Community Forums

mikena · 02-28-2019, 04:12 PM

We have camped at more than a few places on the east coast over the years and rarely have had the issues you described. Sounds like camping may not be your cup of tea.

tcg · 02-28-2019, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mhcorrigan

Most of your described problems probably are a result of the campgrounds you have stayed in. Those in the lower spectrum iof cost attract the least desirable campers you have to put up with. I have seen campgrounds that should be named “Redneck Village” which I would refuse to stay in if they were free. You get what you pay for especially in campgrounds that let people stay forever in delapidated campers/Motorhomes. Do your homework prior to taking off.

Hey, we stay in low cost parks and I can assure you we are not the least desirable campers or rednecks and neither are our fellow budget campers.

sailsam · 02-28-2019, 04:36 PM

My wife and I have FT since June 2017 from California to Tennessee by way of AZ, NM, TX, back to NM, CO, WY, MT, SD, ND, WI, IL, and KY. We have not ever experienced rude kids, noisy neighbors, trashy campgrounds, or any of the other problems complained about in this thread. This is our first land RV trip of any length, with our 30 foot travel trailer purchased in 2015. I say "land RV" because we had traveled in a marine RV, otherwise known as a sailboat, 2001-2005 between HI - SF - Cabo and spending most of 4 years in Golfo de California (as called by Mexicans, or as called by gringos "Sea of Cortez". There are plusses and minuses either way, some the same and some different. And, for reference, I am now 84. Oh, and I had previously made the passage between San Francisco Bay and Hawaii or back an even dozen times. The first time in 1980 as the only person on the boat.
And I don't own a Travelmaster.

Ken Thompson · 02-28-2019, 04:59 PM

If you are truly going to”camp”, get out of the full service campgrounds and dry camp, or boondock. That way you don’t have any neighbors except the landscape you see around you. I personally hate campgrounds because of neighbors. All neighbors! Plus the rates they charge is getting totally out of hand.

oatmeal · 02-28-2019, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoneToTheDog

To my eye, much has changed. I would not want to fulltime today. It's crowded and full everywhere. Reservations required to go anywhere. Facilities are unkempt and in poor repair. People seem to be less friendly, less courteous, loud, rude. Too often, not the enjoyable experience it used to be.

We've been fulltiming for 15 years, and it's definitely different now than when we started. I can't say for sure that people are louder and ruder now compared to back then, but there are definitely a lot more of them, which can amplify even small annoyances.

I'm not sure how long I'd last if I started fulltiming today. I think we timed it just right--the internet wasn't the omnipresence it is today, so it took some work to find out a lot of things, which meant fewer people knew about them. And that includes the lifestyle itself.

Almost nobody touted the lifestyle in 2003, because there wasn't any money in doing so. So people had to come to it on their own. But now with monetized blogs, the "advertising" for the lifestyle has skyrocketed, and more people are doing it.

I was also a big fan of the recession, because fulltiming during that time was easy. But the recovery has really brought people out in numbers that I've never seen before, and not just during the usual times, because fulltimers have to have a place to stay every day of the year and not just on vacation. It's crowded out there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by grindstone01

It's great that full timing is not for everyone. Can you imagine a world where everyone was a full time RV'er?

Sometimes it feels that way.

affreeman · 02-28-2019, 05:18 PM

I love full-timing but for the most part I avoid private campgrounds. Boondocking, National Parks, State Parks.

Igeaux · 02-28-2019, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailsam

My wife and I have FT since June 2017 from California to Tennessee by way of AZ, NM, TX, back to NM, CO, WY, MT, SD, ND, WI, IL, and KY. We have not ever experienced rude kids, noisy neighbors, trashy campgrounds, or any of the other problems complained about in this thread. This is our first land RV trip of any length, with our 30 foot travel trailer purchased in 2015. I say "land RV" because we had traveled in a marine RV, otherwise known as a sailboat, 2001-2005 between HI - SF - Cabo and spending most of 4 years in Golfo de California (as called by Mexicans, or as called by gringos "Sea of Cortez". There are plusses and minuses either way, some the same and some different. And, for reference, I am now 84. Oh, and I had previously made the passage between San Francisco Bay and Hawaii or back an even dozen times. The first time in 1980 as the only person on the boat.
And I don't own a Travelmaster.

I was a full timer on boats for about 20 years. 8 solo crossings including the Southern Ocean from Cape Town to Rio. Another 10 or so with crew.

When I moved back to the States, after 25 years, I full timed ashore for a couple of years. Bought a cabin up a Holler when the wife's father was going down hill to have a place to be near to him.

Probably will not full time again. We are about 60%cabin/40%RV. My shop here at the cabin is bigger than the cabin, yes, I get an ear full about that.

I enjoy tinkering around with my old cars and the RV. Just gave myself a new blue machine to stick bits of metal together and a pre WWII lathe. Already had a small lathe/mill. Anybody need to change wheel bearings close to Red Stick, there is a 60 ton press as well.

Back to the OP's problems with other campers.
When my Grandmother came home with a Polaroid camera, my Grandfather used it as a lesson. When I was in an argument he told me, "when ever you have a problem with other people, take a Polaroid of it. Come back from time to time and look at the picture. Ask yourself, who was right and who was wrong? Watch how the answer changes over time."

A couple weeks ago we went to Fontainebleau SP for Deb's birthday. When we pulled into our pull through slip, there were cars everywhere, several parked at the exit end of the pad but there was plenty of room for us to pull in with the Toad out of the road.

A guy in a Tux came running over to move his truck, I waved him off and said, no problem, you'r not in my way.

When I was plugging in the Power I realized they were having a wedding so I got Debs out of the RV so we could congratulate the couple and have a glass of bubbly with them.

They were partying hard when we left to go to Sal & Judy's for Deb's BD dinner and still at it when we got home. The easy thing to do would be to complain or was it? We grabbed a bottle of Cave out of the fridge and took it to the party.

Several of the other campers had joined the party as well. A good time was had by all and at 10:00PM, when quite time arrived they shut it all down.

A common link between Yachting and RVing is the camaraderie most of us develop. On both sides we are open to meeting new people, helping out strangers, tolerating those who march to a different drum, i.e., live and let live.

Then there are those who chose to demand my way or the hi way in every situation. Most of them are in my grandfather's Polaroids.

StageCoachDr · 02-28-2019, 05:44 PM

When I shop for parts, I look for an 8 star rating - minimum. One problem is RV parks have become home for otherwise homeless or transient workers.

Dongreg · 02-28-2019, 06:03 PM

I tend to agree that full timing is not for you. Can’t stay in under 55 camp grounds and expect what you are looking for. Also not 1, 2, or in some cases 3 star campgrounds at $25.00 per night, your only going to find what you described.

We belong to 1000 trails and stay out when the kids are on summer break, takes a lot of planning and common sense.

I’m reading a lot great comments. We by the way are way over 55 and not full timers. If we go to the coast in the Sumer we go expecting what you have learned.

Tenabo · 02-28-2019, 06:42 PM

I think Deltam is trolling us. Anyway got a good response.

RiverBurt · 02-28-2019, 06:50 PM

Don’t do it. Stay home. Leave the roads and spots to me.

rvethereyet · 02-28-2019, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StageCoachDr

When I shop for parts, I look for an 8 star rating - minimum. One problem is RV parks have become home for otherwise homeless or transient workers.

Which site do you use to get a 10 point rating system?

rvethereyet · 02-28-2019, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tenabo

I think Deltam is trolling us. Anyway got a good response.

The thought has crossed my mind

Frontman · 02-28-2019, 07:27 PM

We have only been rv'ing for a few years, but have stayed at a variety of RV resorts, state parks, etc., all in western states. I guess the range of people is like anywhere else you go...some polite and friendly, some rude, some clue free. I've also noticed in this Trump age, that politics seems to come up fairly often, which I personally find really annoying. But all that said, so far the nice people vastly outnumber the jerks....it's just that jerks tend to leave a bigger impression!