Want To Buy: RV wanted, east Coast Florida to SC, July to October.

[rgscpat]

Hmmm, if you want the RV equivalent of anchoring out, that may take some research and planning... Lots of RV parks are the equivalent of marinas, with RVs parked close together. This may or may not be so true in national or state parks; these facilities vary in design, plus there are big seasonal variations in how crowded parks are, and some are just naturally more popular than others.
The USA does have highway rest stops and picnic areas, but many of these are more oriented to quick stops for most highway travelers or perhaps overnight parking by fleets of long-haul commercial trucks. Some travelers might not feel secure in these stops, as well.
Some out-of-the-way off-the-beaten-path municipalities have their own parks, and these might be a good fit. And maybe there are some of the non-chain, offbeat private campgrounds that could be fun.
Other thought... some RVs are not optimized for "boondocking" or dry camping, lacking battery capacity, solar panels, LED lights, etc., to run for long without running generators. If you want to do a lot of off-the-beaten-path camping, you might look for an RV that someone has customized for "living off the grid".

[donovanjr]

I have owned two Toyota Dolphin motor homes and highly recommend them. They drive like a car, park in a car space, they get 16 MPG and are fully self-contained RV's. I have purchased 5 RV's, all on Craigslist. Just do a Craigslist search for Toyota motor home. There were several companies who used the Toyota chassis for their mini-motorhomes.

[chiefcoxswain]

Thanks Monte for posting this thread, am an Aussie who is looking at one last trip to the US, usually do 2 months every couple of years and have done most states, have done the car rental/motel trip, done the round the states train trip and am looking at the RV deal, thanks to those who posted links for info on RV rental/RV parks, where to dump your stuff ect.
Love the info supplied by locals, not just a bunch of boaters.
Thanks and Merry Christmas, Vern N Judy.

[hellosailor]

monte-
In the US, everyplace belongs to someone and if it is government land, it still belongs to the Fed and is subject to rules. Very much more open land in the West than the East but you'll need to check out federal land terms before you try to just park on it. You might want to contact our Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service to see what each offers, and then there are separate State systems in every state. Think of the US as "pre-EU Europe" every time you hit a state border, there will be some changes.
There are also highway rest stops in the Interstate system, and private truck stops, but whether you can park and what it will cost you, will vary. You might want to find some US RV forums and get better feedback for those areas.


Toyota motorhomes?? I don't think there is such a thing in the US. Private conversations to Toyota pickup trucks, sure, but Toyota themselves? Never seen that at a Toy store.


Even though the Saudis are currently, quietly, doing their best to bankrupt new fuel sources by dropping the price of oil (after which, they'll buy up the bankruptcy rights and once again control everything) I'd prefer diesel for anything really big and heavy that I planned to keep on the road all day many days.

[Cheechako]

Yes, Toyota BASED motorhomes are common in the US... often under the Dolphin name. They have quite a cult following actually... underpowered but a bit like driving a VW microbus... just take your time. They often have the indestructible 22R Toyota 4 cyl in them... but some are later V6's. They were not actually sold by Toyota (to my knowledge) but just like a Ford RV, built onto a Toyota frame.


OP: Even after all mentioned above, I can certainly understand the goal of traveling by RV. It's a lot like traveling by boat... cheaper to fly! But in an RV you have your "home" with you. If you don't want to eat out you can cook in. etc etc. I have passed up some decent RV's in the 20 ft + range in the last couple of years for under $5000. But as mentioned above, an RV may be a bit like a boat from everyone I talk with... constant up keep. However, I DO know people who never work on their boats and just use them! It all depends on your tolerance for breakdowns etc I suppose... and you will be using it short term.
Might be worth the money for AAA road insurance... especially being short term... kinda ... again ... like boat towing insurance in Florida!

[S/V Willow]

We too are internationals staying here short term and we purchased a vehicle. Forget it in Georgia but Florida DMV were very helpful and were happy for us to buy a vehicle as long as we had insurance etc. It costs extra for the first set of plates and is about $450 approx. The insurance was a lot more fun but we did eventually find a company who took our money but when we referred other friends they were turned down due to their international status. However they did find a company that specialises in insurance for internationals so will email them for you and get a name.

Now as for an address contact that is easy! Contact St Brendans Isle at Green Cove Springs Florida. 904 284 1203. They are experts at this and can tell you what to do and how to do it and you get an address in Florida that is legitimate. You then can get mail sent there and you choose how you get it - based on cost. Fabulous service used by hundreds of cruisers. Florida is so welcoming and helpful in comparison with Georgia who were polite but obstructive to the extreme about a vehicle.

Hope this helps!

[monte]

Thanks a lot willow, that helps a lot!

[Sand crab]

Yup, Yellowstone is crowded but many say it's worth it. Because it's so close to me perhaps I'm jaded. I've been there 100 times MOL. We call it Disneyland. You probably need to make that campground reservation now because they are always full. All the National Parks are at full capacity all summer including the campgrounds near them. But do check out Glacier NP. Now there's some scenery. I saw 13 Grizzlies there at once all eating huckleberries. I also highly recommend the Beartooth Highway. It's rated as one of the 3 best drives in the country. The other 2 are Going to the Sun Road in Glacier NP and Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain NP. Ya gotta do at least one!
The place to be is in the National Forest which is an absolutely huge chunk of real estate out west. The dog can hike with you untethered. Everyone does this here. In the NP the pooch has to be on a leash at all times and is not allowed on the trails at all. They have to stay in the campground or places like the area around Old Faithful so that's a big problem. There are pay sites in the NF which start at $5 and a few more expensive ones have hookups but there are many free areas which is just about anywhere else. Literally everywhere. We rarely pay. Many gas stations have free tank dumps.
You also want to be out of the high country before the first hard freeze which is usually in September or July (LOL) depending on the year. The water lines in the RV will freeze and burst.
I had a Toyota/Dolphin RV. Good gas mileage but you can walk up a mountain pass faster then it will go. Almost.
I got 8 mpg in my other 34' RV. Chevy 454 drivetrain.

[Sand crab]

Another option would be to get a 4 wheel drive vehicle and a pull behind camper. The reason for this is there are lots of really fun dirt roads/trails in the mountain west. Colorado is full of them and it's a real treat for you out of towners. Park the camper and drive up into the high country and I mean all the way up above treeline. There are 4 wheel drive roads above 13,000' there. The US and possibly Canada are the only countries in the world with this wide ranging and unique recreation option. And it's free in the National Forest.


My friend brought a nice pull behind camper for $3000. It even had aircon. The light weight pop up tent campers are $2000 or less.

And you do know that Burning Man is in the desert in summer? I'm thinkin there is more to you then you have let on!

[S/V Willow]

Sorry it took a while but our friends are down in the islands at the moment. The company they use for insurance is Non US Citizens Auto Insurance | Expats | Diplomats| International | NATO | IMS | NATO | Expat Insurance Quote |G4 Visa Holders L1 Visa Holders, Embassy Insurance - The Sunrise Group This company specialises in internationals requiring insurance. Hope this helps. If we can help a fellow Aussie again please feel free to pm us. Good luck and have a great time!

[monte]

Thanks willow. Great info ! I'll call them when we need t he insurance