First "Real" Trip

[Ladyhawk]

Okay, gearing up for a trip to Arizona. I haven't driven out of state yet and never more than five hours. This trip will be 14(ish) hours with an overnight in Albuquerque. I did a trip route through Good Sam and think everything else is ready. If anyone has suggestions (or warnings), I'd be happy to hear them. Some of my fears are valid (blowing a tire, getting lost), some not so valid (what if there's no Walmart close by??) Am I overthinking this?

[Birdie]

Amy,
If you don't have an Emergency Roadside Service, get one before you take off. There are two that I am aware of, Good Sam and Coach Net. They do tires, and if you breakdown tow your rig to the shop. Getting lost??? I guess after the GPS and paper maps, you have to simply make it part of your adventure. Make sure you take proof of Jess having had shots, etc. When are you heading out and to what part of AZ? This will be great fun for you and Bobby.

[Liz]

Hooray! Hope you have a great, fun-filled, incident-free trip.

[Acadianmom]

The Atlas Wal-Mart sells has a store directory. I always carry a Trailer Life campground directory. Even if you aren't planning on staying at a campground they sometimes list the RV services in an area. Do you have a road service? I would never travel without one. I'm not real happy with the service I have received from the Good Sam one but eventually they will get you some help. A lot of people don't like CB's because of all the trash talk but I like to have one. Sometimes you can find out road conditions before you get there and mine is also a weather radio. I like to write the highways I will be taking, where I have to change highways, the towns I will be going through and the distance between towns on a card or paper big enough I can see it at a glance. I use to be able to read a map and drive but not any more. I try to get gas when I get down to a half tank so I will have time to find a place I like. Get gas at a place that sells a lot of gas, not at a little grocery in the middle of nowhere. I got a bad tank of gas one time and it took a long time to get over the problems it caused.

Have a good trip.

Martha

[sharon]

Amy, first of all, we ladies have never ever been lost...lost is an acronym (is that right?) for adventure. I have had sooo many adventures in my traveling that at times I've felt like a dog chasing its tail! Just ask Evie as she followed me around and around the frontage road somewhere in Texas trying to get on the freeway! Second, if you don't have it, make sure you have a good road service for rv's, the peace of mind is priceless. Third, there's a Walmart in every little bohunk town in America, and if not, there will be one in the next little bohunk town. Fourth, don't sweat the small stuff...and Fifth and most important...It's ALL small stuff! Just go and make wonderful memories for you and your boy-chick.

Where and why are you going in Az? Where are you staying in Albuquerque?

[Cedar518]

I'll sing in the chorus for getting a road service. I always get Good Sam. I never go that far, only in the northeast ... NY/VT/NH/ME. But the road service lets me leave home with fewer worries. And,... have a cellphone. Other than that just relax. A long trip is just a series of short trips strung together! Have a great time!

[Sparkle]

I don't think you need proof of shots unless you are leaving the country, do you? Also, not every flat tire or blow out results in an accident. I blew a tire on my TT in Tuscon. It took out a chunk of my outside wall thingy...I know there's a name for it, but staring out the window isn't helping. Anyway other drivers started honking at me and I could feel there was something wrong, so I pulled over and called Good Sams.
Face it, things will happen! It's how you deal with the situation thats important. If something goes wrong and you deal with it, on your next trip you will be so much more confident. Believe me, almost anything that could happen has happened to me,
including totaling my rig, but I still go bumbling on.

[avalen]

ooooooohhhhhhh, when??
you'll be in my neighborhood.
Now I've done that trip, Denver to Phoenix a hundred times, but always in the car.
Denver to Albq. is a good 8 hours and if your leaving town early you can make
Albq by dinner. Raton pass will slow you down but I used to get off there and get
something to eat and gassed up. Then its downhill to Albq, and sometimes I would
overnight at Santa Fe, depended on how tired I was. Albq is another hour out of
Santa Fe. Then of course I took Interstate 40 west to Flagstaff, in the car it was
a meer 4 to 5 hours and that road is semi-truck rutted, and the semi's go very
fast along there. There are casinos all along the way that you can overnight in
their parking lots. There was a hugh truckstop called Giant, can't remember
exactly where it was, maybe Winslow area, but I always stopped there to gas
up and stretch and walk around. They had a great mini-mall in there with lots
of shops. Lots of indian stores along Interstate 40, and the Petrified Forest.
If I were to do it now, with an rv, I'd probably stop all along the way and take
three days to get from point A to point B. Right about the state line between
Arizona and New Mexico is an area called Window Rock, very beautiful! and I
stopped at their rest area many times and just oohed and awwed over the
rock formations in the area. Took a few naps there too over the years.
So, when is this trip you have planned?

[Cedar518]

I don't think you need proof of shots unless you are leaving the country, do you? .

In this state proof of shots is required to bring pets into any campground. We carry the certificates right in the glove box of the Trailblazer. I would imagine campgrounds would reqire that anywhere.

[Ladyhawk]

A lot of good advice. I appreciate it. Jess won't be with me on this trip. We're staying at a hotel in Scottsdale and she's not invited. My parents made the reservation a year ago. I'm not really a hotel person, but I know Bobby will have fun.

My parents are driving down separately and are hoteling it in Albuquerque. I'm not sure where I'm staying yet.

Ava, I will definitely be in your neighborhood. I'm not familiar with the area, where are you? Gtg? I'm leaving on the 13th and planning to get into Scottsdale on the evening of the 14th. Then heading back to Denver on the 18th. I'm regretting it can't be a longer trip now that you've mentioned all that cool stuff to see.

Flat tires, getting lost, not really my biggest fear this trip. My biggest fear is putting on a swimsuit after a winter of doughnut eating.

[retiredhappy]

You say a 14 hour drive with one stop? Driving 7 hours is waaaay too long to drive unless you absolutely have to. Its more tiring to drive/pull a rig than driving a car. Enjoy the trip - don't push yourself too hard.

I second the road service and cell phone. Check the tire pressure before you leave - a lot of tires will blow if underinflated. As for only stopping at a big gas station I often stop at little one-horse gas stations as I travel the backroads a lot. The only time I've ever gotten bad gas was at a busy Shell station.

Before I start a trip I do the worry/what if thing but once I'm on the road I try to just enjoy the trip.

I've never been asked at any campground for proof of my dogs shots. I do have them with me as I'm a fulltimer but no one has ever asked to see them.

[Sparkle]

I've never been asked at any campground for proof of my dogs shots.

Me neither. That's why I was surprised to see that advice. It's no problem, I had them ready when in Baja, but never needed to show them there either.

[avalen]

We're staying at a hotel in Scottsdale

Ava, I will definitely be in your neighborhood. I'm not familiar with the area, where are you? Gtg? I'm leaving on the 13th and planning to get into Scottsdale on the evening of the 14th. Then heading back to Denver on the 18th. I'm regretting it can't be a longer trip now that you've mentioned all that cool stuff to see.

My biggest fear is putting on a swimsuit after a winter of doughnut eating.

I'm in Scottsdale!!!! your bringing your travel trailer? or staying in the hotel with your
folks? Will you have a laptop? cellphone? PM me your phone number and I'll send you
mine as well. I'm on the south end of Scottsdale, down by Casino Arizona McKellips
which you can boondock at if need be but you can't boondock at Walmart here.
And don't worry, we have LOTS of doughnut eaters in this town that wear bathing suits.
and...you'll be surprized to see 80 year old people too in swimming suits. Its a
common sight and nobody cares.
Sounds like your time is short, but if you want to get away for a few moments to yourself,
give me a call, I'll be back to work on that week but I have a very long lunch break.
Anything in particular you plan on seeing while your here?

[Ladyhawk]

Ava, tag, you're PM'd.

[Pooker]

Okay - can't keep my mouth shut! Did I read things wrong or are you actually planning to drive 7 or 8 hours a day? I agree with Karen - you will have a very hard time driving that distance in one day. You shouldn't be driving an RV 75 mph like you can do in a car and you need to make more stops than you do in a car. The drive should be pleasant, not stressful and, believe me, if you push that hard it WILL be stressful!

I've traveled around every state and have never been asked for proof of shots for Spike and Pia (or previous pets either). If a campground asked for them, I'd just have to move on to another one because I keep those records at home, not in the RV. If I planned a trip out of the country, of course I'd bring more records, including my own passport, etc.

I have had to show my registration and proof of insurance for RV and tow vehicle, though, and if you want to camp in a Calif. county park be sure you have them handy.

Enjoy your journey.

Pooker