RVing expected to boom as lockdowns are eased

[Chuckanut]

+1

I agree RVing is nothing like those slick "Let's go RVing" TV commercials try to pretend it is. Imagine living in a cheaply-built fiberglass & cardboard container on wheels, parked a few feet from a bunch of rowdy low-life people you normally cross the street to avoid. Just don't see the attraction.

Me thinks thou dost protest to much.

 

[REWahoo]

Me thinks thou dost protest to much.

Guess you never camped next to Cousin Eddie...

 

[travelover]

+1

I agree RVing is nothing like those slick "Let's go RVing" TV commercials try to pretend it is. Imagine living in a cheaply-built fiberglass & cardboard container on wheels, parked a few feet from a bunch of rowdy low-life people you normally cross the street to avoid. Just don't see the attraction.

Darn right! And don't forget the rattlesnakes and scorpions. And....and sunburn!

 

[travelover]

We occasionally used the cleanout next to our garage when we had the small RV trailer.

But if out camping for a while, you may need access to a dump station if there aren’t full hookups at the camp sites.

Right. When we are out camping we use the dump stations, but now, if we just use it as a towable porta potty, we can empty it at home.

 

[unclemick]

I sure hope not. There are really too many people Rving now. We are in our 20th year full time RV living and I can tell you it’s very expensive, lots of big crowds, many repairs, and low class people.
We hate it and you would too.

Sounds a tad like a tongue in cheek why one should NOT move to Texas.

Heh heh heh - 15 years give or take. A 17 foot Go Lite and a 28 foot Prowler. Both pull behinds. Bought used. A passing phase where we passed on moving on up to a motor home. Our retirement fund moved on up so we moved to VRBO or hotels.

 

[Hermit]

A lot of folks come to this area to do dispersed camping on federal land. It is amazing how they manage to get such big rigs so far into the hinterland. I've even seen them stretch a bed sheet between trees and do projection movies in the evenings. They run ATVs and fish or hike during the day with campfires in the evenings. I don't think that sounds like a bad vacation while staying away from other groups to me. (BTW, a lot of them seem to be from Texas!)

 

[REWahoo]

Cars aren't the only rolling stock headed for big discounts if what I learned from our cleaning lady is indicative of RV pricing. She said she and her DH just purchased a new left-over 2019 model RV (5th wheel) at a discount of 55% off the MSRP. (Note that discounts of 30% are not unusual under normal circumstances.)

 

[dixonge]

Cars aren't the only rolling stock headed for big discounts if what I learned from our cleaning lady is indicative of RV pricing. She said she and her DH just purchased a new left-over 2019 model at a discount of 55% off the MSRP. (Note that discounts of 30% are not unusual under normal circumstances.)

So they bought a car or an RV?

 

[aja8888]

Cars aren't the only rolling stock headed for big discounts if what I learned from our cleaning lady is indicative of RV pricing. She said she and her DH just purchased a new left-over 2019 model at a discount of 55% off the MSRP. (Note that discounts of 30% are not unusual under normal circumstances.)

Two of my closest friends, both in their early 70's and very active, are putting their big RV's on the market before the prices fall further. These are the 40'+ diesel pusher type plush units with all the goodies (several $100K purchases). They also are sick and tired of the campground crowding these (past) days.

Quoting them: "it's a hassle, not fun anymore, and getting more expensive".

 

[devans0]

We bought a van and outfitted it with van camping gear and camping gear. Getting to a remote place without crowds is priceless to us. Unload, and its an everyday vehicle. After a few of weeks of our version of minimalist camping, we are ready for home comforts.

A pair of solar panels, a battery, a 12v pump and a gas heated metal sprayer tank gave us hot running water, showers. Add a camping stove and we are cooking with gas, a travel trailer type porta potty, a comfortable sleeping, and very well insulated cooler and we have many of the must haves for comfortable camping. 25 mpg, easy to drive compared to an RV. The real downside is ground clearance.

A few thousand to gear up with the good stuff, but we saved that much on our first few extended road trips by not paying hotel fees.

Otherwise, we would go for a pickup truck camper, but then there is storage and a lot more upkeep and a vehicle that doesnt work as well for us.

 

[REWahoo]

So they bought a car or an RV?

RV - 5th wheel.

 

[braumeister]

We bought a van and outfitted it with van camping gear and camping gear.

I did that when I was young and most hotels were out of my price range. It was my only vehicle and it served me well for a number of years.

 

[Koogie]

Add a camping stove and we are cooking with gas, a travel trailer type porta potty, a comfortable sleeping, and very well insulated cooler and we have many of the must haves for comfortable camping. 25 mpg, easy to drive compared to an RV. The real downside is ground clearance.
A few thousand to gear up with the good stuff, but we saved that much on our first few extended road trips by not paying hotel fees.

Be interested in your brand choices on the potty and the cooler. DW and I are thinking about a van conversion next year when we switch from semi-FIRE to full time. It wouldn't be a full timer, just a month or so at a time.

 

[travelover]

I did that when I was young and most hotels were out of my price range. It was my only vehicle and it served me well for a number of years.

Me, too. One lap of America including Alaska in 9 months.

 

[txtig]

I got my motorhome out of the storage facility today, where it’s been sitting since before Thanksgiving. I topped off the gas tank with about 45 gallons of gas at $1.35/gallon (unlike most RV’ers, that did not make me happy). Brought it home and cleaned it up a bit, and filled my 100 gallon fresh water tank. Ran the generator and air conditioning units for a couple of hours. Everything seemed to be operating perfectly. Then, put it back into storage. It’s ready to go now. I am so ready to get back out on the road for another long RV trip. Hopefully, that will be soon.

 

[brewer12345]

My state has closed state park campgrounds "indefinitely" although they only cancelled reservations out to 5/11. Wondering whether it is even worth dewinterizing this year.

 

[Poopycat]

.....with grannie's corpse wrapped in a tarpaulin and strapped to the top of the vehicle.

OMG, I shouldn’t be laughing but I am

 

[38Chevy454]

I returned from snowbirding mid-March and DW is getting anxious again to take the motorhome out and go somewhere. Not sure what we'll do, but definitely going to take some trips this summer.

 

[JP.mpls]

38Chevy,
Just curious. Do you own a snowbird home, a home up north, and a RV?

I recently bought a place down south, and I'm starting to question keeping a full time home in Minnesota.



I could possibly just live in an RV June-Sept. I keep thinking I would miss having a garage.



Thanks, JP

 

[I was misinformed]

I sure hope not. There are really too many people Rving now. We are in our 20th year full time RV living and I can tell you it’s very expensive, lots of big crowds, many repairs, and low class people.
We hate it and you would too.

Hmm... and It rains ALL THE TIME in Vancouver, so you easterners shouldn't even think about moving here...

 

[greengo523]

Not an RVer, but I wouldn't want to be 2000 miles from "home" and have one of us come down with Covid 19. That would be a mess that I wouldn't want to deal with. Too much risk right now. Maybe in a year the risk will be greatly reduced.

We retired last year and were planning to start doing some traveling this year but it will have to wait until at least next year now.

 

[CaptTom]

Not an RVer, but I wouldn't want to be 2000 miles from "home" and have one of us come down with Covid 19.

This is true with any illness, and any form of travel.

Old saying: A ship is safe in the harbor. But that's not what ships are made for.

For some people, an RV (or a boat) is "home." Personally, being trapped in a house for months, living in fear, would be worse than the possibility of being trapped in an RV for a couple of weeks due to an illness.

Bad things can and do happen in life. But in my book, never going out isn't living.

 

[CowgirlUp]

I’m seeing people that lost their jobs putting their RVs up for sale. Good time for someone that can afford it to pick up a deal.

 

[ychuck46]

TN as an example

Here in TN we are opening up the state more than others. The state parks that have campgrounds as part of their makeup, and the RV parks that are around our area, look very crowded. Glad that these folks/families are getting out and enjoying what the area has to offer. Us? We'll continue to go for months to our timeshares, which will start back up in June in a more normal fashion. Looked seriously at one time at selling the house and going full-time RVing. Might still happen but likely more remote as we enjoy life the way it currently is.

 

[brewer12345]

I’m seeing people that lost their jobs putting their RVs up for sale. Good time for someone that can afford it to pick up a deal.

This might be the year I finally buy an ATV rather than renting one for an annual hunting trip.