Not the best season

linux3 · 10-13-2021, 06:51 PM

The RV is winterized and in it's winter home. A really big converted warehouse.
We wanted to take one last trip but all the places I called were full.

Our style of travel is to drive until I'm tired of driving or the DW is sick of riding then we use google to find a campground near us.

Mostly didn't work all that well this year. There are just to dang many noobs taking up spaces and making reservations.

Plus a number of our favorite CGs were bought out by large corps. and prices went up.

We like to head out with a semi plan, stay somewhere for a few days and see what there is to see. Hitch up and on to somewhere else.

Nights in rest stops or Walmarts really isn't us.

Think next year will be better or worse?

Canonman · 10-13-2021, 07:26 PM

We like to travel with a more specific "flight plan". We pretty much know where we're going, how long we plan to stay and how far we need to drive to get there. Sometimes it's a two or three day drive (we've never done more) and never more than 500 miles a day.
That way we calculate our stops and stay overs and usually have reservations minimizing unpleasant surprises.
I personally think next year will be as bad as this year for overcrowded camping. We'll be doing our 6 month advance planning on https://www.recreation.gov/ and https://www.reserveamerica.com/ to make sure we have spots in the places we want to be. Once those dates are settled, we'll decide where we'll need to overnight and make those reservations as well.
PPPPPP if you know what I mean.
Yes, it somewhat limits flexibility but we'd rather know what to expect rather than worry (which we have) about getting a place for the evening layover.

**sourdough** · 10-13-2021, 07:31 PM

IMO in the foreseeable future that "get an itch and go" method of RVing is probably going to be problematic and disappointing. The masses are buying RVs; new folks trying to travel untethered....freedom. I experienced that reserving my normal places heading cross country for the winter.

I've never been one to travel and just put my well being for the night to "happenstance". When I was young tried that about 3 times and quickly learned that "betting" things will work for us, gambling.....I don't have any use for it. Some consider it excitement....I think much differently.

Walmarts won't ever happen for us because I absolutely have a full plan....no possibilities of the "holy crap", "what now" moments. Nah, I've got it nailed down.

**flybouy** · 10-14-2021, 03:34 AM

The only constant in life is change. I think th RV industry, manufacturers and campgrounds, have been behind the "hospitality and entertainment " industry in adapting to the market. For years the "mom and pop" movie theaters, hotels, and restaurants have disappeared. Large corporations have made it impossible for the one-offs to compete. Privately-owned campgrounds are cashing out at an exponential rate as corporations see an investment opportunity.

The corporate campgrounds are reimaging to "camping resorts" and like airlines and hotels are using demand pricing and purposely restricting availability. While on the face it may seem counter-productive to not want 100% occupancy while rasing prices the buissness model works.

For us it's still a viable entertainment venue but I don’t know for how long. We have the option of traveling during off-peak times (mid week, non holidays) which means lower nightly rates and more availability. It remains to be seen whether or not the aging end of the baby boom era changes this. Personally we havd dome decisions to make in whether we invest in a new or newer camper and TV or not. One reason we stopped boating years ago was the cost vs benefit when costs were skyrocketing and the matinas and waterways became overcrowded.

I don’t ever see the industry returning to the days of the past where you can "wing it" without reservations and stay at a cg where you know the owner and they remember your name. If your travels are in less populated areas you may still enioy these experiences but don’t be suprised when the change comes. History shows us that even in less populated areas the Walmarts, McDonald's, and chain theaters arrived after they saturated the populated metro areas.

roadglide · 10-14-2021, 05:41 AM

This year was 6000 miles of carefully planned COE and National parks . I would plan my arrival on a Normally stay a week. The weekends were always packed . I got my same spot in the Smoky mountains I had two years ago. I stayed 2 nights at tunica Hollywood casino Mississippi. . Both of us where laid up with Covid from hell for ten days at campground in michigan, I had made reservations for months Advanced. I drug up three weeks early and came home. For the most part it was ok The price of fuel was aggravating dining out was worse with Service and inflation .

**JRTJH** · 10-14-2021, 07:55 AM

We only towed around 6,000 miles this year. A couple of trips to the UP, one "meandering month long trip" from northern Michigan down to Nashville, west to Memphis, then down to Louisiana, east to Mississippi and then back through Indiana to home. We cancelled our "Alaska adventure" because of issues getting through Canada and not being sure about the ability to return once we left the USA. It wasn't "paranoia" as much as concern for the rapid changes in the "political winds"....

Anyway, the way we normally travel is on "back roads" where we refuel at "off the interstate stations" and usually stop at McD's or similar places for lunch and a "potty break". Most fast food restaurants have closed their lobby, so it's drive through only, which can't be done while towing, so a "significant change in how we tow".... We didn't have any issues with campgrounds and we "winged it" for the entire trip. Even in Tunica, MS, the casino campgrounds were less than half full and most were offering discounted stays with reduced weekly rates. We stayed in a full hookup site for $12/night. There were no "resort services" but there was a hotel pool, spa, exercise room that was available for campers as well as a two or three places to eat in the casino and a clean laundromat in the campground.

Overall, we didn't experience any "no vacancy" signs at any campground and we didn't start looking for any overnight stays until after 2 or 3 PM on any given day. We never got a "sorry we're full" through the entire trip.

That said, we aren't usually interested in the "resort type campgrounds" and couldn't care less about playgrounds, pet care facilities, tennis courts or tour busses to local sight seeing attractions...

So, for our "plain Jane" type travels, other than not being able to stop at places like McD's for lunch, it was "travel as usual" except for the increases in diesel fuel prices.

Javi · 10-14-2021, 08:45 AM

JMO... but today is as good as it's gonna get for a good while... tomorrow is gonna be worse yet..

**JRTJH** · 10-14-2021, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Javi

JMO... but today is as good as it's gonna get for a good while... tomorrow is gonna be worse yet..

You're probably right with that assessment. I think we can all look to the future and understand that fuel prices are already "close to double" in many areas and there's no end in sight. Trucks, if you can find one, are rapidly increasing in price, trailers are "literally being thrown together" at premium prices, if you can find a dealer that has any in stock....

If you're planning to "head to a warmer place for the winter" or if you "just want to get away for a few days", now is the time to do it. Tomorrow may be even worse than today......

rjrelander · 10-14-2021, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Javi

JMO... but today is as good as it's gonna get for a good while... tomorrow is gonna be worse yet..

I have a feeling we might see a correction as people get disillusioned with camping after their initial impulse buy. A lot of trailers will end up either sitting idle or sold off when reality takes hold if it isn't happening already.

Mikendebbie · 10-14-2021, 05:00 PM

We are winding down our first trip since COVID (since Dec 2019)…Texas to Gatlinburg and back. We stayed in Pigeon Forge for a few days. This was our first visit to the area and it may be normal for that area…but I have never seen as many people, kids and RVs as we saw there. I thought Port Aransas TX and the beach on July 4 was busy…Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg was Port A on steroids x 10. I’m not saying it was a bad thing - we were glad to see so many folks having fun and enjoying life! Had to wear a mask inside the Smokey Mountain Park visitor center for the first time in many MONTHS (government building). We are in Memphis now and all the stores have a mask mandate…not sure why…but it felt like things were in TX a year ago.

Ken / Claudia · 10-14-2021, 07:13 PM

In ID the state parks were full on all weekends throughout the last summer. At least that's what a park person said. We had trouble getting spots in one Oregon state park and one county park due to large numbers nearby the border. I phoned a metro Portland state park a month out from a trip, Sept 30 to Oct 3rd. They were only 2 spots open on the 30th. Normally that park is maybe half full after Labor day holiday. I am only guessing, but if the Cvoid 19 would end the parks would return to normal and many used RVs would be up for sale. I am following the Outdoors RV web site and am surprised how many 2019 and 2020 units are up for sale. #1 they want a different size #2 they are getting out of RVing.

gkainz · 10-15-2021, 01:15 PM

Our last outing 2 weeks ago, a couple folks wanted to stay Sunday night but had only reserved through Saturday. Reservation system said the park was full and they couldn’t get another night. We had Sunday reserved and at dinner that night, half the spaces were uninhabited. But since “the reservation system says ‘it’s full’, it doesn’t matter what you’re actually seeing”, according to the park ranger.

German Shepherd Guy · 10-15-2021, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

Walmarts won't ever happen for us because I absolutely have a full plan....no possibilities of the "holy crap", "what now" moments. Nah, I've got it nailed down.

Danny is my hero.

My life seems to be full of "holy crap" moments.

Oak

vampress_me · 10-15-2021, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjrelander

I have a feeling we might see a correction as people get disillusioned with camping after their initial impulse buy. A lot of trailers will end up either sitting idle or sold off when reality takes hold if it isn't happening already.

Honestly, I’m kind of hoping this happens, at least to some degree. We have had to resort to making reservations months (4 or more months most of the time) in advance for the places we like to go out west. There is no “hey let’s go camping with your parents in the mountains” a few weeks in advance like we used to do. I miss that. There just aren’t enough campgrounds being built for the number of campers sold in the past few years…

**sourdough** · 10-15-2021, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vampress_me

Honestly, I’m kind of hoping this happens, at least to some degree. We have had to resort to making reservations months (4 or more months most of the time) in advance for the places we like to go out west. There is no “hey let’s go camping with your parents in the mountains” a few weeks in advance like we used to do. I miss that. There just aren’t enough campgrounds being built for the number of campers sold in the past few years…

You know, out here where we live RV "campgrounds" are being established almost daily; "man camps"; 10 acres of gravel with little back in slots in the middle of terrible (IMO) scenery, nothing there, dirt, gravel and hot sun. Those are because all of those places we used to like to go have been overrun by.....folks I don't want to be around.

And you're right, the problem is that the "nice" places we used to like to go to, when overrun, aren't being replaced by other nice places. I figure it will sort itself out in a while unless we're told that RVs are outlawed for some dreamed up reason or another.

**flybouy** · 10-16-2021, 06:12 AM

It's the old real-estate mantra "Location, Location, Location". In the Mid-Atlantic region where I live I can't remember the last time I've seen a "new" campground. With the ever intruding urban sprawl land and the cost to develope it has constantly increased. When we moved to the county we live in 40+ years ago it was very different than it is today. Not only has the scenery changed from rural farmland to housing and retail developments but also in building ordinances.

I don't know if the county here would approve a new cg but I do know that anyone with the capital to invest in the land, the construction, the personnel to operate, and the taxes would likely invest in a project with higher revenue streams or ROI. You can build a lot of 3 level aprtments or condos on the acerage of a cg.

dutchmensport · 10-16-2021, 06:37 AM

We had the most fantastic year ever in all our years of camping and RV ownership.

Both of the companies we work for mandated "work form home" so the entire year, so far, we've not even seen the building we work in (or from).

We took "it" on the road. On January 1 we headed from Indiana to Alabama and was there for the next 5 weeks. We've been on the road ever since, jumping from Alabama, back to Indiana, to North and South Carolina, to Kentucky, back to Indiana again, all over Indiana from state park to state park, and finally a TRUE vacation time in Upper Michigan and Mackinaw City, Michigan. it's been a fantastic year.

Oh, we had to start early making reservations. But, because of our work demands, we found it worked best if we planned campsites Sunday through the next Sunday. Breaking camp on a Friday and traveling would have meant taking a vacation day from work. So we learned REAL fast, Sunday to Sunday worked great!

So, once we arrived at the "new" campground, on Monday we'd start planning our next campsite. Sometimes we didn't get the exact destination we wanted, but could usually something still open in the near area. If we scheduled 2 weeks at one campground and arrived, we'd schedule the following campsite then, so always planning ahead only 1 or 2 weeks out at a time (except the Alabama jaunt).

By October, we had nothing else planned out. We need a repair of the camper and have a service call planned now for the second week of November. So for the moment, we are grounded back home.

Once we get the fix, I'm planning full retirement on December 31, my wife is still work from home status, and we're hitting the road again for January. We may go back to Alabama. They seem to have their act together there!

**JRTJH** · 10-16-2021, 07:13 AM

In 1970 we bought a 10 year old home in west Denver. We paid $19,900 for the house. We could look out the picture window and watch the sun set over the Rockies. Just across the street was a "wheat field" and beyond Sheridan Boulevard was pretty much "open land"....

We went back to Denver 2 years ago, drove past our old house and it's "dwarfed by all the new (since we sold) construction. I looked up the house on Zillow and it last sold for $259,000. All that open land west of Sheridan is now "solidly packed sub-divisions" and shopping centers/strip malls....

If the price increase in our old house is that much, it's no surprise that a campground could never "turn a profit" with real estate pricing in the Denver area. So, to me, with that being similar to housing inflation in other areas, it's logical to consider that campground construction is among the last businesses considering investment in real estate.....

I don't think we're going to see much campground growth unless sites start renting for closer to $100 a night. Just upkeep and cleaning a campground with today's "campers leaving their site much worse than they found it", it's a losing proposition to invest in a campground except where they're literally giving away land (city/county incentives to lure investment)....

Like Danny posted, a lot of "campers" around here are investing in a 10 acre parcel, building a single campsite and a "road in" on their 10 acres. It's not usually "for rent" and most "local campgrounds" (if you can call them that) sit empty except for the few weeks the owner drags his trailer "out to the camp"...

wegone · 10-16-2021, 08:07 AM

Boy....I already have 4 trips booked for next year, thus far, with two of them return trips to places we went this year.

I would not like the uncertainty of just winging it, it would rob too much of my peace of mind. It's like I have a list, like pilots have, to check off before I even move my trailer, I am getting old, and this trailer life is relatively new ( 2 years going on 3 ) and I just want to be as certain as I can that I am not forgetting something that can have a adverse effect on what it is I am trying to accomplish...
And that is to enjoy my years of retirement without all the hassles and obstacles I had to encounter in the rat race

Destination is a major component to that list... for me.

I also look at it like a investment in our lives, my wife and myself. We worked hard, and we want to enjoy the fruit of our labor. I am not going to skimp out now and chance a iffy park because of a few bucks, or even 50 bucks a night (more) to stay at a place that promises to deliver what we want.... I feel we are worth it, not a judgmental thing that I am better than those who habitat cheaper parks....it's like I will pay more for a 5 star restaurant to celebrate a special occasion, than to chance a quite booth at Denny's....

And one last observation....I think part of the "fun" is searching and finding those great spots...like finding a fishing hole, you often have to walk a long way along the bank, first, to find it, and you can still enjoy that walk, too, as it's all part of the experience we have available to us in life.

I just hope I live long enough to see my reservations realized, and too me, that's as good as it gets....enjoy the pull, and freedom we have, and be ready for flats

**JRTJH** · 10-16-2021, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Island Eddie

Boy.... I am not going to skimp out now and chance a iffy park because of a few bucks, or even 50 bucks a night (more) to stay at a place that promises to deliver what we want.... ...

The "problem" (if there is one) is that if you're not familiar with the "unvisited campground", there's no way to know whether it's worth the 50 bucks a night or if it's closer to "they ought to pay you to stay there".... I don't know many people who are not willing to pay for what they get (if it's worth the cost) but I only know a few who will pay anything, regardless of the value... It's being exposed to the second one that causes me concern.... I don't like being cheated out of the value of my money any more than I like camping in a campground that "lied about what's available" and my "reserved site" is in the old part of the campground that is currently under construction and we have to trek through mud knee deep to get to the "part that's in the pictures" which is where we were told we'd have a site.....

While not an everyday occurrence, it does happen, far too often for it to just be a "one off situation".....

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