Community Forums

DRosedale · 05-10-2011, 06:47 PM

Why did you choose RVing as your past time, hobby, passion or lifestyle?

TW · 05-10-2011, 06:51 PM

We just fell in love with the lifestyle. Best way to see Northamerica.

TW

Glassalley52 · 05-10-2011, 07:20 PM

It wasn't a choice so much as an evolution. We didn't suddenly say let's someday when we retire RV fulltime. It just sort of happened over time and years.

Ray,IN · 05-10-2011, 09:46 PM

Been camping off/on for perhaps 60 years_so far; it's natural to me. I've owned truck campers, tents, travel trailers, 5ers, and a MH. I skipped the pop-up trailer.

scenic route · 05-10-2011, 10:05 PM

I don't think (for us) it was a passion, hobby, past time or a lifestyle. Maybe more of a desire/need to see the absolute wonders that our country has to offer and that have surrounded us for all of our lives. It may have been a realization that the clock is ticking and we've been too busy to appreciate this 'bounty of beauty' that we call America.

Last summer's adventure proved that it is indeed a privilege to live in this great country of ours and what a true wonder it is. I never knew before that such wonders even existed, let alone that they are bigger than life itself. Thank God our forefathers had the vision to preserve much of our true treasures. Safe travels everyone and get out there and enjoy the bounty.

Bob

njs42 · 05-11-2011, 12:05 AM

It was more of an accident rather than a design for us.

After we retired we decided to take an extended trip in the Subaru Forester. I was checking out how to travel with a dog (ours was old but very game); hotels, etc.. My wife came in and said she heard if you rent a MH then you have your home with you and a dog is no problem. This was rather profound because my wife is decidedly unenthusiastic about anything that looks like camping but she was very enthusiastic about our dog. We rented a Class C and took off for Southern Cal and Arizona.

We went down Hwy 1 in California and at Big Sur we stopped at something akin to a real camp ground, wood smoke the whole deal. After settling in, preparing dinner and relaxing she said "you know if this thing had a better bed I could stay in it for quite a while". I was dumb founded---but we chatted it up and on the way home from our "adventure" we stopped places to check out RV's.

I was looking for a Class C with a better bed. But at every stop my wife upped the ante seeing something she liked better and with it the price. We stopped in Bakerfield and met our daughter there at an RV show. I ventured off checking out Class C's, you know better bed. Soon my wife and daughter came and dragged my by the arm to this huge Class A---maybe a Prevost, I don't remember. They pushed me through the entire length of the rig to the rear---not looking at a thing on the way. Finally they came to a closet and threw open the door and there it was -----a washing machine. That did it!!!!! ON the way out my daughter whispered "Dad your dead"! Meaning, of course that could give up on Class C's we were hittin' the big time right out of the shute----------

When we returned to Seattle the search began in ernest and we finally purchased Moana---our RV. Nine years later we have more friends than we ever believed we could, a list of adventures and good times to share----Major the dog lasted two more years----we waited two more after his passing and adopted "Doc" in Tombstone Arizona.

Moana is our beach house, our lake house, home by the river, place in the mountains, desert resort.

dspowers · 05-11-2011, 01:49 AM

I did it because SHE said we are getting the RV not the convertable!! So here we go once a month with 3 dogs steaks, chicken, and all the fish I can catch to great RV parks having the time of our lives way before retirement, and loving it. This is truly a beautiful country and the best way too enjoy it is RVing. Hope to see you, I will be the guy catching all the fish!!

Camping4fun · 05-11-2011, 05:18 AM

We was going to rent one for a 30 day trip to the west coast. I started looking into the cost of renting one and got prices from $6,500 - $7,000 I told wife we would just buying a used one that we could use for the trip then sell it after we got home. Well everything went as planed except we had so much fun we never sold it, that was 6 years ago and on our 3rd MH now. Never thought we would use it so much, just last year we went to Gulf Shores, Al, Wisconsin Dells, Canada, to the falls, Branson, Mo and loving every second of it. The time we spent in it with our 3 kids will never be forgotten.

DGShaffer · 05-11-2011, 05:32 AM

My wife and I were traveling by motorcycle to the tune of up to 20,000 miles a year. I own a small business and my tolerance for being away was a only week or so which meant that we were pretty much a prisoner of the Eastern portion of the US.

We both love our country and have decided that there is just too much to see here rather than travel outside the states so we purchased a Toy Hauler.

Our first trip was to Wyoming and have since enjoyed may riding vacations all over.

We have also found that we really love our local weekend get-a-way trips so much that we're in the thing almost every other weekend. I have also been taking my riding buddies out for some pretty nice riding vacations into the Smoky Mountains and to track days.

Dog Folks · 05-11-2011, 09:08 AM

When we were married, way back in 1973, my wife was an avid camper. I wanted to be with her so I started camping. (after 38 years, I still want to be with her)

We weekend and vacation camped all these years and my wife would always say: "I could just stay here forever, (camping), and never go home."

In June of 2006 she got her chance. Sold EVERYTHING and moved into a 29 foot travel trailer full time. We have never looked back and still love the lifestyle.

Every once and awhile I ask the wife: "Are you still happy living full time?"

She looks at me like I am the village idiot and says: "Of course I am."

So far so good.

paulrtaylor · 05-11-2011, 01:41 PM

My wife and I have been camping all of our lives. We just keep getting bigger and better things to do it with.

Cat320 · 05-12-2011, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

I've owned truck campers, tents, travel trailers, 5ers, and a MH. I skipped the pop-up trailer.

Same here, been doing it for a long time, gets us out of town...also had them all but the pop up.

dvmweb · 05-12-2011, 12:59 PM

Well now.....

I was a backpacker a loooong time ago. Still have some gear that I now use mostly on motorcycle trips, tent, air mattress (down filled and very comfortable) and assorted lightweight pots n pans n stuff. Used to have live aboard sailboat, now that was expensive.

Then I had a change in lifestyle about 14 years ago. "Got a camper for my wife, and it was a good trade!" was literally true for me. Got a new wife, that was very expensive! And, a featherweight TT with pop out beds, then a bigger TT, then a Class C MH and now a Class A gasser as we near retirement, he sez hopefully.

I like the bed, the bathroom, the shower, the galley, the refrigerator, heck everything about it. My germs, my stuff. The $$$ for fuel is relative. And, I have learned to relax leading to smiles and moderated blood pressure.

ljr · 05-12-2011, 01:12 PM

I was a competitive pistol shooter traveling all over for matches. I got tired of paying for motel rooms and leaving my dog behind in a kennel so I bought a TT. Shooting ranges tend to have lots of room around them as a buffer. I was always able to get a place to park, sometimes with partial or even full hookups. Some even had their own campgrounds just for people like me.

I haven't done any shooting in a long time but now i spend 4-6 months a year on the road and my 3rd camper is on order.