Looking to try RGV next year

[bjbear]

After 10 years in Arizona, we are thinking of trying the Rio Grande Valley next year. Can anyone recommend a good location for a first try? Some of the activities we like are line dancing, pickleball, hiking.....

[Bea_PA]

The closer you stay to Mission, the less wind you will have. We have tried all areas and liked that the best. You can line dance everyday in the valley ,parks are open to the public and all the types of dances are staggered so they aren't at the same time. You can bike inside the birding center and on several trails. Benson Palms gives free admission to the birding center

[John_Joey]

Chuck_thehammer wrote:
road salt
sea salt
fog salt
humid air salt
ALL THE SAME


100 miles inland its still there. and it also in the ground dirt and sand..

anything not protected will be affected... RUST...

You have no idea how wrong you are. I grew up in the rust belt and thought the same way you did. Wrong.

[bjbear]

Chuck_thehammer wrote:
road salt
sea salt
fog salt
humid air salt
ALL THE SAME


100 miles inland its still there. and it also in the ground dirt and sand..

anything not protected will be affected... RUST...

Good to know about. After 5 weeks, we will be heading to Arizona (our usual stomping grounds) so I will make sure we get the coach washed top to bottom.

[Chuck_thehammer]

road salt
sea salt
fog salt
humid air salt
ALL THE SAME


100 miles inland its still there. and it also in the ground dirt and sand..

anything not protected will be affected... RUST...

[John_Joey]

bjbear wrote:

John&Joey wrote:


RV'ers winter on the Island all of the time. So one persons cold is another persons lovely. You will notice salt damage so be aware.

Can you explain "salt damage" a bit? What exactly is this and how
serious is it. We will only be staying 5 weeks so is it still a risk?

At just 5 weeks, no real worries. On that 5'th week you'll start seeing rust appear on small things like bumper hitches or anything steel that isn't coated with some sort of a protection. Even then it will be slight at only 5 weeks.

Galveston isn't as bad as some places, but a very general rule along the west Gulf coast is you'll get a fog/dew in the mornings that can stick around till about 10am. That fog/dew will have salt in it and will settle on (and into) just about everything.

I know of one gentleman who winters on SPI who needed work on his motorhome dash. When the tech removed it he exclaimed "you know you got rust back here."

[bjbear]

John&Joey wrote:


RV'ers winter on the Island all of the time. So one persons cold is another persons lovely. You will notice salt damage so be aware.

Can you explain "salt damage" a bit? What exactly is this and how serious is it. We will only be staying 5 weeks so is it still a risk?

[John_Joey]

IMO, Jamaica Beach RV Park isn't the same park it was a few years ago. They have expanded to the point of losing all of those things that made them such a pleasurable stay.

It's also a fairly long drive into town and all of the things that it has to offer. The beach is across the road as you noted. There is a new RV park south of Jamaica Beach RV Park which looks very nice. State park is OK for short term, otherwise I would rather be on the beach and closer to town.

RV'ers winter on the Island all of the time. So one persons cold is another persons lovely. You will notice salt damage so be aware.

[pawatt]

bjbear wrote:
Thought I would bump this topic up since it is time to make a reservation for the fall.

Does anyone stay in the Galveston area? I was looking at the Jamaica Beach RV Park which is just across the road from the water. I spent a lot of time in the Houston area when working and we really liked the Galveston area. We also liked the area around Kemah (Marina Bay RV Resort or Gordy Road RV Resort???).

Be aware the Galvaston area will be much colder than the RGV. Check the map, it will make a big difference.

[bjbear]

Thought I would bump this topic up since it is time to make a reservation for the fall.

Does anyone stay in the Galveston area? I was looking at the Jamaica Beach RV Park which is just across the road from the water. I spent a lot of time in the Houston area when working and we really liked the Galveston area. We also liked the area around Kemah (Marina Bay RV Resort or Gordy Road RV Resort???).

[bjbear]

Thanks for all the great info.

[TomG2]

The RGV is windy, but cheap. Five dollar breakfasts, eight dollar haircuts, $200/month lot rent. I spent a month in South Florida last winter for the price of two months in the RGV. I can tolerate the wind, I do not have to put out my awning. My biggest concerns are the drivers and the high crime rate. This makes my tenth winter in the "Valley".

[John_Joey]

toban wrote:
Sorry, but we were in the RGV for 4 years and it was windy most of the time. Don't let anyone tell you it's an "oddity".
.... People have to see for themselves.

X2

A person that is in the RGV in a park model/S&B will have a different way of looking at the area then a mobile RV'er will. This will also be true for a place like Arizona, but not so much for Florida.

When it comes to weather and RV comfort you need to take things with a grain of salt when it comes to advice from this forum. But see for yourself is the best advice.

[toban]

Sorry, but we were in the RGV for 4 years and it was windy most of the time. Don't let anyone tell you it's an "oddity".

We went out to AZ and it's way better than the RGV more to do and more to see. People have to see for themselves.

Toban

[pawatt]

fchammer1 wrote:
We rented three months in a park in Harlingen, TX, where I once "rode" my bike for 1/10 of a mile without pedaling. It took quite a while to push that bike back to my starting place. It was then that I discovered why no one had picnic tables at their sites, and why all their awnings were tied down with multiple ropes, etc. We left four weeks early and made a bee-line for SW Florida!

This is not the norm, 13 seasons in the Western Valley and love every minute of it. He must have parked in a wind tunnel.

[fchammer1]

We rented three months in a park in Harlingen, TX, where I once "rode" my bike for 1/10 of a mile without pedaling. It took quite a while to push that bike back to my starting place. It was then that I discovered why no one had picnic tables at their sites, and why all their awnings were tied down with multiple ropes, etc. We left four weeks early and made a bee-line for SW Florida!