Our first camper van was a 1996 Class B van. It was older but served us well – the engines are built to be durable. Now we’ve updated to a beautiful 2006 Roadtrek 210 that we love! No matter what vehicle, prepping for a long time on the road is especially important. 

We start early. A month or so before we’re rolling down the driveway we make an appointment for a front-to-back once-over at our local mechanic. Minor issues can turn into major headaches when you are in the middle of nowhere. How long has that Check Engine light been on? When’s the last time you had the oil changed? Do you remember that rattle from last year? You don’t want to be dragging these unanswered questions along.

Getting the RV in to the mechanic early means that should any parts need to be special ordered, we aren’t scrambling at the last minute (yes, it happens). We make sure all the fluids are topped up, the batteries are working, the electrical system is causing no problems and that there are no drips from the plumbing or holding tanks. Here’s what happens:

• Check and fill all the fluids.
• Test the battery levels (both the engine and leisure battery).
• Check all tire pressures (including the spare).
• Check the electrical system – lights, inverter, etc.
• Check the pump – to the sink, the toilet, outside shower, etc.
• Test the furnace, air conditioner, microwave, etc.
• Test the fridge on all settings (we have a three-way fridge that runs on electricity, 12V and propane and we test it on all settings).

Once the mechanics have been attended to, we do a top-to-bottom of the inside of the van:

• Wiping down all the shelves and cupboards.
• WD40 on any squeaky hinges.
• Make sure the mattress and linens are clean (we use a 4-inch thick memory foam on top of the van bed and love it so much you’d have to tear it from our hands!).
• Wipe down the dashboard, cup holder area, wash the linoleum floors and vacuum the carpeting.
• Clean out the glove box and then make sure everything we need is repacked there.
• Make sure the maps we need are packed and that the GPS is working.

Looking for a printable version of our checklist? RV prep checklist

We’re big fans of CAA (a partner of AAA in the U.S.) but this year have discovered Explorer RV Club roadside assistance. For a relatively modest amount we have annual coverage that gives us unlimited towing services to the nearest repair facility and unlimited 24/7 roadside assistance (empty gas tank, flat tire, locked doors, dead battery). Our plan covers our home car and our 2006 Roadreak 210. Just one “help us!” call pays for the annual membership.

Still, things do go wrong on the road (hopefully nothing major). If it’s too big a job for our expertise, like replacing the sewer line, we sourced a local repair shop and gladly handed over the keys to get the – ahem – “fragrant” job done. Craig has tackled minor jobs – like replacing the water pump – with no problems at all. The wait to squeeze us into the service schedule at a rural Texas RV dealer was two days (not happening) so Craig completed the installation of a new pump in about an hour. It turned out the dealer even lent us the tools to get the job done!

Nothing ruins a trip like a health crisis. We pay attention to the condition of our van before we leave (getting a top-to-bottom check of all the safety and wear and tear aspects) and we most definitely do the same when it comes to our health. So, being properly covered as we head down the highway? Absolutely.

Plan ahead. To leave finding adequate health insurance until the last minute is courting disaster. Best to do a little legwork first – find out what coverage you may have (as an employment benefit, credit card coverage, annual add-on to your home policy, etc.) and then top up if necessary. And make sure to do a little research into the rules governing the length of times Canadians can visit the United States annually and how it effects their provincial health coverage.

Pack prescription medications you will need for the time away (bringing extra doesn’t hurt) and bring the original containers from the pharmacy, a list of your regular prescription meds and the contact info for your doctor back home. You just never know when you’ll need the information (and if you don’t bring it along, that’s usually when you need it!).

Here’s what we’ve done: We’re both self-employed and as a result we are without out-of-province health care coverage. For the first few years, we signed up for multi-trip plan coverage travel health coverage through our credit card, the AMEX Gold Card. There is an annual fee for the card (although there are frequent sign-up specials that waive the fee for the first year) and it comes with a host of benefits, including out-of-province health coverage for eligible emergency medical expenses for the first 15 consecutive days of a trip (under age 65). This year, we tried something different . . .

This year we joined the Explorer RV Club and got information on Sanderson Travel Insurance who shopped around and got us an excellent multi-trip annual policy with Lloyd’s of London. The new policy covers us for an unlimited number of 35 day trips out of Ontario with zero deductible and $10 million coverage. If we go for longer than 35 days, we top up the plan at a very reasonable cost.

According to CBC News:
“OHIP pays up to $400 CAN per day in U.S. hospital costs, depending on level of care. The plan also reimburses outpatient visits at $50 CAN per day. And it reimburses physicians costs at the rate they would be paid in Ontario. If a U.S. physician charges more than a Ontario doctor for the same procedure, the Ontario patient pays the difference.”

And costs in a province like Ontario are generally significantly lower than in the United States.

Now, a few sobering numbers about costs to a U.S. hospital visit:

• broken arm: $5,000
• stitches: approximately $500/stitch
• kidney stone treatment: $4,300
• urinary tract infection: $2,600
• sprained ankle: $1,500
• headache: $1,700

You get the idea. The smart thing to do is to determine your exact circumstances and your needs. Call around, investigate and gather information on the alternatives. Try CAA or AAA, your credit card company, travel agents and your insurance provider (the latter often has separate coverage available). It’s a matter of finding the right fit for your needs. But whatever you do, don’t do without.

When we’re on the go – just motoring from Point A to Point B – we’re always on the lookout for a boondocking spot. Staying overnight in parking lots for free is a popular form of boondocking (*boondocking refers to RVers who camp overnight without power, water or sewer services).

The local campground might be full, far away or, more likely, we just need a cheap, quiet and safe place to pull over and sleep before we continue. You’ll find more info here on boondocking.

In our travels, we’ve found some remarkable campgrounds where we’ve parked our tires for a longer stay. We admit to a bias for public parks (national, state, provincial) rather than private campgrounds. We’re looking for secluded spots surrounded by nature and as far away from video arcades, satellite TV and mini-golf as possible. These are some of our favourites:

Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida
Why we love it: The long park is a series of sand dunes stretching along the Gulf of Mexico just a few miles from busy Pensacola Beach. Being protected parkland, there are no high rises, no tacky t-shirt shops and no fast food joints. Just rolling dunes, beach and a nice stretch of wetlands with fantastic walking trails.

Silver Lake State Park, Vermont
Why we love it: Small and quiet and very dog friendly. It’s a short drive to the postcard-perfect town of Woodstock and a 10-minute walk from the campground to the Barnard General Store, where you can stock up on Vermont cheese, grab an ice cream and relax on the front porch.

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Florida
Why we love it: Who would have thought that right smack in the middle of Florida you’d find a wide swath of undeveloped park? Just on the edge of Gainesville, Payne’s Prairie has well secluded sites, and a network of hiking and biking trails that take you past wildlife from wild horses to alligators.

Bayou Segnette State Park, Louisiana
Why we love it: It’s just across the river from New Orleans, so you can get to the French Quarter in about 20 minutes. The sites are well spaced, you can have the pluses of NOLA without the downtown city craziness. And the on-site laundry facilities are free.

City of Rocks State Park, New Mexico
Why we love it: We were originally planning a quick drive through to look at the park’s balanced rock formations. About two minutes in we were smitten, changed plans and booked a site. The desert campground is about 45 minutes south of Silver City, the skies are incredibly dark (they host a nighttime astronomy program) and the setting – the rocks, open desert, mountains in the distance – is unbeatable.

Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona
Why we love it: What’s not to like? Another spot that was scheduled to be a quick visit but where we tossed the map out the window and booked a site. It’s an otherworldly, protected wilderness of impossibly balanced rocks and pinnacles with some of the darkest and starriest skies of our travels.

Lazydays KOA, Arizona
Why we love it: This KOA cracked our aversion to the large scale campgrounds aimed at RVers. The spotless property turned out to be a great base for exploring Tucson and the surrounding Sonoran Desert. It’s a popular winter campground for long-stay snowbirds. Loved the park’s lemon and grapefruit trees (guests are encouraged to pick the fruit).

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Why we love it: Visiting Mesa Verde on a day trip is spellbinding enough, but staying overnight atop the mesa notches up the experience tenfold. When the day visitors to the cliff dwelling ruins have cleared out, the park becomes quieter and more intimate. The deer come out to graze, the stars pop out overhead and there’s something magical about knowing it happened this same way for the Puebloan people who lived here a thousand years ago.

Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico
Why we love it: One of the most remote and least-visited national parks in the lower 48 states, Chaco has it all (well, not quite – it’s a long drive to get gas, food and services). Ink-black nighttime skies, a small observatory and astronomy program, a high desert canyon landscape that appears largely untouched, and some of the most archaeologically-significant Puebloan ruins in the nation. Spiritual is the best word to describe Chaco.

Sugar Hollow Park, Virginia
Why we love it: It’s part of the city of Bristol, without ever feeling like you’re in the city. When we pulled in to register and asked about Internet connections, the elderly ranger turned pleasantly gruff and told us: “Wi-Fi, Hi-Fi. Nobody wants to go camping anymore!” Of course, it had a ring of truth. Hard to argue.

Coming soon!

FINDING IT

Gas Buddy gathers information from stations all across North America and then sorts it by region. The interactive gas price maps are great as prices vary as you cross state or provincial lines (and even from one county to the next). There’s a link on the site for free mobile apps.

AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report collects price info on a daily basis by U.S. state. The website has a very cool fuel cost calculator that allows you to plug in your trip start and finish points (drawback: it only uses major cities), the vehicle you are driving and – voila! – it calculates trip distance (in miles), gas (in U.S. gallons) and the estimated fuel costs based on the day’s prices at the pump.

In Quebec, it’s possible to track the prices of gas by region at the CAA-Quebec’s Gasoline Watch  website.

DOING THE MATH

The fast way is to take the price per gallon at the pumps in the U.S. and multiply by .26 = $/litre.

For example: $3.60/ U.S. gallon  X .26 = 94¢/litre
(in U.S. dollars, so this is the point where you’ll need to make the currency conversion).

Or, you can head to a conversion website, plug in the dollar amount on the pump and let the experts do the math.

Remember the number you come up with is in U.S. dollars, so to convert to Canadian dollars multiply the number you calculated by the current exchange rate.

PAYING AT THE PUMP

Across the U.S. it is standard to pay at the pump or pre-pay inside the station before pumping fuel. Many pumps ask for a U.S. zip code before they will authorize the use of a credit card.

For Canadians, try this trick. When asked for your “zip code” enter the three numbers that are a part of your postal code + 00 and you’ll be away to the races. For example, we use “71100.”

Here’s what we know about “boondocking”: you’re either boondocking kind of people or you’re not. For us, it works. It appeals (a lot) to our frugal style of travel and to the flexibility and map-out-the-window way we like to head down the road.

Boondocking is “dry” camping without hookups (no power, no water, no sewer) across a whole spectrum from overnighting in a Walmart parking lot to camping on Bureau of Land Management land in rural New Mexico (across the Southwest and on BLM land it’s widely referred to as “dispersed camping”). We love finding quiet spots and some of our best camping experiences have been boondocking. We are fans.

The pluses:

• Low cost (like . . . free).
• Can be quiet and remote (National Forests, BLM land).
• Can be well patrolled or have security on site (large store parking lots).
• Can be close to nature, with great views.
• Flexibility and freedom.

The drawbacks:

• Feeling of safety and security may be an issue.
• Choose the wrong spot and you may be awakened in the middle of the night and asked to leave.
• Not so comfortable without access to showers or toilets.

Boondocking basics:

• If it doesn’t feel safe, don’t stay.
• We can get by for several days just on the power of our back-up battery (mind you, we’re just running lights and the occasional water pump – no toasters or coffee makers here). It’s about moderation. We’re attracted to the minimalist lifestyle so boondocking is an easy sell.
• Some boondocking sites are best suited to temporary stops – for example, an overnight while you are in transit. The parking lots of stores and restaurants would fall into this category (Walmart, Cracker Barrel, etc.).
• Always, always, always head into the store/restaurant and ask for permission first. If boondocking is allowed (some city/county ordinances prohibit it) the staff will steer you toward a certain area of the parking lot to set up. Setting up awnings, BBQs, lawn chairs, etc. is frowned upon.
• We try to show some goodwill and fill with gas or buy groceries or a meal at the business.
• Parking lots can be . . . “well lit.” We’ve used black felt fabric to construct simple black-out curtains that do the trick perfectly.
• Pick a quiet spot that’s away from the transports or larger motorhomes that may run generators.
• Be respectful of the businesses that are generous enough to allow you to stay. Be respectful of your boondocking neighbours.

Our favourite boondocking choices:

• Camping on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land is especially popular in Southwest states like Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. The BLM administers America’s public lands. These remote BLM sites, “away from developed recreation facilities,” are referred to as “dispersed camping.” Sites are usually undeveloped, and are often not signed as official campsites. Their website has a good interactive map so you can search for specific information by state.
• National Forest land. In many cases, boondocking is allowed on National Forest land in the U.S. within a certain distance of an established road. It’s important to minimize the impact of your RV on the land – use spots that have already been used as campsites, don’t cut vegetation and stay on authorized roadways. The U.S. Forest Service Travel Management Maps show sites you can use with details on “dispersed camping” and info on limits of stay.
• Cracker Barrel store/restaurants. Often at the exits of major U.S. interstate highways, the staff are always friendly and the parking lots quiet after closing. One of the things we love about Cracker Barrel is their unique Books on Audio program. Buy an audio book on CD at the full price, listen as you travel and – further down the road – when you are done you can return it to another Cracker Barrel and be refunded all but a very modest weekly rental fee ($3.49/week). The selection tops out at 200 different audio books including some from The New York Times Bestsellers list. Search the website for locations.
• We’ve had great success at Lowe’s home improvement centres. Especially love the store’s Internet signal that seems to cast a wide net over the expansive parking lot.
• Walmart parking lots seem to be the mainstay of urban boondockers. You’ll often find a cluster of motorhomes – and sometimes transport trucks – who have pulled in for the night. Some Walmarts give the green light to boondocking and others do not. You can map which is which at the website.

We admit that we’re obsessive about staying connected through email but lukewarm on cell phones (calls or texting). That’s just our bent. As a result, the information here is a “work in progress” and as we gather more information we’ll add to the page.

INTERNET & EMAIL

Many campgrounds now offer Wi-Fi signals, so staying connected is possible, even under the stars and in the Great Outdoors. It’s not a make-or-break deal for us but because we are often working from the road, it’s nice to be able to check email, send messages, do a little research, etc.

If the spot we’re staying does not have a signal we usually find a local coffee shop or library and dedicate a bit of time to checking in. We especially love the libraries as they often have a section of used books for sale – we often leave with a few additions to our on-board bookshelf.

While in transit we can find reliable, free Internet on the fly at:

• McDonald’s restaurants.
• Lowe’s home centres.
• Local libraries (because we can usually settle into a comfortable work space as well).

We know there are options out there that could turn our camper van into a mobile hotspot but we’re still in the investigation stage (high cost and cross-border versatility are issues). We’ll update this spot as we find more information about what works for Canadians travelling across country and south into the United States.

PHONE PLANS

We’re not really tethered to a glowing cell phone, so for us a comprehensive mobile phone plan (data, phone, text) has never been a priority. When we’re on the road we usually just . . . turn it off. And the sky has not fallen (yet).

Last time out we knew we’d be in some remote areas through Arizona and New Mexico, so we did a little research and signed up for a U.S. phone plan with our carrier, Bell Canada. The deal they offer fits our needs perfectly – 1000 local/long distance minutes and unlimited texts for 30 days for $30 with no roaming charges. They also offer text only and data plans. It makes sense to start with your own carrier – call and ask what comparable plans they offer.

On other trips we purchased a TracFone (available at stores in the U.S. including CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, etc) – a prepaid cell phone with a pay-as-you-go plan. It worked just fine but we do prefer to travel with our own phone.

We’d never think of leaving Rigby behind. We like to joke that the camper van is essentially a large dog kennel. It gives her space to stretch and is a safe place for her while we might be out and about.

Taking a dog (or cat) along on travels is becoming popular for both families and especially for snowbirds who are heading south and west for long-stay holidays.

We’re firm believers in the philosophy that food, history and culture are intertwined. (What else could explain cracklin’ in rural Louisiana or jalapeño-infused margaritas in Arizona?)

So, when we are on the road we are always looking for the dishes that are local; those foods that bring us closer to the people and the landscape we are travelling through. We scour shelves at local grocery stores, hunt through farmers’ markets and ask a lot of questions. It’s a way to fill our stomachs and gain a little cultural wisdom along the way.

In the bites that follow, keep this edict from Luciano Pavarotti in mind:
One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.

We love camping. Travelling by camper van is the perfect marriage of workspace and vagabond lifestyle.

Explore this section for checklists, tips and a list of some of our favourite campgrounds (we’ll be adding to that list regularly).