RV Trippin'

[aigheadish]

My family has discussed the idea of renting an RV for a few years and yesterday we got one booked for 2 weeks starting June 13th. So, I guess we're taking a road trip. There were a couple options for directions we could go, both started, more or less, with a trip to the Henry Ford Museum (I'm not sure, in Covid times, how I'll like it but everyone says it's great). Next was head east or west from there. The plan, going west, would be essentially out to Mt. Rushmore. Lots of boring scenery but more my style. The plan, going east, would be essentially out to the coast past Niagara Falls, then maybe Boston/Cape Cod, then south to maybe N. Carolina. The family has chosen the east route. 

I'm honestly conflicted about the trip. It's going to be very expensive, I'll do every bit of driving (which I'd do anyway) and I'm not positive where to go. I really enjoy not having plans and taking an RV seems like it's a bit forgiving in that we are driving our bedroom, but also it's a bit restrictive because I assume we'll need to pick up water and dump sewage occasionally, and they seem to frown on just tossing the sewage line in the gutter, and using someone's hose to fill up... 

The good side is it'll likely be a fun adventure and my kids are getting older (15 and 13), so there are only so many more of these kinds of trips. We've taken a couple big road trip trips so the kids are good at riding along.

So, I need some advice or suggestions of things to do, places to stop, weird things to see, etc. I'm not a huge fan of cities, though I think we'll end up driving through NYC and Philly at some point, not stopping if I can help it. I'd rather see nature or oddities. 

I'm looking at KOA campgrounds but I don't know if that's the best option, I'm also fine with sleeping in rest areas on occasion too. 

Some of you (I'm initially thinking @Old Greenhorn ) may be close enough, along the way, that I'd be interested to find a place to have a beer. 

What do you world (American East) travelers think?

[Old Greenhorn]

Before I work up a longer reply, what do the folks in your family enjoy? Sports, music, art, hiking, fishing, what? Especially your spouse, gotta keep her happy too.
 Jus t like buying sawmills, give us a little more to work with first. ;D

[HemlockKing]

Myrtle beach, SC 

I visited there in 2009 and really liked it, also Savannah in Georgia..

[WV Sawmiller]

  Tom is right on track with what do the family prefer? I love the unscheduled trips and we'd stop at anything of interest from a flea market to a cloth store to an alligator farm etc. State and National parks can be a pleasant surprise. I think many of the rest areas along the way will have dump stations. If you are traveling the interstate every state will have a welcome station at or near the first exit when you enter the state and if you pop in during working hours there will be an attendant or two who can advise you on points of interest in the state. They will typically have hundreds of brochures from local government and private enterprises.

  If you happen to come back up I-64 or I-77 from North Carolina I know a parking spot plenty big enough for an RV about 10-12 miles from where they run together in Beckley WV. ;)  

   Its 7 miles to a COE dam with Bluestone Lake above the dam and the New River below with swimming, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, etc if they are into that. There are several nice state parks in the area and other points of interest. It looks to be 283 miles on back up to Dayton. Just a thought to keep in mind if you're in the area.

[SawyerTed]

For North Carolina, I will be glad to share some ideas.  The state is over 500 miles from the coast to the mountains.  What part(s) do you want to see?  What type places?  Off the beaten track or in the thick of touristy things?

[SawyerTed]

My wife and I have logged many thousands of RV miles. There's no right way to do it.  Just don't try to be too ambitious with travel days.  Leave some time to set up camp and to squeeze in a couple of side trips to see the unexpected along the way.  We like to pick fewer places to visit and stay a little longer rather than spend just one or two nights somewhere.

There are many apps for your phone that can help you find camping spots.  Two are Campendium and  Ultimate Campground.  Campendium lists commerical campgrounds Ultimate Campground lists public - state and national parks etc.  

The Air BnB of camping is called Hipcamp - it is great for out of the way places.  Another way to camp at interesting places is Harvest Host, which is a group of farms, vineyards and other businesses that offer campsites to travelers.

[WV Sawmiller]

  We used to host Foreign exchange students and we took several through Cherokee through the Indian village tour there and watched the play "Unto these Hills" which told the story of the Cherokee. The little kids liked the shooting and war dances and Indians jumping around. The older kids actually learned a little history. 

   If you come up I-77 from NC at Exit 58 in Virginia is a reconstructed Palisaded Indian village run by the county that we like to take visitors to go see. It is 1/2 mile off the interstate, well marked and right behind a Loves Truck stop there. My grandkids liked it when young and adults find it interesting and educational.

[WDH]

Outer Banks of North Carolina Hatteras Island. 

[WV Sawmiller]

   And the Kitty Hawk/Wright Brothers museum near there.

[goose63]

Just rember all the tired truck drivers looking for a place to park to get some sleep

The 40 years I drove over the road rest areas full of Rvs thinking it was acamp ground

[SwampDonkey]

40 years is a lot of time behind that wheel goose. It ain't easy on the body. Cheers.

[TroyC]

I've done Niagara, Nova Scotia, Outer banks. Also several trips out west and 2 to Alaska. Since I live in Florida, I prefer the west. If you head to Mt. Rushmore, gotta see Wall Drug :D. Rushmore is good but I enjoyed Wind Cave and the state park with the donkeys just south of Rushmore more. I think it was Custer State Park, beautiful.

Out west you will be able to find a few Walmarts to make a quick overnight in. They are there but fewer on the east coast that allow that. You might check into PassportAmerica or one of the other discount clubs, it will get you a 50% camping discount. Caution- there are a lot of restrictions, so read the fine print. If you use it 3-4 times you will save money.

Learning the RV lifestyle is definitely a learning curve when you have to figure holding tanks, dump stations, battery usage, all the good stuff. If you can book reservations in the national parks (good luck with that) or BLM land you will find bargains. Commercial campgrounds have consolidated in the last few years and they are pricey these days.

If you get to Florida (and maybe Georgia that time of year), look me up. I have RV accommodations at both places.

Are you towing a small vehicle? Parking an RV is often a challenge.

[Tom King]

I always favored well water.  As long as it's from a faucet you know is safe, and run in with the tasteless white hose with stainless fittings, it was good for us.

I never felt guilty about dumping the gray water tank in a ditch, but the black water tank only got emptied in a proper place.  The gray water tank holds sink, and shower water.  As long as anyone taking a shower doesn't get too liberal with soap, it doesn't leave much of a telltale trace.  The gray water tank will most of the time fill much faster than the black water tank.  The only thing that goes in the black water tank is the toilet, which sits directly over it.

We have a dumping/hookup station at home.  It's just a tee into the main drain into a septic tank that has a screw out plug in it.  You'll see different types of hookups but the idea is always the same.

We liked the accordion plastic thing that supports the drain line all the way to the outlet in an even slope.  It makes it much simpler to handle the line.  About all you have to do is run enough water though it to clean it out, and it empties itself on that track.
Amazon.com: Camco 30 Foot 43061 Sidewinder Plastic Sewer Hose Support 30 ft , Black : Automotive

[SawyerTed]

If you think you are going to the Outer Banks, it is best to make reservations soon.  

I suggest camping somewhere in Eastern NC so that the drive to Hatteras is less than a day's drive.  The distance from Nags Head is only 70 miles but it can be a slow drive.  Some of it is 35 mph.  But if planned right it is an awesome trip.  

There are several campgrounds including a KOA.   There is a passenger ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke that's worth the trip for a day.  Forget taking a car to Ocracoke there's a free trolley to take you anywhere.  The car ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke has long wait times in the summer. 

In Buxton, the Hatteras Lighthouse is a must see.  It's the lighthouse they moved over a mile.  The Frisco Woods Campground is a favorite of ours at Buxton. 

Of course the beaches are beautiful.  

[TroyC]

I reread your post. Rest areas along interstates are terrible. Really noisy and very little if any security. I avoid them for overnight. Walmarts are much better if you can find them.

I see you have 4 people? What size RV? That determines how long you can be on the road with getting water or dumping tanks. I travel with just 2, we conserve and can make 5-7 days without facilities. My water tank holds 100 gallons and 40 septic. If you are not careful, you'll be dumping and filling daily.

KOA are nice sites, also the very expensive. In the Keys where I typically go, a KOA site can top $200.00 a night :embarassed:.

When I went to Nova Scotia, I did not go within 75 miles of NYC, not my kinda of place. Think about where you are gonna park the RV, they are easy targets on the road.

Figure a day a week to find a laundry mat.

Depending on where you go, it can be hot in June. RV's can get really warm inside, especially in the summer.

[Raider Bill]

I'd stay far,away from NYC especially with a rv. 

[WV Sawmiller]

   If you are coming down the coast through VA Colonial Williamsburg is an option. 

   Be careful about scheduling too much or you will be too busy rushing from point to point and not have to time to stop and actually see them.

   My favorite spots are places like little backroads with a community store to o wonder through. The wife and kids may have a different view. 

   I used to do that in Africa and stop at the community store, go buy me and my driver and any locals around the store area a beer or a coke (A 20 ounce local beer was cheaper than a coke), talk a while and as often as not I'd pick up a local guide who'd take me on a tour of the village and surrounding area. I'd tip him $5 or so in local currency which was a weeks wages for him plus he got to ride in a Moto which was sometimes a big deal. Having a local face along would get me access to places other outsiders never saw.

[Southside]

You will absolutely despise trying to drive from Boston to Virginia on 95 in an RV. I would seriously suggest not doing that. The entire route is heavy traffic, many cities you pass through, tolls, did I mention horrible traffic? 

Once you are south of Richmond, VA it improves a lot and getting to NC isn't bad, but north of there... DC, Baltimore, Philly, NYC.  I won't do it. 

[sawguy21]

Don't over plan it,, leave lots of time. Pick a route, go for it and enjoy the journey. We would be on the road by 9, stop for lunch and start looking for a campground around 4 to set up and enjoy happy hour before dinner. Sometimes we would travel 300 miles per day, sometimes 150 it all depended on what caught our interest. We found some really neat out of the way places off the beaten track, fabulous food and great people.
We tried to stay off the interstates and away from the cities but sometimes that didn't work. Going south from Vancouver meant Seattle and Portland (yech) but they were a small price to pay.

[Raider Bill]

Gettysburg. 
And I agree with Southside. 95 is rough.

[btulloh]

X2 or x10 on what Southside said about i95. Us15 through Gettysburg would be a good trip once you got back west and got on it.  Lot's of historic and interesting things on that route. Cut back over to Fredericksburg when got into Virginia a ways. 

If you had to take i95, leave Boston about 9:30 or 10 pm and make sure you're south of fredericksburg by 6:00 am. 

Should be a nice family trip wherever you go. Sounds like a Griswald vacation a little bit.  lol  Have fun and travel safely. 

[btulloh]

If y'all are set on the Boston/Cape Cod destination you could easily spend two weeks in the northeast. Don't forget Martha's Vineyard if you're in that area.  Newport RI is interesting. North up the Maine Coast, New Hampshire, etc.  Lots of good seafood to eat up there. 

[Old Greenhorn]

Well, I don't see any bad advice in what I read above, it's all good. I won't even take a stab because we still don't know what your family's interests are and maybe how old the youngsters are. Trips like this should involve the whole family and that planning can be as much fun as the trip. It should get you kids looking into research for what THEY would like to do. When you start narrowing a path or find some points to focus on, then you can fill in the blanks. Leave yourselves some 'catch up' time along the road with a layover.
 Agreed, stay away from NYC with that RV. I had a buddy wanted to see the city so he drove from WI and camped in my yard, then drove across the river and took the train in. Much easier on him. Parking ANYTHING in the city is a hassle and expensive. While we are at it. If you need a rent free night to relax, my shop driveway is open and I can provide basic electric, but I have no dump station. I am minutes from Woodstock which is a huge tourist attraction, given the music history..
 How big is that RV anyway?

[21incher]

Not sure how big your  renting but we used to have a 35 ft class a Winnebago and always had my wife's car on the dolly or Harleys in the trailer behind  it. We found the height and width  of it could limit what you had easy access  to. We would  pick a spot to camp central to areas we were visiting and use the Car or motorcycle for the day trips that really let's you explore an area better and not have to spend hundreds  of dollars  on tolls and parking fees. Plus the aggravation of navigating gridlock traffic in popular areas. Then we would just move on to the next location and do the same thing. If you have a smaller front wheel drive car I definitely  would  recommend renting  a dolly and dragging  it behind  you. Campgrounds are very busy that time of year so start planning  early for reservations and look into the type of device needed to pay tolls on the roads along your  route to keep tolls down. Some bridges down by NY can cost a fortune if you don't use easy pass with a motorhome and they use the license number for payment. Used to be you could use Walmart and mall parking lots for overnights but many areas that will get you a fine now so plan the route carefully. It's  a great way to travel if you plan ahead and use old friends driveways overnight when you get the chance. 

[Southside]

21Incher brought up a good point - size.  If you go through NY - don't attempt to drive on anything called a "parkway" with that RV.  If you choose to disregard my advice on that, all I can say is duck when you get to the first bridge.  :D

Oh - and do not ever turn onto on a "Township highway" along the West Virginia / Ohio line.  Lets just say I am glad some kid on a bicycle didn't meet me because one of us would have been heading into the trees, and that was before the 200 point, 90 degree turn, 8'8" bridge.