RV's anyone???

Argo · Oct 13, 2010

I still read it and hope for updates an stories. I'm going to be heading out next August for a few years. Not sure about RV or apt yet..... will decide by April. What is your agency? Any issues You have ha with them?

RNERHOUSESUPOR · Oct 16, 2010

I am with All About Staffing. They are part of the HCA company and have the contracts with all HCA facilities. If you work at a HCA hospital and have another travel company they have to go through AAS. No major problems with the company, although I am working no a couple issues. Do your first assignment with company supplied housing and take just what you think you have to have with you. See how it works out. Some will visit a "Salvation Army, Goodwill" or other "thrift" stores to purchase cooking utensils and then give them back at the end. Some apartments have a few of the essentials, but for everything they supply they take more out of your pay. Nothing is free.

I am very happy with my choice to go with a RV, wish I would have started sooner.

Rod

RNERHOUSESUPOR · Oct 25, 2010

Preparing to depart Denver, hopefully just in time. Been a very nice summer, my first in Colorado. Would like to return. They are talking snow in the mountains today but nothing expected at my elevation yet. Since the purchase of my HDT(Heavy Duty Truck) to pull the 5th wheel, I have been commuting on the Motorcycle, hopefully the snow will stay in the High Country till I am able to head South. Will be spending the Winter months in South Florida again. Will be my 4th year at the same hospital and same campground. Will have to find alternative transportation at times in Florida. Don't look forward to getting caught in the frequent "Downpours" they have there in the Spring. Hopefully it will be a typically dry winter. The truck is great for pulling, very comfortable to drive and works well for a weekend outing. Can't wait till I get the back of the truck set up for transporting the motorcycle. Have the idea, just need to locate the parts and get things done.

Rod

RNERHOUSESUPOR · Nov 12, 2010

Had a very nice trip, put the transmission in Drive and let it do it's thing. Set the cruise control at the speed limit and if you don't turn the truck off it will return you to that speed at anytime. Filled the truck up in Colorado for 2.829 per gallon of Diesel able to make almost 800 miles before filling again. Didn't need to but found fuel at 2.859 and added 132 gallons. Forgot to write down the odometer reading so can't figure out the MPG. It's not great but not having to worry about pulling the next hill (or mountain) or stopping if the light changes before expected makes it all worth while. Has been great returning to the same place again. Get lots of hugs and inquiries on where I have been and what I've done. Ready for my next several months in Florida.

ICUgeek · Dec 20, 2010

RNERHOUSESUPOR- I enjoy reading your posts from your travels as I plan to start traveling this time next year. I would really like to see the country from the RV and plan to have a friend join me. She is a well seasoned traveler so I will at least have her for advice. My question is, since we will both be night shifters, do you ever have any problems with safety as far as leaving the RV behind in the park unattended? How would it fare if we were to take a long weekend away for a trip? Any wisdom would be greatly appreciated!

RNERHOUSESUPOR · Dec 20, 2010

While I have traveled with my RV for almost three years now, I haven't stayed in all that many RV parks. I feel very comfortable and safe in all that I have experience with though . Leaving your RV in a park is safe in my opinion, parking it at a "storage lot" would be much less. In the RV park you have many who feel just like you, in regards to your home and lifestyle. Have left my unit a few times for long weekend trips, just remember you have to be paid up to remain on your spot. For me nothing much else is different, where ever I park I feel like I am at home, no new apartment to get used to, no worry about who last slept on my bed or sat on my couch. My refrigerator and pantry are always stocked and my clothes are put away and not in a suitcase. Thanks for your response and questions. Good luck with your travels

Rod

ICUgeek · Dec 23, 2010

Thanks so much for your input!!! I can't wait to get started traveling! What kind of RV do you use? I am interested in a class C realistically speaking, but am extremely worried about needing to pull my car. I don't know how I'd fare on the busier roads!

RNERHOUSESUPOR · Dec 23, 2010

I have a 5th wheel Toyhauler. It's 45 ft long and I pull it with a Heavy Duty Truck. (Semi Tractor). The trailer has a 12 foot room at the back with a ramp door that is used as a garage. Currently I have my motorcycle stored and transported in that area but in the near future it will be a room for my youngest daughter and maybe transport for a Mini. Most of the time I am living single and am very comfortable. During the summers my daughter travels with me for a couple months. A class C could be a good choice to start out with, and a used unit can usually be found at a reasonable cost. They do have quite a few con's on my pro/con list but if your pro's outweigh the con's on your list, you have a match. Don't expect to find the perfect setup the first time. I was looking at a Class A setup and was going to pull an enclosed trailer for my car and motorcycle when I started the quest. Changed my mind after finding that there were few Class A's in my price range that would pull a 10,000 pound trailer. Then there is the trailer you have to deal with once you are in a campground. I was lucky and was able to try the lifestyle for a winter assignment in Florida several years ago using my brothers Toyhauler. During that time I decided a lot of what I wanted, and needed for my own rig. Hope that helps.

Rod

posted some photos on the Allnurses Facebook page.

Argo · Jan 11, 2011

Rod,

Tell me what you think about my idea. I have narrowed down where I want to go, central colorado next september for a 6 month seasonal contract in vail or frisco. I am going to buy 26' enclosed car trailer. I have my dodge 1 ton diesel mega cab and my wife has a little scion car that is 16' long. I am thinking that a trailer like this will allow me to take a second car and pack all the junk we(read that..... my wife) want with us.

It will be wife, son and me. We all snowboard so we have all that junk to take, My son and I bike ride also so we will be taking our mtn bikes with us. We all also enjoy camping so I figured I would put a fold up bed in the front of the trailer with a small heater should we need it.

Obviously I would be taking whatever free housing they give me wherever I end up going. After this 6 months, possibly a year in the area if we want to ride out the summer, I plan to go up to the northwest (oregon or washington) for 6-9 months on travel assignments. These places all seem to have assignments regularly posted..... I plan to pack up 2 or 3 flat screen tvs, 2 ps3's (dvd, netflix and games)

Do you have any thoughts on this? I realize you have done this a while in an RV and I would like to do this eventually and still tow this trailer behind me. I just think this would be the cheapest and easiest way to do it while still keeping some of our homelike feeling. I can get a solid enclosed car hauler for around $5k on ebay new

Argo · Jan 11, 2011

Also, another thing about this all is that I will still be maintaining my home in San Antonio so my daughter and neice can live here during college. This is why I dont just drop the coin on an RV right off, I dont want an RV and house payment. I want to travel for probably 4 years to start, thats my plan for now but those usually change..... Too much country to see out there, colorado, pacific northwest, southern cali(for family), hawaii, new england area, all of the atlantic coast for that matter.....

Argo · Jan 11, 2011

I have also contemplated a TT but it would need to be bumper pull. My truck has a lift on it that would limit the 5th wheel I could pull. I know with a 5th wheel I could also tag along the scion with a tow bar though..... Too many options but the car hauler is the cheapest right now.... I also worry about the trailer parking up in the NW being too far from the hospitals. Alot of the RV parks are also closed in colorado for winter time so that is another negative, you can find them but it is HARD..... I might just buy an RV after I am done with CO.....

RNERHOUSESUPOR · Jan 11, 2011

You probably won't be happy spending any time "camping" in the car trailer. Will probably find that campgrounds won't consider it a camper either and may prohibit your use as such. It may be inexpensive to initially purchase, but then if you want to add power to the inside ( to power the heater, light's or one of the TV's) you are going to run into expenses. I don't think you will be happy. In addition, you will have to think about where you will park it once you settle into an appartment. Most complexes don't have much "additional parking" one maybe two spaces per apartment. I lost a trailer in Florida after parking it where I was told to, they then changed their mind and had it towed. It sold for about twice what I had in it because I refused to pay the tow company the tow charge and storage. I learned an expensive lesson on that one. I have to get ready for work this morning. May add a couple comment's later but I would really think about what you are gaining with the trailer, I took way too much stuff on my first travel assignment and kept adding. I didn't use a lot of it but I moved it everywhere I went. Am getting a bit better now and it is easier to move when it doesn't leave the RV.

Rod