To seasonal or not to seasonal

DJ-Camper · 07-06-2015, 07:42 PM

DW and I enjoyed a great holiday at a campground only 2 hours away from home. We love it so much we are looking at becoming seasonal campers! There is a site available off the water and includes the deck. we will get a great deal this year but will have to pay full price including deck fees for 2016. the total fees are around $2400 from mid-April to Mid Oct.

I do like the thought of not having to haul the trailer around but can't help but think there might be more.

bedrck46 · 07-06-2015, 08:07 PM

How often do you plan to camp each month? I agree with your feelings about not hauling the trailer around.

Where we camp I made reservations for one weekend every month from Apr to Oct.
We also are considering going seasonal next year. The seasonal rate is about $2600.
In order to justify that cost we would have to use it every weekend We currently pay $88.00 for a weekend and camp at least 7 times during the season which is about $616.00 Would we be using it every weekend? Most likely Not. By not having to haul the trailer every time would I save enough if fuel cost to justify the seasonal cost Most likely Not. And also by using it every weekend even though I wouldn't be hauling the trailer my fuel cost would be greater. You need to look at your cost and how often you would be using it Although I do like the idea of having a seasonal site as that gives me the site I want. In my case I made all my reservations long before the season started and was able to get the site I prefer. I most likely will do that for next year also.

SilverEscape · 07-06-2015, 09:14 PM

I see you have an X213. We bought ours because it was small enough to be able to fit into many gorgeous, well treed, private camp sites and not be forced to have to pick RV lots. We love towing it to a new destination and feeling awesome when it fits with plenty of room in our site to spare. We find it quick to set up, pack up and hitch up and it tows so nicely with the truck, we don't mind towing it a bit.

We've got 4 trips planned this summer, one being a trip that has several destinations along the way and back. The number of nights we are spending in it, is a couple more than if we had a seasonal site and used it every weekend. And we get to have more variety, which is important to us. The kids like it too.

North of 49° · 07-06-2015, 09:24 PM

We're thinking of getting a seasonal when we get closer to retirement age. There's a few an hour or so from home that are around $2000 per year. More expensive than what we spend on a season's worth of campground fees and fuel, but on the plus side we'd be more inclined to use it more often, and we'd be able to use DW's little econo-car for the trips there.

The downside is once it's there, it's there, and would prevent us from going to other places. Some of our favorite campgrounds are 2-3 hours from home and we try to get out to them at least once a year. So we haven't made up our mind quite yet since there's a lot of pros and cons to take into consideration.

wags999 · 07-06-2015, 10:59 PM

Big country with lots of things to see and do...we prefer see the country. That being said, we did travel for 4 years, 5 - 6 months each. We then decided to work kamp and get a feel for an area, and, be able to really enjoy and explore what each area has to offer. We now work kamp in a different area each summer ( 5 - 6 months). Not quite ready to sit in one place and watch the water flow...yet...perhaps one day..

sask934 · 07-07-2015, 01:58 AM

I have my trailer on a seasonal site and I love it...

Here is why: I can go there at anytime and only have to turn on the water and I 'm all set to go. I can allow my kids to go there as well (They are adults). I take holidays each summer and this year I will be there for two weeks. Mine is about 40 minutes from my house and if I wanted to I could stay there all summer and commute to work. I will be doing so when the wife and daughter go for a mother daughter vacation.

Lastly and most importantly, I have made some really close friends at the campground!

Seasonal camping is not for everyone but for me it works great!

ctbailey · 07-07-2015, 10:44 AM

Not for us. We don't mind hauling the camper, it's really an easy trailer to maneuver as long as you know what you're getting into. We've camped 6 times this summer all ready with roughly another 8 trips planned through Columbus Day.

The kids like trying new campground pools, and the arts and crafts at new places... The wife and I enjoy the travel. We're scheduled for a Long Island trip in two weeks and a cape cod trip the week after that, and then to lake winnepesaukee the week after that...

It's a "travel trailer". After all.

Stingray75 · 07-07-2015, 11:57 AM

We park on a seasonal site about 3 hours from home and about midway between us and our family (we relocated about 12 years ago). It works out great - if we do any traveling during the summer we jump off from there. It takes a couple hours to pull the deck away and secure the stuff in the cabinets. We're also carefull not to load it us with excess stuff so we can make a quick exit if the urge strikes. We pull it home every November to do a full empty and clean routine then store it nearby so it's convenient for the vary rare winter escape from the frozen tundra.

I highly recommend it, we get a lot more use during the summer than we would otherwise.

Plowtoy · 07-07-2015, 03:04 PM

We had a seasonal for several years. What we found is by the time we were done with work (530 in the afternoon), we would not get up to the site until 830-9 oclock friday night. Quick eat some dinner and pretty much call it a night. Saturday we would hang out, go into town, whatever. Sunday, clean up and head home to get things done around the house. Although we loved the lakefront site, we just werent getting the use out of it we should have. So we stopped going a few years back. We came to the agreement that we would camp elsewhere and spend the same money or less. So thats what we have been doing the past few years and liking it so far. Maybe a seasonal once we retire, but thats 15 yrs down the road at least...

Yamerhammer · 07-09-2015, 06:17 AM

I have been doing a seasonal site now for 3 years (6 months each year) that is 4 hours away from home. It's not for everyone but I do love it! Have met a lot of nice people here. Once I get the camper onsite, I'll go back home the next weekend and get my boat for a little fishing.

Jagiven · 07-09-2015, 09:38 AM

I think a seasonal site is a very personal decision. It is about what fits your needs and wants. For me, I like going places and exploring. We thought about renting a seasonal site near a friend’s TT, which is 45 minutes from home, and use it as a base camp/storage facility. Reason behind that was we had no off street parking (at the old house), and was not sure if leaving the HTT in the street in front of the house would be an issue or not. I was thinking if I had to store it, what not store it somewhere, where we could potentially use it. Luckily we never had any issues parking. I was thinking about bring it down there, park it, use it on the off weekends, and when we wanted to go somewhere, hook up and go.

This friend mentioned above, has been at this seasonal CG for many years. He lives about a ½ mile from me. He goes down to the trailer almost every weekend after work on Friday, stays all weekend, and on Monday morning drives to work. Unfortunately his job is on the opposite side of town and on Mondays has about 1 ½ hour drive to work, but he does not mind. He also keeps is motor boat at the CG, so he is off fishing every weekend.

DocBrown · 07-09-2015, 12:10 PM

We considered this too at one point. In the end we couldn't justify it because we would not have been able to use it much more than we currently camp. And we like the fact that we are not tied to one place.

To that point, we love going to Door County, WI. Our daughter lives in the UP now. And every couple of years or so we like to take a longer trip, this Sept. we're going to Great Smokey Mountains. Can't do all these places in the same year with a seasonal site.

Filthy-Beast · 07-15-2015, 08:58 AM

We have seasonal site and made sure that the site was easy to pull the trailer in and out of so we could easily go mobile. I never thought I'd have a seasonal but we found a great campground, clean friendly not too busy with crazy activities. The fees for the site including elec and water was equal to storage around home.

gypsmjim · 07-17-2015, 10:50 AM

We used to camp all over and liked the idea of seeing new places. Then, in 1986 we bought 10 acres and located our camper there. A few years later we bought the 40 acres next door, put in a pond, etc. Its 2 hours from home.

I like the idea of not having to haul a trailer - now we can go in our smaller car. Park the car and open the door and we're home. The only added chore is cutting the grass, but that's only about an hour job.

Our initial investment was only $3000 and the we got the added property for less than $150 an acre. My investment has amortized now to only about $350 a year, and my taxes are less than $500. So, cost wise its pretty cheap.

Having a second home - a place to call your own - is a very good feeling for us. An added benefit is we can do as we please without violating any rules. For example, my 25 and 100 yard rifle ranges are things that we could not have at a public campground.

We still take traveling vacations, but have switched to Caribbean cruises. Now, that's a topic for discussion all in itself.

bluesquiral · 07-17-2015, 10:21 PM

We decided to go seasonal this year. We are younger the wife and I but love it and hate it. Neibhors are a little loud for us but we will move next year to different site. We view it as a mini vacation every weekend. Great for our young boys. I'm pretty sure we will seasonal for quite some time. We use ours 3 weekends a month plus during the week and pay 3000 with pool. Money well spend as far as we are concerned. If your going to use it then it's great. But if we didn't live as close we would just weekend it. Really convenient not having to set up every weekend.

Kevin and Beth · 08-03-2015, 08:10 PM

We've been seasonal for 8 years now and wouldn't have it any other way. It lets us go much more than when we were not. Great site on Kentucky Lake where we fish, on the water, I was able to put up a portable building to house my bass boat during fishing times, and we keep the tritoon on the parking lot by the beach. Works for us....

safetylady · 08-03-2015, 08:30 PM

This is our 2nd year as seasonal campers and we love it. We are located at a great campground on Cape Cod which had lots of amenities including a pool, pond and activities. We pay over $4,000 per year but since we are on Cape Cod it it the going rate. We go from work on Friday and go to work from there on Monday.

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