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06-26-2018, 08:08 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 2
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Brand new. Zero knowledge.
Hey, Just bought my very first Rockwood travel trailer. Yippee. Now I am planning our first trip. What websites and apps do y'all use for planning your trips? i.e. weather, points of interest, camping grounds, special things to do???
Thanks in advance. So excited to "hit the road".
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06-26-2018, 08:30 AM
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#2
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Always Learning
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Four Corners, FL
Posts: 21,891
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Sadly, there isn’t one good site for everything. For trip planning, I use a couple of different sites:
Let’s go! Trip planning apps and websites | Learn To RV
Also poke around on there- I have a “Newbies - Get Started Here” section that may be helpful.
__________________
Officially a SOB with a 2022 Jayco Precept 36C
Checkout my site for RVing tips, tricks, and info | Was a Fulltime Family for 5 years, now we're part-timing on long trips
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06-26-2018, 08:41 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Posts: 942
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Congratulations and welcome to the forum. For trip planning apps there's RV Parky or ParkAdvisor. For weather I like to use My Radar. In the "Play Store" on a smart phone or tablet, just enter "RV Apps" and a whole lot will come up. Since you're a beginning, like we were all at one time, look at "RV Checklist" and it customizable too.
Safe and happy travels.
__________________
2012 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT Z71 6.2l aka "Luci"
2020 Grand Design Imagine XLS 22 MLE aka "Desi"
Past: 2017 Prime Time Tracer Air 206
Days camped 2021: 19
Days camped 2020: 18
Days camped 2019: 17
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06-26-2018, 08:48 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Between Pickles Gap and Toad Suck, AR
Posts: 6,070
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1. Get a big notebook. WRITE DOWN your questions as you discover them. Do not worry about thinking it's a stupid question. None of us knew diddley squat on day one.
2. Bring your questions here. Learn to decipher the answers, but the answers will be here most likely. These folks know 900,230 times more than any dealer in America.
3. For trips, just figure out where you want to go. Start small. Then just go. Ignore weather...it's always on the outside, and it's always present. Go about 300 miles max the first time, and each day thereafter. Just Google "Campgrounds in Bumnuts, Nebraska" or whereever, and start looking at them and pick one.
4. Don't cry over small breakdowns. Major ones, it's ok to cry. LOL
5. Just go.
__________________
"Next to prayer, fishing is the most personal relationship of man" Herbert Hoover
"American by Birth, Southern by the Grace of God"Lewis Grizzard
FROG AR-0019-242
2016 GMC Denali 3500Dually--2017 CC 36CKTS
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06-26-2018, 08:48 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: TEXAS
Posts: 9,229
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When we first started out and new nothing about trailer camping (former tent campers), we joined the Good Sam Club and used their trip planner. It allowed us to pick out where to go, what to see, etc. and have the information emailed to us to view or to print out the results. https://www.goodsam.com/trip-planner/
Since then we've found a lot of different options, but still use that occasionally.
__________________
2015 Dynamax REV 24TB class C
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06-26-2018, 08:55 AM
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#6
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Insert witty title here
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: About 30 miles west of Beantown.
Posts: 4,034
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We pick a destination then start looking for RV parks in the area.
When going long distances where an overnight on the road is required, we usually sleep at a Super Walmart. Just be sure to call ahead to make sure it's permitted and where to park once you arrive.
__________________
2021 Transcend Xplor 247BH
Husky WDH with Sway Control
2021 Chevy Silverado 2500HD LT 6.6L V8 Duramax
Forever in my memory. Forever in my heart.
Laurie J. Wood 3/22/67 - 8/23/19
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06-26-2018, 09:04 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Cedar Creek Lake, TX
Posts: 3,484
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Your first overnight trip should be in your own driveway! You will learn a lot there.
__________________
Cedar Creek Lake, Texas
2019 Keystone Loredo 290SRL
2019 Ram 2500 4x4 Cummins crew cab
Andersen hitch
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06-26-2018, 09:23 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Middle GA
Posts: 1,289
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Welcome to the group!
Like CedarCreekWoody says. Start first in your driveway or somewhere near home. A couple of nights is great! Keep the notebook with your questions. Keep a log of where you camp, things you do to the trailer, repairs and maintenance, etc.
Many have listed wonderful starting guides.
I use an RV GPS (RV760LMT) while driving and also use an app SmartTruckRoute for the initial planning. It helps me avoid crazy situations. For planning where to stay, we use RV Park Reviews - Trusted Reviews of Campgrounds & RV Parks It is an excellent resource to find the parks you want to stay in.
Most of all, look forward to having a good time. Even if something crazy happens, you are still out camping and learning! Good Luck!
__________________
Ben and Doreen
Home Away From Home - 2017 PT Crusader 315RST
TV - 2016 Ram 3500 Laramie 4X4 6.7 Cummins Diesel
Never Enough Time Camping!!
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06-26-2018, 09:31 AM
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#9
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Site Team
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Northeast Louisiana
Posts: 33,957
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Quote:
Originally Posted by terrianne
Hey, Just bought my very first Rockwood travel trailer. Yippee. Now I am planning our first trip. What websites and apps do y'all use for planning your trips? i.e. weather, points of interest, camping grounds, special things to do???
Thanks in advance. So excited to "hit the road".
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Welcome aboard. Since you stated you are a newbie, this thread link below may help familiarize yourself with your RV:
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ts-157524.html
As far as traveling, the Forest River Owners Group (aka FROG) has a good compilation of links here:
Forest River Owners Group - The official owner's group of Forest River RV, manufacturer of world-class recreational vehicles.
__________________
 2011 Flagstaff 831 RLBSS
A 72 hour hold in a psych unit is beginning to intrigue me as a potential vacation opportunity.
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06-26-2018, 12:36 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Maurice, LA
Posts: 4,095
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Apps: RV Parky, Good Sam, ParkAdvisor, RA Camping, RV Parks, rvovernight, KOA
Gas Buddy for fuel out of town.
Take yoru pick and see which works best for you. All are free
__________________
2012 Wildcat Sterling 32RL, Gladiator Qr35 ST235/85R16 Load rating G, TST 507 TPMS w/ Flow-thru Sensors & Repeater, Reese Sidewinder 16K Pin Box, PI EMS HW50C
2009 Chevy Silverado 2500HD CCSB LTZ Diesel, Fumoto Oil Drain Valve, Turbo Brake activated, 39 gal Aux Tank W/ Fuel Pump transfer, Air Lift Loadlifter 5000 air bags.
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06-26-2018, 12:44 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Bend,Oregon
Posts: 360
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Quote:
Originally Posted by terrianne
Hey, Just bought my very first Rockwood travel trailer. Yippee. Now I am planning our first trip. What websites and apps do y'all use for planning your trips? i.e. weather, points of interest, camping grounds, special things to do???
Thanks in advance. So excited to "hit the road".
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Well, you already did the first thing right. . .you joined this forum. You will find many helpful hints too. We have RVed in four different RVs for 17 years, including 7 years full-time in a 40 foot diesel pusher, and I still learn from this forum.
I also recommend this newsletter site:
https://rvtravel.com/subscribe/
As you see, there is a newsletter for beginners. I also recommend you subscribe to the weekly (Saturday) newsletter. There is no charge, but if you find it useful you might want to contribute a small amount monthly. Chuck's main income is from subscriptions. I have no involvement in the newsletter but have been subscribing for many years.
Jim
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06-26-2018, 01:07 PM
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#12
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Muncy Valley PA
Posts: 96
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Like CedarCreekWoody said! Your yard or driveway or someplace you can get or call for help even if it's this forum. Don't go 100 miles and find out you don't understand how to do something. The place we bought ours from actually had us stay there in it for the night so we could ask questions the next day. We weren't new to travel trailers but it was new to us! P.S. Enjoy we sure do.
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06-26-2018, 01:15 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 447
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And it's always good to check the height of your rv in comparison to low overpasses, bridges, and tunnels that you might want to travel on/under/through. Also, many tunnels will not allow vehicles carrying propane.
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06-26-2018, 01:23 PM
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#14
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: North Puget, WA
Posts: 16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CedarCreekWoody
Your first overnight trip should be in your own driveway! You will learn a lot there.
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We bought our first TravTrailer in March. Our dealer funded a one-night stay at a local RV resort. It proved invaluable for a variety of reasons.. PLUS... like this forum, our camping neighbors were EXTREMELY helpful with tips, suggestions, and other guidance for rookies... All of which proved incredibly helpful for our planned 2700 mile relocation using the trailer (we have two dobermans and knew we would run into accommodation problems for such a 5-6 day trek.)
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06-26-2018, 01:29 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Warsaw,NC
Posts: 7,184
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I use rvparky but I like rvparksandcampgrounds mostly. They are both free apps. Also GasBuddy is good to have. Also something great to have is a TIre pressure monitoring system (TPMS). I use TST 507, it lets you know if you have a tire that’s going flat. If you have a question ask it, the only dumb question is one that is not asked. Hope to see y’all down the road. By the way I didn’t see what kind of camper you have or what’s your tow vehicle
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06-26-2018, 01:29 PM
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#16
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 29
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Check your gas mileage...
The biggest and scariest lesson I learned on our first trip out of town (we stayed at a local RV park for 3 days right after we bought it) is that your tow vehicle mileage will definitely decrease! We made the mistake of not only misjudging the decrease, but took a sparsely populated route... When we did find a gas station, we were "on a tail wind and a prayer"... New rule of thumb, if we're below half a tank, we're looking at the gas station apps...
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06-26-2018, 02:28 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Stockdale Texas
Posts: 448
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Congrats and WELCOME and HAPPY RVING
 
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06-26-2018, 02:31 PM
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#18
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 83
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We use several but the one I use the most is Allstays. Does a good job of showing where the pumps are and most of the campgrounds at the destination.
Then I hit the google reviews to check out potential campgrounds. Here as well, there are a lot of campgrounds in discussions on the forum.
Just remember that your phone GPS doesn’t know your towing 36’ behind you and it can get you in trouble lol been there done that!
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06-26-2018, 04:32 PM
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#19
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 2
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Thanks so much. This is going to be fun.
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06-26-2018, 05:32 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Warsaw,NC
Posts: 7,184
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We started camping we had a Silverado 2500 diesel with a 26 gallon fuel tank. At two hundred miles we had to find a gas station that sold diesel or walk. It didn't take me long to install a auxiliary fuel tank. I normally check out paper maps plus I have a Garmin RV760 GPS
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