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
    • 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)
    • 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)
      • 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
    • 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
      • Crossville I-40 KOA (Crossville, TN)
      • Midway RV Park (Memphis, TN)
    • Virginia
      • Fort Belvoir Travel Camp (Alexandria, VA)
    • Washington
      • Crescent Bar RV Resort (Quincy, Washington)
  • 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
      • Navy UDT-SEAL Museum – Fort Pierce, Florida
      • 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
      • Internet Solution(s) for Full-Time RVers
    • 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
      • Living in a Tiny, Traveling Home
      • Making Friends (and reconnecting with old friends) While Traveling Full-Time
      • Pros & Cons of Full-Time RV Travel
      • Learn How to RV Full-Time
      • 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
      • 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
      • 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
    • RV Holiday Tour – Decorating Our Small Space
    • RV Hurricane Evacuation
    • RV Misery Can Be Overcome By The Generosity Of Others
    • 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
  • 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 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
      • Benefits of Renting an RV
      • Should I Buy A New or Used RV?
      • The True Cost of Financing an RV
      • Why You Should Attend An RV Show
      • Florida RV SuperShow 2018
    • 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

July 2, 2018 by Guest Post 14 Comments

Pros & Cons of Full-Time RV Travel

Full-time travel sounds pretty glamorous, and we really enjoy it for the most part. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t drawbacks to it as well. In this article we’ll discuss pros and cons of full-time RV travel.  Watch the video below or continue reading for the top 5 advantages and disadvantages to the full-time RV life.

You know how people ask if you want the good news or the bad news first? Well I always choose the bad to get it out of the way. So that’s what I’ll do here. First I’ll list what I consider the challenges of the full-time RV lifestyle, and then the benefits.

Drawbacks of Full-Time RV Travel

We’ve experienced each of the following to a certain extent over the last four years of our full-time RV journey. Believe it or not, some of them more recently than others. So, just know these aren’t necessarily things you only experience in the beginning of your full-time RV travels. In fact, you may be so enamored of the freedom of your new lifestyle that you may not notice the challenges your first year or two.

Continual Upkeep is Required. No matter what make or model of RV you buy, regular maintenance is a fact of life for full-time RVers. Think about it, you are driving your home down the road at 60 mph on a regular basis. Also, since RVs are meant to be mobile, they are also built to be lightweight–so the fittings and fixtures aren’t as high quality as a traditional sticks & bricks home. Then add in that you either have automotive systems in your RV or tow vehicle. Plan for routine maintenance and be flexible in your plans when the unexpected occurs. Most importantly keep a sizable maintenance savings fund. We will be writing another post soon about out of pocket expenses we’ve incurred even with the manufacturer and extended warranties.

Fluctuating Expenses Wreaks Havoc on the Budget – With so many variable costs (maintenance, fuel, campgrounds, etc.) it is very difficult to stick to a regular budget. We are very strict about maintaining a budget and have gotten better at anticipating changes before they occur. The most important thing you can do is track your expenses. We use the every dollar app and immediately log each and every penny that we spend. This helps us maintain awareness of where our money is going and make changes where needed. Click here to see our full-time RV travel expenses for 2017.

Internet Woes. A couple of months ago we finally broke down and purchased a Weboost Cell Booster to go with our Verizon hotspots. They aren’t cheap, but we’re still working remotely, and it was getting more and more frustrating trying to get a decent signal. Even when you get a good signal, mobile internet just doesn’t reach the level it did in the house. Click here for a very informative guide on staying connected using cellular data.

It Can Be Lonely. Hitting the road means leaving your family and friends behind. It can be difficult and costly to get back to visit regularly. Also when you’re traveling full time, you rarely spend a substantial amount of time in one place. Because of this, it can become very hard to build meaningful relationships. When you do make genuine friendships, you often leave shortly thereafter.

My greatest full-time struggle is missing my sons!

Uncertainty. Some people like the spontaneity of the full-time travel lifestyle. However, I’m a planner. For people like me, the uncertainty of long time travel can be disconcerting. Not having a clear plan for the future, and in some cases not even knowing if you’re going to make enough money for the future, can be a very daunting and stressful experience.

While these are all legitimate downsides of full-time travel for me, they may not be for you. Everyone is different and every journey is unique. For me the following advantages make it worth continuing this full-time travel lifestyle for now.

Benefits of Full-Time RV Travel

Experiencing New Places. I have always loved travel! I enjoy visiting small towns and big cities alike.  I take solace in a walk on the beach or the woods and equal pleasure at a national park or museum. Traveling by RV allows me to keep moving and experiencing new places.

Rainbow Springs was one of my most favorite places we’ve visited so far.

No packing. Extended travel is so much more enjoyable when you have your stuff with you. One of the things that I have always had a hard time with is packing lightly. I always want to have options of clothing. In addition, traveling by RV allows you to take all your toys (bikes, kayaks, snorkel gear, etc.) with you when you visit new places.

Having Time to Smell the Roses. One of the main reasons we wanted to travel full-time in an RV was so that we could enjoy slow travel. We enjoy staying in a location at least a month. During the winter we often stay for up to 3 months in one spot. This gives us a chance to experience more of an area and get to see it as locals do. Click here to read more about our slow travel style.

Growing our Relationship. After raising three boys, we thought we had a very close relationship and we did. However, living and traveling full-time together in this small space has brought us even closer together. We have learned how to communicate with each other better and our relationship is stronger for it.

Learning Flexibility. I’ve always been a planner and have a contingency plan for the main plan. Traveling full-time has taken me out of my comfort zone because there are too many variables to anticipate. It has helped me learn to be more flexible and dare I say, spontaneous.

Want to learn more about how you can live full-time in an RV? Click here! 

The Roadmap to Full-Time RVing course was developed by full-time RVers to share their knowledge of how to get started towards a life of freedom on the road.

The Verdict

The full-time RV travel lifestyle so different from any other. Though it’s filled with undeniable benefits and brings you incredible experiences, it is by no means an easy way to live and comes with a lot of its own challenges. These are just a few considerations to make when deciding if full-time RV life is for you. What other concerns do you have? Drop us a note in the comments and let us know.

Sharing is caring! Share this Pin to spread the love! 

Full-Time RV Travel is not always glamorous. There are pros and cons to it like anything else. Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the full-time RV lifestyle.
Full-Time RV Travel is not always glamorous. There are pros and cons to it like anything else. These are the 5 things I hate about full-time RV travel.

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Filed Under: Living in an RV Tagged With: benefits of rv life, challenges of rv living, downsides of rvs, full time rv reviews, full time rvers, fulltime rv, fulltime rv living, living full time in rv, living in an rv full time, living in rv full time, Pros & Cons of Full-Time RV Travel, pros and cons of full time rv living, pros and cons of living in an rv, rv likes and dislikes, RV Living, rv living full time, rv living pros and cons, rv tips, rving for beginners

June 11, 2018 by Julie Leave a Comment

Las Vegas RV Campgrounds: Nellis Air Force Base and Lake Mead RV Village

We love Las Vegas! We were married there and go back to visit at least once a year. On our last trip we scoped out two Las Vegas RV campgrounds: Desert Eagle RV Park on Nellis Air Force Base and the Lake Mead RV Village at Boulder Beach. Watch this video for a sneak peek and then read on for more details.

Desert Eagle RV Park

This campground on Nellis Air Force Base is available for military ID card holders and has 223 full hookups sites thanks to a recent expansion.

The large “legacy” section of the campground has huge, full-hook-up RV spaces with well-trimmed trees bordering a landscaped walking path. The beauty of these sites is the amount of room you have to really spread out and the bit of shade you get from the trees.

The Desert Eagle RV Park at Nellis Air Force Base is a terrific military campground with more than 200 full hook up sites. We especially like the legacy section with mature landscaping and some shade trees.

The new section has 44 – 46 ft. long pull-thru sites with full-hookups. Each site has a picnic table, but they are really close together. Also the only landscaping is desert rock/gravel. With a big rig, I’d definitely recommend trying to reserve a spot in the legacy section.

Desert Eagle Campground, the FamCamp at Nellis Air Force Base has recently added over 100 campsites.

You can make reservations up to six months in advance, and I’d definitely recommend it if you want to go during the winter.   Click here to learn more about camping at Desert Eagle RV Park.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

If you aren’t eligible to stay on base, camping with a waterfront view at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Please be aware, if you don’t have a National Parks America the Beautiful Pass, you have to pay $25 per vehicle (or $20 per motorcycle) to enter.

There is a privately managed campground overlooking Boulder Beach, called Lake Mead RV Village. It has 115 full hook-up sites with nightly rates from $34 to $50. However, you can do much better with the weekly or monthly rate. With the monthly rate, you save 50% of the nightly cost!

There is a privately managed campground overlooking Boulder Beach, called Lake Mead RV Village. It has 115 full hook-up sites with nightly rates from $34 to $50. However, you can do much better with the weekly or monthly rate. With the monthly rate, you save 50% of the nightly cost!

Next to this large RV Park is a more traditional style Boulder Beach Campground. There are several other campgrounds located around Lake Mead and Lake Mojave.

Boulder Beach Campground at at Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Free Camping – Beyond the Campgrounds

We also visited several boondocking (dry camping) spots outside the city. Options include waterside in the Lake  Mead National Recreation Area to the cooler mountain temps in Spring Mountain National Recreation Area. Read our review of drying camping near Vegas here.

Viva Las Vegas!

With or without an RV, we love Las Vegas. Watch the video below to learn about some of our favorite things to see and do.

Click here to read more about planning an RV Trip to Nevada.

Try these great RV campgrounds near Las Vegas: Desert Eagle RV Park and Lake Mead RV Village at Boulder Beach. Both offer terrific spots for camping with your motorhome, fifth wheel, travel trailer, or camper while visiting Las Vegas Nevada.

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Filed Under: Campground Reviews, Military Campground Reviews, Nevada Tagged With: air force, camping near Las Vegas, Desert Eagle RV Park, fifth wheel, full time rv living, full-time rv, Lake Mead RV Village, lake mead rv village boulder city, lake mead rv village boulder city nv, las vegas, Las Vegas RV Campgrounds, Military campground, military campgrounds, Nellis Air Force Base Campground, RV, RV Campgrounds, RV Campgrounds in Las Vegas, rv life, RV Living, rv living full time, RV Parks

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

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