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.
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  • 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
    • 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

August 23, 2020 by Julie Chickery Leave a Comment

6 Years Full-Time RV: Lessons Learned

We can’t believe it has been over six years since we moved out of our 2,400+ square foot home and into a 44′ fifth wheel RV! In honor of this anniversary, we wanted to share our top 6 lessons learned and a couple of regrets.

We’ll share more lessons than regrets, because honestly the full-time RV life was really great. The few bumps in the road along the way made for good stories, and we were always able to correct course when needed.

Tune in below to watch this two part video series.

Don’t go yet!

Click one of the hyperlinks below to learn more about:

Why we’re traveling full-time in an RV.

How to find the means to live the life of your dreams with our Full-Time RV Finance.

Sean & Kenny’s podcast, Beyond the Wheel, highlighting the people & products that make RVing great.

We'll share our top lessons learned after six years of full-time RV living and traveling. These tips will help full-time RVers, as well as those who take extended trips or snowbird. They are applicable to all types of RVs from the largest motorhomes and fifth wheels to vans and tiny trailers.

Filed Under: Living in an RV, RV Resources Tagged With: full-time rv, full-time rv regrets, rv lessons learned, rv life, rv lifestyle, rv lifestyle full time, rv regrets

May 28, 2018 by Julie 10 Comments

Boondocking – What We Learned From Our First Dry Camping Experience

If you know anything about us, or have looked at our campground reviews you’ll know we are a little spoiled. We are glampers (RV Resort regulars), not campers. Actually we like to say we are LIVING in our RV, not camping. So what were we to do when we found ourselves in a no hook-up boondocking situation for 2 (long, very long) weeks?

Boondocking aka Dry Camping

If you haven’t heard the term before, boondocking refers to camping without hookups (power, water, sewer), and is also called dry camping. It is very popular in rural areas, thus the name boondocking.

We have started using a program called Harvest Hosts where you can stay for free at farms, wineries, breweries, and golf courses.

Our RV Equipment

First off since we don’t boondock, or even stay at partial (gasp!) hookup sites, we had to work with what we had. Folks who do this regularly have installed things like solar panels and composting toilets or other water conservation methods. We have an Onan gas generator and fairly large water tanks. In preparation we bought a portable poop wagon (more on that later).

Lesson #1: Don’t Do It In Texas in Late May

While it may not officially be summer for another month, we had highs over 100 degrees on several days. It was HOT! While we can run two air conditioners in our Fifth Wheel on the generator, it burns a lot of gas! We thought we were going to get away with just using a battery operated fan, but not in that heat. Friends tell me that boondocking in temperate climates is much more enjoyable.

Lesson #2: Lead Acid Batteries Aren’t The Best Choice For Boondocking

Your lead acid batteries may have a 100% charge, but you can’t use it all. In fact, it is not recommended to deplete them beyond 50%. If you have a residential refrigerator like we do, you might want to upgrade. We upgraded to Lithium BattleBorn batteries and couldn’t be happier! Secondary to this, we learned that our inverter can only power the refrigerator. This meant we had no other power source while sleeping and no means to charge the batteries. So we also upgraded the inverter and converter. Below is the first of a 4-part series of videos on our power upgrade.

Lesson #3: We Use A Lot Of Water

One of the most inconvenient parts of boondocking or dry camping is the lack of a water source. You can get an additional water bladder or just get an RV with larger tanks (like we recently did). Luckily our first foray into boondocking was at a county fairground, so we were able to fill our fresh water tank when needed.

We were warned that daily showering uses a lot of water. In fact, I’ve read several articles from regular boondockers that forgoing the daily shower is helpful. Not for us. We like our daily showers. In fact, I sometimes take more than one a day. For example, I shower after my workout/walk every morning. One day we went to the lake in the afternoon, so I showered again before bed. I did employ one technique for my showers that I don’t normally do. Some folks call it a “navy shower” where you get wet, turn off the water, lather up, turn back on the water to rinse. I didn’t love it, but it seemed to help a little.

I also filled up a bucket with the excess cold water while I was waiting for the water to warm up. Then we used that water to flush the toilet. i

Lesson #4: The Water Has To Go Somewhere

Access to fresh water is not the only reason to conserve. The other reason is that all the water you use has to go somewhere. We purchased a Thetford SmartTote2 Portable Waste Tank for this particular camping adventure. We used it once and didn’t love the process. Dumping from the RV into the portable system was simple, but going from it to the dump station sewer drain was not so easy. When you lift the hose show in the image below hose, there is no valve holding back the flow until you get it in the drain.

Thetford SmartTote2 Portable Waste Tank

We should have watched this video from Exploring the Local Life first. Robert explains how to overcome that particular challenge.

Will We Do It Again?

It really wasn’t so bad, and I think if we did it for a shorter period of time in a more temperate climate, we might even enjoy it. We’re going to take baby steps and check out some Corps of Engineer campgrounds with partial hookups.

UPDATE: WE DID IT AGAIN (AND AGAIN). CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE LESSONS LEARNED AND TIPS. 

Recommended Products To Improve Your Boondocking Experience

These are affiliate links, meaning if you purchase anything we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Lessons learned from our first dry camping or boondocking experience. Read the tips, hacks, and ideas for power and water. We also share how we coo in our trailer, along with some recipes and other ideas for food.  We shae many other tips for RV life and camping in motorhomes, fifth wheels, travel trailers, and campers.

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Filed Under: RV Resources Tagged With: boondocking, boondocking camping, boondocking rv, boondocking tips, camping without hookups, chickerys travels, dry camping, free camping, full time rv living, full time rv living in a fifth wheel, full time rving, full-time rv, off grid rv, rv life, rv lifestyle, rv lifestyle full time, RV Living, rv living cheap, rv living full time, rv living full time off grid

April 30, 2018 by Julie Leave a Comment

Update the RV Kitchen – Backsplashes & More

If you’re planning to remodel your RV, I’m sure the kitchen is on the list. For most of us traveling in RVs and campers, the kitchen is basically in the same space as the living room so it is important for it to look nice. In this article I’ll share the changes we made to the kitchen in our Fifth Wheel, as well as ideas from others.

Learn how to pay off debt, earn an income, and save money all while traveling full-time.

Easy RV Kitchen Remodel Ideas

Backsplash

For most tiny RV kitchens, the backsplash becomes the focal point and ours was no exception. I had been considering what to do with mine for some time. One idea that was done really well by RV owner Barbara Rodriguez is using Smart Tiles.

For most tiny RV kitchens, the backsplash becomes the focal point

My Backsplash

I was trying to decide which color to get when I saw my friend, Lisa Brown’s backsplash and fell in love! Click here to see it as well as a step-by-step guide on how she created it. I followed her lead and painted thermoplastic panels from Home Depot. Watch this video to see how it looks in the kitchen.

Countertops

I just love the cozy farmhouse style of Mountain Modern Life‘s RV kitchen!

Check out this cozy farmhouse kitchen remodel by Mountain Modern Life! Read about several options to upgrade your RV kitchen during your RV renovation.

One of the things they did to achieve this look was to build custom countertops out of flooring. They completed this upgrade in 2016, so I recently asked Katie how the countertops held up over time. She replied, “We are still really happy with our kitchen counters! My only recommendation would be to go with a higher grade of flooring. We went with the cheapest and while it’s held up okay, it would have been easier when putting it together and I feel like the higher grade was smoother. Also, we do need to re-oil the counters every 6 months since we sealed it with Tung Oil. Of course it can be sealed with something other than tung oil–it’s just important not to let water or condensation sit on the wood counters.” Watch the video below to learn more about this project.

And check out these faux marble countertops from Gypsy and A Pirate!

Update your RV's laminate countertops to look like marble without the weight! See this tutorial for DIY faux marble countertops.

Click here to see their tutorial on how to make them yourself.

Paint

I painted over the wallpaper in my RV kitchen and painted the backsplash (as you can see in the video). Many folks also choose to paint their cabinets. If you decide to go that route, click here to read 9 Tips for Painting RV Walls and Cabinets from RV Inspiration. You can also get a free Quick Start Guide to Painting Your RV Interior using the same link.

Organization

We all know that one of the best ways to make your RV look good is to keep it organized. I was fortunate that my RV came with a built in spice rack. To make it look a little more polished, I just purchased matching spice jars and put all my spices into them for a more uniform look.

If you don’t have a built in spice rack, consider following this tutorial to make your own magnetic spice wall from RV Inspiration.  Here’s a photo of the finished product.

We all know that one of the easiest ways to make your RV look good is to keep it organized. If you don't have a built in spice rack, consider following this tutorial to make your own magnetic spice wall from RV Inspiration.

Need Help? No Problem!

Create Space From Thin Air: Tips and Tricks for Organizing Your Camper, RV, or Trailer. Filled with color photographs of numerous RV organization ideas.I’ll be the first to admit that decorating is not my strong suit. That’s where friends and Pinterest come in handy.

I’m really fortunate that I was able to spend time at the same campground as my friend, Lisa Brown of Always on Liberty. She recently completed the most amazing Interior Makeover of her RV, and agreed to be my design consultant.

Another great place to find inspiration for your RV remodeling efforts is Pinterest. I created an RV decor board to help me keep track of things I like. There are many great tutorials that provide step-by-step ins instructions on Pinterest as well.

Finally, another terrific resource is a website called RV Inspiration. It is full of ideas and projects to help organize, decorate, and renovate your RV (motorhome, Fifth Wheel, travel trailer).

Have You Seen The Rest Of Our Remodel?

Click the links below to watch our progress.

Planning An RV Remodel

Painting Your RV Interior

Updating Your RV Window Treatments

RV Organization & Storage Ideas

See these DIY RV Kitchen remodel ideas. Options for an RV makeover include backsplashes, painting cabinets, and much more for motorhomes, fifth wheels, travel trailers, and campers.
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Filed Under: RV Remodel Tagged With: camper remodel, Install RV Backsplash, rv backsplash, rv backsplash ideas, RV interior makeover, rv interior remodel, RV kitchen, rv kitchen remodel, rv life, rv life full time, rv life on the road, rv lifestyle, rv lifestyle full time, RV Living, rv living full time, RV makeover, rv makeover ideas, rv makeovers before and after, rv makeovers the hottest trend in rving, RV remodel, rv remodel before and after, rv remodel ideas, RV renovation, rv renovation diy, rv renovation ideas

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