We wont go for just one or two nights. If we can't make a long weekend of it, we don't go. It's not just the hooking-up and breaking-down, it's also the shopping for and loading of food, packing appropriate clothing for the weekend etc. Most of the time, now that we're both retired, we go from Sunday afternoon to Fri morning. This way we avoid the crowds and get better sites. It's also worth the effort and we really get to relax for a few days.
Back in my single days I was driving this old VW Camper-Van - ya know, with the pop up canvas top... Anyway, I always had it loaded with everything needed for (at least) a week "boondocking" although back then it was just called CAMPING.
Leaving work I could turn right to go to my apartment... or left to the coastal mountains just West of Silicone Valley (SF, CA). No telling which way I would go. I remember the phone booth at this one gas station in the foothills and exactly when to call to get the bosses answering machine...."hello boss.. this is John.... it's 8:00 - I am really feeling awful, going to get some sleep tonight if I can ...hack hack hack sniffle sniffle... but doubt I'll be in tomorrow...
My wife and I often camp for one night at a park 40 min away from home. I travel all week and want to be home. She is home all week and wants to get out of the house.
We do a couple of one night trips each month and one long trip each year lasting several weeks. We leave early Sat morning and come home Sunday afternoon after spending a weekend camping with friends.
CavemanCharlie wrote: If I do the one night thing it's because friends invited me over for some beer and I won't drink and drive so I will tow TT and not even unhook. Then I jump in it to sleep till morning. My TT is a great Anti-DWI device.
Last year, I drove my Class B to my sisters 50th birthday party and a couple other friends birthday. Great that I could drive it to those events and stay over night.
See Picture In My Profile
1990 Dodge XPLORER RV Van- Purchased 10/15/10 Chick Magnet !
* Sportsman GEN154 2000 Watt 80cc Portable Generator * XM Satellite Radio since 12/25/2004
Sold my Class C 1976 Dodge TEC Motor Home 9/25/10
No. Even in the 70s when gas was still affordable I wouldn't go camping unless we could spend 2 nights away. For just one night it wasn't worth the hassle. As it is now, gas or no gas, it's too much work to load and unload our RV just for a 1 or even 3 night stay somewhere. We will either, from now on, spend 5 nights at a CG or not go at all. But we're retired and can do that.
We live about 1.4 miles from a nice campground and will go there anytime rather than pay high fuel prices. We camp in the driveway a lot, take our supper out there and watch a movie, maybe "sleep over" if the moods strikes. We also camp locally at a state park and an RV sales campground with good rates and someone always around to answer questions. Anytime in the 5er is a good time!
2007 Jayco Designer 36RLTS
2006 F350 DRW super duty
When you're born, everyone is smiling and you're crying. Live so that when you die everyone else is crying and you're smiling!
We fulltime now, but before we did, had a Dodge Van all set for camping. We kept enough canned food in it, all the pans, dishes, etc and never had to pack it. At most we fulled a water cooler, and left. Could stay over night, a few days or even a couple of weeks anyway. In our own business, could take off when we wanted to, and our partner ran the business. One year we took off for three weeks, he left for three weeks, and we alternated all year. We figure at home we can have the best meals ever, better than anything camping. So who try to fix gourmet meals at campgrounds. Many times we just ate cold food out of the cans so there were no dishes to wash. If we had to have a hot meal from time to time, could just stop and get one in a restaurant as we traveled.
My first "camping" trips began in 1936, sleeping with a blanket thrown down on top of a piece of canvas. Then backpacking, at most with a shelter half.
When kids came along we camped in a 10x10 Coleman tent, and had a blast.
Then we traveled on a motorcycle, carrying our stuff in backpacks. From 1970 on it was back to backpacking and we could go hiking into the Sierra Mountains or Yosemite and Sequoia back-country for at least a week with what we carried on our backs. We saw views few others saw, like hiking in to camp at the top of El Capitan in Yosemite from Tioga Road. Out of millions of visitors to Yosemite, probably fewer than 1-200 a year get to see that view, maybe less than 100.
Didn't get an RV until the 1980s when arthritis began to make it too uncomfortable to sleep on the ground. We stuck to one under 25 feet, so we could bet in anywhere they limit size. We have never called staying in an RV, camping, but RVing, its still good to get out into National Parks or Forest even though we live full time in Thousand Trails Campgrounds year round. So the RV is always packed, and ready to go somewhere. Full-time RVing means living is less expensive, no rent or house payments and maintaining a home etc.. Even on minimal social security we can pay for fuel when we want to go... Sometimes we do take off go park in the National Forest a few days, then come back to the campground.
Bob & Nadine 1984 Allegro, always at home!
Living Life With a "Golden Age Passport"
and Thousand Trails VIP Membership, Priceless!
Home Park: Verde Valley. Korean Veteran - 5th Regimental Combat Team
.....Every Mission assigned, Accomplished.....
Yes, quite often. Mostly because my wife doesn't get off of work until Friday evening. By the time we got to a campground they'd either have the gate locked or we would be "those rude people" setting up in the middle of the night and waking everyone up.
So, we frequently leave Saturday morning and come back Sunday night.
I don't quite get the complaints about "loading" the RV. What's to load? Keep it stocked with non perishable food items, have a second set of dishes in there (thrift store), and at least travel-sized toiletries. Throw a couple of changes of clothes and a towel in an overnight bag, and the perishable food items into a box -- take them out and go. I don't even see the packing of clothes as 'wasted' time, you'd be picking something out to wear and digging it out anyhow over the next few days right?
Offline
This way we avoid the crowds and get better sites. It's also worth the effort and we really get to relax for a few days.
