Chickery's Travels

Chickery's Travels logo. A blue-green Earth globe with continents surrounded by dots with an arrow denoting movement or travel and "Chickery's Travels" as part of the dotted circle. Next to this is a photo of their blue and white Arctic Fox 5th Wheel with the awning out.
  • Home
  • Campground Reviews
    • Alternatives To National Park Campgrounds
    • Best Luxury RV Resorts For All RV Types
    • Best Waterfront Campgrounds For Every Budget
    • Alabama
      • Gunter Hill Campground (Montgomery, Alabama)
    • Arizona
      • Best Campgrounds in Arizona
      • Aspen Campground (Payson, Arizona)
      • LazyDays KOA (Tucson, Arizona)
      • Lost Dutchman State Park (Phoenix, AZ)
    • Arkansas
      • Catherine’s Landing (Hot Springs, Arkansas)
      • Downtown Riverside RV Park (Little Rock, Arkansas)
    • California
      • Best Campgrounds in California
      • Crescent City Redwoods KOA (Crescent City, California)
      • Sea Breeze RV Park (Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station)
    • Delaware
      • Cape Henlopen State Park (Lewes, Delaware)
    • Florida
      • Best Campgrounds in Florida
      • Blue Angel Naval Recreation Area (Pensacola, FL)
      • Jonathan Dickinson State Park (Southeast FL)
      • LazyDays RV Resort (Tampa, FL)
      • MacDill AFB FamCamp (Tampa, FL)
      • Military Camping in Key West
      • Patrick AFB FamCamp (Cocoa Beach, FL)
      • Rainbow Springs State Park & Campground (Ocala, FL)
      • Walt Disney World’s Fort Wilderness (Orlando, FL)
        • Halloween at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
        • Chickery’s Travels Podcast Episode 5: Fort Wilderness Campground Review
    • Maryland
      • Cherry Hill Park (College Park, Maryland)
    • Michigan
      • Port Huron KOA (Kimball, Michigan)
    • Nevada
      • Las Vegas RV Campgrounds: Nellis Air Force Base and Lake Mead RV Village
      • Boondocking Near Las Vegas
    • New Hampshire
      • Lincoln / Woodstock KOA (New Hampshire)
    • New York
      • Round Pond Recreation Area (West Point, NY)
    • North Carolina
      • Outer Banks West / Currituck Sound KOA (Coinjock, North Carolina)
    • Oklahoma
      • Oklahoma City East KOA (Choctaw, Oklahoma)
    • Texas
      • Best Campgrounds in Texas
      • Alsatian RV Resort (Castroville, Texas)
      • Maverick Ranch (Lajitas, Texas)
      • Texas Wine Country Jellystone (Fredericksburg, Texas)
    • Tennessee
      • Camp Margaritaville (Pigeon Forge, TN)
      • Crossville I-40 KOA (Crossville, TN)
      • Midway RV Park (Memphis, TN)
    • Virginia
      • Fort Belvoir Travel Camp (Alexandria, VA)
      • Harrisonburg / Shenandoah Valley KOA (Broadway, Virginia)
      • Luray KOA (Luray, Virginia)
      • Lynchburg / Blue Ridge Parkway KOA (Monroe, Virginia)
      • Shenandoah River State Park (Bentonville, Virginia)
    • Washington
      • Crescent Bar RV Resort (Quincy, Washington)
    • West Virginia
      • Harper’s Ferry KOA (Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia)
  • USA
    • Arizona
      • Apache Trail: A Crazy, Scary, Beautiful Drive
      • Lost Dutchman State Park (Phoenix, Arizona)
      • Phoenix Faves
    • District of Columbia
      • Budget Friendly Fun in Washington D.C.
      • Favorite Hikes near Washington DC
      • Indoor Skydiving and TopGolf: Just Another Day of Family Fun!
    • Florida
      • Best Walt Disney World Festivals For Adults
      • Blowing Rocks Preserve – Jupiter Island, Florida
      • Bok Tower Gardens
      • Daytona Beach – The World’s Most Famous Beach
      • Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
      • Gasparilla – Tampa’s Pirate Invasion
      • 3 Days on the Nature Coast 
      • Florida Freshwater Springs on the Nature Coast
      • Halloween at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
      • Kennedy Space Center – Cape Canaveral
      • Island Hopping at Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island State Parks
      • Must See Sights in St. Augustine, FL – America’s Oldest City
      • Rainbow Springs State Park & Campground (Ocala, Florida)
      • Sunny Sarasota
      • Tampa
        • Get Back to Nature in Tampa Bay
        • Take Me Out to the Ball Game – Spring Training in Tampa, FL
        • The 5 Best Beaches in the Tampa Bay Area
        • Why We Love Tampa
      • Tarpon Springs – The Gulf Coast Town with Greek Flavor
      • Top 5 Things to Do on Florida’s Space Coast
      • What Not to Do When Kayaking on the Weeki Wachee River
      • Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure
    • Georgia
      • Visiting Atlanta? Don’t Miss These Civil Rights Museums
    • Illinois
      • One Day In The Windy City – Chicago Itinerary
    • Maine
      • Coastal Maine Vacation
      • Monhegan Island Maine
      • Two Days in Acadia National Park
    • Nevada
      • Planning an RV Trip to Nevada
      • Las Vegas RV Campgrounds: Nellis Air Force Base and Lake Mead RV Village
    • Tennessee
      • Burgess Falls: 3 For 1 Waterfall Special
      • National Civil Rights Museum – Memphis, TN
      • Window Cliffs, TN – I’m Not Afraid of Heights, But I am Afraid of Falling!
      • WWII History in Tennessee
    • Texas
      • Best Eats in Fredericksburg
      • Enjoy a Bird’s Eye View of Texas Hill Country
  • RV Resources
    • 3 Simple Steps to Find the Best RV Campgrounds
    • 5 Years Full-Time RV: Lessons Learned & Biggest Regret
    • Boondocking – What We Learned From Our First Dry Camping Experience
    • Tips for Boondocking Success
    • Essential RV Gear
      • Essential RV Gear Guide
      • DIY RV Power & Solar Upgrade
      • RV Must Have: Tire Pressure Monitoring System
      • RV SnapPads Product Review
      • RVLOCK Keyless Entry Door Handle Installation and Review
      • Shop “RV Local” With TechnoRV
      • Top RV Gadgets & Accessories
      • WeBoost Cellular Booster Review
    • Living in an RV
      • 9 Lessons From 2 1/2 Years on the Road
      • Biggest Regret Full-Time RV Living
      • Dealing with my Biggest Full-Time Travel Struggle, Missing Family While Traveling
      • Downsizing: 3 Areas That Make The Biggest Impact
      • Full-Time RV: 2019 Year in Review
      • Full-Time RV: 2018 Year in Review
      • Full-Time RV Travel – 2017 Year In Review
      • How Full-Time RVers Celebrate the Holidays
      • How to Prepare for Full-Time RV Travel
      • Internet Solutions for RV Travelers
      • Learn How to RV Full-Time
      • Living in a Tiny, Traveling Home
      • Making Friends (and reconnecting with old friends) While Traveling Full-Time
      • Pros & Cons of Full-Time RV Travel
      • RV Organization & Storage Ideas
      • Short-Term RV Storage: Leaving The RV Behind
      • Top 3 Lessons Learned & Biggest Regret: 3 Years Full-Time RV Living
      • What We Wish We Knew Before Full-Time RVing
      • What You Need To Know Before Selling Everything And Moving To An RV
      • Why We Are Traveling Full-Time In Our RV
    • Maintenance Tips
      • DIY Power Upgrade – “Solar Ready” Arctic Fox Fifth Wheel
      • DIY RV Power & Solar Upgrade
      • Easy DIY Project to Protect Your RV Water System
      • An Easy Way to Protect Your RV Water Heater
      • How to Reduce the Likelihood of Tire Blowouts on your RV
      • Odor Free RV Black Tank Tips
      • RV Condensation: What It Is, What It Does, and How To Stop It
      • RV Roofs – What You Need to Know
    • Must Read Books Before Becoming A Full-time RVer
    • RV Organization & Storage Ideas
    • RV Remodel
      • Planning an RV Remodel
      • RV Kitchen Cooking Videos
      • Painting Your RV Interior
      • Update the RV Kitchen – Backsplashes & More
      • Updating Your RV Window Treatments
      • RV Bedroom Makeover
      • RV Remodel Costs with Before & After Photos
      • Vintage Camper Renovation
    • RV Holiday Tour – Decorating Our Small Space
    • RV Hurricane Evacuation
    • RV Misery Can Be Overcome By The Generosity Of Others
    • RV Travelers: How to Read Books While Saving Space and Weight in Your RV
    • Slow Travel
    • Small Kitchen Cooking
      • Cooking Videos
      • Eating Healthy on Travel Days
    • Staying Healthy
      • Traveling with Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, and Other Chronic Pain Conditions
    • Trip Planning
    • Traveling with Pets
      • RVing with Your Cat
      • Traveling with Restricted Breed Dogs
    • Why I Prefer RV Travel Over Flying
    • Your Guide To Planning The Best Family Vacation This Summer
  • Travel Finance
    • 5 Tips to Save on RV Travel
    • 5 Ways to Fund Full-Time Travel
    • Full-Time RV Expenses
      • Annual Full-Time RV Expenses – The Big Three
    • Five Credit Card Strategies To Improve Travel
    • How Much Do Campgrounds Cost?
    • How Much Does it Cost to RV Full-Time?
    • How to Camp for Free
    • How to Start a Profitable Blog
    • How to Save Money on RV Fuel Costs
    • How to Save on Food While Camping
    • How We Earn A Living While Traveling Full-Time (And How You Can Too)
    • How We Paid $139,000 of Debt in 2 Years While Full-Time RVing
    • Learn How to Finance Your Dreams
    • The Top 7 Ways to Save Money While Traveling Full-Time
    • Roadmap to Financial Freedom
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report April 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report May 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report June 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report July 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report August 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report September/October 2018
    • RV Purchasing
      • RV Purchasing: Understanding RV Types
      • Benefits of Renting an RV
      • Should I Buy A New or Used RV?
      • The Costs of RV Ownership
      • The True Cost of Financing an RV
      • Why You Should Attend An RV Show
    • Save Money Using the Public Library (On More Than Just Books)
  • Military Travel
    • Guide To Using Military Campgrounds
    • Health Care for Retired Military Full-Time RVers
    • Why Military Retirees Should Fly Space-A
  • Videos
  • About Us
    • RV Shows We’re Attending
    • Contact Us
    • Follow Us
    • Why We Are Full-Time RVers

November 30, 2017 by Julie Leave a Comment

Podcast: Viva Las Vegas

This week we’re on vacation in Las Vegas, Nevada! Yes, even RVers take vacations. Since we don’t like to drive very quickly, we flew to Vegas for this 2 week trip.

In our podcast this week, we discussed our participation in Full-Time Freedom Week! We, along with 7 other full-time RV couples and families, shared some of our experiences. We also discussed our financial lessons learned after 3 years on the road in this video.

Click here to listen to the podcast now. 

Decorating for the Holidays

I’ll be posting a video tour of my RV holiday decorations within the next few days. You can subscribe to our YouTube channel to get a notification when it is up.

The Facebook Groups I mentioned in the podcast are:

RV Christmas 

RV Interior Ideas Holiday Edition

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Filed Under: Podcasts Tagged With: las vegas, rv free vacation, rv podcast

November 15, 2017 by Julie 2 Comments

Podcast: Tampa Bay Fall RV Show

See the best new RVs from the Tampa Bay Fall RV Show. We picked our favorites from each category: Class A Diesel, Class A Gas, Class B, Class C, Fifth Wheel, Travel Trailer, and Truck Camper.

We just attended the Tampa Bay Fall RV Show hosted by the Florida RV Trade Association. This was a great warm-up for us since we plan to attend the big Florida RV Supershow in Tampa January 2018. Now, you may be asking why we are attending these shows? Are we shopping for a new RV? Yes, and no. Yes, we eventually want to purchase a smaller RV as we discussed in our previous discussion in Episode 4: Top 3 Lessons Learned After 3 Years of Full-Time RVing. However, we’re not planning to buy it in the next few months, but we still enjoy the shows to see what new features are coming out and to see the vendors as well.

Click here to listen to the podcast episode now. 

RV Show Tips

We’d like to share just a few tips on how to get the most out of your RV show shopping experience. First off, attend a small one like this first if you can. There was still a lot to see, but we felt we were able to cover it all in about 3 ½ hours. If you’re going to a larger show, consider attending more than one day. You can look at RVs one day and vendors another. This will allow you to enjoy it more fully. Finally, know your budget before you go don’t allow the sales people to pressure you into a sale with, “This is the last one at this price…” Usually the pressure comes from them needing to make a sale, which should tell you something.

RV Dealerships

At this particular show there were 7 RV dealerships represented:

  • General RV (Largest Representation)
  • Lazy Days
  • Como RV
  • RV One
  • America Choice RV
  • Gerzeny’s RV World
  • Arrow RV

Between the dealers, all types of RV were represented from truck bed campers to large diesel class A coaches. In addition, most of the major brands were represented. The only brand we did not see was Airstream.

Best in Show


We focused on looking at smaller RVs at this show. By smaller I mean smaller than our 44’ fifth wheel, so that covers a lot space. Here are some of our favorites from this show and the pricing that was displayed:

Class A Diesel: Tiffin Breeze 31BR – MSRP $241,993 Show Price $196,780

We considered a Class A before we purchased our Fifth Wheel and decided on Tiffin based on their reputation among RV consumers. The thing I liked about this one is that it is diesel, but it is smaller than many. Some of the diesel Class A’s these days are 40’ so this one was refreshing. However, I don’t like how the bathroom is right across from the kitchen. Just seems icky to me. We also looked at a Tiffin Allegro Red 33BR (MSRP $257,250 Show Price $216,965). It was also beautiful, but had the bathroom in the same place.

Class A Gas: Winnebago Vista 29VE – MSRP $132,971 Show Price $99,728

This is a nice little gas Class A that has everything you need for under $100,000. We didn’t really like the placement of the TV in the front room, and again-the bathroom in the kitchen. This is such a popular feature, maybe it’s just me that doesn’t like it.

Class B/C: Leisure Van Unity MB – Starting at $130,000

Leisure Van calls this a luxury Class C, but it is on a Mercedes Sprinter Chassis, which I usually considered a Class B – so you decide. Either way, I fell in love with this RV online and have been hoping to see one in person. It did not disappoint! We sat inside this RV for quite a while, and went back to it three times! The sales personnel from Gerzeny’s RV World of Lakeland were very helpful and answered all of our questions. The thing that I really love about it is that with the murphy bed, you get a full bathroom in the back. The draw back is that this thing is in such high demand, there is no break on the price and you have to wait about 10 months for delivery.

Class C – Winnebago View 24J – MSRP $159,040 Show $119,280

I think this is a cute little unit for someone with a child who wants to RV and be very maneuverable. It has the over the cab bunk and the dinette that makes into a bed. I personally don’t like the bed tucked in the corner so you have to crawl into it, but some people don’t mind.

Fifth Wheel – Grand Design Solitude 360 RL MSRP $95,249 Show Price $74,970

We’ve heard good things about Grand Design and are thinking of getting a smaller Fifth Wheel (unless we decide to splurge on the Unity) so I wanted to check one out. We looked at the Reflection as well (MSRP $48,304 Show Price $39,907), but the Solitude is the winner to me. I pretty much loved everything about it (except maybe the bowl sink in the bathroom—not a huge fan), but that was minor. The major problem is that this particular model is still 39’, and we’d like to go down to no more than 36’. They do have a shorter Solitude floorplan, but I’ll have to see one in person.

Light Fifth Wheel – Open Range Light MSRP $54,018 Show Price $45,915

This had a surprisingly spacious layout in the living room/kitchen area. It had a small refrigerator/freezer instead of residential, but perhaps that was for weight considerations.  The weird thing to me though was the bedroom. The headboard end of the bed was against a slanted wall. I don’t understand why it was like that but it seemed odd. Also the only dresser was 3 little drawers in the closet.

Travel Trailer: Winnie Drop WD170S – MSRP $24,911 Show Price $19,985

This was a cute little travel trailer that I thought would be perfect for a solo RVer or a couple that doesn’t mind being real close all the time. There is no separation between the living room, kitchen, and bedroom like you may have in something larger. One thing I really liked about it was the lighter cabinetry.

Travel Trailer: Forest River Wildwood HG 282RK – MSRP $43,976 Show Price $29,999

I was really surprised when we walked into this travel trailer. The layout was very similar to a Fifth Wheel and I felt like I was in a small apartment. The only thing I didn’t like was the slanted bedroom wall like the light fifth wheel. This one had some cabinets on each side and they stuck out awkwardly.

Truck Camper: Lance Truck Camper – MSRP $19,999 Show Price $15,330

I’ve never seen the inside of a truck camper before and was pleasantly surprised. I could live in it alone. I don’t think the two of us could because there is not much room to maneuver around each other, and it has the most limited storage space of any RVs we looked at.

Vendors

Another great thing about RV shows are the vendors. Especially at the larger shows, you can find anything and everything related to RVs and campgrounds. The show was small compared to the January Supershow, but there were still a lot of vendors representing all facets of RV travel.

  • Satellite Steve – We spent several minutes chatting with Satellite Steve. He is a great resource for all satellite questions and how to save money on satellite subscriptions. We have decided to use him to install an additional receiver in our RV as well as possibly mounting a quick-release mount on the roof of our Fifth Wheel.
  • Craft Village – We actually purchased our yard sign from this vendor 2 years ago at the Florida Supershow and it has held up perfectly to the weather. They hand paint and letter the large 16″ x 11 1/2″ x  3/4″ oak- stained resin signs. They have routed holes in back for easy hanging. You can get it at the show where they will personalize it while you shop, or you can order one online.
  • Travel Resorts of America – We’ve never heard of this campground membership that has 8 different east coast campgrounds in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. We plan to take a closer look at them next summer and try the resort at Gettysburg.

Other vendors included:

·      All American Gutter Protection
·      Ameriprise Financial
·      Bigfoot Leveling
·      Canterbury Creations
·      Cummins Coach Care
·      EZ Star Hitch
·      Fine Jewelry
·      Frogfur Woodwork
·      General RV Store
·      Health Craft
·      Hide Rugs
·      HiDow Professional Pain Management
·      Home Remodeling
·      Lazy Days RV Rental
·      Lazy Days Store
·      Luxury Airstream Escapes
·      Queen of Pain Relief
·      RV Awnings Under the Sun
·      RV Windshield of Florida
·      South Florida Water
·      Sprint
·      Suncoast RV Rental
·      Thousand Trails/Encore
·      Vision Auto Glass
·      Wyndham Vacation Resorts

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Filed Under: Podcasts Tagged With: attending an rv show, buying an rv, chickerys travels, Forest River Wildwood HG 282RK, full time rv living, full-time rv, Grand Design Solitude 360 RL, how to prepare for an rv show, Lance Truck Camper, learning about RVs, Leisure Van Unity MB, Open Range Light, rv life, rv lifestyle, RV Living, rv living full time, RV shopping, rv shopping tips, RV show, rv show 2018, RV Show Tips, rv shows, RV SuperShow, Tiffin Breeze 31BR, Winnebago View 24J, Winnebago Vista 29VE, Winnie Drop WD170S

October 29, 2017 by Julie Leave a Comment

Podcast: RV News & Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Pandora - The World of Avator at Disney's Animal Kingdom

In this episode we discuss RV news out Portland, Oregon where the city is struggling with an overload of dilapidated RVs parking on the streets. In addition, we talk more about our recent visit to Disney World. In particular we discuss Disney’s Animal Kingdom and their newest attraction, Pandora – The World of Avatar. It was out of this world! We also talk about lessons learned from a couple of older folks visiting the park, as well as tips for getting good deals on tickets and parking.

Click here to listen now. 

Thanks to https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music for the intro and outro music.

iTunes: Download, Subscribe & Leave a Review

iTunes sub and reviewYou can download our podcasts to listen to at your leisure. iTunes reviews are one of THE most important factors for podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a second to leave a review on iTunes!

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Filed Under: Florida, Orlando, Podcasts Tagged With: Disney Animal Kingdom, Pandora the world of Avatar, podcast, portland street rv

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