From the editor
As I noted in my essay in today’s newsletter, I know two people with the COVID-19. One has died, the other is fighting for his life. For me, the pandemic is real.
Huge changes are underway. Not to appear too negative, but it’s a difficult time for most of us.
Every RV show, every RV club rally, most every other public event that I am aware of, has been cancelled for months ahead. Half our country’s state parks have closed their campgrounds. Many national parks and national forest campgrounds have closed, too.
Millions of people have lost their jobs, and more will every day. It makes me sick to think of what these people are about to endure without money to pay their bills. I sometimes feel guilty that I still have a job. At RVtravel.com we are hanging in there, and will probably get through this if we work hard and smart. We have lost more than half our advertising, but thankfully many readers have voluntarily subscribed, which will help carry us through until better times return.
The disease is not going away until a vaccine is developed. Americans will not be packing into churches on Easter. It will take longer.
The RV industry is shutting down. Already Winnebago and Thor have closed their factories. Smaller companies have, too. I will be surprised if any other major RV manufacturer will be building RVs in two weeks. Small companies will go broke, as happened in 2008. I don’t envision the RV industry returning to any sense of normalcy for at least a year, most likely longer.
I am not smart enough to know where all this is going, but I strongly believe crisis mode will be with us for at least a few months. I am not in the mood to hear another person tell me the pandemic is not real, a hoax, fake news, or was propagated by the Chinese or a particular political party for some sort of evil agenda.
Watch your friend die, or your child, your spouse or next door neighbor … you will never again question that this is real.
Gail and I are holed up in our motorhome in Kingman, Arizona. But we’re losing our site in a few weeks. We’re not sure where we’ll go. Many snowbird parks, which would normally have vacancies now, are still filled and have waiting lists: Residents do not want to move, just stay safe, away from big cities. They can still socialize – but six feet apart.
Our daily updates about the coronavirus in our RV Daily Tips Newsletter have sent our circulation soaring. We are adding 1,700 new subscribers a week (sign up here). We welcome each of you, and ask that you tell an RVer friend of yours about us if you like what you see.
I count my blessings that I have a comfortable RV to live in during this unprecedented crisis. I sometimes can’t believe what’s happening. It’s like a bad dream that I will awaken from soon.
For now, Gail and I will spend a lot of time at our computers, doing what we do best when stuck in a small space with nowhere to go – informing RVers about how they can navigate through this awful time. Our staff is also hard at work, all in their homes, including my daughter Emily, who lives smack dab in the epicenter of the COVID-19 death zone in Washington. Lucky for her, she has always worked from home and can continue to do so.
Some good will come of this, as I have said before. If nothing else, maybe people will learn that no matter what our political beliefs we need to join together to battle a fierce enemy. I am already seeing this happen and it’s the one bright spot in all this.
While you are sitting at home, maybe it’s a good time to catch up on some reading or watch a different cable news channel for another perspective. And every day that you remain healthy, count your blessings. And, please, help others whenever you can. We are in this together. We are living in what will be one of the most historic times in America, and, in fact, world history.
Be strong, be safe! We will come through this . . .
Thanks for the words of encouragement and putting things in context. It’s a strange time when the call to duty is to sit down and stay put. But armed with an unlimited data plan and my tv remote, I’ll do my part for God and country!
So very sorry for the loss of your friends Chuck. Thank you for your words of strength and optimism. In our travels, we’ve discovered most full time RVers are a fiercely resourceful and independent bunch. these traits shall no doubt propel us through is crisis. And remember “Every storm runs out of rain.” – Maya Angelou.
I’m sorry that you guys may end up losing your spot and I really am praying that things go good for you we know it’s like when you’re worried about your loved ones at home and Washington rehab family back there Michigan’s been hit real hard by at it to and we’re just fortunate that the u p has been doing okay at this time we wish you the best
So sorry for your loss. These are definitely trying and uncertain times for us all. Just got to go at it one day at a time. We were wintering over in Arizona and cancelled all our plans bee lining it back to Virginia (2000 miles +) Through high winds, missing a tornado by one day, finally made it safe and sound back home. We will continue praying for this to pass quickly.
Hey Chuck. Thanks for your dedication to the RV Community. Been reading your newsletter for a few years now, and wouldn’t miss it. Meanwhile, re: where to go when you lose your spot. As you say, the Snowbirds are staying put. But they really don’t have to. We started a planned 7-month trip from Olalla (just outside Gig Harbor) on Feb 28th. Our first big event was scheduled in Mississippi on March 14th. We arrived there on the 13th, the day after we were notified it was cancelled! We held on to our prepaid week of camping, while we contemplated the rest of the trip. Once I found that military campgrounds were refusing any new RV’ers, and that the Canadian border was being closed, (both big problems for our plans) we headed home.
Our first stop was Memphis, where the park was pretty much full – though they DID have some transient spots. But since then, all the way up the Missouri River and now across South Dakota to Rapid City, we’ve been over-nighting in empty RV Parks! And as a bonus – there is virtually no Covid in the vast empty prairie land and stores are well supplied. Folks ARE taking social distancing seriously, so we feel quite safe, but for instance we scored a 30-pack of TP at the Sioux Falls Costco, (we were down to 2 rolls) and grocery supplies not a problem. We’re in Sturgis to sight-see in the Black Hills for a few days, then will head toward home. Hope we all come thru this healthy and that out the other side our Country can recover it’s equilibrium without going through a real depression.
Best regards, and travel safe!
Chuck so sorry for your loss. I hope you two can stay safe. I also hope that this is a wake up call to America to stop relying on another country for your many needed supplies. We all see it in everything you buy,(MADE IN CHINA). Right now all first responders are short of much needed supplies to deal with this situation myself included. We are fabricating what we can. The only positive outcome from this is that people are coming together and helping one another as we did during 9-11. Maybe when this is done we can remember that we are all human and being kind to one another is so much better than the opposite. I pray for a quick end to this nitemare but I know it will not be soon. Thank you and your staff for doing the best you can to keep things going and keep everyone updated.
Agree, why were Dollar stores not shut down immedictely as a protest. If you took China out of the dollar store (and others admittedly) the place would be bare. Who is going to have the courage to STOP buying crap from stores selling crap – now like no other time is the time to start buying America – or Canadian – since I’m in Canada. Lets stick together, nnnnnnnnext!
We too are lucky. We brought our mh down to a small town near beach (they are all closed) but it is an area that has only one case right now. We loaded food and all we could and brought our son and grand child and we are hanging here as long as we feel safe. They closed all the beaches but the state park here is open and has like 27 miles of walking and biking trails. They so far decided to leave the campground open because many had no place to go. There are still a lot of snow birds in this campground. We have our boat here and been going out fishing and staying away from people! Our rv lot is in a small subdivision that has houses and rv lots mixed and we walk and ride golf carts and wave but keep distance!
Thank you for that. Sorry about your friends. I’m knocking on wood. It was a very good post.
“Our daily updates about the coronavirus in our RV Daily Tips Newsletter have sent our circulation soaring. We are adding 1,700 new subscribers a week (sign up here). We welcome each of you, and ask that you tell an RVer friend of yours about us if you like what you see.”
Your article starts with a lot of the same bad news, available at the CNN/MSNBC/CNBC/etc conga line. But then again, bad news sells copy.
Give Chuck a break. Can you not hear the pain in his words? Can you not feel compassion in his words? I pray that none of us have to endur the loss of those that we love whether they are loved family members or friends that are family by love.
I for one, welcome the virus updates since we had planned to begin our travels west this year. The RV travel updates provided much needed information on campgrounds throughout the country, so I see it as a big plus where major media outlets don’t help. You may choose to see it as bad news but I see it as helpful information.
Vs the conga line at Fox, Hannity, Limbaugh, etc., that say old people should sacrifice their lives for the economy. Funny how Fox pushes the no big deal line on their airwaves , yet are in freak out mode in their offices behind the scenes trying isolate and disinfect everything in site.
TPalmer: We listen to many different channels in order to obtain perspectives on all issues. NEVER ONCE have we heard anyone on Fox News say anything remotely close to what you are describing. We have to assume you are obtaining your news from extreme left-leaning sources.
Agree Diane it is so sad to read isn’t it – one thing you have to admit they never let an opportunity pass do they?
Look up what the Lt. Gov. of TX had to say. Google is your friend.
I watched Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s interview and it seems his words have been twisted just a tad. He did not say, “old people SHOULD sacrifice their lives for the economy”. He said he personally was willing to risk death to protect the economy for his children and grandchildren and he FELT many grandparents across the country might agree with him. As I type this, my 89 year old Mother who lives with one of my sisters in CA is extremely ill suffering from pneumonia that her doctor thinks may have started with COVID-19 although she was not tested. My Mom believes that any COVID medicines, necessary machines, or a hospital bed shouldn’t be ‘wasted’ on her while the doctors and nurses are trying to save the lives of so many younger people. Although we disagree with her, we’ve promised to abide by her wishes. Since my own Mom thinks this way, I’m inclined to think Mr. Patrick’s view may indeed be shared by many older people.
fritz, We’re not reporting bad news, just news. The reason our circulation is growing is there is no other source that offers comprehensive news and information about what is happening these days regarding the virus. Yes, a lot of it is bad news — you know, you can put lipstick on a pig and try to make it look good, but it won’t work, still a pig. We’re not going to take bad news and try to turn it into a happy story. I get so tired of people bashing the news media. Anyone with a Facebook or Twitter page that shares information without carefully checking its source and/or accuracy is “media.” There is more fake news passed along in social media than in the mainstream press by a long shot.
Bingo, Chuck – you know by now my position on what you folks do for us all – warts and can’t please ’em all.
Good morning from New Mexico,
I am sorry to hear about your friend. I fear many of us will experience the same circumstances and some of us Boomers may, in fact fall victim to this horrible virus.
We all know by now that isolating is the key. It can be hard to do even in an RV. Supplies will be needed for most from time to time and that means some level of exposure. Glove and masks when in public places will help. Wipe down or wash everything you buy.
We got lucky, or maybe it was divine intervention.
Two years ago we bought piece of land that allows RVs. It has water and electricity and we have converted to a composting toilet. It is in the middle of nowhere with no neighbors close.
A week ago we left Florida and made a mad dash for it. We made it in 49 hours of driving and sleeping in parking lots or rest stops.
We are currently self isolated with 7 days left.
I think America will change because of this. I hope it is for the better. No more will we see mass gathering until they create a cure or can better treat the lung inflammation that the virus causes.
By mass gatherings I am referring to theaters, concerts, sports events, rodeos, neighborhood Bbq’s. Air, bus and train travel may become a thing of the past. I know that seems drastic but worse case scenario reads like a bad movie script.
I also think that the most brilliant minds in the world are working to solve this crisis and I think they will..but when.
As I said we are lucky we have a safe spot to wait ut out BUT one day soon we will need to venture out for food or propane….. Do we self isolate again? I don’t know..
I pray that all of us stay healthy and survive this.
I pray our comes together not apart.
I pray that a cure, vaccine or mitigating introversion is discovered soon.
Thanks for letting me rant….
Be safe..Randy Cudd….or what’s left of him.
Chuck my name is Tim Kirby and I manage a 55 plus community and we are not closing here in Phoenix and I will have a couple opening s in May if you need a space in the nice warm weather. I hope this isn’t against policy not looking to advertise just help 55 plus RV ers. I live in my RV full time and enjoy your magazine.
Holiday Spa ..Tim Kirby
Thank you for all you do for people.
Hi Chuck, thank you for all you and your family do to keep this newsletter going in these trying times. My wife and I are also from Seattle area and have been on the road since August 4th, we’re currently in South Carolina and thankfully right at the beach. But as several reservations get canceled on a daily basis we’re in a quandary as what do we do? But as many others we’ll figure it out as we go. God bless you and all the other RVers.
I’m so sorry for you loss Chuck. I’m not sure how many of our full-timer’s are willing to put up with the heat of a Florida summer but so far, FL private campgrounds are open and most have empty spots as our snowbirds head north. I would expect southern TX and some areas of AZ to be the same. Good luck to all.
Stay safe out there.
Very sorry to hear about your friend, Chuck. Stay safe and God bless.
Sorry to hear of the passing of your neighbor and wishing your friend a complete recovery.
This is indeed a hard time. My wife and I cut our desert winter short and are now holed up in our stick frame house. I keep telling her…”It’s just like living in a bigger RV.” Meaning, we are still basically the only two faces we see each day.. : )
You’re right, our world will be changed by this event. My hope is that a deeper compassion comes over us all and washes us clean.
And no…this won’t be done by Easter…
george
I’m so sorry for your loss. I’m afraid you may be the first of us, but you won’t be the last. I can wish that we had all taken it seriously earlier, and that our national leaders would treat it like the medical emergency it is, rather than a financial emergency, but I know that we as North Americans will pull together and get through this somehow.
Chuck: I am sympathitic to your situation. My wife and I winter in Mesa, AZ. Normlly we’d be packing up and heading back to Oregon. Now we are kind hunkered down at the RV park, wondering when we’ll be able to get home. Or if we even want to. Like you in the Seattle area, where we live in Oregon is the epicenter of the state’s virus contamination. My daughter, an epidemiologist, recommended we stay in AZ for a while because we are semi-isolated in the park and less likely to come in contact with folks carrying the virus. My doctor in Oregon says the same thing. So we putter around in the 5th wheel, go hiking on local trails and I do wood carving in a shed on our annual site. And we wonder when and if things settle down enough for us to head home, and what we’ll find along the way. Will RV parks be open and have any vacancies or will be be sleeping in the far corner of a truck stop lot? Fortunately, we are self contained so the only reason to get out of the rig (we’ll be driving a class A back home) is to stop for fuel.
Chuck you and Gail can park and plug at our place in the high desert in SO CAL. Flowers are in bloom.
Thank you so much for RVTravel and all you do for it. Arizona offers several BLM spots that will keep you isolated and provide a beautiful view for your stay. I have always had cell service while boondocking, so you can keep up with your computer work. You can stay 14 days. Just a thought. Take care and be safe.
We are definitely living in challenging times and this is/will be heart breaking for many. The RV Park where we stay in northern Phoenix is currently still accepting new guests if you can’t find somewhere to hunker down. Stay safe and healthy!
People are not taking this seriously and that is why the death toll will be high.
Do NOT listen to your president
Please don’t make this political. The President is the one who ordered everyone to stay home in the first place and he will ONLY open up the country when his medical people say it’s okay. We don’t need prognosticating.
Cindy, please fact check your response. We are way past the ability to accept denial and “alternate (non) facts”. Lot’s of video out there to show you the history, just google. If you are a math type, the John Hopkins data on case growth give a 0.988 R squared against and exponential… this is going to get a lot worse. Suggest you listen to Dr. Fauci and your local folks.
Yes -stay tuned to CNN -better to get the RIGHT message.
Exactly.
China has been trying to build up a way to knock down the #1 superpower in the world for a long time. Refusing to let their currency trade on the open market with the rest of the world, undergoing massive inflation inside their country to gain market share, suppressing freedoms within their borders, all with the goal of taking down the USA. No one should confuse the Wuhan Virus with anything other than an attack on the free world. The misinformation that has come from China for the past 5 months should be enough to turn the staunchest “China Propagandist” away but, sadly, they continue to spew the Chinese lies.
IF China had truly solved the virus, why did 21,000,000 cell phones go offline in January? Why did 184,000 land lines get disconnected in January? China’s been dealing with the virus since November or before. They’ve seen large numbers of deaths, not the 3,000+ they’ve reported. China does not have the virus under control.
Never trust the Chinese. They & Russian sought to destroy the free world economic system with a 1-2 punch (virus & oil price war). They’ve done a good job of it. Only by realizing the truth will we get through this.
I have not heard anyone say the Wuhan Virus is a hoax who has had the information available to them from the free countries of the world (not WHO or China). So, know your sources and question those who mean you harm or are supported by those intending us harm.
Tom, I suspect fully and completely that by the time the movie wins an academy award, dozens of political pundits have pounded out the books, and the rest have had their say, somewhere in your statement there will be a shred of light exposing an evil plutocratic opprobrium.
The Chinese are totally controlled by Aliens. This is an alien plot reduce population so they can take over the planet.
Forget buying toilet paper. You’ll need tin foil to protect you and your loved ones.
Chuck, try https://www.wildwestrvresort.com/ in Maricopa, AZ. Don’t use the online booking (its goofed up), call them. FHU but no other amenities. It’s off the beaten track, had sites available last I checked, comfortable enough. If they are full, explain your situation. Im thinking at the very least, you could boondock there until a site opens up. We live 20 minutes away and can help with whatever as needed. Good luck, stay safe.
Fl and Tx have put visitors from hot states on a 2 week isolation order. I arrived home at the NC beach a few days ago. Both Carolinas have sent short term renters packing and no new ones coming. A great influx from NY NJ AND CT were running here to get away from home and bring problems here. S.C. shut CGs and most are empty but for those that live there. Myrtle Beach will be empty of tourists. Changes are here to stay. Hoping we can get our reservations in Gulf Port Ms in mid-May. Time will tell. More can still be done and some over reaction will subside.
Chuck try Gila Bend Az KOA. Love this rv park and the people that work there. Owner Scott might be able to help you. Only problem is it’s going to get warm and shopping is in Buckeye.
There are sites available at Sunflower RV Resort in Surprise. All indoor activities are shut down. Most all stores in area are open. Restaurants are take out.
Thank you for all you do! We had to cancel our trip this year, and we miss it so. We do REALLY appreciate reading your articles even more now. Thank you again.
I’ve enjoyed reading your comments for many years Chuck. We are 40-Yr RV’rs also and we’re hunkering down at home. So, if you feel like visiting the Phoenix area for a while, you have a free space anytime in our long secluded driveway in an acre neighborhood any time you’d like with power and a dump. We’re in Gilbert, in the East Valley. Contact us any time!
Frank And Jane Engstrom
Is moochdocking an option? Im sure that people across the country would let you stay on their property!
One thing you can do at home : Pray. A dear pastor friend of ours is also fighting for his life. I know of 2 women in their 40s who have died. This is NOT a joke and young people need to realize they might be responsible for spreading it if they don’t follow the rules. So yes, pray. For those you know, those you don’t, our leaders, those who work the “front lines”, for unity and for everyone to do what is best to shorten the life of this disease. Just praying for all those things will take you quite a bit of time.
If you have lost advertising, your advertisers are being very shortsighted. Demand isn’t going away, it’s just delayed. What else do we have to do other than to look at ads for things we might want to buy as soon as this is over? Consumers are making decisions now, not later. Sorry you’re taking a hit.
Rick, obviously you were never in business. If your work is done so is the advertising.
Chuck, my condolences to you and the families of your sick and lost friends. We are fortunate to be ” sheltered in place ” with our small RV within a few steps of our home. From the very 1st day I started reading your words a couple years ago, I am impressed with your honorability and honesty. I believe that with people like you and our fellow campers we will come out of this dark tunnel into a new sunlight. Many of our friends however will be stricken with this virus and we mourn their illness and loss and send our best wishes to the surviving family and friends. Stay separate and healthy where you can. I am thankful that we can contribute in our small way to your business .
Chuck, I have been wondering where we (RV’ers ) would go if the parks in Arizona are shut down. But I guess if RV’s used by the homeless can be parked on the streets of major cities, then we can do it too. The Phoenix metro area park we are in has the gates closed so one must have a code to get in. I guess that makes us pretty isolated. We still have street parties and pot-lucks despite the stay-at-home rules.
What part of social distancing to flatten the curve do you not understand? If you don’t care about your own safety, please think of those with underlying conditions. Don’t be selfish. Your street parties and pot-lucks are not worth loss of life… what if it’s your life?
That is not isolating or distancing. Everyone touches utensils. Not very smart. Actually real stupid!!
Chuck, my condolences as well. Very well stated, please stay safe.
I guess the powers that shut down state parks, forest service and COE campgrounds just don’t realize the severity of a problem they have put RVers, especially full timers in. They could have easily locked facilities and kept the spots open. There’s not much of a need for supervision beyond what is normal by camp hosts. RVers social distance by design. Volunteers at some state parks are able to stay in exchange for work that is different from their normal duties. It’s a win win for the park(s) system and the volunteers who are able to stay off the roads.
Marybeth,
A volunteer.
Marybeth, I believe one of the reasons these facilities have shuttered is because past history tells them that not all campers are cut from the same bolt of clothe as you folks. Some arrive consume the place, and leave the tailings for someone else to come along and clean up.
With parks personal being laid off ,and whatnot there simply may not be someone there to babysit, and the place eventually would totally fall apart.
I suspect this scenario is largely responsible for the reason these places are being shut down – I can’t think of another reason, the safest places to camp, where folks have room to breathe are closing.
Wouldn’t closing an RV Park due to the pandemic be the same as an eviction. My understanding is that the Governor of Arizona has banned evictions until July.
Don’t roam; stay home!
Chuck and Gail, thank you for all you do….stay safe and healthy my friends!
There is 1 RV spot on private land in Yucca, AZ. It has water, electricity & a washer/dryer building. The owner is particular to who she is willing to rent to because she wants to keep the property quiet.
I am very sorry to hear your neighbor passed due to the virus and am praying for your friend. Stay safe.
Chuck! Hello from Heather and Roger in Nevada County, CA. For a place to stay “for free or almost free” watch our old dvds on RV Camping you used to sell. lol. Seriously, why not BLM, Quartzite or the Anza Borrego. I loved it there. The BLM land near Valley of Fire is nice too since the park is probably closed. But maybe the BLM will close? We wanted to sell this summer and be full-timers, but now who knows? Take care and stay away from California. As soon as Trump opens our county because the virus count is very small here, the city people will all be up here. I am continually telling our residents to stay home! So many don’t think it is “real.”
Unknown and unreported: community newspapers are being hard hit and many may not survive. Here on our island, the local newspaper posted on its online website that advertising has totally shut down, cutting their revenue stream. They were forced to make drastic cuts and cutbacks. If they close down, we will lose the ONLY source of local news, affecting 70,000 residents and many more who live off-island but subscribe to keep in touch with hometown events. Also affected: the news of record. If print newspapers are lost, we lose a priceless historical record for future generations. The cyber world is no more permanent than scribbles in the sand; link rot is a fact of life.
Also sad: four days ago two cases of covid-19 were reported at an island nursing home. Today’s report has increased to over 40 cases.
Official reports from county and city websites are very sparse and are slowly updated. It is difficult to get a daily, comprehensive overview of the situation as it develops. County health and EMS (two islands) officials report 80 cases. We believe the actual total, including untested and unreported cases, is likely much higher, perhaps 10x greater.
I’m almost 80; wife is two years younger. We’re in the high-risk group. We hunker down indoors, track our essential supplies and replenish as necessary, and make only two outings per week to the post office and grocery store, wearing disposable gloves. The RV truck camper is fully fueled and stocked, just in case of vital utility failures (water, power, sewer) and we can boon-dock almost indefinitely on the parking pad with solar power and composting toilet and food and water reserves, staying warm and fed. Even surrounded by known and unknown CV-19 cases, it’s possible to stay safe.
Be careful and stay informed; trust the medical authorities. Avoid political opportunists and their BS. Good luck to all.
Good luck to you folks. For others commenting in the future, it would be very helpful/informative if you let the reader in on what island, campsite, or other locale you are referring to in your note
Oak Harbor, Whidbey Island, WA; Island County comprises both Whidbey & Camano Island. One rural hospital in Coupeville (Whidbey Island) that has struggled for years to stay solvent, as federal reimbursement for Medicare/Medicaid discriminates with lower payments to rural hospitals. We have about 70,000 people on Whidbey, and Whidbey General Hospital reports having six ventilators, with a few more (maybe) on tap. Some 700 rural hospitals in the U.S. are reported on the verge of closure. Not very reassuring, but that’s the way it is with the U.S. healthcare system.
Observations:
(1) In general – Private businesses are mostly open, while public services are largely closed.
Grocery stores, gas stations, banks, repair shops, delivery services, Amazon, etc. remain open. While governments have shut down schools, universities, DMVs , parks, parking lots, beaches, all public offices, etc – virtually everything they control. So what would they do without the private sector to keep things going? What does this say about a private sector that is willing and able to keep functioning – compared to the public sector which has shut itself down?
Seems that we can live without the public sector (for the most part) – but we would indeed be hurting if the private sector shut down in the same way.
Just something I have noticed.
(2) After hearing from, and reading about a number of RVers who are out there trying to cope with this crisis and find a long term place to stay, I have noticed the following:
* Many seem to be kicked out of /off of Federal and State campgrounds and public lands (such as COE parks) where they thought they were best complying with stay-in-place orders. So now they are no longer in secluded, often remote, and usually widely separated campsites and instead forced into private RV parks (usually much more costly with sites much closer together) OR forced to travel around trying to find a place to park each night.
* Many RVers have hit the road in order to go home (if they have a physical house) or to return to Canada before the border might be shut. This has led to:
> Some private campgrounds in Florida emptying out earlier than usual as many snowbirds have left. While all State parks and campgrounds are closed, it seems most private ones are still open and have space. The problem is the weather – As we head into summer in a few months it will get VERY warm in Florida so most hope they do not have to long term it there for too long.
> Many travelers are now on the road –
# usually with very positive results. Traffic is lighter than usual, all gas stations are open, and the price of gas is the lowest since the 1980s. (except California where it is still well over $3/gal)
# But on the downside – most restaurants closed. Many rest stops are closed along major highways, Most Fed, State and Local campgrounds closed. So many seem to be overnighting at Walmart. We have always found this to be a great option for us when trying to cover distances and just need a quick “one night stand” (Thanks Walmart!). But for those full timers without a destination this is not a good situation at all.
(3) Total lack of understanding of the RV lifestyle, or compassion for RVers by public officials. As seen on this site , some RVers have been kicked off public lands and simply told to “go home”. Many, many public lands have been shut to camping, even though (especially for boondockers) these lands offer the best opportunities to self-isolate and to stay-in-place. In some areas local officials have even ordered private RV parks to shut down or operate at 50% capacity.
What should be done instead is for public officials to:
> Open up campgrounds in order to provide to those who are traveling a safe place to stay put and be self-quarantined.
> Extend allowable stays (beyond the usual 2 week limit) in their parks to help support quarantine periods to help keep more people isolated and not moving around.
> Utilize some of the available open spaces – such as parking lots and fields – and permit RVers (who are so equipped) to boondock there, also with extended stays.
> Enlist those camping to voluntarily assist in maintenance of their camping area through trash collection and basic road and site maintenance. The purpose of this is to allow campers who benefit from these rule changes to demonstrate and acknowledge their appreciation as well as take over some of the work that park personnel would have to do, relieving limited personnel of some workload. In some posts some RVers have already volunteered to help clean bathhouses in these parks as well if they are allowed extended stays during this crisis.
This situation has led to some very good public relations efforts by groups such as Escapees and RVIA to begin campaigning to many government bodies about the RV lifestyle and how important public lands are to all of us. But they need our help to write letters / emails to the many hundreds of government agencies to let them know how they can better support the RVing community.
Beautifully written Richard, and yes -THANK YOU WALMART – a beacon of light for many.
Well written. I’m sorry. Thank you. Stay safe.
Just speculation; when this crisis has subsided, many more may decide to purchase RV’s as alternatives to hotel stays when they travel. They present a more trustworthy environment in a germ conscious future.
Something in your message struck me. ” 6 feet apart”. My brain went to, “6 feet apart, or 6 feet under.” Don’t be afraid, be smart.
Chuck so sorry for the loss of your friend, and the one that is ill. I hope you can find places to park in the future. We usually travel in the summer, so we are hunkered at home being safe as we can. Praying that those that are full timing or have to travel will be able to have places to stay and be safe.
I appreciate this newsletter and your effort to keep it going.
https://news.yahoo.com/rv-could-help-families-health-194006748.html
Found this on my yahoo newsfeed. I don’t do Facebook but know a CEO of a small hospital not too far away who might be able to use my van for one of those doctors or nurses who might need a place to quarantine themselves after putting in 16 or more hours at the hospital saving lives before they go back and do it again. Please take a look at the article. I know of 3 more RVs in storage right now that could be used. I’ve alerted them also.
Hi Chuck and Gail,
I am glad you are safe in Arizona, albeit, having to move soon.
I was a camp host and camp manager in a northern New Mexico national forest last year. I have a contract to go back for this year. But, likely that national forest will also close completely for this entire season.
As a full time RVer for over ten years, I have the good fortune to be currently parked in my daughter and her husband’s driveway with full hookups. I have the sad decision before me to stop my daughter and two granddaughters from entering my RV. I have already stopped going into their house.
Like you, I wake up each morning with only a few seconds before this pandemic tragedy hurls back into my thoughts! It is a nightmare and heartbreaking!
I send hugs and warm wishes of peace to all who read my comments… and, indeed, out into the world.
…Shelia, in northeastern Oklahoma right now
Hello Chuck and Gail: Check out the Blake Ranch RV Park. Approx 12 miles east of Kingman at exit 66. Phone #928-757-3336. They do have spaces though not sure what their time limits are. Be worth a call if you have to move in a few weeks.
Watch your friend die, or your child, your spouse or next door neighbor … you will never again question that this is real.
Not a poke at you personally Chuck but why does it take this for some people to realize the situation is real?
You’re correct, Snayte. Very sad situation that folks have, and still are, not taking this seriously. But, yes, Chuck has taken this seriously since the very beginning. Stay healthy. —Diane at RVtravel.com
Chuck, we are in Rincon Country East RV Resort at Tucson, AZ. The park is still taking reservations here…you can call 520-886-8431 and talk with Jasmine, Shannon or Joanne early in the day. Office hours here are shortened now. Hope you can get in here…you will enjoy your stay.