Community Forums

PS56 · 06-15-2021, 05:16 PM

You've read the posts about RV sites:
- RV parks filled up
- RV park prices high
- State Parks filled
- RV parks near National Parks filled
- Reservations at National Parks filled fast
- Clubs hard to find a site (e.g. Harvest Hosts)
There are even reports of some business eliminating overnight stays.

Can you imagine what it will be like in 2022 when the Canadians come back and those who new RV owners want to hit the road?

How about a new term "RV Rage". Anger that you can't find a spot to stay!

PS - can we stop telling people how great solar and boondocking is - it is getting crowded there too

AlfaBaz · 06-15-2021, 06:53 PM

Starting tomorrow, we (central California) are expecting 4-5 days of triple digit weather, topping at 110 on Thursday. Just for fun, I tried to find someplace over on the coast to escape for a couple of those days. Full hookups, boon docking, or somewhere in between....... nothing!

Cutch · 06-15-2021, 08:25 PM

Things will be fine. Once the border opens it will be two way travel and vacationing and other travel opportunities.

2cyber71 · 06-16-2021, 06:23 AM

Good I’m going to Nova Scotia next year for a month

PS56 · 06-16-2021, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cutch

Things will be fine. Once the border opens it will be two way travel and vacationing and other travel opportunities.

True, a lot of people will want to go to Canada in the winter and Arizona in the summer.

Teamfoxy · 06-16-2021, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PS56

Can you imagine what it will be like in 2022 when the Canadians come back and those who new RV owners want to hit the road?

In case you hadn't noticed, Canadians usually come south in the winter and will have little effect on summer except north of the border.
Demand is getting very high for owner lots and many of those are selling quickly in parks we own lots in. Happy that we are not buying anything soon.

PS56 · 06-16-2021, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teamfoxy

In case you hadn't noticed, Canadians usually come south in the winter and will have little effect on summer except north of the border.
Demand is getting very high for owner lots and many of those are selling quickly in parks we own lots in. Happy that we are not buying anything soon.

In case you have not noticed, places like Florida, Texas, So. Cal. and Arizona get very crowded in the winter months.

dizcom · 06-24-2021, 10:25 AM

We were initially having problems finding campgrounds this season also until we re-thought our approach. If you want to go to where everyone wants to go and won't compromise, it's impossible to find anything. When we cast a bigger net and are more flexible, we find we can always find something. This weekend we got a great spot along the Shenandoah for two nights that we hadn't even looked for until Thursday. If we wanted to be in a tourist spot or along a major corridor we would have been out of luck. Being open to not getting the one spot we had our hearts set on made for a great spontaneous weekend trip. I think for this year and for some time camping is going to require "hitting them where they aren't." We've had more fun this year when our usual haunts are full and we're forced to go someplace new.

twogypsies · 06-24-2021, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dizcom

We were initially having problems finding campgrounds this season also until we re-thought our approach. If you want to go to where everyone wants to go and won't compromise, it's impossible to find anything. When we cast a bigger net and are more flexible, we find we can always find something.

.... and this is the way to do it!

Also, do you really need hookups? RVs are self-contained. Conserving water is not a bad thing to do nowadays. Do you really need all the frills? Do you really need the most expensive 'resort' when you'll be out siteseeing all day? Or even if you're not siteseeing. The less activities the less noise and crowds.

Look for different 'types' of parks.... public parks, city, county, fairgrounds (when nothing is going on), even some national wildlife refuges and fish hatcheries allow camping. Enroute a casino makes a good stay and gets you a nice meal usually. On our Alaskan trip we stopped at a glacier viewpoint. There was one employee there. We got to talking to her and asked if we could spend the night. She said 'no' but you can volunteer for the night! Awesome to have a glacier to ourselves.

Don't try to get as close as possible to a major attraction. You may have to drive 10 miles but look how many miles you drove to get there in the first place.

It's doable folks!

PS56 · 06-24-2021, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dizcom

We were initially having problems finding campgrounds this season also until we re-thought our approach. If you want to go to where everyone wants to go and won't compromise, it's impossible to find anything. When we cast a bigger net and are more flexible, we find we can always find something. This weekend we got a great spot along the Shenandoah for two nights that we hadn't even looked for until Thursday. If we wanted to be in a tourist spot or along a major corridor we would have been out of luck. Being open to not getting the one spot we had our hearts set on made for a great spontaneous weekend trip. I think for this year and for some time camping is going to require "hitting them where they aren't." We've had more fun this year when our usual haunts are full and we're forced to go someplace new.

Look for the 'shoulder season' i.e. time before and after peak season and you will find places. For example, I went to the so. rim of the Grand Canyon in late Sept (kids back in school) found a site in the park and a bed at Phantom Ranch; all without much lead time.

traveldawg · 06-24-2021, 05:49 PM

run.... run away as fast as you can from popular places..... run away from weekends at semi-popular places..... or book now and hope.....

I doubt just because Canada opens it's boarders I doubt their campgrounds will be any less crowded. There will too many of us planning to go there because we couldn't for 2 years; so I expect the demand to be great there too.

And more and more international travelers will be renting RVs and hitting the west - again. Along with the 60 passengers busses, all full of well intentioned but somewhat clueless folks (kind of like us in Europe). So run like heck from anyplace that busses can (and will) get to.

or... book those popular places now and leave the less visited spots for me...

boomersooner · 06-25-2021, 04:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dizcom

We were initially having problems finding campgrounds this season also until we re-thought our approach. If you want to go to where everyone wants to go and won't compromise, it's impossible to find anything. When we cast a bigger net and are more flexible, we find we can always find something. This weekend we got a great spot along the Shenandoah for two nights that we hadn't even looked for until Thursday. If we wanted to be in a tourist spot or along a major corridor we would have been out of luck. Being open to not getting the one spot we had our hearts set on made for a great spontaneous weekend trip. I think for this year and for some time camping is going to require "hitting them where they aren't." We've had more fun this year when our usual haunts are full and we're forced to go someplace new.

Agree completely. A few weeks ago we were in the North Georgia mountains and in the week we were there the park was maybe 25% full. We had a spot right near the entrance, the two spaces next to me had campers (one TT and one 5th Wheel) but they were completely closed up. The nearest occupied site to us was about 200 feet away until our last day when 2 TT's pulled in across from us and a few spaces down. We are returning to that same area but a little further up in NC next week, it looks like the park is booked but it is over the 4th of July weekend.

We also have reservations each month through next March. We want to return to the Keys in April, but the usual park we stay at will not take reservations for April until November 1st (it is marked on my calendar to call on the first).

twogypsies · 06-25-2021, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boomersooner

.... the two spaces next to me had campers (one TT and one 5th Wheel) but they were completely closed up.

.... and this is so infuriating! Why do parks allow people to come early in the week with their camper but not occupy it until the weekend. Those sites could be enjoyed by others. Everyone should have equal opportunity.