Why so few full-timers on this board?

[steelheadbluesman]

Now that I'm fulltiming, I'll be checking in here more often to see if we can actually generate a more "vital" dialogue like Chickadee said. Problem is, most questions about the RVing lifestyle revolve around specific questions and problem solving, so folks attend to the other areas that have more specific topics. So, I think if people came in here with more posts about issues and problems, and of course some interesting solutions relating to the fulltime life, then there will be more responses. Having said that, let me take my own advice and ask the rest of you: What is it that you want to talk about relating to fulltiming? I for one, would like to start a discussion on how different folks have solved the problem of finding a place to park the MH night after night, and month after month, in my opinion the number one issue in the fulltimer's day-to-day functions. Camping clubs, deeded RV lots, coops, discounts, escapees, walmarts, and so on.... There are lots of ways to do it, and I'd like to hear a lot more about it.

[MtManLee]

When I am traveling I look in my camping guide for three camp sites in the direction I am headed, and when we get close we call and see about availability for my rv and only one time in three years have we had a problem getting a place to spend the night and so we spent the night camped in a Rest Stop.

[Chickadee]

steelheadbluesman:

Yeah, I recall having the very same concern when we first started out on the road. I think I can relate to your concern. There seemed to be so many things to pay attention to and worry about, but, knowing WHERE we were going to pull off and spend the night down the road was a BIGGY for my peace of mind......however......that went away quickly.

There ya are, cruising down the highway, after breaking camp. You're still going over everthing in your mind.....(ie., jacks up, air up, slides in, tires o.k., tow car hooked up o.k., WHAT'S THAT NOISE???....oh, yeah, forgot to latch the refrigerator door!!!, are all the bay doors latch?.. etc. etc. etc.)...then, after about a 1/2 hr. ya finally settle in to haulin down the highway.... checkin mirrors, checkin tow camera, how's she handling... etc.

Early on in our fulltiming life, we kinda carefully decided where we'd stay the next stop, would get reservations, then head there!! NO LONGER!!... We found that too restricting, and currently do it much differently.

While rollin down the road we'll kinda of jointly decide what we want to do. Will it be a short day (for us a 200-300 mile-ish drive), or should we punch on through to get past this upcoming big city traffic ahead, and maybe go 400 miles......whatever. Once we generally know where we'd like to stop, my wife checks out campgrounds in that area with directories we carry, and we pick out two or three that would work, and give em a call. We'll usually select those offering discounts for some of the campground membership groups we belong to such as Passport America, Coast to Coast, RPI, etc. but if none available we'll select another. In five years of doing this, I can't recall ever not securing a spot usually on our first call, though we have called some that were no longer in business, or shut down for improvments, etc. Incidentally, this is also how we operated going through Canada and all around Alaska as well.

Hope this is a little helpful. Steve & Lynette

[MonacoMama]

I just wish I could get back to where I could call myself a "full-timer"!!

[Route 66]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonacoMama I just wish I could get back to where I could call myself a "full-timer"!!

I prefer being called a fulltimer rather than an unemployed, homeless, transient.

[RVDude]

Unemployed, homeless, transient WITH A VIEW works pretty well for me!

[Jim Gehlen]

We've been doing the full timer thing now for a little over 8 years and have never had a problem with finding a place to park with hookups. Even found a small park in Missouri in behind the owners house that was quiet and quite satisfactory with 50Amp svc. Would've never thought that the place even existed just by looking at it.

Try to leave any campground by 9AM and just head out in the direction we are going and about 2PM start thinking of what we will do about 4 PM. Try to be off the road by 4 in order to visit the locals and see what is for dinner. Don't usually make any phone calls to find a park/site. Just take what we can get. Being 64' with the truck and trailer the only park we have had a problem with was in Colorado and the guy just said he had no site that we would fit into. No big deal, just found some place else to go.

As we carry two motorcycles, I usually research the area for riding and site seeing. Made the mistake of trying to take the bikes into Normandy Farms in MA and was told either to leave them on the truck or at the gate. No bikes in the campground. Wont use that park again with their attitude.

I started the "Where we are at" thread many years ago as I found that a few times we were in the same park as other members of Irv2 site and never knew they were there until some time later.

I believe that the Irv2 site is mostly weekenders with family who don't have the opportunity to travel the way we full timers do. Therefore, they really don't have the inclination to visit the full timers section.

Since we started workamping during the summer months, our travels have quieted down except during the fall/winter. This is our 4th year in the Black Hills of South Dakota and still haven't seen everything we want to see and do.

If you get into the Hills and go by the KOA in Rapid City, stop by and rattle our cage. Got a lot of info to lay on you.

[Chickadee]

Hey, Jim!! Ya still going to be in Rapid during Sept./Oct.??? We'll be down at "da Ranch" (Hart), sometime then. Would be fun to run up to Rapid for a visit w. ya'll. Steve & Lynette

[Jim Gehlen]

Yeppers. Will be here till about 15 October when we close the park. Until then, Friday and Saturdays are pretty much free except during Sturgis when we will be up there most of the time off.