Finding a Camping Spot During These Peak Travel Times

[Flanz]

Hello All,

Well, another season has just about pasted us by and we are very close to purchasing a new MH. Most likely Jan - Feb 2016. We stepped out of this season because we sold our 15 year old coach.

So, I've got a question for all the part time as well as full time campers and also the weekend warriors. How did everyone find travelling around the country this year? Since the price of fuel was relatively low and, this is a big AND, the economy is suppose to be getting strong 🙂 Was it easy to find sites and just pull in OR did folks have to make sure that they have reservations? I've heard that it's getting difficult to move around and find sites if you don't have reservations.

We plan to go full-time in the fall of 2016 and we're trying to gauge what we need to do to move around freely.....Especially if we're in a 45' coach.

-paul

[Teacher_s_Pet]

Double post.

[Teacher_s_Pet]

As we travel fulltime in our 40' class A towing a vehicle, the only times we make reservations are:

1. 6 months in advance for a COE park in Mississippi each year for a family reunion.
2. A month ahead in prime tourist country for week in VA at a KOA twice a year close to our daughter's family. .
3. At a particular park in Houston for medical checkups a month in advance.

The rest of the time we "reserve" usually 50-75 miles from our destination on the day of arrival, works over 90% of the time getting a suitable site at the desired location.

When we made our 79 day trip to Alaska in 2013 with five month in advance reservations for the ferry system back to Prince Rupert BC from Skagway AK. No campgrounds at all were reserved more than the afternoon of arrival. We were in our 21' B+ however without a toad and many times we had no cellular service to make a call.

[RayChez]

Since we stay mostly at Thousand Trails Resorts, we had no problems so far this season. But things will start changing here as soon as the snow birds start moving south. Then is when it gets rough to find a resort if you do not have reservations.

Yes the economy has picked up and fuel prices are down. Diesel has been at $2.55 per gallon which is really nice. Gasoline is about $3.20 per gallon.

People are traveling again and the roads are packed with new automobiles and motor homes.

We and about ten other coaches will be leaving in a few days for the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Fuel should be even lower in those states. Then back for a rally at Scotty's Castle for the 49er days with the club.

But no doubt, you will need to make reservations on most camp grounds for the next three months because of the heavy flow of RVer's from Canada and all of the cold states in this country.

[tsetsaf]

No problems this year. We stay at budget conscious places rather than the pricey parks. Been doing pretty good. The biggest thing we have noticed is that prices, notably for short term stays, have gone up.

[2gypsies1]

I answered in your other post. 🙂

[Pogoil]

Nutinelse2do wrote:
The only time I made reservations was this Summer was on the Oregon Coast. And that was only when we wanted to be at a specific rv park, at a certain time. Those reservations were only made
1-3 weeks in advance, at the most.
We have never, not been able to find a place to stay for a night or two by just pulling in somewhere, though, I have made early reservations for a couple of months this winter already.
We have a 33' fifth wheel.

Funny, we have a friend on the Oregon coast and he tells me he has turned away at least 100 RVs this summer.

Pogoil.

[holstein13]

Jim@HiTek wrote:
I'm a full timer and this last year, the only time I had a problem was when I showed up looking for a spot Labor Day week. Like on Wednesday. I usually try to be somewhere on a Monday or Tuesday, and then stay over any holiday weekends but sometimes I miss it. In this case, I didn't even know it was Labor Day weekend. Hah!

That's funny. I made the same mistake. Didn't even realize it was Labor Day. Fortunately, one of the four parks in the area called me back with a last minute cancellation. Otherwise, I would have been boon-docking in a very hot parking lot downtown.

For my Florida trip, I've pre-booked the entire 4 months of stays. Otherwise, I'm a last minute planner.

[Big_Katuna]

The earlier in the day you stop the better your chances. We try to be done driving and start looking around 3:00 for a 4:00 stop. I have seen many a park fill up by sundown.

Destination areas like the coast or festivals require reservations esp for a big rig.

[Jim]

I'm a full timer and this last year, the only time I had a problem was when I showed up looking for a spot Labor Day week. Like on Wednesday. I usually try to be somewhere on a Monday or Tuesday, and then stay over any holiday weekends but sometimes I miss it. In this case, I didn't even know it was Labor Day weekend. Hah!

I have noticed over the last 12 years that it does seem to be getting more crowded at my favorite places.

[Roadpilot]

We took our grandkids out west this summer for month. We left July 15th and returned August 15th. Since we had our grandkids and we were visiting very popular sites in Colorado, Utah and Arizona I made reservations a month in advance at the best campgrounds in these areas.. In retrospect, I believe I could have have just showed up at any of the campgrounds and got a good spot.

If it was just the DW and I, I'd risk no reservations, but if it's a carefully planned trip with grandkids, I'd still make reservations.

[xctraveler]

We've been off the road for most of the summer. Will be getting out mid October. I would expect holiday times to be difficult to find a spot - always have been even when times were not so good. Out of the way places and great boondock sites are never a problem. If we plan to be out over a holiday, we either get set up before and just ride through or look for a place in the desert. Even WalMart for a night here and there works if parks are full. We belong to Escapees and subscribe to Days End which provides sites to stay for free up to about $15/night many are off the beaten path and seldom a problem to get into.

[Nutinelse2do]

The only time I made reservations was this Summer was on the Oregon Coast. And that was only when we wanted to be at a specific rv park, at a certain time. Those reservations were only made
1-3 weeks in advance, at the most.
We have never, not been able to find a place to stay for a night or two by just pulling in somewhere, though, I have made early reservations for a couple of months this winter already.
We have a 33' fifth wheel.

[Bill_Satellite]

We travel in a 40' and we have only found issues if we try to go to a snowbird site in the Winter or somewhere like a National Park or similar tourist destination during prime time.

[rr2254545]

In a MH that big I would want to have reservations for my stays - even in my 37 ft. motor home I find that sites to fit me can be scarce