New owner questions

[Jack L]

Originally Posted by reeves99

Unless it's snowing, don't be afraid of Chicago. The freeways are remarkably well signed. Traffic can crawl a bit, you just need to be patient and not try to lane change too much.
I drove thru on a sweltering September day. I was initially worried but once in the thick of it I realized I needn't have worried.

I lived in Chicago for many years and have driven into, out of and through the city many times. I would not hesitate to do it again with a trailer but as reeves99 suggested, avoid snow, and be patient. Also, avoid peak rush hour traffic. Rush hour starts on weekdays at 6AM and ends at about 9PM. Saturday and Sunday are usually pretty safe bets. Early morning and later evening traffic is much more manageable.

[stude]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

I understand your point fully . Wisconsin State Parks used to have an off season rate which was lower . The water & bathrooms & showers were shutdown so all you got was a parking spot with electricity but at a reduced rate . Now under our new " improved " state leadership you pay the same "new higher" full rate year round .
In my conversations with State Park Rangers, they tell me that there winter business was always slow but now it's non existant.
What's the States answer , raise the camping rates & entry fees and get rid of the Park Ranger.
I refuse to pay anyone $30 to $35 / night for an unimproved parking spot.

:church parking lots as they are not used except on Saturday and Sundays, rest stops but have to use same area as trucks and listen to their noise all night, pull outs, off and on ramps like truckers do but make sure you find the flat spots, one has to sleep or end up killing a lot of people if fall asleep at the wheel.
Desert areas but be careful of soft spots hit one them your gone.
Stude

[Nelliebelle]

We picked up a scamp in early January a few years ago. The round trip from jersey took us 8 days due to terrible weather. We lost a day in each direction due to black ice on the roads making it impossible to drive. In retrospect, we figured the delivery charges were about the same as our costs for motels, food etc. I think we just hit a bad stretch of weather....saw more than 50 overturned 18 wheelers that week. Please be on top of the weather forecasts and delay your trip if necessary! That said, we made it home safely, the Scamp towed beautifully, and it was an unforgettable adventure! Be safe.


Sent from my iPad using Fiberglass RV

[Gerry]

To answer your question on a good Campground Guide Book, Woodall's is the one I use. The print is small but can be read with good light.
I believe we got ours from AAA.

[stude]

Originally Posted by Nelliebelle

We picked up a scamp in early January a few years ago. The round trip from jersey took us 8 days due to terrible weather. We lost a day in each direction due to black ice on the roads making it impossible to drive. In retrospect, we figured the delivery charges were about the same as our costs for motels, food etc. I think we just hit a bad stretch of weather....saw more than 50 overturned 18 wheelers that week. Please be on top of the weather forecasts and delay your trip if necessary! That said, we made it home safely, the Scamp towed beautifully, and it was an unforgettable adventure! Be safe.


Sent from my iPad using Fiberglass RV

: best part about the internet is what people say about each and every campground, books do not usually have this kind of info. Also big problem with Books verses the Internet is that it is easy to change the Internet but with a book you have to reprint it if things change.
Stude

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Gerry

To answer your question on a good Campground Guide Book, Woodall's is the one I use. The print is small but can be read with good light.
I believe we got ours from AAA.

If you have a smart phone, there are several "campground finder" apps. I find them much easier to use than a cumbersome book. The last book I had listed the towns and cities alphabetically, so you had to refer to a map and jump around the campground book to research potential nearby campgrounds, and then sometimes you would look for a town named XXXXX, and XXXXX wouldn't be listed because there are no campgrounds in XXXXX.
On the phone app, if location services are turned on the phone "knows" where you are and when you start the app, typically a map opens up showing pins where all the campgrounds are in relation to your position. Tap on a pin and you can get as much or more information about the campground than the book provides. If you don't own a smartphone and you are an RVer, this ability alone makes a smartphone worthwhile, IMO.


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV