The end. Yes, I know that’s a strange way to begin an article, but it fits! Many of our friends are choosing to throw in the towel on their RV lifestyle. They are giving up RVing for good. They have valid reasons, I think. See if you agree.
Page Contents
High costs
Charles and Mary have owned four different campers and RVed in them for decades. Each winter, they leave behind their Minnesota home for warmer weather in the Arizona sunshine. But not this year. This winter they will hunker down for what will undoubtedly be a shock to their systems. The reason they will remain in the frigid north rather than enjoy warm, sunny temps? Money. The campground where they’ve stayed for more than five years was bought out by a bigger company who upped the monthly rate. By a lot! “Given the increase cost of rent plus the higher cost of gas to make the trip, we just can’t afford to go,” Mary explains. She doesn’t look happy about the decision, though.
Poor quality
Dan and Jo are not too happy either. They ordered a new RV (their first-ever brand-new RV) several months ago. After finally taking ownership this past month, the couple took their new rig out for an overnight shake-down trip. “What a piece of junk!” Dan complained. “I expected to find a few things needing repair, but this? This is ridiculous!” Dan and Jo tried to return the camper to the dealership for repairs but were told the facility didn’t have space to store their RV until the repairs can be addressed. “I’m done,” Jo sighs. “I’m checking into our legal rights, seeing as we only had possession for 48 hours!”
Reservation hassles
Sean and Deb are also throwing in the towel. They sold their RV for more than they paid for it two years ago. “We just couldn’t pass up the opportunity!” Deb explains. “Besides, I’m tired of spending hours online or on the phone trying to make reservations. It’s killed my enthusiasm for camping. While everyone else unwinds by the campfire, I’m stuck inside at the computer trying to find the next place to stay. It’s just not fun for me anymore.”
What to do?
How sad. I sympathize with these folks. I really do. With costs of RVs going through the roof, along with gas prices, the cost of RVing is more than many people can stomach. Poor workmanship and a backlog of repairs needing to be done can certainly put the kibosh on camping. And securing a reservation? It is, at times, frustrating and defeating. But I’m not ready. Not just yet. I’m not ready to say goodbye to seeing new places, meeting different people, and enjoying the great outdoors. I’m still all in with RVing. I really want it to work. Just a few more years, at least. How about you?
Related:
New RVers opting out of lifestyle, some selling their rigs
##RVT1024
After over 5 years of full-timing, we will be hanging up the keys. Being in our early 70s now, we’re just getting tired of set up and take down. Not being good DIYers, repairs and service on our Class A have gotten prohibitive. And now, I just get “paranoid” that we will have a breakdown and be stuck somewhere we don’t want to be and pay through the nose for whatever the repairs will be.
We’ve been lucky that every time we’ve needed a major repair or service, we’ve been able to get it without it impacting our travels (at a high price, however). I am a planner, so we haven’t had issues with reservations – we make them way ahead in popular places, summer places (especially weekends), holiday places and snowbird places.
We will have visited all 49 states and much of Canada, so we’re satisfied and ready to move on to the next chapter of our lives.
I honestly have not had a hard time making rv reservations. I even found last minute accommodations near Orlando the week befor Christmas. Some National park areas and popular state parks are harder but if you can go mid week many places can accomodare still. Better yet find places a bit less popular and you have any day if the week.
Yes fuel costs and campsite costs have risen but there are ways to get fuel discounts and driving under 65 really helps mpg. Taking shorter distance trips but staying longer saves too.
It’s on my mind too; agree with others’ comments as well. Hate long waits to get repairs. Also love and hate problematic slides. I might downsize and/ or take shorter trips.
We have given serious consideration to dropping out of RV’ing. Not as enjoyable as in the past. This just might be our last year.
My next door neighbor had to give it up because his wife could not longer get in their Class A and he started having a hard time drive it, so for them it was no longer fun.
We’re full timers and have no intention of settling down yet. However many of our new found full timer friends have either given it up 100% or bought a property to have a safe haven.
I sympathize with those reasons. I hope to keep going for a few more years, before age becomes a factor that demands acknowledgement. We love it enough that the hassle or cost factors are not enough to sway our desire yet. However these factors will continue to grow, as mobility is slowly being restricted one way or the other. We’re fortunate to still afford to be traveling RVers. But I’m glad we started our time in the sun when we did. Much later and we may have been caught in the ever increasing cost/hassle trap.
We haven’t camped as much this past year as we normally do as my wife’s brother is dying of cancer and we are his support team.
We never had problems with reservations. We avoided all the popular places, and we have a number of more rustic style campgrounds we go to. That seems to keep the regular crowds away.
Parks have gotten a lot more expensive, but that seems to be the name of the game these days. We’ve been retired for seven years now and never were full timers. We like short trips, two weeks is about the max for us.
Bless you for being his support system. Good advice about going to rustic campgrounds.
You should Google cancer and fasting, Google ivermectin and cancer, Google cancer fenben(fenbendazole)…
You will be amazed you haven’t heard of these, but the drug companies don’t make $$ on these
Ya don’t need to die of cancer…
Good Luck 🤞
Interesting, My bride to be has never RV’d before, and is looking forward to our adventures together. The Airstream Rally at Rock Springs will be amazing !
We took our first RV to Alaska for a 3-month trip without any advance reservations. We took our current RV to the Pacific Northwest last fall without only one advance reservation (in a big city in BC). We are currently on a month-long snowbird trip to NM, AZ, and NV without any reservations. We made our current 3-night reservation in Las Cruces at 1:00 yesterday afternoon. But we are travelers, not campers, and haven’t stayed in one place more than 3 nights in years. Our days of months-long seasonal camping are long over and we are now doing much more boondocking, as well as almost no summer RVing. So, we are never going to be kept from using our RV by reservation difficulties.
All the folks giving it up makes more room for the ones that still want to do it or are just starting out. I have a class B camper and though I don’t camp as much as some others, I use mine on a daily basis for other then camping. I do a lot of mtb and it’s nice to come back to my van to clean up, have a snack, clean my bike. It’s a great daily driver. Had a tt at one point and it sat unused most of the time. For those that are giving up on camping, using trailers, maybe a switch to a B or C camper that can be used for other than just camping. Just a thought.
Reservations are easy when you PLAN AHEAD. Don’t stay on the weekends, don’t camp in warmer climates in the winter, don’t stay in popular areas for summer activities, disperse/boondock camp instead, easy with solar. If you’re not picky about what you can’t live without (i.e. full hookup), camping is not hard to do on the cheap. We took a 2 month trip to the southwest, from Michigan, for all of April and May and a one month trip to Yosemite, and got a site in the park. We paid $27/night on avg (some free and a couple had full hookup) on BOTH trips! Still cheaper than any hotel. We pull a 20′ with a diesel truck and used the Gas Buddy app to find the cheapest fuel and ate in as much as possible. We did great activities that didn’t cost a thing: hiking, picnicking, biking and sight seeing. As far as the snowbirds, and living the winter in FL/AZ. Can’t relate to it. I guess you have to be willing to pay the price if you want to escape it, like ALL the others. Supply and demand.
How do you avoid staying on weekends when you’re on a 2 month trip to the Southwest?
We have a small travel trailer, and use it on vacation (my husband is few years from retirement) and visiting friends. 8 years old, we’ve done mods and repairs and plan to keep it for the long run, unless we find another that meets our needs better.
We mostly camp in the SW, USFS and NPs, a few KOAs,, etc.We began making reservations for the majority of our stays in tenting days, back in the mid-90s, when the SW was “discovered” as a destination.It’s just part of our planning process now.
We’ll do this as long as we can, it gets us to interesting places, which is our goal.
IT is indeed a challenge to “camp” these days, but it is worth the hassles. We are responsible for our own feelings. If you only interact with unhappy, disgruntled people who remember only the “good old days”, then you will adopt those behaviors. Fact is the world is changing. We can either adapt and enjoy, or fight and be miserable. I choose the former, learn from the disgruntled, don’t allow them to change your perspective. Create your own memories, slide past the abhorrent. The world is changing, be part of it, or spend your time fighting and being miserable.
Well, this certainly struck a nerve, yet was rated 2.2, 2.1 before I added my two cents. Hmm, … definitely should be a 5. Anyway, I digress. We bought “new” 7 years ago, but it sat on Texas dealer lots for over a year before us. Huge discount (~40%) off MSRP so we bought. Several trips to Camping World of Chattanooga (I know now, but not then) and two trips to the manufacturer’s service center and it was dialed in. Forty-eight thousand miles later we traded for new and smaller (43′ to 36′). We ordered it and did some “specials” (i.e., off-book options). Two trips to the manufacturer’s service center later and it is dialed in. We are here for the long-term. I am aged 65, soon to be 66, so I figure we “may” have 20 years more in us, but probably closer to 15. We’ll take it as it comes, having essentially no knowledge of RVing prior to 2016. Because of that, perhaps our expectations are less of an impediment to our present enjoyment than they are to others.
Feel lucky we are in the twilight years of RV’ing. When we started, we never made reservations. Did a 6 mo trip with our new MH in 2002 all over the states and into Canada. Did the wandering thing for many years. Now, we have 2 main trips, FL in winter (2+ mons, Indiana for 500 in May, mon+). Every year we book our site in Daytona Beach & renew our tickets for the 500, not knowing if we will be back. If you don’t book, you can’t go. A few months before I make reservations at our normal stops. Other than one park, we wouldn’t have had a problem getting to FL w/o reservations. We don’t plan our return trips until we are close to leaving for home. FYI, at park in DB, many empty sites, some for days. Surprised.
A great way we’ve found to temper the costs of RVing is to volunteer at various parks. We’re in FL this winter and have volunteered at 3 different state parks with a month in the middle traveling around the state. It’s been a blast and “working” at a park gives us such a different and interesting perspective. Highly recommend!
I can understand the frustration. The traditional ways of camping have seen a lot of upheaval in the last several years. But, we’ve decided to do much more dispersed camping. There are vast expanses of public land, especially out west, that we’ve had little difficulty accessing and camping the way we want.
I’ve dragged the quality made Bigfoot travel trailers for close to twenty years with very few issues. The problems were not rig related but lack of campground etiquette by the noisy idiots camped next to me. I have made the switch to a Class B camper and more disbursed camping to get away from the clueless idiots who thinks that sharing their music, screaming kids, and yapping dogs with their fellow campers is okay.
Yep, just a few more years – maybe not as much traveling but there’s still plenty to see and do – just not as fast anymore. 😉
Many reasons to stop RVing and not necessarily due to current perceptions of what is wrong with reservations or new campers, etc.
Here in America, you can be as discouraged or committed as you see fit. Who am I to judge where any individual or family falls on that spectrum? For me, the barriers mentioned in the article and other posts are challenges waiting to be creatively overcome.
Private campgrounds too expensive and crowded with sites too closely spaced? Wouldn’t know. Haven’t stayed in one in over a decade.
Gas too expensive? Couldn’t agree more. Which is why I don’t drag my trailer more than 5 hours in any direction, no matter how long I plan to stay out there.
Traveling further? I throw my hot tent in my pickup and off I go, headed for dispersed camping or some other legal boondocking site.
And so on.
I have the luxury, at 69, of fitness, good health, and modest but adequate resources set aside after a lifetime of 80-hour weeks. For all of that, I’m humbly grateful. But as long as I have all of it, I’ll be out here.
Hope you will, too.
As bad as mobile RVing has deterriorated in terms of enjoyment, many are newcomers and have no such recollection. Their baseline for enjoyment starts the day they start. So, there is dissagreement on the condition of RVing. Both opinions are correct. Each based on their own perspective. I am fairly certain the observations of the newcomers will change more rapidly as the conditions for mobile RVing worsen. For example, the diesel shortage plays an acute influence in mobile RVing. This is not likely to change for the better soon. The mobility enjoyed by the oldtimers is a thing of the past.
Well said Ray.
We too, are not done. We workkamp to offset the cost of RV sites. There’s still too much to see and do.
I can relate to this. My father and my brother has rv and used them alot. The stuff they tell me is scary. The costs, campsites don’t care about anything and anyone is endless. Because of health problems, my dad will be selling his 37ft itasca. He doesn’t want to but there is no choice. My brother won’t be going out much. Some of the campsites I’ve seen is crazy. The way its kept up,the fees is stupid ,and the noise that people create plus the dumb crap goes on,represents Farris Bulers day off x 100,000%. I agree human has ruined nature, a good outing and the surroundings to a point that it’s not fun anymore. My father planned to go RVing for years and now it’s gone.its a shame.
At times its very frustrating. Weekends are a thing of the past. Too many disrespectful campers who act like they can do anything they want anywhere they want. At least we’re retired which allows us to camp during the week. Traveling for a month or two in one state for sightseeing is gone, too. Again, weekend campers gobble up the reservations. What a change from 40 years ago. Still camping, though. A bit more frustrating getting a site. We’ll stick it out a few more years.
What do you mean by “disrespectful campers? Like are they jerks, or do they come over where you are etc.? We have been camping about 3 years now and the worst we have seen is people who are really loud (music and so on) or people who allow their children and animals to run everywhere without supervision. I’m asking because I want to know.
Loud music, Outdoor TVs a lot. What we find is that campgrounds have limits for number of units and vehicles per site, and this is largely ignored. A big camper with an awning, a canopy or two, a couple of tents, hammocks and 3 or 4 cars/trucks is not uncommon on a weekend. Too much traffic and noise.
Aren’t the conditions you mention enough to qualify as disrespectful? They are for me…
There are so many other factors that people quit Rving.
1. Health,
2. Maintenance (Not being able to do what they used to do) now paying to have it done
3. Boring (been there done that),
4. Other Hobbies now more exciting,
5. AGE just not worth all the work it takes getting ready, stress from driving, packing unpacking etc
6. Rising cost of everything else not associated with RVing
7. Rising cost for fuel, places to stay,
Sorry Neither I nor our RV friends have difficulty finding places to go.
With all the negativity in the story’s about people quitting RVing I bet there are more people taking it up. Time to get off of this and on to positive RVing, fun places to travel to, great RV’S to own, what improvements have you made to your RV that you really enjoy, and please who cares of you like paint swirls or not…. There is more to talk about just give me the open road to wherever…. For me it’s about the travel not the destination but that’s just me. 😂
Agree… most people we know that have “quit” is due to age and health.
Full time Rving is still a great way to live if you plan ahead and manage your expectations. After 3 years we have so much more still to do… Everything in this world changes.. and you have to adjust. If you are set in your ways you will most likely be disappointed and quit.
Right on point Denny. I couldn’t have said it any better. There are many more positives to write than negatives, and would add to the positives our favorite aspect of RV’ing – all the fun and interesting people we meet! I’m 72, and my wife and I have a plan that, God willing, by the time I’m 78 (the next time we will need to replace our eight tires), we will reassess whether or not we will continue this journey. We will check all the boxes, health, SAFETY, physical abilities, cost and maintenance, and enjoyment. It’s all in the planning.
Got a old truck camper, no A/C. In summer it gets to 95 degrees inside. If I had more money I’d get a small Class C w A/C.
I am not much of a RV traveler in the traditional sense. I use it for my work, which is ‘my work’ and not paid work. I urban boondock 98% of the time. Only time I had trouble boondocking is in NYC and the springs in FL. But I don’t go to FL anymore. That was when I had more time for fun. Now it is all work.
I couldn’t afford to buy my TC again. Prices skyrocketed. So I try and take care of it and buy lotto tickets. In Jersey City / NYC it is $120 day w/hookups. I go in the summer when I can dry camp in their dirt parking lot for the bargain price of $85 a day with no hookups. It is very $$ to work in NYC.
I took a trip around mid-America, about 3,000+ miles. Boondocked all the way, truck stops, rest stops, hotel parking lots, Walmart, etc. Gas bill was close to $1,000 for a few days travel. As things decompose in the USA…these may be the good old days!
Hello, my MotorHome is 3 yrs old.I have 3k miles on it,one trip to Indiana from N.Y.
Should have over 40k miles by now however trying to get fixed was as hard as trying to find a fully staffed resturant or Ammo.
SO even though under warranty and only weeks old,I had to fix what the Dealer fixed.
Then it was too late to travel out of Buffalo N.Y. where we’ve had 8ft of snow in one 26 hr. Period.
So winterize and lose all of the deposits on Campgrounds, etc.
Spring and Summer are incredible in W.NY.
So why leave then.Called the campgrounds in Sept. To make reservations and……all gone! Sold out until 2022
I sold my stick house which I had rented out the last 6yrs while I was a fulltime rver and bought a stick home on the Oregon coast. I loved my fulltime RV lifestyle but felt pushed to give it up by several factors.
wanted out of southern California because it was crazy crowded and after traveling in wide open spaces I felt claustrophobic.
And then the ” new normal” sucked out any promise of joy with all its restrictions.
And finally the reports of crowded and expensive campgrounds and gas going thru the roof, I unhooked my “Short Story ” Smart Car and covered up my wonderful “Big Story” motorhome, sold my home in so Cal and am VERY LUCKY to have found my new lifestyle.
Writing my books ( I am an author), hiking, walking on the beach and along the rivers here on the Pacific in Brookings, Oregon. Let this crazy world whirl!
My last reply just posted was in response to Judy’s comment. However the others are on same page.Its no fun no mo
Good for you !
I agree about the costs going through the ceiling! However, we are still going, at least for this winter. I made reservations for the winter months about 2 months ago. My husband is 87 and still able to do the prep and keep up with the small repairs. We just had a major fix which came to over $3000, this being on a 2017 TT on which we had the same thing done several years ago. So, as long as we are able to travel we will spend our winters in the warm south.
87? You better keep moving. As you rest…you rust!
Good luck!!
Wonderful! Keep on keeping on as long as you can.
MOST OF SAME. THESE NEW RVERS HAVE NO RESPECT & DON”T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING. CAMP GROUNDS GETTING IN SAD SHAPE. I USED TO GO TO FLORIDA KEYS 2X A TY. UNTILL DOUBLE THE PRICE & COULD NOT AFFORD ANYMORE. THAT WAS BK IN EARLY 2000. have been rving every year done now going to sell.
Today’s Rv buyers are suckers. It’s as simple as that.
I understand these folks. While I’m not ready to quit, these factors will be some of my reasons.
By the way, buying used does not reduce problems. RVs are nonstop preventive maintenance and repair from day one to the junk yard. Look at Dave’s suggested tools list.
Is it required to type in BOLD to be an RVer?
So if the type size bothers you you’re missing the point. My dad is 96 and sometimes uses all caps but I’m sure it doesn’t represent anything but what he is trying to pass along. As far as camping goes, we are definitely staying closer to home but still enjoy taking the grandkids. Fuel is our biggest issue. We always enjoy our camping time and have yet to run into many of the problems which would be big enough to consider giving up our tt.
Well…. I think one has to be BOLD to be and RVer. After all are we not the BOLD adventurers?
My wife and I have been planning for years to get a Class C camper when she retires next month.
Suddenly, prices are up 30% or more, brands like Winnebago are backed up for months, and quality, especially for RVs made in Elkhart, has gone down the toilet.
Should we wait a couple of years for folks to fix all the defects on their RVs, then get tired of it, hoping for a bargain?
You should not purchase an rv. Planning and dreaming is great. You have a 50/50 chance of having numerous problems once you own an rv. I dreamt about it too. Now I will stay in motels and hotels. Mark my words. Don’t do it. Just examine the words on your query: 30% quality defects toilet
Yes, concur. Get a van or SUV, maybe a small trailer to haul some travel gear. Stay in motels for now.
Sorry you feel that way but. I would urge them to do it before for whatever reason they can’t. What’s bad for one isn’t necessarily bad for another. Try it, you might like it. works for my wife and myself.
Hello Ken, Research the Camper you would like (Class C) and look at all your options. I would say your best option is to buy a good used camper that you have researched fully and then find one and look it over and have it inspected. Buying new does not mean you are getting the best camper. Most new campers have oodles and oodles of problems. My husband and I own a 2005 Class A DP. We researched the best Class A’s…went down in years until we could afford what we wanted and we have a beauty. Sure she needs maintenance and upkeep- but so does our house and cars. Don’t give up…It is a fun time!!
As a disabled veteran on a fixed income, I can relate to this story. Fuel prices and seeing new campground owners double rates overnight has put a hurt on travel for my wife and myself. State parks are filled to capacity, people are parking on forest service roads here in north Idaho, we live in the woods so spending time camping here isn’t our idea of rv’ing. We like spending time in the desert and along the west coast ocean. Oregon coast is amazing. Finding free camping is not an option.
As far as junker rv’s we had that problem with a new 38 foot bumper pull, we had more warranty work done than what the rig cost us, and every trip was a nightmare when something new broke, we dumped that on a new fifthwheel, it is too big for most state parks so we also bought a small bumper pull for off grid camping. Yes 2 rv’s, which worked great but now we are selling both and staying home for the most part, even boating isn’t the same. Too many newbies with the mememe syndrome.
I can understand the frustration of trying to get a spot in a campground. I was told by one of them people will book two or three different campgrounds pick one and then NM ot cancel the other ones. Bam! Spots remain empty because they are reserved and campground can’t rent the spot. Too many selfish people out there. This is the real me,me,me syndrome.
Oh well things cycle and now this will. I stopped before getting started due to a medical issue that unexpectedly came up. Sold our 40’ Newmar ( used purchase) after one use . Coach was not the issue it was not being able to use it until I did not know when or if ever. We decided it was better to sell it and it get used instead of rotting in place.
Oh my gosh. Talk about a waste of time and money.
Good, more room for us.
That wasn’t nice to say. This is example of the me,ne,me syndrome.
We’ll never give up RVing. We believe in having a home base so we can come and go as we please.
An RV lifestyle that includes always being on the go and always looking for that next great spot is not for us! We have an RV resort in Illinois that costs us $1800 a year to stay from April 1-October 31st each year. We are not limited to the number of days we can stay and can be there for the entire seven months. In October, we head south to a similar small place in Georgia. We pay less for our spots than we paid in property taxes for a year in our sticks and bricks! We take side trips to other places, but we don’t go to a different spot every week or so. I want to enjoy retirement, not stress out over the price of a CG. This too will change and things will return to “normal.”
Keep telling people to stay home. That will make more room for us.
Tell us what you really think, Darlene.
About people leaving RVing. Doesn’t RV stand for Recreational Vehicle? Your friends are using them as second homes. Of course it costs more. Second homes are an expensive luxury. Of course some RV’s are junk, pay a decent wage and have real quality control and junk won’t come out of the production line. These RVs are junk because the people who run the company allow it.
Well, you need to RV the right way to avoid all these problems. First don’t buy new, but used. We got an excellent RV for 1/3 the new price that way. On quality, you have to review the mfg’s and model’s reputation. On reservations, there are plenty of BLM and Forest service lands that have plenty of space, don’t require reservations, are not only wonderful, but free! Of course if you want to vacation to the RV suburbs you’ll have to pay. But that’s not camping in my book.
Any news reporter worth their degree would be doing a story on the other half of the supply chain problem: poor quality. I guarantee you that anything being manufactured in the last 12 and for the next 12 months is garbage. I wouldn’t buy any car or electronic, and I’d really question some of our prepackaged foods.
We’re not ready yet (age 66/71). We’ve found great RV parks in New Mexico for really low prices. We just love the open road and decided to only visit our home state in 2020 and 2021. Fortunately the winters are mild (we go south) and summers are cool (we go north).
I’m starting my gypsy life soon! I’m so excited!
I have not experienced any of the issues these folks have. I have had several Rvs’s and diesel trucks in the last 18 years of rving. Hope more folks give it up, makes it better for us! See you down the road!
Don’t worry. Enough articles out there on the misery of rving. It’s all yours.
This is two couples deciding this.
1st person tired of prices of camp grounds. Yes if you don’t sell your home this may be true.
2nd person threw in the towel because it was a piece of Junk.
I just love having the feeling of Freedom in the outdoors.
We started out with a pre-owned Gulfstream Independence 32′ Class A. Took it from AZ to LA, SF, Portland, Seattle, back along the Columbia river to Las Vegas. The one thing we noticed was that wherever we went we either needed to rent a car, uber, or depend on friends and family for transportation. We traded that in for a new travel trailer and upgraded our truck from an F150 Eco-boost 3.5 to a RAM 2500 6.4 Hemi. We did the same route again and loved it but the TT was a bit tighter on space than I really liked. When we got back we traded in that TT (getting more than we paid for it brand new 18 months before) and went and bought a pre-owned Lance 2612 Toy Hauler. Then upgraded the truck again to a RAM 3500 6.8 diesel DRW. Now we have a 26′ extra wide toy hauler for our recumbent trikes, a truck that can pull whatever we want (prepped for 5th wheel and gooseneck) all the space we need for the two of us. Quitting RV ? No way … the adventure has just begun !!
Its called squatting. Not camping
Overnighting in a $300,00 trailer at a Walmart parking lot is not camping (or dispersed/boondocking camping). It is definitely an RV thing. have not seen a tent pitched in one yet.
It is urban boondocking!
I saw a guy in the Carolinas one time at Walmart. He had a pop-up tent camper all deployed.
Gas prices have us rethinking where we are going to go. Not quitting RVing but probably won’t go very far with gas prices over a $1.00 more per gallon than they were at the end of last year
Hoop
We have been living, fulltime, in a 44 foot 5th wheel, for 5 years, and we have issues with our RV all the time.
My thoughts on the quality of RVs are that, those building them are the ones too incompetent to flip burgers at McDonalds and are forced to those assembly lines. They simply have no work ethic, aptitude, or pride in themselves or the product. It seems they unload their discontent onto the unseen public who buy these things thinking that someone who cared built their new home away from home. And, just as bad, are the purveyors of these contraptions.
After you leave the lot, good luck. The dealer might fix a few things for you but in reality, you are on your own. Mobile RV repair people are out there but, their competence is uneven. Some are excellent. Some, well…
What we have decided to do is take an RV tech course. We have decided to repair our rig, to a higher standard, on anything that breaks down, ourselves. A course is a must for me. I am not a very competent handyman…yet.
Fuel is a nightmare and so are the rates. But, I am preaching to the choir here. There is another problem in Rving for long periods of time…especially if one has chronic medical issues.
Medical care and some medications are really hard to find in some places. Carry a hard copy of your medical records with you. It might make life easier. I have found that in some localities RVers are viewed with suspicion as nomadic doctor shoppers.
If one travels to the same campground every year this might not be such a big problem. But, if you are one who likes to explore, be prepared.
This is our home..we’re staying.
I love you people advise others to buy used and in the same sentence say there is no quality. You people are wasting your money for this dream. I’m not handy either. There are so many moving parts in an rv. Are you going to be able to rewire and replace? What about the tools you will need. Sounds like people buying rv’s need a hobby.
Hello Edward, Buying anything from a toaster to a car to a RV- one needs to research and find the best product that they can afford and KNOW your limitations. If you are not knowledgeable about RV’s – you have to learn. If you are not a fix it kind of person- well you have to pay for repairs (and they may not be the best) or learn to care for your rig yourself. Our RV is used, a good quality machine (2005 Class A DP)- that my husband has studied inside and out. He has rewired, fixed, oiled, changed, etc. We also go to the Spartan Company every 2-3 years for them to look over our motorhome. Tools, my husband has had to buy a few new ones, but he has always been able to fix things at home; so has a shop full of tools. He didn’t need a hobby- he has lots to do at our home and property…but we enjoy travel with our 2 cats and a dog. It is our home on the road for several months in the winter. Good Luck in whatever you choose to do!
We have camped, tent, pop-up, 2 travel trailers, since the 70’s. We just celebrated the 1 year anniversary of our last trip. Sold our camper and truck, no regrets! No longer wanted to put up with the horror show that camping has turned into. Road trips in our comfy SUV, tours and cruises are what we do now.
The headline states “several” friends are giving up RVing but the body of the article says “many, many” are. Which is it?
Ha! I took out one of the “many” references in the body, so it’s a little closer. (And I won’t even mention that at one point the title said “Three”. A case of “too many cooks …” I think. 🙄 ) Thanks, Sally. Have a good night. 🙂 –Diane
I totally agree with Susan from AZ. I live in MI and could not reserve a site anywhere in my own state. We have had our current 5th wheel for 21 years. We love traveling this way. Rv’s are in huge demand due to COVID. Rv parks have not increased to accomodate this. We want to go, but are being shut out. We are both almost 73 and don’t want to give up this lifestyle yet. What to do?
We live in a 44foot 5th wheel. She researches and I plan the route. We dry camp between destinations. I am 67 and my wife is close to me in age…but looks not a day over 19🙄 anyway…boondocking cuts costs a lot and is relatively safe if one parks in a rest area where truckers and other travelers congregate at the end of the day. We find a campground every few days to empty tanks and rest up. We have our rig set up so that we can stay hooked to the truck, with the slides in, and still have enough room to be comfortable. We try different places and different parks. We have our favorites but, like flying an airplane, we always have alternate destinations planned so we don’t get jammed up.
Money is tight so we plan accordingly.
Wow, we live in MI and never have a problem finding a place to camp with our Class C. We do about 5 trips every summer, just have to plan ahead. If we don’t plan ahead we skip weekends.
The person who sold the campground is just as culpable as the person who bought it. Perhaps they were losing money hand over fist because they hadn’t raised their prices. Perhaps the new owners wanted a better class of campers. Whatever the reason, it’s THEIR campground. Don’t act like they’re some evil “big company” for raising prices. Welcome to the real world, where’d you’d be more than happy to get a bigger paycheck if someone we’re WILLING to give it you you. That’s the position they’re in, same as you.
I always chuckle when people talk about RV’s and a need for Quality Control. Quality Control, in the majority of cases, is a unknown concept. This is true even with manufacturers that used to have a reputation for Quality. You just can’t control what does not exist.
Workmanship is a much easier concept and most manufacturers lack it. Some have a level of workmanship, if you don’t look beyond the obvious. This pandemic of poor workmanship has been evident since the early 2000’s. And we are way past the Delta variant.
Yes, concur. I had an old pop-up Aliner from ’04. That was my intro to shoddy workmanship in the rig and the appliances / accessories with RV. I guess things have gotten worse with QC.
I had heard LazyDazs makes quality Class C’s. Hope to get one someday is that pesky lotto would cooperate!
We converted a Honda Odyssey into a stealth camper van. If you size down you don’t have to worry about reservations and the cost of campsites and your gas costs are lower too.
We thought about that but are not sure…it seems a tight space for two adults. How do you get your own space?
You can travel in it and bed down at motels. Or you just sleep in it and are out all day. But it is tight for 2 people. My TC is too tight for 2 people. But for 1 person it is fine. If I had a large TC with pop outs maybe it would be doable for 2 people.
Good for you!
We just went to Washington DC with our van and stealth boondocked in the multiday section of the parking lot at the Greenbelt Metro Station, the next day doing the Mall/Smithsonian. Cost: $8.50.
Love RVing.
There you go…There you go!!
But don’t forget the gas costs.
The only thing that seems likely to pull our key is health. We started RVing at 59 years old and that was 20 years ago. We drive slower – 62 – and fewer hours – 2 each for a total of 4. Finding places to camp has not been a problem for us. We avoid popular destinations. This week as the result of an engine problem I needed to get 6 nights, over Halloween, in the Charlotte area. Took one phone call to a large campground that had a few open sites. The lovely county park we had been in could not accommodate us for the weekend. We expect to find places to stay, not always in a full service park, wherever we choose to go.
What helps keep my blood pressure down is not getting into the political issues that seem to rise whenever the cost of something is raised.
I bought a 2005 Winnebago Rialta HD in February, and I’ve had lot of vehicle repairs on the 2003 Eurovan it sits on. Still, I really love it. It is small enough that I can park in a friend’s driveway overnight while visiting and stay in the RV. It’s great because of the independence. I can telecommute for work. I have stayed overnight at Rest Areas, grocery store parking lots, etc. You can park just about anywhere with it. I wouldn’t want to live in it full time because it is so small but it works very well for my lifestyle and I wouldn’t think of going without one now. I like the independence to go places and not have to stay in hotels. But then again, I am not looking for a glamorous experience or expecting all the conveniences of home.
I took a motorcycle and a tent from Canada to Argentina. The most I paid for a night’s accomodation was $34 in Gulf Shores AL. Seemed like a lot to put up a pup tent. Hostels in Latin America average $15/ night. Gas for a bike, or buying a bus ticket beats the hell out of filling up an RV. Live life.
I agree. Biking is a lot of fun and is relatively cheap. Rode a lot when I was younger. Didn’t go from Canada to Argentina but did go cross country a few times and to Alaska.
Now, I have a wife, dog,, and two cats. Not much room for them and a sleeping bag and shelter half on a bike.
Since I have gotten older, my life has gotten richer but more crowded. When I fill my rig I look at it as more living my life. I am going where I want, when I want, just like you, but…my home and family are with me and that makes my life that much richer.
I’ve read all the comments, and one thing was not mentioned … buying a older RV and refurbishing it.
If you want to “jump in to RV’ing” that’s the way to go … just my opinion, of course. However, with that being said, both our rigs are paid for in full. Granted, both our rigs are in need of some “refurbishing,” but that’s half the fun of RV’ing … working on your own rigs.
I neglected to say what we have sitting in our backyard …. two classic Airstream’s we have owned for more than 20 years.
The small one, a vintage Bambi is 58 years old and the larger one, a vintage Overlander is 47 years old.
So, in my opinion, buying used and maintaining your rig, or in our case “rigs,” is the “way to go.”
By repairing or refurbishing your RV in your own backyard ensures you are ready to go when you “get ready to go.”
Dealers, repair shops, and especially payments … who needs them!
Since the era of online rez, it is way too easy for many to make a rez they don’t necessarily intend to keep. Especially in the case of lower cost areas they might say full but 10-20% of space remains empty because some people made a just in case rez. Campgrounds need to hold 10% in reserve for phone-ins and drive ins. Certainly there is no more flying by the seat of your pants!
Thankfully, we have had very little trouble getting campsites. We are not full-timers and stay for at least one long weekend (4 or 5 days), sometimes more than one, each month. Perhaps because our home is in the southeast, we tend to go where we please and when we please (which does not include any of the especially popular national parks of the west). We are in the process of shopping for our next RV, which will reduce our length from 43 feet to as much as 38 feet and as little as 36 feet. We expect the change in size to at least maintain our ability to find available sites, if not enhance it. Also, ALL our travel in the fall involves tailgating at college football games (3 days of dry camping for each) and 10-14 days at a regional campground just south of Washington, DC (where we make reservations months in advance).
Sold our 5th wheel during covid summer 2020. Got a nice price too. Reservations for state parks were already difficult pre-covid. We would wait for 12:01:01AM 11 months out to reserve our preferred site and still not get what we wanted. Demand is just too high. We seek serenity and then find a crowded park where people just don’t get or care about the etiquettes. Weekend dads screaming at the kids (often abusively).
People walking to the water fountain on your site to wash their dishes. (Not allowed). People cracking their waste lines rather than making the loop to reset all tanks. Generators running an RV on a tent site because they could not book an electric or were to cheap to pay for it.
It seems like all good things get ruined. RVing may have just been one of them.
We travel to travel and “camp” at nights, sometimes two. Will have our Class B as long as I can still drive. We are not destination campers. We seldom have a destination. The price of gas or park fees, has never really bothered us. We traveled at $2 a gal and at $4 a gal. – $15 a nite and $65 a nite. We are not, nor ever been rich – we just decide what is most important to us. We will roam as long as we can roam and see the beautiful countryside and small towns. Life is really simple if you don’t let it get you too uptight.
I have given up RVing and also sold our RV for a loss. We had a great time and I have had some kind of RV since 1966 until 2018. Our last trip was to Alaska. We had a 44 ft. tag axle and loved our RV, but my wife ended up with cancer in both breasts and after that RVing was not as much fun. We sold our RV wholesale and it cost us $10,000 more than we owed and our insurance company did not like the small expenses we had for two things that happened in Canada. We had rocks into the windshield and I rubbed a planter that separated two sites in a Yellowhorse campground. We invested our money in a second home. I still read the RVTravel and enjoy the responses.
WHO needs RV parks?!? I have had NO PROBLEM finding places to STAY.
Ours is on market, See RV Trader, if someone pays our price we are done. All reasons cited above plus, getting older and maybe have seen everything I have wanted to see. Oh sure the odd place missed, but can be happy if I miss it. The hassel of getting reservations into RV parks is top reason, second is price of fuel. It’s heading toward 5+ a gallon for diesel, and as bad or worse for gas. I am pointing my finger at the people who are to blame, please take note.
Oh, been doing RV’ing since mide 80’s time enough.
As a sidebar to the comments made that people are having no issues finding sites, I believe it has a lot to do with your geographic location. Here, in the PNW, it has been getting worse year to year for site availability. I honestly believe that in the next two years there will be a big sell off of RV’s, thereby taking pressure off the site availability issue.
The stories above seem to be from those who expect/want the fancier side of RVing. There are many of us that are not that choosy, we are happy with the average and/or less popular places. We don’t need resorts with the amenities to go to. We enjoy the travel and meeting other RVers.
Yep. 20 years ago we planted pine seedlings on our .5 acre backyard and now our own forest is 20′ tall. This past year we built a 10×16 shed-cabin complete with gas firepit and 20′ pondless waterfall for a fraction of the cost of a new travel trailer out of sight of our house. We have all the feels of our dream cabin in the woods without going anywhere or dealing with rv maintenance or trying to find a place to camp. As our health declines with age we should still be able to hobble to the cabin!
Another doom and gloom story. People enter and exit hobbies and interests all of the time. Nothing new here. We have not experienced any disruption in our RV travel plans over the last two years. We have had delays in getting parts for our RV, but luckily no war stoppers.
We are waiting to see how this years snowbird trip goes. Last year was canceled due to the Covid. We did a couple of trips this summer but not like our usual. Reservations are made for a few months this winter. Been no problem getting reservations. We are not seeing the overcrowding that everyone here is complaining about. Then again we don’t go to the destination locations. My concern is rising costs and shortages of supplies in stores. We are seeing both. This is the first year we will include a months worth of dehydrated meals in our supply list, just in case. If it is as bad as we hear, then we will sell our motorhome and return to a bricks-n-sticks type of snow birding. I do resist selling the coach because if we sell we will never return to the life style due to our age. It is a life style we both would miss.
This isn’t for everyone- dark skies happen, but they usually brighten again. Do diligence- buy an rv from a company with a good reputation-many of those out there. Learn how to fix things- attend some seminars or learn on line, join some good forums. Things go up in price- budget for that unless your margin is just too close to the bone (in which case I don’t know why you bought an rv). Deal with reservations- it’s a fact of life, and make them well in advance of your trip- not around the camp fire for the following night.
There are dozens of inexpensive rv parks in Arizona. If you lack the will to search or can’t accept change, then you probably shouldn’t be rving.
The quality of rvs has been an issue for many decades. If you are not capable or willing to do repairs or maintenance yourself, on your rv, then maybe rving is not for you. I sympathize with them on the issue of a brand new, unusable rv, but that’s the reality of the current rv market, & change is happening, but it will be slow.
Finding & reserving campsites takes creativity & imagination in these times of rv campsite crowding. If you don’t have the patience to deal with those issues, then rving is probably not for you, & that’s ok.
Again, rving is not for everybody. I love it, but I would not enjoy living in a city like New York, or travelling the world in a boat, but there are those that thrive at that.
You know what I don’t understand? I always read these RV articles bc I eventually am going to take the plunge but anytime somebody says anything about how prices are going up or how expensive new RV’s are or anything about reservations it’s like there’s 20- 40 people who can’t wait to tell them they shouldn’t have bought an RV or maybe this lifestyle isn’t for them. (bleeped) Stick to the subject bc they most likely didn’t ask your opinion or permission to do so. Would you people rather be the only ones left in the world who RV? That would make for a boring vaca. Smh
Again, Kris, you seem to be an angry person.
Chill
Totally agree with you, we are new RVer’s just purchased our first one this month and enjoying every minute of it. We did experience the not so good quality in our new RV but called our dealerand it will be going in for repairs next month. BUT not before we use it one last time for the season. 🙂 You would think for $42K, everything would be neer perfect but were we ever surprised! Propane oven wouldn’t work, hot and cold lines backwards, shotty under cabinet work…nothing major but enough to make you regret $42K for a not so perfect RV.
I don’t understand how people are having such a hard time getting a campsite. We book a couple of days ahead or just show up. We don’t go to the national parks so that may be a reason. We also don’t go to Florida. We don’t go anywhere there may be lots of recreation for kids as we don’t have any. We stayed in a beautiful campground near Tawas, MIchigan, for the month of August and it was almost empty except for the weekends.
We have one of the best lakes in Oklahoma within 20 miles of us and have hard time getting a GOOD campsite, there are usually a few that no one wants but if its a waterfront site, you can almost forget it and WE are local folks!! Texas tags everywhere you look! I thought Texas had a lot of great lakes…SO why are they all coming to Ok? Just kidding. we love Texas RVer’s but how do they manage to get ALL the waterfront sites??? lol
Regarding cost of gasoline increasing- My father taught me to drive and he had a heavy hand, he was in the 1960s what became known later as a hypermiler. There are tricks to increase your mpg. I think that if you’re driving a non-antique auto you should probably not count on turning off your engine to coast downhill, my 2011 automatic transmission steering freezes at this, and back in the 1960s my dad had actually researched this and found a slight increase in gas usage if doing this. But anytime my foot went from accelerator to brake he’d punch me in the side of the head. You always lifted foot and coasted once you reached maximum safe speed. Read the how-to’s on hypermiling- maybe you can find you’re no longer using as much gas?
Does Hypermiling Damge Your Vehicle??? | CleanMPG
“he’d punch me in the side of the head” that’s great stuff right there!
I was a “kid” and with my first car, 1960 VW Bug, I guess I was a hypermiler and did not know it. It got 30 mpg at 18 cents a gallon, but I still coasted down hill and drafted semi trucks to get the best mileage I could get. Just for the challenge, I guess. Would not do today tho.
👍👍
If you watch the bunch who have YouTube channels, you get the message where this is headed. The skill sets of the various types are interesting to watch how they deal with the ups and downs. For some it’s a learning curve, others, an eye opener.
Many got a quick lesson in “now what do we do” when the whole Wuhan fear hit last winter season. There will be a temporary “bums rush”, now that the northern border is open, and frozen Canadians can head south this winter. So, it’s evolving, and with the pending “correction” coming in the economic world, to many variables are in play right now, to see where this settles.
Oh, and one more thing, since the (bleeped) in the WH, doesn’t even recognize gas/diesel is approaching $4.00, that’s going to hit travel for sure, who knows where this will be in a year. My guess, lots of RVs on front lawns with “for sale” on em.
lol enjoyed your take on the WH, sad to say tho but some parts of CA, RVer’s are reporting $8 a gal. No Cali trips for us until the person currently in the WH is gone and replaced with $1.62 a gal…we all know who he is, I think.
Sure, let’s go back to $1.62 gal gas. All it took was the world economy to collapse and put everybody out of work. That is what you want?
B inflation is wiping out the lower middle class. Real inflation running at 35%, not the bs gov’t 10.8%. The Indiana RV industry will be out of work soon with the dinosaur engineering . Only had 14 years since the last time gas prices skyrocketed.
Most of the reasons I see in the article are about money. Too bad more people don’t plan for or expect inflation, and then buy cheap RVs and complain about the quality. Gas prices were more than this about 10 years ago, but I didn’t see anybody quitting then.
Keep detail costs of all our trips. Looks like diesel prices are $.15 to $.30/gal higher now at same truck stops we used in 201 on trip across country. Crossing fingers they don’t continue. Live in Silicon Valley. Many stations have gas, all 3 grades, in the low $5 range. I honestly don’t recall ever seeing that. Maybe premium at a few stations, but never regular.
mmm…don’t know anyone that plans for inflation? especially when we just had 4 years of super low gas prices, energy independence and a business man in the WH. Who would have ever thought not 9 months ago, some would now be thinking about giving up on RVing and staying home.
You forgot to add that the failed business man in the WH put everybody out of work and shut down the economy. Of course gas prices dropped. Nobody was going anywhere. Ever here of “Supply and Demand”?
The level of frustration has really increased with the covid pandemic over the past one and a half years. It seems the major frustrations are inability to get a site in a state or national park, the (huge) increase of people now in RV’s, the soaring price of a used or new unit, combined with parts and service constraints. Now add to that increased operational costs and people are saying they are done with the RV scene. We (used) to be able to drive over to a state park and get a wide choice of open sites without reservations. Today you are lucky to reserve a site, online, 6 months or longer, out in time. This seems to also apply to many national forest campgrounds, too. All these factors pile up and leave many discontented and ready to bail out of RV’ing. But, I do believe this will pass as the Covid problem lessens. People will once again resort to air travel, hotels / motels and fuel prices will (somewhat) normalize, and just maybe, we won’t have to plan a year in advance to camp.
just getting started into the rv living thing, read lots of parts shortages, delays and such. sold my home to stop feeding into the greed of HOA’s, petty rules and telling me how to live, paying for someone else’s dream…face it, the “American Dream” to me died probably 30-40 years ago, grind away at work to pay for a stick framed home built poorly, yet hyped by the builder/development as the greatest since sliced bread. everyone is trying to make more than a buck now than ever thanks to covid. not buying an rv to travel, but to use as temp home while in search of property to build my own tiny home, paid for in full rather than the before mentioned. And before the negatives come rolling in, I’ve spent a lot of time between two services living out of a coffin locker and sleeping bag…so living tiny isn’t a new concept for me, but an upgrade from how I’ve lived before. it’s a choice like everything in life and you make your own happiness regardless of the situation
We purchased an Alpenlite 32rk 5er new in 2004, our first and probably last camper. We use it for recreational camping every year but do not live in it which is an important difference in this conversation. We have a friend who lives in his trailer during the winter who talks about the squeeze those increased camp costs are making on full timers. Hotel rates and the “luxury” of being in our own space for sleeping and eating make camping attractive but, whether it’s age or costs, we are making fewer and shorter trips each year. I have noticed some new rv parks along the I-5 corridor but not on the less traveled roads where the parks are older and often only suitable for smaller rigs. We, too, are considering parking it permanently and using it as a “cabin.”
For all the newbs out there getting discouraged: all the above stories do ring true. But, if you’re anxious to travel, go for it. There are going to be more and more decent used vehicles coming on the market as people go back to motel traveling. Use RV Universe and RV Trader to track them down. If you buy from an honest seller who is taking care of his rig, you can do fine. Avoid anybody you doubt.
Adjust your budget: expect to plow money into maintenance and repairs, therefore maybe spend 75% of what you had hoped to spend, and hold the 25% back. Buy under your means. And do NOT get a big gashog used class A because it’s such a great deal with lots of living/storage area, UNLESS you can afford to drive it anywhere you like regardless of whether gas prices shoot up.
Adjust your expectations: yes, you are going to have to spend time lining up places to camp, maybe get equipped to boondock, maybe stay in remoter areas rather than big famous destinations, etc.
After many very happy years RVing, my husband and I decided to give it up. We have very mixed feelings about it because we totally enjoyed the lifestyle, meeting new people, going to new places, etc. but felt that the hassles were beginning to outweigh the enjoyment. When gas prices began soaring, that was the final nail in the coffin so to speak. Still feel sad when I see RVs heading down the highway, but we have amazing memories of our travels and will still travel, just not in a motorhome.
I can only say this: The price of Gas has almost doubled in the last 9 months. Does anyone plan on giving up their cars and driving? Probably not! This too will pass! Somewhere down the road it will all come to a head and the prices will once again go down. Except maybe in California.
We are seriously thinking of packing it in with RV’ing. We absolutely love it but we are on our 2nd Class A. Both we bought brand new. Our first was a Winnebago Grand Tour which was riddled with problems. We spent so much time in service waiting rooms. That was before Covid when it was possible to get service in a reasonable amount of time. Our big mistake was buying new again. This time a 2022 Entegra Cornerstone. We’re currently on our first trip and the list of issues is piling up again. Some are to be expected but we are currently at 20 and counting. The major issue is you cannot get into a shop for warranty service. I am so frustrated calling around and being told the same thing. If it’s not months away, some service centers aren’t even taking appointments. They are all swamped! So what are we to do?? Even the manufacturer (Entegra) can’t get us in for 6 months! So now we live with the issues some more pressing than others.You can’t get warranty service which makes us want to quit
My Biggest gripe is the cost of state park campgrounds. I’ve found the cost at many state parks throughout the country to be at or more than the costs of a private park. I prefer state parks and will continue to book them as a destination place to stay but I’m more likely to book a private park when only one night is needed in getting to my destination.
One recent example is a very nice state park in GA that cost $60 for one night. Granted $20 of that was a one time access fee.
Agreed. For me the state parks have gone from top choice 5 years ago to last resort. Too many hoops to jump through: high costs, booking fees, day fees, closing gatehouses at 4 p.m., etc. Then you get there, and if lucky enough to reserve on a weekend, may have crowds of rowdy weekenders.
It is not just the cost. It is trying to get a booking. State parks in AZ are booked 6 months in advance and there are no first come first serve sites anymore. As a resident, it is frustrating when you cant enjoy a park in your own state!
If you’re a senior, you can get 50 percent off camping fees in GA state parks.
We have our RV,2006 Tiffin QSH 40′ DP, so we can go to dog trials and can take all of our 4 legged friends with us. Can count on one hand the # of RV parks we have stayed at in 21 years. We always have a spot at our destination- usually dry camp- and limit our driving distance to 10 hours. When we stop doing trials we may quit. 73 years old and have less patience for road warriors’, inconsiderate jerks and people who look at us as the next lamb to be led to slaughter who have a lot of money. We bought our high quality RV when Tiff was 12 years old and continue to do the necessary upkeep.
Many are now choosing to find an area and park they like and parking there RVs permanent and living in it stationary. We have been at a park for a year where we came for workamping. My husband does Elecrical here. Looks like we will be either settling down and be completely retired. May have to give the lifestyle up due to husband having a stroke this past Monday. While we prefer to just stay put right here in the park in our TT, we know it may not be feasible. It’s a wait and see as he goes through rehabilitation. Costs are up in so many places and gas is through the roof. As we have traveled we find we like tiny living, so even if we can’t stay put we hope to still live out our time in our RV closer to family.
So sorry to hear about your husband’s stroke. Wishing him all the best and praying for you, too, Lisa.
My husband and I road trip alone. Why? Because, unless we are attending a festival visiting friends or attending a family reunion, we do not make reservations. This is risky and takes a sense of adventure and none of our RVing friends feel comfortable with our lack of preplanning. We have traveled this way for about 20 years. Granted in years past, we nearly always found cancellations in “full” campgrounds or Walmarts that allow overnights. These two options have become more difficult as of late. But, it’s still possible if you are lucky enough to be able to travel off season, are fully self-contained and subscribe to all the wonderful online sites that help with this kind of travel. Notice I said “roadtrip” because our 2003 20 foot Class B Pleasureway does not lend itself to long rainy days in a campground.
I understand all the reasons and the one that takes the love of Rving out of it for me is campground reservations. We have an older motorhome that we would like to update to a newer model but with the stupid prices that they are selling for we will stay with what we have. The increasing cost of campgrounds only means we have to be careful which ones we book. And that brings me back to the real reason is the trying to find one that has a open reservation. I have to spend hours sometime and then can not find any with in a half day drive of where we want to be. Not giving up yet but may not travel as much moving forward.
We don’t plan to quit just yet either. Yes, planning, making reservations, etc., can suck the life out of RVing. I’ve seen dh’s frustration with it. Still, we’re not ready to throw in the towel. We may not travel as much with the cost of gas, find places a bit less expensive but still nice enough to stay for awhile. We’ll still take our grand kids on their yearly trip. Things will slow down a bit more. Dh has dreamed of this for retirement and we want to enjoy this as long as possible.
Re: “Poor Quality”(Dan and Jo), When have you ever bought, purchase, something new and “expect” to find a few things in need of repair or fixing? That’s asinine! I’m not shaming Dan and Jo, not the least. You hear stories like this on this website all the the time and it’s shameful.
Then go somewhere else
I read this as it’s a shame we have to accept this when purchasing new RVs, NOT as people on this site shouldn’t make this complaints. G13 which way did you mean your comment to be taken?
This was my take also.
This article bothers me. Part of RV lifestyle is flexibility. sure, I would love to camp on a Florida beach between Christmas and new year’s! But if I didn’t plan for it, its not gonna happen. So I have a few choices. I can cam further away, and make the best of it (Enjoy the suck) or I can stay home and complain. And I am not gonna stay home! Things are expensive. They always were and always will be. Make choices and learn to work around them. A lot of people want to do the same thing you do. Thats why there’s a reservation system. The early bird gets the worm. As far as a trash unit. That one I feel sorry for and luckily I’ve not had any REAL problems (yet, knock wood). But as for the rest, its a new normal. We are not gonna change it. Gas and camping will be more expensive, and we need to find ways to economize (Harvest Hosts?) But I can think of worse ways to spend my limited time and available cash.
All of the above plus the fact that we’ve seen most of our bucket list are the reasons we’ll probably stop RV’ing in a year or so. It’s not really cost though. We can afford any means of travel. Completely understand sticking with it if it’s the only thing that’s affordable to someone. It’s just gotten so hard to plan a trip even compared to just 5 years ago when we started. Exploring along the way has been fun, but days on the road are taking a an increasing toll. When the pain of the process exceeds the benefits, it’s time to look at other options.
Many people we know have decided to take a break from RVing and buy a sticks and bricks home. It makes me wonder if I’m the odd person out by not doing the same. BUT, I’m just not ready for that yet.
Understand all the above, but we’re NOT quitting. Not yet, anyway. The ability to take our “second home” anywhere we want, whenever we want still outweighs the costs and inconvenience.
Totally agree, Don. So far, with OUR style of camping, we’ve not had any problems traveling and finding places to stay along the way – without reservations. We may make reservations somewhere if that’s the destination, and they require reservations. But we stay in few places like that. Yup, we’re boondockers and this has been our style for 25 years. This COVID thing has not hindered us one little bit.