For these reasons we are building an RV Resort here in Pottsville, AR. The sites are 50' apart with full utilities, campsite store, shower suites, laundry facilities, and a walking trail around the stocked small 11 acre lake with catch & release fishing. Hoping to be completed by mid summer. Stay tuned..........😊👍
We never have a problem finding campgrounds, National Forests, RV parks, casino’s, etc. We are retired and travel for 3 or 4 months at a time in our motorhome every year and then go home for 3 or 4 months. Our plan is no plan, and we don’t have trouble finding a place to stay. The only time we make a reservation is if there is a major holiday coming up and then we’ll book the weekend a week in advance. We just wing it since we never really know where we’ll be or how long we’ll stay….. depends on how the fishing is :-)
A little over a year ago my son and daughter in law sold their house and bought an RV and live in their RV full time. They both work remotely, they spend winters in the southern states and summers in the northern states. They love their new life style.
@@eagleeye2427 I did exactly that…and paid cash for a new Redwood fifth wheel trailer. Lived in for six years, and tried to sell it at a steep discount. It took nine months to get it sold, even though it was in like new condition and had only been towed once for about 1300 miles.
@@eagleeye2427 Basically you are living in a boat. All the utilities are not like utilities in a house. So you have to find special repair people to repair them. I didn’t need repairs, I just needed a certified RV repair person to inspect the RV to maintain my extended warranty. Because the only 7 repair persons in the city I was near were flakes, it took six months to just get someone to show up, even though I offered a $100 cash bonus on top of their fee, just so they would show up.
Plus….after paying $85k cash for the new Redwood fifth wheel, I had to pay $800 a month for trailer park location to park it. I would have had more room and a better quality of life if I had just rented an apartment for the same price. For example, you soon have no real friends, because people only stay in the park for a week or less. You meet them, spend time, and they leave.
that is the problem Corporations are buying these up and increasing the fees and reducing the seasonal campsites, I know one near me increased the prices to the point we don't want to go back. time to move on.
We have just returned from a 3 week, 7,500 mile, San Francisco to Boston RV vacation. ( July 8 - July 30, 2024) Never once did we make advance reservations. Never once did we have a problem finding a campsite in a RV resort. As a note: Niagara Falls is very impressive from both the American and Candian sides.
We're retired and of course on the "fixed" income and we're being pushed out of the RV travel/camping lifestyle by not just over crowding of campgrounds or shortage of campground sites but by the prices of campsites. As these corporations buy up the mom and pop campgrounds and yes improve them they also have a bottom line to improve for investors. In some cases prices have tripled for a campsite and the reservation deposit requirements are full payment up front which could be many months in advance, we can't afford to put out thousands of dollars on paid in full advance reservations so camping now is becoming only for the affluent who can afford the prices and deposits. We'll probably just sell here shortly as our relatively new RV has been sitting for months with no place to go, it will mark the end of 50 years of Camping/RVing.
Retired in January and spent almost 2 months on the road in Arizona and Nevada. I found my self spending hours each day searching websites for campsites and cancellations. Eventually I became very discouraged and went back home. I appreciate your video because I did not know of that app/website that would help find and book sites. Thank you.
@@mid70smod17 Yes. I wound up using La Posa South, in Quartzsite, as my main base camp and either did day trips, or if I got a campground, stayed in the campground. For example, I booked a couple of nights in Catalina State Park, near Tucson, and did some local site seeing.
I lived in an RV park outside of Tampa for a year from 2019 through 2020 wanting to opt out of the skyrocketing housing costs. Many around me had years before been pushed to the margins finding it the only affordable option. Some were tourists, traveling medical staff or folks who traveled for work at power plants across the country. With flood insurance about $6K a year for the most modest homes, many in Florida are opting for RVs, so that's another pressure. Many corporations opt to buy up RV parks in Florida because of folks who are unable to even move like retirees and sex offenders. Another pressure. And lastly where I was abutted new home communities buying up undeveloped land. Developers wanted the land for McMansions near to a city and were driving RV parks out. I think housing costs are affecting RVers more than you know. But great video.
One of our greatest frustrations is finding a campground advertising 85 sites--only to discover that 79 of them are residentials (parked an RV and will never move it). No wonder we have trouble reserving a spot! And sometimes (not always) when we get the spot, we discover that too many of the residentials have broken down grills, cars on blocks, teetering decks, bad skirting, and generally trashy sites. The bathhouses are infrequently used, so infrequently cleaned or repaired. Owners won't bother their bread-and-butter, so nothing gets better.
LOL!! Who in his/her right mind likes to 'geek out' when you have the opportunity to leave all that behind? My friends and I all love the opportunity to get away from electronics and live the life when we take to the road for traveling and camping out. There's nothing better than getting back to the open road, boondocking and living free on the land with not a care in the world.
I was going to boondock full time so that I could save and buy some land near Boulder, Colorado outright, then slowly build a house without a mortgage. Maybe I’ll make the land an RV park instead.
We snowbird on the AL coast until Easter. On Jan 2, we made a 90 day reservation for Northern MI. We made a reservation in TX for next winter ('25) already. So the answer is, YES. You must plan ahead.
Rv life is how I'm going to live the rest of my life after my kids are grown no house no apartment no rent no bills gonna boondock with solar panels ❤❤❤❤❤❤
@@eagleeye2427 The state parks have dump stations at their campgrounds for $5. You dump your 2 septic tanks, gray and black, and also refill your fresh water. Then you are good to go until you run out of water or fill up your gray or black or both. Usually lasts me about two weeks.
Add the reluctance of many areas to build RV parks, the capacity issue will only resolve when people start exiting the RV experience. Someone tried to build a new park in our area and the county residents fought it aggressively.
And the County Government will come up with all sorts if insane bullshit. Texas has an 87 page instruction manual. You'd think I was wanting to build a fricking space shuttle launch. I finally said, Piss on it. Atlas SHRUGGED
I've probably commented here about this before, but one of my biggest gripes with most campgrounds . . especially private or big-business owned, is that most have done NOTHING to improve their facilities despite overwhelming demand. Never in history has there been a better time to make capital investments and use the influx of cash to improve or expand. The exception has been a lot of State Parks . . or at least Pennsylvania State Parks. Not only are they adding full hookups to existing facilities but some are adding on entire new camping loops.
We have traveled for 40 years in our rv’s. We always made reservations in Jan for the entire year. Even then we didn’t want to get stuck with 4 kids and no campground to stay in. We traveled every summer for several weeks. Reservations in advance let us pick our sites. We also made reservations for where we would stay overnight along the way. Hopping back on the freeway was crucial time saver. We could then make reservations for attractions we wanted to see. Nothing worse than going t see something and you needed tickets 9 months ago.
I own a new RV -- good for me, as many RV Camp spots no longer allow anything over than 10 years. But, bad for me, figuring all of the money spent and everyone in town is out in the woods or on the coast, sucking the life out of "getting away". More peace staying at home. When it rains, my wife and i go out and sit in our 2-year-old RV and have hot chocolate. An occasional sleepover in our motorhome, driveway, parking spot -- no charge, and actually, more peace and quiet than other places. Lucky, we are old and retired and enjoyed the coast and the great outdoors, without all of the people that have swamped the open spaces, not so open anymore. We have seen it, however, in times past, when the excitement dies out, the glut of RV sales -- usually when the money runs out -- but this seems to be hanging on a bit longer. We will see. For now my favorite parking spot in along side my house.
Excellent and true observation. So many people glamorize RV living and yet it is not all sugar and honey. We own a smaller toy hauler that can be pulled with our Suburban or Van. Big enough for two of us with wet bath and kitchenette. We live where there is plenty of forest to go boon-docking. Every time there is weekend or holiday it seems like whole town leaves in their RV's 😂. It is so nice and peaceful that we end up staying in. I hate how most RV parks look like. It's like reserving spot at the huge parking lot with bunch of people lined up side to side. This is zero fun, spending free time with bunch of strangers, sometimes unpleasant strangers, suffering us. Perhaps people from huge cities find that as vacation getaway but we are not in huge city. We enjoy privacy. In addition, fees are getting ridiculous for that type of privilege. Thankfully we boughed used trailer years ago when prices were lower and they were build better, so no huge financial loss to us. Most people should never buy RV. They will never utilize it as planned and lose lots of $$ at resale, not to mention maintenance cost due to crappy quality that industry adopted now. Corporations take over everything now and everything they touch h turns into crap.
We almost never had trouble just pulling into a campground and getting a decent spot. Not anymore, and we are not willing to make reservations at a place, sight unseen. Now, we just use our camper van for day trips or if we lose our power. It's def a second home. 😊
My wife and I have been RV vacationers for over a decade, we never really had a difficult time finding a campground for the weekend with a few days notice and in many cases, just dropping in. However since that 2020 season we struggled to find campsites every single weekend for 2 years, were often forced to settle for sites we didn't like, and were forced to live elbow to elbow with strangers as many of our favorite campgrounds reduced their site sizes to make more sites from the same space, many cut all their trees as well. So last year we took the plunge and bought a 1/4 acre lot to plop our trailer on in a community thats designed for people who want a quiet disconnected vacation without the crowds. We got lucky though, I know availability is very low on property like that now.
Why book ANYTHING? Just go boondocking and forget about all the hassle. Why would you want to book a spot where you'll be within inches of another camper anyway? May as well stay home.
We have a resort and campground opening up in this year in our area. It’s located near the Scenic Riverways in the MO Ozarks. Great place for kayakers, hikers, etc. The keyed gated resort is called Rockin Bell River Resort and they have a website for more info. Not affiliated but as a fellow camping enthusiast it’s nice to see more options available. Happy travels! Blessings, Linda
The number of glamping seems to be going up. Camp ground with limited services still tend to be easy to grab. I suppose the problem is for those who want power to run their AC, and fridges, and to have pools rather then people who want to camp to get away.
I remember road tripping in the late seventies. No rv, maybe a tent or just pillows and blankets. A cooler of course with groceries and beverages. Using the sink for a quick bath in one of those restrooms around the back of a gas station. And don't forget the 870 pump!
And Campground pri es keep going up, especially the amusement park like KOA campgrounds. I prefer dru camping (boondocking) as I put solar panels on my RV. Federal Forests and BLM land have enormous number of free campsites!
Something I noticed last summer while on my 6 week adventure More ppl are living in their rigs and working. Not bc they desire this lifestyle but out of necessity. They take up the travelers sites full time. I noticed some RV parks are 3/4 full of these rigs. Personally I find that undesirable to stay at these parks so now I must pay more $$$$ to pull away from those parks. Higher costs for me now. Pretty much $55 a night stay now as a norm.
i have no mortgage on my home or bills, should i sell my home and buy an rv, NOT!. Im glad i traveled and worked through all of North America from 1974 to 2003 when life was better without all the restrictions and far cheaper then today.
We’re hitting the road for 4yrs & aren’t selling our paid for house-no way are we doing that! Granted we’d have gotten more than enough to pay for our travels very cushyly, but then we’d come back to having to buy again.
I rented my home to someone responsible but our deal was that I kept the detached garage to store my stuff and use if necessary but I understand most people don't have a detached garage
Thanks for your perspective on this. I doubt you will see this being so far down on your list, but no biggie. We are full-time RVers in Canada. We spend the summers on our property in Alberta and spend the winters in British Columbia close to the US border. We have seen absolutely nothing about what we are hearing from friends in the US. Our wintertime campground was FULL last year, and on the way here we just barely got an overnight spot in Banff. This year? We were the only ones staying in the campground in Banff, and our winter campground only has 11 spots out of 41 rented. What we are hearing is that a lot of the people that got RVs during the pandemic decided it is not exactly how they wanted to go, and are off to Costa Rica or the Dominican like they used to pre-travel-restrictions. This probably only applies to Canada, as it is harder to find a winter spot that you don't still get blasted with snow and cold sometimes, so people go WAY south. I feel super bad for our campground managers...they get paid based on the number of guests staying here. I just wanted to bring up a bit of a different perspective. I will know more from personal experience about this issue this fall, when I go to Pittsburgh to visit my family.
I have to wonder what Florida’s new law that gives residents priority over non-residents in reservations at those campgrounds. I also think that most campgrounds should adopt the same policy of COE reservations and that they can’t be made but 6 months out at the earliest.
For me the biggest issue right now is increased complexity of getting INTO National Parks.. Lottery ticket systems and timed tickets make a spontaneous trip out west into Disneyworld 2.0.. I am not driving THAT far hoping to get into a park.
Well said! We seem to only have to really plan ahead & reserve somewhat ahead of time in the S/E of the country. We can still wing it further West. We’ve been enjoying the Florida State Parks in the panhandle and have been reserving 2-4 weeks ahead of time. Weirdly, we still see a lot of empty sites…
It’s what I do. Subaru Outback tow vehicle, small Jayco trailer. Currently 400 watts solar (going to add 200 more), 3000w pure sine inverter. 20’ trailer has 30lb propane tank, 30 gallon freshwater tank, 20lb grey & black water tanks. Full bath, tankless hot water heater. Carry a 2500w generator in case of crummy weather. Our longest trip so far boondocking only has been five days, but could do longer if we wished. We like being home on weekends, though, so go out during the week.
Florida here-Out of curiosity I checked websites to stay somewhere full-time year-round and called and was told summer and winter rates apply for month-to-month year round occupants. Better rates in Florida's summer compared to winter.
Are you going to the Eclipse this year 2024? We will be heading out the first of April starting from Utah and taking our first long trip with our trailer. We will be traveling gor 3 weeks. Everthing is all booked, wish us luck. Love watching your channel, we have learned so much!
all the local parks here and in East Tennessee that I know of are full of full timers that have no house and do not travel. Cheaper than rent on a house.
6:02 Why would the service at campgrounds be worse if more people are booking? When you make a reservation, you pay ahead of time. My expectation is that they can work on the park before season starts, when they are collecting $$$ w/o having to do anything.
Unfortunately , in the PNW, many campgrounds are extremely limited because of the “full timers”. People pick prime spots and live full time often taking up a few spots and leave few spots for visitors. 😢
2:25 " . . . didn't go back , , , fell in love". For many going to the RV life is a one-way door. With rising rents home prices, it can be hard to going bock to brick n mortar.
28 year old trying to boondock 6 months out of the year, then snowbird to Florida and park on my dad’s property. When my parent’s get old and I’ve bought my property outright, I’ll give my truck and trailer to them for retirement. They can sell their house and use social security for income.
Great video! Any tips on what to find to do in certain areas? Having difficulty on what to find to do in Alabama in November (when we're driving through it lol)
Some ideas here aren’t very factual, but not a bad video over all. Maybe this is geared more towards western or northern parts with campgrounds? Thankfully we travel mostly in the south.
We have an American Fifth Wheel over here in the UK, and we are a rarity but our parks are pretty good, but their pitches tend to be too short. But that aside, I'd like to ask if the USA campsites have the concept of a 'firebreak'? Where there is a set distance between campers, so if there is a fire the unit next door wouldn't be impacted (well that's the theory). We have it here in the UK and the main problem we find is that because our door is on the 'opposite' side to most UK campers, we aren't allowed on site unless we have the 'odd' pitch at the corner of the park.
Those points are not really "Threat". Those are more like inconvenience. Many popular sites are always overcrowded. But some RV parks are almost empty. Real threat is so many people have become RV homeless because the price of rent become so high in some area.
We brought our first RV in our mid 20s, we upgraded due to many camp grounds not allowing older models. So we got a 2022 c class and then had problems getting campsites due to being full. So we had to purchase our own. We’re millennials with kids from kindergarten to high school. We don’t do full time, we are part timers. But I believe families especially that are part time should be able to get campsites.
I own a deeded campsite. We are allowed to full time. Only spot in the state. My property value for a 1/8 acre campsite has quadrupled since prior to covid. I haven't sold, but may regret that one day if the bubble bursts
I hate the early bookers. My job does not allow me to plan that far ahead and those early bookers have really put a hurting on me being able to use my RV at all. I usually end up settling for the third best or worse just to be able to get to go at all. I will jave to try that booking service maybe.
Definitly more campers on the road since covid but the sales have dropped considerably or at least the production. During the pandemic and slightly after manufacturers in Goshen couldn’t make them fast enough. Now their lots are full as sellers are not taking on as much inventory. I wouldn’t travel and availability to normalize for at least a decade.
many cities and states refuse to allow new rv parks to be built as they don't get as much money in taxes and many of they people who are in rv's are low income ---often refered to as trailer trash which leads to the age rule of your rig ----nothing over 10 years just wait til the crash happens and you see people losing their homes and have no where else to go----gonna get interesting FYI IT IS ALL ABOUT MONEY
The age rule is almost always waived if you send photos of the exterior of your camper in advance, to show that it's not an eye sore. We were worried about it buying an 11 year old rig but haven't been refused anywhere with a ten year rule yet.
Doesn’t matter how glamorous your rig is. You have to lug it everywhere and accommodate it. And it’s STILL camping out. Campgrounds are full of rules and pricey . Then there’s the cost of FUEL - geez, try California for super high costs , I had to turn around. This winter, the Rv park I’m staying over the winter had huge amounts of cancellations. The economy is not great and I m not sure it’s Popularity or necessity that your Trending shows . Some have had to move out of renting home or apartments because it’s become insanely overpriced
I get the impression as a full timer you expect preferential treatment. so now you are pitching a bot service to snatch the camp sites first. not sure I agree with or support your choice.
Well I mean that's cool and all, but some of us aren't just dropping everything we have, buying RV's, and living the dream life. Some of us can't find homes and are forced into living in an RV just to stay off the streets. Luckily I live in a place that has open KOA's year round, because going into the mountains this time of year to use BLM spots for 2 weeks, is not even a thing due to snow.
We have never had an issue finding a site in the area we want. Though it helps having a small trailer even when booking the day of. Although what is difficult is getting a public site. Those book up in January for peak season. It's really the cheap sites that are hard to find. So if you don't mind full hook ups and shelling out the cash for one you can find a site easily even without reservations. I think everyone thinks camping is cheap. As these Covid rigs get old and people look to replace them, they won't they will just get rid of them. RV camping is probably more expensive than flying and staying in a hotel. The reason we opted for it is because of our dogs. You really have to have more of a reason than I want to travel to be in the RV lifestyle. That being said I have been in campgrounds that are 25 percent full on a weekend. I was told at one park in this row just not the ends. Well, we found a site far away from the only other rig in the row and what does the people in the rental do park right next to us instead of spacing out.
We use arve is amazing. And the owner personally emailed me to make sure I was happy. That was simply amazing to us. We have spread the word about they're service to every ever we meet !!!!!!!!!!! Customer for life from Arve. !!!!!!!! Less glamping and more camping . Lol. Disneyland is for the glampers ??? 😂😮😂😮😂😮😂😂
stop making the sites so cramped I don't go camping to to do the same thing I do at home house 5 to 10 feet away and hear the noise. looking for land to camp on with select crowd.
Yeah that’s one spin I guess. Truth is housing is unaffordable, the American dream is dead, homelessness is rampant, and Govt really don’t want you living in an RV.
Over the years I Use KOA less and less. Why? I know what I paid for a site in 2007 and what they ask for the same site now. Same with Encore and Sun Outdoors. Big rip offs.
I'm sure you have a great video here, but it is unwatchable with all the loud, thumping noisy "music" interludes. It completely ruins my ability to hear what you are saying. Most youtubers have learned years ago to drop the noisy music nonsense from their videos. I made it to 1:50 and had to quit. Thumbs down!
This is good for the softs that live and die by the RV Campgrounds If you have a rig that allows you to travel EVEYWHERE,,,,don’t fall for this video advertisement.
The RV life was forced on people who are on the bottom of the earning scale. Most did not have a RV, they had their vehicles or went couch surfing. If the rich or well to do want to take another survival path from us and make it more expensive, what is left? I still have not invented that shrink ray so I can live in a cup of dirt.
Does anyone have an app or discord to help plan trips across Canada/USA to avoid not only major weather events/evacuations, but also dangers like sanctuary cities, migrant caravans, illegals, and lawless cities?
I recently bought a ranch and the seller agreed to remove all personal property before close of escrow. What did I find? A 34 foot motor home and two trailers! I told the seller if she did not remove her junk ASAP I would bill her $10,000 to have it towed to the junk yard. She gave me the pink slip and ownership docs and I gave it away to some homeless people looking for free stuff. I do not understand why so many people are living in Motor Homes? Is it the lack of property taxes? When you drive anywhere near a large city all you will see are tents, shopping carts with blue tarps and trailers, Motor homes, junk cars, trash and needles. What a mess. I see people who want free rent, free meals, free healthcare and free clean up services all paid by others. There is a change in my community. No parking signs for trucks, RV's and street parking limits of one hour. My former public street is now private. Today it is a one mile long driveway for homeowners only. In some areas, homeowners are buying back the public streets and making them private and inaccessible. In my area we bought the former public lake, so it is not private. Public access is restricted. Why? To prevent vagrants, homeless, thieves and criminals. The first thing we noticed was no more trash on the roads, no more graffiti and no more crime. So far, four local streets are owned by the homeowners and all sidewalks have been removed to discourage trespassers. Some now have gates blocking trespassers and private street lighting. Boon docking is discouraged here. It would be good if honest vacationers in Motor Homes would encourage the losers "camping" along side them to remove their trash.
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For someone who calls herself The Grateful glamper you sure do have a bunch of negative videos. You don't seem very grateful at all.
For these reasons we are building an RV Resort here in Pottsville, AR. The sites are 50' apart with full utilities, campsite store, shower suites, laundry facilities, and a walking trail around the stocked small 11 acre lake with catch & release fishing. Hoping to be completed by mid summer. Stay tuned..........😊👍
Sounds lovely!
Very nice! Best wishes for great success.
50’ apart makes the expense significantly more for you the owner but for us, we thank you.
Can I get your contact info id like to talk to you about getting a spot.
Love this!! Bought land in North Georgia and are working on developing something like this here 🌞✌️
We never have a problem finding campgrounds, National Forests, RV parks, casino’s, etc. We are retired and travel for 3 or 4 months at a time in our motorhome every year and then go home for 3 or 4 months. Our plan is no plan, and we don’t have trouble finding a place to stay. The only time we make a reservation is if there is a major holiday coming up and then we’ll book the weekend a week in advance. We just wing it since we never really know where we’ll be or how long we’ll stay….. depends on how the fishing is :-)
A little over a year ago my son and daughter in law sold their house and bought an RV and live in their RV full time. They both work remotely, they spend winters in the southern states and summers in the northern states. They love their new life style.
Check back when they've lived in the RV for six years.
@@TrilobitesRTastyHi, how hard is it? I’ve been thinking about this. Selling my house and do full time RV.
@@eagleeye2427 I did exactly that…and paid cash for a new Redwood fifth wheel trailer. Lived in for six years, and tried to sell it at a steep discount. It took nine months to get it sold, even though it was in like new condition and had only been towed once for about 1300 miles.
@@eagleeye2427 Basically you are living in a boat. All the utilities are not like utilities in a house. So you have to find special repair people to repair them. I didn’t need repairs, I just needed a certified RV repair person to inspect the RV to maintain my extended warranty. Because the only 7 repair persons in the city I was near were flakes, it took six months to just get someone to show up, even though I offered a $100 cash bonus on top of their fee, just so they would show up.
Plus….after paying $85k cash for the new Redwood fifth wheel, I had to pay $800 a month for trailer park location to park it. I would have had more room and a better quality of life if I had just rented an apartment for the same price. For example, you soon have no real friends, because people only stay in the park for a week or less. You meet them, spend time, and they leave.
My friend bought a campground 3 years ago for $975,000. He just sold it last month for $4.5 Mil
Wow! 😯
good idea to sell it for retirement money
That’s AWESOME! I’d love to own a campground some day and be able to run it hands on.
that is the problem Corporations are buying these up and increasing the fees and reducing the seasonal campsites, I know one near me increased the prices to the point we don't want to go back. time to move on.
dont lie
Baffles me that RV parks are so popular, it always seemed to defeat the purpose of having an RV. I always thought boondocking was the standard.
HAAAAAMBURGER NO
We have just returned from a 3 week, 7,500 mile, San Francisco to Boston RV vacation. ( July 8 - July 30, 2024) Never once did we make advance reservations. Never once did we have a problem finding a campsite in a RV resort. As a note: Niagara Falls is very impressive from both the American and Candian sides.
We're retired and of course on the "fixed" income and we're being pushed out of the RV travel/camping lifestyle by not just over crowding of campgrounds or shortage of campground sites but by the prices of campsites. As these corporations buy up the mom and pop campgrounds and yes improve them they also have a bottom line to improve for investors. In some cases prices have tripled for a campsite and the reservation deposit requirements are full payment up front which could be many months in advance, we can't afford to put out thousands of dollars on paid in full advance reservations so camping now is becoming only for the affluent who can afford the prices and deposits. We'll probably just sell here shortly as our relatively new RV has been sitting for months with no place to go, it will mark the end of 50 years of Camping/RVing.
Where did you encounter the crowded/overpriced campsites
Retired in January and spent almost 2 months on the road in Arizona and Nevada. I found my self spending hours each day searching websites for campsites and cancellations. Eventually I became very discouraged and went back home. I appreciate your video because I did not know of that app/website that would help find and book sites. Thank you.
Thanks for watching
What about boondocking on BLM land🤔did u try that?
@@mid70smod17 Yes. I wound up using La Posa South, in Quartzsite, as my main base camp and either did day trips, or if I got a campground, stayed in the campground. For example, I booked a couple of nights in Catalina State Park, near Tucson, and did some local site seeing.
I lived in an RV park outside of Tampa for a year from 2019 through 2020 wanting to opt out of the skyrocketing housing costs. Many around me had years before been pushed to the margins finding it the only affordable option. Some were tourists, traveling medical staff or folks who traveled for work at power plants across the country. With flood insurance about $6K a year for the most modest homes, many in Florida are opting for RVs, so that's another pressure. Many corporations opt to buy up RV parks in Florida because of folks who are unable to even move like retirees and sex offenders. Another pressure. And lastly where I was abutted new home communities buying up undeveloped land. Developers wanted the land for McMansions near to a city and were driving RV parks out. I think housing costs are affecting RVers more than you know. But great video.
One of our greatest frustrations is finding a campground advertising 85 sites--only to discover that 79 of them are residentials (parked an RV and will never move it). No wonder we have trouble reserving a spot! And sometimes (not always) when we get the spot, we discover that too many of the residentials have broken down grills, cars on blocks, teetering decks, bad skirting, and generally trashy sites. The bathhouses are infrequently used, so infrequently cleaned or repaired. Owners won't bother their bread-and-butter, so nothing gets better.
LOL!! Who in his/her right mind likes to 'geek out' when you have the opportunity to leave all that behind? My friends and I all love the opportunity to get away from electronics and live the life when we take to the road for traveling and camping out. There's nothing better than getting back to the open road, boondocking and living free on the land with not a care in the world.
I was going to boondock full time so that I could save and buy some land near Boulder, Colorado outright, then slowly build a house without a mortgage. Maybe I’ll make the land an RV park instead.
We snowbird on the AL coast until Easter. On Jan 2, we made a 90 day reservation for Northern MI. We made a reservation in TX for next winter ('25) already. So the answer is, YES. You must plan ahead.
So true, thanks for the comment and for watching
Rv life is how I'm going to live the rest of my life after my kids are grown no house no apartment no rent no bills gonna boondock with solar panels ❤❤❤❤❤❤
Hi, what about water? Sorry I don’t know much about RV-ing
I’m doing it now come on out! Van on!
I’m interested to see how many people are going to go this way. Just going to be a weekender myself
@@eagleeye2427 The state parks have dump stations at their campgrounds for $5. You dump your 2 septic tanks, gray and black, and also refill your fresh water. Then you are good to go until you run out of water or fill up your gray or black or both. Usually lasts me about two weeks.
@@ldygzlle1291 Where do you usually refill it other than state parks?
Add the reluctance of many areas to build RV parks, the capacity issue will only resolve when people start exiting the RV experience. Someone tried to build a new park in our area and the county residents fought it aggressively.
Very true, thanks for the comment and for watching
And the County Government will come up with all sorts if insane bullshit. Texas has an 87 page instruction manual.
You'd think I was wanting to build a fricking space shuttle launch.
I finally said, Piss on it.
Atlas SHRUGGED
All you big rigs can have the commercial campgrounds. I'll stick to the older state parks that can't accommodate 30' and longer rigs.
I've probably commented here about this before, but one of my biggest gripes with most campgrounds . . especially private or big-business owned, is that most have done NOTHING to improve their facilities despite overwhelming demand. Never in history has there been a better time to make capital investments and use the influx of cash to improve or expand. The exception has been a lot of State Parks . . or at least Pennsylvania State Parks. Not only are they adding full hookups to existing facilities but some are adding on entire new camping loops.
Wisconsin also lovely state parks.
We have traveled for 40 years in our rv’s. We always made reservations in Jan for the entire year. Even then we didn’t want to get stuck with 4 kids and no campground to stay in. We traveled every summer for several weeks. Reservations in advance let us pick our sites. We also made reservations for where we would stay overnight along the way. Hopping back on the freeway was crucial time saver. We could then make reservations for attractions we wanted to see. Nothing worse than going t see something and you needed tickets 9 months ago.
Very true! Thanks for watching
I own a new RV -- good for me, as many RV Camp spots no longer allow anything over than 10 years. But, bad for me, figuring all of the money spent and everyone in town is out in the woods or on the coast, sucking the life out of "getting away". More peace staying at home. When it rains, my wife and i go out and sit in our 2-year-old RV and have hot chocolate. An occasional sleepover in our motorhome, driveway, parking spot -- no charge, and actually, more peace and quiet than other places. Lucky, we are old and retired and enjoyed the coast and the great outdoors, without all of the people that have swamped the open spaces, not so open anymore. We have seen it, however, in times past, when the excitement dies out, the glut of RV sales -- usually when the money runs out -- but this seems to be hanging on a bit longer. We will see. For now my favorite parking spot in along side my house.
Excellent and true observation. So many people glamorize RV living and yet it is not all sugar and honey. We own a smaller toy hauler that can be pulled with our Suburban or Van. Big enough for two of us with wet bath and kitchenette. We live where there is plenty of forest to go boon-docking. Every time there is weekend or holiday it seems like whole town leaves in their RV's 😂. It is so nice and peaceful that we end up staying in. I hate how most RV parks look like. It's like reserving spot at the huge parking lot with bunch of people lined up side to side. This is zero fun, spending free time with bunch of strangers, sometimes unpleasant strangers, suffering us. Perhaps people from huge cities find that as vacation getaway but we are not in huge city. We enjoy privacy. In addition, fees are getting ridiculous for that type of privilege. Thankfully we boughed used trailer years ago when prices were lower and they were build better, so no huge financial loss to us. Most people should never buy RV. They will never utilize it as planned and lose lots of $$ at resale, not to mention maintenance cost due to crappy quality that industry adopted now. Corporations take over everything now and everything they touch h turns into crap.
We almost never had trouble just pulling into a campground and getting a decent spot. Not anymore, and we are not willing to make reservations at a place, sight unseen. Now, we just use our camper van for day trips or if we lose our power. It's def a second home. 😊
My wife and I have been RV vacationers for over a decade, we never really had a difficult time finding a campground for the weekend with a few days notice and in many cases, just dropping in.
However since that 2020 season we struggled to find campsites every single weekend for 2 years, were often forced to settle for sites we didn't like, and were forced to live elbow to elbow with strangers as many of our favorite campgrounds reduced their site sizes to make more sites from the same space, many cut all their trees as well.
So last year we took the plunge and bought a 1/4 acre lot to plop our trailer on in a community thats designed for people who want a quiet disconnected vacation without the crowds.
We got lucky though, I know availability is very low on property like that now.
Yes it’s what I’m looking to buy
Why book ANYTHING? Just go boondocking and forget about all the hassle. Why would you want to book a spot where you'll be within inches of another camper anyway? May as well stay home.
Hah! That would be great BUT there are MANY large areas, especially in the east where there is ZERO legal boondocking.
Nevada!!
Ssshhhh, lol
Depends on your rig
Because boogie man! Everywhere not in a park is slab city to many folks.
We have a resort and campground opening up in this year in our area. It’s located near the Scenic Riverways in the MO Ozarks. Great place for kayakers, hikers, etc. The keyed gated resort is called Rockin Bell River Resort and they have a website for more info. Not affiliated but as a fellow camping enthusiast it’s nice to see more options available. Happy travels!
Blessings, Linda
Thanks for the info! 💙
better make sure your rig is ten yrs or newer, right grateful glamper?
The number of glamping seems to be going up. Camp ground with limited services still tend to be easy to grab. I suppose the problem is for those who want power to run their AC, and fridges, and to have pools rather then people who want to camp to get away.
love your channel. You guys are so down to earth and give alot of information that we appreciate!💞
Thanks so much!
I remember road tripping in the late seventies. No rv, maybe a tent or just pillows and blankets. A cooler of course with groceries and beverages. Using the sink for a quick bath in one of those restrooms around the back of a gas station. And don't forget the 870 pump!
And Campground pri es keep going up, especially the amusement park like KOA campgrounds.
I prefer dru camping (boondocking) as I put solar panels on my RV. Federal Forests and BLM land have enormous number of free campsites!
Something I noticed last summer while on my 6 week adventure More ppl are living in their rigs and working. Not bc they desire this lifestyle but out of necessity. They take up the travelers sites full time. I noticed some RV parks are 3/4 full of these rigs. Personally I find that undesirable to stay at these parks so now I must pay more $$$$ to pull away from those parks. Higher costs for me now. Pretty much $55 a night stay now as a norm.
i have no mortgage on my home or bills, should i sell my home and buy an rv, NOT!. Im glad i traveled and worked through all of North America from 1974 to 2003 when life was better without all the restrictions and far cheaper then today.
We’re hitting the road for 4yrs & aren’t selling our paid for house-no way are we doing that! Granted we’d have gotten more than enough to pay for our travels very cushyly, but then we’d come back to having to buy again.
I rented my home to someone responsible but our deal was that I kept the detached garage to store my stuff and use if necessary but I understand most people don't have a detached garage
Thanks for your perspective on this. I doubt you will see this being so far down on your list, but no biggie. We are full-time RVers in Canada. We spend the summers on our property in Alberta and spend the winters in British Columbia close to the US border. We have seen absolutely nothing about what we are hearing from friends in the US. Our wintertime campground was FULL last year, and on the way here we just barely got an overnight spot in Banff. This year? We were the only ones staying in the campground in Banff, and our winter campground only has 11 spots out of 41 rented. What we are hearing is that a lot of the people that got RVs during the pandemic decided it is not exactly how they wanted to go, and are off to Costa Rica or the Dominican like they used to pre-travel-restrictions. This probably only applies to Canada, as it is harder to find a winter spot that you don't still get blasted with snow and cold sometimes, so people go WAY south. I feel super bad for our campground managers...they get paid based on the number of guests staying here. I just wanted to bring up a bit of a different perspective. I will know more from personal experience about this issue this fall, when I go to Pittsburgh to visit my family.
Thanks for sharing your experience
I have to wonder what Florida’s new law that gives residents priority over non-residents in reservations at those campgrounds. I also think that most campgrounds should adopt the same policy of COE reservations and that they can’t be made but 6 months out at the earliest.
I'd rather see more RV parks, than those dumb Storage unit facilities popping up everywhere. Gah they're such an eye sore....
Close your eyes when driving by.
For me the biggest issue right now is increased complexity of getting INTO National Parks.. Lottery ticket systems and timed tickets make a spontaneous trip out west into Disneyworld 2.0.. I am not driving THAT far hoping to get into a park.
Florida State Parks are booking 11 months out. We had to use Arvie.
Wow. I'm glad we did that when we could. Florida has awesome state parks! 😎🌴
Well said! We seem to only have to really plan ahead & reserve somewhat ahead of time in the S/E of the country. We can still wing it further West. We’ve been enjoying the Florida State Parks in the panhandle and have been reserving 2-4 weeks ahead of time. Weirdly, we still see a lot of empty sites…
Thanks for the comment and for watching
maybe the panhandle in FL is a new retirement destination too... outside of the mass retirement area in most of Florida
@@lrobie123 it’s definitely a snowbird area. It’s not as warm as further south, but we’ve been enjoying it. The beaches are gorgeous!
I think I would rather have a very small set up and boondock.
It’s what I do. Subaru Outback tow vehicle, small Jayco trailer. Currently 400 watts solar (going to add 200 more), 3000w pure sine inverter. 20’ trailer has 30lb propane tank, 30 gallon freshwater tank, 20lb grey & black water tanks. Full bath, tankless hot water heater. Carry a 2500w generator in case of crummy weather. Our longest trip so far boondocking only has been five days, but could do longer if we wished. We like being home on weekends, though, so go out during the week.
Too many "RV Parks" are just parking lots.
Another great video in the series of videos you produce. Thanks so much great work and excellent videos.
Glad you like them!
The RV Industry is making/selling tens of thousands of RV's each year, but nobody is making tens of thousands of Camping Sites...
Florida here-Out of curiosity I checked websites to stay somewhere full-time year-round and called and was told summer and winter rates apply for month-to-month year round occupants. Better rates in Florida's summer compared to winter.
So far we have not noticed an issue of not finding a campground available. Our plans have been liquid in the past 3 years.
Are you going to the Eclipse this year 2024? We will be heading out the first of April starting from Utah and taking our first long trip with our trailer. We will be traveling gor 3 weeks. Everthing is all booked, wish us luck. Love watching your channel, we have learned so much!
Thankfully we mostly boondock.
Really don’t like crowded RV parks.
all the local parks here and in East Tennessee that I know of are full of full timers that have no house and do not travel. Cheaper than rent on a house.
Interesting! Thanks for the comment
What part of East Tennessee?
KOA has priced me out of their campgrounds!
Do you know if Arvie has availability information for long-term or extended stay in RV campgrounds? Thanks!
Not as of yet, but they are working on adding that as option in the near future.
6:02 Why would the service at campgrounds be worse if more people are booking? When you make a reservation, you pay ahead of time. My expectation is that they can work on the park before season starts, when they are collecting $$$ w/o having to do anything.
Campgrounds struggle to keep up with maintenance, have enough staff, etc.
Unfortunately , in the PNW, many campgrounds are extremely limited because of the “full timers”. People pick prime spots and live full time often taking up a few spots and leave few spots for visitors. 😢
2:25 " . . . didn't go back , , , fell in love". For many going to the RV life is a one-way door. With rising rents home prices, it can be hard to going bock to brick n mortar.
28 year old trying to boondock 6 months out of the year, then snowbird to Florida and park on my dad’s property. When my parent’s get old and I’ve bought my property outright, I’ll give my truck and trailer to them for retirement. They can sell their house and use social security for income.
Great video! Any tips on what to find to do in certain areas? Having difficulty on what to find to do in Alabama in November (when we're driving through it lol)
I use trip advisor and Google to find things to do/see in certain areas.
New channel here! Thank you for giving us someone to watch and learn from!
You are so welcome!
Observer Ranch outside Colorado Springs recently opened.
Some ideas here aren’t very factual, but not a bad video over all. Maybe this is geared more towards western or northern parts with campgrounds? Thankfully we travel mostly in the south.
We have an American Fifth Wheel over here in the UK, and we are a rarity but our parks are pretty good, but their pitches tend to be too short.
But that aside, I'd like to ask if the USA campsites have the concept of a 'firebreak'? Where there is a set distance between campers, so if there is a fire the unit next door wouldn't be impacted (well that's the theory).
We have it here in the UK and the main problem we find is that because our door is on the 'opposite' side to most UK campers, we aren't allowed on site unless we have the 'odd' pitch at the corner of the park.
Those points are not really "Threat". Those are more like inconvenience.
Many popular sites are always overcrowded. But some RV parks are almost empty.
Real threat is so many people have become RV homeless because the price of rent become so high in some area.
oh my. automated RV booking. Now the last minute RV campsite schedulers have little chance to get last minute reservations. It's a tough world....
We brought our first RV in our mid 20s, we upgraded due to many camp grounds not allowing older models. So we got a 2022 c class and then had problems getting campsites due to being full. So we had to purchase our own. We’re millennials with kids from kindergarten to high school. We don’t do full time, we are part timers. But I believe families especially that are part time should be able to get campsites.
Agreed!
Why should I a single woman be shuttle to the back of the line just because you have children or anyone else. First come, first served.
I own a deeded campsite. We are allowed to full time. Only spot in the state. My property value for a 1/8 acre campsite has quadrupled since prior to covid.
I haven't sold, but may regret that one day if the bubble bursts
My husband got called back to work in the office after 3 years of working remote so our RV time is over. So sad.
It's happening all over too - people who worked remote during Covid are being asked to return.
Awesome Information!
I hate the early bookers. My job does not allow me to plan that far ahead and those early bookers have really put a hurting on me being able to use my RV at all. I usually end up settling for the third best or worse just to be able to get to go at all. I will jave to try that booking service maybe.
Thanks so much for your video I really enjoyed it .
Glad you enjoyed it!
Definitly more campers on the road since covid but the sales have dropped considerably or at least the production. During the pandemic and slightly after manufacturers in Goshen couldn’t make them fast enough. Now their lots are full as sellers are not taking on as much inventory. I wouldn’t travel and availability to normalize for at least a decade.
How ever. Your information is needed.
Signed up for Arvie, but it doesn't list any Campgrounds in Yellowstone.
All campgrounds in park managed by Xanterra I believe. They don’t need Arvie
Plenty of spots here in Tennessee and Mississippi.
And Nevada
What are you going to do when gas isnt available
Also a person can only travel so many miles per week
many cities and states refuse to allow new rv parks to be built as they don't get as much money in taxes and many of they people who are in rv's are low income ---often refered to as trailer trash which leads to the age rule of your rig ----nothing over 10 years just wait til the crash happens and you see people losing their homes and have no where else to go----gonna get interesting FYI IT IS ALL ABOUT MONEY
The age rule is almost always waived if you send photos of the exterior of your camper in advance, to show that it's not an eye sore. We were worried about it buying an 11 year old rig but haven't been refused anywhere with a ten year rule yet.
KOA - Keep On Adding :-)
😂
Doesn’t matter how glamorous your rig is. You have to lug it everywhere and accommodate it. And it’s STILL camping out.
Campgrounds are full of rules and pricey . Then there’s the cost of FUEL - geez, try California for super high costs , I had to turn around.
This winter, the Rv park I’m staying over the winter had huge amounts of cancellations. The economy is not great and I m not sure it’s Popularity or necessity that your Trending shows . Some have had to move out of renting home or apartments because it’s become insanely overpriced
I get the impression as a full timer you expect preferential treatment.
so now you are pitching a bot service to snatch the camp sites first.
not sure I agree with or support your choice.
As technology evolves not everyone embraces the changes. Thanks for watching
Very entitled.
They are already raising the prices to equal the price of renting a stick and brick .
Well I mean that's cool and all, but some of us aren't just dropping everything we have, buying RV's, and living the dream life. Some of us can't find homes and are forced into living in an RV just to stay off the streets. Luckily I live in a place that has open KOA's year round, because going into the mountains this time of year to use BLM spots for 2 weeks, is not even a thing due to snow.
Our biggest expense has become fuel costs. We have a smaller rig, but our fuel costs is 30 cents a mile.
We have never had an issue finding a site in the area we want. Though it helps having a small trailer even when booking the day of. Although what is difficult is getting a public site. Those book up in January for peak season. It's really the cheap sites that are hard to find. So if you don't mind full hook ups and shelling out the cash for one you can find a site easily even without reservations. I think everyone thinks camping is cheap. As these Covid rigs get old and people look to replace them, they won't they will just get rid of them. RV camping is probably more expensive than flying and staying in a hotel. The reason we opted for it is because of our dogs. You really have to have more of a reason than I want to travel to be in the RV lifestyle. That being said I have been in campgrounds that are 25 percent full on a weekend. I was told at one park in this row just not the ends. Well, we found a site far away from the only other rig in the row and what does the people in the rental do park right next to us instead of spacing out.
I'm a Florida resident and it's almost impossible to find anything to camp at. If you have any recommendations, please let me know. thank you.
Winter is harder but seriously this is how/why we started using Arvie to pick up cancellations
I agree with you 100 Percent. living in tampa and to find anything in the winter you are either paying top dollar or not camping@@GratefulGlamper
Florida state parks are the best. Glad I did that before old age kicked in!
We use arve is amazing. And the owner personally emailed me to make sure I was happy. That was simply amazing to us. We have spread the word about they're service to every ever we meet !!!!!!!!!!! Customer for life from Arve. !!!!!!!! Less glamping and more camping . Lol. Disneyland is for the glampers ??? 😂😮😂😮😂😮😂😂
stop making the sites so cramped I don't go camping to to do the same thing I do at home house 5 to 10 feet away and hear the noise. looking for land to camp on with select crowd.
Very interesting thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching
Thank you for sharing this information
Thanks for watching!
TOOO DAM EXPENSIVE
RVIE for all lower 48 state campgrounds? Plus Alaska
Perfect time to explore Canada. The high US dollar will go farther.
I don't care where I stay as long as it's safe from the cities I'll never pay more than 30 bucks a night
Anyone have experience with hipcamp? Might help with some of the crowding out there. I dunno, I'm not out of the rat race yet. :(
Yes, we just recently stayed at a Hipcamp!
TOMBSTONE WE ARE OPEN FOR RVS 24/7/365 9 Parks
Nice!
forgot to mention Barking dogs that Suxs
I love your shirts/hoodies where did you get them?
There available a few times a year. Be sure to join our emails list at gratefulglamper.com to be notified when we have them available
"Rising trend"? I thought since COVID ended, RV living was declining.
Not at all…
Yeah that’s one spin I guess. Truth is housing is unaffordable, the American dream is dead, homelessness is rampant, and Govt really don’t want you living in an RV.
Raise their prices but can't keep the parks working prperly and looking nice. Use State and National parks.
#1 threat is high fuel and food prices
Music too loud. And some what irritating.
Thanks for the feedback
Over the years I Use KOA less and less. Why? I know what I paid for a site in 2007 and what they ask for the same site now. Same with Encore and Sun Outdoors. Big rip offs.
We have been Rving over 30 years and have always avoided kOA as they seem to consistently be the most expensive in any area.
2007 was 17 years years ago, fyi. Prices changed significantly from 1987-2004 as well (also 17 years.)
Did the price of your rv, car and food remain the same as in 2007?
i rved for 40 years and stayed away from koa hate them
How come?
I'm sure you have a great video here, but it is unwatchable with all the loud, thumping noisy "music" interludes. It completely ruins my ability to hear what you are saying. Most youtubers have learned years ago to drop the noisy music nonsense from their videos. I made it to 1:50 and had to quit. Thumbs down!
This is good for the softs that live and die by the RV Campgrounds If you have a rig that allows you to travel EVEYWHERE,,,,don’t fall for this video advertisement.
The RV life was forced on people who are on the bottom of the earning scale. Most did not have a RV, they had their vehicles or went couch surfing.
If the rich or well to do want to take another survival path from us and make it more expensive, what is left?
I still have not invented that shrink ray so I can live in a cup of dirt.
Does anyone have an app or discord to help plan trips across Canada/USA to avoid not only major weather events/evacuations, but also dangers like sanctuary cities, migrant caravans, illegals, and lawless cities?
Fuel prices.
I recently bought a ranch and the seller agreed to remove all personal property before close of escrow. What did I find? A 34 foot motor home and two trailers! I told the seller if she did not remove her junk ASAP I would bill her $10,000 to have it towed to the junk yard. She gave me the pink slip and ownership docs and I gave it away to some homeless people looking for free stuff. I do not understand why so many people are living in Motor Homes? Is it the lack of property taxes? When you drive anywhere near a large city all you will see are tents, shopping carts with blue tarps and trailers, Motor homes, junk cars, trash and needles. What a mess. I see people who want free rent, free meals, free healthcare and free clean up services all paid by others. There is a change in my community. No parking signs for trucks, RV's and street parking limits of one hour. My former public street is now private. Today it is a one mile long driveway for homeowners only. In some areas, homeowners are buying back the public streets and making them private and inaccessible. In my area we bought the former public lake, so it is not private. Public access is restricted. Why? To prevent vagrants, homeless, thieves and criminals. The first thing we noticed was no more trash on the roads, no more graffiti and no more crime. So far, four local streets are owned by the homeowners and all sidewalks have been removed to discourage trespassers. Some now have gates blocking trespassers and private street lighting. Boon docking is discouraged here. It would be good if honest vacationers in Motor Homes would encourage the losers "camping" along side them to remove their trash.