Knocking around in an RV at Hickory Run State Park

We had just gotten back from our National Park-hopping trip to California and were preparing for our trip out to Colorado when we decided to take a ride to the RV Show in January.

We had both had a long-time desire to take a road trip in an RV…a bucket list item for both of us…but how to do it. We had had long discussions with Cousins Nate and Elizabeth about the subject. Nate had been sharing some of the in-depth research he had conducted. And it began to become an obsession with us…how to do it…but without making a huge commitment. I mean…how do we know we would even like it? And making such a huge purchase didn’t seem like the right thing to do without first knowing if it was right for us.

So when we were approached by Karlee of Meyer’s RV and Marine in Branchville, and she told us about their rental opportunities, we were only too willing to listen. She showed us a Class C which is a “mid-sized RV that balances comfort, space, and ease of driving, often with over-cab sleeping areas.” We just needed a toilet of our own. Oh, and a shower. Yes…a toilet and a shower. Karlee set us up with a Chateau Model 22 E, a 22-footer.

When thinking of making a short road trip to do some camping, we figured we would head up to New England, specifically Maine, where we would settle in at one of the State Parks, and then swing by and pick up Lauren at the University of New England on move out day at the beginning of May and surprise her. More like embarrass her with picking her up in some big fashlugana thing.

But when Lauren said that she was coming home the week before…well…that idea went out the window. So we went in another direction and chose a place that was a tad closer and a bit easier on us for our first RV excursion – Hickory Run State Park in White Haven, Pennsylvania.

What we didn’t expect was that most State Parks were closed, or operating at less than normal capacity because it was really off season. I mean, it was already Spring, but it seems like the season really picks up come Memorial Day Weekend. But Melissa found Hickory Run and we settled on a site that had the three essential hook ups – water, electric, and disposal. Not all sites have all three…some have two…some have one…and some have none…you’re really roughing it. That’s not for us.

I was concerned about the hook ups and how to get it all done. The people at Meyer’s schooled us on everything about the RV when we picked it up. However, you never know what can happen once you get out there. When I went camping with my friend’s family as a kid, I kind of remember some difficulties in getting everything set up. And the fact that we were arriving on the later side, I didn’t want to be attempting to do all of it in the dark, and take the chance that we would be spending our first night out there without one or more of those basic necessities.

I have experience driving some trucks, some large vehicles, but even when you ARE experienced, any time you drive a new vehicle, it takes a while to get familiar with the feel of it. And that was especially true driving the RV on the roads from New Jersey into Pennsylvania, some of the back roads through PA and even once we got onto the main highway. But after a while, after I got used to getting in tune with the other vehicles around me, especially the tractor trailers, it really was a pleasure to drive.

We arrived at the Park after the office was already closed so we really couldn’t check in. A ranger informed us that we just go to the site and we could officially check in the next day. We didn’t anticipate that the camp store would be closed, not only because it was late in the day, but because it was off season, it wouldn’t be open until the weekend. And we were doing this during the week – Tuesday to Friday. So now what?

We found our site and it was marked with our name on a tag. I carefully backed our RV in and I have to admit that I did a pretty good job of getting in the right spot. And, much to my surprise, I was able to hook everything up and get us situated within 15 minutes. It was so much easier than I had anticipated.

But there was one thing that was forgotten. Levelers. The ground was a tad uneven. So we kind of had to endure living in what was the crooks lair in the old Batman television series…when the rooms were always crooked. Insert “if you know, you know” right here. Don’t forget levelers…put that in the notes.

The area of the campgrounds we selected was definitely for families. There were bathroom facilities available, and there was even a building being remodeled and modernized that would soon have shower and toilet facilities as well. There was even a playground area for kids.

Families came and went during our three-night stay. And there was a long term “resident” there as well. It seems a lot of contracted workers will tend to travel around where work can be found and live this life in a campground.

But because it was before the season really got underway, it was kind of sparse. Which was OK by us. Even though we were “away” we were actually going to be working. We’re able to do that as long as we have a hot spot…if that is working…we’re good.

Although we had loaded up on some things, we still needed to get some supplies from the local market. That meant the first morning, we had to unhook and head to the supermarket in the next town, about a 10-mile drive from the campgrounds.

While Melissa spent most of her time sitting at the “kitchen” table working, I spent a lot of time obsessed with the campfire. We didn’t think to bring any firewood, or fire starters; didn’t consider stopping along the way to grab some firewood from some locals along the route; and didn’t expect the camp store to be closed. So I explored the area for wood that would burn…because it had rained and a lot of what was around was wet. But…we got it to work.

I enjoyed cooking over the fire…Melissa got her hot dogs and I made myself eggplant. And I cooked some potatoes…something I always loved eating after cooking in the fire ever since my dad did it when we were camping with the Boy Scouts. Of course we roasted marshmallows…I even got myself vegan marshmallows for the occasion.

We took the time to go on some walks a couple of times during the day. We were a bit apprehensive because we were warned by the ranger that the bears WERE active in the area and you just never know. I was prepared with my whistle, of course.

We did cook on the stove and in the oven, in addition to eating a simple bowl of cereal. We used the RV like a second home, to get the real feel of it…to see if we could ever utilize this thing for a cross-country venture…which was really the desired future goal. What we encountered, though, were some problems when using the water in the sink in the kitchen, or the sink in the bathroom. The water would back up, into the basin of the shower stall…even after I had released the disposal valve.

Regardless of that, we loved our time in the RV. It was a tight space, but we were comfortable. I am quite sure that Melissa would force me to sleep in the space over the cab if ever we did do the long trip in one of these things…because Melissa needs her space…and anything smaller than a king-size bed requires me to sleep with half my body hanging off the edge of the mattress. And the bed was a bit on the smaller side. We are short. Cousins Nate and Elizabeth? They are TALL. I don’t know how THEY would manage in such a tight space.

Purchasing an RV can be quite an investment. We have seen prices that range from $25,000 all the way up to the hundreds of thousands of dollars…all depending on the sizes and features included. And they really are beautiful. I can understand why people, people who like to move around, would purchase one and live this type of life.

But for the people that don’t make a life of it…what IS the best way to experience it? What if you are just wanting to get away from home and take a trip across this beautiful country while leaving your home behind?

As I said, we had the opportunity to rent. And so the renting of the vehicle was $275 per day, (including the extra insurance needed); the first 500 miles were free but after that the mileage fee was $.50 per mile; the site fee at the campground was $55 which included the three hookups. So to use an RV…stay in an RV…it was $330 per day plus mileage, and that doesn’t include the cost of gasoline. And, unless you are towing your car along, each time you need to go somewhere and leave the site, you have to batten down the hatches, secure everything, un-hook, and then start your entire process over again.

After doing some math, I figured out that it would actually be cheaper, more cost-effective, to actually buy the RV…use it for a year or two or for however long you like…and then sell it. Meyer’s will do that for you.

The RV camping experience brought back some wonderful memories from childhood with my dad. It also re-awakened a yearning we both have had for a cross-country road trip without staying at the big chain hotels and, instead, staying in the many beautiful parks around the country.

It’s all about the adventure.