RV park "camping"

[jimlj]

Is there anyone who actually camps any more?
As a youth camping meant loading up the '55 Ford pickup with tents and sleeping bags, the old Coleman ice box and stove and heading for the forest. When dad bought the first camper it was a single axle '66 Shasta with modern things like a refrigerator that needed no ice and a water heater. Since then I have owned several TT's. Until March of this year I had never stayed anywhere with full hookups.


As an electrician, last week I located and repaired a broken underground wire at a RV Park and it got me thinking about "camping". Talking to a few of the customers at this park made me realize this was not a stop along the route to empty the holding tanks and fill with fresh water, but the destination. I do enjoy having the fridge and a hot shower, and the last few campers I've owned even have a bed that is not part of the dinette or couch. but staying in a RV park is not "camping" as far as I'm concerned. Anyone else camp where there is no wireless internet and the closest electricity involves putting gasoline in a generator and pulling the rope?

[toedtoes]

Myredracer, off topic, but how do you feel about CAPTCHA? 🙂

[myredracer]

I spent every summer as a kid at my parent's oceanfront cabin. No power, water, phone, sewer - no nuthin'. Outhouse was way at the back of the property. Bathing was a swim in the ocean. Had to walk 1/4 mile to a creek for water. Heating & cooking was on a woodstove. Very primitive, but fun as a kid. Even went there occasionally over the winter (brrr, shiverrrr).

In my 20s, did a lot of backpacking up local mountains. Did a 5 day hike on a remote beach with a 60 lb backpack. Packed it in, packed it out. No trace of us left behind. Drove around BC in our VW beetle and tented in provincial CGs along with our 2 dogs.

Done the true camping thing. Nowadays in our 60s, camping has a different meaning. We really enjoy roughing it and "camping" in our TT and staying in FHU CGs. Almost all the T/T CGs we stay in are on the rustic side with lots of trees and natural vegetation, no pavement and sites spaced well apart. "Roughing it" means having to use a tote tank. Oh, and can't be roughing it now without sat. TV and a laptop & Verizon mifi! One of the great things about being in a CG for RVs is being able to wander around and talk to other RV-ers from all over the place.

While I could still tent on the ground along with bare necessities and enjoy it, I'd def. no longer be able to carry a 60 lb pack on my back. 😞

Camp on! Whatever that means to you!! 🙂

[BizmarksMom]

jimlj wrote:
I've stayed away from this because it seems I have hurt some people's feelings. That was not my intention. My question likely could have been worded better. Over the years my idea of camping has changed. I no longer pack the sleeping bags or Coleman stove. My current TT has a bigger shower than the whole bathroom was in the '66 Shasta. The queen size bed that doesn't have to be folded into a couch each morning is nice. My 60 year old back would complain too much if I slept on the ground. I guess what I should have asked was does anyone take their RV's into areas without running water and electricity? It seems there are a lot of questions about RV parks in different areas on this and other forums. Seeing the constant stream of RV's pulling into the park where I repaired the broken wire got me thinking (dangerous I know) that lead to the question.
One of the things that I think makes a camping trip a success is no cell phone signal. If I were camping alone I wouldn't take a generator, but since I'm fond of my wife, and she is fond of her hair dryer, I load the generator so she can dry her hair after climbing out of the oversized shower.

Yep! That is where you will find my trailer most of the time. I don't use a generator anymore - the roof is covered with solar panels.

[LVJJJ]

At 72, no interest in "camping", sleeping on the ground, cooking over an open flame and peeing in the woods.

However as a kid (in the '50's), my family traveled all over the western USA every summer and camped out every nite. My dad was a college music professor so we had our summer's free. So, we'd pile into our 1949 Plymouth, then later our '53 Dodge, and head out to see the west. There was hardly ever anyone at campgrounds, so we used our tent as a ground cloth, spread out our sleeping bags on it and slept under the stars (very little light pollution then). Get up chop wood, start fire, cook breakfast, load up head out. we saw Yellowstone, Redwoods, Grand Canyon, Zion, Devil's Tower, Black Hills, Mesa Verde, etc., etc. when the places were almost empty, and usually free. Stopped at road side reptile museams and Trees of Mystery. We never had much money but we headed out anyway. Dad was also a piano tuner, so when we ran out of gas money, we would stop in a small town, camp in the park, dad would go around knock on doors and offer to tune people's pianos. Surprisingly many people took him up on it and after two or three days in that town, we'd have enough for another week or so of traveling. Was really a wonderful way to see the USA. Oh, and since dad and mom were devout Christians, we would always find a church to go to on Sundays. To my chagrin, mom would always find our church clothes hidden in the trunk amidst all the camping gear, couldn't believe it, but had to get dressed up in the summer, on a trip. And those little churches were always hot, no one had air conditioning then either.

[dodge_guy]

jimlj wrote:
I've stayed away from this because it seems I have hurt some people's feelings. That was not my intention. My question likely could have been worded better. Over the years my idea of camping has changed. I no longer pack the sleeping bags or Coleman stove. My current TT has a bigger shower than the whole bathroom was in the '66 Shasta. The queen size bed that doesn't have to be folded into a couch each morning is nice. My 60 year old back would complain too much if I slept on the ground. I guess what I should have asked was does anyone take their RV's into areas without running water and electricity? It seems there are a lot of questions about RV parks in different areas on this and other forums. Seeing the constant stream of RV's pulling into the park where I repaired the broken wire got me thinking (dangerous I know) that lead to the question.
One of the things that I think makes a camping trip a success is no cell phone signal. If I were camping alone I wouldn't take a generator, but since I'm fond of my wife, and she is fond of her hair dryer, I load the generator so she can dry her hair after climbing out of the oversized shower.

For us no sewer is real camping! And no water is roughing it!

[Woodtroll]

KD4UPL wrote:
I don't go camping to "get away from it all". I can do that at home. I live on 12 wooded acres with a stream. I adjoin National Forest. I am about 15 miles from the nearest traffic light. Anytime I'm in a campground I'm in a more urban environment than at home.
We go traveling. We tour around the country to see the sights like museums, rivers, lakes, national parks and landmarks, etc. With 3 young children it's much nicer and easier to stay in the RV in a campground than in motels.
I wouldn't necessarily mind camping with a tent, sleeping bag, etc. but if I want the wife along it's an RV or nothing.

This is our family, to a "T"! Except now we are fortunate to travel with kids AND grandkids. At several times over the years I've pointed out to my wife that we go camping only to live much closer to people than we do at home. She tells me to quit grumbling and to enjoy myself...

[SoundGuy]

jimlj wrote:
One of the things that I think makes a camping trip a success is no cell phone signal.

Which I suspect most here would disagree with since the ability to remain in contact, especially in emergency situations, has become integral to our lives with almost everyone owning a cell phone these days.

jimlj wrote:
If I were camping alone I wouldn't take a generator, but since I'm fond of my wife, and she is fond of her hair dryer, I load the generator so she can dry her hair after climbing out of the oversized shower.

With an inverter and suitably sized battery bank to power it dragging along a genset isn't necessary at all to keep your wife smiling. About the only device one can't practically run without a genset is A/C, otherwise a properly sized inverter can serve the purpose nicely. :B

[jimlj]

I've stayed away from this because it seems I have hurt some people's feelings. That was not my intention. My question likely could have been worded better. Over the years my idea of camping has changed. I no longer pack the sleeping bags or Coleman stove. My current TT has a bigger shower than the whole bathroom was in the '66 Shasta. The queen size bed that doesn't have to be folded into a couch each morning is nice. My 60 year old back would complain too much if I slept on the ground. I guess what I should have asked was does anyone take their RV's into areas without running water and electricity? It seems there are a lot of questions about RV parks in different areas on this and other forums. Seeing the constant stream of RV's pulling into the park where I repaired the broken wire got me thinking (dangerous I know) that lead to the question.
One of the things that I think makes a camping trip a success is no cell phone signal. If I were camping alone I wouldn't take a generator, but since I'm fond of my wife, and she is fond of her hair dryer, I load the generator so she can dry her hair after climbing out of the oversized shower.

[dodge_guy]

We camp at Resorts and state parks with electric only. It all depends on where and what you are doing!

[georgialawn88]

It kills me that it bothers people I have a camper and go camping. You wanna sleep in a tent go for it. You worry about you I worry about me.

[profdant139]

mountainkowboy, I gotta ask about the butterfly nets leaning up against the right front fender -- are you lepidopterists, or mental health professionals? 😉

[mountainkowboy]

We still camp, depends on the situation as to what we use....

[ppine]

I like RVs, but they can't go to a lot of the good places.

[rbpru]

You rarely see me at the campground. My RV is our bed and breakfast then we are off to see the sights. Out West we would be gone from morning till dark sight seeing. Locally, we spend a lot of time on the hiking trails.

My first choice is canoeing but like many age has caught up to me.

I also discover that some folk RV just for the view from their window, both driving and while in camp.

It s a big tent

[Drew_A_]

jimlj wrote:
Is there anyone who actually camps any more?

Anyone else camp where there is no wireless internet and the closest electricity involves putting gasoline in a generator and pulling the rope?

We love all forms of RVing with our TT but my favorite is what I call "camping". NH state park, lake front site, no hookups of any kind, (heck, the park doesn't even have a dump station). Great paddling, swimming, and hiking. I do pull the cord on the genny from time to time.

-Drew