Why do *you* RV?

[scottydl]

If this topic has been discussed before, forgive me... I know a lot of people cover the basics in their Introductions but I'd like to hear from some of the veteran members/campers here.  I can't help wondering why everyone chooses RV'ing, either as a pasttime or daily life.

For me, I've always been interested in camping after watching my grandparents and their 1973 Dodge Sportsman 23' Class C.  They were members of a campground in town, and stayed there pretty much every weekend during the warm months when I was a kid.  We'd visit, play on the playground with my grandpa pushing the huge merry-go-round, meet other kids of campers, play Bingo in the banquet hall, and watch fireworks from there during the 4th of July.  Every so often my sister and I would get to stay overnight in the MH, or go on some other camping trip with them which was thrilling.  My wife and I want to start a family activity that our boys (5 and 2) will enjoy and remember.  Our 5-year old has autism, and has a very hard time adjusting to new and different settings when we travel.  That makes hotels a very frustrating experience, aside from the cost which I do not enjoy paying.  He does fine in settings he's familiar with however, even ones we only visit every month or two such as his grandparents' houses.  Our thoughts are that a motorhome would become like a second house that he's very familiar with, and is comfortable spending time and sleeping.  Plus it would give us time just as a family, without the distractions that our day-in day-out lives sometimes have.  I'm in the motorhome market, and right now don't forsee owning any other type of RV.  Barths and Safari's are my favorite styles (in mid-80s models that is) as I narrow my search for the perfect first rig.  Don't get me wrong, I've seen some pretty nice trailers out there... but we don't have a truck (or other tow vehicle) and don't want to buy one *just* for camping.

So that's my story, how about yours? 

 

[woodartist]

Well, Scotty everyone probably has a different reason. Ours is that we got fed up working and having to cram a vacation or 2 into our busy schedule. It hit us that we enjoy traveling more than staying fixed. That was evident when we kept moving all over the US. OK, we might not have been the brightest bulb in the lampsSo we sold out 47 acres, house, etc. and got a 5th wheel...hit the road. Never looked back. We have lived our dream all over the West and a trip back East.......calibration trip We have seen things we would never have. The lifestyle has changed our outlook on things and the solitude, pressureless life...really gives meaning to what living is. A long story, but basically something that stuck in my mind was a business manager customer who told me to travel and live while young...before you are too old and can't. He was right. The poor fellow retired with a bucket of money and was too lame to travel and enjoy himself. Lots more to tell, but not sure there is a lot of interest.......So, our advice is to travel if it is in the blood and enjoy your life while you can....FYI

 

[Tom]

Great question. We bought our first motorhome in 1985 to tow a fishing boat after having previously towed with a large station wagon and then a full size Bronco. My parents were avid RVers and towed a small travel trailer for many years.

We love the ability to take off on a whim, go wherever we please (almost) and stay away for as long as we please. But we also love the ability to come home to our fixed base where we have other interests.

Our daughter, SIL and grandson have a 5th wheel that they drag around some desert races and other places.

 

[Lowell]

We started with a pop-up and enjoyed it for about 10 years.  Upon retiring, we decided that setting up our old 89 pop-up was getting too hard.  So we moved up to a 28ft TT with a slide out which we really enjoy.  Now we are going greater distance because we have the time.  What we like most about RVing is that we don't have to haul suitcases around when we reach a site.  We like going to an area for 3-4 days and doing day trips with the tow vehicle.  When we exhaust the interest in an area, we move on or return home. I don't think I could go full time.  I would miss my tools and the hobbies they let me enjoy. But I sure wouldn't miss the yard work.

 

[scottydl]

Well, Scotty everyone probably has a different reason.

And that's why I asked.    I love to hear peoples' stories, and ever since I've become marginally involved in the RV-ing trend I've noticed the considerable subculture (this forum being a great example) that goes along with it.  Now I'm more interested in the people behind the culture... call it my sociology background if you must. 

Oh and I'm especially interested in family-with-kids camping stories, since that's the category I'll be in for several years!

 

[Ned]

How about "it seemed like a good idea at the time"   We went full time in 1997 as there was nothing to keep us in a fixed location and it gave us the opportunity to see more of our country that we ever could have from a fixed base.  And it still seems like a good idea.

 

[Houseofarticcats]

It has always been a dream of mine.. When I met my wife  I told her of my dream and she is such a great person we had a MH (class C) in no time flat.. Our first trip was from Concord NH to Rochester NY.. and we broke down as we pulled off 90 in Rochester... But it didn't discourage us one bit... We have never looked back..We traded in the C and got a newer Class A and loved it more..  We have been from coast to coast... Would do it again in a heart beat.. Been to the good old state of Texas a few times... Did the east coast lots of times... Most of Eastern Canada.... Now due to our family needs we sold our A and got a used 5th wheel.. wanted to make sure we liked it.. and we do.. so in a year we will be trading up to a bigger and newer one... I would love to do it full time but the wife wants a big old house so ... so it looks like we will be doing trips.. Oh and did I mention we have 9 kids..And one Grand child... heheheheh 4 older ones out on there own and 5 living with us and we are also foster parent's...So we grow when ever the phone rings..heheheheh We love traveling... And yes we stay in Wal-Marts..heheheh Well I could go on and on But You would fall asleep..hahahahah That is our story...  ;D
Gus and Kim....

 

[Shayne]

Quick and simple./  The great people we've met since the late 50's and we enjoy it along withthe views.

 

[Jackliz]

So that's my story, how about yours? 

Freedom. If we don't like our neighbors, we unhook and drive away. We can take our home with us; our own bathroom, bedroom, food, etc.  FREEDOM.

Regards,
Jack and Liz

 

[keywester]

I'd never given RV's a second thought up until a few years ago. I have always been a hotel guy, and still am to a certain extent. Then I took my wife to an NHRA race in Gainesville, FL. She saw the pro stock bikes run....and that was that, she had to do it. So I sent her to NJ where they have a school for this and she beat the teacher. Fast fwd we are now involved in motorcycle racing fully. We used to tow our race trailer with a big dually, unhook it, find a hotel, eat out, and come back to the track by 7am the next morning miserable, tired, and $200 lighter. We were jealous of the guys in rv's who could sleep at the track, had a BATHROOM of their own, air conditioning, electric, etc and decided to get an RV. Our first was a Dolphin 38 Class A, a bit much for a first one but I traded it for a boat that I hated. We absolutely loved it, had so many laughs, met so many nice folks when we overnighted on the way to/from tracks, and enjoyed real quality time together even while we were still learning that you can't leave the 12 volt heat on all night and other fun stuff. Well the Dolphin was destroyed by hurricane Wilma but I had beautiful insurance on it (thank you Progressive) and replaced it with an 02 RexAir 40 DP which we have now. Fuel was $3.35 so a diesel was the way to go. We like it but miss the Dolphin, probably for the memories.

So in short all of our RVing is literally Thurs morning to Monday afternoon, except when we stayed at various Flying J's during hurricane evacuations.

 

[motojavaphil]

The RV is the sworn enemy of the average motorist.  Slowly driven by slow aged old guys.  That is what I thought in 1999.  Along comes my Brother In Law and sister with their 5r and they are fulltiming!  Are you nuts I asked .  We looked it over and fell in love with it.  Bought our little 26' Jayco which evolved into a 37' Toyhauler.  We have stayed places we would have only dreamed of and have had some great adventures along the way.  Fulltiming is not there yet but the bug is.  Freedom from the stick farm, freedom from the lifestyle we led and well, freedom.  Hope this gets our "mess" out there!  Phil 

 

[mookiebones]

I hope to be in woodartist's shoes in about 1.5 years, after I sell my kennels ;D ;D.  I hate being in a fixed location, it sucks.  I want to be able to sleep in, travel and see things while I am young (28 now).  I have a 5 year old son and want to teach him on the road, as there are many more lessons with "real" life than taught in school.  I realize that I can't hold back from experiencing life until it is to late, so I am planning to get out of the rat race and travel to my hearts content.  I will probably always own a business, but am hoping that I can start one/buy one that can provide for me AND allow some sort of freedom, as the kennels have me way too tied down, but they are a good investment choice to get to where I want to be later.  I am in love with my husband and want to spend the rest of my life hanging out with him, doing what we really want. 

I would love to have the conversation with my husband, Matt, that goes like this:
me: "hey, whatcha want to do next week...?  We have been here for a while"
matt: "I dunno, I always wanted to see the grand canyon and REALLY explore them..."
me: "do you want to go there next week, it's only 400 miles from here. "
matt:  "that sounds good, let's start packing up in a few days"
me: "sounds like a plan.."

Now THAT is freedom.

I guess I should have thought of this before I bought three pieces of property....crap.
I have a house in Connecticut that I need to sell, and the kennels, but think I will keep the mobile home on 2.5 acres outside of Austin for our "stickbuilt" home just in case.

Anyhoo
-Adrienne

 

[Smoky]

Freedom to escape the crowds, to meet the world's most interesting and wise people, to see how truly beautiful this USA really is, to continually follow the 75 degree line, and to vanish, on any whim, from the face of the earth where no one knows where I am for as long as I like.

 

[Dan Walters]

Thirty years ago my second son was born and I decided that camping and other outdoor activities would become part of our lives.  I grew up on a farm in a Louisiana rural area where those activities were so commonplace that you were the oddball if you didn't enjoy outdoor activities such as camping, fishing, hunting.  After my second son was born, we started tent camping.  Wouldn't you know it, several years later, we had another son and then another.  With 4 sons, my wife and I decided to move up to something more than a tent, and I bought our first RV--a 10 foot cabover truck camper.  We thought it was the cat's meow, compared to the tent, even though it was still fairly small for 6 people.  It had a shower, toilet, sink, running water and enough beds for all of us to squeeze in and sleep at night.  We still had the tent and used it for extra room when we went camping, but enjoyed the truck camper very much--until those 4 boys starting getting BIG.  All four eventually played football and 2 of them were all district offensive lineman.  My wife and I decided it was time for something bigger, so we found a 29 foot Allegro that was about 5 years old and only had 8,000 miles on it.  Boy, was that a step-up from the truck camper.  We thoroughly enjoyed the Allegro for many years and even took a trip in it to Disney Worlds Wilderness Campground in Florida one year.  The boys and I had many other trips to the lake for fishing and even fished in a couple of bass tournaments.  After the boys got older and started leaving the nest, we didn't use the motorhome as much and eventually sold it.  Now my wife and I have now purchased a 25 foot Allegro that is just right for the two of us and we have already made a couple of trips in it with our grandson.  By the way, my oldest son now has a 28 foot travel trailer of his own and his family is enjoying the RV lifestyle as well.  I know at least some of the other boys will do the same, because of all the good times we had when they were growing up.  Good memories, more memories to come and time with your family.  That's why I RV.

Dan

 

[cheryl]

Because "Tomorrow is promised to no one" do what you want to do while you are able to do it.  If you wait around for the perfect time it will never come!  We have lived that saying since husbands triple by-pass and have been loving it since.
Cheryl :

 

[woodartist]

Well Adrienne, I wish I went fulltime a lot earlier Homeschooling kids in a real environment has to be a blessing for them. Especially history where you can travel and explore the battlefields, historical sites, Native American areas...etc. I guess I'm home schooling myself now There are many businesses that you can run on the road using the internet. I have several and it provides a nice income to support the lifestyle. Kennels??? Maybe related markets might work??? I know of people who go to dog shows and hawk their wares...whatever that might be. Be creative and I'm sure you'll be able to find an online business that you can run from the road. Technology is amazing today.....

Anyway, go for it

 

[mookiebones]

Well, woodartist, I am still not sure of what I am going to do.  If the business is doing ok, and I can find someone else to run it, I may do that.  If not, I just hope I can sell it for some kind of profit.  If not, I will look into something I can run on the road...I always like renaissance fairs, hmm maybe selling stuff there... ????

I want my child to have a different education.  He is a real gentle soul, with calmness that is way beyond his years.  I think explaining things as we go along would be awesome.  I figure that I am pretty intellegent, and is my husband, so why not teach him on the road..?  I am probably smarter then some of the teachers out there anyways.  I just wish I could do it NOW! as I am impatient as ever.

-Adrienne

 

[rubysamm]

Very fond memories of RVing with my mom and dad.? We wouldn't do the normal weekend campground thing, no we would follow the races. My dad was an avid race fan and used to pit crew for some of the big names (many moons ago)? He loved the races and we followed them.?
I am not the avid race fan dad was but the rv blood runs through me.? I bought the first as a Class C and have had all different shapes and sizes since.? We now settle on a Fifth wheel but who knows in years to come that too can change

 

[Rollie]

We love being able to cut the cord and yet ... take it with us.

 

[cuts_up]

We started camping about 20 years ago and have always wanted more comfort and more convenience.  The idea of leaving things packed all the time and not having to scramble for a trip (and forget important stuff) appealed to us, as well as not having to unpack our truck at midnight so dh could take it to work the next morning after returning home late. 

The dd played competitive softball for years and we kept thinking how wonderful it would be to have an rv w/generator in the parking lot.  We could rest in a/c during the day between games, use our own potty, eat non-ballpark foods, not eat out, shower during the day, and even spend the night in the parking lot rather than returning home at 1am, showering, and getting back to the ballparks (usually an hour away) by 7-8am the next morning.  But we were saving for college then and didn't think we could afford an rv.  We hadn't shopped and were under the impression that you couldn't get into a class A for under $100,000 or into a tt for under $30,000. 

We made a long trip earlier this year to visit friends and saw several rv's for sale on the way home.  We discussed how it would be so nice to have one packed and ready to go so we could leave home as soon as dh got home from work.  We could drive until 10pm or so then stop in a rest area for a nap.  That would put us 3 hours closer to our destination the next morning, and we wouldn't be too tired to enjoy our weekend after we got there.  So this summer we started our internet rv search and we were surprised that we could get a class A for so much less than we thought.  We've had our used class A for less than a month.  We've only been out once, but we talk about our future trips almost daily.  Right now we're using our weekends to finish the rv storage spot in the back yard.  It should be finished this weekend.  We expect most of our rv trips to be travelling from point A to point B in comfort, but we do plan to do some camping soon, and maybe a few long vacations.