My Father in law lives in Florida and we live in Maine. I told him next time we go down to Florida we will take 3-5 days to make our way down. He looked at me like I'm insane taking that much time to drive down. He was a long haul trucker so I think his mindset when driving is to get from point A to point B as soon as possible. People don't get the idea of taking it slow and just enjoying the ride. Same with looking at other peoples rigs or looking RV sales places. My wife and I just like to see what is new and what mods people have done. People I talk to about this just don't seem to get it.

This reminds me of my late father-in-law. My mother-in-law convinced him to get a 32' class C and they would tow their Harley on a trailer to their winter home in AZ. However, he'd drive 75+ MPH (!) to get there as quickly as possible. They were both retired and had the time, but he just didn't understand why anyone would take the time to wander a bit.

Hi fellow RVer--we hear ya! Currently making our way back north. Left Florida a week ago, and will not arrive in Pennsylvania until sometime next week. Currently enjoying the sights near Charleston, SC and taking time to smell the roses along the way. People think we are crazy but we love it.

I know I hear all of this all the time...When we leave for Florida in the fall it may take two weeks to get here.It a lot about the weather and if Myrtle Beach, Charleston or Savannah are good then we hang around for a bit.We're leaving Florida on the 1st of May and won'e be home until the 10th or 11th.Too much fun to have!Sher

I'm sorry but I work for a living. I don't get 3 months off I have at most 2 weeks to make my trip, usually only one week. This year we are going to the Nashville area and it's a 671 mile trip. 1 day down 5 days there 1 day back.

fireman41 wrote:I'm sorry but I work for a living. I don't get 3 months off I have at most 2 weeks to make my trip, usually only one week. This year we are going to the Nashville area and it's a 671 mile trip. 1 day down 5 days there 1 day back.I get that for most people. Much of my camping is because we are working in an area and need a place to sleep. Sometimes you just need to get there.

Explaining RVs/campers to people who just don't get it!

roadjunkie
Explorer
Apr 24, 2017
Old-Biscuit wrote:
When we 'announced' we were going to hit the road FT, sell the S&B and EVERYTHING our family/friends were pro/con.

Her brothers were divided.....1 is a avid camper/backpacker/hiker and he was jealous. The others were home bodies and just couldn't comprehend the idea of no Home.
My brother was like that also, my sister was envious---she had spent many years traveling working/living in motels so she got it.

Friends were confused....sell your house and live in a 5th wheel. Then they saw the 5th wheel after we brought it home and after a couple of conversations about WHAT we were planning on doing (traveling the back roads...seeing the USA) they wished us well and a couple of them began checking out FT RVng, but they were several years out from retirement.

Even some campers we have visited with across the USA didn't get it.

I don't get the fascination with video games or tweeting/snapchat or any of those other things that keep folks faces glued to their phones :H :S

Good for you, Old-Biscuit. I just bought a small TT last week and am heading back to Texas with it in tow for a change of pace now. After spending a couple of weeks in Big Bend National Park, and the ghost town of Terlingua, I knew I would be going back to spend more time there. Being originally from Arizona, I love the desert mountains and canyons of the southwest and had no idea that west Texas could provide that. Now I have a place to stay when I decide to head west.

As for me full timing it, I sold my home last November and bought a sailboat to live aboard on the Gulf of Mexico (Aransas Bay). That'll really slow your life down when you travel at walking speed and, when the wind is brisk, there's nothing like the feel of that vessel heeling over about 15 degrees and she accelerates across the water with silence except for the sound of the wind in the sails.

I have learned how to appreciate life more since giving up my material life in exchange for simplicity and getting rid of useless, material things, or "Stuff" as George Carlin used to say. I can now haul everything that I own and I love that freedom.
rbpru
Explorer II
Apr 24, 2017
I belong to the folks that do 300 to 350 miles a day. I have done more when needed but that is what we prefer.

We rarely plan ahead because there is always something to see on the way. About 4:30 or 5:00 we pull up the Good Sam's computer site for the local campground.

We go from point A to point B when we get there. If we have a specific time or date we plan as needed.

The point is not everyone has the time, money or desire to poke along in an RV.
Downwindtracke1
Explorer
Apr 24, 2017
At home there is always something that must get done, camping much less so.
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Apr 24, 2017
As a believer in the 230 miles or it's 2:30 p.m. rule, I'm sorry for those that are road warriors...as if "notching" miles on your steering wheel is important.
TBammer
Explorer
Apr 24, 2017
downtheroad wrote:
Ya, and then try to explain the attraction of RV'ing when owning, maintaining, storing, insuring,.....an RV is twice expensive as just staying in a nice hotel.
Oh, then there is the fuel mileage.....

But you don't get any equity in that hotel room. Plus the trailer is like our own hotel room and we don't have to share it with any strangers. And, my wife has yet to run out of space with shoe storage and I don't have to worry about getting things pack and down to the car when we "check out".
roadjunkie
Explorer
Apr 24, 2017
roadjunkie wrote:
jake2250 wrote:
Then we bought a trailer! Oh Yeah!! Sat TV,BBQ, Lounge chairs,Heater,A/C,awning. Set up time was less than 20 minutes and the wife,kids and I plus dog were happy!! So yeah,, basically we are in our back yard,,just the view changes all the time!

Great points, Jake. I just spent 2 weeks in Big Bend National Park and the views are stunning to say the least. I had no idea that the place was as raw and beautiful as they come and with very little traffic. I could drive for hours and not see another car. That was my backyard view!

I'm a professional photographer and wish they had a way to share images without them being on another site. I got some beautiful shots. Not sure if Facebook allows hot-linking but I'll give it a shot. If you can see it, it's a view of the Rio Grande with Mexico just on the other side. ;)

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/17834110_1323077817779228_8802417078431855535_o.jpg?oh=288ee73ed35a177a6949d42ac89ab18d&oe=597B0451
ams1130
Explorer
Apr 24, 2017
Try explaining your choice when you're a "weekend warrior"; we just don't get out as often as some folks do. Our holidays are sometimes earmarked for projects around home, and sometimes, believe it or not, we just don't feel like rving. But hey, the TT is paid for, and if it sits most of the year, not sure why that bothers some people.
TexasChaps
Explorer
Apr 24, 2017
downtheroad wrote:
Ya, and then try to explain the attraction of RV'ing when owning, maintaining, storing, insuring,.....an RV is twice expensive as just staying in a nice hotel.
Oh, then there is the fuel mileage.....

possibly.. but last time I checked, there were no hotels in the valley of the gods..:B
rbpru
Explorer II
Apr 24, 2017
There is nothing to "get", It is simply a life style choice.

I do not know why folks spend $20,000.00 on a bass boat, a friend of mine had a cello made for just short of $30,000.00 in Europe. $5000.00 for a guitar, $50,000.00 for a fine English made side by side.

The list goes on and on. It is not a right or wrong issue, it is simply a life styles choice.

I have a TT because it fits the lifestyle I want to live. It certainly is not for everyone.
jake2250
Explorer
Apr 23, 2017
kohai wrote:
Pre-RV days... About 10 years ago my wife wanted to go tent camping. We went to a campground in the mountains. While getting our camp setup, we watched a couple people pull into the campground with trailers and set them up. They took bikes out and the kids starting riding them around. They turned on music and setup chairs, started a fire, and sat around.

I was totally baffled that people did this. I wondered why they didn't just stay at home and hang out in their backyard.

Thats a funny observation!
I have always like to tent camp. (A back to nature thing). My wife and i camped allot before kids (Tents). Then the kids, and we went as much as possible (wasn't much).
Then as the kids started to grow we expanded our creature camp comforts.
Got to be it was taking me over an hour plus to get set up! The I wasn't in the mood to go play, Frustration set in!
Then the dread of breaking camp and driving home!
BUT we did it to show the kids the foundation of camping!
We rented a few pop ups,then we rented a few motor homes.
Decided to get off the ground and bought a PUP, Camping was so much nicer with greater comforts!

Then we bought a trailer! Oh Yeah!! Sat TV,BBQ, Lounge chairs,Heater,A/C,awning. Set up time was less than 20 minutes and the wife,kids and I plus dog were happy!!
So yeah,, basically we are in our back yard,,just the view changes all the time!

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