Percentages

[TomG2]

A very informal survey of this mid range RV park in the RGV (Rio Grande Valley of Texas) shows that only about 20-25 percent of the available RV sites are occupied this weekend. That compares to almost double that on December 1, 2015. We peaked at about ninety percent last January but that seems like a very optimistic goal this year. Curious how other parks are doing?

Funny that few are posting in the Snowbird forum. Lack of interest or doesn't anyone have any questions?

[rocmoc]

TomG2 wrote:
Nice to hear positive comments about Texas from Arizona.

No ill will was met. When anything becomes of interest anywhere I travel or live including AZ and Mexico, I share. ONLY to inform, not to be a PITA.

For your info AZ has been colder than normal, 24 degrees yesterday morning and 30 this morning (South of Tucson).

rocmoc n AZ

[BarbaraOK]

Since Zika is only a mild flu like disease for most people and Snowbirds are beyond child bearing yrs, would not be a real concern for most.

[TomG2]

Nice to hear positive comments about Texas from Arizona.

[rocmoc]

Will be interesting to see if the News release of the first local transmitted Zika case in RGV will impact the Snowbird numbers.

"(CNN)Texas has become the second state in the continental United States to confirm a locally transmitted case of the Zika virus, state and federal health officials said Monday.
Lab results confirmed the virus in a non-pregnant female resident of Brownsville last week. She has not traveled to an area where the virus is circulating and has no other known exposure to the virus that would have put her at risk for infection.

Health officials said they are not surprised to confirm local transmission of this virus in South Texas, near the Mexico border.
"We knew it was only a matter of time before we saw a Zika case spread by a mosquito in Texas," state Health Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt said. He added that more cases are expected, but officials do not believe the virus will be widespread."

Did not seem to slow down the number of Snowbirds in Florida!

rocmoc n AZ

[Me_Again]

We have had more people here in our Arizona park this fall than ever before. Fall special has been in place for 5 or 6 years, however this year it really worked. Chris

[dawzie]

Here's my two cents. I'm turning 64 in a couple of weeks. My son took over the business a couple of years ago. I no longer need to be around in the winter.

Been camping my whole life off and on. Had a '05 toy hauler, updated to a '16 fiver built for two to live nice.

Live in New York, leaving Dec. 17 to take five days to get to Florida. Staying five days St. Augustine, seven days near the Villages, five days on the west coast, five days on the south east coast then depending on weather heading back home.

This will be the first time I ever took more than ten days off from work.

We started planning our trip a couple of months ago. Found getting commitments for sites to be difficult. A few wouldn't take reservations until 45 ?? days before.

We want to be able to move around, not stuck in one place. We have a lot of friends and family that live down there that we want to visit.

We expect over the next few years we will be staying longer and longer. As long as we have our health we plan to RV more and more.

I know of a dozen or more people in my area heading south for the winter at all different departure times between now and right after New Years.

So, we are coming !!

dawzie

[doxiemom11]

Not in the RGV - in Rockport on the coast.

[2gypsies1]

From folks I've talked to - mainly full-timers - south Texas is not the draw it used to be. There are many old, old-dated parks and the weather hasn't been great during the winter. People tend to move around more than they used to.

[John_Joey]

Another trend that we are seeing is that many are only going to be here for a month or two then head west to Arizona and California. These are the people who actually use their RV's for travel...

I have a kindred spirit with them. Sitting in ONE spot ALL winter doing the same "activities" becomes very boring to me. Once I realized that no matter what park you go too the people are great, and they are there to have an enjoyable winter that feeling of "our park is the greatest" goes away freeing you from those chains. As much as RV traveling takes a lot of effort and money, it does keep things fresh and exciting.

[TomG2]

Another trend that we are seeing is that many are only going to be here for a month or two then head west to Arizona and California. These are the people who actually use their RV's for travel. Many "Squatters" have purchased park models and mobile homes.

[John_Joey]

We kinda do this every season on this forum. No one is in the parks, then first week of January parks are almost full. Then middle of March they are shrinking at a very fast rate.

Because the topic comes up every season I think those that have been doing it for awhile have a "gut" feeling there is a change in the RV snowbird lifestyle. I've had that "gut" feeling for awhile now. Parks get full later, and empty out sooner.

IMO, each new wave of retiree's want more and more creature comforts. Living in a tin can on a lot that is 35 feet wide and mostly concrete or gravel is not cutting it for many. Unless you grew up on a farm (which is a shrinking lifestyle also)the average person is not comfortable driving and backing up a big rig. Hard for most to jump from a 4 door sedan which they drove to work for 40 years to a 40ft DP pulling a toad or a truck/5'ver combo. Guessing that most US people retire at 65 because of medical costs. Not exactly the time in life to start learning how to be an OTR truck driver.

Myself, we stayed north late this year because of a new baby in the family. I am surprised how comfortable I am right now without that burning desire to head south. Then again we've had a wonderful fall.

[coolmom42]

Who is "they"?

From what I can tell by casual reading on this site, many snowbirders wait until after the holidays to head south. Lots of people have grandchildren they want to see at Christmas.

[TomG2]

doxiemom11 wrote:
The park we are in is currently 90 percent full. Others coming in the next week. There are only 5 new sites that were completed a week ago that are open right now. From what we saw driving around in the past week, the parks we saw were mostly full.

In what part of the RGV?

[doxiemom11]

The park we are in is currently 90% full. Others coming in the next week. There are only 5 new sites that were completed a week ago that are open right now. From what we saw driving around in the past week, the parks we saw were mostly full.