New and setting things up!

[offthegridmarla]

Hi, we are retired, living in WA state and in escrow with our house right now. We are building a small house in northern CA that won't be ready until next spring or summer and after checking the dismal rentals that will take my two sweet kitties, extra big deposits, extra rent, trashy places...we thought let's buy a motorhome again!

 

When I first met my husband 16 years ago he had Tioga 1987 Class C with bed over cab, bed in back and swivel chairs. He had taken a ton of trips with his daughter and is very use to how everything works, we went on a few longer trips and some short ones and lived in it on land for 9 months while house here being built. Our new smaller home is in a regular neighborhood tract with no land so can't do the same.

 

About 5 years ago we found leak, fixed it but decided at that point to sell since we were more into doing things around here.

 

So now back to rv'ing! We have some experience but not full timing it on the road.

 

Right now looking at used 33' Motorhomes. Can't buy until escrow closes so seeing what we like. So far I like the ones with big comfy couch and no chair on other side just big windows, that way can put kitty beds there and have great views. Also no bed over cab this time, we aren't into the climbing up thing and squished roofs anymore!

 

We are moving in June so have a month. Now that we decided to do this I am changing my packing to smaller boxes labelled motorhome. Thankfully I already know what works and doesn't on the road. Even before Mike I have hiked and camped all my life.

 

Thinking of staying in the west coast, Canada, WA, Oregon, Idaho, Montana.

 

If anyone knows any pretty lakes to stay at, good cheap places to stay, or good advice I would appreciate it.

 

We have the senior park pass, passports, and going to get rabies shots updated on cats before we go. Am I forgetting anything?

 

Other than buying motorhome, registering, getting insurance and checking it out with our mechanic, I think I have most of that covered other than filling with water and propane!

 

 

[s106300]

I will also be traveling with cats and have checked the vaccination thing out. Go to your vet and get a full up Health Certificate for each cat (means multiple vaccinations, not just rabies). You can get three year rabies shots. Make sure you chip your cats as well as put collars on them with ID tags and current cell phone number. When moving kitties, make sure you place them in carriers, don't try to carry them. And make sure they are in their carriers and secure before moving slides in or out!

 

Get on boondocking lists, find out about Army Corp of Engineers and BLM lands; join Elks and Veterans of Foreign Wars (available if any direct relative served in foreign arena) or American Legion. All have low cost or free options with hook up arrangements from zero to everything. Have fun!

[LindaH]

I will also be traveling with cats and have checked the vaccination thing out. Go to your vet and get a full up Health Certificate for each cat (means multiple vaccinations, not just rabies). You can get three year rabies shots.

 

If you are talking about going into Canada with your pets, all that the Canadian regulations require is a recent rabies certificate (a tag will not do).

 

You can read the regulations for cats here (the regulations for dogs, and other animals, can also be found at this same Canadian Food Inspection Agency website):

 

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/animals/terrestrial-animals/imports/policies/live-animals/pets/cats/not-recognized-as-rabies-free/eng/1364961486824/1364961633165

 

Note the box in the upper right-hand corner of the above page specifically says:

• Cats do not require a health certificate or import permit.

[wa_desert_rat]

Join the Escapees (see the button at the top of the page). There are good RV parks in WA, OR and CA run by Escapees mambers and the daily, monthly (and sometimes weekly) rates are quite reasonable. I think all of them accept up to 2 or 3 pets. These parks do have a bunch of people who live in their RVs in the parks and lots of them have pets and their pets ride with them in their golf carts all over the park.

 

SKPs also has a downloadable members-only listing of places to stay called "Day's End".

 

Get the "Allstays" app for your phone (Android and iPhone both).

 

Membership includes a "Travel Guide"; a printed publication listing many RV parks (including SKP Rainbow and SKP co-op parks). Many of these give a discount to SKP members.

 

This forum is part of the Escapees organization and many of us are members. Sue and I have spent time at the SKP Park Sierra co-op park near Yosemite in Coarsegold, CA and at the SKP Park in Sutherlin, OR. The co-op park in WA is near Port Townsend which is about 20 miles from our kids and grandkids and we expect to spend some time there this summer.

 

Central WA has good, inexpensive, camping. We like the Bureau of Reclamation Scooteney Reservoir park which is, I think, $7.50 with the senior pass. No hookups but you can get water, the sites are nice, and there is a dump station. We camp there 2 or three times a month all summer.

 

There are three Corps of Engineers RV parks extending from just east of Pasco, WA towards Clarkston, WA along the Snake River. Weekends are packed but weekdays are often not busy at all. Full hookups for $7.50 with senior pass. These parks are 50 years old with tree canopies, boat launches on the Snake River, restrooms with showers.

 

Many BLM areas in both eastern WA and OR with inexpensive camping. Mostly no hookups.

 

Off-road vehicle areas near Beverly, WA, Moses Lake, WA and NE of Pasco, WA allow camping and have toilets. No charge at ML and Beverly.

 

A couple of solar panels is great for keeping you in no-hookup sites. Most of these places do have toilets and a few have showers too.

 

More info on the day's end guide.

 

Good luck and welcome to the SKPs forum.

 

 

WDR

[s106300]

Re cats and Canada - you get the full up certificate because every state in the U.S. has different rules and you probably don't want to check them one by one.

[s106300]

WDR Thanks for the camping info - some stuff I had not seen before!

[offthegridmarla]

Hi, probably will join this soon, just checking everything out. What boondocking lists do you mean?

 

I have done some reading about it but just barely scratching the service.

 

Thank you for all the wonderful info about cats and rv'ing. I hadn't thought of chipping them because they are indoor only cats but if they get out that would help us find them!

 

We have two long haired rag doll kitties, Raggedy Annie and Raggedy Andi...

 

I had a two year job many years ago at Bass Lake near Coarsegold and lived outside Oakhurst towards Yosemite, nice area. Since I know it well we probably will stay up here until weather cools down.

 

I forgot to ask, I have heard there are cheap places in Arizona where you can stay for the winter outside larger towns. How can I find out about that?

 

And another big question I have is pet sitting, what does anyone do if they want to fly somewhere and not take the motorhome??

 

My husband doesn't want to drive further than Arizona and I want to go to Texas and New Orleans in late October. One is visit to my daughter who just moved to Sheppard AFB with husband and Nola is for our anniversary after seeing her.

[Kirk W]

Welcome to the Escapee forums...

 

If you do become a member of the Escapee's RV Club, then there is one of their co-op parks in Coaresgold which is called Park of the Sierras and you should check out as it is a really great park. The cheap places to stay that you are thinking of in Arizona are probably what is called "Long Term Visitor Area(LTVA)" parking areas. They are not located close to the larger cities but are out on the desert and at the high point of the season they become cities with thousands of RVs staying there.

 

Winter visitors who wish to stay in an LTVA, must purchase a long term permit for $180 or a short visit permit for $40. The long term permit is valid for the entire season or any part of the season which runs from September 15 to April 15. The short visit permit is valid for 14 consecutive days with the option to purchase an unlimited quantity of additional permits. Both permits are valid in any of the designated LTVAs. Click on the links below for more information on a specific LTVA.

Pet sitting is pretty much the same issue whether you live in an RV or in a house.

[offthegridmarla]

Thanks for info. Decided to leave RV near where daughter is and she can watch cats while we fly for trip.

 

When I said Arizona I was thinking of a park you could hook up to with utilities for the winter for less, I meant like $300-400 per month.

 

Right now we are going bat eyed looking all over West Coast at used RV's to buy, just found a really good one and wish I had the cash now!!! We have to wait for house to close 4 more weeks.

[Jimalberta]

maria if you want to stay in the Phoenix area for the winter, one of the best deals is the Mesa Regal which is offering the four months of sept, oct,nov and dec for the grand total of $600. That is for all four months not per month. Then in Jan and Feb the rate goes up. But if you average it out its still a really good deal.

[offthegridmarla]

How do you get that rate? On their site it says $625 per month. Sounds great but we won't be in that area until November.

 

My name is Marla.

[bobsallyh]

There are quite a few parks in the Yuma, AZ. area with the rates you mentioned. Of course it is based on amenities and the amount of fluff they feature. Electric wil be extra and some have installed water meters.

[Jimalberta]

Previous users get an email from them with these rates....you would probably need to phone them.

[Mainuh]

Welcome to the forum Marla! So you are planning to fulltime? Take a good look at basement storage in the rigs you're looking at. Make sure you're going to be able to fit what you want to bring along. My wife was stuck on 30-33' until we went to visit a friend and went through their 38'. Some of the smaller ones have tiny basement doors and no pass through storage either. We're now looking in the 38-42" range but may even consider a 45 if the right deal comes along.

 

I second the recommendation to join escapees. We won't get on the road fulltime for another year or so, but we're getting tons of good info here. I'll also sign up with their mail service next January... a good 6-10 months ahead of our going on the road to make sure it's working and things are switched over.

 

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

 

Hi, we are retired, living in WA state and in escrow with our house right now. We are building a small house in northern CA that won't be ready until next spring or summer and after checking the dismal rentals that will take my two sweet kitties, extra big deposits, extra rent, trashy places...we thought let's buy a motorhome again!

So now back to rv'ing! We have some experience but not full timing it on the road.

 

Right now looking at used 33' Motorhomes. Can't buy until escrow closes so seeing what we like. So far I like the ones with big comfy couch and no chair on other side just big windows, that way can put kitty beds there and have great views. Also no bed over cab this time, we aren't into the climbing up thing and squished roofs anymore!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wa_desert_rat]

Welcome to the forum, Maria. If you join Escapees you will have access to the SKP co-op parks (like the one Kirk mentioned in the Coarsegold area). There are several in Arizona and some of them are right at your budget.

 

Or you can become a member of the co-op park and then you get your own spot. Each park has its own rules and costs setup so you'll need to do some research. You can start with www.escapees.com/parking to find the RV parks. SKP owned parks are called "Rainbow Parks" and they are owned and controlled by the club itself. The Co-Op parks are individually owned and controlled by the members of the park itself who have to be SKP members.

 

In general, the public can stay at Rainbow parks (but pay a little more than SKP members) but, as far as I know, virtually of the co-op parks require overnight stays to be SKP members.

 

For instance, the park in Coarsegold, SKP Park Sierra has an overnight fee of $21 which includes cable TV, water, 30 and 50 amp electrical service, WiFi Internet access and sewer connection. Monthly rates are $480 plus electricity but the WiFi, cable TV and the rest are included. In Benson, AZ the rates are different (lower, mostly). Every co-op sets its own rates and they all have a web site linked off the Escapees pages.

 

We are also in WA (Moses Lake) and when we went south last winter we stayed at the SKP co-op park in Sutherlin, Oregon and spent almost two weeks at the SKP park near Coarsegold. Both parks are well above average for the price.

 

When we are traveling we mostly stay at rest areas, casino parking, SKP parks. When we are camping we mostly stay at SKP parks, BLM, NFS, National Park, BuReclamation or boondock. Lots of spots to boondock in eastern WA.

 

WDR