Empty Nesting, Life, RV Life, Tips and Hints, Travel

4 Must Have Items For Your RV Life

Welcome to “RV There Yet?” where I’m sharing stories, tips, tricks, and fun adventures of two wandering souls setting out on the second half of our lives traveling the U.S. and the world together.

When we bought our first RV 6 months ago, we read blog after article after post on must have items to make our RV life easier. The list we made was long, and boy does Amazon love us, so I wanted to take some time to share the items that have made our new adventures even better.

As I mentioned in our last blog “So, you want to buy an RV do you?“, you will make lists and more lists of what you will need, so let’s take a look at some of the must have items that we can’t live without. In no particular order…..

  • 1. We have a beautiful 83lb Golden Retriever named Teddy, so the first thing be bought was a fencing system to give him a play yard at each campsite. We chose this OFIKA Heavy Duty Metal Dog Playpen system because of the number of panels giving us many configuration options to choose from. Not only does this set come in two different heights (2ft tall to go along the body of the RV, and 40″ tall for the outside perimeter), it’s super easy to assemble and has multiple entrances to position where you would like.

    • 2. Next is quite possibly my husband’s favorite find, a smokeless firepit. Our Onlyfire Smokeless Firepit is amazing! Fire-starting with wood or charcoal is super easy, and it’s light enough that I can easily lift it into our truck. We’ve cooked over it and spent hours enjoying our campfires no matter which way the wind was blowing.

    • 3. Now, let’s talk about some fun. Check out our PEXMOR Electric Bikes. Talk about taking it all in. These bikes are powerful, the fat tires handle every terrain you can imagine, and they are tough. You can pedal on your own or cruise up to 30mph to get the most out of your destination. We’ve gone up the side of a mountain, climbed hills in the desert, rode along the loose sand and shoreline of the ocean, and over and along beautiful rivers. Hands down we get the absolute most out of our trips by being able to spend the day exploring on our bikes. Add to all of that they also have horns, lights, digital speedometer/readouts, and a phone holder/charger.

    • 4. And lastly for today don’t forget this super duty bike rack for your bikes. These electric bikes weigh roughly 70lbs each, so be sure to get a bike rack that can handle that much weight. Although our bikes are foldable, we decided to store them on this rack using the receiver hitch on the back of our RV.

    As always, I’m eternally thankful for other RVers who share items that have made their time on the road more enjoyable. I hope that while you are making YOUR lists that we can help you in the same way that others helped us. We are NOT Amazon affiliates and would love to hear if you try any of these items and what you think.

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    Do you feel restless or caught up checking off those boxes of life that someone said we are supposed to? Come along with us as we begin the process of LIVING our lives, and not just the same day over and over again.

    Be on the lookout for our next blog posts discussing MORE of the coolest, and most practical things we bought for our RV adventures, and an overview of our first RV road trip to West Texas.

    Adventure awaits, let’s go find it.

    Empty Nesting, RV Life, Travel

    So, you want to buy an RV do you?

    Who knew that buying an RV (recreational vehicle) would be so complicated, and fun at the same time? We sure didn’t. Did you know that there are literally thousands of RV options to choose from? Makes, model, style, length, floorplan, options, etc. It took us 13 months from our “Epiphany” point in Alaska that I mentioned in our last blog to reach the point of buying our new RV. At this point I have seen so many listings, specifications, and pictures of RV’s that I’m fully confident that I could sell them for a living.

    MEET POPCORN

    Popcorn is our new RV travel trailer. She is a 2024 Forest River Flagstaff Micro Lite 25FBLS. We chose a travel trailer because we wanted a smaller rig that could be taken almost anywhere, and because we decided on a lighter rig that did not require a 3/4 ton truck. 

    The kicker for us was the truck. Our Nissan Titan 1/2 ton V-8 4WD is a beloved family member, but her towing capacity and torque wasn’t quite up to what we needed. Even light RV’s like Popcorn become much heavier when the tanks are full, and they are stocked with your supplies. Enter our newest family member the 2023 Ford F-150 Platinum edition V-6 Hybrid 4WD.

    The absolutely coolest thing about this truck is the 7.2 kW Pro Power Onboard™ generator. The 7.2 kW generator comes with six available 120V/20A outlets, and enjoys a 32-hour maximum run time on a full tank of gas.  PLUS, she powers everything, and doubles as our main generator for the RV. Very cool!

    NOW BACK TO POPCORN

    Our suggestion is to make a list of what you think you will need in an RV. Call it a wish list. What are you going to use the RV for? Full time living, weekend getaways, long vacations, etc. Decide on the version of RV you would like as well such as motorhome, 5th wheel, toy hauler, travel trailer, etc. Then do some research using your list to start narrowing down makes and models that you like. Don’t just look at dealers websites or sales sites such as RV Trader. We suggest also looking at manufacturer websites as well. This will give you more detailed descriptions, more accurate weights and lengths, and all of the specifications you will need to use when making your final decision. SIDE NOTE: 7/10 sales listings have incorrect weight and length specifications. Always double check with the manufacturer’s details.  Overwhelmed yet? We were too. Don’t worry, you’re almost there.

    We wanted an RV to do long trips in leading up to and during our retirement. We also wanted something pretty much self-sufficient that allowed us to take off on our own and not have to stay in an actual RV park. RV-ing for us wasn’t just to sit in an RV park with lots of other excited travelers. We want to get all the way out into the outdoors with no other people in sight, no hook ups (water, sewer, electric), and for more than just one night. That being said we knew we needed an amazing off grid RV that would give us that freedom.

    Our first thought was to look for used RV’s but we quickly realized that it was almost impossible to find a used one that had everything we needed/wanted. Solar power was the tip top of our list, and for what we wanted to use it for it had to be a large system. Not just one panel. More research showed us that doing it ourselves, while fun to think about, would be cost and time prohibitive. So, at this point we knew that we needed an affordable NEW RV. We really liked Forest River as a manufacturer, and finally found the perfect model, floorplan, and options for us and the fur babies to begin our adventures in. 

    FOREST RIVER TO THE RESCUE

    Lucky for us we were able to find our dream RV at a local dealer. After touring the model on the lot and discussing our exact needs with our amazing sales associate we were delighted to learn that the Power Package was an option for our RV that checked all of the boxes we had. This was it. Off grid power installed at the factory. Sold. This is what was included.

    On top of the Power Package we decided to get slide toppers, double paned windows, sway bars, and a complete extended warranty to cover us for 7 years. 

    Now all we had to do was wait for 2 months to have her built, shipped, and delivered. Trust me, the wait is the hardest part. What stage in the process are you at? 

    I hope reading a little about our journey to buy an RV helps you answer some questions and alleviates some of the mystery about where to begin. In just the first 3 months of owning an RV we have experienced some amazing things. I hope you do also. 

    Do you feel restless or caught up checking off those boxes of life that someone said we are supposed to? Come along with us as we begin the process of LIVING our lives, and not just the same day over and over again.

    Be on the lookout for our next blog post discussing some of the coolest, and most practical things we bought for our RV adventures.

    Adventure awaits, let’s go find it.

    Empty Nesting, RV Life, Travel

    RV There Yet?

    Welcome to our new blog “RV There Yet?” where I’m sharing stories, tips, tricks, and fun adventures of two wandering souls setting out on the second half of our lives together traveling the U.S. and the world. Our newest adventures start right here in our home state of Texas.

    At what point in your life is it okay to ask yourself if you are where you want to be? Are you living the life that feeds your soul, or are you doing what you are supposed to do according to some list of boxes you have been checking off for 30 years? Enter our dear friend epiphany…….

    While traveling with friends to Alaska in September 2022 my husband (Mr. Sexy Pants(right side, aka MSP) and I (2nd from right) were reminded of just how beautiful the world is, and all of the adventures it holds. That is if you can tear yourselves away from life, responsibilities, your home, your animals, and your office to experience it. Alaska was once our home many moons ago, and to our 18 and 19-year-old souls, it was the most transformative years of our lives. Fast forward 30+ years to finally going back to Alaska, and the one million fireworks that went off in our heads, there it was… this feeling of adventure and exploration that we’ve been suppressing…. for three decades.

    NOMADIC BY NATURE

    MSP and I have lived in 17 (we counted them) homes in the past 33 years. That’s almost 2 years per home on average. From Texas to Alaska, to New Mexico, to Wyoming, and back to Texas we have bought and rented more homes than most do in a lifetime. In those years we’ve travelled, explored, and sought out adventure when the time allowed. The problem is that there was never enough time. Enough time to really see all that we yearned to; to take in every mountain and ocean view we could find. We’ve always been pulled by invisible strings to just…… move. Staying in one place for too long seemed unbearable.

    At 50-ish years old we’ve been told that we have 11-15 years until retirement is an option for us. At least on paper. By sticking to the current progress of retirement savings (the market and cost of living being what it is) we have to wait almost 20 years to reach our goal of retirement. But, by making life changes NOW with the goal of being 100% focused on early retirement, our countdown became much smaller. So, we did. 

    POPCORN

    Popcorn has always been our joking “Bug Out” word. Hurricane coming- Popcorn! Head to higher ground. Zombie apocalypse- Popcorn! So, this year when we bought our first RV, and we named her Popcorn. We are new RV owners and did 13 months of research before we decided on the perfect rig for us. Important things to us were: not too big or small, a couples only rig with room for us, an 82lb Golden Retriever, 4 grumpy cats, and the ability to go off grid for days using no hook-ups. Here’s what we decided on.

    Popcorn is a 2024 Forest River Flagstaff Micro Lite. https://forestriverinc.com/rvs/flagstaff-micro-lite/25FBLS/8005 She’s absolutely perfect for what we need and is the first step to the life we want moving forward. We already have Popcorn’s first trip planned out and are excited to share new places, lessons we learn, and exciting escapades with you. 

    Adventure awaits, let’s go find it.

    Do you feel restless or caught up checking off those boxes of life that someone said we are supposed to? Come along with us as we begin the process of LIVING our lives, and not just the same day over and over again.

    Be on the lookout for our next blog post discussing choosing our RV, and things you should consider when buying your own RV.

    Dream Body, Dream Trips, Empty Nesting, Healthy Lifestyle, Travel, World Ventures

    I found myself in the jungles of Costa Rica

    I dream of traveling.  So many of us do, I know.  I have a bucket list of places to visit that is so long I fear that I will never get to the end of it.  Well, I started checking places off of my bucket list last week, and thanks to what I learned while I was gone, I’m now very sure I will get to the end of my list with no problems.

    HELLO COSTA RICA

    COSTA RICA DT WATERFALL

    My husband and I spent 6 days, and 5 nights in Costa Rica at the amazing Amatierra Retreat and Wellness Center where we started each day with the sounds and views of the Costa Rican jungle as we participated in our very first yoga classes.

    After yoga we ate breakfast overlooking the hills and jungle, watched iguanas run around, and listened to and watched the most amazing colorful birds fly all around us.

    Each day was a new adventure both at the resort, and off site.  At the resort we had daily massage’s, nutritional consultations, and beautiful hiking around the resort.  Off site we took beautiful excursions, traveling on skinny mountain roads, one lane bridges, and winding roads with scenery that just took our breath away.

    We went to the top of an active volcano.

    COSTA RICA DT VOLCANO

    We went to an animal sanctuary surrounded by 5 different waterfalls.

    We hiked deep into the jungle and had our own private waterfall to climb up, jump off, and swim around in.  The water was perfectly cold, and so pure you could drink it.

    COSTA RICA DT WATERFALL 2

    And all the while we ate delicious organic foods prepared for us from plants and animals mostly grown, or raised on site.

    Topping it all off we met a group of fellow travelers whom we have now formed great friendships with as we were all there in the same travel club.

    The new friends we made were the perfect present on top of being on our first Dream Body Dream Trip.  Now that we know how easy it is to be a part of our inexpensive travel club, and experience these Dream Trips at locations all around the world our bucket list is going to be completed before we know it.

    We are thinking about Greece in October now…….  I can’t wait.

    Travel

    John and Jeanie take Las Vegas!

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    Las Vegas has changed a lot over the years that we have been visiting.  From wide open spaces, and manicured lawns between hotels and casinos, to not a single inch of spare space for miles.  We used to gamble with coins in the slot machines, but now tickets are the only currency.  I have a box of keepsakes at home with $1 coins from each of the old casinos on the strip, some of which are not there anymore.  One day I will frame them all as a reminder of a day gone by.

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    This trip, our 5th or 6th, John and I were able to spend two days at Caesar’s Palace, and another two days at Treasure Island.  Treasure Island is our favorite by far because of it’s smaller size, and ease of getting in and out.  We were able to see Beatle’s Love Cirque du Soleil at the Mirage, eat at the Craving’s buffet at the Mirage, and the Bacchanal buffet at Caesar’s Palace.  My tip for you is to go to the Half Price Show Tickets kiosk’s around the strip and take advantage of the food and show deals.  You get buffet discounts, tickets to just about any show at a HUGE discount, and passes to attractions such as the High Roller observation wheel.  Click on the links above for more information!

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    If you are on the move as much as we are I highly recommend wearing super comfortable tennis shoes versus sandals.  Trust me, your feet will thank me!  Also, bring hand sanitizer so you do not end up with the crud for the last day of your trip like we did.  Another lesson learned!

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    My Love and I took tons of selfies, and had a ball wandering around both day and night.  One of my favorite nights was at the RIo hotel and casino where we listened to the cover band, drank, and danced for hours with our friends.  Go to the first floor area under the Voodoo Lounge, and hang out there.

    If you are thinking about going to Las Vegas I love April.  Having been there in September, and February as well I speak from experience.  The weather is amazing!  Not too cold, not to hot, just the right amount of perfect to make April my Vegas go-to month from now on!

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    Lastly, download the Uber app, and use it.  It link’s to Paypal, and is super affordable compared to taxi’s and shuttles.  Have any questions?  Let me know!

    Now, on to our next adventure…………………

    Muah!

    Jeanie