How many have left Rving?

[nothermark]

Add another bit of chuckle territory. Reading how terrible living in the RV is then looking at what they are driving. Maybe a more realistic idea of what they really need would solve some of their problems.

I will say this. A lot of the issue is the cost of traveling, period. Motel prices are over $100/night for a usually clean room in many places and as hard to get as campsites. Then one is stuck with the added cost of eating out 2 or 3 meals per day and figuring out how to deal with furry friends. Loading and unloading is as bad or worse if you keep the RV stocked. A lot of things can live in the RV. That is part of why everyone who has tracked their costs and posted the results comes to the conclusion that it's close to a wash between RV's and motels if one travels a lot.

[nathaniel]

A little pre planning goes a long way

[baraff]

Originally Posted by nathaniel

A little pre planning goes a long way

But that's my point. The appeal for us when we started was you could get in your rig and go and not worry about finding a spot for the night. And this was not that long ago. Somewhere there was always something. It was part of the adventure.
When I have to "pre-plan" and reserve a site a year ahead ahead of a trip, it takes all the fun out of it. But that's me....

[Cypressloser]

I haven't read all the replies, so it may have been mentioned already.
A) The more that drop out the better for the rest of us.
B) Owning an RV has become something like owning a time share, a motorcycle or that Camaro for summer fun. People use them while it's all new but after a while they get tired of it.
C) Homeowners that for example are unable to do basic maintenance and repairs on their home, whether it be electrical, plumbing or roofing or have never seen a grease gun in their life should not get into rving.


My 2cts.

[sledbiker1]

And don't forget the 10 year rule at campsites, thinking that this will but a stop new RV purchases making 450k losing 45k a year just in depreciation., and yes don't forget all the other expenses.

For myself, why does everthing FUN come with so much expense...

[SarahW]

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

No-one gets into camping with the idea of saving money, The first clue is buying an expensive depreciating asset.

And neither did we. I don't see what that has to do with my post, but thanks.

[SarahW]

Originally Posted by Fiesta48

I'm hoping the newbies buying the 500,000 new RVs in recent years find out fast RVING is not for the faint of heart types.
The loading and unloading every trip.
Servicing and maintaining an RV before each trip, hoping nothings broken.
Just try to find a place to camp on weekends and holidays is a challenge.
Large unruly crowds on weekends and holidays.
Gotta haves and duplicates, same things in their house, now got 2 of everything.
Driving the beast in traffic in far worse than a car.
Trying to park and back up the beast.
Watching out for the idiots and stupids on the highway because we are bigger and slower.
Poor neighbors, dogs barking, camp fires blowing at you.
Cleaning a second home.
Finding out they don't have the time they expected to go camping.
Poor weather: rain, wind, heat, cold stuck inside a tin can.

I think I'm starting to have second thoughts myself...

^^ This. All of it.

[Rolling Ragu]

I can see all of the above being true for someone. We consider our RV travels to be one of the largest blessings in our lives. It has had a profound impact on our family that surpasses the value of money.

Okay, that's all warm and fuzzy, but I do suppose it could be so ridiculously expensive that I changed my mind. That's where common sense comes in. There are folks that put all they have into this and it can be painful when things go wrong. Then, there are folks that wisely "play" with a small amount of their worth and the stress is far lower.

I cringe when I hear the "best and worst day" quote. In 4 expensive toys, we have never felt that. We've had 2 travel trailers that depreciated, but not as terrible as most claim they will. Those trailers have given us memories that you couldn't buy from me at any price. We just recently jumped into a class A and our initial investment is 5 times as high. Yes, I'm nervous that we may have a different experience, but we put as much in our favor as we could.

In discussing our travels with friends, I don't believe we've ever been able to convey the sense of adventure and discovery that surpasses a road trip in a car. Honestly, most have never experienced it (so they can't relate) or they don't have a desire. And, most wouldn't find it as cool as we do anyway.

Either way, we're thankful for RV'ing and will have lived a rich life if it ended now. BTW, I'm 48, so hopeful that I've only touched the beginning of our experiences.

[sledbiker1]

Originally Posted by tragusa3

I can see all of the above being true for someone. We consider our RV travels to be one of the largest blessings in our lives. It has had a profound impact on our family that surpasses the value of money.

Okay, that's all warm and fuzzy, but I do suppose it could be so ridiculously expensive that I changed my mind. That's where common sense comes in. There are folks that put all they have into this and it can be painful when things go wrong. Then, there are folks that wisely "play" with a small amount of their worth and the stress is far lower.

I cringe when I hear the "best and worst day" quote. In 4 expensive toys, we have never felt that. We've had 2 travel trailers that depreciated, but not as terrible as most claim they will. Those trailers have given us memories that you couldn't buy from me at any price. We just recently jumped into a class A and our initial investment is 5 times as high. Yes, I'm nervous that we may have a different experience, but we put as much in our favor as we could.

In discussing our travels with friends, I don't believe we've ever been able to convey the sense of adventure and discovery that surpasses a road trip in a car. Honestly, most have never experienced it (so they can't relate) or they don't have a desire. And, most wouldn't find it as cool as we do anyway.

Either way, we're thankful for RV'ing and will have lived a rich life if it ended now. BTW, I'm 48, so hopeful that I've only touched the beginning of our experiences.

DITO Great comment, especially, your quote "In discussing our travels with friends, I don't believe we've ever been able to convey the sense of adventure and discovery that surpasses a road trip in a car."

[StevL]

I haven't read all 51 post but I did hear something interesting.

This was on one of the morning shows this week; since 2015 the RV world has 3 million new users.


Steve

[larliebler]

Originally Posted by StevL

I haven't read all 51 post but I did hear something interesting.

This was on one of the morning shows this week; since 2015 the RV world has 3 million new users.


Steve

They obviously need to build more parks for RVers, but I'm not sure there are enough folks or corporations that are willing to build them, when you consider the initial investment and perhaps the ROI ( although I have no knowledge of what the ROI really is, just a WAG on my part).

[hohenwald48]

Originally Posted by sledbiker1

And don't forget the 10 year rule at campsites, thinking that this will but a stop new RV purchases making 450k losing 45k a year just in depreciation., and yes don't forget all the other expenses.

For myself, why does everthing FUN come with so much expense...

The "10 year rule" is talked about like it's a much larger issue than it really is. I have never personally talked to an RV'er who has been turned away due to a 10 year rule. At worst it is a minor hindrance to old RVs wanting to stay in high end (usually class A only) RV resorts. It has no impact on most folks.

[winniman]

Originally Posted by sledbiker1

And don't forget the 10 year rule at campsites, thinking that this will but a stop new RV purchases making 450k losing 45k a year just in depreciation., and yes don't forget all the other expenses.

For myself, why does everthing FUN come with so much expense...

It doesnt have to cost that much. You can have just as much fun in a 50k rv.

[Searching_Ut]

We personally know several dozen folks that have quit RVing over the years. Both the wife and I come from families that RVed extensively from the times we were little. I absolutely love the lifestyle, and have owned 3 motorhomes, and 9 assorted towables over the years, multiple transfers overseas while in the military being the reason for selling many of them., the wife not so much.



Many of the folks we know that have stopped have done so for health reasons, often the sort of problems related to growing old.



Having just retired ourselves, in our late fifties we have a good number of friends just getting into retirement. Seems a half dozen or so tried full timing upon retiring. So far none have stuck to it and all have gone back to stick and brick homes. That said, they've all kept their RV's except for one set of friends who got rid of their RV, but put a park model on a lot they have in the Jackson Hole Wyoming area. Two years of full timing were enough for them to decide that once it was vacation camping, the RV wasn't really for them.


RVing for us is far from being a lifestyle. Even though retired, we still use it more for vacation type use. Even then, we still motel camp a great deal, and have found we quite like taking cruises etc. too. It fills a square in our entertainment adventure life category, but is fall from being all encompassing.