not Disney related, but need RV info (NY to FL)

bellebud

DIS Veteran
Joined
Feb 25, 2004
We're moving to Florida from NY in January :)

We're renting an RV 1 way for the move.

Renting from CruiseAmerica (well, it's not confirmed from them that they'll have the inventory to do the 1 way rental. Hopefully will hear tomorrow).

Wondering about stopping along the way. The RV will be a smallish one (sleeps 5).

We figure we'll have to stop 1 night to sleep (hoping only 1). DH is talking about a Walmart parking lot. I'm kind of afraid of that. Maybe a campground??

Also, the RV will be winterized, and we're told once we're south of the Mason-Dixon line, we can go to a Cruise America and get water in the RV so we can use the toilet. Is that a big deal? Should we even bother? I might bring our little kid-potty we have for when we've rented boats.

Are there any sites you'd recommend for finding campground info along the east coast?

I'm sure there are things I'm not thinking of too... I'll ask again if anything pops in my head.

tia for any info/advice :)
 
BELLEBUD Where in NY are you coming from and how many people will you have coming and how many will drive? How familiar are you operating an RV? The onboard potty is a pleasure to have and easier to dump I assume. We are in De about 4 hours (Perfect conditions) from Brooklyn. As our Solo Driver with my wife and 3 dogs with me we find it good to stop about every 2 hours or so to walk around a bit go potty refuel and so forth. We do our trip to Disney 971 miles driveway to reception outpost over4 days ( We only want to travel 1 hour last day to check in early) We stop at Carolina Crossroads in Roanoke Rapids NC (Just sout of Va border) Next stop Camp Lake Jasper Hardeeville SC ( 8 miles North of Georgia) We also want to stop by 4 pm so I can do basic set up in daylight. Mind you I run I-95 so another route may be yours let us know
 
Just remembered this a friend who used to live in Jersey City used to plan on stopping for the night in South of the Border At the border of NC and SC price last year was @ $30 night and is the mid point from us to Orlando
 
South of the Border is a decent stop and inexpensive, would definitely recommend. Do they know where the Mason Dixon Line is? Its still cold in that area in January. LOL
You can probably get by without having to use toilet in RV because of the rest stops along the way, so I wouldn't really worry about it. A little potty for the kids is an excellent idea for little ones, we used to carry one in my van for emergencies.
 


You could always bring a couple extra gallons of RV anti freeze and pour it into the bowl to flush. We have done this along with sanitizer and wipes for hand cleaning
 
BELLEBUD Where in NY are you coming from and how many people will you have coming and how many will drive? How familiar are you operating an RV?

We're coming from Orange County NY (right where NY/NJ/PA meet). It's 4 of us humans, 2 dogs and 2 cats. My husband has driven all types of vehicles in his lifetime (he used to work a backhoe, dumptruck, etc in his dads business), so he's fine driving. I could drive too, but hubby will have a heart attack being a passenger, so it will just be him driving. We're getting a large dog wire crate for the cats to be in w/ a litter box and beds. The dogs are 90 lbs each and I'm bringing a bed for each. So that will take up all the floor room I think.

South of the Border is a decent stop and inexpensive, would definitely recommend. Do they know where the Mason Dixon Line is? Its still cold in that area in January. LOL

We googled the Mason Dixon Line and starting laughing... yea, still pretty cold! We've stopped at South of the Border before (we've driven a few times to Florida), thought it was fine.

Hubby says he figures we'll be able to go about 65mph, he'll drive from 6am until maybe 4pm. I'm thinking it will take us 3 days, he thinks less. We're going to Tampa area. I have to map this out. Map quest??
 
You could always bring a couple extra gallons of RV anti freeze and pour it into the bowl to flush. We have done this along with sanitizer and wipes for hand cleaning

The RV guy on the phone suggested this. But he said we could have problems still. Don't know what to do... thinking about it.
 


To me it seems like in January you are going have a hard time finding any campgrounds open until you are close to Florida.

Its still cold until you are way below the mason Dixon line. A few January s ago a major ice storm moved through northern Alabama.

ETA: I just checked and the South of the Border campground is open all year round.
 
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Hubby says he figures we'll be able to go about 65mph, he'll drive from 6am until maybe 4pm. I'm thinking it will take us 3 days, he thinks less. We're going to Tampa area. I have to map this out. Map quest??

I use Google maps on a PC. Create your route and then add a stops and move it up and down the route based on how long you want to drive and when you want to stop for the day. Also what things are around the stop.

I look for a cluster of hotels (cheaper rates) and somewhere like an Ihop or a Cracker barrel for a big breakfast to get us started for the next day.

Also I would revisit the size of your RV one that sleeps 5. Probably has very little floor space so not much room for a kennel big enough for 2 cats and a litter box.

And speaking of pets do they travel ok particularly the cats. You may want to talk to your vet about possibly some meds to help them cope.
 
I am a Waze person, helps a lot getting around traffic, especially between Delaware and Richmond.

Yes I use Waze while on the route. Google maps shows you most of the stuff that Waze does but they don't share everything.
 
We travel from NH to FL (just south of Tampa) twice a year.
Are you sure you want the expense of renting an RV if you are only planning on one night on the road? Seems like the benefits renting a van and of staying in a hotel would outweigh the inconvenience of not have a working toilet and the large RV rental expense. There are numerous pet friendly lodging options.
Doing the trip with only one overnight will be a bit of a stretch.
Check for Cabelas along your route (our first night is at the one in PA). They have designated RV parking areas. It would be most beneficial to have your toilet up and running.
Our other favored stopping points are Rocky Mount KOA and St. Mary's KOA.
FWIW - the suggestion to use the RV antifreeze to flush is easy and should cause no problems. Also be sure to know the height of your rental RV. WAZE and other navigation Apps do not take into account low bridge heights.
 
Doing the trip with only one overnight will be a bit of a stretch.

I mapped their route in Google maps so its only about 17 hours which is about the same as us and we only do one stop. If I was transporting pets I would want to be out of that RV as soon as possible. Some do this in one "day" leaving at 3 or 4 am and getting in late.

But I to see why renting an RV sounds like a good plan because of these pets but its going to be very costly, rental and gas, and cramped.

There are numerous pet friendly lodging options.

But what about cats?
 
If you were to come down 81 you can stop in Ft Chiswell, Va. they are open year round and we have stayed in Feb. From where you are looking about a 10 hour driving day. Would then set you up to come down to the west side of florida.
 
Chartle raises a good point about your pets. Our cats used to come with us but now they stay home. In our old coach it wasn't a problem there was a cabinet under the washer/dryer that with the door removed hel their litter box and extra litter Once the motor was on they hid in the space between the bed's platform and elevated slide base. So once we got under way they were no where to be found or heard from. The dogs now like to ride in the coach but it took time to get them there. As the younger 2 are only 20 months we try to stop about every 2 hours to let them out and burn off some energy and pee them. This works well for the wife and I too as I am the only driver. Katie is not a problem but Sky believes it against the law to pee or poop while on a leash. Hence we look for Campgrounds that have dog parks and request sites need them. Both Carolina Cross Roads and Camp Lake Jasper have them and are open year round . Sky also does not like the sound of semi's so we try to park at rest stops away from the but often that is easier said than done
One thing to remember about route apps. They provide EXPECTED travel time based on ideal conditions.. They do not take into consideration things like Weather Road work Traffic Food and Fuel stops .This will be far different than traveling by car so a 3 to 4 day travel time is something to consider
 
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As the younger 2 are only 20 months we try to stop about every 2 hours to let them out and burn off some energy and pee them.

Yea I never thought of needing extra rest stops. But OP since you maybe stopping even more than usual I wouldn't worry about using the RV toilet.
 
Probably has very little floor space so not much room for a kennel big enough for 2 cats and a litter box.

Also speaking of floor space make sure that if the RV has slide outs that you have space with them in and driving on the road for everyone including the pets.
 
As far as the cats - they'd probably be comfortable in their crate in the vehicle (taking into consideration the temperatures of course).
But based on observation - most hotels turn a blind eye if they are contained.
 
We're coming from Orange County NY (right where NY/NJ/PA meet). It's 4 of us humans, 2 dogs and 2 cats. My husband has driven all types of vehicles in his lifetime (he used to work a backhoe, dumptruck, etc in his dads business), so he's fine driving. I could drive too, but hubby will have a heart attack being a passenger, so it will just be him driving. We're getting a large dog wire crate for the cats to be in w/ a litter box and beds. The dogs are 90 lbs each and I'm bringing a bed for each. So that will take up all the floor room I think.



We googled the Mason Dixon Line and starting laughing... yea, still pretty cold! We've stopped at South of the Border before (we've driven a few times to Florida), thought it was fine.

Hubby says he figures we'll be able to go about 65mph, he'll drive from 6am until maybe 4pm. I'm thinking it will take us 3 days, he thinks less. We're going to Tampa area. I have to map this out. Map quest??

We come from just east of Toronto, Canada and always do 2 nights on the way down. This April will be WV and GA and then about a 4 hour drive to the Fort the next day. We plan our trips using both the software from our Rand McNally RV GPS and Mapquest and Google Maps - can't be wrong if they all agree and some you can drag the route line and others you can't.

Look out for the truck centers for gas fill-up for easability and creature comforts like food and washrooms, otherwise you'll probably experience the dreaded pumps that don't let you swing around the pump between the building to leave.

Have fun on your trip.
 

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