Difference between RVing and Camping???

Sprink-Fitter wrote:

bob_nestor wrote:
A couple of years ago I traveled with some co-workers to do some off-roading in Colorado. They were in their Class A and me in my little Class B. Along the way we stopped for the nite. They wanted to stay at a KOA. I was fine with a Walmart, but we both stopped at a KOA. They insisted on going to town for a sit-down dinner. We finally got to Colorado (another KOA), and they needed a pull-thru with 50A service, clear view of the sky for their SatTV and a major shopping center within a few miles. The first day on the trail we packed up a cooler of food and drinks, but when it came time for lunch they decided to go into town for a sit down meal. My comment to them was, "y'all have never been camping have you?" The were a bit offended and responded, "this is our third RV". I spent the rest of the week enjoying hiking and riding my motorcycle thru the mountains. Never been "camping" with them again.

My thinking is like yours about the shopping center, the clear view for the watching tv, or eating at restaurants, but we would rather stay at a campground also, never a walmart, I don't shop there at all so I wouldn't stay in there parking lot.

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply I "camp" at Walmart. When I'm traveling to get to my camping destination I just need a place to park and catch some shuteye. Walmart, rest areas, parking lots, etc are all just fine with me. Along those lines I once traveled to an Uncle's place in NY State. A local Undersheriff (my Uncle's neighbor) asked me where I stayed when on the road and I told him I pulled into Rest Areas. He informed me that camping in Rest Areas was illegal in NY State. I told him camping without beer is just sleeping outside and I didn't have any beer on board. The next evening he stopped by with a couple of cold beers!

imgoin4it wrote:
I always said kitchens in motor homes were like new because they had never been used. Not all but true for many.

Oh, you must be talking about non-camping RVers.....:B

beemerphile1 wrote:
Think about this, RV is an abbreviation of 'recreational vehicle'. Now when you say "we RV" instead of saying ArrVee use the words recreational vehicle. Sounds kind of stupid doesn't it? "We don't camp, we recreational vehicle." :B :B

Saying "we don't camp, we RV" sounds very elitist and snobbish to me.

We don't RV, we camp and we travel.

On the subject of proper grammar on this forum, I too noticed the misuse of certain words. I was told that the objective was simply to communicate. Therefore, I suppose that you have to ask yourself if the poster "communicated"?
I personally believe that the nonword "RVing" was coined in these RV forums a long time ago, and it's very useful.

I always said kitchens in motor homes were like new because they had never been used. Not all but true for many.

bob_nestor wrote:
A couple of years ago I traveled with some co-workers to do some off-roading in Colorado. They were in their Class A and me in my little Class B. Along the way we stopped for the nite. They wanted to stay at a KOA. I was fine with a Walmart, but we both stopped at a KOA. They insisted on going to town for a sit-down dinner. We finally got to Colorado (another KOA), and they needed a pull-thru with 50A service, clear view of the sky for their SatTV and a major shopping center within a few miles. The first day on the trail we packed up a cooler of food and drinks, but when it came time for lunch they decided to go into town for a sit down meal. My comment to them was, "y'all have never been camping have you?" The were a bit offended and responded, "this is our third RV". I spent the rest of the week enjoying hiking and riding my motorcycle thru the mountains. Never been "camping" with them again.

My thinking is like yours about the shopping center, the clear view for the watching tv, or eating at restaurants, but we would rather stay at a campground also, never a walmart, I don't shop there at all so I wouldn't stay in there parking lot.

Think about this, RV is an abbreviation of 'recreational vehicle'. Now when you say "we RV" instead of saying ArrVee use the words recreational vehicle. Sounds kind of stupid doesn't it? "We don't camp, we recreational vehicle." :B :B

Saying "we don't camp, we RV" sounds very elitist and snobbish to me.

We don't RV, we camp and we travel.

Now that we have the answers, I gotta say:

On the subject of leaving the comfort of the house in order to go somewhere and enjoy the great outdoors,.....for this 73 year-old senior, RVing makes a lot more sense than camping. Also, if you have the time, a big motorhome with toad is the perfect way to travel.

I don't understand the difference between the two at all???

Why can't you:

- Sleep in warmth.
- Eat breakfast and supper in warmth.
- Shower in warm water.
- Watch a good movie in the evening.
- Curl up in a lounge with a good book in the evening.
- Take a comfortable catnap in cool comfort on a scorching day.
- Steam some fresh vegetables in a mircowave.
- Bake a blueberry pie in an oven.
- Warm up a sandwhich in the microwave.
- Stay dry in the pouring down rain.
- Have some ice cream with strawberries piled on.
- Get away from the mosquitoes while you eat breakfast and supper.

... all out in the middle of nowhere like we do ... after a day of:

- Fishing
- Photographing
- Hiking
- Rockhounding
- Birdwatching
- Fossil hunting
- Condor release observing

... in a well-equipped self-contained compact little RV ... and still not be considered as "camping" - in the purest sense of the term??

I really don't get this fascination with "tenting" ... and I did plenty of it before I could afford a real RV instead of merely material stretched over a frame. I still backpack with 40-45 lbs. on my back ... and believe you me ... am usually WISHING I was spending the nights at 9000 feet at the foot of the same mountain peak but in our RV instead of curled up in a down mummy bag changing positions every 30 minutes trying to keep from waking up in the morning with a backache.

Other than short-term putting up with the hardships of extreme tenting here and there so as to get into really pristine country with no roads -> if one is tenting because one can't afford, or doesn't want the responsibility of, a comfortable RV ,,, that is one thing. But to otherwise think that "tenting" is somehow superior to doing it with the right kind of RV ... has to be some kind of insanity thinking.

All IMHO, of course. ;)

Jayco-noslide wrote:
... is probably implying that "real campers" just have the basics (tent, fold-down, etc) and mainly use a "camper" in order to hike, have campfires and be in nature. Whereas, an "RVer" generally has an RV with more amenities and mainly uses the RV as sort of a home on wheels and may or may not be into the hiking, etc. In reality, many people are sort of a blend of the 2. Maybe have a nice motorhome; yet, really enjoy being in natural campgrounds. There are a few who have fancy RV's and seldom go outside. The variety is one of the attractions.

I guess we're a blend and we've decided to go full time. Will we change and get tired of the campgrounds that attract tent campers? I don't know yet. We love hiking, exploring, whitewater rafting, SCUBA diving, boating, making smores over the campfire, and just about anything that requires you to be outdoors. But, when it's time to make dinner we want a REAL dinner and when it's time to go to sleep we want a REAL bed. Our idea of roughing it is a Class B motorhome. Our full time rig will be a 35-40' fifth wheel, and I think from time to time, we'll still make a campfire and park with the tents.

A couple of years ago I traveled with some co-workers to do some off-roading in Colorado. They were in their Class A and me in my little Class B. Along the way we stopped for the nite. They wanted to stay at a KOA. I was fine with a Walmart, but we both stopped at a KOA. They insisted on going to town for a sit-down dinner. We finally got to Colorado (another KOA), and they needed a pull-thru with 50A service, clear view of the sky for their SatTV and a major shopping center within a few miles. The first day on the trail we packed up a cooler of food and drinks, but when it came time for lunch they decided to go into town for a sit down meal. My comment to them was, "y'all have never been camping have you?" The were a bit offended and responded, "this is our third RV". I spent the rest of the week enjoying hiking and riding my motorcycle thru the mountains. Never been "camping" with them again.