How many trips?

[crazyro]

For those of you who are still working full time and have a family and busy life, what is the average amount of trips you take a year with your TT? I'm just curious. We'd love to take more but we seem to average 8-10 per year.

[IdaD]

We typically do one or two longer vacations (week or close to it) plus several long weekends per year. Generally in the 20 night range total. I would like to do more but it's tough balancing work, work travel, family obligations and our kids are increasingly tied up with things of their own (which will probably get worse as they get older).

[pld33270]

My answer defies reasoning. Years ago(1995ish), pre-child, my wife and I worked full time and I was in school at night. Without much planning, we would do a three day weekend in the mountains of NC or VA on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was a very welcomed change, even though I would spend a few hours of down time studying. We did 10 - 12 trip, ranging from 3 to 10 days in length. Once we had a child, the trips went down to 4 - 8, depending on if we did weekend local trip with church friends and their families. After a few years out of the RV business, we purchased a small TT and the wife and I are back on the road. I work full time and guess what, back in school again, but this time online (different world). Daughter is 20 and wants no part of our RVing. We got our camper Oct '17 and have been on 4 trips to date. I am hoping on a 10 - 12 trip year in '18 and more in '19.

[DutchmenSport]

Every year is different for us. One year we were camping somewhere 28 week-ends in a row, plus a 2 week Summer vacation.

Then there was the year we had a bad financial set back and some very unwanted legal actions which resulted in a very expensive year, and money needed to go to paying lawyer fees and fixing our house that the bum destroyed. We camped only a couple times for that entire 18 month period.

Last year we were fortunate, we had 2 - one week trips and 1 - two week trip, plus at least one week-end a month from April through November.

This year, we have only a 2 week trip previously planned. My mother is now in a nursing home, I've had to deal with her property, finances, and a bunch of legal stuff for her and we're kind of tied down with all of this right now. So, no plans yet beyond the 2 weeks in July.

Weather has a lot to do with it. Because we both do work 40 plus hour weeks, we can't get that far for, at best, a 3 or 4 day week-end. So we are restricted to Indiana weather. This year has been horrible. We ALWAYS go out for our first week-end, the first week-end in April ... somewhere. Specifically, a full hook-up campground so I can un-winterize the trailer. Shoot! It' snowed again this morning in Indiana. We had over an inch on the ground when I woke up. We're simply not making any plans for any week-end jaunts until we get completely past this stinkin' freezing weather!

So, every year is different. Financially, we're in good shape. That's not an issue any more. What is the issue are all the other constraints that impress upon our lifestyle!

But this is why we do driveway camping from Mid-March to Mid-December every year too. From that time period, we sleep in the camper every night. Except this year. It's still too costly to heat the camper.

[the_bear_II]

We do at least one per month except in July thru Sept. we stay for the 3 months at an RV resort. Actually my DW stays for 3 months and I commute down on the weekends.

[ScottG]

We have reservations for every other weekend and will even go several times between those during the season.
For what this stuff costs, if I didn't use it a lot I wouldn't keep it.

[afidel]

crazyro wrote:
For those of you who are still working full time and have a family and busy life, what is the average amount of trips you take a year with your TT? I'm just curious. We'd love to take more but we seem to average 8-10 per year.

8-10 per year with at least two trips of 1-2 weeks is my normal. Next summer I'm thinking of getting a seasonal site about 90 minutes from work/ 60 minutes from home, figure if we don't have to tear down and setup we'll use it most weekends where the weather is nice.

[MikeInOregon]

When we first purchased our trailer we took trips that were long weekends of 3-4 days duration. During our first couple years we would probably take around 10-12 of these per year.

Then we started to venture out a little farther from home. We would take fewer trips but the trips were longer in duration, around a week.

The longer trips were good and not as rushed, but I only have four weeks of vacation per year. I need to camp more than four weeks per year! So this year I have reached an agreement with my employer to reduce my work schedule. In addition to my four weeks of vacation I will be taking an additional four weeks of leave without pay. There will be eight weeks of camping in 2018! We will not drive across the country on a multi-week trip. The agreement with my employer is that I limit the extra time off to one week at a time. This is fine because most of the trips will be within our home state of Oregon.

So, as beginning campers we started out with long weekend trips and now we have advanced to eight one week trips during camping season!

[Lwiddis]

Six per year...one to two weeks long...otherwise I work four days a week.

[toedtoes]

I've always aimed for 12 trips per year. The length of each varies between 4 and 9 days. I'm content if I get at least 6 of those completed.

[Thom02099]

crazyro wrote:
For those of you who are still working full time and have a family and busy life, what is the average amount of trips you take a year with your TT? I'm just curious. We'd love to take more but we seem to average 8-10 per year.

I have 10 confirmed trips booked this season; every other weekend starting in May and going through August. Here in Colorado, most of the places I want to go don't open until mid-May and close in mid-September. And on both ends, there's a time when they are first come/first served. Also have 1 other planned in season that I can't make reservations (all first come). Might squeeze a couple more in, but also have yard work to do at home the weekends not out!