we're in trouble 

hey guys , as a truck driver in america i can tell you this , there are always alot of rvs at truck stops and rest areas . you dont have to plan ahead , theres always a place to park . you can go anywhere , dont over think it . plan what you can , but understand you dont have to plan everything , theres always a safe place to park . its america . truck stops have lots of free parking , best truck stops are petro truck stops and loves truck stops , very clean and safe with clean showers , lots of food options . also in places where truck stops or rest areas arent available you can always find walmart , target parking lots , planet fitness parking lots etc gym parking lots are great .

Rent an RV with a generator. You wont be relegated to sites that provide electricity, and that will open you up to camp sites that will have more availability.

So, to clear up confusion, we have basically three levels (sometimes 4) of parks. Federal/National (the US government) State (the individual state, sometimes the same forest will have two or three parks from different states, etc) County (States are broken up into counties, and each one can have their own parks) Then there's the Municipal level which really only happens in larger cities, and that makes them quite often some of the most well-kept, because they're also usually the smallest. Look for State Parks, rather than National ones whenever possible. They're generally smaller, more accommodating, and less busy than the huge state parks (which you can still VISIT for the day, without a reservation), but also SO RICH in the natural beauty of the particular state you're in. For instance, Big Lagoon here in Northwest Florida has hiking/biking trails with an ABUNDANCE of native wildlife such as gators, hundreds of species of native birds, maybe if you're lucky, a black bear or Florida panther, boating and camping opportunities, wonderful fishing spots, paddling/canoeing, safe areas for swimming, and on one of my trips there, I even was approached by a small family of MANATEES!!! BTW, if you're in Florida, you 100% must resist the STRONG urge to pet the pretty sea cows, because even touching them is a felony. Manatees = Look, but don't touch, even if they touch you first, which some actually might, but just best to avoid them.

I recently went from Tampa to Long Beach in a with a diesel pickup and 34 foot 5th wheel. Here are some tips. 1. National parks (owed by the United States) will be completely filled, if you are looking kinda last minute, don’t even try. 2. State parks (owned by the state the campground is located in) will also likely to be booked but it’s worth looking into. 3. Keep your RV under 30 feet if possible. A built in generator is nice because it allows you to use primitive campsites (no power and water hookups). 4. Look for private campgrounds with water and power hookups. Even if they don’t have sewer sites (black and gray water hookups) aka used toilet, sink and shower water, they will still likely have a black water pump station at the check in area (to pump out the black water tank) every few days. 4. book your camp sites first and plan your trip around that. The campsites will be your biggest problem, solve that problem first and go from there. 5. Lastly, alot of the websites for campgrounds are not very good. You have got to call, they will often times be more helpful and if they are full, they may have a recommendation in the area.

KOA campgrounds. They have locations nationwide. Also, there are truck stops, rest areas, Walmart, etc.

UPDATED INFO BELOW! Sam & Nadine - As you discovered on your last trip, the USA is HUGE! New Zealand is roughly 2/3rds the size of California alone, so you may have to adjust your itinerary to fit into your time frame. I'm talking from experience here, as I used to be a tour bus driver in CA, so I know the state well, and currently living full-time in a Class A diesel pusher RV. From the few snippets I caught in this video, it sounds like you're doing a clockwise loop starting and ending in Los Angeles, including Las Vegas. That's smart, as it is the safest side of the street going north along the coast. Some general thoughts: 1) Rent a "Class C" RV - one with a rear bedroom and a generator. This will maximize your sleeping arrangements and ability to boondock on occasion, plus relatively easy to maneuver. Plan on 10 mpg of fuel at best, 6-8 more realistically. Use the GasBuddy app to help find fuel when needed, never letting the tank get below 1/4 - 2/3rds full - especially with a genset.. 2) It doesn't matter if you drive 55 or 75 mph on the freeways/Interstates, you're going to average 50 mph overall. Thus plan your travel days based on hours driving, not miles covered. This will make a really big difference in everyone's fatigue level - especially Sam's! Secondary highways you'll average 40 mph overall, plan accordingly. 3) UPDATED INFO: All three of the major US cell phone carriers have "hotspots" for wifi use. All three have strong signals in major metropolitan areas, but coverage in more rural locations can vary by carrier. I have seen signal strength be strong on AT&T with nothing on Verizon or T-Mobile, yet five miles down the road things will change and AT&T will drop out and T-Mobile will dominate. Another five miles and Verizon becomes the strong signal. My suggestion now would be to pick up a hotspot device there at home that can be used here in the states by simply switching out the SIM card, then activating a "pre-paid" plan for the amount of time you're going to be here. Just make sure your hotspot is 4G, 5G, and LTE compatible, as that's what all the major US carriers are now utilizing, with growing emphasis on 5G. Go to each of the carrier's websites mentioned in this comment and compare their "pre-paid data plans" for hotspot devices to see which one might fit your needs best. 4) There may be times where you'll want to leave the RV parked in order to make a side trip. Depending on where you are, Enterprise car rental may still offer pick-up/drop off service. 5) I use the following apps for locating places to overnight: Allstays, Harvest Host, Campendium, RV Parky, Ultimate CG, Passport America, RA Camping, FreeRoam and HipCamp. Major truck stops can also be a good option: Loves, T/A, Pilot, Flying J, and Petro are just a few. 6) Use major credit card(s) (VISA, MasterCard), NOT at debit card, for your rentals. Far more protection for your as a consumer. Just make sure you've got plenty of headroom on the card(s) to cover deposits and incidental holds. A debit card is fine for purchasing food, groceries, etc, but NOT for renting vehicles, hotels, etc. Hope this helps. . . More later ❣❣

It’s been awhile since I’ve been RVing, but here it goes: try to rent a Class C RV that’s around 28 ft. Anything under 30’ ft will be acceptable in most National, State and County Parks. Next get a Golden Pass. This will allow you to enter any National Park, Monument or Forest. If a campground isn’t available, check with a hotel in the area. We did it one year in Green Bay and the hotel was fine with us parking/camping overnight. For a guest ranch I was lucky to spend 2 weeks on a guest ranch in Colorado. How I found it was stopping by a travel agency. So if there is one near you, they may be able to help you. Guest ranches vary in amenities. I did not want a resort style ranch, I wanted a working ranch and that is what I got. It was great! Most private campgrounds are nice, there are sometimes a poorly run one. But most are very nice. The last time I planned a trip out west, I contacted every state’s travel agency that we were going through. I was sent a ton of things to help me not only plan out my route, but things to see and do along the way. In case you were wondering we left from Wisconsin and visited Colorado, Wyoming, North and South Dakota and Montana. Major stops included the Badlands, the Geronimo Monument, Custer State Park, Yellowstone, Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, the Oxbow Incident memorial in Montana, Custers Last Stand, and so much more. Things to do in LA include going to Disneyland, touring one of the big movie studios and at least take in one of the beaches. Have great time on your trip!

There are always cancellations. You can keep looking while on the road. For state parks in Wisconsin, you have to get on the reservation website at 9am sharp to see if any opened up the day before. They all become available when they open at 9am, not when the cancellation is done. Slide outs help with space inside the camper. I would go smaller because large RV's are hard to navigate through big cities. Large RVs are Class A and smaller ones are Class C.

And just in case your not aware. Look into buying a National Park Pass that’s good for a year. It will save you a lot of money if your going to multiple National Parks. It’s good for entering any National Park in the United States. Once you buy the Pass, you just have to show it at the entrance gate. Otherwise you must pay the full price entrance fee.

There is A RU-vid family from Australia that did an RV tour of the USA they're RU-vid channel is called (The Road Bech & Calls). Maybe you can contact them.

The black hills of South Dakota is a really good option! Deadwood, SD is a hotspot for cowboy stuff. Not sure if there's necessarily a dude ranch there, but alot of horseback riding, and cowboy stuff. Some of the most famous cowboys of all time throughout history have stayed or lived in Deadwood. Wild Bill Hicocks grave is located there as well. Also alot of fun things to do in the area, like Mount Rushmore, Gun Ranges, Fourth of july at Mt.Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Rapid City, Pactola Lake, some great food options, Sturgis where the annually have one of the biggest motorcycle rallys in the world, etc. You guys would enjoy it

I live in the western US and have traveled around it quite a bit! I love the west coast esp driving from Oregon to Washington over the astoria bridge. We enjoy stopping at multnomah falls along the historic Columbia River scenic highway. Olympic national park, the san juan islands(great ferry ride), mt. Rainier, crater lake rim drive, lava beds national monument, Yellowstone, glacier national park, grand canyon, and the national parks in utah. Canyonlands, zion, arches, bryce canyon, and also dead horse point and goblin Valley state park are fun and very scenic stops! Always play it safe/smart but the people are great and you should be very safe. Maybe not always the biggest cities parking lots, but the rest yes. And if you ever need help ask! Especially with your accents you'll be treated royally! ❤

Love your channel. The wife and I are full time RVers. That means our RV is our home. Two apps that I use for route/campground planning is inRoute and Allstays Camp and RV. Rental RV if I were you is a small to mid size Class C. It will be your only transportation so you have to be able to drive it anywhere. Not sure how much info I can put on here, so anymore questions please let me know.

If you will be around Texas maybe you can contact Matt who has the Demolition Ranch channel. He’s in process of renovating an old resort with camping and RV hook ups and he has a gun range on the premises.

Summer is very busy for campgrounds. Not all Walmarts allow parking. The rest areas sometimes are full.

Slide outs offer more elbow room so it feels bigger in a shorter RV. Being an RV owner in Oregon I can tell you that it is a pain in the butt trying to get sites in popular campgrounds just about everywhere, especially on the coast and in the mountains. Oregon State Park campgrounds are clean and well run with most providing water and electric hookups (referred to as "standard" RV sites) and some have water, electric, and sewer ("full" RV sites). It is sometimes easier to get into US forrest Service campgrounds, but rarely do they offer hookups of any kind, but they do have water spigots and flush toilets at most of them, and some have showers. All in all there are some beautiful places to camp along the entire West Coast and I wish you the best of luck! If you cruise through Medford, Oregon I can take you to a gun range depending on when you will be here.

Try Harvest Hosts. It is private farms and homes that allow you to RV camp on their property. Could be a lot of fun for your family.

Something about horseback riding if you are beginners... 2 hours is usually the max I recommend for anyone to ride, because you're going to end up sore from that the next two days. At 3 hours, you're going to be done with it and feel like jelly when you get off, and hurting the next two days. So if your trip out is too far and then needing to ride that long again on the day back, it might be a lot for beginners. Just a heads up in case you want to look into other options of just doing a short horseback ride and maybe camp out on the ranch and just enjoy the experience of having a chuckwagon breakfast and dinner at the ranch along with activities they offer.

If you're coming through AZ for the Grand Canyon, I'd also recommend stopping by Sedona to see the red rocks. It has gotten a lot more crowded over the years, but still worth the sights in my opinion. Jerome a little old mining town on top of a mountain (complete with haunted hotel), though getting an RV up there might be tricky. You can also check out Monument Valley if you want to see the big mesas from old western movies. Plenty of camping and outdoor activities throughout the state as well. We have a little bit of everything.

I camp with a generator a huge 9 cubic foot cooler that a buddy built on wheels used with a bit of dry ice in the bottom of the cooler some wet ice is used in a higher layer and it keeps everything cold for a week. We still pull out frozen on the day before last to make sure we have a good meal to ride home on. The best camping is really roughing it. I guess we don't really rough it completely. We use to very large tarps to cover our campsite that we put a camper under and the rest of the tents. Takes about 4 hours to set up. If the weather catches us on set up day it just sucks. But we've had it all ways. We usually go on state recreational land not campsites. That mean setting your own toilet up and taking care of everything when you leave. River near by that's where you take a bath. I like your family's show family is all we do it for.

If you get in a pinch and cant plan ahead for place, don't be afraid of stopping at a truck stop. As a former truck driver, they would be one of the safest places to stay as the truck drivers and other RV drivers all look out for each other. Also most of the primary ones have excellent facilities, food, any any other essentials you need. As far as Walmart's, any in a smaller city typically would be fine, the ones in larger cities are the ones that often kick people out or have limited parking or may be a little less unsafe.

I'm no expert at RV camping but Hopefully I can help a bit. Camping in National Parks fill up fast. But look into state parks in the area you are visiting. Also check the National Forest Service they maintain some campgrounds. Also, the Bureau of Land Management allows dispersed camping (if your rig is self-contained). I have also seen some nice campgrounds run by the Army Corps of Engineers.

I used to live in California and camped frequently and it was always super difficult to find campsites with availability. I would recommend looking at private sites outside of popular areas along your route then driving to parks perhaps. That's what I'd have to do a lot. Also, if you are planning to visit any National Parks, some parks and trails require advance reservations now during peak season. You may even want to consider tent camping and cheap hotels as back up because there will likely be more availability.

After Curly's gold, eh? I wish I had up-to-date info on ranches in Montana. I was born and raised there but the last time I was back home was back in the 80s, and you all may not have been born! Just know that, if you are planning to drive that RV up the Going to the Sun road in Glacier National Park, there's a total length limit (IIRC, it's less than 18 feet in length). I wish you the best of luck in finding a spot on the trails, cousins.

KOA (Kampgrounds of America) campgrounds are all over the country and have been absolutely great. There are also some rest stops along the highways where you can just pull into a parking spot overnight. You can also talk to Walmart managers and many of them will let you park in the far edges of the parking lots overnight.

Truck Stops which are all over the States will accommodate RV's, many are free, along with big store parking lots if you park on the perimeters and not up at the entrance areas. Pop out extensions on the RV will give a lot more room inside to work and live in - a large to mid sized RV van for the 4 of you would give you the room to move around in - too small and you will be living on each other. I am a fellow Kiwi from Taihape been living in the States since 2001 have lived West coast of Oregon, Wyoming, Nebraska, Georgia and now North Carolina - American hubby was a Over the Road (OTR) Truck driver for 15 years so had to meet him at many Truck Stops near by and also traveled with him on day trips.

I am from California myself and as a person who has done a lot of road trips over the years, every trip you take here you HAVE to book ahead. When planning the trip out make a google spreadsheet of the places you want to see and how to get there, how long the distances are between places, and the time changes/different states. From there you can see what campgrounds are around or what is closish if all those other campgrounds are booked. We went to Yellowstone this summer and we booked those dates a whole year in advance and planned our entire trip start to finish around that. Some places in the country that are less popular you can book a bit later but big hotspots like Yellowstone you have to book so far in advance to be able to get in. Also when it comes to roadtripping in America the distances are so much larger than they may seem so I would try to find campgrounds along the way on those routes to split up the drives because it will be long. There will be plenty of rest stops along the way luckily. Also if you are visiting places like California and the Southwest in summer drink lots of water and be careful! It can get really hot here and California tends to have more wildfires after wet seasons as there is a lot more growth that turns into dry brush so look out for that. Hope you guys have a great trip and that this helped some!

Hey guys! I'm from Idaho! On the first part of your video, I just wanted to say you are stressing out WAY too much! Relax, take a breath and simply plan where you want to visit. You do NOT need to book ahead anything as far as where to stay. Plus there are thousands of rest stops along the freeways, and they are EVERYWHERE. There are also KOA campgrounds as an option, not to mention truck stops, I mean that's what they are there for, so don't panic. If you come through Idaho Falls on your way to Yellowstone, or Jackson Hole I'm sure we could find land for you to park on, without question. We even have a KOA here in town. I'm not sure about the dude ranch part, but my best guess would be Montana. As for the 4th. Personally, I haven't seen many firework displays that compare with Las Vegas.

We camped coast to coast for two months two summers in a row. If you're not a NZ AA member or they won't help arrange things through our AAA, become a member of AAA. They planned our ENTIRE camping trips, they have guide books with all the campgrounds, hotels, and motels. It sounds like most of the places you are trying to book are the National Parks or State Park/Forests. Yep, they can be booked a long time in advance. With those places where there is ONLY the Park, you have to work in reverse. Get times you can go, then fill your route around it. Then private camp grounds. Some of them basically have next to unlimited space. You may not get full water/electric hookups, but they'll have room. With your trip, Montana could be a bit far for the ranch - figure stay close to the other parts of your route. Northern California or Idaho can be fantastic. Don't miss out on the areas of Idaho - overlooked place compared to Utah/Colorado/New Mexico/Arizona.

You can sleep at Bass Pro Shop parking lots also 💗 plenty of security and fun place to explore

In summer anywhere along the western states also be prepared for road construction. Because we have a short season that road work can be done, traveling anywhere can involve sitting roadside in heat for possibly more than an hour waiting to get through construction zones. Maps your trip very carefully and check with transportation departments in each state for these roadblocks.

I would say go 30' or less and get a generator if you can, that way you can stay in rustic areas which are easier to get into! Slide outs making them roomy but remember, you will only stay in it to sleep or get out of bad weather. Even during rain, you can sit under an awning on the rv or take a drive and see local areas and shops. I purchased AllStay app, it's really great for showing you campgrounds in an area and it will give you information that you can call and book with book sites with if you need. For shooting firearms, stay out of California LOL. Wyoming and other states are much more gun friendly. For the 4th of July, a LOT of Americans will be going to beaches and lakes.

If the RV thing falls through, have you thought about doing a first class scenic train trip? They do a large trip, especially on the west coast, of the sights. They can last anywhere up to 2 weeks. They do stops at major landmarks, cities, national parks, etc. Different routes will stop for different lengths at different places. You might get a day long stop in San Francisco on one trip, and a day long stop in Yosemite National Park on another. If the RV thing becomes undoable, it might be an viable option. I did a 13-day trip with my grandmother, about 2 years before she passed away, and it's one of the best memories I have of our time together. We did the Grand National Parks trip. Just a thought.

We are the ones who sent you the package from Wyoming with the handmade bags and wallets, it has Paul's email on it, highlighted in yellow. it was the second to last unboxing video and second to last box that you opened. He can tell you about several dude ranches and he can help you with other things that surround Yellowstone National Park and where we live there is a big parade and fireworks on the 4th of July. We would love to help you with things in Wyoming to see.

One option you have for the “ranch” experience is up at Glacier National Park Montana, specifically the Many Glacjer Hotel. They have a lodge situated in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, and many single day horseback riding experiences, both half day and full day. You wouldn’t be sleeping under the stars. But I will say, if you aren’t used to horseback riding, you may be saddle sore, and the ride back the next day may be quite painful/miserable. Just something to think about

If you’re going through Utah to Arches National Park, there’s a ranch or two down there in/near Moab Utah. Plus, Moab in an incredible tourist town with TONS to do, including any level, even beginner river rafting, UTV or ATV or even Jeep rentals. You can fit a lot of activities in, in a short amount of time. There’s an actual ton of camping areas, especially if you have a generator in your RV. Love you guys! Good luck! ❤

These are the places we camped the best: Yosemite, Sequoia, Oregon Dunes, Crater Lake, Glacier, Snake River Idaho, Mesa Verde, Dinosaur National Park, Arches, Bryce, Zion, Petroglyphs, White Sands/Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, Bandolier National Monument.

You can stay for free in the parking lots of Cracker Barrels, Walmarts, and many other places.

For 4th of July I have grown up going to Pismo beach CA there is an amazing firework show that is on the beach. The fireworks are launched off the Pismo beach pier. My family stays at Pismo coast Village rv resort. I don’t know if you will still have the RV but it is super hard to get a site during 4th of July but there are tons of campgrounds. The campground has a really fun bike parade where everyone decorates there bikes, scooters, golf carts. And overall it’s an amazing time! It is affordable and an overall amazing experience!

July 4th in Las Vegas is always cool, usually 7 hotels across the Strip firing off identical shows plus really awesome drone shows and all the neon lights, it's incredible. Also if you're getting down to San Diego, Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo, all the museums and Seaport Village all in that area. it's awesome. The Safari Park outside Rancho Bernardo is great too.

Nashville 4th of July is always amazing. One of the largest fireworks shows in the country, live music, and great food!

Mt. Rushmore the night of the 4th of July will bring tears to your eyes for real its amazing !

For municipalities, you have Federal Parks, State Parks, County Parks, and Township Parks. You also have private parks. You could also stay at rest areas if need be. As someone who has experienced both Metro 4th of July, and small town 4th of July. Small town is the more real, less commercialized version. It may have less fireworks, but it has more spirit. There is a small town near me of about 800 people. That’s where I take my family and spend the day there.

4th of July in Ludington, Michigan is great. A very American experience with a parade and then people set up their tents and cookouts at the park on the beach and have a beach day/cookout with an awesome fireworks show at night. I would recommend. Not to mention Michigan sunsets are absolutely beautiful - the best I’ve seen anywhere in the world that I’ve been and I’ve been to a lot of places

Cabelas( Bass Pro shops on the west coast ) has a section in the parking specifically dedicated to RVs with electric hook ups with free parking , the one here has a credit card reader you buy electric with stayed at one overnight during a storm and watched tv used oven and microwave and only got charged 10 bucks for electric usage the parking was free but its overnight only no extended stays.

As an Oregonian and a camper, it's become increasingly difficult to get "spur of the moment' spots in the state parks - they are booked up 6 months in advance. You CAN just show up to some of them and they save handicapped spaces until something like 6 or 7 PM and if no one has them booked you can snag them. Also, some campgrounds are "first come first served." As for the size of RV, I say the simpler the better. I'd get a fairly small rental RV and probably no slides - there are only 4 of you and as long as there are 3 good sleeping spaces, you're golden - hopefully you won't be cooped up in there when you hit campsites anyway - it's just a place to sleep and maybe cook (although we do most of our cooking outdoor when we camp) and a smaller rig is easier to handle in unfamiliar places, will cost less in gasoline and will allow you to access some spots bigger rigs can't get into! Good luck - if you are interested in any Oregon/Washington places, I may be able to give you information on things to see and places to go --- I grew up near the Oregon coast and have lived here all my life (66 yrs).

If you are wanting to visit the Grand Canyon I recommend camping at "Circle Pines KOA" in Williams Arizona. From Circle Pines you can get them to take you to the train depot in Williams to take the train to the Grand Canyon. In 1997 we took our two children on a trip from Nevada to Tennessee via the Grand Canyon and Carlsbad Caverns New Mexico. We took the train to the Grand Canyon on this leg of the trip. After two weeks in Tennessee we went to Michigan via Mammoth Caves Kentucky and toured a cave there, then spent two weeks in Michigan both the lower and upper Michigan. Then we reversed back to Tennessee, again spending two nights and touring a cave at Mammoth Caves. Spending another two nights in Tennessee we then took I-40 back to Williams Arizona and took the Circle Pines KOA, van tour of the Grand Canyon, then back home to Nevada. We never made reservations at any of the campgrounds. By staying at private campgrounds instead of campgrounds such as the National Parks campgrounds we always was able to find vacancies. Unlike when we spent a week at Yosemite National Park, where you normally have to book a year or more in advance. KOA is a group of individually owned campgrounds and you can find them all over the United States. There are many privately owned campgrounds all over the US. My neighbor spent 10 years traveling around the US in a motorhome and always stayed in privately owned campgrounds, never having a problem finding a vacant one. The best plan is to leave one very early and check into the next one no later than 1500.

⁠ Thanks for the info. I never knew that. We drove from Arizona with some grapefruits and lemons from my mother in law’s fruit trees. 😮 We took them to Palm Springs to our resort. We didn’t know or never even considered it to be a problem. We won’t do that again. I learn new stuff everyday. I mean EVERY day. I’m 66 and 2 days and still learning. Thanks again for the info. 😊

If you rent a truck & a travel trailer it will give you more accessibility to areas that a motorhome can't get into by leaving the trailer at the campground.

I just love your little dog. He jumped up on your laps & gives kisses to apologize for his outburst! What a sweetie he is!🐶❤

When you're in the Northwest, stop by Coeur D' Alene, ID. (Idaho panhandle) It's a beautiful lake resort town with lots to see and do including the worlds longest boardwalk and a short distance away is the world's longest gondola at Silver Mountain, which is a ski resort but is active in the summer with plenty of fun activities for the whole family. Beautiful scenery. Western Montana is stunning in the spring, especially the Kalispel/ Flathead Lake area ,which is also close to Glacier National Park.

🚧Be aware of the height of the RV there may be areas that will have height restrictions. I know as a truck driver not all routes are available to larger vehicles you should be fine on the interstate system but side roads parkways and byways you may run into issues. Personally I ran a Rand McNally truck GPS to avoid these headaches. As far as over nighting there are plenty of rest areas and truck stops that don't require reservations the only one I can personally recommend in the area your heading to is the Sacramento 49er Travel Plaza if you were going further east there's several such as the I-80 truck stop in Walcot Iowa the world's largest truck stop. I wish ya'll safe travels and a enjoyable trip.

Harvest host has some of the best places to stay. You stay at vineyards, farm, ranches, business…ect. The cost is that it is expected that you buy something from the host (bottle of wine, produce…something small).

If, for example, you are wanting to go to Yellowstone National Park, there are even free campgrounds nearby that do not have a reservation system, but there are no hookups and will need a generator. This is called "boondocking" in America. You might use that term when searching if you can rent a generator, too.

KOA has some great campgrounds throughout the US. But public rest areas and truck stops (some truck stops have full showers and what not) are also where many can stop as you go as well

I've driven cross country and up and down the east coast multiple times. We have "rest stops" that are pretty much everywhere on the highways. There are specific RV rest stop locations as well. Anytime that I drove (in my car) I would go to the rest stops that have nighttime security. Some modernized ones will show you how many spaces are left as well. You don't need to worry.

4th of July in Washington DC. Huge fireworks display. Great place to learn about American government and history, lots of landmarks to visit, and the Smithsonian Museum is a must see. Gettysburg, PA is another recommendation. Lots of history in that area from the Civil War especially during that first week of July. The night time ghost tours are fun. Also, check to see if Bike Week (it’s a motorcycle thing, not bicycles) will be happening in any of the areas you’re visiting. Hundred of motorcycles in town with a festival.

For your RV trip you might look into joining Harvest Hosts, where you’re able to stay at private places like farms, orchards, vineyards, etc

Hi guys!! My husband and I are absolutely loving your videos. We live in a small-ish town right by San Diego, California called Coronado. It is THE BEST place to experience 4th of July. There is always a big parade down our main street and the whole island keeps on celebrating the whole day, it's really the best day ever. Highly recommend coming here for the 4th if you want a real American experience!

Hope everything gets figured out! Excited for these videos!

Utahns go nuts with their 4th of July celebrations, so you could always consider celebrating there. Stadium of Fire in Provo, UT at the very picturesque BYU college football stadium does a concert and enormously expensive firework show, and includes a flyover from the United States Hill Air Force Base in Clearfield, UT. Tickets are still available, and fairly inexpensive. You will get a chance to see and hear American jets like the F-35 that fly low over the stadium before the concert starts. Fireworks come after the concert. Past performers have been Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Journey, Blue Man Group, Jonas Brothers, Beach Boys, Keith Urban, etc. They haven't announced yet who will perform in 2024, but the performers are always world renowned. They spare no expense to bring the best entertainment for Independence Day celebrations.

Washington DC for Fourth of July! Amazing fireworks and amazing concert

My friends parents have an airstream and they use Harvest Hosts for their trips. You can park at vineyards, golf courses, breweries, etc and all they ask is that you purchase an item (bottle of wine, pint, etc) at the venue. I’m not sure how easy it is to just “roll up” but definitely something unique and safe!

Come on America help this family out. They are excited about visiting and we should give a helping hand. ❤❤❤

Many Dude ranches around Yellowstone/ Grand Teton National park. Idaho Falls next to both has one of the best 4th of July fireworks displays in the USA.

Wishing you an awesome trip from Anaheim, CA. No doubt you will get the details figured out. There is not much to add other than it is really easy to get overwhelmed with distances and trying to see everything. Be ridgid where it counts, but try and leave some room to be able to switch it up if you have to.

I've driven across country a couple times. (minivan not RV) but I often stayed at a KOA campground. They have RV hook ups and/or cabins to stay in, usually decently affordable. Also, worse comes to worse like others have said you there are Truck Stops all across the country on the major highways, like "Loves" "Flying J's) etc, they have showers and restaurants, groceries, all the things and you dont need a reservation :)

If I were planning an RV trip, I would just visit the places I wanted to see. You could park in the wilderness or stick with trucks stops or KOA campgrounds. The cool thing about using truck stops or even rest areas is that you have more freedom to make those random pit stops to see something cool that just catches your eye without having to have the stress of " I've got to be in this location at this time and there's no more stops, we can't do anything else."

If you get a smaller RV with a generator you can find a ton of great spots to stop for a night or two that are not RV parks. Mostly in national forests (not national parks, those have very different rules and are generally fully booked). You can pay to use an RV park's dump station if your black tank is full even if they don't have any parking spots available. Another option would be to bring a tent with your RV which would open up tent sites as well. You're basically travelling through the most crowded road trip areas in the nation in the middle of summer, so you may have to wing it a bit, and then focus on a few main stops if you can find somewhere that has availability.

We bought a camper and drove from Sacramento, Ca to Springfield, IL. We got a KOA membership and we booked all our stays about a month out. It was December but the KOA's were great.

I'm just now seeing this video, (KOA) campgrounds are all over the USA and have different sized camp sites for different sized RV's and most have laundry's to wash clothes, etc. and are fairly economical with membership cards and discounts available online.

If your trip takes you to the northern part of Michigan's lower peninsula, my family has 20 acres in the woods you can stay at for free that is RV accessible. Offer stands for any point in the future. As long as its in spring or summer. Fall is hunting season and winter it's inaccessible due to snow.

There is a channel on here called You Me and the RV. Stacy has a number of videos dealing with planning specifically and the app to use. They're both Navy vets and have a good channel.

Most rest areas have places to empty RV tanks. Truck Stops you can usually get water to fill water tanks.

Slide outs make a huge difference! Although the rentals come fully stocked, you will probably need a few items. We are big on garage sales here. Many advertise the types of items for sale. Local papers advertising camping or beach equipment will get you a variety of items for very little cost

For the cowboy trip, I recommend Wyoming more specifically Cody Wyoming, the historic UXU Ranch. Highly recommend it when I went. For 4th of July, I recommend my favorite beach town here in NC called Beaufort it’s simple and a nice southern coast town, but in 4th of July it’s a beautiful place. Greetings from NC

You might try contacting a travel agent based in Wyoming or Montana for the dude ranch planning. They would know the cost and availability and whether the activities are what you are wanting. The travel agent normally gets their commission from the travel resorts and not the traveler.

We have RV'd across the US, and our RV is a class C 31', slide outs are so worth having. We have my husband and son over 6' and 6'3', our daughter is 5'9", my sister and brother, our poodle, and myself. So with the slide outs it gives you room to move around. We learned longer isn't better just because it is harder to find spots for larger RV, which is why we decided on a 31-foot with 2 slide outs. July 4th, you will have to book reservations a year ahead. It is even hard for us to get certain places for July 4th week unless you book a year or two ahead. That week, unless you go to a smaller town, you may find a spot. We have spent some days at Flying J travel plaza or Cracker Barrel. Walmarts just go in and ask if you can park. Bear Lake in Utah is amazing. They have RV parks there to stay. Logan canyon is so cool to drive through. Southern Utah has amazing mountains.

Our favorite RU-vid are Traveling Robert; Creativity RV, and RV Miles. Also slides are generally worth it. Our travel trailer can be used with the slide open or closed. So if you get a slide, just be aware of how the rv functions when it is closed.

The Army Corps of Engineers has campsites all over the USA. They range from primitive sites to full hookups. A Class "C" would work best for you in my opinion. Get one with a generator. AAA has some very good resources, and will give you peace of mind with unexpected trip hazards. If you stay off the beaten path, you will find it much easier to find a place to rest your head and can often see some really cool places. We look forward to your trip!

You have almost 3000 comments. I am a retired truck driver 35 years over the road all 48. I live on the west coast in Oregan. I would be glad to offer you some advice. I have only watched 4 mins of your video. If I knew your route I dont need your times just your route and States. There are a lot of place with that sized camper. i wouldnt even call that an RV. But its better smaller. You can also find clean outs for your sewer and use bottled water better then the potted in that RV. Make sure to get an extra Propane bottle and look at getting a small cooking grill runs on propane. small bottle. that you can get any wal mart. So if you happen to read this and would like some free advice. send me a message back. if you dont I know I was lost in the avalanche. I hope you have a wonderful time. Cheers

You also have to put in travel time between sites that are more popular. An RV is slower then a regular car

Finding our Someday (RU-vid) did a number of vids on logistics of RVs on the PCH/hwy 1. They are awesome. If you have time be sure to also research hwy 395 in CA and the Alabama hills. Fave of vanlifers. There are so many great channels that share all the knowledge - keep your daydream, LivinRVision, less junk more journey, Changing Lanes, happilyeverhanks, etc Love y’all!! Jules (a Texan in LA)

Keep in mind that you can sleep overnight at Walmart /-k-mart/rest areas/ your fans home or yard/ truck stops Like Pilot, Flying j, Love's,Road Ranger, Petro, TA Travel Stop.... there are so many options to park for free. Also Elkhart County Indiana is the RV capital of the world. Check in with Jayco or KZ, or Forest River RV. The may give you a loaner for the exposure.

I live in a very popular state for tourism. During the "RV Season" - the warmer months - there is LOTS of RV traffic in the tourist areas. Also, keep in mind the terrain you will be driving through. I've seen more than 1 RV overheat while trying to drive a steep mountainous grade in a LONG line of traffic or smelled the burning brakes while they are riding the brakes going downhill. So, while I understand wanting to stay in a large RV with pop outs, etc, I would opt for a smaller and newer one - you would have more campsite options and can drive it more easily and find more parking spots when out sightseeing.

4th of July is a blast in Cedarburg Wisconsin. We have a very historic buildings. Over 200 listed on the historic register. We have a large parade, full day of events and fireworks.

I agree hours are easier to plan than miles. I’ve driven from TX to CA and TX to WA and TX to NC many times. Use and app where you can pick your starting point and check locations along your route to see how long it takes to get from point A to Point B and adjust until the time meets when you want to stop for the day. Closest safe clean city. May be an hour before or after you want to stop but easier to plan than miles.

The smoky mountains have a lot of rv parks. The pigeon forge Tennessee area has many of them. Good luck!!!

Well thinking outside the box, for a very detailed rv trip try a travel agent who specializes in rv bookings. My Mother is a retired travel agent and said they are out there. You don't pay a travel agent, they get funds from the source ( airlines, trains, hotels, camp grounds and car/rv rentals). KOA are great for last minute drive ins. Most state parks do reserve over a year in advance but they do have cancellations. Definitely worth calling once you're in the area. Good luck.

If you are near the following areas, plan accordingly - you will want to stay a week at each (2 full days for sure): The Redwoods. Tetons/Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Lake Tahoe, Nevada (California and Nevada split the lake lengthwise down the middle-you want the southern tip).

Hello. To add on to my recommendation from yesterday you could continue east from Kayenta to Four Corners. That is where four states all meet and there’s a plaque that you can take pictures of with one hand and foot in each state at the same time. Then head north to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado where there’s Indian homes cut into the cliff sides. Then head west into Utah and several cool parks as well. Moab Utah has Arches National Park, as well as white water rafting tours and places with Indian petroglyphs. So much more, so do plenty of research! Don of Alta Loma CA

We always used AAA. It's probably digital GPS now. Don't get anything you have to pull unless you have a LOT of experience backing it. Try to stick to with what we call a motorhome. As self contained as possible. Some of them have a roll out awning and a zip down mesh attachment to get extra space. I don't know how it works outside the country, but Good Sam Club is awesome. They'll help with anything RVing. If you're going to downtown Los Angeles you would really enjoy Clifton's cafeteria. So much history.!

As a motorcoach driver always look at the satellite picture of areas you are going to. So you can get the layout of the parking lots for stores before hand.

You can purchase a national & state park pass to use for day only use ... stay overnight outside parks like truck stops, etc. Shower at Truck Stop - wear shower shoes or Crocs. Texas has plenty of working ranches.

If you're planning on driving the Pacific Coast Highway, I believe there is a section that is closed due to damage from landslides. There is a pretty long detour to get around the closure.

I see other comments suggesting truck stops and Walmart. As a truck driver, I wouldn't suggest either one for a family of four in an RV. Truck stops are not as safe as they used to be, and quite frankly, they're very noisy. Not all Walmart parking lots are safe to park in overnight, and many don't allow overnight parking due to city ordinances. In other words, if you are forced to park in these places, be very selective.

One thing to note, either camper or RV, if you go to the PNW make sure you have a dehumidifier. My sister and her BF used to live/travel in their camper and the humidity will build up the condensation and possible mold and mildew growth. If you go to WA, hopefully we can say hi!

I have family in Wisconsin that has 10+ miles of deep wood horse riding trails and if you are in season for lightning bugs they do a 1am ride to a meadow showing millions of them. They also put on a ‘freak-o challenge’ involving night hike, kayak, mountain bike, swim and horse ride.

Crater Lake in Oregon is a must and will most likely still have snow around it. You can also get from Crater Lake to the Oregon Coast in a few hours. Lots of camping areas around Crater Lake too.

Every state has state parks, most of those parks have rv rentals, bathrooms and usually somewhere to swim/fish. KOA campground Is a good privately owned camp ground. I know you said you were doing the west coast but if you find yourself up in the northeast you should should check out the Appalachian mountains. While up that way go to Gettysburg Pennsylvania and head to the Civil War battle ground and take the tour.