seasonal in a class A?

[JimM68]

We recently discovered a very nice campground 15 minutes from our house, a jellystone would you believe?
We stayed there last weekend and really enjoyed it.

My wife is after me to rent a seasonal spot...
her reasoning:
Our HOA won't let us park the Knight at home.
Storage costs $65per month $780/year) and there is no power and I gripe about having to empty the fridge and shut everything down, then I bring her home on the weekends to work on her and the HOA gets their panties in a wad over it....

So she says... for $2840 we can rent that seasonal spot, and then we can keep her plugged in, and we can go out there and camp whenever we want, we can use her more, she'll be among friends and plugged in, it'll all be good!

Now, if we do that, I know I'll need to get a shed, put in a real satellite dish, do some landscaping, buy some patio furniture....
even tho this year, there are no bugs thanks to the drought, next year, we'll need a screen room...

This seems like a lot to store a bus...

and it's "admitting" that I'll still be living in the land of corn on the left, "soybeans on the right, where the politicians make the license plates" a year from now, where my goal is to sell everything we own, and move to colorado, and anyplace mpore fun and interesting than illinois (heck, even our previous governor is making his license plates in the federal pen in colorado!)

Who "parks" their class A's in a seasonal spot in a local campground?

[jzick]

We have seen a lot of class As in seasonal sites, some of which are obviously not going to be moved anytime in the near future. In fact, I can look out our window now and see a relatively new Holiday Rambler in a seasonal spot that has the driver and passenger seat removed to make room for furniture. Seems like a waste to me - the expense of engine, transmission, etc. going to waste. Would it not make more sense to sell the Class A and buy a towable?

[fredaevans]

Not a 'local campground,' actually about 150 miles away on the banks of the Chetco River (Brookings Oregon). Mid-November to mid-Feb for the last of the Pacific Salmon fishing season and winter Steelhead. Cost is $350/mth plus power. As RV storage is not an issue in my area I just cancel the what I've got and that off sets the above by $60.00/mth. Save for the power part, it's far less expensive than the 'daily rate' and you're 'turn key' as noted above.

[djbmsu]

some Encor parks have a program where they "rent " a site for like $150 a month and you are allowed to spend the night in your coach weekends. The remainder of the time it is just plugged in and low usage of elec. If you want to spend more nights per week, the standard nightly charge is appled.

[Davdeb1]

I pay 200 a month(2400 full year) for a garage with gas heat and 50amp hook-up. I now only use my MH once a month, so your setup sounds pretty good. You have a nice park, and you don't have to spend money on fuel.

[Sky_Boss]

Originally Posted by JimM68

...Who "parks" their class A's in a seasonal spot in a local campground?

As a fellow wanna-be-former-IL-resident I feel your pain. LOL

I have a seasonal spot in a CG near Normal, IL. Cost $528/yr plus electric. Full HU but only 30 amp service. This is our first year of ownership and we wanted to stay near home for the most part. Not the best CG in the world but the area we are parked in is easy to get in and out of and we are across the road from the most awesome FIL I could ask for. We have made a few small trips and 1 longer one. We are hoping to go to Poplar Bluff, MO over the Labor Day weekend. That will depend on some family issues thought. If not, we will get a couple short trips to some new CG (Illini State Park near Starved Rock is one we want to do) just to get some miles on our RV before we put it up for the winter.

I also have a 50X18 storage garage rented for the winter. $225/MO. SHEESH! It is a nice facility though and I don't pay electricity for charging needs. The RV is in that right now because of logistical needs.

We will go back next year to our CG but hope to use it less and be on the road more. Next year is to be our big shake down in prep for retirement the following spring/summer. After that...we hope the highway is the limit.

[JimM68]

Originally Posted by athuddriver

As a fellow wanna-be-former-IL-resident I feel your pain. LOL

I have a seasonal spot in a CG near Normal, IL. Cost $528/yr plus electric. Full HU but only 30 amp service. This is our first year of ownership and we wanted to stay near home for the most part. Not the best CG in the world but the area we are parked in is easy to get in and out of and we are across the road from the most awesome FIL I could ask for. We have made a few small trips and 1 longer one. We are hoping to go to Poplar Bluff, MO over the Labor Day weekend. That will depend on some family issues thought. If not, we will get a couple short trips to some new CG (Illini State Park near Starved Rock is one we want to do) just to get some miles on our RV before we put it up for the winter.

I also have a 50X18 storage garage rented for the winter. $225/MO. SHEESH! It is a nice facility though and I don't pay electricity for charging needs. The RV is in that right now because of logistical needs.

We will go back next year to our CG but hope to use it less and be on the road more. Next year is to be our big shake down in prep for retirement the following spring/summer. After that...we hope the highway is the limit.

We've been to Illini state park a few times. Very nice place, great campsites right on the river.
The starved rock campground is just ok, in a cornfield across from starved rock, not a bad place by any means, but big, and always very crowded.

[2Labs]

Originally Posted by JimM68

We recently discovered a very nice campground 15 minutes from our house, a jellystone would you believe?
We stayed there last weekend and really enjoyed it.

My wife is after me to rent a seasonal spot...
her reasoning:
Our HOA won't let us park the Knight at home.
Storage costs $65per month $780/year) and there is no power and I gripe about having to empty the fridge and shut everything down, then I bring her home on the weekends to work on her and the HOA gets their panties in a wad over it....

So she says... for $2840 we can rent that seasonal spot, and then we can keep her plugged in, and we can go out there and camp whenever we want, we can use her more, she'll be among friends and plugged in, it'll all be good!

Now, if we do that, I know I'll need to get a shed, put in a real satellite dish, do some landscaping, buy some patio furniture....
even tho this year, there are no bugs thanks to the drought, next year, we'll need a screen room...

This seems like a lot to store a bus...

and it's "admitting" that I'll still be living in the land of corn on the left, "soybeans on the right, where the politicians make the license plates" a year from now, where my goal is to sell everything we own, and move to colorado, and anyplace mpore fun and interesting than illinois (heck, even our previous governor is making his license plates in the federal pen in colorado!)

Who "parks" their class A's in a seasonal spot in a local campground?

For me, at the price of nearly 4x the storage price, it would come down to "are we going to keep going to the same campground and use the space?" At a difference of over $2,000 per year, that money could go into fuel and a few weekends a year, maybe once every two or three months, of travel.

And ... when you add in your projected costs for a shed, dish, landscaping, patio furniture, etc ... that once every 2-3 months of travel, might turn into once every month.

And then ... when adding all that stuff to a campsite, does the motorhome become more of a "park model" or a permanent vacation home? If it becomes a permanent vacation home, is that your "preferred" location? If so, then maybe a trade-in to a travel trailer, a park model or even a vacation home/condo is more appropriate??

I'm just sayin .... and NO we have not spent enough time this summer travelling in our motorhome to justify it, but unlike your situation, we can park it in our yard and on these hot, muggy summer nights, we actually sleep in it as its less expensive to run 1 of our 2 roof airs then it is to run the whole house a/c

[stik]

Originally Posted by JimM68

We recently discovered a very nice campground 15 minutes from our house, a jellystone would you believe?
We stayed there last weekend and really enjoyed it.

My wife is after me to rent a seasonal spot...
her reasoning:
Our HOA won't let us park the Knight at home.
Storage costs $65per month $780/year) and there is no power and I gripe about having to empty the fridge and shut everything down, then I bring her home on the weekends to work on her and the HOA gets their panties in a wad over it....

So she says... for $2840 we can rent that seasonal spot, and then we can keep her plugged in, and we can go out there and camp whenever we want, we can use her more, she'll be among friends and plugged in, it'll all be good!

Now, if we do that, I know I'll need to get a shed, put in a real satellite dish, do some landscaping, buy some patio furniture....
even tho this year, there are no bugs thanks to the drought, next year, we'll need a screen room...

This seems like a lot to store a bus...

and it's "admitting" that I'll still be living in the land of corn on the left, "soybeans on the right, where the politicians make the license plates" a year from now, where my goal is to sell everything we own, and move to colorado, and anyplace mpore fun and interesting than illinois (heck, even our previous governor is making his license plates in the federal pen in colorado!)

Who "parks" their class A's in a seasonal spot in a local campground?

Worst thing for a motorhome/5th wheel/travel trailer/camper is NON-use. If you can afford to write a check for the seasonal site (plus monthly electric, I assume) then do it. Just get in the habit to spend week-ends, have fun, break it, fix it, get to know it and then run away to Colorado or where ever.

I was born and raised on the south side and suburbs of Chicago . . . I was pretty old before I realized the Mayor wasn't annoited and appointed for life, but rather "elected". Sorry, that's an inside joke for us Baby-Boomer Illini folks

At any rate, parking it and using it weekly or monthly is better than storing it and expecting everything to work when you get ready to use it.

[Jack1234]

Originally Posted by 2Labs

For me, at the price of nearly 4x the storage price, it would come down to "are we going to keep going to the same campground and use the space?" At a difference of over $2,000 per year, that money could go into fuel and a few weekends a year, maybe once every two or three months, of travel.

And ... when you add in your projected costs for a shed, dish, landscaping, patio furniture, etc ... that once every 2-3 months of travel, might turn into once every month.

And then ... when adding all that stuff to a campsite, does the motorhome become more of a "park model" or a permanent vacation home? If it becomes a permanent vacation home, is that your "preferred" location? If so, then maybe a trade-in to a travel trailer, a park model or even a vacation home/condo is more appropriate??

I'm just sayin .... and NO we have not spent enough time this summer travelling in our motorhome to justify it, but unlike your situation, we can park it in our yard and on these hot, muggy summer nights, we actually sleep in it as its less expensive to run 1 of our 2 roof airs then it is to run the whole house a/c

I agree with 2Labs......in my opinion a DP is valuable only as long as you are prepared to travel....if not, buy a park model. The permanent site will also do nothing for you in the winter....you will still need to winterize and the Coach will "age" and not be available for your use.

If I was not able to use my DP full-time, I would bite the bullet and look for climate controlled covered storage with an electric outlet to maintain my batteries. I'd visit it regularly...take it for a hour or so drive...look after all the "working stuff" so it was pristine and ready to go when I was! In addition, it would give me a place to work on "things" summer & winter, I would not have to worry about security (theft/vandalism), winterizing, sun fading paint/decals, premature tire aging, cooked batteries, water damage/leaks, hail or storm damage (tornado/hurricane/snow), mice/rodents, ....well you get the idea.


I'm sure you could accomplish secure covered storage with the $2,800 you were considering for the permanent site.