miss their mouth and drop it.  I think this small home was made for all us dogs.  I bet someone with a really cool name like Jack Russell Coachman, Jake-o Von Dash Hund, Chi Chi Huahua Thor (has identity issues) or even Winnie Beagle, Like ours! made these boxes.  Is this heaven?   

There’s this one really big storage place outside in the back.  Mom says Got-He could have left a body in there.  Don’t know this Got-He guy but I know it’s really big back there. Of course all MY stuff goes inside.  My bedroom is always close by just in case I get tired and need a nap or need to be on duty watchin’ the door when mom and dad are gone.  

All toys present and accounted for as well as leash and winnie-the poo bags right at the door for those social activities.  Gotta have your priorities.  Just so cozy for this full-time RVing pup.  What more could a dog ask for?  Toys, sleep, walks, dinner and a movie all close at hand.  I’m so glad Mom and Dad got this for me!  Barooo!

Lindsey Out!  Leave a comment for me if you would like a more personal response back instead of the usual p-mail!

  

 

 

Glamping with Dogs RV Style

glamping with dogs

Hello again to all my furry followers. For this week’s Bark Report  I want to talk to y’all about somethin’ I jus learned about called Glamping with Dogs, RV style. I was thinkin’ pretty hard what I could bark at you about this week and suddenly it came to me.  I been pickin’ up sniffs and pees-ess about this everywhere.   For those of you that don’t know what glampin’ is, it’s a way kool way to go kampin’.  Glamour-us Kamping. Baroo! For this RV kampin’ corgi it’s the only way to go. All about goin’ in style. First class.

glamping with dogsSo your trusty pup reporter is here to tell you about some kool glampin’ we did this past week  It was right on a lake. (Lake means water, which I for one avoid as much as possible. I am not a Labra-dork after all.)  I jest like to sit and look at it from dry dock thank you very much. The view was great.

glamping with dogs

This kamp was in someplace called  ‘Sconsin.  I think that’s the place. It wasn’t really a big kamp cuz it was just us and the locals but lots of really neato stuff to do!  They had this really really big bed and breakfast house.  It had a s’more-gus-bord on the floor at all times of the day, lots of beds to lay on, a neato hot tub room to catch some rays, kitchen open all day, lots of ball games and rooms galore to explore.  And it was all-inclusive, if you know what I mean.

glamping with dogs

 

And there is a private spa by the lake.  One of the locals invited me in. Gees dude!  The water’s freezin’ and he’s layin’ in it.  He was such a dork-boy.  Hot good, cold brrr!   He sez he knows a good place to go roll in the weeds if I was interested. Sorry, but your fish cologne was a bit overpowering for even me.  Plus I’m already interested in someone else.

glamping with dogsA course stayin’ at a lake must involve at least one water trip. One day we went to this meetin’ place on the river.  It was really crowded with lots of boats and humans and music and even some other dogs.   All the humans seemed to know each other. I think it mighta been some sorta party.  All were jest standin’ and splashin’ in the water.  I refused to get out cuz I didn’t have my life jacket (and it was wet).  Plus I only know how to dog paddle and it was deep for me.

glamping with dogs

Yo, yo like check me out!  One day I sneaked the keys to take Dad’s 2 wheel thingy to go out for a spin when they left.  What to my doggy dismay would happen, handles too far for my paws to stand on.  Drat the cat!  It woulda been so kool with the wind in my ears.  Mom said maybe someday we can get a sidecar jest for me.  And of course, I would have to have some Doggles.  Call me kool, jest don’t call me late for dinner.

glamping with dogs

Every nite we had live entertainment too.  My new friend Leinie was called the sleep singer cuz he did his best singin’ in his sleep.  Purdy good but didn’t know the words too well.  Dude! It was the Beatles!  No wonder he wasn’t gettin’ many Scoobie Snacks in his tip jar. Poor guy.  And he’s gonna be a dad again next month.

Well Mom is a tappin’ her foot at me with that look. I think I’ll just look at the funny palm tree that was growing here and think about my next bark report.

glamping with dogs

Until next time, 

Lindsey out

Mom Here!  Please be sure to let your fur-kids share their thoughts with Lindsey!  I’ll be sure to give her get time to respond.

 

Corgi Dogs and RVs United

Hello my four legged and two legged followers. Lindsey here with my Weekly Bark Report to report on how Corgi Dogs and RVs united at the Middlebury KOA.  As promised I’m here to give you first paw account on Corgi-Palooza that Mz Hope hosted. You are hearin’ it straight from the corgi’s mouth as this reporter was front and center.

GroupShot

I’m a little behind my barkline cuz Mom and Dad were busy last week with Dad’s class and wouldn’t let me use the computer.  Kinda bites but I’m here to tell all about it now. As they say here in Amish country, you are gettin’ it straight from the horseys mouth. Mom says I’m just a pup reporter but I do want to someday update y’all on other doggy events.  This was just getting my paws wet.

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All our parents came in RVs with their furry kids. In my opinion, I feel we must have a comfy ride going to these things.  Mom and Dad always sez they likes to travel in style, and be comfort-able. Duh! Well so do we.  It’s all about the ride you know.  How would it look if us dogs showed up in something beneath our stature.  (For corgis that can be tuff since we are short by most dog standards.) I do have to let my humans drive my home because my legs just don’t reach those pedal thingys on the floor. There’s my short stature again. Sorry, rabbit trail.

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Back to the Palooza. We had this really kool place by the pond where we could all FRAP together. (That’s corgi-eze for Frequent Random Acts of Play.)  Some of the boyz don’t play too good. Over a stupid ball.  Geez, grow up.  There was a whole package of ballz and they all wanted the same one.  Us girls played cheerleader on the sidelines.  Kiah even had on her KOA yellow cheerleader outfit.

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The baby that came really liked the ice pool.  She thought she was queen of the hill until one of the boyz wanted to dig in it.  Not for this corgi.  I spent enuff time in our big house in the mountains.  Had my share of doing my bizness in that cold suff and freezin’ my puppy paws with ice kookies stuck between my toes.  Brrrr!  Makes me want to crawl under a blanket just thinking about it.  Oops. Rabbit trail again.

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Mr Kool Koi had his own kissing booth.  Ms Hope said if you wanted a Koi Kiss she would give to somethin’ called KOA Kare Kamps.  I guess it’s for sick small humans.  I just stealed kisses from him whenever I saw him. I think his real name is Koi Bond.  He kisses real good.

KissingKoi

BAROOO!  Yo, yo, check me out!  Do I look hot or what?! These outfits were compliments of Kiah’s Kloset. I looked so Kool in my prom dress that a couple a boys came and had their taken picture with me.

20150711_14235620150711_143130 20150711_14341520150711_143356 20150711_14345220150711_142910After we got to try on stuff there was THE parade.  Strut our stuff for all the non-pet parents to see what they are missing. And after the parade one of the pet parents treated us all to a frozen cookie!  Yummy!  I’m drooling just thinkin’ about it.  Mom said she was her hero.  She has 6 dogs in her pack.  (Hmm, from this reporters ‘spective, I think in MY house one more in my pack would be just fine. Can’t spread the love that thin, unless we get a bigger moving house.)

20150711_162215 20150711_162248Anyway, I want y’all to sniff in your pet parents ears to take you to fun stuff like this. Maybe get on doggy FaceBook.  Start your own Dash-Hound Dazes, Pit-Picnics, Westie-Festies, Beagle Beach Day, Poodle-Pride, Scotty-Sunday, Terrier-Tuesday, whatever.  I could come up with all kinds a neat ideas.  We need to stand united on this and let our RVing pet parents know that dogs and RVs work really good together, and how easy it is to take us to neato stuff!. I had such fun that I can’t wait to go cover another doggy event. 

Bark at me below to let this pup-reporter know what’s on the pee-mail circuit out there in your campgrounds.

‘Nuff said.  Happy Tails!

Lindsey out.

 

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