being a single RVer

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greasyinsomnia

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Jan 22, 2007
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I'm new to this forum, so hi all.

I don't have an RV but may buy one shortly. I'm a single guy with a dog. What I'd like to know is if being single out on the road for months at a time becomes isolating. I have friends scattered throughout the U.S. but would not want to impose on any of them for more than a few days. Besides, they're all married, some with kids, etc.  I'm guessing that at the end of the day, you're alone a lot when you RV. Which doesn't sound bad on one level. On another level, it worries me. I keep envisioning some kind of ambulatory version of Ted Kaszinski. Can any single RVer offer any words of encouragement? Thanks.
 
Welcome to the RV Forum. Please look around the forum,  join in on any of the on going discussions, start new discussions, or ask questions. Thanks for joining us

 
I'm sure you'll get replies from our single members here, but in general, you'll find that RVers are a very friendly group.  You will make lots of friends once you're on the road, some for a day or two, others for life.  You will only be as lonely as you want to be.

There are groups for the lone RVer, at the Escapees (an organization you should look into) and other places as well.
 
One of the nicest things about RVing is that when you visit friends or family, you have your own house with you.  You can socialize or not, as you choose.  Some families can be a tad overwhelming and if that happens you just find a reason to retire early.  Also, you don't put out the other people because they don't have to make your bed (you have a bed) or cook (you have a kitchen) - unless you and they wish to do it differently.  The hardest part, especially with family, is explaining to them that you want to sleep in your own bed and that it's easiest to stay in your RV because you don't carry luggage with which to haul your "stuff" in and out of their house.  Now, if you visit another RVer they already understand all this and no explanation is necessary.  ;D ;D

Have fun planning and shopping so you can find an RV with which to enjoy our great country.

ArdraF
 
I am not single, but I can sure give you a lot of encouragement.  In 2003, I traveled for 3 months from Maryland to the west coast and back again.  Just me and my dog.  Somewhere buried in the library of this forum is a travel diary of my trip.  We (my dog and I) had a ball!

Now I am basically an introvert, so hours alone with my dog are something I really enjoy.  But I like to socialize as long as I can escape back to solitude when my batteries run down.  Well I tell you, I had to work hard to get solitude.,  Every campground I visited was loaded with people who were interested in me and put out the welcome mat.  I even got my nickname of smoky at one of these campgrounds.  This was the first thing I discovered about RVing... how friendly other RVers are and how they will give you the shirt of their back if you need help of any kind.

Another neat thing I discovered is that there is more to RVing than just seeing what is around the next bend. 

I loved the adventure of travel, but during the course of that trip, I also learned to savor spending a few weeks in a town that you really like. I spent a total of 4 weeks in Lava Hot Springs Idaho and fell in love with both the people and the town.  It is the kind of town that has tourists roll in over the weekend (Kevin Costner even passed through town on his way to Jackson Hole WY) but rolls up the sidewalks during the weekdays.  But I discovered there is a more subdued, but vibrant town life during the weekdays.  I discovered this by stopping in at one of the two taverns in town and discovering karaoke.  On some nights karaoke was at the Wagon Wheel and on other nights karaoke was at The Blue Moon.  On every night the locals would walk back and forth between these two taverns.  One night I got pushed in front of the mike, and instantly became addicted to karaoke.

That is one of the great pastimes enjoyed by the local folk there.  Through karaoke I began to get dinner invitations and met many of the local people there.  I had to fend off dinner invitations.  I discovered that every Monday evening a bed and breakfast known as The White Wolf would have free miniature golf for the locals.  I got invited to these parties.  We would play golf, buy each other beers, and laugh all evening at each other.  They had a licensed bar which was their garage.  They would roll up the garage door, and you could sit at the bar and enjoy a magnificent view of the Rocky Mountains.

The owner of the B&B was a couple that also published the local town paper.  The final week of my visit I was surprised to pick up the paper and see a picture of Sky (my retriever) and I seated at the bar (Sky had his own seat at the bar).  The caption read "Almost a local" and the photo was accompanied by a story about how we were practically locals there.  It was one of the most treasured moments of my life. One evening Sky brought the house down with laughter as he raced around the corner into the bar, soaking wet, with a golf ball in his mouth. While we had been sharing beers after the evening golf, he had been scavenging golf balls in the course pond.  We went outside and every ball in the pond had been retrieved and stacked up in a little pile.  The owners wanted to hire him!  ;D

I think you will find the hard part about RVing is getting solitude when you need it.

If you can get to QZ this week you would be surrounded by the most friendly people you could ever meet!  :D
 
Check out Loners on Wheels, an active organization of RVing singles. Those folks are never lonesome!!!

Loners on Wheels

But Ned has put it very simply: you will be only as alone as you choose to be. RVers are gregarious, perhaps because we all would be lonely if we did not make an effort to greet and meet our temporary neighbors. Can't wait around for an occasion to meet the neighbors, cause they might be moving on in the next day or two, so say hello the first time you see them and invite them to share your campfire, a cocktail or just a friendly chat.
 
Smoky said:
Somewhere buried in the library of this forum is a travel diary of my trip.

Smoky, there's no such file in our library. I believe you might have posted your trip report as a message thread in our prior forum location.
 
Smoky,

I'd like to encourage you to post the file here.  Just the brief post you listed has me wanting more.  Your trip diary sounds like an incredible read!
 
Welcome to RVForum

Yes, unless you are a hit with the ladies, you will spend nights alone in the RV.  Keep in mind, though, that the RV is, in essence, a car with a bed, and you will mainly use it for moving from point A to B and sleep once you get there.  During the day, you will eventually be forced to leave the confines of your rig and inevitably run into someone.  If you live alone in an apartment, you'll live alone in your RV.  There is one big glaring difference though.  RVers, unlike your average homebound neighbor, are a very outgoing bunch.  RVers are out to see the world and meet as many people as possible along the way.  This forum is just a small example of the kind of friendly people you will run into along the way.

If you are shy, keep to yourself, and unlikely to invite new friends over for dinner, you might get lonely.  Best advice I can give you:  Keep an open mind, be willing to put yourself in awkward positions, and always keep a positive attitude.  It'll make for great road-stories.
 
greasyinsomnia said:
I'm guessing that at the end of the day, you're alone a lot when you RV. Which doesn't sound bad on one level. On another level, it worries me. I keep envisioning some kind of ambulatory version of Ted Kaszinski. Can any single RVer offer any words of encouragement? Thanks.

Hello GreasyInsomnia:

As I write this -- I am alone, and am a single RVer. I have been single since the judge dropped the gavel at the end of a less than exciting day in divorce court in 1975. After that, I lived alone in apartments and then houses until 1994 -- when I bought my first RV. Prior to purchase I rented an RV on several weekends to see how I would like it -- and found I did not like it. I "loved" it -- and became a full timer RVer.

Tonight I am very tired in addition to being alone. The reason I am tired is because I have had a great day. It began by building a campfire on the Arizona desert in Quartzsite, about 7 AM. Shortly after that I was joined by great friends from all over the US  by that campfire. I then went to the big RV show downtown and helped a dealer of a product I market and install on the road. During my day there -- I must have met and chatted with at least 50 or more folk that I had never met before. When I returned to my campsite, I met at least 10 RVers that had arrived at our rally that again, I had not met before. After that, I spent 2 1/2 hours around our evening campfire at our nightly happy hour. And finally, a few of us hung around and chatted -- while looking Westward at the remaining light over the mountains as it dimmed and let the stars and moon become brighter and brighter.

OTOH -- had I stayed in my last home w/o wheels I doubt I would have had such a good day as this. I have never been a loner -- and never really got that lonely or had a lack of friends. But I can say for sure that life has been much more enjoyable and interesting for me since becoming a full time RVer. So I see things the opposite of what you fear may happen. I would now "fear" going back to a house that did not have wheels. A house that no matter how much I worked on -- would always have the same view out the front door. My view now changes often. Actually, as often as I want it to.

As mentioned, there are RVing Singles groups. This forum has many singles on board. Several of us had breakfast a few days ago -- and others have not yet arrived at the site. We are outnumbered by married RVers -- but none have "ever" made us feel less than an important part of this group.

My suggestion is to rent an RV first and see how it goes. Start by just taking a weekend somewhere. Then go a bit farther and a bit longer. It is a major step emotionally and financially so you are doing the right thing by asking the question on a forum such as this. For me, I would be much more lonely in a big home somewhere than in this much smaller RV.

Good luck and keep us posted -- plus continue to ask questions as they come to mind.

 
Thank you all for responding. It really is a big help.

I appreciate the suggestions for RV singles groups, but that isn't really what I'm looking for. I never was a joiner. Except here, of course.  ;D

I'm feeling better about pursuing this idea, at least for a while.

Maybe I won't have to buy a soccer ball, name it "Wilson" and stick hair on it in order to survive the roads of America after all.
 
Kurt:

I think Tom is correct.  I believe my 2003 memoirs were posted before the forum moved away from CompuServe.

Bob:

What a great post!  I cannot tell you how much Sharon and I enjoy reading your posts.  They are so heartfelt.

 
Hello to greasyinsomnia and to all of the RVers that took the time to welcome him here. I don't have any advice to offer since I am brand new here as well, but I did want to say thank you for making me laugh out loud! I too plan to set out as a single RVer someday, and I appreciate all the humor I can find while researching this daunting (while exciting) endeavor.

Your pop-culture references were not lost on me, and if we ever meet on the road, I would be disappointed if you did not have such a companion as Wilson...

Tai
 
Will said:
There is one big glaring difference though.  RVers, unlike your average homebound neighbor, are a very outgoing bunch. 

Campsites also tend to be a lot closer together than most houses, for another difference.  You are simply going to be physically closer to more people in most places than you likely will be at home.

Wendy


 
Hello

I'm a single man two end in 2005 I drove from the USA to Panama, Panama with a small camper I both in the USA.

I had a great time , remember you can be more alone with a wrong partner than alone.
if you want company he there are people out there everywhere !!

The more south I came the more woman came into my camper to share a cup of thee !
It was a fantastic trip!! Crossing AL those  countries.

Last year 2006 until the 16 of January this year 2007  I drove from cartagena Columbia to Argentina end back , well I can recommend you doing this as a single with al those Latin people, they are very easy to contact.

Rene
 

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