What are we gonna do with all these RVs?

[troutslayer]

I always thought this guy was a kinda cry-baby but he may have a point?? If RV sales continue at record rates, the entire experience may change...a lot!
The RV road trip is near death – RV Travel

[Flapper]

I have to think that he is right. Belonging to this forum, one for SOB, and a Facebook group for the SOB, there are huge number of people excited about their first RV, or sharing pics of their first ever trip. It's getting crowded out there....

[Bookemdanno]

And that's why many of us are having to make reservations 1 yr in advance for some of our major trips! But I just look at it as part of the fun when it comes to planning.

[Crabman]

Guess we will have to camp at Walmart, lol.

[wags999]

I agree completely with his column. If you don't have reservations months in advance anytime from June to after labor day, in an area even remotely considered a tourist area you are out of luck. At the campgrounds I have worked at in a number of different states we were almost always full from Mid June to Mid Aug and again during labor day.. And we were not in high tourist areas. You also see bigger and bigger units fighting for the limited amount of large sites. It's why the costs of a campsite are rising, supply and demand. Add that many localities don't want campgrounds some of which support transience. plus the high cost of building a campground from the get go, your not going to see many new campgrounds in nice locations. We will see more corporate campgrounds, large, luxury, more like resorts where you will pay $100 and up a night for a site..


The times they are a changing...

[North of 49°]

There definitely is something to what he says. Around here, campground reservations for provincial parks open on the first Monday in April, online, over the phone, and in person. In past years, it was so busy that it wasn't unusual for the reservation system's servers to crash, which was a major pain if you were in the middle of making yours. So they started staggering it: one day would be the busiest campground, a few days later, the next busiest ones, and the rest a few days after that. No more crashes, but you have to be at your computer and ready to log in when they opened up. And that's still no guarantee that you would get what you want, because it was that busy. If you wait too long, you're out of luck. Every year they announce how many reservations were made on opening day, and every year is thousands more than the year before. And of course, no new campgrounds have been opened up. So yeah, it really is that busy.

[RayPayne]

This is something I noticed, and is the reason I switched to a seasonal site with vacation trips from there. It's not as easy as it use to be to just drive until you feel it's enough and then find a good site for the next night or two. I use to RV for all of our family travels. Now we're down to about half RV, half air/hotel. There are usually hotels to be had with very short notice if you don't mind going up enough in cost. Good RV sites are only available if you are planning at least a few months ahead or going during slow times.

[ensign]

I disagree somewhat.

True, Yosemite and Yellowstone are packed. So last summer we stayed outside those parks. We got spots with no reservations.

The summer before we went to the Grand Canyon. Sure, the full hook-up joint inside the park, run by Xanterra, was unavailable. We stayed at 10-x, just south of the south entrance. Beautiful, huge pull throughs. No reservation required. I think it was 10 bucks a night.

Now, this is boondocking. But we have a generator and solar, we prefer it to being packed in like sardines, and paying 60 bucks a night to Xanterra.

I agree that if you want full service at a major national park, tough to get a reservation in season. But if you go just outside those parks, one can still find great camping, and tremendous deals to boot.

Whatever you do, enjoy.

Ensign

[DocBrown]

This is nothing new to me. Unless you tent our experience has been this way since we got a pop-up and wanted electric sites. All of the popular WI state parks electric sites get booked solid 11 months in advance. It's been that way since at least the early '90s.

[mike837go]

I agree totally with the sentiment of the article.

The few experiences I've had with campgrounds has been unpleasant.

The average human being is a self-absorbed idiot. I choose not to spend my free time with them.

I much prefer to enjoy the company of free-thinkers that take care of their things, the space around them and especially the people they care about.

JOF is such a breath of fresh air in a nearly noxious RV world.

[rodro123]

When I received my drivers license in the 70ies. I thought there were a lot of cars on the road well 44 years later there are 6x more on the road, but it all worked out fine. you just deal with it.

[eng45ine]

Originally Posted by DocBrown

This is nothing new to me. Unless you tent our experience has been this way since we got a pop-up and wanted electric sites. All of the popular WI state parks electric sites get booked solid 11 months in advance. It's been that way since at least the early '90s.

Doc, we do our camping in Wisconsin, do you ever camp at Hidden Valley in Milton? Indian Trails in Pardeeville? Wilderness or Lake Arrowhead in Montello? Or Plymouth Rock in Plymouth?

[Seann45]

Originally Posted by eng45ine

Doc, we do our camping in Wisconsin, do you ever camp at Hidden Valley in Milton? Indian Trails in Pardeeville? Wilderness or Lake Arrowhead in Montello? Or Plymouth Rock in Plymouth?

Also try High Cliff State park...

[troutslayer]

Here's a depressing update:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnrA...ature=youtu.be

[Crabman]

Originally Posted by troutslayer

Here's a depressing update:

Not my idea of " camping".

[Pfflyer]

Originally Posted by Crabman

Not my idea of " camping".

We stayed at one worse than that in Colorado Springs. I do notice more and more rv'ers stay inside more and just use the camper as a place to stay while not sightseeing. I like to walk around the campground in the evening after dinner for exercise and to check out the other rigs. I find fewer than I would expect enjoying the outside with a campfire or just relaxing outside but more lights on inside and the flicker of TV's. Unscientifically the ones outside tend to have children which makes sense. So a site like that may work for someone who is full timing but not for me.

[ExxWhy]

Originally Posted by troutslayer

Here's a depressing update:

That is exactly what comes to my mind when I think of anyplace with "RV" or "Resort" in the name. I know not all are like that, but close enough. I am glad those places are packed full of customers. Good for the business owner and good for me because it means less people where I am camping.

[Kim Gass]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWwUJH70ubM