pros/cons seasonal site

[waltah]

DW and I were thinking about buying a seasonal site for this summer for our TT. While we like to travel, we think we would get more use out of having it parked and setup already. If we want to go elsewhere, we simply go and pick it up.

Right now I store our TT on base and have to pick it up and drop it off when im not using it. This means emptying out the fridge and other perishables and dragging it back and forth from home to the base when we want to get ready for a trip.

All signs point to havign it parked and setup at a site would save us a lot of time where we could just get right to camping. When we make reservations elsewhere, we simply pick it up and tow to the destination.

Are there any negatives i would be missing by having a seasonal site? Prices seem reasonable (between 1200-2000 from april til october) with metered electric at some.

[davosfam]

waltah wrote:

Lantley wrote:

I also don't need another set of neighbors.

thanks for everyones advice. a couple of comments like this one really resonated. We camp to get out and be together as a family, If the kiddos meet some other kids to play with for a little bit, so be it. but we like being together, we arent out to be social. not saying we're hermits so hopefully it doesnt come off that way.

see, glad I asked. Didnt think abotu being around the same people everytime and getting obligated into the social structure of the campground.

You don't have to be social. We have several neighbors. One neighbor is never there. We haven't even talked to our newest neighbors. Two other neighbors we just wave to with an occasional short conversation about fishing. We only have one neighbor that we actually have longer conversations with but we don't hang out with them.

[colliehauler]

Lilrhody wrote:
We are newbies, but made the decision to get a seasonal site 90 minutes from home, Thanks to work schedules, getting away to a new campsite every weekend just is not feasible - but driving 90 minutes to a place where it is already set up for use is. We have longer trips set up every month of the summer and will be in a campground where we can pull out for those trips without any problem. We are looking forward to making friends at our campground and to our trips. Plus, we can park the TT on our seasonal site year round, solving our storage problem.

Another good point storage cost me $660 and a cheep seasonal site was $2000 and I could leave the camper year around.

I look forward to seeing friends at the seasonal site, although some years I don't see them at all. We Aren't always there at the same time.

[Lilrhody]

We are newbies, but made the decision to get a seasonal site 90 minutes from home, Thanks to work schedules, getting away to a new campsite every weekend just is not feasible - but driving 90 minutes to a place where it is already set up for use is. We have longer trips set up every month of the summer and will be in a campground where we can pull out for those trips without any problem. We are looking forward to making friends at our campground and to our trips. Plus, we can park the TT on our seasonal site year round, solving our storage problem.

[GaryWT]

Definitely friendships and groups form while seasonal. Some are good and some not so good. One negative is if you have a bad neighbor they are there week after week and it is not just a weekend. We still camp with people that were seasonal across the street from us.

[waltah]

Lantley wrote:

I also don't need another set of neighbors.

thanks for everyones advice. a couple of comments like this one really resonated. We camp to get out and be together as a family, If the kiddos meet some other kids to play with for a little bit, so be it. but we like being together, we arent out to be social. not saying we're hermits so hopefully it doesnt come off that way.

see, glad I asked. Didnt think abotu being around the same people everytime and getting obligated into the social structure of the campground.

[GaryWT]

It is true it is not for everyone. If you try it be sure to get a site that you will be able to get the trailer in and out if you need to, don't want a site that they had to use a tractor or something to get it in. Also you want to be give or take an hours drive on Friday night or you will not use it. We traveled for 10 years but got to a point where we could not make plans with the kids activities, all the sports, scouts, band etc. we were down to no trips so we tried seasonal. We were seasonal for 11 years spend most every weekend or part of weekend from May to Oct at. Being an hour and ten away we could do the sports and still get there Sat afternoon through Sunday or leave early Sunday for football etc. one weekend my son and I went back and forth 3 times for his soccer games as my wife and the other 2 camped. Once the kids were older, we left and have been back on the road the last 4 years. Good luck.

[colliehauler]

There you have it, those that love it and those that don't.

[davosfam]

We have owned a lot in a campground for 3 years and love it. It's less than an hour from our home and we can pack up and go at a moment's notice. We have a large lot with a shed and portable garage for our ATVs and golf cart. A cover for the 5th wheel is next. Our family and friends also own lots there. Sometimes we are very social and sometimes we keep to ourselves.

The only con I can see (but it's not that big of a con for us) is that we pay so much in dues for our lot that we don't want to pay to camp elsewhere. We didn't camp anywhere else last year. In fact, we have yet to tow the 5th wheel ourselves. It is too expensive and too much work to camp anywhere else now. But we love our lot.

[nomad297]

Our seasonal site is about 2-3/4 hours north of our house. We chose this area because we always seemed to be driving through it on our way to all of the places we enjoy camping at. So, it is a great weekend get-away if we have no other plans, or it is a resting point for when we decide to go other places. Our seasonal site is perfect for the way we camp and travel.

Bruce

[wincrasher65]

If you aren't using your trailer that much, then it's probably too big. Bigger is more work and more trouble to travel. Nice parked at camp though!

A seasonal can be good if you really enjoy the location. Most often they just become cottages - the decks, roof-overs and landscaping soon follow. Great if that's what you like and like to hang out with the "regulars".

I find most commercial campgrounds to be depressing and not "camping" at all. So I avoid them when I'm vacationing if possible.

[Lantley]

Not a seasonal guy either. I have my favorite CG's. But would not want to be limited to the same one every week.
I also don't need another set of neighbors.
I understand the convenience factor but I enjoy the adventure/challenge of getting there. I like the something new factor of remaining transient

[dadmomh]

The positives you mention are valid, but for us it would be just like when we had a lake cottage....something to be done every weekend = work, not relaxing. One huge negative, at least in the seasonal-type campgrounds we've been through is that the people drag half of what they own to the site and it starts to look really crappy pretty quickly. Gotta have mountains of firewood covered with a huge blue tarp, the requisite ATV or two, leave all the kids toys scattered, towels hung between trees even after they've long since headed for home. No thanks. If the CG has stringent rules AND enforces them, that would be different, but not interested in looking at piles of work or junk when we're trying to get away and just chill. And agree on the word "Travel" vs "mobile home/cottage/whatever". We tended to mostly stay at 2 or 3 favorite CGs nearby, but different sites, different neighbors, really getting away.

When you say "buy" as in actually own the land under your trailer and surrounding is that the actual case or are you "renting" the land? Cost difference? Is it much of an investment? I know with RVing, nothing is a real investment, but are you spending more than you would for weekend camping, gas to get there, extras? Sounds like some math here could help sort this part out. Strictly personal opinion is that a seasonal would not be for us.

[shutdown]

I wouldn't want a seasonal site. i own a "travel" trailer not a mobile home. i will take it with me from place to place enjoy what each has to offer and move along.

that said, if i had to work 12 months a year and only got long weekends and one or 2 weeks off a year i may reconsider. so to each his or her own.

[Community Alumni]

We love having a seasonal site, this will be our 9th year.

It's 75 miles from home so we go back and forth all summer and we essentially use the rv as a cottage. We also still travel occasionally from our seasonal to other campgrounds whenever we get the urge to do so. We have a deck, a storage box for chairs etc... and we are able to leave everything connected all the time.

Best of both worlds for us.