Planing a major undertaking

[Kolomona Myer]

I am thinking about going on a road trip. It will not be an ordinary road trip as I am considering selling most of the things I own, buying some sort of RV (Truck with trailer or truck with overhead camper or a motorhome) and hitting the road.

I will be attempting this on a shoestring budget.
I would like any advice concerning what I should bring.
How to keep my costs down.
What kinds of insurances I should have?
Where are the cheapest places to stay?
What are the best communication services (cell phone, internet, CB, satellite)?
Should I join an association like the eagles?
Or anything else that I haven't thought about.

I will have no particular destination but here are the some of the places I'd like to see.

Mt Rushmore
Ground Zero
The Whitehouse
New Orleans

I will most likely have a website where I will log my travels

-Thanks
Hapa

[PNW Judy]

There are good suggest on this website so do some exploring. If I hadn't had a major computer blow-up a few weeks ago where I lost all my Favorites, I could give you lots of links where fulltime RVers share information on these topics. I'm sure you can find most of them with a good web search.

One point, if you are unfamiliar with RVs, make sure you get yourself well-trained on how to drive one and how to use the various amenities, proper dumping techniques (I can tell you horror stories I've observed), and more.

Best of luck. I envy you!

Im sorry to say that I dont really have any useful advice for you. But I am planning on a very similar undertaking starting this summer. Im mostly curious about how possible it is, so i would be thrilled if you'd share any information you've gathered with me. And let me know how it works out for you. Also, thankyou for the inspiration. Good luck!!

[Mark Sedenquist]

Costs are directly proportional to how much actual traveling you do. There are many, many tips and suggestions about budgeting on this site. If you search by "Judy" you will get a wealth of ideas.

As you plan, consider the advice in Megan's <a href = "http://www.roadtripamerica.com/mftdb/053198ca.htm" >"Art of the RoadTrip"</a>.

[HJ]

Yup, my daughter and I are doing the same thing - selling everything and taking off. I wonder how many of us there are? Seems like this jobless recovery is contributing to "homlessness" or "moblehomeness". I can't afford my house even now and I'am facing layoffs. The only answer seems to be downsize and escape. We are going to take four months to drive from New Hampshire to Washington State. We'll start at the Peace demo in NYC Aug. 29th, then Philadelphia, DC, Chapel Hill NC, Ashville NC, Brea KY, Mammouth Cave, Nashville, Memphis, Jackson MS, New Orleans, Galveston TX, Austin, Laredo, Monterrey MX, Torreon, Camargo, El Sueco, Hueco Tanks TX (near El Paso), Carlsbad and Rosewell NM, Santa Fe and Taos, Chaco, 4 corner area, Black Canyon of the Gunnison CO, Aspen, Moab UT (Arches), Escalante (Bryce), Zion, Lake Powell, the Grand Canyon AZ, Flagstaff (Painted Desert, Sedona, Jerome), Tucson, Yuma, San Diego CA(Carlsbad,Legoland,the Zoo, LA), Barstow, Las Vegas, Death Valley, Lake Isabella (hot springs), Sequoia National Forest, Yosemite, San Francisco, Ft. Bragg, Eureka, Grants Pass and Ashland OR, Cape Blanco, Coos Bay, Newport, Cannon Beach, Aberdeen WA, and Sequim WA. You may have noticed a liberal bent to our destinations. My daughter is making a video on alternative lifestyles and hopes to have venues to show it all along our trip. There is also the possiblity of a traveling art show (protest) and lecture / discussion. I'm still a mom and think that we also ought to learn and see as much as we can. You don't stop living just because you don't have a house any more.

[PNW Judy]

Very cool...good luck on the video and your other efforts.

I live in Hoquiam, right next to Aberdeen, WA. When you get close to this area, let me know. I'd love to meet up with ya and show you around. Email me at acarter@techline.com

Judy, Im originally from Washington, now living in Georgia. You sound like a very interesting, well-traveled person. Im curious what got you started and how you paid for it all. Im saving money in hopes to travel and any tips are helpful.

[PNW Judy]

Gee, I would like some hints myself. Seriously, I've traveled a bit but not anywhere near as much as I would have liked to by this point in my life. I made the mistake of getting married and having kids before doing the grand backpacking trip of Europe so I've had to make due with shorter trips here and there over the years. Over the years we've done some more expensive trips...England, Disneyworld, cruises, Hawaii, and lots of cheaper roadtrips through most of the Western US. I would love to have the time to get farther East. When the kids are grown and on their own, we should have more time and money for more travels.

I guess my best advice is to do as much travel as you can before kids and other obligations tie you down. Of course, some people do live on the road with kids, most who do this often homeschool them, but we're not that adventurous! Homeschooling adventurous, I mean. I love my kids but that's way too much togetherness for me.

My second advice would be to live a bit below your means in order to save money for vacations but don't let bucks in your pocket, or not, be the main decider. By this I mean, some of our funnest trips have been those on the cheap. Many times we have only had a week and a few hundred bucks to spend so we've packed up the kids and the camping gear and just meandered. With no real plans, we have serendipitously come upon some of the best things that way.

I wish I was more help. I think our Editor would probably be more help in this area...and maybe a few other's here.

Where did you used to live in Washington?