James Wheelock is a nomadic van dweller, RVer, and fellow YouTube creator where he goes by the name Wanderlust Estate. He’s also on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
RV Classes
We discuss the pros and cons about the types of RV he’s driven. The Class A was comfortable inside but he hated having a toad. His current campervan is nimble and stealth but not totally self contained. I think we agreed that for both of us the best compromise would be a wide body Class B for him, and for me even a small Class C.
Favorite part of RV travel
Having the feeling of coming home every time, that you don’t get if you stay at a hotel.
Least favorite part about RV travel
The persistent stigma about full time RVers in society. Also the fact that there is always something breaking no matter the age of you RV.
Workamping and other work on the road
There are plenty of jobs, just not plenty of good paying jobs. One of the best choices for James had been a ultra temp service.
I know, I have been neglecting the blog a little bit, but here I have a brand new shiny post. If only the content was so brand new.
#TBT
Hashtag TBT stands for Throw Back Thursdays, and for a while now I have been toying with the idea of posting an old videos you’ve probably never seen on Thursdays. I started last week, with the first video of our European Vacation of 2006, freshly edited.
European Vacation 2006 Part 1
This was a fabulous vacation we took back in 2006. Flew to Madrid, Spain, where we rented a car and for 10 days drove way too much and saw way too little, but we certainly covered a lot of ground. Madrid, Paris, the French Riviera, and Barcelona are just a few of the points of interest that we saw.
The Loire Valley
Today I published the second part of our European Vacation 2006. In this installment we crossed the border with France and had lunch at the medieval town of Saint-Emilion. This is in the famous Bordeaux wine producing region. From there we continued towards the Loire Valley, where we visited several of the famous Chateaux.
Promoted content
I am now an affiliate with RV Share. RV share lets RV owners rent their RVs, and that is also a great choice for people who want to try before they buy.
They are now somewhere in the Caribbean, sailing the blue waters, but not long ago they were here in South Florida and we got to meet them. I am, of course talking about Nikky and Jason “The Wynns” Former RVers and now sailors, they have one of the most successful YouTube travel channels. I’ll admit I could relate to the much more back in their RVing days, but it is still very entertaining watching sail around the world particularly the learning process.
The Meetup
I made a quick video about the meetup they had at the Lauder-ale Brewery, and here’s a video of that.
When we talk about visiting places far from Florida, our only options up to now have been one of the major RV rental companies. There is, however, a new option. RV share lets RV owners rent their RVs, and that is a great choice for people who want to try before they buy.
Full disclosure: I am an affiliate, but that only means I get a commission if you decide to use RV share by following one of the links below. To rent an RV To offer your RV for rent
Trailer Towing
I talk about my own experiences, but for the definitive guide I will differ to the definitive article on Living the RV Dream
The Great American Eclipse 2017
Here’s a link to the article I mentioned that lists some of the best places to experience the eclipse.
Off-Road Campers
Here’s a link to the article about expedition vehicles.
Well, as I hinted before, I no longer have my “day job”. I am going to dedicate 100% of my time to the podcast and my YouTube Channel. I will definitely be taking a pay cut, but I’ll be able to grow my media business at a much faster pace. As I leaned from John Huggins, the secret is multiple sources of revenue. I have the YouTube channel, which has been a hobby for almost a decade, and only about 3 years ago, it started showing promise. Then came the podcast, and I am eternally grateful to John Huggins for thinking of me when he decided to retire from it.
Then, I also have my music. As you probably know I compose the music for all my YouTube videos. Most of that music is for sale everywhere music is sold or streamed. While I’m not getting rich any time soon, it does make a little money. I also have physical CDs for sale, a double CD set with 30 tunes for $12.99. I also sell stickers for $5, and a CD/sticker combo for 15.99. FreeinmyRV.com is the place to get those. So the idea is to increase the number of videos per week, the length of the podcast, and maybe start offering more valuable content by having guests regularly. We’ll keep you posted on our progress.
Lion Country Safari
I am also going to talk about our recent trip to West Palm Beach. We stayed at the West Palm Beach / Lion Country Safari KOA. Very well maintained campground right next to the Lion Country Safari. Sometimes you could hear the Lions’ road from the campground. If you are not familiar Lion Country Safari is basically a zoo, but with the peculiarity that the animals roam free as you drive through the park. The do insist that you keep the car windows closed as some wildlife like the ostriches and the rhinoceros can be dangerous. The lions are behind a fence just in case. Very cool park, lots of animals to be seen especially if you arrive when they open at 9:30am, when it is not too hot yet.
Peanut Island
We also visited West Palm Beach. Many viewers and listeners had recommended we visit Peanut Island, just north of Palm Beach, at Riviera Beach. Besides the beach, the camping, snorkeling and many more things to do, the island was the site of a cold war era bunker for John F. Kennedy. It was built during the Cuban missile crisis during the course of two weeks, to take the president to safety during a nuclear attack. The even tried to build a tunnel from Kennedy’s estate to the island but it collapsed, so they had to settle for speedboat or helicopter. The place is totally cool as is the tour of the historic Coast Guard Station. Visit before November, because after that date the maritime museum will relinquish the site to Palm Beach county and nobody really knows what’s going to happen to the place.
John F. Kennedy Bunker, Peanut Island
West Palm Beach
We also visited downtown West Palm Beach and had lunch a very trendy place called Avocado Grill. They had very loud house music with a conga player and a trombone player playing over it. The food and the beer selection were very good.
Palm Beach
We also visited the historic and iconic The Breakers Hotel, which is practically a symbol of Palm Beach. The hotel was founded by Henry Flagler himself in 1896, although the original structure burned to the ground twice. The current palatial building dates back to 1926. We also drove around the exclusive oceanfront residential neighborhoods. As the day came to an end we drove by the famous Mar-a-Lago Club, where President Trump stays often. There were two demonstrations, one in favor, one against Trump. Check out the video of this trip this coming Sunday at YouTube.com/TravelingRobert
Living the RV Dream episode 15. In this edition of the podcast we talk about Class B vans, and we continue our chronicle of the epic trip we took on the 4 corners region: Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.
I received an email Vivian Oliva about Class B camper vans but I think I will dedicate a whole future episode to Class Bs and the pros and cons, also go into some of the B+ units we’ve been looking into. In a nutshell, build quality aside, there are very few comfortable or innovative floor plans, in my humble opinion. There are all kinds of configurations and different length models, mainly on the Sprinter and Promaster platforms, but they all boil down to the same thing. Galley on the passenger side, bathroom and closet on the driver side, an ultra narrow hallway in the middle, sofa bed in the back, rinse and repeat. I have only found two units with a permanent table, and a permanent, or at least semi-permanent bed. One of them is the new Hymer Aktiv, formerly the Grand Canyon. The other one is the Winnebago Travato. Still both units seem a little cramped for more than one person full timing, but I’ll try to interview owners of both in the future and get their opinions.
Lake Powell
The Wild West Part 3
I the second segment of the program I continue with the last leg of our Four Corners road trip to the Wild West. We left off as we were arriving at Page, Arizona. This small town can be the home base to visit many points of interest in the area, mainly Lake Powell, Antelope Canyon and the Horseshoe Bend. Here we deviated from our original plan to visit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in order to enjoy this area a little more.
Lake Powell
We took one on the cruises offered at the Wahweap resort, which covered the Glen Canyon Dam, Antelope Canyon and Navajo Canyon. Overall is was a very pleasant trip, and very informative, if a little expensive at around $70
Antelope Canyon, Lake Powell
Antelope Canyon
Antelope Canyon is divided in two parts, three actually if you count the underwater part on the lake. The two parts are the upper and the lower. The upper is more accessible and wider, but you must book your tour at Page, Arizona, and they take you by Jeep. Lower Antelope Canyon is just a crevice in the ground, but you can just show up, pay your fee and follow the guide down a set of steep stairs. The slot canyon is of incredible beauty.
Antelope CanyonAntelope CanyonAntelope Canyon
Horseshoe Bend
This iconic place is just a deep meander of the Colorado River. There is a little bit of a hike to get there, but the views are truly breathtaking.
Horseshoe BendHorseshoe Bend
Bryce Canyon
After our stay at the Wahweap RV Resort, we continued towards Bryce Canyon. The canyon is full of these rock formations called hoodoos, that almost look like people standing in formation. A truly otherworldly place this is. There is a network of trails you can take, either by foot or on horseback, but we just didn’t have the time to do any of them. We had to content ourselves with admiring the breathtaking views from the many viewpoints.
Bryce Canyon
Capitol Reef National Park
Our next destination on this action-packed day was just driving through Capitol Reef National Park. Here we also had the ambition to hike to one of the arches, Cassidy Arch to be exact, in which you can stand on top of the arch, and take that Instagram perfect selfie. Of course we didn’t have time.
Capitol Reef National Park
Goblin Valley
Our last stop in Utah was Goblin Valley State Park. The valley is covered with all these mushroom shaped little hoodoos, some of them resembling giant Hershey Kisses. Another very interesting place that used to be an ocean in prehistoric times.
Goblin Valley
Continental Divide
As we crossed the mighty Rocky Mountains on our way back east, I decided to get off Interstate 70 and use US-6, the old road that goes over the continental divide at the Loveland Pass. I even suffered from some mild altitude sickness on the way up.
Echo Lake and Mount Evans
We spent the last night among the clouds at the Echo Lake campground, a fitting end to our road trip. This campground sits at over 10,000 feet above sea level, but this is just halfway up to the 14,265 feet that is Mount Evans, if we were to continue up on North America’s highest paved road. Unfortunate the RV is too long to travel on this road, so we decided to save Mount Evans for a couple of days later with a rental car. In the morning we descended onto the Mile High City, Denver, emptied our holding tanks and returned the RV.
In this week’s edition we talk about Mesa Verde National Park, the Four Corners Monument, Monument Valley, Page Arizona, and the Navajo Nation. It can all be summarized as the Wild, Wild, West if you think about it.
We begin where we left off in the previous episode, in which we drove from Denver, Colorado to Moab, Utah and visited Arches National Park. We spent the night at the town of Cortez, Colorado, at the Sundance RV Resort.
Mesa Verde National Park
Cortez, Colorado happens to be very close to Mesa Verde National Park. The main reason I wanted to visit this park is because of the cliff dwellings abandoned by the Ancestral Pueblo Peoples about 700 years ago. The actual reasons why the abandoned this area remain a mystery to this day. The ancestral pueblo people built this amazing dwellings, almost like apartment building on the side walls of the numerous canyons. If you want to visit the main structures you must make a reservation at the Visitors Center before you enter the park. We reserved a guided tour of the Cliff Palace, one of the largest and more accessible of the structures and were very impressed.
After our visit to Mesa Verde National Park we continued towards the Four Corners Monument. It marks the point where the states of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico converge. This is the only point in the United States where the boundaries of four states coincide. It is also the only time we area going to step onto New Mexico soil. I didn’t add NM to my sticker map because it doesn’t really count.
Four Corners Monument
Goosenecks State Park
From here we continued deeper into the Wild West. We spent the night at Goosenecks State Park in Utah. At night, thanks to the lack of light pollution, I was able to see the Milky Way with the naked eye for the first time in my life.
Goosenecks State ParkStars long exposure at Goosenecks State ParkThe Milky Way, Goosenecks State ParkMexican HatThe Alhambra Rock, near Goosenecks State Park
Monument Valley: The Wild West
On the next day we visited Monument Valley. The place that epitomizes the “look” of the Wild West thanks to movie director John Ford. It was his movie Stagecoach starring a young John Wayne that put Monument Valley on the pop culture map. We had to take the very expensive tour of Monument Valley because RVs are not allowed on the dirt road, for good reason. Here we also eat some unimpressive Navajo stew and honey fry bread.
Pretending to be Forrest Gump near Monument ValleyThe “Mittens” at Monument ValleyJohn Ford Point, Monument ValleyOur Navajo Guide, Monument Valley
In this edition of Living the RV Dream with Traveling Robert we talk about RV upgrades and modifications, and one of my favorite road trips in the United States. This road trip involves the Four Corners region, more colloquially know as the Wild, Wild West.
Last weekend I spent my Sunday making some more upgrades and modifications to Minitini the Trailer. First of all we finally took care of an underused space above our refrigerator. We found a net that fit the opening of this space and now we have a bit more storage.
While I was doing this my wife noticed a large gap behind our television set. We hardly ever watch our TV so I said, what if we get rid of it and the enclosure behind it. While we are at it let’s get rid of the shelf below it, and voila. Now we have enough room for a coat closet. All we need now is a matching door, and a closet rod. Something tells me the closet rod will be a lot easier.
Four Corners Road Trip (The American Wild West)
The main topic of this episode is the first leg of our second road trip in an RV. By this time we were a lot more confident, as we had already read many books on RVing, including John Huggins’ So You Want To Be an RVer. We had also attended the Tampa show once and we were pretty sure we would get a small gas class A. How things change with time!
We flew from Miami to Denver, Colorado, and rented a 28-foot class C from El Monte. The first leg was a breathtakingly drive on I-70 crossing the Rockies. We spent the night at the Colorado River State Park, at the Island Acres campground, near Grand Junction, Colorado.
Arches National Park
In the morning we continued into Utah, and we took State Route 128, another beautiful drive. It goes through the Colorado River Gorge, and Castle Valley. In this area we began to see the type of landscape that Hollywood epitomized as the Wild West. We spent the better part of the day visiting Arches National Park. While in the park we did the Delicate Arch trail, which is in my opinion a must if you are in decent shape. It is a moderately strenuous hike.
After a quick visit to the neighboring town of Moab, we continued driving south towards Cortez, Colorado, which is the gateway to Mesa Verde National Park. See some pictures below and listen to the podcast for more details.
Crossing the RockiesCrossing the Rockies, by Lake DillonIsland Acres CampgroundIsland Acres CampgroundCastle ValleyLa Sal Mountains Overlook, Arches National ParkDelicate Arch, Arches National Park
The RV lifestyle is one that attracts thousands of newcomers each year. Whether it’s the lure of living simply and freely, or the promise of having fewer bills, people all across the United States are trading in their sticks and bricks houses for homes on wheels. However, full-time RVing can be a gamble if you’re not experienced. The thought of packing your bags, ditching your hometown roots, and living life on the road can be an intimidating one for most people. Luckily, there’s a way to try before you buy: renting an RV.
From Corporate to Neighborly – Your Options for Renting an RV
Americans love having options. When it comes to renting an RV, you have options aplenty. So many, in fact, that you might not know where to start. You can rent an RV in one of three ways, and each way has its own strong points:
Large RV rental chains benefit from their size. With dozens of branches across the country, rental chains are able to offer one-way specials and other location-specific deals. They’re handy if you want to rent an RV just to get you from A to B, and not back.
Local RV rental companies offer personalized customer service and occasional deals. They’re great if you want to have the RV delivered somewhere, or if you’re looking for specials that coincide with specific events, like music festivals. You might also find a few companies that specialize in certain vehicles, like vintage buses or luxury trailers.
Peer-to-Peer networks are something like a hybrid between big rental companies and small ones: you have the widespread inventory of a big rental chain, with the individualized offerings and customer service of a small company. P2P networks like RVshare put RV owners and renters in touch with one another using an online platform.
Why P2P Might be The Best Choice For RV Newbies
We like the idea of starting your “trial period” search with a P2P site for a few reasons. For one, you’ll have access to a much larger inventory than you would with any other rental option. Like, seriously large – there are hundreds of thousands of members across the U.S.! Second, you’ll be helping out individual RV owners who don’t have the time to use their RVs as much as they like anymore. Don’t you want to support your fellow RV enthusiasts? In addition to feeling warm and fuzzy inside, there are several tangible benefits of renting from a P2P site:
There are a ton of different types of RVs! They have everything from tiny, pop-up campers to oversized motor coaches. It’s the perfect solution if you have a few types of RVs in mind, and want to test each one out before you commit to buying one.
You’ll probably find cheaper rates than you would elsewhere. Most RV owners are trying to offset the cost of storage fees with the possibility of making a little extra income on the side. Therefore, they tend to set their prices lower than the competitions’. Keep in mind though, owners can charge whatever they want, so if you find an overpriced RV, don’t get discouraged – just keep looking!
You don’t have to worry about feeling safe while you’re on the road. P2P websites offer up to $1 million in liability coverage. RVshare also offers free, 24/7 roadside assistance. You might even be able to buy additional auto insurance directly from the owner for a small daily fee.
RVshare offers 5% cash back rewards on rentals, which is quite helpful if you plan on trying out several RVs!
The platform has a review and rating system integrated into each listing. You can check out *REAL* customer reviews, without having to search through Yelp or Google Review.
Lastly, the biggest benefit from working directly with the owner is the ability to find deals that cater to your needs. You might find discounts on long-term rentals, off-season rentals, unlimited mileage, and more. Or, you can use the messaging feature to try and hash out a new deal with the owner!
Hot Tips for First-Time RVers
Okay, so now that we’ve covered where and how to rent an RV, we thought we’d offer a few tips for beginners. These tips will help you save money and travel comfortably:
Always plan your campground stays and travel routes ahead of time. Check with the campground to make sure your RV is allowed, since some campgrounds only accept RVs within certain age or size ranges. The goal is to avoid getting lost or turned away from a campground, which wastes a lot of gas. Use Roadtrippers to plan your route, and Allstays to find nearby campgrounds.
Gas is a major expense when you’re RVing, regardless of whether you’re vacationing or living in your RV. The GasBuddy app helps you find the cheapest gas in any given area, updated in real time.
If you’ve never driven an RV before, you’re probably a bit nervous. The DMV website has some excellent tips for driving large motorhomes or pulling trailers. If you really want to get into it, you can watch a video tutorial here.
The RV owner will show you how to use all the systems in the RV when you go to pick it up. But, knowing how to correctly dump your tanks is imperative, so it might be helpful to bookmark this step-by-step walkthrough in case you need it later.
Packing for an RV trip can be a bit of a compromise. You don’t want to bring too much stuff and weigh down the RV, but you also need to make sure you’ll have the appropriate supplies for any kind of situation. Here’s a good list to get you started. Try to bring linens and cooking supplies if you have room since most rental services will make you buy them if you forget.
What Are You Waiting For?! Let’s Hit the Road!
Testing out the RV life has never been easier. Whether you’re thinking about buying an RV for vacations, or you’re considering becoming a full-timer, renting an RV is an affordable, convenient way to try before you buy. We hope to see you on the road soon! Have you rented an RV before? Share your experience in the comments section!
This views and opinions expressed in any guest post featured in this site are those of the guest author, and do not necessarily reflect the views an opinions of Traveling Robert
Our first point of interest is Stiltsville, nowadays a ghost town on the water. It began early in the 20th century as a gambling and bootlegging operation, as it was legal one mile offshore. From the 60’s until the late 80’s it was very much a party scene. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew was the last nail on the coffin of what was a town on stilts. Only seven structures remain, most of them in ruins.
Nixon Beach Sandbar, Miami
Next we go to the famous Nixon Beach Sandbar for a swim. It is located right by the entrance of Hurricane Harbor. This area is home to many lavish waterfront mansions. Nixon Beach Sandbar is notorious for the numerous boat parties that happen here. People tie their boats together, and the flow of booze and loud music go on throughout the day. When we went, May 20, it wasn’t so crowded. Perhaps because the water had not reached that magical 90ºF mark. After our swim and some drone flying we cruised around the harbor to see the homes of the rich and famous, and their boats up close and personal.
No Name Harbor and Boater’s Grill
After all this we have worked up an appetite, so we navigate east, towards Cape Florida State Park and the creatively named No Name Harbor. After a pitcher of sangria, some minuscule conch fritters, and a delicious seafood paella, we decide to call it a day, sailing into the sunset, back to the marina.
Who is James Wheelock?
In this week’s installment, I reveal the news that I no longer have a “day job” and I talk about our recent RV trip to West Palm Beach.
