Traveling vs Camping

[wredman]

Putting this in the class A section because I think it is more likely a consideration.



Do you consider your use of your RV more for traveling or camping? Is there really little reason to have an RV if you don't want to dedicate your vacation time to camping? How many still fly and stay at nice hotels or do you spend every vacation night in a roadside RV park, night time parking lot, and a campground when you get there?

As an example, how about a beach vacation - condo right on the beach, or an RV park 20 feet from your neighbor a half mile inland? For the most part, the more desirable real estate locations are not used for RV parks.

just curious

[xctraveler]

Traveler, or see my handle, xctraveler. Our motorhome is home most of the year. We used to get itchy tires after 3 or 4 days and have to move on. We are older now and have found a delightful place, Jojoba Hills SKP Resort in SoCal. We plan to be in residence here December through April give or take a couple of months. During that time we will take several side trips, mostly with the motorhome. We just returned from a month of camera safaris in South Africa, Zambi, Zimbabwi and Botswana. We tend to take at least one trip a year that is a venture to parts of the world not reachable by road. Last Spring we were in New Zealand and Australia touring with Fantasy RV in rental RVs. And we have an apartment in our former home town to store the non mobile stuff and to use when we visit friends, there is no place nice to camp nearby. We call our style "free style" It is changing and becoming a bit less mobile now that we are over 70, but that seems young to us now.

The motorhome was initially an addition to our traveling lifestyle, then it became the center of most of our travels then it became the base from and with which we travel. Sure we fly and sure we stay in hotels (not Motel) but the most comfortable bed is in the coach and the shower is the most comfortable and dependable.

[Jim_Norman]

In my life I've both traveled and camped in a camper/motorhome. My hobby makes flying difficult and expensive so unless I have no other choice I will travel by MH and then generally camp at my destination. I have parked for a month or two at a CG and I have boondocked a bit, hoping to d considerable more of that in the near future. When we arrive at a 'destination' we set up and we 'camp' that is we build a fire, we sit outside, grille, roast marshmellows and drink wine. We also take the toad and tour an area around where we are. We flea market, museum and do tourist trap things. Fly, only if no other choice as in 4 days in CA and back to work or a trip to an island. Given an extra 3 days off I can make almost anywhere east of the Mississippi. Want to go to GA from NJ? Fly, it is a day each way and $$, RV, ok, 2 days each way, but I am rested. Cost, less than a fly trip but there are the extra two days. So, conclusion? most of us use our MHs the way we like to, there is no 'Right' way.

[WILDEBILL308]

I was re reading some of the post. I just finished packing as I am flying to Boston Ma tomorow. I have packed more for a day trip not 10+ days. I am going to miss having my "condo" available.
Bill

[jplante4]

Last winter's big adventure was 6 months, 16 states and 6000 miles. I think we traveled 30 days for between 3 and 6 hours on each traveling day. I found myself most excited about the traveling days, probably because we weren't towing a dinghy and had to rent a car to see any local sights.

Last season's weekend/vacation trips were mostly driving.

[bcbouy]

my biggest problem is i just can't plan a trip.we need to wander.keeping to a schedule is just not for us.also,i don't fly.ever.truck,camper,boat,good to go.

[RE_Todd]

I didn't read every post, so I'll just throw this out there. 65 lb Boxer, 125 lb Great Dane. Sleep apnea requiring a VPap. We travel by RV to fit this in!!

[time2roll]

We mix it all on different trips.

RV
Fly-Hotel
Cruise
Train-Hotel
Car-stay with family

They all have plus and minus.

[Greyghost]

In a prior life I spent about 3 weeks out of every month living in hotels for 20 years. During that time I got bed bugs, something else that gave me a severe allergic reaction and many sleepless nights on really, really bad hotel beds. Having stated that, I use my MH for travel, for camping and staying in when visiting friends and relatives. I will never stay in a hotel again unless it's absolutely necessary (visualize Hawaii). In Maine I have a permanent camp site at a friends on the water, it's better than staying in his house. In Minnesota, I have a permanent campsite with a fantastic view of the lake (200 ft away).

Why would I ever stay in a hotel?

[tatest]

I use the RV for camping, a week or so at a lakeside destination, alone or with a group, several times a year. I travel by car, using hotels and motels, often to get to homes of friends or family (whom I might stay with). I travel by airplane: to visit family (whom I stay with), to visit major cities here and abroad, where I stay in hotels, and to go on cruises of 1-6 weeks (where I stay on the ship).

When my wife was still alive, we did the same things, with the addition of 2-4 week RV road trips, traveling most days with several tour stops per day, staying places one or two nights.

We always considered the RV just one more mode of travel available to us, rather than being the only way to travel once we bought the RV 11 years ago.

[bigred1cav]

Our coach is our moving hotel room. We take our dogs and park and use the coach as a base. We are tourists and interested in the area not camping. If I never had a campfire that is fine, nascar and drinking while having music to annoy fellow area users needs to be controlled.

[BizmarksMom]

I don't have a class A, but I'll chime in anyway.
I love my rolling studio apartment. The fridge is stocked with stuff I like. The bed is familiar and comfy. My dogs are always allowed.

I also love to travel. My trailer isn't going to cross the oceans, so I deal with air travel. Getting to see and experience the world is worth dealing with airlines and hotels.

Don't feel like you're locked in once you've bought an RV.

[Bumpyroad]

am I doing something different tVS C if I take my RV to a lake for a month or take it to 4 different lakes for a week each?
bumpy

[BigRabbitMan]

I am one of those that do both, but the motor home has become most of it. It is so nice to travel with, when I need to be somewhere I seem to look for reasons to justify using the coach. I am not a "camper" in the sense of going to one place and staying there a week or two. After a couple of days in one spot, I am ready to move to a new spot. I guess that makes me a "traveler".

What helps in my case is that with the engine/tranny change I made to my coach I now get about 14.8 mpg on average. My pickup gets 21 mpg on the road so the difference is not that great. In the last year, I have put 17,000 miles on my coach. That includes a loop around the USA last summer. Heading to So. CA in a couple of months for a few weeks with a number of stops along the way to see old friends and relatives.

Roll on!

[bcbouy]

also not an a,but we use our camper close to 100 days a year,travelling to a different lake after another to fish it.i can't imagine staying at 1 place over and over.we log a lot of kilometers in a year.we never plan a route either,just a destination(sometimes)so we never are really sure where we'll sleep on any given night.so i guess for us it's equal parts of both.we spend all of august just wandering around.