WEnRV travel news, products, and industry trends

If you’ve been repeating to yourself that ‘Someday…someday I’ll get an RV and travel the country,’ journalist and RVer, Mike Wendland, has some wise and sobering advice:

“There is no guarantee someday will come.”

With more than 10 years’ experience RVing on the road, 50 years married to wife Jennifer, and decades working as a world-traveling journalist, Mike’s wise advice comes from a life rich in unexpected twists and turns. “Don’t wait for things to be just right,” he says, “things will never be right.”

Camping World recently had the opportunity to sit down with Mike and Jennifer Wendland, retired RVing couple and the powerhouse duo behind the RV Lifestyle blog, RV Lifestyle Podcast, RV Lifestyle Youtube Channel, and RV Lifestyle Travel Guides.

Ultimate RV show hosts, Sean and Tiffany, learn how the Wendlands first got into RVing and why they continue to travel by RV 10 years on in this virtual interview with the roaming couple.

Stop in and make yourself at home with us at Country Oaks RV Park and Campground. My family and I built this park in 1997 from a section of our 18-acre property.

Our campground is a full-featured destination that is just minutes away from the Georgia coastal waters. You will find the atmosphere friendly and relaxing. All 44 RV sites are full hookups and the campground is surrounded by lush oak and palmetto forest, teeming with wildlife.

Guests at Country Oaks RV Park and Campground aren’t the only anglers to enjoy our fully stocked fishin’ hole. An osprey or two or a great blue heron are regular diners, too.

The convenience of Jacksonville, just across the state border in Florida, is just a few miles south down the road. We’re just off Interstate 95 at Georgia off Exit 1. We’re the last exit before Florida, where you’ll find 2 full-service truck stops. Gas prices traditionally are well below the national average. That’s just one of the many reasons our campground is a great stop-over if you’re just passin’ through, to or from the Sunshine State. Once you’re here though, you might find that you want to stay a spell longer.

Having a secure RV is extremely important when on the road. While instances of break-ins and theft are reasonably rare, at the very least, having someone enter your RV unauthorized would ruin your trip. Nobody likes to think about safety and security concerns when it comes to RVing, but it’s a necessary part of preparing for and planning. 

There are plenty of things you can do to keep your RV safe. If you’re looking for an option that will take things to the next level and help ensure your home away from home stays safe and secure, then you need to consider adding security cameras to your rig. Here’s some way they can help. 

Cameras Monitor Your RV While You’re Away

Cameras provide monitoring of your RV. They’re your extra pair of eyes. That means once you get to a campground and get your campsite set up, you can go off and go hiking, and your security system’s cameras will monitor your RV. 

It’s wise to have cameras both inside and outside your RV. That way, you can see what happens both at the campsite and inside your RV. Because of the RV’s small footprint, a couple of cameras should suffice. 

You’ve arrived at the perfect winter campsite. You’ve parked the RV and settled down to settle in. You’ve gathered around the campfire in your favorite chair, with all your favorite campfire accessories, but something is missing. You’re winter RV camping and looking to stay warm, so you’ll need a drink in your hand.

Whether you’re craving an adult beverage, a seasonal drink, or both, we’ve put together a few options that will hit the spot. So, keep the fire going because these drinks are all easy to make! Simple drinks are the best and, when it comes to camping drinks, we all know refills are inevitable.

Family-Friendly Camping Drinks

Do bedtimes exist when camping? It’s debatable, so have a few family-friendly drink ideas that everyone can enjoy after dinner when the sun goes down.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate 

Peppermint Hot Chocolate (Image: Shutterstock)

There’s something perfect about a mug of hot chocolate. Nothing compares to the feeling of cold weather with the heat of a drink in your hand, warming you from the inside out. It’s comforting. It’s nostalgic. It’s perfect.

Ingredients:

Hot Cocoa Mix1 Peppermint Tea BagCandy Cane (optional)

Directions:

Boil water over the campfire. Add the peppermint tea bag to steep for about five minutes. Remove the tea bag and add in the hot cocoa mix. Stir until mix is dissolved and pour into your favorite insulated mug. Optional: hook a candy cane over the side.

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Are you planning to head south this winter and enjoy a few months on the beach or in a warmer climate? Taking the time to ensure you’re well prepared before you hit the road will help make your seasonal winter travel that much more enjoyable.

Follow the 6 tips we’ve gathered below to help you prepare for a stress-free snowbird season and kick off your winter in the best way possible.

Sign Up For Mail Forwarding

Most campgrounds allow seasonal travelers to receive mail while staying there. If you’re going to be at one specific location all winter, your mail solution may be as simple as signing up for mail forwarding at your local post office–It’s a convenient option worth taking advantage of. You can also pay a small monthly fee to have your email filtered and forwarded to you, so you can weed out the junk. The Good Sam mail forwarding service is as little as $9 a month.

If you will be traveling to more than one location, you may want to use a service that will hold your mail instead. With this type of service, the mail is held until you pick it up or it can be forwarded upon request once you’re settled in a campground for a longer period of time.

Plan For Health Care & Medicine

Image Courtesy of Shutterfly

Check with your physician in advance for any prescriptions that you will need to be refilled while you are away. In most cases, you will be able to get enough refills ordered that you can just have them filled as needed at chain pharmacies like Walgreens or CVS. However, some controlled medications will require you to physically see a doctor at your seasonal location.

With the growing number of people entering the RV life, many forget to budget for the new lifestyle. If you don’t have a plan or budget yet, this article will help you map out a realistic budget for an RV trip, or even living on the road full time.

My family and I have been living in an RV for over a year now, and with lots of trial and error, we have come up with a budget that works for us and can work for anyone, too. Prior to RVing, we had no idea what to expect, so we just took things one step at a time until we figured it out. So I hope this guide helps give you an idea of what to expect from RVing full time and helps you keep unnecessary costs down.

Set a budget as a family, and account for everyone’s needs. Image by Karen Akpan.

Monthly Budget Breakdown for RV Specific Expenses

It is important to make a list of all the expenses you’re likely to have, from biggest to smallest. These expenses will vary from one family to another. For example, some Rvers spend more time in one place, while others will spend more time traveling. These each have their own cost benefits. One of the other variables that make a huge difference is having a payment on your RV or car versus not having one. Did you finance your RV? After car payments and RV payments, the next biggest monthly expenses are campsite fees and fuel. Below I am going to break down each possible expense to give you a better idea of what to expect.

Car and RV Payments

This is usually the first thing that people think about and add to their budget when deciding to live in an RV full time. Having a home to sell and put towards a new RV makes a huge difference and really helps lower payments a lot. This is what we did when we started full-time RV living. We sold our home and took some of the profits and purchased an RV outright from Facebook Marketplace. This helped us a lot because we started off with no monthly payment. If you financed your RV and/or tow vehicle you will need to include these payments as part of your monthly RV living budget.

Campgrounds and RV Park Fees

It is important to think about where you’ll be spending most of your time.

Kids have the attention span of a goldfish – which is nine seconds, by the way, I looked it up. So, if the kids in your life are anything like my kids, chances are the excitement of RVing has worn off a little. You can spark their interest again with the right gifts this holiday season!

Check out a few of our favorite items, perfect for gifts under the tree, that will help keep your kids off their devices and focused on the adventures and activities you planned.

Camping Chairs

Probably the easiest way to keep the kids involved is to give them their own designated seat. We’ve rounded up some of the best-selling camping chairs on the market that are not only “trending,” as the kids say, but comfortable as well.

Venture Forward Kids Swing Chair

Venture Forward Kids Swing Chair

The intuitive swinging design of this chair takes comfort to another level, while the powder-coated steel frame provides a strong, sturdy base without making it too heavy to transport. The durable, weather-resistant 600D polyester fabric ensures this chair will last season after season. It’s available in both blue and pink color schemes.

If you’re not traveling to see family this Thanksgiving, hosting an RV Friendsgiving is a great alternative for a stress-free celebration. For those of you staying in RV parks or campgrounds near friends, you should know how to host a Friendsgiving gathering in your RV. 

How Many Friends Can You Host in Your RV?

First, you need to decide how many friends you’re comfortable hosting. This will largely be dictated by the size of your RV and the weather in your region. 

If you’re hosting a warm-weather Friendsgiving, we recommend popping out your RV awning and setting up for an outdoor dinner. That way, you’ll keep your RV kitchen dedicated to meal prep and cooking instead of trying to make enough space to cook, eat and entertain inside.

For those hosting Friendsgiving in a colder location, you may be more limited to hosting a smaller group. As a rule of thumb, we’d recommend keeping your gathering to a maximum of 5 to 6 friends if hosting inside your RV. 

When the weather turns cold outside, it doesn’t always mean it’s frightful. One of the best things about RVing is the ability to pack up and go wherever you like, whenever you like including during winter. In fact, many RV enthusiasts look forward to winter camping because of fewer crowds and empty roads. Thinking about taking the path less traveled for the holidays this year? Check out a few of these cozy winter wonderland campgrounds perfect for cuddling up with the people you love the most.

Sunny Acres RV Park

Las Cruces, New Mexico

Stay at Sunny Acres and make a trip to White Sands National Monument New Mexico, USA. Trade in white snow for white sand. Image by sunsinger from Shutterstock.

Located less than an hour away from White Sands National Monument, the Sunny Acres RV Park is a perfect choice for a mild winter wonderland campground. With temperatures hovering in the mid-60s, you’ll reach for your camera during the day and your hooded sweatshirt at night.

Campground Features:

Pets welcome (restriction of certain breeds)Enclosed dog runFree WiFi at 40 sites and park supportsCableRestroom and showersLaundry facilities

Recreation Options:

HorseshoesPickle BallHikingATV RidingOutdoor Games

Discounts Available:

I am always looking for new activities that my dog and I can enjoy together! However, growing up in the sunshine state of Florida, skijoring was not in my vocabulary! What is skijoring? And what did I miss out on?

Skijoring is a winter sport in which a person on skis is pulled by a dog. It is derived from the Norwegian word “skikjøring,” which means “ski driving.” Skijoring is believed to have been a form of winter travel in the past, but now it is a competitive sport and favorite winter activity for people and dogs to do together.

The overall experience feels like snow skiing meets water skiing!

You will need at least one to three dogs, a pair of skis, and a pulling harness. If you are reading this, you most likely love dogs, and you know that the way to improve on most activities is to add dogs! Skijoring is a fun way to keep you and your dog healthy during the cold winter months. If your RVing dog is accustomed to winter travel, this could be a fun pastime to make your travels even richer.

Will My Dog Like Skijoring?

Image Courtesy of Shutterfly

Does your dog like the snow? That will be your first indication that this may be an enjoyable sport for you both. Does your dog like to run? Is your dog quick to pick up new commands? If you answered yes–try skijoring!

There’s no place like home for the holidays. This sentiment also includes your RV because your home-away-from-home is just as special. Many families spend the holidays gathered in their living rooms, but it’s also a great time to hit the open road. Don’t believe us? There are plenty of fascinating destinations across the United States worth traveling to during the Christmas season. Start planning a holiday trip with these unique 6 small towns to RV this winter.

Whether you’re shopping, looking at Christmas lights, on the hunt for good eats, hitting the pavement in your RV this winter is the best way to enjoy the holidays. Creating family memories won’t be a one-way street when there are so many streets to explore.

So, pack up the RV, hang some mistletoe on the RV door, and press play on that Mariah Carey Christmas playlist. Explore this list of some of the most charming Christmas villages to RV to.

Santa Claus, Indiana

You don’t have to be a full-time RVer to enjoy the benefits of winter workamping. If the coldest days of the season are getting to you, here are three reasons why it’s smart to consider taking a seasonal workamping job.

Why Winter Workamping is Worth a Try

If you are allergic to winter, workamping offers a chance to head south to more pleasing weather. The sunbelt states often come with a high cost of living, but they also provide the greatest range of places to try workamping.  When you decide to take a seasonal winter workamping job in a place like Florida, Texas or California, it’s a win-win. You’ll save on rent and often earn a few bucks to offset your expenses. But that’s not the only reason why it’s such a fun thing to do. Other reasons to try this unique opportunity include:

1. Even non-retired People Can Fly South for Winter

Most people assume that only retired RVers get to fly south for winter. But that’s just not the case anymore. Technology allows more people than ever to work in flexible jobs from any location. Winter workamping can be ideal for everyone, from entrepreneurs like me to stay-at-home moms to remote employees who can spare a few hours in a workamping role. Sure, being a full-time RVer makes it easier to fly south and commit to a workamping job, but even if you’re in a traditional housing situation, with enough planning, you can probably find a way to do it. For example, a homeowner could list their place on Airbnb for the season. Renters might be able to sublet their apartment if their landlord allows it. If you have school-age kids, consider road schooling them during winter? You don’t always need to sell your possessions and hit the road for good. Whatever your situation, there is likely some way that you can fly south for winter workamping.

Recreational vehicles come with a variety of RV rules, regulations, and road restrictions. From bridge height clearances to allowable cargo weights, it’s important to know where you’re going and what kinds of road restrictions to be prepared for along the way. 

It’s not feasible to document every single state rule, regulation, and road restriction for RVs here. Instead, this post will help guide you in what to research so you, your passengers, and your RV travel safely.

(This post is NOT intended as legal advice—be sure to check the most up-to-date local, state, and national rules and regulations before heading out on the road!)

RV Road Restrictions for Length, Width, and Height

Traveling across the country can get tricky because rules and regulations vary by state. The length of your trailer or RV, for example, can go from legal to illegal, just by passing over an imaginary line in the road. 

Remember that RV length is different than trailer length. An RV is a drivable recreational vehicle and a trailer is anything towed behind a vehicle with an engine, which can include travel trailers, fifth wheels, toads, boat trailers, and more. 

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When it comes to investing in something like an RV, the only thing you want to do more than enjoy it is to protect it. Full-timers will tell you the best part of being on the road constantly is that they don’t have to worry about storing their RV. However, not all RVers are full-timers and for the rest of us who are weekend warriors, storing our RV is the best way to protect our investment.

So, what do we need to do that? Well, park right here and read on, because we’ve compiled our favorite must-have products for storing your RV.

Wondering what to do about winter? Learn how to winterize your RV like a pro.

Cleaners

The first thing you should do when preparing to store your RV is clean it. Simply put, if you store a dirty RV then what you’ll find when you bring it out of storage it will be the stuff of nightmares. Trust me.

Mean Green Mildew Destroyer with Bleach

Start with all your main living spaces including the kitchen and bedrooms, then tackle the bathrooms. Use a product like Mean Green Mildew Destroyer which cleans and disinfects dark, damp areas prone to mold and mildew.

Every season adds beauty to our world. But winter RVing living can make it tough to enjoy the coldest part of the year. If you want to have fun in cold winter destinations, here’s what you need to know about staying warm, safe and happy.

Don’t Let Winter RVing Steal Your Fun

I spend most of my time in sunbelt states, where year-round RV living is possible. But those mild winter days can lull snowbirds like me into a false sense of security. Love it or hate it, winter always feels like an unwanted surprise — especially when I’m soaking in the spa at my favorite RV park in December. I find it easy to forget that unpredictable weather can be just around the corner. But even my favorite sunny regions like the Southwest often get hit with epic cold fronts that keep us indoors more than we’d like. A Midwesterner might laugh at my definition of “cold,” but the fact is that even the most well-built RVs like mine are not impervious to occasional arctic blasts and wet weather. I love my “four-season” RV, but cold always finds a way in somehow. This is what I do to keep it out:

Monitor the Weather

Winter weather camping can test your appreciation for this lifestyle. It pays to know the weather headed your way in case you need to batten down the hatches, so don’t ignore weather reports. You can get a general sense of your region’s upcoming weather by tuning into any TV station’s news report. But for the most accurate weather reports for your specific location, the Internet is your go-to source. Visit The National Weather Service first. You’ll get instant knowledge of weather changes, pending hazards, and freezing weather that reminds you to detach your drinking water hose from the campsite spigot.

Located only one mile from Osprey Point RV Resort in Lakeside is the Oregon Coast with its miles of beautiful beaches, unusual rock formations and much more. Many beaches along the Oregon Coast are off-leash beaches, so your furry children can run, play and paddle in the water right along with you!

A mere 15-minute drive away from Osprey Point, you can visit one of the many natural wonders of the Oregon Coast, the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Here you can witness wind-sculped sand dunes that tower 500 feet above sea level and experience the thrill of riding your off-highway vehicle on the dunes, hiking, biking, horseback riding or just sitting back and capturing photos of this natural wonder! There is so much to see and do at the Oregon Dunes, just down the road from Osprey Point RV Resort.

Lake Location

Osprey Point RV Resort is located on Tenmile Lake, known throughout the Pacific Northwest and California for great fishing and other water recreation. You can start your day enjoying one of our specialty coffees in our Coffee House. After a day of fishing, boating, riding the Oregon Dunes or simply beachcombing, end your day enjoying a pizza or burger in Osprey Point Pizza Pub.

Living in California, we have pretty mild and beautiful weather year-round. Sure, it’s a bit wetter in winter, and drier and hotter in summer. Really, though, our temperatures don’t fluctuate more than 25 degrees between seasons.

This is why I’m always amazed at how much my kids LOVE to play outside anytime we travel somewhere cold. They truly embrace it, and the chill never stops them from enjoying an activity. After observing how they make the most of cold weather, and throwing in a few mom tips, I came up with some terrific ideas to get your kids outdoors when it’s cold. I’ve put a number of these ideas to the test because honestly–I need them more than my kids do, as I’m a huge wimp in the cold!

I promise these ideas will help your family better enjoy any chilly weather!

Gear

I’m a firm believer in the old adage, “there’s no bad weather, only bad clothing.” There’s nothing like poor clothing to absolutely kill any fun in cold weather. But with the right gear, we have fun for hours!

A good wool base layer is my favorite underlayer. A warm, puffy coat is a necessity. Perhaps the two most important things are good waterproof gloves and boots. Warm fingers and toes mean that the rest of the body is toasty and ready to play, too! The right winter apparel is everything.

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