Yeah maintaining a camper is a lot of work. Owning a house is a lot of work and so be a car as it ages be a lot of work. I got a solution though. Get educated and make lots of money and simply buy brand new every 3-4 years or just buy a tent at Walmart or forget owning a home and live simple camping RVless under bridges.
@@evertmorse8518 Everything you say negative about owning an RV is = owning anything relating to a dwelling you’ll sleep or travel in. Cars and homes are endless maintenance as well. Just sleep under a bridge and never own a car and you can escape all this misery 😂
@@evertmorse8518 Please don’t try to muddy the waters with me making this a pissing contest over what this original discussion started out. If I may remind you the original discussion is about the problematic maintenance of RVs and I was simply pointing to reality anything relating to such an expense requires much physical effort regarding maintenance.
I think a 3rd reason is price, a lot of the mom and pop RV parks are being bought out and turned into resorts and jacking the price up to the point where you can get a motel cheaper and not have to deal with all the packing and hauling that goes into it.
LAST MINUTE… We check the weather to where we are going on the ROAD TRIP and if it’s good we take off in a car that gets about 38 MPG and we have a GO BAG with a small toaster oven , small electric fry pan , dishes, utensils , seasoning , the works. Then we research a cheap price motel that is clean , good location and has a fridge and microwave. Then we go to wilderness areas , build a campfire , cook camp fire food . Then leave at dark , go back to the motel , make a great breakfast or lunch in the room, Go see the sights or whatever. No hassle of paying high campground fees or CAMPER SET UPS. High gasoline for the camper or truck to pull it. No reservations. But if you have more than 3 people and you don’t mind the hassle by all means go RV ing. Camping to me is taking a tent, sleeping bag some food , going out into the woods or mountains with no one else around and roughing it. Pulling a RV next to a row of others is just like living in a trailer park with a small mobile home. That is not really camping to me , Hey , but if that’s what you like . Go for it and have a great time. “ What ever floats your boat “ it’s all about memories and fun . We’re only here a short time so GO WHILE YOU CAN 😃
I don't have that problem, I have a 98 ford E350 class c, and a 2002 star craft toy hauler, and a tear drop 16ft i built and it has a full restroom w/shower, and I do have parking for all 3 and 2 boats.
@@vidguy007 I love Savannah ga for example Renting is more expensive so camp grounds are full and creek side or fireside resort charges like 1200$ a month for spots. It’s always empty
I just want to let people know that my hubby and I traveled the entire summer of 2021 in our 5th wheel. We moved to different states and camp sites about every 5-7 days. We never really had a hard time finding camp sites to plug into and maybe only got turned down twice. There are just so many parks out there! Everyone kept saying, "those days of spontaneous travel are over, you cant wing it anymore, you have to make plans and reservations....Ummm, call us irresponsible but we didnt listen....at all! We Rv'd from starting in New York then to PA, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri and back to Upstate NY. Never got into a jam. We travel with our Heavenly Father and we evangelize during our travels. God is good. God bless you all.
Agree. We have been full timing since August. We have had zero issues finding places to camp. We never plan far ahead. This includes popular areas such as Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. Yet we continue to hear this myth perpetuated of no campsites.
Yes!!!! Not only are we gonna travel for my husbands job but also for both of our jobs, which is spreading the Good News and the love of God. My mom is an apostle and dad an evangelist. They have a revival hub there in Cushing, Oklahoma and partner with Joe Joe Dawson in Texarkana, TX. When God puts you to a job, He’ll make it happen 👍🏻 Y’all keep it up!! Blessings from Broken Arrow, OK 🙏🏻
I've been tent trailer camping for 40 plus years. Figured it was time to camp in a little more luxury by moving to a hard sided RV. After studying and reading about all the trouble people are having with poorly made trailers, length of time to get a repair made, ridiculous prices and camp ground availability...I'm staying with my beloved tent trailer. I don't need all the head aches anymore.
I've got a small truck camper and although purchased used in 2020, I've never had any "RV Techs" work on it. I'm not a mechanic or an electrician, but I have worked in power plants and am a union-trained carpenter. But the repairs I've made were simple things that anyone can do. When I bought the RV, the port side Happy Jacks were not working and I traced the problem to a blown fuse. When one of the Happy Jack motors started whining, I disassembled it, re-greased it and reassembled it. When the refrigerator started leaking water, I found that the drain tube had broken off the little plastic drip tray...I sawed off the barrel of a bic pen and glued it in it's place, then re-attached the drain tube. I also replaced all the fluorescent lighting fixtures with LED lights. TH-cam videos are a real help. Bottom line is, you DON"T need an RV tech for everything.
People won’t need to do maintenance because they’re totaling them left and right on the highway. The amount of people going WAY TOO FAST is terrifying.
I really hope a lot of folks sell their rigs and quit RVing. So many of these people who purchased RVs didn’t bother to learn campgrounds etiquette. I’ve noticed a real negative change in the behavior of people at my favorite campgrounds. Dog poop, loud music, walking through peoples sites, etc.
Man are you ever right. Lots of knuckleheads out there right now. They act like they are the only ones in the campground. They bring there loud music to the public pool areas, get hammered drunk and hoot and holler until midnight and don’t watch their kids. It’s probably not dislike their lives at home but they are in a campground. And we all know much to well that it’s hard to say anything to anyone nowadays without offending them.
For every rig sold, someone is buying. So are there really less people camping because people are selling ? It’s gonna take more than just a couple years for the number of people camping to go down, it’s gonna take however long OT takes for the RV’s to be unsafe to put on the highway. Just because a camper is sold doesn’t mean that’s 1 less family/person camping because someone else has purchased it. I have been camping since I was a kid living at home with my parents and have always loved camper and have just sold mine due to the fact that you now have to make reservations way out for just a short weekend. I can remember when a family cold wake up on Friday morning and decide to go camping that weekend, hookup when got home from work hat evening and never make reservations, I hope those days will come back very soon
I just got back from myrtle beach sat and had this same discussion with my camping neighbors, some of the people who camp now just don't get it, no respect for fellow campers. One thing I noticed is driving way to fast trying get to their spots, to many kids running around, slow it down guys it will be there when you get there. We have been camping many years and definitely see a difference in the people who camp now, I guess their black tank don't stink.
We just went out today looking at campers. The one we liked cost 35k. We're newbies and recently retired. My wife then looks at me after the salesman walked away and said do you know that for 35k we could go to Europe, Hawaii and and still have thousands left over! I said your right let's go home and plan a Hawaiian vacation! Lol
@Serchic Rams Our first rig was a $3000.00 handyman special with a rotten floor. We fixed it, kept it five years, and used it a lot. I've just passed it on to another handyman and put the money toward a newer rig. Getting warm and dry off the ground was a game changer, and I don't think I'll ever get my wife to go tenting again.
Yes but the trip is one and done or maybe even a couple more trips but w a camper you can travel and enjoy other places over time. But it’s up to the individual as to what they want to do. Your choice.
I agree with your wife's thoughts on the RV prices. They are insane. I am single and bought a hi top Nissan NV. It is my camper van, personal vehicle and used for home projects. I would never drop that sort of coin just to have something sit around 75% of the time.
We have been RV’ing for many many years. Maintenance is extremely important as you stated. Rising fuel and campground costs along with campground availability are also a factor in how often we go camping. We love to go camping but we may not go this year due crowded conditions and increased costs and who knows what the future will bring!
We bought our 2021 23’ Jayco specifically as a bug out. Wildfires took our home, well, our entire town actually. Never would have considered this before, but if we are evacuated again at least we will have somewhere to sleep this time and a bit more than the clothes on our backs. So I will send up a huge “Thank You!” To all of you seasoned RVers! There is SO much to know and you all help my confidence immensely! Keep posting, and I’ll keep learning!❤️
So sorry about your loss to fire. I worked the campfire, a residential disaster like I had never seen. Sad to hear your at risk again. God be with you.
@@krystalmills1622 I totally agree. At least you can be safe if/when SHTF, and have basic needs met while planning what the next steps will need to be. Stay safe ❤️
Do yourselves a favor buy an acre or thread of accessible land and not only do you have a camping spot but you have a little extra income if others want a camping spot
We are going all the way. My husband is an RN and we will be traveling starting next spring with our three kids we homeschool. We can’t wait and know Gods got this 👍🏻
Good luck! It didn’t work out for me and my husband. Problems included not getting assignments where he was happy, a boatload of maintenance, as he said, being away from family ( even if you’re ok with it they may not be) and other issues. Be safe and enjoy!!
@@margaretpatton376 thank you! I was sick eleven years of my life and never got to experience things. We went places while my brother motocrossed but was too sick to enjoy it. This is an opportunity we’ll never take for granted 👍🏻
I’m excited for you Joy, we have just sold our house and are doing the same thing. We have no kids but have tried. It’s a waste to sit at home all your life and never get out to see the beautiful country God made. I’ve been in my home for 31 years and need a change. Life is so short like the word of God says we are like vapors and dust, here one minute gone the next. Besides if your a Christian I strongly urge believers to quickly remove your children from the leftist brainwashing public school system that their stated goal is to turn them into radical activist to further their twisted and perverted godless ideology. May God bless you Joy and protect you and your family.
@@natureloversadventures7335 exactly. I actually had daily seizures for eleven years, ages 13-24, and did t live a normal teenage life. I had to be homeschooled and never got to get out much I was so sick. I had to have brain surgery removing a benign tumor and have been seizure free seventeen years September 17 👍🏻
From a newbie, I just bought a used travel trailer to take local trips with my wife and dog. It’s adequate for us and not a huge investment. My kids are in college so they don’t need us as much now. I do all the maintenance myself as I’m used to that with owning 5 cars. I have learned so much in the past month about the mechanics of it and how to maintain one. I’m a very handy person so enjoy the learning and applying. It’s a small 22’ to get us started to see if we like it. We do like getting away from the house and being with nature so am looking forward to it. I’m taking all the advice and over prepping for those uh oh moments when they happen. Will see how it goes.
Not meant as a criticism, but I think all of the folks on TH-cam enthusiastically making RVing videos as a source of income has greatly contributed to the surge of new RVers. Now these same TH-camrs are starting to complain about the lack of campsite availability. Maybe less of these videos on TH-cam if you want to reclaim the wilderness.
It’s also noteworthy that a majority of them are only able to afford full time RVing if they have a successful TH-cam channel. That’s not counting those RVers that get part time work like camp hosts, farm work, etc. along the way. There are ways to afford it, but side work or a successful TH-cam channel dominate the attempt to make it a full time endeavor. It’s not cheap.
Wholeheartedly agree. This really does push a lot of people to jump in without understanding that there's a lot of BS that's cut out of the final edit of the TH-cam video. I've pulled an RV, once, last summer. It was fun for the experience. But, it does take a lot of prep. And sharing responsibilities with my gf definitely helped a lot. She took care of packing the majority of food and small items and setting up the outside when we got to where we were going. I took care of making sure my vehicle was road worthy to tow it and literally everything else related to getting to/from, prepping water, setting up the generator/fueling, etc. Our son was in-charge of being there and not being subjected to unnecessary fights for not having realistic expectations set for each other throughout the whole process. Seems like it might be a tall order, but really is crucial for the experience being worthwhile.
We're all just trying to get by like everyone else. I for one welcome ALL the new campers and am really turned off by the crowd that complains about them. But these comments have conflicting solutions. Do you want us to be honest about what it's like on the road and talk about the overcrowding, or do you want us to edit stuff out and make it sound like it's all rosy? Most of us TH-camrs are just trying to help people get the best out of this, and I can count maybe a dozen or two TH-camrs that are actually making a living doing this.
@@RVMiles I'm not sure it's a problem for anyone to solve, really. People need to realize that there's always more to what they see in a 20 minute video that was edited from a few days worth of events. I think the main point is that people should do more research on what they want to invest their money in. Like any other hobby.
@@RVMiles - I see these comments as observations by followers, not complaints. I love watching every single RV TH-camr on my extremely long Subscription list (including your channel)! Some of them themselves have made the same observations like, as soon as they say where their favorite places are, they are full next time they return. So there is truth to these observations, and have been attested to by the RVers themselves. I guess it just sounds more like complaining when it comes from followers. That’s fair enough.
The tragedy is the way the over-crowding of place to camp. This actually take away from the enjoyment of being outdoors, You end up in a Sub-Division of RV's.
And don't forget many campgrounds are surcharging out of state travelers...so now you can't get in but when you do, you'll pay 30% more. Yay! The RV bubble is definitely expanding, just seeing the prices at a recent RV show were CRAZY!!!
I am a long time RVer and it is frustrating to not be able to find a spot to camp. It is unfortunate that so many inexperienced people had that knee jerk reaction to buy a RV. It is a lot of work to maintain and I am sure most of those people only saw/see the romantic side of RVing. Well, I do not want to see people loose money, but I do want to see more open sites for us old timers that have had a life of camping.
Come on old timer. You don't have a monopoly on the lifestyle. Just because you've been doing it longer, I mean, that's really some selfish, pig headed thinking. I get that it's frustrating finding campsites and it used to not be that way. But to say it's unfortunate that people are having knee jerk reactions. Like what, there's a mass hysteria rv buying pandemic? People wake up from a night out drinking and find an RV in their driveway. Wow, must have been a crazy night! I don't see it the way you do because while I'm sure some people may make an impulse buy, as they have for years, a lot of thought goes into a purchase of something as significant as an RV. People are fed up with a lot of things these days and they are examining their priorities I believe and finding that they don't want to wake up when they are 67 years old and say, well, I guess I'll try and see some of things I've been talking about all these years. They want to do it before then. Just saying. I think you may need to be a little more understanding that people are discovering what you just happened to discover sooner than they did!
I hope 2022 will have a lot less people camping. I’d buy another used trailer from someone that doesn’t know how to spend the time taking care of it. I can’t wait to get back to normal, and if I can get a newer rig out of it all the better.
It's funny listening to folks talk about how hard camping is ..smh... Camping is simple and relaxing .. It's all the amenities that most campers take with them that's hard work .. RVing on the other hand is totally different...RVers are those folks who spend vast amounts of time traveling and living in their rig..totally different from campers I think...With that said, I think there wil be a drop in "Campers" not true "RVers"
I think everyone has a different idea of camping and how much stress it brings to each person. I am a planner and so I have always made lists for everyone of what to pack, and a list of what to bring for food and other items weeks in advance. I prep all the food , do all the shopping and so forth, camping for my family is fun and relaxing they get all kids of fun snacks and stuff they dont normally eat. but for me its relaxing but hard work, the cooking the cleaning and the packing in and packing out is all on me and then the laundry and such when we get home. I love camping its only simple and relaxing to a point :D
Camping is easy, I've always been the self sufficient type, not taking my house camping. One string of lights connected to one canopy tent, one 32 foot travel trailer or 5th wheel, 5 folding chairs, one small propane or charcoal grill, 7 open face or thumb burner fishing rods!
In California, the biggest reason to sell your RV will be lack of storage spaces unless you can store it in your driveway. You will pay between $150-$300 to storage a 32 foot rig. The other big issue is lack of availability to get your RV maintenanced. Places are backlogged with wait times of up to 3 months just to get in to see about getting something fixed.
Gas prices out here aren't helping either. The $4+ we're seeing now with what seems to be a weekly if not daily rise, has put a crimp in a lot of folks travel.
We are not concerned about campsite availability. I like to have a electric hookup, for sure. We have a generator and 2 weeks ago I made a Solar suitcase. Last week we boondocked in the Black Hills National!! All by ourselves with no one around. No light pollution either. We saw so many stars it made us both tear up. Trying to figure out how to do full time and still have a home base.
These thoughts address well the issues that weekenders are or will be facing (just wait until they find out what RV shops charge!). There is another group that I believe will tire of their RVs within the next year or two: the full-timers. Living in close quarters can get "old" after a while, no matter how fond you are of your travel mate(s), and being a solo full-timer can be stressful for other reasons.
I beg to differ . I miss being a full-time traveled. Being coupled up in the same house day in and day out is getting 'old' and boring af. But to each their own .
In the end I feel that's a good thing. More people camping, being outdoors, and enjoying themselves and nature might mean more people will care about the outdoors. They'll want parks, forests, and monuments to be well funded and taken care of. The more advocates the better I say.
I went the campervan route instead of RV. I genuinely try to avoid “proper” RV campsites in general as I find them too noisy and crowded. However state park campgrounds are better in that regard. I built my van to be off-grid and can even run an aircon for 24 hours. I deliberately target the campsites no one wants: no power, water, or hookups. Often these are available when everything else is sold out. I think the other aspect of RVing that is overlooked is proper winterizing as well as preventing humidity accumulation (mold) in a small space. Anyways that’s my limited take on the topic. Cheers.
I have a camper van now as well and it has been great for getting into the National Forest Campsites. Love the peace and quiet there. Not a fan of RV parks… they’d never let me in anyways! LOL
@@razor3003 I started off with 400W/200Ah. But when i discovered an affordable DC aircon (“ACDC air conditioner on amazon), I doubled it to 800W/400Ah.
NEWSFLASH: these folks are living full time in these trailers, campers,and r.v's. It's called the tiny house movement to reduce one's carbon footprint and to save space. Maybe some of them will sell but for the most part, more and more folks are downsizing because of rent increases and cost of living .
This really should be top comment! Never have I ever considered moving my family into an RV until rent and mortgages prices started soaring almost at the same time. Now rent is almost double of what it was 7 years ago. Homes for sale ONLY want cash offers and your offer better be 20% ABOVE asking price. People are getting pushed with there backs against the wall. Survival is a MUST so people are exploring ALL options including RVs.
People are living in RVs all around Seattle. Rent is way high. There is a tent city in the woods near Interstate 90 at Exit 20- working people who commute to jobs by bus.
Honestly thinking with so many people choosing not to go back to work in an effort to sustain that that along will shine a light on this way of life along with other more recent tragic events for the masses that were unaware. And it will become an appealing alternative for so many that but for the pandemic may never had considered it.
While RVing is fun, it's just too much work to haul a unit to a park filled with people. You'll see a down turn because more folks are going back to the old school, deep woods camping. Overlanding and 4wd has become hugely popular and people are realizing they can have a lot more fun deep in the woods, mountains or out where they actually get some quiet.
I think you can also add in fuel cost. With gas supposed to be $.4.00+ by summer, a lot of people may well be priced out of the ability to travel pulling their trailers... Just my thoughts anyway.
Your rational makes sense, but to me you missed the #1 factor which is normality. So much of this increase has been brought on by a lack of options. Be it the family that goes to Disneyland every year to the tune of a $10k weeks vacation or the couple that saved for years for that once in a lifetime cruise of the Mediterranean. So so so many of the new to RV people are people who likely never would have been in on 2 years ago, but there normal was thrown off course, they had the means to try something "different" and they just wanted an escape from their daily reality no mater where it came from. When we have the everyday ability for international travel, for a weekend vacation to (insert city of your choice), or any of the recreational activities that were available to all of us in 2019, that is when you will see the real decline in volume of campers.
@@davidbires2351 admittedly I did pull that number out of the air, but for a family of 4, it doesn't seem that far off to me after you figure airfare, staying at a park hotel 6 days of different parks. All the food and other nickel and dime meals and trinkets and stuff, I can easily see it adding up to very close to 10k
@@WanderingWeekends $10k at Disney will really just get an average family started. We’ve been DVC members since the late 90’s so we’ve contributed more than our fair share to their cause. I’m even thinking about selling the membership - Disney culture is not what it was, even 20 years ago. We were lucky and found an immaculate 2017 Airstream at a really good price back in April and I “justified” the truck purchase 😂. But our RV objective is retirement in 2 years and to camp as long as possible. We’re total newbie’s with a different goal but I can already see where planning ahead is going to be critical - do agree with your reasoning though. And I’ve enjoyed your channel. Keep up the great work!
Glad you put this out there. I disagree that maintenance issues are deal breakers for new RV'ers. I don't even think the vast majority think about things like maintenance. However, I would like to comment on the availability of space. It is horrible and I have never seen it worse than this year. In prior years, we've never had a problem booking a space for a month or two. This year, we couldn't even find space for a week. (We were in western Montana) Public campgrounds were filled to capacity. RV parks were down to day rates and gouging people 60 bucks a night. That's a 1800 dollar a month RV spot. A storage spot with about 3 bucks worth of electricity a day and water. So beyond the horrible RV park gouging this year, we also saw some of the worst fuel prices in years. We even tried to work camp to find a longer term spot. With little effort, we found ourselves burning thru 2500 a month without ever darkening a restaurant doorway. Thankfully our truck and trailer were paid for. With the ridiculous RV pricing here in the west, I sold my trailer for 1000 dollars more than I paid for it 3 years ago after some very hard core use. I was dam happy to be rid of it. I am tapping out here. We are gonna wait for this bubble to burst before wading back in.
Very good information. I am building a camper van now and everyday I see people building and being nomads, off grid, unknown, phantoms. I also suspect criminals and illegals are doing the same.
I agree, we're new to RVing (did it over 30 years ago in a C when kids were young) in a 38' Class A. It's hard to find spaces, even harder to find RV parks that will take our rig, some discriminate, and I've just started using that term because our RV is 2004. Many parks will not take anything over 10 years.
Your comment makes me think about the old saying about boats which I guess is true of RVs. The 2 best times about having a boat or RV is the day you buy it and the day you sell it! 😊
There are more Rvers now, especially re Covid. Time was, you could literally count the numbers of RVs on the road. No more. ITA, re space. Had we not reserved a yr in advance, we would've been out of luck. Heard the Hershey, Pa. RV show was disappointing, re price gouging galore.
LifeSkater And yet the show had record attendance if I am not mistaken. I know when I started to go on the Thursday, the lineup to get in at about 11:00 was close to a half a mile long. Ultimately, COVID is the big underlying driver of all this, although indirectly for a lot of folks.
great points ... we have been RVing for 10 years now and you are dead on. Just replaced tires this year (2nd time) and having to bring the RV into a shop to look at a leveling jack issue. I don't want to see that repair bill. The price of gas is also a concern ... at $4.00 gallon for 1 hour of driving @ 8 MPG it costs $25.00. so an 8 hour day is $200.
I rented a motor home a few years ago and my wife, kids and I spent 18 days driving up the coast from LA to Seattle. We loved it. We weren’t able to get into all of the places we wanted even though we booked 6 months in advance but we had some amazing adventures. I learned that I don’t want a 30 ft motorhome, having a smaller vehicle you can drive away from your campsite in is important and being able to boondock for 4 or 5 days is a must. I’m shopping for a trailer now.
I believe many people bought an rv because their normal travel/lodging habits became unavailable during Covid. When things move along towards normalcy those rvs will get sold.
The last 2 years the modern campgrounds in northern Michigan have been booked months or weeks out. We always use primitive state campgrounds and there is always plenty of room. No reservations needed. No barking dogs, no screaming kids. Beautiful lakes and lots of fish. Just a matter of what you expect from camping.
You can also camp on state land for free, if you are set up for off grid. Not uncommon to be riding atv's way back in the woods, and find a family having a campfire
Thank you. We have been camping for a few years in a tent or cabin, while friends have an RV… Our cruise days seem to be over, so we plan to get an RV. I want to travel. We talked about this before covid…. Thanks for the reminder of what we can do.
Expect full water, full electric to run 2 A/C units, full septic, large concrete pad, two way concreter paved roads, swimming pool, well stocked store, entertainment, cable, internet, and also natural beauty, bike paths, canoe rental. Better have it too or I may not book.
The maintenance you refer to found in owner's manual? There is a good list in my Forest River owner manual. After living through multiple hurricanes and a flood...living full time in an RV is my best option. At least I can evacuate easily.
We have owned an rv park for 17 years. In 2008 we thought it would be a real bad year due to the economic crash but to our surprise it was a record breaking season. This time around cancelations are through the roof. Last time it was just high fuel prices and that turned out to not be a game changer. This time its high fuel prices plus food, supplies, high maintenance and repair costs, retirement money problems and a host of other things. The main outake of this is the problems are worldwide which makes recovery extremely difficult.we are going to be in this gor a long time, not just a glitch that will be short lived.
We always say that we purchased a big box of work even though we absolutely love the rv lifestyle. Anytime we are doing any type of maintenance to the rv and people see us and want to chat about what we are doing we just say "Oh the joys of owning an rv". Lets hope the camp ground situation levels off in the near future. Good video.
Currently, if something major breaks, you're done for the season because even if you can manage to book service within a month or two, good luck getting parts, the supply chain is gone to crap.
We went camping last week, a total of 8 sites filled in a 44 space campground, it was awesome and quiet, of course it was Monday -Thursday and no fires allowed but hey, I didn't have to mess with putting out a fire before bed. I'll take no fire and no crowd over noisy drunken crowds anyday because I'm a quiet drunk.
Camping not hard work Mikey. Not when you can hire me to do the work for ya. You also help stimulate the economy cus I use the money I earn to buy American.
Been planning to buy an RV for years, but then COVID hit. So, I am actually looking forward to all these folks quitting. A rig will be more affordable now.
@@lifeskater9899 that is exactly why I said I would wait, prices are crazy right now. When all the lots are full again, the prices will drop. Looking forward to it!
Ive been predicting the same here in Australia. I sold my 4x4 and camper(bought a yacht) as a result of the overcrowding at camps sites, the camp fees some private sites are now charging is obscene, the mess many of these new campers are leaving behind is disgusting. I live in a rural area with few neighbours, i dont want to go camping to be surrounded by noisy, inconsiderate morons. The government has had to close off more areas to the public due to the trashy behaviour of a few.
I'm thinking along the same lines. I just moved back to Texas after 13+ years on the west coast, mostly in long haul trucking. I've been looking at campers (trailers & rv's) but the long term parking costs and people's antisocial behavior is starting to turn me off. I spent a lot of downtime on my dad's sailboat in San Diego and I'm wondering if I should go that route as Kemah, Clearlake and Galveston aren't too far from my family.. ahhh decisions to make..
I went car camping one time with my aunt, basically a parking lot with dirt patches every other parking space so tons of people and all very low class including one gentleman who was an overweight scumbag who did little but sit by the fire drink beer and tell his kids go find some firewood in other words go steal some firewood. Ugh. Boondocking sounds about perfect to me, or at least paying the extra $10 or whatever to be in a park where scumbag Jawas aren't going to steal everything not bolted down.
I'm retiring now and back in Texas to be near family. I don't want an apartment as I plan to live parttime in the Philippines. I have a 2008 Tacoma with a fiberglass utility body, fully self contained(fridge, microwave, solar, a/c ect) but sadly, nowhere to go long term with it. Am I missing something? From what I'm reading campgrounds are scarce, expensive and don't want a rig like mine (I'm in the Conroe area) I feel like no matter how flexible a person is willing to be, it's getting darn near impossible to live an affordable independent life anywhere in America anymore..
As I watch programs like "Going RV", and witness it firsthand because I live in an RV destination, people want to pull their entire home with them. 30+ feet, 4 slides, outdoor tv's and sound systems. Basement storage for another thousand pounds of "stuff". Then they discover it isn't allowed in many state & federal parks, sucks tons of fuel, takes a expensive tow vehicle, not fun to maneuver, problematic, high maintenance, and if you can't park at your home, good luck finding a storage lot! If you do, be prepared to spend as much a & $300 a month! We may not see a bulk sell off of small manageable units right away, but I think a pandemic made too many wide-eyed buyers impulsive to seek getting away on a whim.
I bought an RV so when my soon to be ex wife would retire on Jan 2022, we would travel all the United States , But Lately we argue to much, when I first bought my 98 class C , I first replaced all the fluids on the motor, transmission, differential, differential oil looked like tare, antifreeze, and break fluid, plus upper and lower radiator hose's, water pump and fan belt, front 2 disc's 1 was cracked, break pads, and bearings. and our first trip was to silvertone and Ouray Colorado to the All natural Orvis Hot springs, it was hole new experience for me, but there's where the fighting started with my old lady, but the Rv did great 👍 on a 1,250 mile round trip.
After 27 years of trucking, I just don't want to travel that much. I might take a weekender now and then, but I'm pretty content piddlin' around the house.
Energy is neither created nor lost, it just changes form. The point is, all those RVs will be owned by SOMEONE, someone who is going to take it out and use it. So the faces in the crowd may change but I think the crowd will be there just the same. Let’s all do our part to make it a friendly and considerate crowd!
yes, someone will own the rig... but as a whole it'll get used less. The idle rigs at a normal storage facility outnumber the rigs being used consistantly 3 or 4 to 1. I believe that percentage will grow over the next few years.
@@WanderingWeekends yes around Calgary there are 100s of storage lots all full in July acres and acres if they all went out you could line them to the west coast.
I'm in Georgia too and am retired. Been RVing since the late 80's, tenting before then. Never needed to make reservations back then but things have changed dramatically in the past 20 years, especially in the last 2. Like you, it's been almost impossible to find a site on short notice or the weekend in the past year and a half. Luckily for me, I am retired and only camp during weekdays when more sites are available because you poor saps have to work. 😁 I'm hoping things will get back to somewhat normal once this Covid thing is truly over, if ever. I think the same as you. 2022 will be a turning point and all those that bought RVs to get away from Covid will realize they made a mistake and will be selling their equipment. Good news is you may be able to get a great deal with the flood of RVs that will be on the market (I hope).
So you're in GA. We live in the Tampa area and camp quite frequently in GA, TN, & NC mountains. We just made reservations this week @ Doll Mountain for 8 days, near Elijay, GA. for October 2022... no problem.
@@georgedreher2322 Been to Doll mountain many times. In October you'll be able to hit all the apple orchards. Don't forget to visit the antique shops in Elijay. There are no hiking trails in the campground but you're only a short drive away from some excellent trails if that's your thing. Happy camping!
@P C People didn't become greedy all of a sudden and all at once. Humans are at the same level of greediness they have always been. Prices are going up because the government has been printing money out of thin air to pay for all its spending, which dilutes the value of the currently existing money. A better word for inflation is dilution.
I've been RVing since 2004 in a Class C Motorhome. Ever since COVID I've noticed a huge increase in RVers being totally disrespectful of their neighbors and the land. Letting their pets and kids run wild and unsupervised, loud and obnoxious partys, leaving trash and filth everywhere in the woods, running generators all night. I could go on and on with examples but I'm tired of it and ready to give up and sell my RV.
Looks like you are right about the trend of camping next year. We had a class A for 10 years and sold it a few years back. We retired last year and have been looking for a fifth wheel and truck. I think the truck is going to be a bigger problem than the trailer. Used 3/4 ton truck's pricing is crazy and looks like it may be a couple of years before they come back in line. Another issue is the people that bought trailers last year at high prices and low down payments, they will find they owe more for the rig than they can get for selling it. They may be able to afford the payment, but can they pay the loss on the trailer to sell it. Could set up a lot of repo sales.
I agree and disagree. I think many people will sell their campers next year, but I also think that many people will stay with it. I work in the airline business (bottom level baggage handler). It's been a hard past year for us. History has shown that when the airlines are down, RV sales are up (9/11). Covid has shown the same pattern. Now that air travel is back I think many people are about to sell their campers, and start buying tickets. That being said. I think many people will have found a new love in camping. Not everyone will quit.
We purchased our camper (has yet to be picked up) recently and I gotta say, we bought it because we do lots of road trips even before the pandemic. I like the idea of a camper is because we refuse the pay the ridiculous price of hotels and the hassle of looking for one. It gets pricey after a few days. With a camper, we have the freedom to say how ever long we please.
At this point it can go either way. As the economy continues to decline there can be less RV's out there as people give them up due to financial reasons. If gas prices spike like they did around '08, that will also limit a lot of weekenders from being out camping. At the same time, the economy may force more and more people to become professional transients with the only option after losing their homes is to live in the woods in their Rv's. Time will tell.
Biden killed our energy independence as his opening act, and now inflation is getting worse by the day...who knows what will happen next, but with Biden in office you know it isn't going to be good for America or Americans....I think everything will be changing this year and not for the better...we get about 10 miles to the gallon hauling our RV...gas prices have already doubled and will likely go up even more..that hurts.
@@SignalCorps1 Yep - we bought a barely used 2018 TT several years ago for $10K. Has everything my wife & I need including AC & kitchen. EZ pull with a 1/2 PU and stores in our garage. Better than a tent.
I also think we have a lot new Rv'ers have no campsite etiquette. especially those that think your site is there site and they can just walk through. So if we loose some of those Bye ,Bye
Been camping for years and RVing for 5. I have destinations to get to and memories to help make for my kids. The price of gas going up is an issue but not a deal breaker. Putting time into keeping my RV up and in proper shape is all part of the experience. Campsite availability, well, we just need to plan better. Also I might consider using Harvest hosts.
I like “I have destinations to get to and memories to help make for the my kids”. We plan on getting a small camper in early 2022. Something I have been planning for years. I am looking forward to the maintenance. It will keep my mind off all the crazy stuff.
The biggest reason in BC right now is: Camp Fire Bans UTV/ATV/Chainsaw Etc. Bans (Produces sparks) Fishing closures Ya sure, we can use the propane stove, but the best part of camping, especially at night, is sitting infront of a fire roasting dogs and marshmellows.
I come from a large family of campers. The wife and I have been patient and strategic with our time frame to buy. We wanted to pay down other debts before jumping into the rv world. We will be lifelong campers because everyone in the family has a camper of some sort. We have been banking on the idea that a lot of people will have gotten over the impulse and camping fad during covid. So for all of the people who stop, I will be adding back to the numbers.
Thank you for posting this. I car camp in my small SUV as I have done for 30 years and I believe that people get away from buying RV"s because of the gas prices and again lack of availability of camp spots. Even BLM Land is becoming way too crowded and many of the nice camp spots are not easily accessible with large rigs. I see more and more vans and smaller vessels out there. So, no, I don't believe that people will invest much in RV's. Yet, they are great to park on someone's property if you want to just live in one that way. In fact, that is probably the best use for an RV nowadays. Yes, too many of us out there and not enough nature to explore. Too many regulations and restrictions and not enough accommodating campgrounds unless you go to hostile climates where no one wants to stay too long. This is just the way I see it. Good video, thank you.
I don’t know what to expect given the events of the last 15 months. I am leaning towards the lack of parts becoming a big issue. But on the other hand, I think there is going to be a increased number of new or refurbished RV parks open. As you said, many parks are booked and need reservations months in advance. So there is a need for additional RV parks. Good discussion topic!
They are building the parks like crazy. After a few years most RV people settle down to 3 month here and 6 months there. Works out pretty well as they see same people at same time of year then and have cook outs and friends at each site. Get at least a 30 foot RV is planning to live in it long term and an outdoor kitchen pull.
Absolutely true. We've been RVers for 25 years aand are retired. We used to head out on a Sunday without reservations and get a site wherever we wanted. Now, reservations required, lucky to get 3 nights a month ahead of time. The whole lifestyle thing is ruined. Not worth it anymore.
My wife, 3 kids under 6, and myself went camping for our first time in the families old Prowler. FOR TWO WEEKS. I told everyone either we’ll really love it or we’ll really hate it but we’ll find out really quick. We loved it. And just purchased our own Northern Spirit. Yes there is huge competition for sites in our province. Booking is up over 2000% from 2020.
I bought a van to allow for flexibility - I can use it for day trips and overnights. The shorter a camper is, the more flexibility. I switched from a 35 foot motorhome to a van about 5 years ago and am happy with the change.
Here in Texas you can find camp sites, and also RV park are mostly full. People are sick and tired of paying home owners property taxes! RV living is booming in Texas! I perform all of my repairs, and order parts online. I do not buy anything from RV parts at RV sales, they are a rip off!
I look at Rv-ing as I do my boat . With everything you have maintenance and I’m ok with it this may seem nuts but I enjoy working on my stuff with my boys and teaching them different tools and the mechanics of it. The only bad part for me is this what I do every single day is work on pumps and electrical panels so it gets tiresome at times . But my rewards seeing my boys learn how to use there hands and understand things totally out ways everything.
I am camping less. My ability to go out and “hide” from the city has become an issue with so many people out now. The roads are crowded and trying to get out of town is awful. Then, when I do get out- I spend quite an amount of time cleaning up after others! I also find that some of these new campers aren’t exactly friendly… so, I hope you’re right.
Sorry your camping less. You can come to my campground and I be your friend anytime. There are friendly and unfriendly people wherever you go. I do say though I do avoid the needy types whenever I stay in a campground. They come out of the woodwork.
I don't think people realize that they can have fun with a simple popup trailer. They are easy to store like a garage, less maintenance on parts, lower prices compared to RVs. The personal taxes in some states are low and since they weigh less than 2000 lbs, some states don't have 2 registered them. Just an idea.
Buy your own rural lot/acreage in the area of your desire. That's what I did, I bought 17 acres on a River. I grew SICK of the BS from all of the RV Karens and what not. Now my only problem is...all the noise from the jumping trout.
@@WanderingWeekends I thought long and hard about inviting RVers that I don't know to camp out here. The problem I have with it is when the SHTF in this country. I'm more than likely going to be flooded with a lot of campers looking for a place to hunker down. Most of the family has already said that this is their official bug out destination. I'm up in the extreme Northern part of Idaho. I do miss conversation with like minded respectful RVers.
I’m hoping you’re right. We have had decent luck avoiding reason #2 being retired, and camping Sunday through Thursday. Many of the Pandemic buyers will be coming up on their second winter of storing/making payments, so the honeymoon phase could be over.
I haven't been too thrilled with the recent surge in RV camping. It's hard to get a campsite in our state parks as it is all on a reservation system. The wife's idea of camping in the RV is getting a site with electrical and water hookup (mind you, the son and I have been boondocking in the RV for the past few years). This Labor Day weekend we have reservations in an old state park campsite with no water/electrical hookups. I'm hoping my wife will think that it isn't too bad to boondock (back in the day, we used to tent camp in very remote locations). If she is OK after this weekend, we'll do some true boondocking in the national forest (the kind of camping I really like to do...not crowded). As I'm getting older and it gets harder to move ( like getting down on the ground and getting up), I worry about the maintenance stuff I have to do on my RV and believe the day is getting close that I will no longer be able to do it. That will be the day that I go full motel or lodge.
If you have a solar setup what are the major downsides of boondocking compared to using a site with hookups, how long does your waste tank last before needing to be emptied? My wife is wanting an rv so I'm doing some research and off grid seems like the easiest way given the state of rv camps
We are up to 10 days No hookups from 7. I want my shower every day and get it. Need to wash hair every 4 days so most water used there. Hubby is bald so saves there. 😍 We watch water use real close. Made it to the 7 days first time only because we misjudged drinking water. It actually is a fun challenge to see how to make water last. Wash dishes with a very hot sponge and cup of water. Rinsing is more. Septic can only stretch to 10 days. No paper inside and I use my home so seldom use pit toilets. Old man does for business. 17 ft trailer w queen walk-around bed fits everywhere. we do well on 100 watts solar and one battery. And the smallest jackery for phones back massager and fans and table lamp. 12 volt fan is nice. Do not use ac to noisy so we watch Temps also where we travel.
@@carolbrush4242 Try the dry shampoo use in the nursing homes. Can buy it with the shampoo cap. You just put it on head and message the shampoo in and then comb it out. Seems to work well.
I talked to several RV dealers and they think like you. Once the novelty wears off and they have to work on them, along with the difficulty in getting space on weekends, will cause people to get out. He expects to buy back the rigs for pennies on the dollar and then sell them a second time, although at a slower pace. The unknown is if the newbie's will just let them rot in the backyard or driveway for a few years and then no one will want them. Personally I hope quite a few get out so that site availability becomes good, but not so many that the independent campground owners suffer. Maybe we won't be in corporate RV parking lots with power in the future?
After reading the comments to see if somebody already said it. I agree with number three, so I'll add 4&5. I believe some of the folks that take a crews got tired of staying home and bought an RV to get out. Then the airlines and tours open up they'll put the rig up for sale, #5, they'll get tired of paying storage and let it go. Thank you very much for your wisdom and foresight.
I think it’s gonna be a flip of the coin, fuel prices are very high right now! March 2022. Inflation and bla bla bla. This may hit the pockets of some whom want to cover some long miles. Repairs and maintenance. Believe it or not most all of us are very capable of doing a lot of our preventive maintenance, basic hand tools etc, stuff you should be carrying with you anyway. True not everyone can, medical situations, etc. had semi trucks for 40 years, I know. I like doing preventative maintenance on my class c motor home and I have piece of mind I won’t have a problem if I take care of it routinely, plus inspect it often.
I don’t think a lot of people know what there getting into. I was at a campground last September. A couple in their 70’s had a new looking class A about 32 feet long. The gentleman was trying to back the RV into his spot and the woman was out giving hand signals. It didn’t look like they had ever done it before. For me having a motorhome is like having another house and another vehicle. The appliances are not like the ones I have in my home and the vehicle is much larger than any vehicle I’ve had to work on.
In addition to buying a Coachmen Orion which is a small Class C, which we use for infrequent and short camping trips. We like having a bug out vehicle, which I imagine would be an asset for most of us living in hurricane or wild fire prone areas.
You are probably right. When my hub and I first started out in 2018 we made reservations at a park in AL. We left in the middle of Nov. At first we weren’t going to stay all that long but after giving it some thought we decided to extend our stay. After listening to YT videos I knew it could be hard to get a reservation over the holidays so after talking it over I called the park and asked if we could extend our stay through the New Year. They were quite happy to extend our reservation. We didn’t know it at the time (and didn’t even realize it could be done) but it turned out to be a residential RV park. We’ve been there ever since. I would prefer to travel but after 20 years in the Army, I discovered he is a homebody who will put down roots so fast your head would spin. So that said I think you are right. And if you don’t have any experience doing simple maintenance projects you have to pay someone to do it. More $$ out the window.
@@bluwng No. The only tax you pay is sales. Even though you are going to live in it it’s technically not considered a home. You can find good used RV’s. Decide what kind you want. Make sure if you buy used you really check it out good. If someone is going with you consider whether the trailer is big enough for 2. Do both of you like living in a small space? If you buy small it could have a wet bath in it. Will each of you fit in it? Our shower is pretty small so my hub uses the park showers. If it’s a small trailer you are going to be sleeping horizontally. Is one of you going to have to crawl over the other in the middle of the night? Do you want to open and close the bed every day? If your dining table is also your bed you’ll be doing that and quite frankly I got sick of it after a while!! Lots of things to consider! Personally I wish we had purchased something bigger so we could have a bed that stayed open. Hope you find what you like!
I think maintenance is the tip of the iceberg. It’s cheap to own a trailer it’s expensive to camp. Here in CA RV resorts are commonly averaging anywhere from 80-170 a night. Most are 2 night minimums. States parks are much less expensive but massively crowded. Camping and boating are similar. Both are labors of love but require a lot of work to keep your toys running smoothly.
Not to mention that just for weekend camping it is a lot of work for a short amount of time. Check in late afternoon Friday and pack up and go home Sunday. We don't camp to save money. There is some $$$$ costs to camp. You are right on the other two. It's a big commitment and the cost of up keep is substantial.
I never in my life thought I would own a camper. 2.5 years ago my wife and I bought one on impulse. It's the best thing we ever pissed money away on. This family is here to stay.
I hope you are correct because I am retiring in 2022 and hope to do a lot more camping and cross country trips. I do agree a lot of people will bail for the reasons you describe.
I think you're right about the maintenance. Also, when and if Covid goes away, more will go back to flying to get to those vacation spots. People only have so much time and money and RV'ing is expensive when you get right down to it. Takes time to get to where you're going. And that is something working people have little of!
I looked into a travel trailer and saw more maintenance and warranty issues than I wanted to deal with. I decided to do a all aluminum cargo trailer conversion. That’s not the best option for everyone but for me it works best. I only camp 2 nights at a time. I don’t camp in extreme heat or cold but I do have AC and heat. I live within 30 minutes from state park camp grounds. Taxes are lower than on a traditional RV. Can be used as a toy hauler. It’s simple and functional with a kitchen in the nose. If I need more space I use a canvas cabin tent. It’s my tiny cabin by the lake that gets me outdoors and keeps me dry if It rains. Happy camping 😎
I totally agree with all of the comments and suggestions below. We are camping right now and have found many sites unused as people cancelled. Really it makes it hard for those who were unable to book those sites.
Love being out west with tons of National Forest and BLM land to boondock on. No need for reservations and so much more peaceful than a campground. I noticed a huge increase in people boondocking in 2020, already much less in 2021, guessing more back to normal in 2022.
I wish we had BLM land or even areas to boondock where I live, we just traded up to a 5th wheel but one thing that is concerning is the 43ft length, so far we're able to book sites but it has limited us in our favorite camp ground to about 5 sites.
@@jandblawncare8570 I sold my 42 ft Durango and got a Cougar 22rbs. Plan on boondocking or state park camping from now on. Sold my diesel Ram dually for 2 grand more than I paid for it. The high fuel prices will turn alot of people away, glad to see it and hope it goes higher.
I see your perspective regarding both of your reasons. However, I can refute both of them. Maintenance is necessry on home and apartments also, it's just different focus when ti comes to RVs. While I agree that some people might get turned off by it, it is just a necessity to maintain an RV just like your house, or your car. As for the demand and availability, my fiance is a site planner, and more and more RV projects for new RV campgrounds around the country get added every week. One client in particular is looking for 40 new campgrounds in their portfolio. These parks are being built bigger, and with more amentities and features. Yes, availability is an issue right now in the short-term, but growth is still big in the industry. Great video, I appreciate that you brought it up for people to think about, but I thought I would share my perspective
Appreciate the perspective but keep this in mind. Maintenance on a house is an investment. Maintenance on an RV is a labor of love. Unless of course you’re LIVING in your RV… but then it’s no longer a recreational vehicle. It’s a mobile home.
Kid's nowadays...."I don't want to own a house because it's too much responsibility and maintenance." Same kid......"I'm going to live in a camper." Me......."HAHAHAHA!!"
You brought up some good points. But when it comes to maintaining your RV there were already a lot of people not doing it. Also I think it will take a few years for people who bought an RV to realize the cost associated with owning one can be expensive. I look around my neighborhood and see people that own an RV and it hasn't moved in years. So it's nothing new for someone to purchase an RV and to see it sitting in their driveway without ever being taken out.
60 plus years ago my parents and I went to a new state park in Georgia called Elijah Clark. It was kinda funny I still remember this but the ranger said the campsites were not cleared or marked ,so just go find somewhere to put your tent. You might have to stomp the weeds down. The next morning we all had chiggers. The tents we used I think were surplus Civil War. No fee was charged. Now they have wood cabins and double wide trailer cabins.
Had a 26’ Forest River. All the bells and whistles. I camp on a whim a lot. Can’t do it anymore, especially weekends. Always fixing something. Equipment intensive. Fix furnace one season, the AC the next, TV next. Seal coat roof, fix water leaks…. It never stops. No matter the price, fixtures are pure junk. Sold it and put some gear on my 14’ utility trailer, a dome tent and canopy, the 2 quads, and we’re in business. So much more flexibility, and it once again really feels like camping. Yes, a little more prep loading, but once you’re organized u don’t even think about it. And I can get the utility trailer into places we’d never get that 26 footer into. No more winterizing, state inspection, insurance and annual registration. I might go to an enclosed toy hauler one day, but never back to a hard side camper. If it works for u, that’s great, but as a DIYer, a real pain for me. And I got my driveway back.
I don't think people realize how much work camping is, loading unloading storage. It truly is a labor of love.
True its a large commitment and a lot of work over time.
Yeah maintaining a camper is a lot of work. Owning a house is a lot of work and so be a car as it ages be a lot of work. I got a solution though. Get educated and make lots of money and simply buy brand new every 3-4 years or just buy a tent at Walmart or forget owning a home and live simple camping RVless under bridges.
If you enjoy the minutiae of camping as I do then it is indeed happy labor.
@@evertmorse8518 Everything you say negative about owning an RV is = owning anything relating to a dwelling you’ll sleep or travel in.
Cars and homes are endless maintenance as well.
Just sleep under a bridge and never own a car and you can escape all this misery 😂
@@evertmorse8518 Please don’t try to muddy the waters with me making this a pissing contest over what this original discussion started out.
If I may remind you the original discussion is about the problematic maintenance of RVs and I was simply pointing to reality anything relating to such an expense requires much physical effort regarding maintenance.
I think a 3rd reason is price, a lot of the mom and pop RV parks are being bought out and turned into resorts and jacking the price up to the point where you can get a motel cheaper and not have to deal with all the packing and hauling that goes into it.
LAST MINUTE… We check the weather to where we are going on the ROAD TRIP and if it’s good we take off in a car that gets about 38 MPG and we have a GO BAG with a small toaster oven , small electric fry pan , dishes, utensils , seasoning , the works. Then we research a cheap price motel that is clean , good location and has a fridge and microwave. Then we go to wilderness areas , build a campfire , cook camp fire food . Then leave at dark , go back to the motel , make a great breakfast or lunch in the room, Go see the sights or whatever. No hassle of paying high campground fees or CAMPER SET UPS. High gasoline for the camper or truck to pull it. No reservations. But if you have more than 3 people and you don’t mind the hassle by all means go RV ing. Camping to me is taking a tent, sleeping bag some food , going out into the woods or mountains with no one else around and roughing it. Pulling a RV next to a row of others is just like living in a trailer park with a small mobile home. That is not really camping to me , Hey , but if that’s what you like . Go for it and have a great time. “ What ever floats your boat “ it’s all about memories and fun . We’re only here a short time so GO WHILE YOU CAN 😃
If it has the word resort in the name I don’t consider stopping
I don't have that problem, I have a 98 ford E350 class c, and a 2002 star craft toy hauler, and a tear drop 16ft i built and it has a full restroom w/shower, and I do have parking for all 3 and 2 boats.
@@vidguy007 I love Savannah ga for example
Renting is more expensive so camp grounds are full and creek side or fireside resort charges like 1200$ a month for spots. It’s always empty
@@thecatfishrod You just answered question. Thank you. 100% agree. Why buy a house on wheels for camping. lol
I just want to let people know that my hubby and I traveled the entire summer of 2021 in our 5th wheel. We moved to different states and camp sites about every 5-7 days. We never really had a hard time finding camp sites to plug into and maybe only got turned down twice. There are just so many parks out there! Everyone kept saying, "those days of spontaneous travel are over, you cant wing it anymore, you have to make plans and reservations....Ummm, call us irresponsible but we didnt listen....at all!
We Rv'd from starting in New York then to PA, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri and back to Upstate NY. Never got into a jam. We travel with our Heavenly Father and we evangelize during our travels. God is good.
God bless you all.
I love that you evangelize while traveling. If I get the chance to travel I want to do the same! People need to know about the love of Christ!
Agree. We have been full timing since August. We have had zero issues finding places to camp. We never plan far ahead. This includes popular areas such as Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. Yet we continue to hear this myth perpetuated of no campsites.
Amenn God always makes a way...love u sharing.. praise Jesus
Where God guides, God provides.
Yes!!!! Not only are we gonna travel for my husbands job but also for both of our jobs, which is spreading the Good News and the love of God. My mom is an apostle and dad an evangelist. They have a revival hub there in Cushing, Oklahoma and partner with Joe Joe Dawson in Texarkana, TX. When God puts you to a job, He’ll make it happen 👍🏻 Y’all keep it up!! Blessings from Broken Arrow, OK 🙏🏻
I've been tent trailer camping for 40 plus years. Figured it was time to camp in a little more luxury by moving to a hard sided RV. After studying and reading about all the trouble people are having with poorly made trailers, length of time to get a repair made, ridiculous prices and camp ground availability...I'm staying with my beloved tent trailer. I don't need all the head aches anymore.
I've got a small truck camper and although purchased used in 2020, I've never had any "RV Techs" work on it. I'm not a mechanic or an electrician, but I have worked in power plants and am a union-trained carpenter. But the repairs I've made were simple things that anyone can do. When I bought the RV, the port side Happy Jacks were not working and I traced the problem to a blown fuse. When one of the Happy Jack motors started whining, I disassembled it, re-greased it and reassembled it. When the refrigerator started leaking water, I found that the drain tube had broken off the little plastic drip tray...I sawed off the barrel of a bic pen and glued it in it's place, then re-attached the drain tube. I also replaced all the fluorescent lighting fixtures with LED lights. TH-cam videos are a real help. Bottom line is, you DON"T need an RV tech for everything.
When you compare the benefits of time spent with your family and friends, all the fun and great memories you all create, the effort is well worth it.
People won’t need to do maintenance because they’re totaling them left and right on the highway. The amount of people going WAY TOO FAST is terrifying.
Agreed. These new trucks have so much power and people don't understand the precautions you must take while towing...
I see it all the time! I can always tell the newbies on the road. God bless us all!!
I agree. These people are flying down these highways in Colorado.
@@richardocain8299 Many in Florida are "Contract Government Employees"...FACT
People won’t do maintenance cause they’re lazy. They don’t even take care of the homes they live in.
I really hope a lot of folks sell their rigs and quit RVing. So many of these people who purchased RVs didn’t bother to learn campgrounds etiquette. I’ve noticed a real negative change in the behavior of people at my favorite campgrounds. Dog poop, loud music, walking through peoples sites, etc.
Man are you ever right. Lots of knuckleheads out there right now. They act like they are the only ones in the campground. They bring there loud music to the public pool areas, get hammered drunk and hoot and holler until midnight and don’t watch their kids. It’s probably not dislike their lives at home but they are in a campground. And we all know much to well that it’s hard to say anything to anyone nowadays without offending them.
For every rig sold, someone is buying. So are there really less people camping because people are selling ? It’s gonna take more than just a couple years for the number of people camping to go down, it’s gonna take however long OT takes for the RV’s to be unsafe to put on the highway. Just because a camper is sold doesn’t mean that’s 1 less family/person camping because someone else has purchased it. I have been camping since I was a kid living at home with my parents and have always loved camper and have just sold mine due to the fact that you now have to make reservations way out for just a short weekend. I can remember when a family cold wake up on Friday morning and decide to go camping that weekend, hookup when got home from work hat evening and never make reservations, I hope those days will come back very soon
We have two trailers that came in yesterday, park right next door with no campground etiquette. Dog poop, loud music and drunk by 8pm.
I just got back from myrtle beach sat and had this same discussion with my camping neighbors, some of the people who camp now just don't get it, no respect for fellow campers. One thing I noticed is driving way to fast trying get to their spots, to many kids running around, slow it down guys it will be there when you get there. We have been camping many years and definitely see a difference in the people who camp now, I guess their black tank don't stink.
@@richmurphy5647 Why would they wait till 8
We just went out today looking at campers. The one we liked cost 35k. We're newbies and recently retired. My wife then looks at me after the salesman walked away and said do you know that for 35k we could go to Europe, Hawaii and and still have thousands left over! I said your right let's go home and plan a Hawaiian vacation! Lol
Isn't the travel limitations which has caused the boom in Rving. Not like it used to be to just book a flight and go.
@Serchic Rams Our first rig was a $3000.00 handyman special with a rotten floor. We fixed it, kept it five years, and used it a lot. I've just passed it on to another handyman and put the money toward a newer rig. Getting warm and dry off the ground was a game changer, and I don't think I'll ever get my wife to go tenting again.
Yes but the trip is one and done or maybe even a couple more trips but w a camper you can travel and enjoy other places over time. But it’s up to the individual as to what they want to do. Your choice.
I agree with your wife's thoughts on the RV prices. They are insane. I am single and bought a hi top Nissan NV. It is my camper van, personal vehicle and used for home projects. I would never drop that sort of coin just to have something sit around 75% of the time.
And that it your done with vacation. Having an rv you can see and do more in the long term.
We have been RV’ing for many many years. Maintenance is extremely important as you stated. Rising fuel and campground costs along with campground availability are also a factor in how often we go camping. We love to go camping but we may not go this year due crowded conditions and increased costs and who knows what the future will bring!
Future: WORSE!!
We bought our 2021 23’ Jayco specifically as a bug out. Wildfires took our home, well, our entire town actually. Never would have considered this before, but if we are evacuated again at least we will have somewhere to sleep this time and a bit more than the clothes on our backs. So I will send up a huge “Thank You!” To all of you seasoned RVers! There is SO much to know and you all help my confidence immensely! Keep posting, and I’ll keep learning!❤️
I lost my house to a fire and have been in a33 ft rv for the last year. Hope all is well with you and yours. Wild ride these days
@@pzmerlegregory6369 gives a whole new meaning to “ camping” huh? I’m glad you’re safe! Keep the Faith and prayers to you and yours.
So sorry about your loss to fire. I worked the campfire, a residential disaster like I had never seen. Sad to hear your at risk again. God be with you.
That is the same thing my hubby says, if you have to evacuate at least we have somewhere to sleep, eat, shower etc.
@@krystalmills1622 I totally agree. At least you can be safe if/when SHTF, and have basic needs met while planning what the next steps will need to be. Stay safe ❤️
I am always entertained by the RV ads showing a single RV parked by the river/lake. Dream on.
Well, maybe you wouldn't be capable of doing that, but some people are fine going off grid.
I live in a camper on a private lake, is nice.
@@cameronpetersen4394 Can I call you Bingo? It seems like Bingo is your Name-O! hehe
@Ross Outdoors It's also possible to just pull off the road somewhere in the boondocks and not pay anyone jack diddly.
We do it all the time But we own land And a cabin
But we Boone Dock it all the time in our little Coleman Rubicon
Do yourselves a favor buy an acre or thread of accessible land and not only do you have a camping spot but you have a little extra income if others want a camping spot
We are going all the way. My husband is an RN and we will be traveling starting next spring with our three kids we homeschool. We can’t wait and know Gods got this 👍🏻
Good luck! It didn’t work out for me and my husband. Problems included not getting assignments where he was happy, a boatload of maintenance, as he said, being away from family ( even if you’re ok with it they may not be) and other issues. Be safe and enjoy!!
@@margaretpatton376 thank you! I was sick eleven years of my life and never got to experience things. We went places while my brother motocrossed but was too sick to enjoy it. This is an opportunity we’ll never take for granted 👍🏻
I’m excited for you Joy, we have just sold our house and are doing the same thing. We have no kids but have tried. It’s a waste to sit at home all your life and never get out to see the beautiful country God made. I’ve been in my home for 31 years and need a change. Life is so short like the word of God says we are like vapors and dust, here one minute gone the next. Besides if your a Christian I strongly urge believers to quickly remove your children from the leftist brainwashing public school system that their stated goal is to turn them into radical activist to further their twisted and perverted godless ideology. May God bless you Joy and protect you and your family.
Amen🙏🏽
@@natureloversadventures7335 exactly. I actually had daily seizures for eleven years, ages 13-24, and did t live a normal teenage life. I had to be homeschooled and never got to get out much I was so sick.
I had to have brain surgery removing a benign tumor and have been seizure free seventeen years September 17 👍🏻
From a newbie, I just bought a used travel trailer to take local trips with my wife and dog. It’s adequate for us and not a huge investment. My kids are in college so they don’t need us as much now. I do all the maintenance myself as I’m used to that with owning 5 cars. I have learned so much in the past month about the mechanics of it and how to maintain one. I’m a very handy person so enjoy the learning and applying. It’s a small 22’ to get us started to see if we like it. We do like getting away from the house and being with nature so am looking forward to it. I’m taking all the advice and over prepping for those uh oh moments when they happen. Will see how it goes.
Not meant as a criticism, but I think all of the folks on TH-cam enthusiastically making RVing videos as a source of income has greatly contributed to the surge of new RVers. Now these same TH-camrs are starting to complain about the lack of campsite availability. Maybe less of these videos on TH-cam if you want to reclaim the wilderness.
It’s also noteworthy that a majority of them are only able to afford full time RVing if they have a successful TH-cam channel. That’s not counting those RVers that get part time work like camp hosts, farm work, etc. along the way. There are ways to afford it, but side work or a successful TH-cam channel dominate the attempt to make it a full time endeavor. It’s not cheap.
Wholeheartedly agree. This really does push a lot of people to jump in without understanding that there's a lot of BS that's cut out of the final edit of the TH-cam video.
I've pulled an RV, once, last summer. It was fun for the experience. But, it does take a lot of prep. And sharing responsibilities with my gf definitely helped a lot.
She took care of packing the majority of food and small items and setting up the outside when we got to where we were going. I took care of making sure my vehicle was road worthy to tow it and literally everything else related to getting to/from, prepping water, setting up the generator/fueling, etc.
Our son was in-charge of being there and not being subjected to unnecessary fights for not having realistic expectations set for each other throughout the whole process.
Seems like it might be a tall order, but really is crucial for the experience being worthwhile.
We're all just trying to get by like everyone else. I for one welcome ALL the new campers and am really turned off by the crowd that complains about them. But these comments have conflicting solutions. Do you want us to be honest about what it's like on the road and talk about the overcrowding, or do you want us to edit stuff out and make it sound like it's all rosy? Most of us TH-camrs are just trying to help people get the best out of this, and I can count maybe a dozen or two TH-camrs that are actually making a living doing this.
@@RVMiles I'm not sure it's a problem for anyone to solve, really.
People need to realize that there's always more to what they see in a 20 minute video that was edited from a few days worth of events.
I think the main point is that people should do more research on what they want to invest their money in. Like any other hobby.
@@RVMiles - I see these comments as observations by followers, not complaints. I love watching every single RV TH-camr on my extremely long Subscription list (including your channel)! Some of them themselves have made the same observations like, as soon as they say where their favorite places are, they are full next time they return. So there is truth to these observations, and have been attested to by the RVers themselves. I guess it just sounds more like complaining when it comes from followers. That’s fair enough.
I agree. It’s kind of like how the gyms fill up after New Year’s for a few months and then the attendance goes back down 👍🏻
So u think peepl sell in the Spring? After snowbird tripping?
Thanks, you made me laugh. Have a peace filled day.
The tragedy is the way the over-crowding of place to camp. This actually take away from the enjoyment of being outdoors, You end up in a Sub-Division of RV's.
Like…a trailer park 😕
@@teedubya5772 How about the new homes.....4ft between houses....10ft back yards ugh!
For dang sure true...
@@kathytincler2446 seeing that now across the road from us; developers took 16 acres & began to build homes on 45 lots, hard to believe...
lol gotta know where to go and set your rig up for boondocking it only goes where you take it
And don't forget many campgrounds are surcharging out of state travelers...so now you can't get in but when you do, you'll pay 30% more. Yay! The RV bubble is definitely expanding, just seeing the prices at a recent RV show were CRAZY!!!
I am a long time RVer and it is frustrating to not be able to find a spot to camp. It is unfortunate that so many inexperienced people had that knee jerk reaction to buy a RV. It is a lot of work to maintain and I am sure most of those people only saw/see the romantic side of RVing. Well, I do not want to see people loose money, but I do want to see more open sites for us old timers that have had a life of camping.
Come on old timer. You don't have a monopoly on the lifestyle. Just because you've been doing it longer, I mean, that's really some selfish, pig headed thinking. I get that it's frustrating finding campsites and it used to not be that way. But to say it's unfortunate that people are having knee jerk reactions. Like what, there's a mass hysteria rv buying pandemic? People wake up from a night out drinking and find an RV in their driveway. Wow, must have been a crazy night! I don't see it the way you do because while I'm sure some people may make an impulse buy, as they have for years, a lot of thought goes into a purchase of something as significant as an RV. People are fed up with a lot of things these days and they are examining their priorities I believe and finding that they don't want to wake up when they are 67 years old and say, well, I guess I'll try and see some of things I've been talking about all these years. They want to do it before then. Just saying. I think you may need to be a little more understanding that people are discovering what you just happened to discover sooner than they did!
open an RV park
@Kw #1 I am glad you've got the peace and quiet finally. It's always better to stay far away from people that have a 2 digit IQ.
I hope 2022 will have a lot less people camping. I’d buy another used trailer from someone that doesn’t know how to spend the time taking care of it. I can’t wait to get back to normal, and if I can get a newer rig out of it all the better.
That's my plan plus the trucks will be cheaper. Plan on upgrading in the next year and or so when deals are right.
Things will never get back to normal.
@@cynthiaayers7696 They will for me and mine maybe not for you.
It's funny listening to folks talk about how hard camping is ..smh... Camping is simple and relaxing .. It's all the amenities that most campers take with them that's hard work .. RVing on the other hand is totally different...RVers are those folks who spend vast amounts of time traveling and living in their rig..totally different from campers I think...With that said, I think there wil be a drop in "Campers" not true "RVers"
I think everyone has a different idea of camping and how much stress it brings to each person. I am a planner and so I have always made lists for everyone of what to pack, and a list of what to bring for food and other items weeks in advance. I prep all the food , do all the shopping and so forth, camping for my family is fun and relaxing they get all kids of fun snacks and stuff they dont normally eat. but for me its relaxing but hard work, the cooking the cleaning and the packing in and packing out is all on me and then the laundry and such when we get home. I love camping its only simple and relaxing to a point :D
Camping is easy, I've always been the self sufficient type, not taking my house camping. One string of lights connected to one canopy tent, one 32 foot travel trailer or 5th wheel, 5 folding chairs, one small propane or charcoal grill, 7 open face or thumb burner fishing rods!
This is true. Thanks for this comment
That is an interesting perspective. I like it! Thanks 🙏.
Very fair assessment.
In California, the biggest reason to sell your RV will be lack of storage spaces unless you can store it in your driveway. You will pay between $150-$300 to storage a 32 foot rig. The other big issue is lack of availability to get your RV maintenanced. Places are backlogged with wait times of up to 3 months just to get in to see about getting something fixed.
$150-$300 per what?
Gas prices out here aren't helping either. The $4+ we're seeing now with what seems to be a weekly if not daily rise, has put a crimp in a lot of folks travel.
@@tedwalford7615 it was per month for storage. I pay $155 and had to be on a waiting list to get the spot. Now places are higher than that.
@@estherpellham1440
150 to 300 each night👍
@@tedwalford7615 Probably per month
We are not concerned about campsite availability. I like to have a electric hookup, for sure. We have a generator and 2 weeks ago I made a Solar suitcase. Last week we boondocked in the Black Hills National!! All by ourselves with no one around. No light pollution either. We saw so many stars it made us both tear up. Trying to figure out how to do full time and still have a home base.
These thoughts address well the issues that weekenders are or will be facing (just wait until they find out what RV shops charge!). There is another group that I believe will tire of their RVs within the next year or two: the full-timers. Living in close quarters can get "old" after a while, no matter how fond you are of your travel mate(s), and being a solo full-timer can be stressful for other reasons.
I beg to differ . I miss being a full-time traveled. Being coupled up in the same house day in and day out is getting 'old' and boring af. But to each their own .
@Kw #1 😂
I think the number of campers will drop soon. But as a whole, more people will be camping post-covid than was pre-covid.
In the end I feel that's a good thing. More people camping, being outdoors, and enjoying themselves and nature might mean more people will care about the outdoors. They'll want parks, forests, and monuments to be well funded and taken care of. The more advocates the better I say.
I agree. There were a lot of fence sitters that Covid-19 knocked off that will be long term RV'ers.
I went the campervan route instead of RV. I genuinely try to avoid “proper” RV campsites in general as I find them too noisy and crowded. However state park campgrounds are better in that regard. I built my van to be off-grid and can even run an aircon for 24 hours. I deliberately target the campsites no one wants: no power, water, or hookups. Often these are available when everything else is sold out. I think the other aspect of RVing that is overlooked is proper winterizing as well as preventing humidity accumulation (mold) in a small space. Anyways that’s my limited take on the topic. Cheers.
I ALWAYS look for the worst campsite in the campground. Out in the sun, the mud, whatever. You get a lot less neighbors.
I have a camper van now as well and it has been great for getting into the National Forest Campsites. Love the peace and quiet there. Not a fan of RV parks… they’d never let me in anyways! LOL
I agree I also have a camper van and i've for many out of the way places to camp, so peaceful
Camper-van for me too. (one day) How much solar do you have?
@@razor3003 I started off with 400W/200Ah. But when i discovered an affordable DC aircon (“ACDC air conditioner on amazon), I doubled it to 800W/400Ah.
NEWSFLASH: these folks are living full time in these trailers, campers,and r.v's. It's called the tiny house movement to reduce one's carbon footprint and to save space. Maybe some of them will sell but for the most part, more and more folks are downsizing because of rent increases and cost of living .
This really should be top comment! Never have I ever considered moving my family into an RV until rent and mortgages prices started soaring almost at the same time. Now rent is almost double of what it was 7 years ago. Homes for sale ONLY want cash offers and your offer better be 20% ABOVE asking price. People are getting pushed with there backs against the wall. Survival is a MUST so people are exploring ALL options including RVs.
People are living in RVs all around Seattle. Rent is way high. There is a tent city in the woods near Interstate 90 at Exit 20- working people who commute to jobs by bus.
Honestly thinking with so many people choosing not to go back to work in an effort to sustain that that along will shine a light on this way of life along with other more recent tragic events for the masses that were unaware. And it will become an appealing alternative for so many that but for the pandemic may never had considered it.
While RVing is fun, it's just too much work to haul a unit to a park filled with people. You'll see a down turn because more folks are going back to the old school, deep woods camping. Overlanding and 4wd has become hugely popular and people are realizing they can have a lot more fun deep in the woods, mountains or out where they actually get some quiet.
I think you can also add in fuel cost. With gas supposed to be $.4.00+ by summer, a lot of people may well be priced out of the ability to travel pulling their trailers... Just my thoughts anyway.
Have to go to the local lake. Make your reservations now for camp spot closest to home as gas now at 4.20 a gallon.
When was this video made? Posted on here 3 weeks ago. Gas is almost $5.
2009 i encountered some RV folks who were stranded by age and costs to travel in Myrtle Beach, SC. Hope they are safe, & sound 2022......Tee
Biden
Fuel #1 reason they will let them sit before paying at the pump.
Your rational makes sense, but to me you missed the #1 factor which is normality. So much of this increase has been brought on by a lack of options. Be it the family that goes to Disneyland every year to the tune of a $10k weeks vacation or the couple that saved for years for that once in a lifetime cruise of the Mediterranean. So so so many of the new to RV people are people who likely never would have been in on 2 years ago, but there normal was thrown off course, they had the means to try something "different" and they just wanted an escape from their daily reality no mater where it came from. When we have the everyday ability for international travel, for a weekend vacation to (insert city of your choice), or any of the recreational activities that were available to all of us in 2019, that is when you will see the real decline in volume of campers.
This is a great point!
Anyone that spends 10.000 to go to Disney world have there head checked
@@davidbires2351 admittedly I did pull that number out of the air, but for a family of 4, it doesn't seem that far off to me after you figure airfare, staying at a park hotel 6 days of different parks. All the food and other nickel and dime meals and trinkets and stuff, I can easily see it adding up to very close to 10k
I here ya have a great day
@@WanderingWeekends $10k at Disney will really just get an average family started. We’ve been DVC members since the late 90’s so we’ve contributed more than our fair share to their cause. I’m even thinking about selling the membership - Disney culture is not what it was, even 20 years ago. We were lucky and found an immaculate 2017 Airstream at a really good price back in April and I “justified” the truck purchase 😂. But our RV objective is retirement in 2 years and to camp as long as possible. We’re total newbie’s with a different goal but I can already see where planning ahead is going to be critical - do agree with your reasoning though. And I’ve enjoyed your channel. Keep up the great work!
Glad you put this out there. I disagree that maintenance issues are deal breakers for new RV'ers. I don't even think the vast majority think about things like maintenance. However, I would like to comment on the availability of space. It is horrible and I have never seen it worse than this year. In prior years, we've never had a problem booking a space for a month or two. This year, we couldn't even find space for a week. (We were in western Montana) Public campgrounds were filled to capacity. RV parks were down to day rates and gouging people 60 bucks a night. That's a 1800 dollar a month RV spot. A storage spot with about 3 bucks worth of electricity a day and water. So beyond the horrible RV park gouging this year, we also saw some of the worst fuel prices in years. We even tried to work camp to find a longer term spot. With little effort, we found ourselves burning thru 2500 a month without ever darkening a restaurant doorway. Thankfully our truck and trailer were paid for. With the ridiculous RV pricing here in the west, I sold my trailer for 1000 dollars more than I paid for it 3 years ago after some very hard core use. I was dam happy to be rid of it. I am tapping out here. We are gonna wait for this bubble to burst before wading back in.
Very good information. I am building a camper van now and everyday I see people building and being nomads, off grid, unknown, phantoms. I also suspect criminals and illegals are doing the same.
I agree, we're new to RVing (did it over 30 years ago in a C when kids were young) in a 38' Class A. It's hard to find spaces, even harder to find RV parks that will take our rig, some discriminate, and I've just started using that term because our RV is 2004. Many parks will not take anything over 10 years.
Your comment makes me think about the old saying about boats which I guess is true of RVs. The 2 best times about having a boat or RV is the day you buy it and the day you sell it! 😊
There are more Rvers now, especially re Covid. Time was, you could literally count the numbers of RVs on the road. No more. ITA, re space. Had we not reserved a yr in advance, we would've been out of luck. Heard the Hershey, Pa. RV show was disappointing, re price gouging galore.
LifeSkater And yet the show had record attendance if I am not mistaken. I know when I started to go on the Thursday, the lineup to get in at about 11:00 was close to a half a mile long. Ultimately, COVID is the big underlying driver of all this, although indirectly for a lot of folks.
great points ... we have been RVing for 10 years now and you are dead on. Just replaced tires this year (2nd time) and having to bring the RV into a shop to look at a leveling jack issue. I don't want to see that repair bill. The price of gas is also a concern ... at $4.00 gallon for 1 hour of driving @ 8 MPG it costs $25.00. so an 8 hour day is $200.
I rented a motor home a few years ago and my wife, kids and I spent 18 days driving up the coast from LA to Seattle.
We loved it. We weren’t able to get into all of the places we wanted even though we booked 6 months in advance but we had some amazing adventures.
I learned that I don’t want a 30 ft motorhome, having a smaller vehicle you can drive away from your campsite in is important and being able to boondock for 4 or 5 days is a must. I’m shopping for a trailer now.
I believe many people bought an rv because their normal travel/lodging habits became unavailable during Covid. When things move along towards normalcy those rvs will get sold.
The last 2 years the modern campgrounds in northern Michigan have been booked months or weeks out. We always use primitive state campgrounds and there is always plenty of room. No reservations needed. No barking dogs, no screaming kids. Beautiful lakes and lots of fish. Just a matter of what you expect from camping.
You can also camp on state land for free, if you are set up for off grid. Not uncommon to be riding atv's way back in the woods, and find a family having a campfire
Thank you. We have been camping for a few years in a tent or cabin, while friends have an RV… Our cruise days seem to be over, so we plan to get an RV. I want to travel. We talked about this before covid…. Thanks for the reminder of what we can do.
Shhhhh don’t spoil the secret
Expect full water, full electric to run 2 A/C units, full septic, large concrete pad, two way concreter paved roads, swimming pool, well stocked store,
entertainment, cable, internet, and also natural beauty, bike paths, canoe rental. Better have it too or I may not book.
As you get older it becomes more of a chore than it is fun, working on your RV!
The maintenance you refer to found in owner's manual? There is a good list in my Forest River owner manual.
After living through multiple hurricanes and a flood...living full time in an RV is my best option. At least I can evacuate easily.
We have owned an rv park for 17 years. In 2008 we thought it would be a real bad year due to the economic crash but to our surprise it was a record breaking season. This time around cancelations are through the roof. Last time it was just high fuel prices and that turned out to not be a game changer. This time its high fuel prices plus food, supplies, high maintenance and repair costs, retirement money problems and a host of other things. The main outake of this is the problems are worldwide which makes recovery extremely difficult.we are going to be in this gor a long time, not just a glitch that will be short lived.
We always say that we purchased a big box of work even though we absolutely love the rv lifestyle. Anytime we are doing any type of maintenance to the rv and people see us and want to chat about what we are doing we just say "Oh the joys of owning an rv". Lets hope the camp ground situation levels off in the near future. Good video.
check out new campgrounds in Applachola, Florida.
Currently, if something major breaks, you're done for the season because even if you can manage to book service within a month or two, good luck getting parts, the supply chain is gone to crap.
@Tall RVr sorry to hear that! Definitely an example of another reason why people will quit RVing in 2022
@Tall RVr ouch,
We went camping last week, a total of 8 sites filled in a 44 space campground, it was awesome and quiet, of course it was Monday -Thursday and no fires allowed but hey, I didn't have to mess with putting out a fire before bed. I'll take no fire and no crowd over noisy drunken crowds anyday because I'm a quiet drunk.
In that case are you allowed to propane fire ring? I'm thinking this is a dumb question.
@@toddvolpe6396 I can't even remember but I believe a propane one was okay, no charcoal barbecue?
Well you know what. I sold my home and I live in my RV. Because I don't want to be attached to soil and God bless
Gas prices will also make people give it up unless they sold their homes to do this. I wonder how many regret doing that now?
I agree with you. People do not realize how much maintenance is required
Camping is actually Hardwork
Or lots of money!!
If it's hard work, you are doing it wrong.
Camping not hard work Mikey. Not when you can hire me to do the work for ya. You also help stimulate the economy cus I use the money I earn to buy American.
So is golfing!!!
Been planning to buy an RV for years, but then COVID hit. So, I am actually looking forward to all these folks quitting. A rig will be more affordable now.
Same here… and they as me 40k for an imagine 2400bh at the Hershey Show… I just laughed and walked away.
Hey girl you one smart 🍪 I'll see you out there
Be careful. Lots of price gouging going on.
@@lifeskater9899 that is exactly why I said I would wait, prices are crazy right now. When all the lots are full again, the prices will drop. Looking forward to it!
Don't count on, it's a busiest year in 40yrs!
Ive been predicting the same here in Australia. I sold my 4x4 and camper(bought a yacht) as a result of the overcrowding at camps sites, the camp fees some private sites are now charging is obscene, the mess many of these new campers are leaving behind is disgusting. I live in a rural area with few neighbours, i dont want to go camping to be surrounded by noisy, inconsiderate morons. The government has had to close off more areas to the public due to the trashy behaviour of a few.
I'm thinking along the same lines. I just moved back to Texas after 13+ years on the west coast, mostly in long haul trucking. I've been looking at campers (trailers & rv's) but the long term parking costs and people's antisocial behavior is starting to turn me off. I spent a lot of downtime on my dad's sailboat in San Diego and I'm wondering if I should go that route as Kemah, Clearlake and Galveston aren't too far from my family.. ahhh decisions to make..
I went car camping one time with my aunt, basically a parking lot with dirt patches every other parking space so tons of people and all very low class including one gentleman who was an overweight scumbag who did little but sit by the fire drink beer and tell his kids go find some firewood in other words go steal some firewood. Ugh. Boondocking sounds about perfect to me, or at least paying the extra $10 or whatever to be in a park where scumbag Jawas aren't going to steal everything not bolted down.
@@gadgetsage o
hum i thought you guys were locked up in your house and could not go anywhere
Inconsiderates have ruined Paradise on Earth. Shameful & sad.
I'm retiring now and back in Texas to be near family. I don't want an apartment as I plan to live parttime in the Philippines. I have a 2008 Tacoma with a fiberglass utility body, fully self contained(fridge, microwave, solar, a/c ect) but sadly, nowhere to go long term with it. Am I missing something? From what I'm reading campgrounds are scarce, expensive and don't want a rig like mine (I'm in the Conroe area) I feel like no matter how flexible a person is willing to be, it's getting darn near impossible to live an affordable independent life anywhere in America anymore..
As I watch programs like "Going RV", and witness it firsthand because I live in an RV destination, people want to pull their entire home with them. 30+ feet, 4 slides, outdoor tv's and sound systems. Basement storage for another thousand pounds of "stuff". Then they discover it isn't allowed in many state & federal parks, sucks tons of fuel, takes a expensive tow vehicle, not fun to maneuver, problematic, high maintenance, and if you can't park at your home, good luck finding a storage lot! If you do, be prepared to spend as much a & $300 a month! We may not see a bulk sell off of small manageable units right away, but I think a pandemic made too many wide-eyed buyers impulsive to seek getting away on a whim.
Also insurance storage unit must have for storing million dollar RVs.
I bought an RV so when my soon to be ex wife would retire on Jan 2022, we would travel all the United States , But Lately we argue to much, when I first bought my 98 class C , I first replaced all the fluids on the motor, transmission, differential, differential oil looked like tare, antifreeze, and break fluid, plus upper and lower radiator hose's, water pump and fan belt, front 2 disc's 1 was cracked, break pads, and bearings. and our first trip was to silvertone and Ouray Colorado to the All natural Orvis Hot springs, it was hole new experience for me, but there's where the fighting started with my old lady, but the Rv did great 👍 on a 1,250 mile round trip.
Wanna save your marriage and sell it?
My brother did that with his 4th ex-wife. Go figure?
After 27 years of trucking, I just don't want to travel that much. I might take a weekender now and then, but I'm pretty content piddlin' around the house.
Energy is neither created nor lost, it just changes form. The point is, all those RVs will be owned by SOMEONE, someone who is going to take it out and use it. So the faces in the crowd may change but I think the crowd will be there just the same. Let’s all do our part to make it a friendly and considerate crowd!
yes, someone will own the rig... but as a whole it'll get used less. The idle rigs at a normal storage facility outnumber the rigs being used consistantly 3 or 4 to 1. I believe that percentage will grow over the next few years.
@@WanderingWeekends considering the condition of the rigs at our storage, I believe you to be correct on that estimate!
@@WanderingWeekends yes around Calgary there are 100s of storage lots all full in July acres and acres if they all went out you could line them to the west coast.
I'm in Georgia too and am retired. Been RVing since the late 80's, tenting before then. Never needed to make reservations back then but things have changed dramatically in the past 20 years, especially in the last 2. Like you, it's been almost impossible to find a site on short notice or the weekend in the past year and a half. Luckily for me, I am retired and only camp during weekdays when more sites are available because you poor saps have to work. 😁 I'm hoping things will get back to somewhat normal once this Covid thing is truly over, if ever. I think the same as you. 2022 will be a turning point and all those that bought RVs to get away from Covid will realize they made a mistake and will be selling their equipment. Good news is you may be able to get a great deal with the flood of RVs that will be on the market (I hope).
So you're in GA. We live in the Tampa area and camp quite frequently in GA, TN, & NC mountains. We just made reservations this week @ Doll Mountain for 8 days, near Elijay, GA. for October 2022... no problem.
@@georgedreher2322 Been to Doll mountain many times. In October you'll be able to hit all the apple orchards. Don't forget to visit the antique shops in Elijay. There are no hiking trails in the campground but you're only a short drive away from some excellent trails if that's your thing. Happy camping!
I hope there are a bunch on the market soon. Rent is getting so high it's better than being homeless.
@P C People didn't become greedy all of a sudden and all at once. Humans are at the same level of greediness they have always been. Prices are going up because the government has been printing money out of thin air to pay for all its spending, which dilutes the value of the currently existing money. A better word for inflation is dilution.
I've been RVing since 2004 in a Class C Motorhome. Ever since COVID I've noticed a huge increase in RVers being totally disrespectful of their neighbors and the land. Letting their pets and kids run wild and unsupervised, loud and obnoxious partys, leaving trash and filth everywhere in the woods, running generators all night. I could go on and on with examples but I'm tired of it and ready to give up and sell my RV.
Looks like you are right about the trend of camping next year. We had a class A for 10 years and sold it a few years back. We retired last year and have been looking for a fifth wheel and truck. I think the truck is going to be a bigger problem than the trailer. Used 3/4 ton truck's pricing is crazy and looks like it may be a couple of years before they come back in line. Another issue is the people that bought trailers last year at high prices and low down payments, they will find they owe more for the rig than they can get for selling it. They may be able to afford the payment, but can they pay the loss on the trailer to sell it. Could set up a lot of repo sales.
The trend you see must be isolated. All Texas Jack sees is an uptrend.
I'm confused, if they can afford the payment why would it result in a repo sale? Do they repo campers when you are making the payments?
Some people will quit but it's going to be a slow process, the price of gas will also factor in.
I agree and disagree.
I think many people will sell their campers next year, but I also think that many people will stay with it.
I work in the airline business (bottom level baggage handler). It's been a hard past year for us. History has shown that when the airlines are down, RV sales are up (9/11). Covid has shown the same pattern. Now that air travel is back I think many people are about to sell their campers, and start buying tickets. That being said. I think many people will have found a new love in camping. Not everyone will quit.
I think you’re pretty much dead on. Not everyone will give up on camping but many of them will.
We purchased our camper (has yet to be picked up) recently and I gotta say, we bought it because we do lots of road trips even before the pandemic. I like the idea of a camper is because we refuse the pay the ridiculous price of hotels and the hassle of looking for one. It gets pricey after a few days. With a camper, we have the freedom to say how ever long we please.
At this point it can go either way. As the economy continues to decline there can be less RV's out there as people give them up due to financial reasons. If gas prices spike like they did around '08, that will also limit a lot of weekenders from being out camping. At the same time, the economy may force more and more people to become professional transients with the only option after losing their homes is to live in the woods in their Rv's. Time will tell.
If all that comes true, cheap RVs will maintain their price and premium RVs will get much cheaper
Biden killed our energy independence as his opening act, and now inflation is getting worse by the day...who knows what will happen next, but with Biden in office you know it isn't going to be good for America or Americans....I think everything will be changing this year and not for the better...we get about 10 miles to the gallon hauling our RV...gas prices have already doubled and will likely go up even more..that hurts.
@@debbiemcpherson1578 $75 barrel goes to $200 in 2 months (fuel)
Or they may get their homes and their RV's repo'd, well maybe the lucky ones can flee in their rigs before asset recovery shows up.
@@SignalCorps1 Yep - we bought a barely used 2018 TT several years ago for $10K. Has everything my wife & I need including AC & kitchen. EZ pull with a 1/2 PU and stores in our garage. Better than a tent.
I also think we have a lot new Rv'ers have no campsite etiquette. especially those that think your site is there site and they can just walk through. So if we loose some of those Bye ,Bye
Been camping for years and RVing for 5. I have destinations to get to and memories to help make for my kids. The price of gas going up is an issue but not a deal breaker. Putting time into keeping my RV up and in proper shape is all part of the experience.
Campsite availability, well, we just need to plan better. Also I might consider using Harvest hosts.
I like “I have destinations to get to and memories to help make for the my kids”. We plan on getting a small camper in early 2022. Something I have been planning for years. I am looking forward to the maintenance. It will keep my mind off all the crazy stuff.
The biggest reason in BC right now is:
Camp Fire Bans
UTV/ATV/Chainsaw Etc. Bans (Produces sparks)
Fishing closures
Ya sure, we can use the propane stove, but the best part of camping, especially at night, is sitting infront of a fire roasting dogs and marshmellows.
Pretty much just the islands now. Hopefully more in September if it rains...
I come from a large family of campers. The wife and I have been patient and strategic with our time frame to buy. We wanted to pay down other debts before jumping into the rv world. We will be lifelong campers because everyone in the family has a camper of some sort. We have been banking on the idea that a lot of people will have gotten over the impulse and camping fad during covid. So for all of the people who stop, I will be adding back to the numbers.
I think rv sales will crash why fuel, upkeep are big reasons . I for put the brack on buy a class A an will wate for the reasons to hit thanks
Thank you for posting this. I car camp in my small SUV as I have done for 30 years and I believe that people get away from buying RV"s because of the gas prices and again lack of availability of camp spots. Even BLM Land is becoming way too crowded and many of the nice camp spots are not easily accessible with large rigs. I see more and more vans and smaller vessels out there. So, no, I don't believe that people will invest much in RV's. Yet, they are great to park on someone's property if you want to just live in one that way. In fact, that is probably the best use for an RV nowadays. Yes, too many of us out there and not enough nature to explore. Too many regulations and restrictions and not enough accommodating campgrounds unless you go to hostile climates where no one wants to stay too long. This is just the way I see it. Good video, thank you.
I don’t know what to expect given the events of the last 15 months. I am leaning towards the lack of parts becoming a big issue. But on the other hand, I think there is going to be a increased number of new or refurbished RV parks open. As you said, many parks are booked and need reservations months in advance. So there is a need for additional RV parks. Good discussion topic!
They are building the parks like crazy. After a few years most RV people settle down to 3 month here and 6 months there. Works out pretty well as they see same people at same time of year then and have cook outs and friends at each site.
Get at least a 30 foot RV is planning to live in it long term and an outdoor kitchen pull.
Absolutely true. We've been RVers for 25 years aand are retired. We used to head out on a Sunday without reservations and get a site wherever we wanted. Now, reservations required, lucky to get 3 nights a month ahead of time. The whole lifestyle thing is ruined. Not worth it anymore.
My wife, 3 kids under 6, and myself went camping for our first time in the families old Prowler. FOR TWO WEEKS. I told everyone either we’ll really love it or we’ll really hate it but we’ll find out really quick. We loved it. And just purchased our own Northern Spirit.
Yes there is huge competition for sites in our province. Booking is up over 2000% from 2020.
I bought a van to allow for flexibility - I can use it for day trips and overnights. The shorter a camper is, the more flexibility. I switched from a 35 foot motorhome to a van about 5 years ago and am happy with the change.
The van is cheaper for gas👍
Here in Texas you can find camp sites, and also RV park are mostly full. People are sick and tired of paying home owners property taxes! RV living is booming in Texas! I perform all of my repairs, and order parts online. I do not buy anything from RV parts at RV sales, they are a rip off!
I look at Rv-ing as I do my boat . With everything you have maintenance and I’m ok with it this may seem nuts but I enjoy working on my stuff with my boys and teaching them different tools and the mechanics of it. The only bad part for me is this what I do every single day is work on pumps and electrical panels so it gets tiresome at times . But my rewards seeing my boys learn how to use there hands and understand things totally out ways everything.
I am camping less. My ability to go out and “hide” from the city has become an issue with so many people out now. The roads are crowded and trying to get out of town is awful. Then, when I do get out- I spend quite an amount of time cleaning up after others! I also find that some of these new campers aren’t exactly friendly… so, I hope you’re right.
We live in the country
We camp in the country
County fairs in rural midwest is our favorite.
Livestock and tractors, truck pulls draws good 👍 people.
Sorry your camping less. You can come to my campground and I be your friend anytime. There are friendly and unfriendly people wherever you go. I do say though I do avoid the needy types whenever I stay in a campground. They come out of the woodwork.
buy an old house in a small town and park Rv in yard. Use the water and sewer of house.
I don't think people realize that they can have fun with a simple popup trailer. They are easy to store like a garage, less maintenance on parts, lower prices compared to RVs. The personal taxes in some states are low and since they weigh less than 2000 lbs, some states don't have 2 registered them. Just an idea.
Buy your own rural lot/acreage in the area of your desire. That's what I did, I bought 17 acres on a River. I grew SICK of the BS from all of the RV Karens and what not. Now my only problem is...all the noise from the jumping trout.
You taking reservations?? I won’t tell!
@@WanderingWeekends I thought long and hard about inviting RVers that I don't know to camp out here. The problem I have with it is when the SHTF in this country. I'm more than likely going to be flooded with a lot of campers looking for a place to hunker down. Most of the family has already said that this is their official bug out destination.
I'm up in the extreme Northern part of Idaho.
I do miss conversation with like minded respectful RVers.
How about $5 fuel and at least half the mileage?
I’m hoping you’re right. We have had decent luck avoiding reason #2 being retired, and camping Sunday through Thursday. Many of the Pandemic buyers will be coming up on their second winter of storing/making payments, so the honeymoon phase could be over.
I haven't been too thrilled with the recent surge in RV camping. It's hard to get a campsite in our state parks as it is all on a reservation system. The wife's idea of camping in the RV is getting a site with electrical and water hookup (mind you, the son and I have been boondocking in the RV for the past few years). This Labor Day weekend we have reservations in an old state park campsite with no water/electrical hookups. I'm hoping my wife will think that it isn't too bad to boondock (back in the day, we used to tent camp in very remote locations). If she is OK after this weekend, we'll do some true boondocking in the national forest (the kind of camping I really like to do...not crowded). As I'm getting older and it gets harder to move ( like getting down on the ground and getting up), I worry about the maintenance stuff I have to do on my RV and believe the day is getting close that I will no longer be able to do it. That will be the day that I go full motel or lodge.
If you have a solar setup what are the major downsides of boondocking compared to using a site with hookups, how long does your waste tank last before needing to be emptied? My wife is wanting an rv so I'm doing some research and off grid seems like the easiest way given the state of rv camps
And in the meantime, that exercise is good for you, one of the reasons I want the rv.
see the new power assist RVs. They have power everything for the old timers.
We are up to 10 days No hookups from 7. I want my shower every day and get it. Need to wash hair every 4 days so most water used there. Hubby is bald so saves there. 😍 We watch water use real close. Made it to the 7 days first time only because we misjudged drinking water. It actually is a fun challenge to see how to make water last. Wash dishes with a very hot sponge and cup of water. Rinsing is more. Septic can only stretch to 10 days. No paper inside and I use my home so seldom use pit toilets. Old man does for business. 17 ft trailer w queen walk-around bed fits everywhere. we do well on 100 watts solar and one battery. And the smallest jackery for phones back massager and fans and table lamp. 12 volt fan is nice. Do not use ac to noisy so we watch Temps also where we travel.
@@carolbrush4242 Try the dry shampoo use in the nursing homes. Can buy it with the shampoo cap. You just put it on head and message the shampoo in and then comb it out. Seems to work well.
I talked to several RV dealers and they think like you. Once the novelty wears off and they have to work on them, along with the difficulty in getting space on weekends, will cause people to get out. He expects to buy back the rigs for pennies on the dollar and then sell them a second time, although at a slower pace. The unknown is if the newbie's will just let them rot in the backyard or driveway for a few years and then no one will want them. Personally I hope quite a few get out so that site availability becomes good, but not so many that the independent campground owners suffer. Maybe we won't be in corporate RV parking lots with power in the future?
After reading the comments to see if somebody already said it. I agree with number three, so I'll add 4&5.
I believe some of the folks that take a crews got tired of staying home and bought an RV to get out. Then the airlines and tours open up they'll put the rig up for sale, #5, they'll get tired of paying storage and let it go. Thank you very much for your wisdom and foresight.
I think it’s gonna be a flip of the coin, fuel prices are very high right now! March 2022. Inflation and bla bla bla. This may hit the pockets of some whom want to cover some long miles. Repairs and maintenance. Believe it or not most all of us are very capable of doing a lot of our preventive maintenance, basic hand tools etc, stuff you should be carrying with you anyway. True not everyone can, medical situations, etc. had semi trucks for 40 years, I know. I like doing preventative maintenance on my class c motor home and I have piece of mind I won’t have a problem if I take care of it routinely, plus inspect it often.
I don’t think a lot of people know what there getting into. I was at a campground last September. A couple in their 70’s had a new looking class A about 32 feet long. The gentleman was trying to back the RV into his spot and the woman was out giving hand signals. It didn’t look like they had ever done it before. For me having a motorhome is like having another house and another vehicle. The appliances are not like the ones I have in my home and the vehicle is much larger than any vehicle I’ve had to work on.
In addition to buying a Coachmen Orion which is a small Class C, which we use for infrequent and short camping trips. We like having a bug out vehicle, which I imagine would be an asset for most of us living in hurricane or wild fire prone areas.
Makes sense.
What is a bug out vehicle?
@@votesudanusa Kinda like from MASH, when danger is coming, you quickly pack up needed items and head to safe or high ground.
@@agacic sounds like a bike or something other than the vehicle. Am I missing something lol?
You are probably right. When my hub and I first started out in 2018 we made reservations at a park in AL. We left in the middle of Nov. At first we weren’t going to stay all that long but after giving it some thought we decided to extend our stay. After listening to YT videos I knew it could be hard to get a reservation over the holidays so after talking it over I called the park and asked if we could extend our stay through the New Year. They were quite happy to extend our reservation. We didn’t know it at the time (and didn’t even realize it could be done) but it turned out to be a residential RV park. We’ve been there ever since. I would prefer to travel but after 20 years in the Army, I discovered he is a homebody who will put down roots so fast your head would spin. So that said I think you are right. And if you don’t have any experience doing simple maintenance projects you have to pay someone to do it. More $$ out the window.
Thanks, I am new and researching RV, tired of gov owning me, would love to have residence in RV. Do you have to pay any kind of home tax, I assume no?
@@bluwng No. The only tax you pay is sales. Even though you are going to live in it it’s technically not considered a home. You can find good used RV’s. Decide what kind you want. Make sure if you buy used you really check it out good. If someone is going with you consider whether the trailer is big enough for 2. Do both of you like living in a small space? If you buy small it could have a wet bath in it. Will each of you fit in it? Our shower is pretty small so my hub uses the park showers. If it’s a small trailer you are going to be sleeping horizontally. Is one of you going to have to crawl over the other in the middle of the night? Do you want to open and close the bed every day? If your dining table is also your bed you’ll be doing that and quite frankly I got sick of it after a while!! Lots of things to consider! Personally I wish we had purchased something bigger so we could have a bed that stayed open. Hope you find what you like!
I think maintenance is the tip of the iceberg. It’s cheap to own a trailer it’s expensive to camp. Here in CA RV resorts are commonly averaging anywhere from 80-170 a night. Most are 2 night minimums. States parks are much less expensive but massively crowded. Camping and boating are similar. Both are labors of love but require a lot of work to keep your toys running smoothly.
I was born and raised in California I'll never go back to that shit hole again!
Not to mention that just for weekend camping it is a lot of work for a short amount of time. Check in late afternoon Friday and pack up and go home Sunday. We don't camp to save money. There is some $$$$ costs to camp. You are right on the other two. It's a big commitment and the cost of up keep is substantial.
I never in my life thought I would own a camper. 2.5 years ago my wife and I bought one on impulse. It's the best thing we ever pissed money away on. This family is here to stay.
Welcome!!
I hope you are correct because I am retiring in 2022 and hope to do a lot more camping and cross country trips. I do agree a lot of people will bail for the reasons you describe.
Us too. Waiting to buy a new rig because we believe the market will be flooded and prices driven down. Retirement Jan 2024!!
Us too, March 2022, going FT, hope the prices are down to reality on the Class A Diesel pushers!
I think the fuel cost may deter some people.
I think you're right about the maintenance. Also, when and if Covid goes away, more will go back to flying to get to those vacation spots. People only have so much time and money and RV'ing is expensive when you get right down to it. Takes time to get to where you're going. And that is something working people have little of!
I looked into a travel trailer and saw more maintenance and warranty issues than I wanted to deal with. I decided to do a all aluminum cargo trailer conversion. That’s not the best option for everyone but for me it works best. I only camp 2 nights at a time. I don’t camp in extreme heat or cold but I do have AC and heat. I live within 30 minutes from state park camp grounds. Taxes are lower than on a traditional RV. Can be used as a toy hauler. It’s simple and functional with a kitchen in the nose. If I need more space I use a canvas cabin tent. It’s my tiny cabin by the lake that gets me outdoors and keeps me dry if It rains. Happy camping 😎
I totally agree with all of the comments and suggestions below. We are camping right now and have found many sites unused as people cancelled. Really it makes it hard for those who were unable to book those sites.
Camping= the most fun you'll have working.
AMEN!! 🤣
That's a true statement!
So very true!
Very true!
Love being out west with tons of National Forest and BLM land to boondock on. No need for reservations and so much more peaceful than a campground. I noticed a huge increase in people boondocking in 2020, already much less in 2021, guessing more back to normal in 2022.
I wish we had BLM land or even areas to boondock where I live, we just traded up to a 5th wheel but one thing that is concerning is the 43ft length, so far we're able to book sites but it has limited us in our favorite camp ground to about 5 sites.
@@jandblawncare8570 I sold my 42 ft Durango and got a Cougar 22rbs. Plan on boondocking or state park camping from now on. Sold my diesel Ram dually for 2 grand more than I paid for it. The high fuel prices will turn alot of people away, glad to see it and hope it goes higher.
shhh 😉
TOO EXPENSIVE at State Parks 30 and up and campgrounds are pricing themselves out of existence
RVing is not camping. Camping is pitching a tent, building a CAMPfire, and using the woods instead of a toilet.
That is an opinion many have... but its just that... an opinion.
I see your perspective regarding both of your reasons. However, I can refute both of them. Maintenance is necessry on home and apartments also, it's just different focus when ti comes to RVs. While I agree that some people might get turned off by it, it is just a necessity to maintain an RV just like your house, or your car.
As for the demand and availability, my fiance is a site planner, and more and more RV projects for new RV campgrounds around the country get added every week. One client in particular is looking for 40 new campgrounds in their portfolio. These parks are being built bigger, and with more amentities and features.
Yes, availability is an issue right now in the short-term, but growth is still big in the industry.
Great video, I appreciate that you brought it up for people to think about, but I thought I would share my perspective
Appreciate the perspective but keep this in mind. Maintenance on a house is an investment. Maintenance on an RV is a labor of love. Unless of course you’re LIVING in your RV… but then it’s no longer a recreational vehicle. It’s a mobile home.
@@WanderingWeekends fair point
Kid's nowadays...."I don't want to own a house because it's too much responsibility and maintenance."
Same kid......"I'm going to live in a camper."
Me......."HAHAHAHA!!"
People want to own houses but have you seen wages and the cost of a home recently?
You brought up some good points. But when it comes to maintaining your RV there were already a lot of people not doing it. Also I think it will take a few years for people who bought an RV to realize the cost associated with owning one can be expensive. I look around my neighborhood and see people that own an RV and it hasn't moved in years. So it's nothing new for someone to purchase an RV and to see it sitting in their driveway without ever being taken out.
60 plus years ago my parents and I went to a new state park in Georgia called Elijah Clark. It was kinda funny I still remember this but the ranger said the campsites were not cleared or marked ,so just go find somewhere to put your tent. You might have to stomp the weeds down. The next morning we all had chiggers. The tents we used I think were surplus Civil War. No fee was charged. Now they have wood cabins and double wide trailer cabins.
Had a 26’ Forest River. All the bells and whistles. I camp on a whim a lot. Can’t do it anymore, especially weekends. Always fixing something. Equipment intensive. Fix furnace one season, the AC the next, TV next. Seal coat roof, fix water leaks…. It never stops. No matter the price, fixtures are pure junk. Sold it and put some gear on my 14’ utility trailer, a dome tent and canopy, the 2 quads, and we’re in business. So much more flexibility, and it once again really feels like camping. Yes, a little more prep loading, but once you’re organized u don’t even think about it. And I can get the utility trailer into places we’d never get that 26 footer into. No more winterizing, state inspection, insurance and annual registration. I might go to an enclosed toy hauler one day, but never back to a hard side camper. If it works for u, that’s great, but as a DIYer, a real pain for me. And I got my driveway back.