RVing in Florida? Helpful Tips & Must-See Destinations

Many people in the United States dream of RVing in Florida.  Florida is one of the few places in the country where you can find warm weather all-year-round.

In this post, I’ll give you some tips for RVing in Florida. 

After this, I’ll even give you a few ideas on where to go RVing in Florida.

Be a Snowbird…

Florida is a great place to be in the winter.  Even in January, you can expect highs of 70 degrees in Tampa, Florida which is about halfway down the state.  During this month, the lows average in the low 50’s at night so you won’t have to worry about running your air conditioner but you may have to turn on the heat for a bit.

In places like Miami, Florida, you can expect highs in the 70s in January and lowes in the mid-60s.  This is perfect weather for those of you who never want to have to deal with the cold.

During the summer months, you’ll have temperatures in the upper 80s and 90s which isn’t much different than many other areas of the country at this time.

The weather isn’t the only reason to visit Florida in your RV during the winter.  Often-times, winter prices are lower than spring and summer prices.  This is especially true for the areas around Disney World.  Many families visit this area in December so January and February are generally less expensive months of the year to visit these areas.

This leads me to my next tip about visiting in the winter.  Do not go RVing just before or just after Christmas.  During these weeks, you’ll see a spike in visitor levels in Florida as many families are taking advantage of the Christmas break to visit warmer weather.

Watch Out for the Humidity

According to Weather.gov, in a normal year, 175 Americans die from extreme heat.  The elderly, the sick, young children, and overweight people are more likely to suffer from extreme heat.

The humidity makes the heat even worse.

This is because humid atmospheres make it harder for sweat to evaporate.  The evaporation process is what helps cool the human body down so when it is extremely hot and humid, it can be difficult to cool down.

If you’ve taken my advice and you’ve gone to Florida in the winter, this won’t be a problem for you.  However, if you’re visiting in the summer, you’ll want to make sure you try to stay cool by avoiding the midday sun, drinking lots of water, and avoiding strenuous activities during the day.

Humidity isn’t just bad for your health either.  Humid indoor conditions are bad for your RV.  A humid RV is more likely to breed disease and it is more likely to develop mold and mildew.  Wooden interiors become more susceptible to rotting in humid areas and you may end up with more condensation than you can handle.

To avoid a humid RV interior, you should run fans and open windows.  You may also want to consider showering outside or at the bathhouses and you’ll want to avoid boiling water inside your RV as well.

Here are the dehumidifiers we recommend for RVing. They work especially great in living areas because they are silent (and reasonably priced!).

For more information on reducing humidity levels in your RV, please read the post titled, “Humidity & Ventilation in Tiny Houses: 18 Great Tips That Work“.

Consider Air Conditioning

In the summer in Florida, you should seriously consider using your air conditioner in your RV.

Between the heat and the humidity, you may find that the only way to stay safe from overheating is to run an air conditioner.  Not only will running an AC unit in your RV keep you safe, but it will also keep your RV safe as well.  The air conditioner will work to remove moisture from the air and it will drain it outside of your RV.

However, running an air conditioner will require some additional planning. 

You’ll need to find a place to park that has electrical hookups or you’ll need to have a generator and enough fuel to power the generator.

If you decide to run a generator, you may want to consider where you’ll be parking your RV.  Some parks and campgrounds may not allow you to run your generator between certain hours.

This means that you won’t be able to run the air conditioner through the night.  In coastal areas with strong breezes, this might not be a problem but it could become an issue in areas that remain hot and humid overnight.

Be Wary of Hurricane Season

Florida is known for its devastating hurricanes.  A lot of property damage occurs during hurricane season and sometimes these hurricanes can even be fatal.  In fact, according to the New York Times, in 1992, Hurricane Andrew killed 65 people, destroyed 63,000 homes and did $26.5 billion dollars in damage to the state.

RVers are especially vulnerable to hurricanes as they do not have the protection that a brick and mortar home provides to its owners.

On the other hand, RVers have the option to drive away with their homes before hurricanes can cause them damage.

Just be aware that roads can quickly become blocked and getting out of a hurricane area may take longer than you have before the hurricane hits.

For this reason, I recommend you stay away from Florida until the hurricane season ends.  This season occurs during the months of June to November with August, September, and October being especially high-risk times of the year.

Don’t Feed the Wildlife

Florida has both alligators and crocodiles.  If you’re from the northern part of the country you may find them to be a novelty.  You may even decide you’d like to get a close-up look at them by feeding them.

Please do not do this.

Not only do you put yourself in danger, but you also put future visitors in danger as well.  Feeding alligators make them more likely to approach humans and reduce their natural fear of them.  Each time you feed an alligator, you increase the chances of the alligator attacking you or someone else.

Plan a Long Trip

Long trips mean bigger discounts at RV parks and campgrounds.  Plan to stay for a month and you’ll end up paying much less than if you had only stayed a weekend.

It will also cut down on your travel costs as you won’t have to go back as frequently.

Plan a longer trip and you could end up saving several hundred dollars.  Not only this, but you’ll have more time to explore and to see what the state has to offer.

4 Great Places to Go

1) Panama City

Panama City Florida is in the northwestern part of the state.  For northerners, it isn’t as far of a drive and yet the weather is still very Floridian.

The beaches there are beautiful and the water is crystal clear.  Snorkeling, swimming, dolphin watching, jet-skiing, and fishing are just a few of the things you can do on Panama City’s 27-mile long beach.

There are many RV beach resorts for you to stay on and they are all open year-round.  If you’d rather stay in a state park, you can camp at ST. Andrews State Park or Camp Helen State Park.

2) Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

Disney’s Fort Wilderness offers sites with full hookups.  High-speed Internet and cable are also available so you definitely won’t have to want for anything.

The park is pet-friendly and it has a bus that will take you to various Disney attractions.  A water taxi is also available to take people to Disney’s Magic Kingdom during the day.

This is nice because you can hook up your motorhome and leave it hooked up throughout your entire stay at Disney.

3) Bahia Honda State Park

Bahia Honda State Park is located within the Florida Keys.  There you can go on snorkel boat tours and kayaking trips into the clear water of the Florida Keys.

This park sits on over 500 acres on which you can tent camp, RV camp, and even boat camp.  Prices are reasonable and campsites vary from $16.00 to $42.00.  You won’t find anywhere else in the Florida Keys offering campsites this cheap.

4) Florida Caverns State Park

Florida Caverns State Park is unique because of its wonderful cave tours.  The cave system is a limestone cave system and the tours through them are guided.

These tours are only $8.00 for adults and $5.00 for children.

The cave is located 350 feet underground and the temperature is always 65 degrees so it’s a great place to go to get a break from the heat.  In addition to the caves, you’ll be able to enjoy the beach, canoeing, kayaking, boating, equestrian trails, museums, mountain biking trails, nature trails, and even a lighthouse.

You’ll also find showers, laundry facilities, and a restaurant within the park so it is definitely a more modern campsite experience at the Florida Caverns.

In Summary

Florida is a great place to go RVing, especially during the colder months of the year.

Just be sure to take precautions against the heat, the humidity, and the weather and you’ll be sure to have a memorable experience RVing in Florida.