We Don't "Camp"

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by Siamese

Our trailer is our portable, comfy cabin that happens to show up in new places that interest us.

Having a son w/ Autism makes a plane ride or a hotel stay extremely stressful. So, like you, our RV is a portable cabin, a safe place, that allows us to travel.


We used to enjoy camping - real, tent, bags on the ground, smell like smoke camping.


But now, I wouldn't do it if it paid.
I like the real bed, the AC and a fridge full of cold beer.

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by Siamese

Anyone else who doesn't "camp"?

We (wife, me, and two cats) have a 26BH we've used to travel from Michigan to Pennsylvania, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and many points in between. We tend to go to medium to larger cities and stay on the outskirts as we visit museums, historical sites, and civil war battlefields. And, the occasional concert.

You have felines. That's good enough for me. ;-)

[Siamese]

Originally Posted by Bob K

You have felines. That's good enough for me. ;-)

Great quote!

Oh, and let's not forget Hemingway. In his book, Islands in the Stream, he devotes several pages to his (or, his character's) relationship with cats.

[CBCOCRBO]

Did lots of wilderness camping in BC years ago with slide in camper then a 21 foot TT then a 25 foot 5th wheeler and loved every minute of it. But now Glamp with my wife at an adult seasonal park in N/W Ontario. Camp is on a lake and has all amenities with full hookup and we have a two level 600 SF deck with gazebo alongside. Just replaced our 2009 28 foot TT with a new 2020 Jayco 29RKS which we will move to camp in March/April. It's my wife's "Happy Place". Nice thing about it is that we, the campers, are all about the same age, get along very well and if I am away there is always someone there in case she needs help. TT stays at camp permanently with no need to bring home in the fall. Like having a second home but still camping and no yard work. Niiiice

[Poppyof5]

You do you....we do alot of the same, i think whats important is you are useing it.

[gypsmjim]

In our home we have AC, a flatscreen TV, microwave, fridge, bathtub shower, etc. Out back we have a covered patio and a pool. We can cook on the patio or in the house, as we wish. In the garage is a boat if we want to ply the high seas on nice days.

Thirty three years ago I bought some rural property for a hunting camp. When I say "rural", the nearest neighbors are down the road a piece. The original intention was to build a cabin, but for $900 I got an old RV as temporary sleeping quarters. During initial site clearing and cleanup the wife came along and decided she wanted to come here in the Summer too. The old '64 trailer worked so well we figured why bother with a cabin.

Four years ago we moved the old RV up the hill and now it's our Guest House. The new Jayco came the same day. Now we have a flatscreen TV, AC, Microwave, shower, tub and even a queen bed. Outside is a covered patio and a pond. Tied to the dock is a boat to ply the low seas (LOL).

What we don't have at home is a covered rifle range (not legal there) and the pool has no fish in it (obviously). Also, we seldom see our neighbors unless they are out cutting the grass and then they wave. OTOH, when I start throwing some lead downrange at the target, my neighbor up the hill will often come down with some beer to chat.

When we go there we say "we're going to camp". So, I guess we are campers. We certainly are RVers. You could also say we have a second home. The metal sign on our Pantry door says "Welcome to our Cabin".

Bottom line is whatever you call us, it would be right. It WAS the best investment of a lifetime, and its the place where we most want to be.

[Kenelz]

My RV is my motel for trips. I like having my own bed, stuff in the fridge that I like, and not think about bed bugs etc. It was a get-a-way for the winter, but ended up buying a place in FL.

My real home is a log cabin in a remote area surrounded by government forestland, so I don't camp to get a way from the city. The campgrounds are more like parking lots in the woods.

[koko]

In ours, we do every single thing that everyone else has said. We love the versatility, we love the mountains and boondocking, we love KOA, we love national and state parks, we love road trips, we love our son and daughter-in-law's driveway when we visit them in the big city. We love this way of life and can't imagine what we'd be doing in retirement without it. We have so many friends who just sit around and twiddle their thumbs 12 months of the year. Sad.

[LindaInTexas]

We go the same with our 24 ft motorhome. We like to see things, not sit in one place for a week.

[Jack2014]

We started out camping in a pop-up in the early '80's but gradually moved up to an enclosed TT and kept moving up over the years. Retired for 10 years now, we travel to several Northeast sites in the summer and then head to Florida for two months in Feb./March. We are spoiled so we are now "glamping" and our last few TTs have supported that lifestyle. When we're staying for more than a week somewhere we do break out the grill and cook outside, take walks around the campgrounds. Two years ago we traded in our Jayco 308RETS for a Cougar 32RLI. We liked our Jayco, but the Cougar design is more livable for us. The comparable Jayco was almost 1,500 lbs. heavier and not possible to use with our TV. Enjoy your travels.

[docdvm]

We travel from Ottawa Ontario to Alberta every summer to spend a month with our son and family, Also not interested in spending weekends at the lake like many of my neighbours. Tow a Jayco Eagle 27.5 RKDS and the two of us are very comfortable in the unit, sleep in our own bed and also do some Walmart camping on the way to the Rockies. Next year will be the Cassiar highway and then Alaska when I finally retire.

[Wireman]

Our trailer is our portable, comfy cabin that happens to show up in new places that interest us.

Anyone else use the trailer like we do?

X2 It's our portable home while on the road also. Base camp for visiting places of interest. Don't use it to sit around the campfire and visit with others.

A campground for me is a place to rest till the next day's adventure. Clean & quiet is all I need.

[CBCOCRBO]

Sounds absolutely great to me. I still do some back woods stuff in the fall on an annual 9 day moose hunt with the guys. I'd say you got a pretty nice set up. Cheers

[Kim Gass]

We are like Siamese. We have a travel trailer for travel. It takes us places where we don't much have to worry if it will fit. Sometimes its boondocking. Sometimes I demand a hot shower and we are low on water and the laundry bag reeks.. And I would like a pool.

We are not campfire people. We will sit outside and read but the fire is not a big draw for us. And we carry tent camping outfitting in our "basement" if we want to do an overnight hike or canoe trip. Sometimes we gab for hours with neighbors but often we are short stayers and do not.

I like a mix of eat out and eat in. I love to find out about local cuisine. My favorite food town? Pie Town New Mexico! It is true. That is the only reason to go there( well it is scenic too). Competing pie bakeries! So good

[L&G]

We have a 26bh also and did some major changes. We bought ours because I needed fragrance free accommodations so we pull our fragrance free living space with us.

Since I can't use scented laundromats either, we immediately took the bunks out of the bunk room and turned it into a storage and laundry room. After a couple of years of complaining about how uncomfortable the jack knife sofa was, we took it out. Hubby built a wood unit that goes from the kitchen countertop back to the bedroom wall. We use the top of it as an extended kitchen countertop and below the counter are a bunch of cubbies. We took out the half wall that was behind the sofa and that really opened up our space. We have room for one chair there but we usually sit outside. If we have to sit inside, we sometimes bring a chair in or one of us sits on the bed and one at the dinette. We have brainstormed about getting rid of the dinette and having two comfortable chairs and some little tables.

I would love to hear about what you did and see some pictures if you want to share.

[DHart]

To me, camping is pitching a tent, rolling out sleeping bags, building a campfire, cooking outdoors on a small propane stove, going to the bathroom in the woods, and no showers, no TV, no air conditioning, etc.

I have never thought of RVing as "camping".

When we RV, we tend to hang out inside the coach, in our recliners, with our dogs. We don't tend to sit outside much, except if there is an amazing view and wonderful weather - we may sit out a bit. We also don't tend to socialize a lot, though it is enjoyable to meet and chat with nice and interesting folks from time to time.

Most of the parks we choose to stay in are larger, cleaner, more expensive, with full hook ups. Though we have overnighted in truck stops, rest areas, and Wal Marts on a few occasions. And we have had some stays in parks that had little to no amenities, which is fine, we have our own bathroom, shower, laundry, and sat TV, so we don't need amenities - although 50 amp, water, and sewer are most welcome!

So, to the OP - I guess when we RV, it is somewhat similar to how you guys RV. It's not "camping".

[A7thson]

Camping is what ever you want to make it!

[spark of insanity]

I am a failure at getting a bonfire or anything that resembles a campfire like everyone else does. I do eat outside and enjoy the still of the nite air or mid day or what ever the sun is doing at the time I am eating a meal. I like sitting outside either listening to my book on tablet and knitting or inside depending on the weather watching a movie on the television using blue tooth off my phone because my cell phone coverage is really phenomenal. I love to explore the area, walk the dogs or just sit and do nothing. So I am pretty much like you folks simple and my TT is 21 foot and I use the kitchen table like a couch and watch television or use the bed with a back rest to watch while either knitting or doing e mail to folks back home. I too have never made friends at campsites even if I am there for a week. Does not matter to me. Keeps things simple. Can't wait to get life started full time on the road. 4 years and counting.

[CAG]

Originally Posted by A7thson

Camping is what ever you want to make it!

True that! Sitting around an RV park all day reading or watching TV would bore me to death. I can do that at home.

The tent sleeping, cooking over a fire, and going to the bathroom in the woods was back when we could not afford the RV but we still camp in the woods far from others and have an RV to get out of the cold and rain when necessary.

[Joan617]

Originally Posted by Siamese

I thinking "glamping" is more of a luxury rig in a luxury park. The kind of park that wouldn't want us.

The park we like in Mobile is all gravel, no pool, and the laundry is in a 14x70 mobile home. But clean and quiet. And CHEAP!!!

Now that is closer to our style. Joan has done a good job scoping out and booking small independent parks, more like mom & pops, no pools but maybe some trees and extra space. We book two weeks at least but usually a month for a relaxed pace and cheaper monthly rates.



The place we are in now is in Carrabelle, FL and is called "Ho-Hum RV Park" and that sets our style. We like small-town museums to get a flavor of ruralmericana. Maybe regional or state parks with a $4 fee paid in a drop-box on the honor system.



We have a budget to eat out 2-3 times a month but only if it is local fare in a locally owned hide-away and not a chain. We have found that local dive-bars a better place than the local visitor's center for getting intel on things to do in the region (and a lot more fun).


Hope to see you on the road one day....
Angus


P.S. Sadly, at our last month's stay at Sunset Isles, Cedar Key, FL, the new owners were throwing out seasonal customers- many or them 18-year returning customers- and rolling in "Tiny Homes" for short stays at $145-175 per night. Now THAT is "Glamping".