RV Campground in towns and cities

[khr]

We are new to travel trailers and are looking forward to getting out in the "wild".  We have tent camped for 27 years and our goal has always been to get out and up into areas without many other people.  We have always wondered why there are RV Campgrounds in highly populated, high traffic, noisy areas.  I can't for the life of me figure out why someone would leave their house, take their RV to one of these metropolitan campgrounds to sit and watch TV while paying extra - above their utilities and housing expenses at home.  I'm not passing judgement on anyone for how they like to camp, just looking for explanations.  What am I missing or am I just alone in my "anti-social" behavior?? 

Just curious - that's all!
Thanks,
Ken

 

[UTTransplant]

Lots of reasons - passing through, visiting family or friends, visiting tourist attractions, just passing through, or living in the RV full-time while working. We use our trailer as a vey comfortable hotel room while visiting cities or National Parks.

 

[RossM]

All of the above and perhaps even that the town grew around the RV park over the years.

 

[John From Detroit]

RV parks are often near highways because... Well, it's easier to find them when they are just off the highway.  Still traffic noise has never bothered me.. Even when the car slammed into the electric pole roughly 100 yards from where I'm sitting the traffic noise did not bother me. (And there was a lot of traffic that night, which by the way was last Sunday).  We are 3 miles from Freeway, "Out in the boondocks" as they say.

Many times the city has "Attractions" and many RVers are Tourists,  They come for the "Attractions" (What those are depends on the city, Las Vegas for example has Freemont Street and the Strip.. There are campgrounds within walking distance of both).  Detroit metro area has the Edison Institute, Orchestra Hall, and much much more,, No campgrounds within walking distance but it's an easy drive (Edison Institute is Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum)  These are but two examples of reasons people go to a city, as opposed to the country.

OTHER Rvers want to "Get away from all that" and,, Well as I said, I'm 3 miles from "Civilization" other than the RV park the owner's house and his son-in-law's house.    Still we got a lot of traffic noise Sunday Night,, EMS, Fire, Police, Georgia Power and Light, Darien Telephone,  and more.

 

[SeilerBird]

I live in an RV park near Orlando Florida. There are lots of RV parks in this area. Why? Disney World is just a few miles away and RV parks are dirt cheap compared with motels and hotels. Many people would prefer to sleep in their own bed and drive their own car as opposed to flying in, renting a car and staying in a hotel. Orlando is the most visited place in the country with over 50 million tourists a year coming here. It is a whole lot cheaper. As far as noise goes I never hear a thing after 8 pm at night. Dead quiet. I have camped in campgrounds in National Parks that featured non stop noisy parties all night long. I have camped in National Forests that featured guns being shot off in the middle of the night.

 

[V2Neal]

I have camped in campgrounds in National Parks that featured non stop noisy parties all night long. I have camped in National Forests that featured guns being shot off in the middle of the night.

Detroit is a national park?

 

[Bill N]

Detroit is a national park?

Yes, and NPS is now considering Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans. LOL

 

[RVRAC]

We do it for two main reasons: 1) sleeping in our own bed while visiting cities, towns, and other points of interest, but more important: 2) getting out of very cold weather. Perhaps you live in an area where is not too cold during winter.

 

[JudyJB]

You are making a false assumption that all of us leave a home to go camping a few weeks each year. 

As a full-timer who is in travel mode, sometimes I like to visit cities.  I like the campground in San Antonio because it is on a main bus line I can take to the Riverwalk area.  And the absolute best campground in Napa, is the county fairgrounds in downtown Napa--huge cement sites, well-taken care of grass and landscaping, and walking distance to downtown restaurants and shops!  Also walking distance to Wine Train.  Of course, I stay there because my son lives in Napa, but it is packed almost every night of the year.

And speaking of my birthplace, Detroit--they have turned Detroit's jewel, Belle Isle, into a state park and may build a campground in a couple of years in this beautiful urban park right in the middle of the Detroit River.  Will be able to watch big freighters go by!

So, while I spend most nights out in isolated, natural and quiet state and national parks, there are times and places where I like to stay inside a city.

 

[SMR]

we have done the city parks a few occasions. went to wedding and if we go to zoo's or other attractions. other than that we do state parks.
the one I don't get is our camping club used to go to Elkhart campground and we all live in Elkhart? LOL  now we do state parks with an occasional trip to Johnny Appleseed park in Fort Wayne, IN.  I got to explain to the  club members the directions- Coliseum Blvd., past the coliseum turn right on Harry Baals Drive. Harry was a past mayor of Fort Wayne.

 

[BoomerD]

While I'd rather not stay in an urban environment when camping...sometimes, if we're visiting family/friends who live in another city, we'll take the coach and find a campground that's convenient for our visit.
HOWEVER, we do NOT go "camping" in the city...we simply stay in our RV while visiting the city. IMO, that's two completely separate things.

(and I, for one, would rather deal with the wild animals in the forest than in the urban jungle)

 

[ArdraF]

In addition to what all the others have said, many of us joke that we don't "camp" anymore - and it's not a joke now that we're retired.  Many of us did the tent camping thing when we were younger and have a "been there, done that" attitude about it.  The last time I slept outside was on the Colorado River and Jerry awakened me during the night to let me know (VERY quietly I might add) that there was a skunk right next to my head.  Oh boy!  As soon as the critter left I was out of my sleeping bag and into our Westphalia as fast as my legs would carry me.  Yep, been there, done that, don't need to do it again!  :  These days we like our big diesel pusher with our own bed, bathroom, food, and "stuff" with all the comforts of home.  We "did" our airplane and hotel traveling when we were working and don't need to do it anymore.  Sometimes we go out into nature and sometimes we go into cities.  We meet friends, we visit family, we go sightseeing, we go hiking.  We no longer take vacations because life IS a vacation in retirement.  Sometimes we take long trips and sometimes short trips, depending on where we want to go, who we want to visit, and what we want to see.  We really get to enjoy the best of both worlds.  You'll begin to understand the whole thing more as your own life evolves.  The main thing is to enjoy it regardless of how it's done.  Oh yes, and remember that life would be boring if we all liked to do the same things and in the same way.  To each their own!

ArdraF

 

[RVRAC]

In some states, it seems the majority and the largest RV camps are in and close to the cities that in the country. Some of them are huge.They even promote themselves as close to cities.  In Arizona and Texas, there are big RV Camps in or close to cities like Phoenix, Mesa, Houston, Brownsville, Dallas, San Antonio  just to name a few.  So, many people look for them either because of employment, retirees or getting away from the snow. I think the same applies to FL.

 

[TonyDtorch]

in the busy metropolitan area of L.A. / Westwood California,

U.C.L.A. med center has provided some RV spots for family members that want to stay close.....

it was a blessing that a friend of mine got to stay there

 

[Quillback 424]

Khr, in my opinion there are four ways to RV.
- You can stay in, and stay in
- You can stay in, and drive out
- You can stay out, and stay out
- You can stay out, and drive in.

Others have explained the advantages of each so I won't elaborate further. But, if you are only doing one of these options, for years and years, you might want to force yourself into expanding your horizons to include some of the other options.

You might like it!

 

[khr]

Thanks for all the replies - very interesting to read.  All kinds of reasons and all kinds of people!

 

[beaverfever]

if everybody stayed where you like you would never get in. different strokes for different folks.that is what make our country great.