The snowbird crowd is ageing

Water-Bug wrote:
This is our first year snowbirding and I'm disillusioned. My concept of RVing is moving about and exploring America. Unless you make reservations well in advance, it is more and more difficult to find a DECENT place to stay. If you've never been there befor, and the good spots are reserved, you end up with a crummy site or no site at all. The alternative is to find a good spot and stay there, which goes against my concept of RVing. The solution is to buy a place in Florida, while the prices are down, and RV in the Summer. That way you have an entire country to explore, without being a fulltimer.

EDIT. Our first RV was a pickup camper in '74, followed by a MiniWinnie class C in '77, so RVing isn't new to us. (Just snowbirding)

DW and I are only in our mid and late 50s, and we agree with your observations. It's hard to get excited about going to snowbird parks for less than the full season when you get stuck in an undesirable site. They can't be doing all that bad because they seem to be pretty full. Also, park models are a big turn off. It's no longer an RV park when it has a lot of park models, IMO. So, we stay at SPs and such, and keep moving around. We have to plan ahead and make reservations early to get into SPs in AZ or FL in the winter. It's not quite the carefree easy go lucky travel we had hoped for, but once we figured out the score, it's all good.

The other thing that keeps us from going for longer is something that has been mentioned by a few posters. Three of our parents are still alive and although still in their homes, they can use a little looking after. When my parents were my age, three of their parents had already passed away, and the fourth went not too much later. DW and I say we won't let it stop us from traveling, but talk is cheap. We won't be able to leave them if they need us.

rockhillmanor wrote:
Ahhhhh, no more writing a check to a CG for inflated prices on electric on top of my site fee.....my Christmas present to 'me' this year! :C

I remember about six years ago when you were so desperately attempting to sell your house up north in a down market to be able to go FT'ing. That thread went to 51 pages.

Now the joys (and downfalls) of homeownership is once again in your life. Congratulations' on your purchase.

Water-Bug wrote:
Thats the mortgage payment and not the price of the property, right?

That's what I was wondering also. If it were the price of the property then sign me up!

Thats the mortgage payment and not the price of the property, right?

Water-Bug wrote:
Another factor that hasn't been touched on is the more than reasonable price of Florida realestate. Many would be RV snowbirds are opting to purchase a second home as a winter residence and RV in the summer.

I did just that.

The selling prices of foreclosed homes down here are just UNBELIEVABLE!

3/2 house on 1-3/4 acre, with RV port/dedicated 30 amp panel....will cost me less than half of what it cost me last year to stay at a CG for the winter.....and that includes the yearly taxes on the place!
And I am meeting a ton of RV neighbors in this area that have done the same thing.

Ahhhhh, no more writing a check to a CG for inflated prices on electric on top of my site fee.....my Christmas present to 'me' this year! :C

Another factor that hasn't been touched on is the more than reasonable price of Florida realestate. Many would be RV snowbirds are opting to purchase a second home as a winter residence and RV in the summer.

John&Joey wrote:
I figure retirement can be broken down into three stages. The first is the most expensive and physically active. You're young both in body and mind. This is where you're seeking adventure and want to travel and not sit in one place too long. Most current snowbird parks really are not setup to handle this group. This is why I think you're seeing fewer younger snowbirds in established snowbird parks. Established parks delegate these short timers to the back, tiny, crummy spots that the long term residents do not want even though they pay the same monthly price.

The second stage your body is not up to it, but your mind still is. I think this is where the majority of current snowbird parks are at. The cost of this stage goes down since the adventure part is now absent. Living in these parks can be very reasonable, and still be very rewarding to the mind and one's social life. One finds themselves very active and engaged in life/community.

The last stage is extremely expensive where a person needs help with controlling their body and/or mind. Snowbird parks really are not setup for this group, yet you will still see a limited group of prior snowbirds attempting it until their family puts a stop to it. The friendships those snowbirds built prior allows them to function longer in a self sufficient setting. Not really such a bad thing even if it sounds dismal.

Excellent analysis. Since the baby boomers are in stage one, a big question is how old will they be when stage two comes along? Will we be in better shape than the previous generation and be able to hang on to step one longer? Next question is how will the baby boomers handle step two? Will we give up sunbirding and settle down back from where our roots are, will we stay in a sunbird location permanently, or do some other alternative? I have no answers to these questions, we'll just have to see how it turns out, I guess.

I figure retirement can be broken down into three stages. The first is the most expensive and physically active. You're young both in body and mind. This is where you're seeking adventure and want to travel and not sit in one place too long. Most current snowbird parks really are not setup to handle this group. This is why I think you're seeing fewer younger snowbirds in established snowbird parks. Established parks delegate these short timers to the back, tiny, crummy spots that the long term residents do not want even though they pay the same monthly price.

The second stage your body is not up to it, but your mind still is. I think this is where the majority of current snowbird parks are at. The cost of this stage goes down since the adventure part is now absent. Living in these parks can be very reasonable, and still be very rewarding to the mind and one's social life. One finds themselves very active and engaged in life/community.

The last stage is extremely expensive where a person needs help with controlling their body and/or mind. Snowbird parks really are not setup for this group, yet you will still see a limited group of prior snowbirds attempting it until their family puts a stop to it. The friendships those snowbirds built prior allows them to function longer in a self sufficient setting. Not really such a bad thing even if it sounds dismal.

mpierce wrote:
"Dog Folks wrote:

Another factor may be that we are the last generation that had sound money management pounded into us by our parents because they lived through the depression of the 20's.

I remember my parents telling me stories about it."


The Great Depression was in the 30's. The Twenties were called "The Roaring Twenties", because the economy was "Roaring" ahead.

I stand corrected . Thank you. But then again I should be excused because I'm old. LOL

"Dog Folks wrote:

Another factor may be that we are the last generation that had sound money management pounded into us by our parents because they lived through the depression of the 20's.

I remember my parents telling me stories about it."


The Great Depression was in the 30's. The Twenties were called "The Roaring Twenties", because the economy was "Roaring" ahead.