We bought a budget RV in USA for extended holiday

[Rowan Lee]

OK, I’ll try to keep this brief. We wanted to go to America for an extended period but could only go in the winter (family, summer hobbies, etc.). We looked into getting an extended visa but the process was a bit complicated and so we decided we could manage with the 90 days tourist visa waiver. (I don’t think you can extend this any more by just nipping over the border for a day or two and coming back again, they have tightened up on this). 90 days was long enough so we settled for that.

 

We then had difficulty getting our house insurance cover upgraded to cover this period and ended up going to a local broker and eventually getting sorted. Also travel and medical insurance is a problem for this length of stay, especially as my husband has angina etc. but we found www.miaonline.co.uk who covered him on an annual policy for £160.00! I used the same company on a separate policy for £140.00.

 

We took $17,500 in travellers cheques and $2,000 on cash debit cards – Travelex Cash Passport www.travelex.co.uk and then www.caxtonfxcard.com because their terms were much better. This was our entire capital for the purchase of the van, kitting out and initial expenses! The travellers cheques were a nuisance because we had to declare them at the airport (bringing over $10,000 into the country) and we were too scared not to do so. The cash cards worked OK, but we found we couldn’t use them to pay for anything over the phone or on the internet because the PIN numbers didn’t work over there and they also tend to work on ZIP codes which we didn’t have.

 

We travelled to Orlando in November 2009, Florida because of the time of year and Orlando because the flights are direct and relatively cheap. A friend let us use his apartment FOC and we hired a car. On the first day we set off with a list of dealers we had researched on the internet. Lazydays www.lazydays.com just outside Tampa is worth going just to marvel at. They have 120 salesmen/women and you get round the site on golf carts, just to give you an idea. 900 vehicles on site. Good cheap vans (they tend to call them coaches) are very sought after and you can put $500 deposit over the phone until you can get to see it, so you have to be very quick off the mark. We missed out on a couple of beauties and so got rather panicked into buying as we could see our time slipping away, not to mention cash for extended car hire.

 

We needed a US address which we got from www.mailtravelservice.com for $120 for 12 months plus actual postage costs for mail forwarding. This gives you a proper Florida address with your own reference number which they gave us over the phone although we still couldn’t pay them. We were then able to go to the Bank of America and open a current account. We paid in all our travellers cheques and there and then they gave us a temporary debit card and some temporary cheques, so we could then pay the Mail company!

 

We then bought a Virgin pay as you go cellphone for $10 and a Virgin broadband dongle for $99, which is expensive by our standards. Data charges are also expensive – you choose a package to buy, but unused data or phone calls expire at the end of the month! Wifi is widely available but is often unreliable and of course not secure, which is why we wanted our own dongle. We used Starbucks a lot, spent an hour or so downloading BBC Radio podcasts to listen to later. Sadly iplayer is not available overseas and we never had good enough reception anyway.

 

After about a week, we bought a Fourwinds Majestic, a budget level C class 28’ for $13,000 reduced from $15,000. This was from a small family run dealership in Sarasota and they had the vehicle on consignment (selling on behalf of the owner). With hindsight I think we could have got it cheaper, our first offer was accepted immediately! All advertised prices can be haggled quite considerably. It had 111,000 miles on the clock, but we had looked at many much larger A class coaches in beautiful condition with far fewer miles. We rejected them because they were just too big and although still huge, we felt we could manage the Majestic. It seemed in reasonable condition although the inside was well used. Nevertheless it was better than some we had seen with far fewer miles.

 

Insurance was easy, we rang Good Sam who arranged it through Progressive, one of the largest, for just under $600. It was all done over the phone, paid for with our Bank of America card, but we had to get a neighbour to print out the documents they emailed us so we could sign them and post them back. The dealer then arranged for the vehicle to be registered and taxed. It is the individual who gets the “tag” or registration plate, not the vehicle, and you transfer it from vehicle to vehicle. We were issued with a temporary tag until our proper one was made and ready for collection. We had six new tyres fitted for another $1,000 and shortly after we had taken delivery, went back to have some roof leaks fixed.

 

We kitted it out from Walmart and Lowes (a B&Q type place). This was all remarkably cheap but we were amazed at what we actually needed to live for three months; iron, toaster, kettle, vacuum cleaner, two electric heaters (see below), toolbox, first aid kit, etc. etc. Don’t forget electricity is 110 volts.

 

We liked to use State Park campgrounds which are excellent but like our Caravan Club sites, are usually fully booked at weekends. Sites are called campgrounds, pitches are called sites. You book an individual site, which means if you want a longer stay, you may have to move a few times. Have a look at www.reserveamerica.com . We thought the campgrounds were quite expensive, although on the private ones there are cheaper rates for a week or a month and many folk were there long term or even permanently. As you might expect, there are good and bad, and on one site in Orlando just before we came home, we were definitely among the trailer trash, which is probably where they thought our Majestic belonged.

 

Most pitches have their own water supply to connect directly to the RV. This bypasses the fresh water tank and pump, and is a brilliant system. You just connect the hose to the tap at one end, run the water through to expel the air, connect to the RV at the other end and turn on the tap. Similarly, apart from State Parks where they have the usual dump stations, most campgrounds have sewer connections on every pitch. Having watched Robin Williams in RV, we were nervous about this, but in fact it is easy, much more pleasant than our own system which was met with incredulity when we explained it. Gas (called propane – gas is petrol of course) is carried in onboard tanks which have to be refilled. It took us a while to realise that we were looking in the wrong place for refilling stations, not usually at gas stations but often at DIY stores or in the corner of a car park somewhere. All are manned, you don’t have to do it yourself. I don’t know how those huge RV’s that are parked up permanently manage, maybe there is a mobile filling service but I never saw one.

 

We had our mail forwarded to the various campgrounds and were grateful for DVD’s of TV programmes from home. American TV is dreadful so we didn’t bother to get one. We listened to the BBC on the internet a great deal when we had adequate wifi, but even on quite upmarket campgrounds, the wifi was unreliable. We often saw our fellow campers wandering around with laptops, and on one the laundry was the favoured spot, but not ideal for Skype calls home. I used Skype to ring my Mum on her landline, this was very cheap indeed and we could spend half an hour chatting for only a few pence.

 

We had intended to make our way north via Atlanta to Memphis and back via New Orleans but it soon became apparent that the weather was not going to be conducive. We had expected it to be colder as we went north, but everyone we spoke to thought we were mad. We started monitoring local weather on the internet and soon changed our plans. We decided instead to stick to the Gulf Coast as far as New Orleans and then retrace our steps, but 2009/10 was the coldest winter in Florida for 40 years. In New Orleans, we had overnight temperatures of -6C and 0C in the daytime with a bitter windchill. The Majestic had cardboard walls and single glazed glass windows, so even when a second attempt at recaulking the roof seams was more successful, condensation dripped from the ceiling. I was constantly trying to get stuff dry. Even in the hot weather, the humidity often made everything feel damp.

 

Most motorhomers have a car on tow, but we managed without. It did restrict us however and we did get very tired packing up every time we needed to go out. It’s OK for a couple of weeks, but it really did get us down after three months. We hired a car for a couple of days in New Orleans. Car hire is cheap but the insurance is expensive. If you intend to hire often or for longer periods, have a look at www.insurance4carhire.com which could save you some money.

 

At the end of our trip, we put our van into storage intending to go back for a month in May to head up to Memphis, but we didn’t make it. Storage places are everywhere and costs vary but are remarkably cheap really. Most expensive of course is in Orlando, where top notch covered storage with RV washing facilities, dump stations, etc. can be $100 a month. We found a place not far from Ocala, about an hour’s drive from Orlando, where we really liked the couple running it. We paid $30 a month and they agreed to keep the keys and start it up once in a while. Having decided not to go back, we asked if they knew a local dealer who would sell it for us, and within a month it was sold to an ex-employee of theirs who has invited us back to “borrow” it. After some haggling, we accepted $8,500, disappointing but in the circumstances we decided to let it go.

 

Our initial capital covered the purchase of the van and all associated expenses, the extra car hire and our first month’s living expenses. After that, we were able to live comfortably within our normal spending, although we didn’t go mad on eating out or spending. Neither was there anywhere we wanted to go that we didn’t, although if the weather had been better .... Also we had been to Orlando before and were not interested in going to all the Disney Parks again.

 

If your budget is not quite as tight as ours, there are some lovely A class coaches around for a good price. If your budget is unlimited, then wow! Also the Americans are coming round to the idea that big is not necessarily beautiful. Our Majestic did 6 miles to the gallon, US gallons being smaller and thankfully much cheaper than ours, so our running costs were about the same as our Fiat 2.8 diesel over here. There are some gorgeous US “low profiles” based on Mercedes Sprinter diesels now (Dodge badged, I think).

 

Would I do it again? Yes, definitely. When we are free to go back in summertime, I hope we shall have the funds to get a better vehicle and have another go. Having said that, our Majestic gave us very little trouble, we did nothing to the engine apart from check the oil, and we covered 5,000 miles.

 

I kept a daily diary, mainly to send home to my family, but if you would really like to read 40 pages or so, please pm me with your email address and I will send it.

 

[Guest JudgeMental]

when is the book coming out? Seriously what a great report! I am sure many have thought of doing this including us.....

 

we visit Florida in the winter sometimes, and I think the cost of campsites can be a bit of a shock. when I read something like this I kinda think for 3 months it is better to buy a car and stay in hotels/motels far less grief and hassle and probably cheaper and more convenient as well *-)

 

a few pics would be nice :-D

[Rowan Lee]

No, hotels are horrible! Much better to have your own home with you, I think. Pics are difficult, I did video all the time, sorry.

 

 

[euroserv]

Thank you so much for sharing that with us. Absolutely fascinating.

 

Nick

[Guest JudgeMental]

Rowan Lee - 2010-07-08 5:20 PM

 

No, hotels are horrible! Much better to have your own home with you, I think. Pics are difficult, I did video all the time, sorry.

 

 

"horrible" how so? We have stayed in lovely hotels/motels all over the west coast and Florida. touring/sight seeing is much easier and economical in a car, in a van you are usually stuck in the middle of nowhere....

 

We did a 6 week tour of west coast a few years ago and it was fantastic

[Rowan Lee]

I agree, there are some lovely hotels but we can't afford them, certainly not for a long period. And no matter how lovely the hotel, I like to have my own bed and bedlinen, nobody noisy in the next room or above, and my own food. In my motorhome, the chef is always on duty! And in the UK, we sometimes take the car as well. Problem solved.

[takeaflight]

Great report, thanks.

 

I have to agree, for me I prefer my own accommodation.

 

Roy

[Rowan Lee]

Trying to put up a photo of the "shed".

[Rowan Lee]

Oh good, that worked, I'll try another. This is from the Museum at the US Navy Air Station in Pensacola. This was a fantastic museum, we spent two days there and it had the added bonus of being warm inside, and free!

[Rowan Lee]

Try again! Think I know what was wrong. Also a white squirrel from Ocklochonee State Park (not far from Tallahassee).

[takeaflight]

Excellent, keep them coming.

[Guest JudgeMental]

Elvis being a country boy loved fried squirrel........

[Bulletguy]

Rowan Lee - 2010-07-08 4:17 PM

 

OK, I’ll try to keep this brief..........

 

Blimey!

 

I was exhausted!! Very fascinating though.

 

Plenty of free oil out there too at the moment but typically the yanks are moaning about that. First they moan when it goes up a few cents a litre.....now they moan and whine when they have bucket loads for free.

 

Some folk are never satisfied. *-)

[Rowan Lee]

Another from USNAS Pensacola. The caption reads "Four and a half acres of sovereign US territory, anytime, anywhere". If you've got it, flaunt it!

[Rowan Lee]

Last one; this is from Wakulla Springs State Park near Tallahassee.

[Rowan Lee]

Bulletguy, I take your point, but having spent some time on that Coast so recently, I find it difficult to see the funny side. It is a tragedy that brings me to tears every time I think about it. I just can't bear to see the pictures on TV of the pelicans covered in oil.

[euroserv]

Rowan,

 

Re your 'turtles' picture;

 

I think what you have captured is a MacDonalds drive through for alligators! Either that or they are all walking over him very slowly.

 

Nick

[starvin marvin]

Rowan Lee - 2010-07-09 10:04 AM

 

Bulletguy, I take your point, but having spent some time on that Coast so recently, I find it difficult to see the funny side. It is a tragedy that brings me to tears every time I think about it. I just can't bear to see the pictures on TV of the pelicans covered in oil.

 

I wonder if the Americans get the irony of those birds being Brown Pelicans!!!

[colin]

Rowan Lee - 2010-07-08 6:27 PM

 

Trying to put up a photo of the "shed".

 

That looks about size we rented this May, 25ftlong nearly as wide as a container and 5.2ton, plenty of room inside and built like a brick ****house, but drank gas and handled like a supertanker!