my travels in pixels

To go to a foreign country, buy a vehicle and travel can be a bit daunting and finding information on how to do it, can be difficult. So how do you do it? The first year we bought a Dodge van, fitted it out and travelled for six months, we loved it so much we decided that we wanted to do it more, but the Dodge was too small and we couldn't face it again. US Travel Visa A normal ESTA travel visa is only for three months, which is not long enough if you want to buy a vehicle and travel. Go to the US consulate in your country and apply for a five year visa, you will need bank and investment details to show you can support yourself and have an idea where you want to travel. A five year visa only cost us $50 more than a six month one and saves you going back each year. On a travel visa, not only can you not do any paid work,  you cannot do any volunteer work either such as being a camp host. How long can I stay in the country at a time? Okay, you have your five year vis...

Living on the road is very different from being in a fixed abode, everything has to be mobile, accessible. Living in a different country also it's challenges as you don't know how things work. Mobile/Cell Phone and Data At home,  it's not uncommon to have unlimited download or large amounts of download to keep up with the digital world. On the road, you are on wireless, so this isn't an option. Like Australia, if you want good coverage, you need to go with the big boys, who are often the most expensive. The two big players in the USA are AT&T and Verizon. If you are going to be in major cities there are other players like Sprint. The first two years we had a contract with AT&T as we believed that they had the best coverage. We were wrong, Verizon does. So often we saw people talking on their phones in out of the way places and we had no connection. Note : It's difficult to open an account if you are a non US citizen as you don't have a social secu...

Battery Charger To recharge our three 12V 120 amp/hr Lifeline batteries properly, we have a 35amp/hr battery charger that runs off the generators or off power if we are connected. We also charge our batteries off the car electrical system by using a Redarc DC to DC battery charger that gets hook up to our trailer every time we take off. The system that comes with all trucks doesn't work, so don't believe what the sales people tell you. When charging from an external power supply like 110v or your generator, you may notice that it takes a long time to charge your batteries. The modern Smart Converters are not all that smart. They take the incoming power and distribute the power to the inside of your RV or Trailer first and the residual power then goes to charging your batteries at a rate no greater than 7 amps. So if your batteries are well down it may take several days to bring them back to a full charge. Even an overnight stop being hooked up may not solve your battery...

The USA seems to run on coupons, memberships and discounts! Camping Memberships Harvest Hosts Harvest Hosts' is a membership program costs as little as a one or two night stay in an RV park. You can stay at various locations like wineries, breweries; agri-tourism sites, across North America fee free, but may feel obliged to . You need a self contained RV. Passport America You can sign up at Camping world stores. 50% off selected RV parks. The downside is that some parks have blackout dates during peak season, weekends and a limit of days that the discount applies. Some also ask to be paid in cash. Membership is about the same cost as one to two nights in an RV park. We became members last year and have stayed at a couple of RV parks and yes you do pay half price. There is an app for your phone or tablet to makes finding a campground easier. Thousand Trails A complicated membership program. They have divided the USA in zones and you pay for a zone or multiple zones. ...