Life On The Road

[Chickadee]

So......I'm reading the ol iRV2 Forum threads this morning (Monday, 7/12/09) here at the Lakehead Boat Basin Marina & RV Park in Duluth, Minnesota and find myself gettin a little "bummed" after digesting the thread under the Campgrounds section about the higher and higher costs for campground sites.

Nope, I don't need the lecture about how costly it is for campground owners to buy the land, build an RV park and then maintain it. It's just that I'm discovering that there is a REAL, and I think, WIDENING GAP between what we can gather during our earning years to support retirement,.....and,.....what "the market" demands we pay for stuff once we actually DO retire!

Yeah, we're "OLD FOLKS" now and MAYBE this is just one of those..."ain't like the good ol days" .... type of feelings, but,....DANG IT!!!.....we worked all our lives, and planned (we thought) carefully in order to enjoy, maybe 10 or so years of life before having to worry about the drool running down our chins, ONLY to experience, that because of the inordinately excessive (or much larger than expected) cost's for (in this case) campground sites, that it's almost coming down to a decision to EITHER...park the rig and pay the price,.....OR,...keep the rig moving and NEVER stop. Oh, yes, ya can seek that balance, but since park owners are squeezing out the "Walmart overnights", and more and more "affordable" camps are in less desireable locations and condition,....that retirement dream of watching the sunset together over the beach out the front window of your RV.....is.....well....just a dream!! But, HEY!!!...when ya love each other, watchin the freeway traffic through the forest of power & light poles for 4 to 8 weeks can be....O.K. Steve & Lynette

[Jim Stewart]

My DW and I fulltimed from 1998 to 2002 and then I got bored and started a new business. Now we are going to travel again, but keep the sticks and bricks. We are amazed at the cost increase over the period of time.

What we did before was to join a park that had affiliations to networks, that saved a bundle. We traveled and stayed weeks at a time instead of days. We also stayed in the off season or peak depending on where we were for months at a time.

The location affects the price. Wintered in South Padre Island for $500.00/month including utilities and phone in a nice park (average dinner out for two $15.00). Wintered in the Florida Keys for $1,200.00/ month plus electric and phone in a run down park (dinner out for two $35.00).

There are ways to save and cope with the times. Whoever said or thought fulltiming would be cheap was either delusional or wrong!

[mick]

Having read the above two posts, I find it interesting to get the different views of some that are fulltiming, or expect to in the future.

What it reallys boils down to is this : What do you expect from the fulltime lifestyle? If you answer that question HONESTLY, you will KNOW what these costs, locations etc will effect your budgets.

Do you expect to be able to winter in the Keys at the high end price wise rv resorts, or would you be happy to stay at a average or below average park in the interior for the weather? Makes a HUGE difference and price. Would you expect to stop at the 9 rated parks during transit or at mom and pops place, or a walmart? Do you want to visit all the tourist traps along the way or make your plans that way, or would you just want to meander along and enjoy the "no frills, no attachments" way of life? Do or did you expect to expend over 30,.000 per year, or did you think maybe just maybe that costs and price matter when you just accept the slow paced , go at your descretion pace?

We see couples all the time that are discouraged by feelings expressed in the OPs thread. Why? Did they really expect champayne (sp) on a beer budget? Did they begin this lifestyle with the wrong information on the cost and benefits?

Life is what you get out of what you put in. When you get our age, and if you havent put it aside, you sure cant out here. Time to change your expectations I suspect.

[Chickadee]

Wow Mick, seems like ya got it figured out. Sorry I made ya mad with my musing post lamenting the accelerating charges for RV parking spots. It's just that we're finding that more and more of those (as you put it), "mom and pops places" and those "average and below average park(s) in the interior" (of Florida) are beginning to push charges into the $35., $50., and $75. a night range.

I had the sense from your response that you felt the need to lecture us or provide a sermon to the effect that; we had planned our retirement foolishly; had "champaigne vs. beer budget" expectations; didn't know that "life is what you get out of what you put in"; didn't know how to "meander along and enjoy the no frills, no attachments way of life"; etc. etc.

Well, Mick,...I sure wish folks could once again learn to talk WITH each other rather than AT each other, since...IN FACT,.... WE love to "meander", and can find beauty and thoroughly enjoy camping even in a local landfill/dump if necessary..... I was just merely feeling bad about the apparent fact that EVEN those no frill, no attachment "landfill kind of" sites seem to be gettin pretty expensive and that it's gettin tougher and tougher to afford (at least very often) those quintessential palm tree framed, ocean front, fabulous sunset type of parking sites depicted in all the RV magazine and dealership advertisements promoting the joys of retiring to the RV lifestyle. Again, sorry for irritating you. Steve

[mick]

No problem Steve, if you run out of dough, just holler, we can take up a collection for ya.

[navyblue]

Steve,

After a absence of about 45 days I am getting back to the forums and going through them one by one. I have little sympathy for a full timer who owns a $500,000+ coach and complains about campsite prices. I have many suggestions to solve your problem(s), but I don't think you would like any of them, so I'll keep them to myself.
I retired 11/08 and wife and I have been from Connecticut to Florida and then Florida to Rapid City, South Dakota where we are presently spending a week in our 2008 Winnebago Voyage 33 footer. I have NEVER paid more than $30/night for full hookups and every site was a Good Sam rated 8 or higher(out of 10). I do a LOT of research prior to selecting a site and prior planning. I don't wait until 3:00 PM on the day of travel to find a site. I have a primary and (2) backups already selected.
Have seen lots of palm tree ocean views, mountain views and desert views. Prior planning prevents piss poor performance. Love it, learn it, live it or LEAVE IT. You appear to have that "Senior Citizen America owes me a discount on everything attitude" I feel sorry for you. I am living my dream.

NAVYBLUE

[faye]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chickadee Wow Mick, seems like ya got it figured out. Sorry I made ya mad with my musing post lamenting the accelerating charges for RV parking spots. It's just that we're finding that more and more of those (as you put it), "mom and pops places" and those "average and below average park(s) in the interior" (of Florida) are beginning to push charges into the $35., $50., and $75. a night range. I had the sense from your response that you felt the need to lecture us or provide a sermon to the effect that; we had planned our retirement foolishly; had "champaigne vs. beer budget" expectations; didn't know that "life is what you get out of what you put in"; didn't know how to "meander along and enjoy the no frills, no attachments way of life"; etc. etc. Well, Mick,...I sure wish folks could once again learn to talk WITH each other rather than AT each other, since...IN FACT,.... WE love to "meander", and can find beauty and thoroughly enjoy camping even in a local landfill/dump if necessary..... I was just merely feeling bad about the apparent fact that EVEN those no frill, no attachment "landfill kind of" sites seem to be gettin pretty expensive and that it's gettin tougher and tougher to afford (at least very often) those quintessential palm tree framed, ocean front, fabulous sunset type of parking sites depicted in all the RV magazine and dealership advertisements promoting the joys of retiring to the RV lifestyle. Again, sorry for irritating you. Steve

i think you have just said what many rvers are thinking about the prices of a lot of rv parks, going up and up. i wander though if some of it has to do with rvs being so big and consuming more electricity and water. it seems the campgrounds who are now called resorts are not particuliarly trying to attract families or average revers. just my thoughts.

[Rick&Cheryl]

I am anticipating that inflation will affect nearly every expense we incur into the foreseeable future. I am hoping that the site we purchased in the RGV will provide us with a low cost yet nice area to enjoy life during winter months, and if things get bad, we can always extend our stay at a very cheap price.

[Chickadee]

navyblue:

Hi, from Mitchell, SD. So how are ya enjoying the Hills? Sure is one of our favorite areas. Are you going to be in the area for the big buffalo roundup in Custer (on 9/28 I think) or are ya headed elsewhere before it? Where do you stay in Florida? We'll be returning there again to spend Christmas time with our son who will again (for the 3rd time) be deployed to the middle East, this time to Afghanistan, in Feb.

Say, I don't know what I said that got ya so angry, but I'm sorry.
Also, don't know where ya got the price of our rig nor what THAT has to do with the rising price of campgrounds, (incidentally, we bought it used for ALOT less than you posted). Since the kind of rig we live in seems important to you, I'll explain the reasoning behind our "Prior planning....." We sold ALL when we started full time RV'ing (ie. house, stuff, nothing in storage, etc.). After doing alot of "prior planning" (as it appears you also do) and research, we figured since we were going to live our retirement lives IN the rig we would buy, we wanted one that wouldn't plague us with, or nickle and dime us to death making various repairs, and would be as comfortable as we could afford. This has been a GOOD decision costwise.

Again, sorry I made you mad. Steve & Lynette

P.S. So I might learn....perhaps ya might explain to me why the kind of rig we drive should prevent me from commenting on the rising prices of campgrounds??? Thanks.

[Jim Stewart]

I have 2 cents worth, so here it is. We have been pretty successful in life, we were lucky more than good to get there. We too have a problem spending $70/night to sleep in a campground and would rather stay in a Wal-Mart parking lot. We can afford it, but then again, part of our being able to afford whatever we wanted was based on the fact that we didn't waste it.

It doesn't matter what you have or what you spend, it's how you look at it. We have seen many people in expensive rigs that had far less than us, but that is what they wanted out of it. Money is not the factor for what you have or what you spend, it's being happy with what you have and spending what makes you comfortable.

And that's all I've got to say about that!

[Barbaraok]

Quote:

Originally Posted by navyblue Steve, After a absence of about 45 days I am getting back to the forums and going through them one by one. I have little sympathy for a full timer who owns a $500,000+ coach and complains about campsite prices. I have many suggestions to solve your problem(s), but I don't think you would like any of them, so I'll keep them to myself. I retired 11/08 and wife and I have been from Connecticut to Florida and then Florida to Rapid City, South Dakota where we are presently spending a week in our 2008 Winnebago Voyage 33 footer. I have NEVER paid more than $30/night for full hookups and every site was a Good Sam rated 8 or higher(out of 10). I do a LOT of research prior to selecting a site and prior planning. I don't wait until 3:00 PM on the day of travel to find a site. I have a primary and (2) backups already selected. Have seen lots of palm tree ocean views, mountain views and desert views. Prior planning prevents piss poor performance. Love it, learn it, live it or LEAVE IT. You appear to have that "Senior Citizen America owes me a discount on everything attitude" I feel sorry for you. I am living my dream. NAVYBLUE

Did you really read his post. He was musing about the increased price and the effect that will have on people's ability to keep at this. Steve didn't ask for a lecture - and you can climb down from your high horse at any point. In fact, it isn't just you, Mick also pontificated on what he thought Steve posted - never mind that it wasn't so - just pontificate on. Where does Steve say that because he is a Senior Citizen he is owed something? Hmmmm......Maybe you are projecting too much of yourself on to him?

Barb

[RickO]

Wow Steve... you just can't win but I've got to say that you have the patience and diplomacy of a saint to put up with the unjustified crap being heaped on you.

I'm guessing this is a big reason we don't seem to be getting nearly the volume on this forum that we used to get. It seems that no matter what point one tries to make these days, there are those who respond with personal attacks rather than objective counter points to consider.

It's getting to a point where it's just not worth putting up with the poison to get to the nuggets of wisdom. It's sad really.

[Chickadee]

Rick, Nancy, Peanut, Lola & Bailey:

YUP, seems like some folks have pretty...."twisted knickers" these days about stuff,.... but, I think, it stems from an expanding epidemic of general frustration in our country which, in turn, stems from..................oooooops,....can't go there!!!!:( Oh well.

Steve & Lynette

[dajudge]

I am not a fulltimer, but in the near future i hope to be a nearly full timer. I think if you plan your trip, look at all the rv parks in the area you are travelling, youcan find one to your liking. What irks me, and not because they have 500,000 or 1 million dollar busses, is the people in expensive rvs that camp on the wal mart lot for three or four days at a time, jacks down, slides open, awnings out. When i stay on a wal mart lot, i always ask the manager for permission, buy something in the store and leave as small a foot print as i can.