Do you use your RV to get away from it all — maybe spend an entire season on public lands enjoying the peace and quiet, the stunning night skies, hiking, birdwatching … that sort of thing? Or is your RV your home — one that has all or most the comforts of a traditional home, but has wheels so you can move from place to place?
Here’s a list of nine ways we came up with that we believe cover how most RVers use their recreational vehicles. But we likely missed some, so please leave a comment if you use your way that we didn’t consider. You can pick two responses if one doesn’t quite cover all the bases.
The survey may take a few seconds to load. So stand by.
We bought our RV mainly to use as a seasonal getaway. In the winter, we are in Florida near family that lives there, and in the summer, it is parked on a lot in northern lower Michigan but still within 2 hours drive or our home where we can enjoy it whenever we get the itch. We are full blown “glampers” where we require full hookups and tend to stay in parks that offer higher end amenities vs. state parks or more rustic areas.
I have a “B” and “C” motor homes. The B is now a spare car and long distance traveler. The “C” is currently a guest house for the children that returned home.
We have a 1995 Georgie Boy purchased for $4500.00,and needed $2000.00 more to pass first inspection.
Used only once first year, then replaced all tires and belts , lights to led and new generator and batteries.
We rent our stick and brick.
But now from April to November we pretty much use it every other weekend for close camping (1-2 hours away).
Then at least one full week and several long weekends more than two hours away , and is stored outside and covered.
I am 79. My wife is 77. We have a 2001, 40 ft Monaco Diplomat with 119,000 miles. It is our second Class A coach.
I have been retired 21 years. We have a home outside Detroit in Michigan, and another home in Naples, FL. We have a boat at each residence.
In 2017 we took 5 trips with our Monaco.
1. April from FL to MI. As snowbirds leaving FL, we take our time, usually 10 days or so and stop in different towns each year as we head north.
2. Leaving from MI in the summer to the FMCA convention in Indianapolis with a side trip to Lafayette and West Lafayette, touring the Frank Lloyd Wright home, and a visit with friends at their Indiana farm and then returning to MI. About 2 weeks.
3. Leaving from MI to Marion IL for the eclipse and then over to Branson, MO for a week staying at the Escapes rv park nearby. We saw 8 shows in Branson. About 17 days.
4. Leaving from MI for 5 days at Stratford, Ont. Ca for the Shakespearean Festival and visiting friends in Kitchener and then to Niagara Falls and on to Provinceton, MA where we visited friends and had a great meal at the Mews restaurant, and then down to the Falmouth area and then to Foxboro MA and the Normandy Farms campground for Columbus weekend, and into Boston to the JFK 100th year celebration. Then onto Port Jervis NY to see friends and back to MI. About 18 days.
5. Leaving our MI home in early Nov for Cincinnati, OH., Enterprise, AL., Mobile, AL., and Tampa, FL to visit relatives and then to our Naples home. About 15 days.
We stay in some campgrounds, and Wal-Mart parking lots quite often. We love Wal-Mart because of their convenience and the fact that with our Class A coach we simply do not need hookups every night, and because in some areas campgrounds are not available.
We realize we have a fortunate lifestyle.
We have a 25’ Winnebago Navion on a Mercedes Sprinter chassis. It is our second RV. We started roughing it camping back in the 70’s in tents, then a VW Westfalia camper/bus with our newborn and toddler. We graduated to a camper on the back of a pickup truck through their junior high years, then rented condos, cabins or hotel-ed through their high school years. Sans kids we went back to a 1976 vintage VW Westfalia camper/bus until four years ago when we bought our first Mercedes Sprinter by Thor. We quickly learned what we did and didn’t need, and settled on our Winnebago Navion this year. We camp with our kids and grandkids as well as our Volkswagen Bus Club 6-8 Times a year. Recently retired my husband and I plan to travel the US while maintaining our home in Southern California.
We use our motorhome 3-5 months out of the year to see the USA. During that time we “dry” camp 4-5 days and then go to an RV park for 1-2 days to dump, resupply water, etc. The balance of the year, we take short trips ( 30-70) miles from home and stay 4-7 days “dry” camping. We own a 41 ft motorhome and living the dream!
We use the 32′ Jayco mainly in National Forests or smaller private owned parks, never in RV “Resorts”. Stay generally 1 week at a time & bicycle trail riding, fishing are the hobbies.
Boondock average twice per year.
ex back packer , now hiker !
motorcycle injuries have taken a toll
migraines have lost 2 houses !
i remember the old fixed up bread trucks from the 7os and thought , neat when i get older ….So i got a mini-micro class C Explorer 20 foot , 86 Toyota
I was in it for 5 month full time till the transmission went , sigh , now fixed , it is a cheaper place to stay when i go place , fun to go for weekend , even to the local parks , [ i can cook and shower when needed ] , when camps want to much i pull out my tent and use it ! , i have plans to redo the interior , but , well its more fun to travel and dream then spend and work on it . i also want to shorten it 2 feet to make it easier in City parking and traffic . People think they can buy this used thing cheap , haha , NOT , i have enough into it and it is my house , not a used cheap vehicle ! but will sell for 12k [ if interested , buy elseware ! ]cause it needs work
we decided the best way to see what WE wanted to see in the USA was to purchase an RV. Started with 28 foot travel trailer, moved up to an 35 foot 5th wheel. We decided to sell our house and go full time and now we would not trade our times or the places we have visited. Living now in our 40 foot 5 slide 5th wheel. Life is good.
We are full timers, no other home. It was my husband’s long time goal. We tell people “we don’t camp…we watch tv”. RVing would be a better term. We are fortunate to have access to military campgrounds but can definitely see that they are becoming more crowded as the large vietnam era population retires and RV’s, especially in prime locations like Key West and San Diego. I am seeing a bigger population of 40 ft + class A’s around. As a counter to your rv sales figures, you should also consider that there are many people “aging out” of the lifestyle. While that technically lowers the travelling population, many of those RV’s are selling on the private market, making your “new sales” numbers less than 100% of RVers. Complicated, yet the best lifestyle for my age. Bet you get that too now that you are full timing with your new love.
Our son has lived in ours in the driveway for about a year. Not a good RV year.
I worked my entire life to finally travel for more than the work 2 weeks vacation schedule the “job” allowed. I’ve seen everything (well most everything because there is always something different) were I live. Now I want to travel in comfort and see the rest of the USA.
Both of our kids live in the same town that is 5 hours from our home base. One has a horse ranch on which we set up a pad with electricity, sewer, and water for our 39ft Bounder Class A. We spend 2 to 4 or 5 weeks at a time there several times a year and leave it there most of the time. It serves as our home away from home.
We purchased our RV in hopes of becoming full-timers. Now it’s used primarily/solely to remember the adventures we used to have in it and to dream about what may happen again. Basically it was a mistake purchased 10 yrs ago that sits next to the house waiting for the next big road trip, which may never happen because of the wife’s disability. Not an “up” comment, I know, but that’s reality.
I do both– “Glamp”,and boondock — here in the Pacific Northwest about 6-8 months a year.. Why go anywhere else.. Am preparing for a trip to Alaska next year of about 4-5 months.. I will do both glamp and boondock…IF my RV holds together and don’t fall apart…
We live in the Mojave Desert of Southern California where summer temperatures exceed 110 degrees. However, winter temperatures are mild with very few days reaching freezing temperatures. Therefore, from mid May through mid October we take our 44′ Phaeton and stay at Pacific Shores Motorcoach Resort in Newport Oregon where we own our own lot. We do not boondocks, nor do we camp. Our motorhome is equipped with all the conveniences of our SU&B back in California. We will, occasionally, venture out of Newport to attend a local or national rally….but only for a few days. The summer 65 degree temps of Newport is difficult to leave.
I’m a scoutmaster, so I still get plenty of “real” camping in. Backpack in, tent, sleeping bag, cooking over a small burner, fishing, etc. It reminds me why I like my trailer.
We full time in our 5th wheel. My wife and I are gate guards with a frac crew. We follow them where ever they go. Sold the brix n stix 5 years ago. I doubt we’ll buy a house again.
Two purposes I dont think cleanly fit into your survey:
1) “budget travel” – for the last wedding we went to, flying family cross-country was $5K, hotels another $1-2K… Excluding strip searches and providing my own bed: $1.5K in fuel… Its not “camping” or tourism or because the motivation is really budget and fewer cavity searches.
2) legal/less harrassed travel: I travel heavily armed for work. Although I’m legally licensed to, it is a **PAIN** to go near an airport these days and do all the paperwork and BS security theatre while TSA newbies actually dangerously handle my hardware to approve my licensed rights. Paranoid ignorance won…I’ll drive 3000miles before boarding a plane now.
Semi-full time: 5 months parked in one location (50 amps). 6 months parked in driveway at my “real home”, serving as an extra bedroom (30 amp service). And about 1 month a year driving around (I can do with 30 amp, but usually ask for 50 amp if available).