It appears that COVID really packed most parks this past camping season. With the rapid growth of RV sales, cities being hot spots and online learning, folks were every where. Grab your internet and school the kids on the road. A lot of families were out with their new rigs for several reasons. Motels were questionable as to being safe, many restaurants were closed as were many other vacation activities. So head to the woods and let the kids wander throughout the forest with their cell phones.I wonder how many families have become disenchanted with this new found freedom and what is to be expected this coming season. According to the "experts" things should be well in hand by late summer, early fall. Things should open up and be closer to normal. Say they are right this time and our regular life returns, what do you guess the camping scene will be like? Folks have gotten the hang of camping and are starting to enjoy it more, thusly getting out more? Or found out it is more work than they thought and the DW still has to cook, so it's no vacation for her at all and reminds you that you should have never bought that d@mn thing!Myself, I see the parks more crowded than previous years before, but not to the level they were this past season.So as I sit here pondering our August trip, I guess that I best decide where we're headed and start making reservations, which is very unlike us. But don't want to be left high & dry.

I did not see that last summer during our Florida to Idaho and back via Hwy 2 and down thru NE and KS back to FL. 21 states, 33 camping spots and we got turned down once on a last minute call to a park. And that was right outside West Yellowstone. And our second call got us a spot for the night. My belief is that this over crowding occurred in states with lockdowns that shut down state parks and restricted the number of campers allowed in private parks. So yes that caused local overcrowding. Now some boondocking sites seem to be mobbed but since we had never been there before I cannot say if that was normal. A great boondocking siye outside YNP was packed but YNP closed almost all the park cg.

It won't be too much longer before a lot of the impulse buyers that thought having an rv was a great idea realize that it actually entails work and upkeep. On top of that, the backing in fights will cause many wives to tell their husbands where they can put the rv. Look for many bargains on used rv's by end of summer and the campsites will be available again. We have run across quite a few newbies that won't even handle their own stinky slinky and tried to get other people to do it for them under the pretense of not knowing what to do. There will be bargains galore!

QCMan wrote:It won't be too much longer before a lot of the impulse buyers that thought having an rv was a great idea realize that it actually entails work and upkeep. On top of that, the backing in fights will cause many wives to tell their husbands where they can put the rv. Look for many bargains on used rv's by end of summer and the campsites will be available again. We have run across quite a few newbies that won't even handle their own stinky slinky and tried to get other people to do it for them under the pretense of not knowing what to do. There will be bargains galore!Well maybe, there are surveys showing otherwise. But most expect these newbies to stick to short local, weekend, trips so they may not have much affect anyway. Especially if they start the schools back up in the east and west coast. Trapping the parents to near home trips.

A bunch of guesses backed up by assumptions, ponderings and favorable recollections.

I think last summers "over crowding" is "over stated" As mentioned, with public parks shut down or on reduced capacity, there may have been some artificial high capacity but nothing outrageous. We've had no issues getting sites.I think it will be 2022 before we see if people who bought last year start selling in large numbers.Of course, I think by the end of March, we will see restrictions settle down and restrictions largely ending. Something like 90% of the deaths are in the 65 and older group...after first responders, that's the next big group. Once they are vaccinated, expect deaths to tail off drastically. It will be a bit slower, but with estimates of around 80-100mil having already had plus another 100mil getting vaccinated by March, expect the early stages of herd immunity to kick in with infections tailing downward...You might see some minor restrictions kept in place but very quickly, it will be a tough political sell to keep businesses closed.

August cammping | Good Sam Community

naturist
Nomad
Jan 03, 2021
We had been planning a big trip out west before the Plague struck, and wound up staying home. We did go camping a couple times close to home, midweek only, and had no trouble finding spots. We did use reservations, which we rarely did before, and found the campgrounds much more full midweek than usual, but there were still sites open, even with the restrictions.

We're hoping that we can get vaccinated sooner rather than later, and would love to (finally) make that Western swing. We will definitely make reservations ahead this year, and probably only move during the week, hunkering down wherever we are over weekends. I, too, don't expect any big dumping of that pesky RV for at least another year or two, which may be just about right for us to consider a new (to us) unit.

Our Darling Daughter and Handsome Son in Law live in LA, and we're thinking -- ok, **I'm** thinking -- about the possibility of some late fall/early winter in SoCal. We didn't get to see them this year, Christmas got cancelled due to that Plague, so maybe . . . .

Anyway, DD & HSiL are staying sequestered and safe in the Plague Hot Spot that is SoCal.
wapiticountry
Explorer
Jan 03, 2021
It will be like boats. People will use them a lot the first year, and every year thereafter they will be used a bit less. But for many people, it isn't a big enough financial commitment or burden to force an immediate liquidation. 2020 had very limited opportunities for people to take their normal vacation. A $25,000 travel trailer is likely less than they would have spent taking the family to Hawaii or Europe. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting on a screaming deal.
Reader1
Explorer
Jan 03, 2021
My son-in-law is planning his western trip for this summer and a lot of places are already booked. We live fairly close to a state park. The campground normally is fairly empty during the week in September and October but this year it was very busy and weekends were sold out all the way through the first couple weeks of November. We saw a lot of new campers and equally as many new tents and mostly we saw families having so much fun. YIKES! I think they are here to stay.
valhalla360
Navigator
Jan 03, 2021
I think last summers "over crowding" is "over stated" As mentioned, with public parks shut down or on reduced capacity, there may have been some artificial high capacity but nothing outrageous. We've had no issues getting sites.

I think it will be 2022 before we see if people who bought last year start selling in large numbers.

Of course, I think by the end of March, we will see restrictions settle down and restrictions largely ending. Something like 90% of the deaths are in the 65 and older group...after first responders, that's the next big group. Once they are vaccinated, expect deaths to tail off drastically. It will be a bit slower, but with estimates of around 80-100mil having already had plus another 100mil getting vaccinated by March, expect the early stages of herd immunity to kick in with infections tailing downward...You might see some minor restrictions kept in place but very quickly, it will be a tough political sell to keep businesses closed.
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Jan 03, 2021
A bunch of guesses backed up by assumptions, ponderings and favorable recollections.
agesilaus
Explorer III
Jan 03, 2021
QCMan wrote:
It won't be too much longer before a lot of the impulse buyers that thought having an rv was a great idea realize that it actually entails work and upkeep. On top of that, the backing in fights will cause many wives to tell their husbands where they can put the rv.
Look for many bargains on used rv's by end of summer and the campsites will be available again. We have run across quite a few newbies that won't even handle their own stinky slinky and tried to get other people to do it for them under the pretense of not knowing what to do. There will be bargains galore!

Well maybe, there are surveys showing otherwise. But most expect these newbies to stick to short local, weekend, trips so they may not have much affect anyway. Especially if they start the schools back up in the east and west coast. Trapping the parents to near home trips.
QCMan
Nomad III
Jan 03, 2021
It won't be too much longer before a lot of the impulse buyers that thought having an rv was a great idea realize that it actually entails work and upkeep. On top of that, the backing in fights will cause many wives to tell their husbands where they can put the rv.
Look for many bargains on used rv's by end of summer and the campsites will be available again. We have run across quite a few newbies that won't even handle their own stinky slinky and tried to get other people to do it for them under the pretense of not knowing what to do. There will be bargains galore!
agesilaus
Explorer III
Jan 03, 2021
I did not see that last summer during our Florida to Idaho and back via Hwy 2 and down thru NE and KS back to FL. 21 states, 33 camping spots and we got turned down once on a last minute call to a park. And that was right outside West Yellowstone. And our second call got us a spot for the night.

My belief is that this over crowding occurred in states with lockdowns that shut down state parks and restricted the number of campers allowed in private parks. So yes that caused local overcrowding.

Now some boondocking sites seem to be mobbed but since we had never been there before I cannot say if that was normal. A great boondocking siye outside YNP was packed but YNP closed almost all the park cg.

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