What kind of "RV person" are you?

[Pullin' Chocks]

We are a different kind of RVer... but aren't we all?
We are fulltimers that enjoy a variety of parking situations; rv parks/resorts, private rental lots with hook ups, friends and family's property with hook ups, COE parks, BLM & NFS lands, state & national parks, and the parking lots and wide spots in the road for a quick overnight. We stayed for a week in the parking lot of an Amish Market for a week once, with permission of course. Great foods & nice people at that place. We wouldn't want to stay at any of these places permanently, it is the variety and ability to move around that makes RVing great to us.

[jpmihalk]

I think that it speaks volumes that all of us have something in common – we love our RV’s and try to use them as much as possible in all sorts of ways and for all sorts of reasons.

Our story is also a little different but still follows a theme here. My wife and I both did some tent camping as kids and young adults. I spent 11 years in the Navy as an officer and after driving ships around the world, a cruise just doesn’t sound quite so awesome to me (although I went on a few with my ex-wife and the kids.) But I digress…

So once the (current) wife and I got together, we traveled by plane a few times (and got married in Las Vegas!) did some long car trips and stayed in hotels. We had two dogs (at that time) and always planned on finding pet-friendly hotels to bring them along with us. We are also avid sports fans and love to tailgate and go to all kinds of sporting events. After a few of these trips, I had an opportunity to go with some guys to a paintball game in North Carolina and one of the guys borrowed his uncle’s Class C camper. Needless to say, it was an awesome experience. Later on, my wife and I decided to rent a camper to see what it was like for the family. We spent a long weekend and started documenting everything so we would know what we liked and didn’t like, and started joining online forums like this to find out what others were doing. We were hooked.

After a year or so of research, we decided to take the plunge and purchased an older used motorhome as a “starter” RV. We took several long trips and a lot of short trips and kept journals. Fast forward to today, we have 3 dogs, a 17 year old daughter and a brand new pet-friendly 2016 Class A. The plan is to retire in about 18 months or so (when our daughter goes to college) and travel wherever and whenever we want. I am now 54 and my wife is 45, so we are still young enough to travel and be able to handle whatever life throws at us. We want to sell the condo and not worry about maintaining anything except the RV. Our plan is to go through the warranty period and make sure everything is good to go before we venture out for long periods of time. We are still relatively new at this and want to make sure we work out as many major bugs as possible prior to heading out.

We are both outgoing and enjoy meeting people but our inner circle of friends is actually very small. We really haven’t spent a lot of time in any one place yet. We take some long trips and some short trips, we stay at campgrounds and sometimes overnight in rest areas or Walmart. In the end, we want to see it all and just enjoy life uninhibited, hopefully making friends along the way.

[JMonroe]

Our history will sound familiar to many. Started with tents, our first RV was a very small (15') and very used travel trailer. Many upgrades since then to get to where we are now.

Our RV style has changed post retirement. During our working years the RV was purely recreational. For most of those years we took advantage of state and national parks where we could. Now that we live in the RV it has grown too big to be comfortable in many of the places we used to frequent. We can still enjoy the same area, we just may not be able to stay in the state/national park or forest as we used to. Our RV style is also what I'd call schizophrenic, or multi personalities.

We have a base in Florida in the heart of the tourist area, specifically the Disney area. We winter there and are very active with frequent visits to the Disney parks and other area attractions, Peggy does a lot of volunteer work there (with Give Kids the World) and we have many friends that either live there or will visit over the winter so there's a lot of socializing.

We also have a place in upstate South Carolina. Life here is 180 degrees from that in Florida. Laid back, much slower. Fellow owners and visitors to the park are counted among our friends but socializing is typically visits on the deck or a boat ride to one of the lakeside restaurants for lunch. There will also be day trips to the Smokey Mountains or the Lake Lure NC area or one of the many historic towns in the area.

Personality number three, full on travel mode. It can include visits to family and friends in our home state, but will mostly be made up of visits to, again, state or national parks, historic areas or other places of interest. We took a multi month tour out west a couple of years ago and have a couple even more ambitious trips west planned over the next couple of years. There are also places on the east coast I want to visit, including the Washington DC area. We won't live long enough to exhaust all the wonderful places to visit right here in the USA.

We belong to Good Sam, FMCA and Escapees, but mainly to help support the RV lifestyle and the work each of them does to help maintain our ability to enjoy using our RVs, for whatever purpose. We are not big rally people, although we do try to get to the IRV2 rally when we can and will occasionally attend one of the big FMCA or Good Sam rallies with friends, some of which we've met right here, on IRV2.

As they say, there's no right or wrong way to enjoy the RV, just your way.

[Tetonchief]

Originally Posted by Tetonchief

I retired from the Air Force and tried the airlines for a while, went back to school got an RN and after 7 months wasn't for me. Went to Sturgis and after going through YNP and the Teton's I started asking the older folks how they got their jobs. I applied on line and the next year I was in the Teton's managing gift stores at a resort and had a dorm to myself. I did that for 3 seasons but started looking at RV's months into my first season--I anticipated traveling and seeing the country, especially the west (saw a lot of overseas in 27 years active duty flying vip's) and an rv would mean no sharing rooms and hopefully not having to be management and work the long hours. Spent last year in the Teton's in management (seems rv spots for a single have caveats like single dorm rooms). Spending the winter on a base in FL (getting some surgery--my chassis needs as much or more maintenance than the coach) and near my son a deputy sheriff in the next county. Hoping to head for NY and a part-time campground job an hour from my daughter and the grandkids for a long summer before coming back to FL. Out west next summer! Love moving with my house! Not into groups--being a single you really stand out as a 5th wheel. I don't mind being alone, I can find things to do. I really love driving the back roads and seeing America--not the interstates with all their typical interchanges, restaurants etc. I like look at people's yards and porches--may just see something I have to make an offer for.

When I said not into groups I meant I don't caravan or anything like that. I do have memberships in Escapes, FMCA, Good SAMs, and Camping World--I like having all the resources as well as discounts they offer.

[MSHappyCampers]

Originally Posted by Tetonchief

When I said not into groups I meant I don't caravan or anything like that. I do have memberships in Escapes, FMCA, Good SAMs, and Camping World--I like having all the resources as well as discounts they offer.

Same here!

[Semtenn]

Originally Posted by Indy Glenn

.............Amen - and we have the CBP/TSA expedited passports.......I get to keep my shoes on - at least this week!




Above pretty much sums it up for us........

We were both military - 55 years between us - we were pretty much regimented - traveled - stressed - and enjoying life as we knew it.

Looking at the Sunday paper travel section back in 1991, Angie asks me if I would ever consider an ocean cruise. Seemed cruising was coming of age back then or Carnival was doing a great job of advertising with Kathy Lee Gifford singing songs of praise......

So we jumped on the Carnival Holiday and we were bitten. It was like entering another world.......

We cruised every year since 1991 at least once, later in life 2 to 5 cruises in a year, most 10 or more days, up until 2013. Cruising in 2013 was nothing like cruising in 1991 - the term "Nickel & Dime" comes to mind.

We were on a Trans-Atlantic cruise and at the same time looked at each other and said, "Time to get off the cruise ships!"

At one time when in service we talked about "selling-everything" when we retired from service - buy a motor home and see America!!

When we did retire from service, 2000 & 2001 respectively, we immediately went back to work for Uncle Sam...........and continued cruising.

So somewhere Mid-Atlantic we made a decision to "Get off the cruise ships" and finally buy that motor home!!!

We went looking and did a lot of research but I didn't know what I didn't know!! We were lucky to happen upon the motor coach we have now - it is older but in wonderful condition.

We do enjoy our motor coach, I'll call it a hobby at this point in time. We currently "camp" with working-class friends on the weekends at state parks. Also take the occasional week long summer trip. This summer we are doing a rally or two with a couple clubs we are members of.

Next winter we are going to do the FLA thing at one of those 55+ RV parks. You know, shuffle board, bingo, the hokey pokey!!! Hmmmmm LOL Really not us but we will get a break from the Mid-Western winters for a couple months - then it will be a lifestyle. Maybe I can start a scotch & cigar club?!!!?

Oh - and like most military types we said, "No more camping - unless I'm getting paid for it , of course!!" Hahahahaha

Living in a RV with heat - A/C - shower/with hot water - bed- kitchen & bathroom sink - kitchen - living room - TV - curtains - dry - not relying on a "Lister-Bag" or "Entrenching Tool" for life's necessities - ain't camping. Not sure what it's called - I'll just call it comfortable!

Take care everyone - "Go RVing".........

g

After your fill of the hokey pokey, Macdill AFB in Tampa has two RV parks. Long term across the street from the golf course (bring your sticks) and 1.5 miles away the short term is literally across the street from a marina and beach (so bring your tackle). Plenty of great tabacconists in Tampa and multi decade scotch can be had.

[SpaceNorman]

We purchased our coach with an eye on becoming fulltimers (8-9 month per year "part timers"). We took possession of our coach at the end of March 2015 and have since spent roughly 160 nights in it. Most of trips have been in and around Michigan ... typically in 4-7 day jaunts. We've done one "extended" trip of 6+ weeks to Florida this past Winter.

As is the case for many folks - our jobs have been a big factor in how often/how long we've been able to get away for. To help address that issue - my DW retired at the beginning of the year. I continue to work - but am in the process of obtaining final approval to work remotely from the coach on an "as desired" basis. (I've been working from the coach regularly as part of a "pilot" to test whether such an arrangement works in my situation (it does!)). We're currently planning a 3 month trip to AZ leaving in September - followed by 3-4 months in Florida leaving in early January 2017. Between now and September - we'll spend the summer farting around in Michigan on numerous shorter trips (4-10 days each).

I suspect we're going to evolve into being "tourers" as well ... moving regularly but not constantly (I expect we'll probably settle into a routine that will put us in a location for 2-3 weeks before we move on to our next stop). Having lived in metro Detroit virtually all our lives - we've seen enough city and crowds. Our favorite type of stays are the state and county parks during the off season. We typically avoid the "pack 'em in!" family campgrounds. A reasonably level patch of grass/gravel/dirt somewhere in the woods with full hook-ups and a little distance between us and our neighbors qualifies as a great campsite in our book. We can easily do with an "electric only" site if there's a dump station nearby. I fill my days with my day job, bicycling, walking and soon, kayaking. My wife loves to read, bike and walk as well. We both enjoy exploring wherever we happen to be in the toad.

If this work from the coach thing goes as expected - I'll likely continue to work for another 18-24 months before I retire outright. I suspect we'll be within spitting distance of being fulltimers by that point.

[rollondown]

We used to fly everywhere. But we found it was much less stressful to drive if the destination was within 12 hours drive. We figured by the time we left the house and drove to local airport, arrived early, checked in waited, flew to bigger hub, Charlotte, then to destination, or to Atlanta, then to destination. Get cab to hotel or rent car, have to go out for every meal, etc it was just more time consuming.
Not to mention staying with family. Fun for a day, aggravating for 2 day or longer stay.

[UTTransplant]

Interesting discussion. We are folks that like traditional camping, but only for a week or so. Longer than that we like RVing! DH and I joke that he married me for my camping gear since I came from a big camping family. We tent camped until second kid came along, then bought a pop up trailer. Added more kids, got bigger pop ups, then as the kids left home we bought travel trailers. When we are "camping" I cook on a Coleman stove outside, use my Dutch ovens, etc. When we RV, we cook on the indoor stove and oven and watch TV at night! We do like the smaller trailer we have now since we can put it in most state and national forests/parks. We have no interest in full-timing, but we have gone a month in it without any issues. We do plan on a 6-8 week trip next year.

I love having my very own bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen wherever I go. In my job, I flew well over a million miles and spent hundreds of nights in hotels. Not at all my idea of a good time anymore. We retired younger than the rest of our traveling friends, so we are on our own most of the time. We do have two rallys scheduled this summer, so we will see how that works out. It would be nice to meet other people who like to travel. Our preferred approach is to decide on an area we want to investigate, get there by easy stages, then stay in each campground for 3-5 days to explore.

[davendeb]

Love the outdoors. Love wildlife. Love my own bed, shower, toilet, frig, TV remote, etc. Like to bring the dog. Like to see picturesque places, Rockies, Ozarks, Smokies, etc. Like having a restroom behind me when we're on the road. So many reasons. Like solitude but not opposed to group camping, only not at a loud, drunken rally or RV park. It's just a great way to bring the comforts of home with you.

[xxRaniz]

We went on " Vacation" in July 2012. We already detested flying and Hotels and Restaurants that never get your order right. So my husband decides to suprise me for our Anniversary, he rented a stationary travel trailer in a "campground" in Wattsburg Pa. We have been living in Fl since 2003. Pa was home for me and we lived in NW Pa from 1983 till Fl move. It was so cool we drove up and trailered the Harley. Sitting by the fire enjoying a correctly cook meal, getting up taking off on the bike riding the Allegheny! Fricking Awesome! So when we came back home we decided we might like "camping" for real. So we saved up and in November bought our first RV. A 1990 Gulfstream Sunclipper. $3600 mechanically sound but cosmetically challenged and 27 ft. But it was a test. We "camped" every weekend we had a chance , I got to cook with gas we had fires and fished .So much fun and it Turned out we were bitten so we got a "Newer RV" 2000 GeorgieBoy Landau 30ft.Crawling over each other to get out of bed wasn't as much fun as you would think. We decided no slides since it's more that can go wrong. But as long as we are making trips regularly it is worth it. Never go far just locally. Maybe when we get a chance take another Vacation but it's nice not to have to be strip searched and wonder if there are bedbugs in the bed that you had to pay so much for?! And my Husband never has to worry about undercooked food and the oven is always open for cinnamon rolls!