Choosing the Right RV - Fort Lupton, CO

Now that you are clear on your recreational vehicle options, you are ready to start debating which one is right for you and your family. Before you begin walking the rows and rows of available options at your Fort Lupton RV dealership, there are a few things you can consider to get the right rig for you and your family.

Before you begin searching, remember that purchasing a recreational vehicle is an investment, similar to your home or vehicle, that should be thought about as a long-term investment. Although you want to consider your current financial situation and traveling needs, it is not wise to purchase an RV that you will outgrow before you have a chance to fully enjoy your rig.

What kind of traveling will you be doing and with whom?

This is probably the most important question to ask yourself. If you and your spouse are spending the summers traveling from coast to coast, you want to ensure that you have a luxury home on wheels that you can climb into and hit the road with all the amenities of home. However, if you are a young family and spend summer vacation checking out local campgrounds close to home and you just need a place to store your food, change the baby, and rest your weary heads after a busy day of fishing and hiking, a truck camper may be a better, more affordable option. Ask yourself these questions:

• How often will we travel?
• How long will we be gone?
• What amenities do we need?
• How many travelers are there?
• What is your truck capable of towing?

Tow ratings are also specific to each truck, as well as each year model. Violating the tow rating could also have insurance issues in case of an accident as well as wreak havoc on the transmission. There's not usually a sticker for tow rating, though, which is why they make a new guide every year.

DOWNLOAD YOUR GOOD SAM TOWING GUIDE HERE

What are the logistics?

When you purchase an RV, there is so much more to it than the living space and the amenities it offers - although, these are the reasons you want a motorhome or trailer to begin with. Before purchasing an RV, you'll need to consider some of the more logistical details. For instance:

• What does the new haul require and what is your current towing capacity? Keep in mind that you'll have to add upward of 2,500 pounds for a fully stocked RV and truck.
• What is the fuel requirement?
• Insurance. You want to protect your investment - not to mention its a requirement to making it road-legal! Ask your insurance company if they will cover it and how much it will be.
• Purchase price. You'll only want to purchase what you can comfortably afford. At Mericle RV, we offer a variety of financing options, in addition to selling used RVs and offer special discounts.
• Maintenance and repair. Maintenance requires similar things to your regular vehicle including oil changes, in addition to RV-specific maintenance including roof maintenance and winterization. At Mericle RV, we offer a full menu of services and maintenance, including mobile RV repair, collision repair, and routine maintenance.

What amenities are most important?

It is wise to make a list of the things that are important to you and your co-travelers. We recommend making two columns - your “must-haves” and then the things that would be nice, but are not a deal-breaker. At Mericle RV, we will scour the RVs available to meet all of your expectations, but having a list will help you better find the best fit with as little compromise as possible. Some amenities to consider include:

• Sleeping space - how many do you need to sleep and how far apart do you need to be? Will you be sleeping in a tent outside and only need emergency sleep space? Is this your full-time home and you need luxury, full-size sleeping areas?
• Food storage and preparation - do you need a single-burner hotplate for frying up the fish you catch or do you need a full four-burner stove to prepare full meals for your entire family? For storage, do you require a simple cooler for condiments and beverages, or do you need a full refrigerator to house groceries for a summer on the road?
• Entertainment and connectivity - Do you need a trailer that hauls your toys and doesn't need any electrical connectivity, or do you need all the technology of modern conveniences including a large flat-screen TV, Wi-Fi capability, and GPS?

The options for outfitting your RV are limitless. From super basic to the most luxurious and everything in between, you can have whatever suits your family the best!

If you are not sure what you are looking for, but itching to begin your adventure with a new recreational vehicle, contact us at Mericle RV and let Motorhome Mike and his staff find the right rig for you. For your new travel vehicle, visit us online or stop by our Fort Lupton RV dealership.

No two explorers are the same, and such is true of their recreational vehicles as well. At Mericle RV, we have been helping Colorado adventurers find the right vehicle to meet their travel needs. Our expert RV brokers don’t simply ask which of our hundreds of options you’d like to see, but ask the questions to find a better understanding of what you are looking for and which of our rigs can optimize your travel experience. Above, we discussed the various models and types of RVs to provide more insight on what to expect and get you thinking about the accommodations that might make your adventures more enjoyable. Now, let’s take a deeper dive into what kind of traveler you are to discover a realistic solution for you and your family.

• The Casual Family Campers
• The Grand Explorers
• The Retired Bucketlisters

• Did you enjoy camping as a kid and bought your own pup-tent as a young adult, but now you have a family too?
• Do you enjoy the great outdoors but have young children and dogs you’d like to bring along?
• Do your extended family gatherings involve camping, rafting, hiking, and sightseeing of national parks?
• Is your primary vehicle a truck?
• Do you find tent camping to be discouraging with your current family setup, but your vacations don’t warrant a motorhome?

If any (or all) of these descriptions sound like you and your family, a fifth-wheel camper might be your best bet. Fifth-wheel trailers offer the convenience of hitch-and-go exploration without the commitment of an additional vehicle. Families with children love that it provides “indoor” space for sleeping and meal preparation without providing the amenities that distract from exploring the great outdoors. With the ability to temperature control and the space to sleep the entire family, you can find reprieve from cool desert nights, rain, and intense summer sun to allow the entire family to get a good night’s rest. You can easily unhitch the fifth wheel to run into town for forgotten supplies or tourist experience. Fifth wheel campers offer plenty of storage for all of your fishing, hiking, biking, and family s’more and game night needs. Fifth-wheel trailers provide peace of mind with locking doors and windows to ensure your family’s safety.

View the Mericle RV fifth-wheel inventory or Evoke Travel Lite online or stop by our lot Fort Lupton lot today!

• Does your outdoor exploration consist mostly of hiking, dirt biking, rock climbing, photography, hunting, and rafting — essentially leaving you at camp less than half the day?
• Is your recreational vehicle little more than a place to store a change of clothes and a place to sleep?
• Do you often explore the road less traveled and go way out?

If you are the type of explorer who travels light and has a specific purpose of travel in mind, compact trailers are likely the best option for you. Campers like the Camp365 or the Braxton Creek Bushwhacker offer you the ability to sleep in a shelter, store all of your toys, and travel to more remote locations than other traditional recreational vehicles and campers. These lightweight campers can be hitched to just about any vehicle and travel nearly anywhere a jeep can. They feature plenty of storage room, a comfortable place to sleep, and all the amenities an explorer needs without the luxuries they don’t.

• Is your idea of adventure traveling the great United States and discovering all the things to see along the way?
• Do you spend a great deal of time traveling to see family and friends, while stopping at the national parks along the way?
• Do you seek comfort and more of a house on wheels than just a place to rest your head?

If you are a retiree looking to adopt a travel-heavy or snowbird-type lifestyle, a coach motorhome is a great option for you! When it comes to Motorhomes, just like your primary home, the options are limitless. If you just want a small coach to efficiently travel the interstates or you want luxury accommodations for life on the road, or something in between, we’ve got the perfect rig for you. From full kitchens, bedrooms, and bathrooms, to built-in top-of-the-line entertainment technology and mobility aid safety devices, your rig has the potential to be more comfortable than your Florida vacation timeshare. To add to the amenities, the custom fabrication team at Mericle RV can create just about any space or alteration you require.

Browse all of our amazing inventory online, stop by our Fort Lupton lot, or contact us if you don’t see what you are looking for and Mericle Mike and his team can likely find it for you!

Heading out on the open road? If you are thinking about packing up your RV and exploring the great outdoors, there are a few things you should consider before you hit the trails. At Mericle RV, we are exploration experts and can help you with anything and everything to do with your recreational vehicle trips to include finding the perfect rig for you.

Preparing for Your Trip

Before you head out, your trip should be carefully considered. At Mericle RV, we are wholly supportive of those who have no point B in mind and just want to explore what the great wide open has to offer. However, this in no way means that you should simply get up and go. Your RV is like any other machine and needs some special care and attention before being put to the test. If you have had your rig stored, you’ll need a tune-up and if it was winterized, it should be un-winterized prior to hitting the road. An oil change is likely considerable, especially if you have no intention of making your trip short and sweet. Schedule your RV service and repair at Mericle RV before setting out on your grand adventure.

Some other considerations for preparing for your trip include:

• Performing tuneups on vehicles and sports equipment you’ll be taking
• Stock the fridge
• Pack plenty of linens
• Print point-to-point maps or purchase road maps
• Search for points of interest and potential stops along the way
• Plan for the unexpected

Responding to the Road

We highly recommend getting to know your trailer or camper before heading out. Test the relationship between your truck and the trailer and practice driving your fully-loaded rig on various road surfaces. This may sound a little silly, but even if you are used to driving a bus each day, RVs behave differently depending on how it is hitched and loaded and what weather is present.

If you’ve got an idea of where you are headed, you can check out road conditions in advance, checking for weather concerns and major construction on your route.

Some Popular RV Spots We Recommend

As Colorado natives and biased toward our beautiful state, our RV experts are more than happy to recommend plenty of local Colorado sites that are popular for campers and RV travelers.

Manitou Springs

Settle in the shadow of the enchanting views of Pikes Peak and Gardens of the Gods while you enjoy the healing effects of the Seven Minute Springs. With plenty to do or see, you won’t be disappointed.

Estes Park

Just a hop, skip, and a jump — or a short motorhome cruise — away from our Fort Lupton RV lot, Estes Park is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park’s alpine wonderland. Kayak, canoe, indulge in wine tasting, or simply enjoy the fresh air and picturesque views.

Roosevelt National Park

Snaking through the Poudre Canyon, the Cache La Poudre River is perfect for fishing, rafting, or simply taking in the sounds of nature.

Steamboat Springs

This Colorado mountain town is popular for biking and rodeo in the summer months and known for the ski mountain in the winter months. With a hot springs and charming shops, not to mention the scenic drive in and out makes the trip everything an explorer loves.

If you aren’t looking for a place to stop and stay, we have a few scenic drives that every Colorado RV should make.

• Santa Fe Trail — Trinidad to Lamar (188 miles)
• Guanella Pass — Georgetown (22 miles)
• Dinosaur Diamond Historic Byway — Grand Junction (512 miles)

If you care to leave Colorado and explore what the United States has to offer, the list is nearly bottomless. However, there are a few drives that rank among seasoned RV veterans and should be on every explorer’s to-drive list.

Route 66

stretches all the way from Illinois to California and has been heavily popularized over the years. It is one of the longest trips on our list, but there is no shortage of things to see and do along the way.

Blue Ridge Parkway

is a span of highway that snakes for nearly 500 miles through the Appalachia. While not many windy mountain roads rank in RV lists, Blue Ridge Parkway has amenities and accommodations that cater to recreational vehicles and the views make it worth it. 10 out of 10, we would highly recommend making the drive.

Big Sur Coastal Highway

allows you to experience coastal California from north to south (or vice-versa if you please). Take in everything the Pacific Coast has to offer.

Desert Southwest

tops any explorer’s must-travel list because it is incredibly scenic and takes drivers through some of the most beautiful National Parks including the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park.

There are so many things to see and do and your RV affords you the opportunity to get out there and do it! Stop by Mericle RV to find the rig that’s right for you!