The RV lifestyle conjures up images of seeing great places, meeting great people and answering the call of the open road. Living through a pandemic isn’t usually part of the picture.
So, how do you survive a worldwide emergency like COVID-19 in a luxury fifth-wheel? If you’re like our New Horizons Ambassadors, you respond with good graces and good cheer — and even find some good times along the way.
Drawn from the experiences of three New Horizons Ambassadors couples, here are “5 Tips for Making the Most of Your RV — Even in a Pandemic.”
Joe and Leslie Kohler
For Joe and Leslie Kohler, the pandemic was punctuated by a journey from their home in Tuckahoe, N.J., to Junction City, Kan., to pick up their new 41-foot Majestic. But it was hardly their first rodeo.
“This is number seven,” Joe said of their latest RV.
They left Tuckahoe on May 16 and arrived in Junction City on May 19.
“We towed a trade-in out there, stayed in campgrounds on the way,” Joe said. Although they experienced no problems, things weren’t entirely routine.
Tip No. 1 — Flexibility has its own rewards
Although most campgrounds weren’t allowing campers to enter the office upon arrival, Joe and Leslie were able to go with the flow. The campground operators left everything they needed at their campsite, so everyone was able to maintain social distancing.
Leslie said they don’t usually stop at restaurants on their way to a destination because they don’t want to unhook the RV, so closed dining rooms weren’t an issue.
They found their reward with their first night out in months when they reached Junction City, where restaurants were just opening up again. They met another couple in the New Horizons parking lot and went out to dinner with them.
The Kohlers are retired but aren’t full-timers. “We travel a month here, a month there,” Joe said.
Tip No. 2 — Seek alternative destinations
The pandemic put a damper on their plans to visit Yellowstone National Park in June. When they learned that most things would be closed and they would be quarantined in their RV for two weeks, they decided to put that trip off for a year.
Campgrounds in New Jersey state parks reopened on June 22, however, and Joe and Leslie were looking forward to spending two weeks at one of their favorite spots.
Both said they love their new Majestic and New Horizons RV.
“You’re dealing with the top people,” Joe said.
Bill and Karen Burrington
If you have to drive home from a foreign country during a pandemic, a New Horizons RV is definitely the way to go.
Bill and Karen Burrington of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, were snowbirding in Arizona when the pandemic hit in March.
“We have been wintering in Arizona the last three or four years,” Karen said.
They’ve also spent winters in Florida, California and even Mexico since they began RVing in 2009. Bill and Karen are retired but aren’t full-time RVers.
They’ve had their current 42-foot Majestic for six years.
Tip No. 3 — Stay ‘self-contained’
“We did drive back through the pandemic,” Karen said, but because they were in an RV, they were “self-contained.” They didn’t have to worry about hotels or restaurants.
During the four-and-a-half-day trip, they stayed overnight in a variety of locations, including campgrounds and a casino parking lot.
“It worked out very well,” she said. “We were good.”
Tip No. 4 — Adjust plans accordingly
From their home in Winnipeg, the Burringtons are wondering about some of their summer travel plans. They had hoped to attend Ambassador Days on Aug. 20-21 in Junction City, Kan., but the border will be closed to all but essential travel until at least Aug. 21.
The New Horizons Owners Group Rally on Sept. 7-11 in Creede, Colo., remains a possibility, though.
They also enjoy traveling around Manitoba and neighboring provinces.
Although local campsites are all booked up at the moment, Karen said, she and Bill hope to travel later in the summer.
“The last five years, everything has tightened up on sites in North America,” Karen said.
She expects that competition to continue as travel restrictions ease and more people try to get out.
Terry and Linda Cunningham
When you live in an RV full time, what do you do when a pandemic requires you to self-isolate? You do the same as anyone who lives in a stationary, stick-built house.
You stay home as much as possible and limit your trips out.
That’s been the routine for Terry and Linda Cunningham, who have ridden out the pandemic in their 42-foot Majestic at the RV park in Arcadia, Fla., where they normally spend six months a year.
Tip No. 5 — Enjoy what’s close at hand
“It’s a beautiful outfit,” Terry said of the couple’s RV home, adding that quality was the biggest factor in choosing New Horizons. “You get what you pay for.”
He said his wife ventured out for groceries, but otherwise, “We just did things within our park.” They feel safe there, he said.
That’s good advice whether you’re at home or away — enjoy what your surroundings have to offer.
While their Majestic has been as comfortable as any home you could buy, Terry is itching for a change of scenery. Normally, they head out to Colorado in April and return to Florida in November, but the pandemic has had them staying put.
When asked what the weather was like in Florida in June, he said, “Hot and humid, and it rains every day.”
“I’ve got to get out,” he said. “I’m tired of being cooped up.”
Fortunately, when your permanent home is a luxury RV — and you are free to travel — you do it in style.
Terry said he and Linda are looking forward to attending Ambassador Days on Aug. 20-21 in Junction City, Kan., and the New Horizons Owners Group Rally on Sept. 7-11 in Creede, Colo.
Their Majestic is their fifth RV, and they enjoy the people they meet when they’re on the road.
“Everyone tries to look out for each other,” he said. “It’s just a different class of people.”
If you’re looking for a safe and comfortable way to travel, contact a New Horizons product specialist to see if a custom Majestic or pre-engineered Summit fits your lifestyle. Our current promotion includes a free 7-year extended warranty!
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