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RVingFamily.com is a website
dedicated to promoting the wholesome family
activity of Rving. My first experience
with an RV was in the early 1970’s
when my parents rented a pop-up camper
and we traveled one summer to Red River,
New Mexico. I remember this trip as if
it were yesterday – the freshness
of the mountain air, cold nights, campfires,
and the smell of our rented camper when
it was first “popped” up (whoa).
In 1979, my parents purchased a motor
home when I was 15 years old. It’s
not a stretch to say I learned to drive
a passenger car and a motor home at the
same time. We had that motor home for
the duration of my high school years and
when I moved off to college. I always
enjoyed seeing older driver’s amazement
watching me navigate it on the highway
or at a campground. I can honestly remember
every trip we made in it, and there were
many. I’m not sure I
ever thanked my folks for their sacrifice
then. If they are reading this now, they
finally know! This website is as much
a tribute to them as it is to all
the families who know the power of Rving
together. |
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| My
wife and I married in 1997, and almost
within a year we began our own travel
adventures. Our first RV was a 19’
Mallard travel trailer. My wife was new
to the idea of traveling with an RV so
this was a great way to introduce her
to it. This trailer was very affordable
and easy to maintain. By the time our
son was born in 2000, we had already transitioned
into a 33’ fifth wheel, which required
an upgrade to a diesel pickup. When our
daughter arrived 19 months later in 2001,
we moved up to a 37’ fifth wheel
with 3 slides. In 2004, we traded in this
trailer for a motor home, a Fleetwood
Bounder. With the birth of our first child,
we really weren’t sure if we could
continue traveling extensively with kids.
With some trial and error we adapted and
were encouraged by the results. Now some
250,000 miles later, 4 RV’s and
3 pickups later, 2 children, and having
visited a great majority of the continental
United States, here we are beginning a
travel website for other families who
RV together. We want our visitors to know
we are not affiliated with any RV manufacturer,
dealer, campground, or other company,
group, or individuals in this industry.
We are not affiliated with NASCAR, Nextel
Cup tracks, NCAA, or any other destination
or event mentioned in this website. We
are just a real family who RV’s
together. |
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| As my own family
grows, this website will too. In the coming
months we will introduce other travel “event”
destinations especially suited for families.
We believe the future of Rving lies in destination
or “event” traveling, and so it
is for this reason alone we created our RV park
directory. In addition, our goal is to suggest
other ways to enjoy an RV to achieve its maximum
utility. Finally, in 2006 we plan on opening
our “store” which will feature many
unique products for the RV and original books
which will be only available through RVingFamily.com.
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One
of the main driving
forces behind creating this website was the
constant bombardment of questions from friends
and relatives who didn’t know how we did
it - travel so much with children. In any average
year through 2005, we might have spent 6 months
away from home. A lot of our success came from
the fact we started our kids traveling at an
early age. Secondly, I owe so much of our travel
victories to my wife, Heather. She and I share
the same passion for traveling, and we both
realized this from the moment of our first date.
In marriage, we found Rving to be an excellent
way to bond as a new couple. If two people can
enjoy each others companionship in a 19’
trailer, you can learn to get along almost anywhere.
Through Rving, she became my best friend! When
our kids came along, our RV was a tool we used
to bond as a family. Now that they are bigger,
I can’t ever imagine not owning an RV.
My son and daughter share our travel passion,
and I have no doubt they will carry these memories
with them forever.
To a family considering renting or buying an
RV, I can say with all sincerity the positives
far outweigh the negatives. There are ways to
minimize the negatives (high gasoline prices)
which we talk about on this website. For some
families who may not know if they can afford
an RV, I can almost assure most that if they
added up all their wasted dollars spent on name
brand athletic shoes, designer clothes, dining
out excessively, big screen TV’s, etc.,
you would be shocked to see how close you really
can afford it. Is owning an RV worth the commitment?
Yes, yes, and yes! If you have kids, consider
an RV as an extension of your obligation to
maintaining your family unit. If you are a parent,
just remember there are no doors to slam or
stereos to crank up in the forest. There is
no MTV or telephones at the campfire. It’s
just you and your kids. Rving is about you relying
on your kids as much as your kids relying on you. |
| One of our favorite
artists was Norman Rockwall. He painted scenes
of traditional American way of life during the
first half of the twentieth century –
at least traditional scenes as he envisioned
it. Whether his America was real is not the
point, he painted images which most of us today
believe were real and how life was during those
seemingly innocent times. When you see all the
negativity entering your home today from sources
outside the home, it may seem like those long
ago days he painted about are forever gone.
I beg to differ! Traveling with your kids in
an RV, is as close to finding traditional America
and our mythical values as one can get. You
can’t see America from 35,000 feet up
in the air, and you can’t always see America
from just the interstates. Take your kids away
from the negativity and they will blossom. You
might even see their true selves for the first
time. Our wish for your family is to get as
much out of the RV experience as we have and
hopefully our knowledge can be an invaluable
help to yours! |
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