RV Travel Archives - Page 22 of 29 - RV Inspection And Care

Chesapeake Bay RV Resort – The Pros And Cons Of Staying There

Chesapeake Bay RV Resort is located at 12014 Trails Lane in Gloucester, VA

This 365 site Thousand Trails Park is located on 280 acres of land which sits right next to the Piankatank River.

Like all Thousand Trails parks, they also offer campsites to the public and the basic 30 amp site runs around $68 a night.

Click here to see the campground map for Chesapeake Bay RV Resort

Chesapeake Bay RV Resort Features

They also have a fishing pier and a boat ramp. You can launch your watercraft and travel down this river about 1/4 of a mile and be in the Chesapeake Bay. Sweet!!!

This park is fairly easy to find. It is located off Route 198 which can be accessed off Route 17.

Both routes can be traveled with little risk to most RV’s, even big rigs. So getting to this park is easily done.

The park itself is easy to navigate for rigs of all sizes. And it offers both 50 and 30 amp sites with full hookups. Please be aware though that the 50 amp sites are an extra $3 a night.

The sites usually offer gravel pads. And the spots are fairly level for the most part with ample space between them.

There are a number of long term residents there. So sometimes finding a 50 amp site can be challenging, especially in high season.

But you also have a choice of both sunny and shady sites. A nice plus!

Chesapeake Bay RV Resort Amenities

The staff was courteous and helpful. We were there during the Covid pandemic, but you could still use the bath houses and laundry room.

The laundry room was reasonably priced and clean. And the amenities such as pool and playground looked in very nice shape also.

The park itself was beautiful with not only access to the river but nice walking trails around ponds and a small beach access.

Chesapeake Bay RV Resort pond — **One of the ponds at the campground**

We enjoyed the waterfowl and the beautiful breeze off the river in the evening. It was very restful and relaxing.

What’s Nearby?

As far as being close to places to provision and visit, you do have a little drive to access these.

The nearest place to go for grocery stores, Walmart, and shopping is about 30 minutes away on Route 17 in Gloucester. There are other townships about 10 minutes
closer. But they offer very little to be able to restock your pantry.

What about places to see and visit???? Well this park is located within about an hour of some very historical places.

Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Richmond are great day trips and Yorktown lies only about 30 minutes away.

All of these places offer not only historical areas but also many shopping areas and restaurants that will satisfy almost anyone.

Internet Connectivity

How about being able to connect with others via phone or internet? Well unfortunately, the park does not offer wifi.

But we did seem to have good cell service with our T-Mobile phones. And our hot spot worked really well with AT&T.

Our Conclusion And Review

So how would we rate this park? We would give it a 4 out of 5. It was a very nice park but not exceptional.

We enjoyed the peaceful and restful environment. But it seemed like everything was just a little further away than we like. Especially if you are staying only a fairly short period of time.

Overall, we did enjoy our visit though. And we thank everyone at Chesapeake Bay RV Resort for a pleasant stay.

As always, have safe and happy travels everyone …..

Class B RVs – The Pros And Cons You Need To Know

Class B RVs are becoming very popular. In fact, they are one of the fastest growing segments of the RV industry.

But what is a Class B RV anyway? Well, usually they are built on a van chassis. For instance, either a Mercedes Sprinter, Ford Transit, or Ram ProMaster frame and chassis.

Watch my video on Class B RVs

That means that they are often about 15 – 20 feet in length. And they can come in either gasoline or diesel powered versions.

So you may have seen plenty of Class B RVs on the road and just didn’t know it. That’s because they tend to blend in more with passenger vehicles because of their size and shape.

But like all RVs, they have pros and cons that you should know about before buying one. So let’s talk about those advantages and disadvantages of Class B RVs now:

The Pros Of Class B RVs
The Cons of Class Bs
Who Should Consider a Class B RV?
Who Might Not Be A Good Candidate For A Class B?
Conclusion

The Pros Of Class B RVs

Easiest RV to drive – in fact they drive pretty much the same as a passenger van. This is great for newer RVers and those who find Class As and Class Cs too much to handle.
Great gas mileage for an RV – Much better than a Class A or Class C motorhome. And much better than most tow vehicles that pull either a 5th wheel or travel trailer too.
Class Bs can go places that larger RVs can’t – if you like boondocking in nature, this is a big plus. They also travel well on almost any kind or size of road.
They can fit in most campsites – their size allows them to fit into almost any campsite out there. This is especially great for National Park and National Forest campgrounds.
Often have the latest technology – they can come with equipment like a solar system installed. Also lithium batteries, instant-hot water heaters, and more.
Repair facilities are easy to find – this is because they are built on a common passenger vehicle van chassis. So the engine and drivetrain can be repaired almost anywhere.
Can be stored in your driveway – this is a big plus for some. Class A and Class C motorhomes are often prohibited from being parked in a home’s driveway. But Class B RVs look pretty much like any another passenger vehicle.
Can be used for stealth camping – they fit in so well that you can even stay in them overnight on many city streets.

The Cons of Class Bs

Smallest living space of any RV – very tight living quarters for more than two people.
Limited storage space – you won’t find many storage compartments on these RVs. Most of your storage is inside the RV.
No tow vehicle – this means that if you go anywhere, you must disconnect your campsite hookups whenever you leave. And when you return, you have to connect them again.
More expensive per square foot than other RVs – this is due to not being mass produced yet. As time goes on and they gain in popularity the prices may moderate more.
No permanent bed – in most cases the bed is often used as a sitting or dining area during the day. So every night the sitting or dining area must be changed into a bed.
Small bathrooms – these truly are tiny bathrooms. And that could be an issue with larger or older RVers with health issues.
Tiny kitchens and refrigerators – there just isn’t much room for counter space or a larger fridge.
Small fresh and waste water tanks – there just isn’t much room for them either. So you will have to refill the fresh water tank and dump the waste water tank more often.

Who Should Consider a Class B RV?

Class Bs are a great choice for solo RVers or couples that get along well in small spaces.

They do not work nearly as well for more than a couple. As you add more people, the available living space shrinks dramatically.

They are also good choices for RVers who don’t need many luxuries or amenities to be happy. There just isn’t space for lots of extras in these RVs.

They can also be great for weekend campers and tailgaters at sporting events. In fact, lots of people use them for shorter camping trips and overnights with great success.

Who Might Not Be A Good Candidate For A Class B?

RV couples that are fulltimers or part-timers should probably think twice about getting a Class B RV. Of course, that doesn’t mean that it is impossible.

But I have seen several couples who started out fulltiming in smaller RVs decide that more space was needed. And this seems to become more apparent as they spend more time in the rig.

Also, maybe you really like things like washer/dryers, residential sized refrigerators, larger showers. Then maybe a larger motorhome like a Class A will fit your needs better.

Conclusion

It is good to remember that there are no hard and fast rules about who should buy what kind of RV. There are just too many variables in people’s preferences to make that kind of call.

So if you still aren’t sure whether a Class B RV should be in your future after reading this article, that’s understandable.

Perhaps the best way to know for sure whether a Class B fits your style best is to try before you buy.

There are many RVers that rent out their RV during the times of year that it isn’t in use by them. So you could rent a Class B through a site like Outdoorsy.com and try it out first.

Go camping in the rental for a while. Get to know the little quirks of using a Class B RV on your own. Then you’ll have a much better picture of what it’s like to travel and camp in a Class B.

You can also ask other Class B owners that have similar traveling and camping styles to your own. See what they say about their rig and what they like and dislike about it.

By doing your homework in advance, you can put your mind at rest and determine whether or not a Class B RV is right for you.

As always, have safe and happy travels out there ……

Downtown Riverside RV Park – Our Full Review And Report

Downtown Riverside RV Park is located at 250 S. Locust St., in North Little Rock, AR.

This 61 site park located right in the heart of North Little Rock, Arkansas was such a great little find. And we really enjoyed the short time that we spent here.

You would think that being downtown, it would be difficult to find and navigate to. But that would be wrong on both counts.

This RV park is located at exit 141B off the I-30. And it is very easy to exit off the highway.

The directions you receive from the park when you book your reservation makes it extremely easy too. In fact, the roads that lead to the park have wide enough turns for even big rigs.

Click here to visit the Downtown Riverside Park website

Downtown Riverside RV Park Features

When you arrive at the park, they offer a gated, secure campground that sits right on the Arkansas River.

Yes, this park sits right on the Arkansas River and I mean right on the river. There are spots that back right up to the river bank and the view is just lovely.

They also have 14 pull through sites. So if you have a large rig or you just don’t want to disconnect your tow vehicle, you can do that.

All of the sites have 50 amps and full hookups. Many of the sites have concrete pads and all seem to be extremely level.

Even though all the sites have full hookups, they also offer a dump station too if needed.

And they have onsite laundry facilities and restrooms for those RVers that may need them. But just an FYI, the only type of camping they do not accept is tent camping.

With all of this, the nightly cost for this campground is still very reasonable. Depending on which site you want, the sites range from $25-$35 per night. And they offer several discounts too, including Good Sam.

Downtown Riverside RV Park Surroundings

As mentioned, this park is located right on the river with beautiful views. But be aware though that the park itself is not fancy.

Downtown Riverside Park during the daytime

It is more like being in a large parking lot rather than a campground. But you can walk over to the pavilion or river bank, and look at the beautiful skyline of Little Rock.

Or you may enjoy watching the boats that make their way up and down the river during the daytime.

But the real beauty of this location comes at night though, when all the lights come on. The bridges that span the river nearby are lit with many different colored lights. And they are spectacular.

The bridge lights change regularly with different colors, making it a beautiful site to see in the evening and night.

One of the bridges that crosses the river is a pedestrian only bridge. It is called the Clinton Pedestrian Bridge.

You can walk or bike across the bridge whenever you want. It is well kept up and lined with some beautiful flower boxes. And there are several places to stop and look out over the river.

It ends on the other river bank which leads to many shopping areas and restaurants in downtown Little Rock.

Things To See And Do In The Area

If you like hiking, there is a very easy trail that surrounds this RV park called the Arkansas River Trail.

It is a prominently marked 15 mile trail, and you can walk or bike as much or as little of it as you like.

Also not far away are some historical areas and museums and for those who like a bit more adventure. And there is a great sunset kayak tour for those who enjoy being on the water.

The last thing that we want to mention is connectivity. Being right in the middle of the city, it is not hard to get cell reception for your phones.

The RV park does offer free Wi-Fi but we honestly do not know how good it is. We hooked up with our AT&T hotspot and had great reception though.

Our Rating For Downtown Riverside RV Park

So how would we rate this small RV park since it is located right in the middle of a reasonably large city???? We would give it a 4.8 rating.

The only thing that could be improved would be the parking lot feel. But you have to remember that the park is in the middle of a city.

It’s not located in the countryside or a forest, so we would say that overall it is a great park for its location!!!!

We would definitely go back because it was very enjoyable, unique, and a great price!

I hope you enjoyed this review. Have safe and happy travels everyone!

Category: RV Travel