Welcome to Changing Gears!
Since 2005, we’ve been making the RV ownership experiences more accessible, less intimidating, and more enjoyable!
Originally founded by Charlie and Landra Kerekes, Changing Gears is your gateway to RV ownership. If you’re looking for advice on choosing or buying an RV, starting your full-time journey, or tips on manufacturer construction quality, you’ll find it here.
Bookmark this site for useful RV reference information like our setup and departure checklists, interactive calculators, and RV membership and group lists.
Trade those city lights for the freedom of the RV lifestyle. You’ll never look back!
Recent Posts
Should I Leave My RV Water Turned On When I’m Away from the Campsite?
A common question from new RVers is whether you should leave your water turned on when you’re away from your campsite. I think you shouldn’t.
How My Dog Got High (Plus 16 Tips for Keeping Your Dogs Safe on the Road)
In October of 2019, my husband and I had been on the road for almost three months in our Class A RV. We were excited
25 Items Under $25 Every Camper Should Have!
When your home is the road, it’s small, seldom absolutely necessary gizmos and gadgets that make the biggest difference. From plants to paints to puzzle
To Flat-Tow Or Not To Flat-Tow?
To tow or not to tow? That is the question. It’s also the question my husband and I have had to ask ourselves over the
15 Must-Haves for Full-Time RVing You Won’t Remember!
When packing for full-time RV life, you have to think through every single item and make sure that it has a specific place within your
How Month-Long AirBnBs Stays Can Save You Thousands in Rent.
If you’re reading this right now, you probably spend a significant portion of your paycheck on rent every month and every year, you’ll spend more.
I’m a Fitness Trainer. Here’s How to Do a Full-Body Workout in Your RV?
Being cramped for space doesn’t have to stop you from caring for your mental health. Exercise is so important to staying healthy physically and emotionally,
How to Live in a Van Without a Refrigerator (and Keep It Healthy)
It was about a week into traveling through Texas during a late Spring heat wave that I really started to learn some valuable lessons about
How to (Stealthily) Van Camp in a Big City
When people think of van-life, most conjure up images of decked out Sprinters and Promasters with glossy paint jobs in beautiful, wide-open natural spaces. Not
RV Manufacturer's List
Since 2006, Changing Gears has maintained a comprehensive master roster of all major RV manufacturers (updated July 9, 2021).
Our list contains manufacturers all across North America, from the wilds of British Columbia, to the beaches of SoCal, to the industrial Northeast in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The brands represented account for 99.9% of all RV and camper sales in America. You can search by manufacturer, RV type, or brand.
Our Mission
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Join Our Community!
RV ownership can be confusing.
How to choose the best RV? Should you go full-timing without ever renting before? Should you trust the RV salesman at a dealership? How about insurance, receiving packages, urban dry camping, choosing a tow vehicle? …. !!!
Yeah, it makes our head hurt, too.
At Changing Gears, we break down the in’s and out’s of RV ownership.
We take care of the business end.
So you get more time to camp, fish, swim, practice landscape photography, throw frisbees with the dog, and roast smore’s. And less time comparing insurance premiums, amiright?
Welcome to Changing Gears!
Our Most Popular Content
Getting Started
The Getting Started section provides general information, checklists, FAQs answers, tech guides, books, and other resources for those who are researching RVs or the RV lifestyle.
Buy/Rent/Sell RVs
In the Buy, Rent, and Sell sections you will find helpful information for buyers, sellers, and renters of RV's. Be sure to read the Determining an RV's Fair Market Value (FMV) article before buying or selling.
Towing Calculators and More!
Are you wanting to know what is the heaviest trailer you can tow with your truck? Maybe how long your battery will last? Use our free interactive calculators to find out!
RV Manufacturers List (2021)
Looking for a recreational vehicle brand or manufacturer? See our comprehensive list in the Manufacturers section. We update it regularly!
Newbie RVing
Never towed or driven an RV before? Start here! See a snapshot of everything you need to know here!
Checklists
View and download dozens of RV checklists, such as Setting Up, PDI, Road Test, Camping Gear, and Departure.
Clubs & Groups
We maintain comprehensive lists of RV membership clubs, discussion groups, social media groups, and other helpful community resources. Click here to get involved in the RV community!
RV Insurance FAQ
Compiled from the Kerekes' experience as full-time RVers, our Insurance FAQ page addresses all your concerns about premiums, coverage, and best providers.
Boondocking Locations
Our boondocking compendium lists all the places, sites and resources you need to know to find the perfect spot for your free RV overnight parking!
Fair Market Value
Looking to buy or sell an RV? Find out how to calculate and judge fair market value (FMV) for a used RV. Hint: It's not just the NADA guide!
RV Education Categories
RV Financials
- RV Lifestyle Budget
- Calculating Fair Market Value for RVs
- RV Insurance FAQs
- What Does RV Insurance Cover?
- Can I Cancel My RV Insurance Over Winter?
- Guide to RV Financing
- How Old of an RV Can I Finance?
- RV Loans Terms & Conditions
- Danger of RV Depreciation
- Renting an RV
- Buying an RV
- Selling Your RV
- No Income Tax States
- Claiming Your RV as a Secondary Home
- Minimum Credit Score for RV Loans
- Mobile Banking for Rvers
Weights & Towing
- RV Towing Facts Cheat Sheet
- Understanding RV Weights
- How to Choose a Tow Vehicle
- Truck Ratings for Towing Vehicles
- Vehicle Classification Categories
- RV Tire FAQs!
- Driving an RV for the First Time?
- Best RV Length for National Parks and Boondocking
- How Fast Can I Tow My Camper?
- 4-Wheel Position Weighing
Camping & Travel
- RVing with Pets
- RV Rookie Mistakes!
- Guide to Cold Weather Camping
- RV Boondocking Quick-Start Guide
- Definitive Guide to Boondocking
- Boondocking Etiquette
- Installing RV Hookups at Home
- Mail: Shipping and Receiving
- RV Phone and Internet
- Crossing into Canada
- What's the 10-Year RV Campground Rule?
- RV Site Hookups Explained
- Dealing with Campground Overcrowding
RV Ownership
- Beginner's Guide to RVing
- Picking the Perfect RV
- All About RV Storage
- RV Driver's License
- RV Owner Residency
- RV Missing Title?
- RV Lifestyles Examined
- Are You Buying a Lemon?
- Why Does RV Repair Take So Long?
- What RV Manufacturers Use Azdel?
- Can You Buy a Factory-Direct RV?
- What Does a Factory RV Warranty Cover?
Critical Links
- Click here for a full post roundup!
- Answers to common RVing Q’s, please visit the FAQ menu.
- Industry-leading checklists, please visit the Checklists menu.
- Suite of interactive calculators, please visit the Calculators menu.
RV Camper Types
Class A Motorhome
Meet the Big Daddy of the RV family and the star of Hollywood screen, the gas hogs and diesel pushers, favorite of full-timers, the Class A Motorhome.
Class B Motorhome
Kid brother to the Class A, the Class B motorhome is a favorite of “van-dwellers,” itinerants, urban travelers and conversion van companies.
Class C Motor Home
The Class C motorhome is the RV poster child. With their classic cabover bed and accessible living spaces, they’re a popular pick for cross-country trips.
Fifth Wheel
Got a big truck? You need a big camper to go with it! Full of luxury and space, the fifth-wheel is the ultimate towable home-away-from-home. Lots of payload capacity!
Travel Trailer
Capturing the biggest share of the market, travel trailers offer the greatest variety of all camper types, from 40-ft destination trailers to 12-ft micro living trailers.
Toy Hauler
A specialty genre with an open garage in the rear for bringing along your favorite toys, like an ATV, motorcycle or golf cart.
Truck Camper
When adventure calls, get a truck camper. Sold as both hardshell and pop-up models, all slide into the bed of a pickup truck. The rocky road awaits!
Teardrop Trailer
Adorable, ain’t they? Room to sleep (and maybe turn over), cook your meals outside, and maybe bring a kayak – what more do you need? Includes canned hams and mega teardrops.
Park Model
Park models are like a hybrid of RV, Tiny House, and mobile home. Designed for long-term installation at a developed campground with FHUs.
Expandable Trailer
Expandable campers include the classic tagalong pop-up, expandable A-frame and vintage expandable mega teardrops. Great for small vehicles and summer vacationing.
Fiberglass RV
These egg-shaped trailers have a cult following. Cute, durable and lightweight, molded fiberglass campers have withstood the test of time since the 1970s. Fight the power, man!
Expedition Trailer
No room for passengers here! These expedition cargo trailers are designed for hardcore 4×8 adventuring. With big wheels for rough roads, they usually contain cooking, storage, and hygiene facilities.
Affiliates and Partners
Gear Store
We've compiled a list of must-have gear for RV newbies: sewer hose, surge protector, COMMAND hooks, caulk and sealants, inverter generator, and much more! Browse the list to get ideas or purchase on Amazon to help support this site. Thank you! Click here to see more.
Affiliate Partners
We've partnered with brands you know and trust like Good Sam, Renogy, Camping World, and RVShare. Whether you're shopping gear, looking to rent an RV, or purchasing RV insurance, we invite you to browse through all partner links. Thank you! Click here to see more.
Birth of Changin' Gears
After fourteen years in Dallas, Charlie and Landra decided to leave their jobs, sell their home and most of their possessions, and plunged into the RV lifestyle as full-time RVers.
From 2004 to 2006, the Kerekes roamed North America in their rig as full-time RVers. They founded Changin’ Gears in 2005. Read their old travelogue stories here.
In June 2021, Changin’ Gears was acquired by Sterling RV Solutions, an RV solutions company founded in 2020. We’re proud to carry on their work, and we welcome you to the new Changing Gears website!
WayfindingWheels was merged with Changing Gears in December 2022. You can find all their original content on this site!
