Whatever happened to “camping”? We all have “self contained” vehicles and yet many insist they have to stay in a “full service” resort type place that costs $$$$$ every night. It all adds up after awhile and with the costs of fuel the tab gets REAL BIG after just a short while.
Im not saying everyone has to “dry camp” with no electric etc..etc..and attempt to live like some “urchin” for days / weeks at a time but I know that my wife and I don’t have to take a 30 gllon shower daily..especially when the most activity we have done the previous day was photograph the wildlife that came into our campsite we rent in a NF campground.
Ive come across some MIGHTY FINE NF campsites that for $17.95 a night included 50 amp electric!! With sufficient white water hose to get to the nearest outdoor drinking fountain, can replenish our drinking water ( yes..we DO drink the water from our sanitized water tank!!) and with the use of a “blue sewage tank” ( which I don’t have YET) and a 12V DC powered “poop pump” to be used in conjunction with the blue sewage tank ( some places DON’T have a dumpsite and you need to “pump” sewage into a pit toilet) a man can live “fine” for WEEKS….at $17.95 a night!
Grilling supper on the grill ( either charcoal or LP) is MUCHO cheaper than eating out every night ( and to me usually tastes BETTER!!)
At “X” cost per gallon for fuel ( of any sort) times “Z” miles for a trip divided by “Y” MPG is a cost we ARENT EVER going to get away from ( and it aint ever going to get any better either!)
So maybe the kids instead of going to “Dinny World” at some EXTREMLY HIGH price per day entry; standing in line for hours at times to ride the “Wild Bug” or whatever should go to some National Park..to see the scenery; wildlife and associated items and while they learn some geography about the trip…the destination..etc…YOU save some $$….that way you can go AGAIN to the same place..??..or a different location??…but you can GO..and USE that motorhome.
2000 Country Coach Allure; Cummins ISC 330 HP; 71/2 - 8 MPG regardless
2002 Jeep Liberty
If you are over 62 and have the Golden Age pass, then you can camp at Corp Of Engineers (COE) parks for $8-12/night and they almost always have electric and water hookups at each site. The campsites we have used are usually about 3-5 times larger than any other campsite and are on/near a large lake. If your not over 62 and don't have the pass, then double the cost for the campsites. Still a bargain.
They publish booklets that list all the campgrounds they have, or if you have Streets & Trips mapping program, you can download all the COE sites in the US. The Fleetwood Discovery owners group have put them in a format readable by Streets & Trips.
They are our favorite campgrounds and we use them whenever we can.
Example....we are staying INSIDE Rocky Mountain National Park with NO hookups for 6 nights this Summer for $20/night instead of staying in Estes Park at one of the many commercial RV parks for $45-$60/night. We like that sometimes!
BUT!!!!! We also like staying to Fort Wilderness at Disney World, as it is the premier RV Resort in the US, and well worth the $75/night.
2006 Winnebago Voyage 35A, W-22
Brake Buddy, Aventa II tow bar, Protect-A-Tow
2005 Hyundai Elantra toad
If we are spending six (and some people seven) figures on a self contained class A, then why go out of your way to save $30/night? Of course I am all about saving money like the next guy, but to me, if I am going to go "camping", then to me I am paying zero. I want to be out on my own in my self contained vehicle enjoying nature and doing things without support of a "campground". That is part of the adventure. The adventure and enjoyment, to me, is not saving money. Otherwise I would never be in this hobby.
If I am going to go to a campground, then I will go with one that has full hookup. why do i want to unhook and move around the CG to dump? to save $30? no way !
If you are over 62 and have the Golden Age pass, then you can camp at Corp Of Engineers (COE) parks for $8-12/night and they almost always have electric and water hookups at each site. The campsites we have used are usually about 3-5 times larger than any other campsite and are on/near a large lake. If your not over 62 and don't have the pass, then double the cost for the campsites. Still a bargain.
They publish booklets that list all the campgrounds they have, or if you have Streets & Trips mapping program, you can download all the COE sites in the US. The Fleetwood Discovery owners group have put them in a format readable by Streets & Trips.
They are our favorite campgrounds and we use them whenever we can.
Happy Camping.
I know what you mean but Ive got aways to go before 62!!
Sully, Once again you nailed it! Got the Q grill going as we speak. There are a large number of NICE private, local, state and national campgrounds in every state that are very affordable. All you have to do is look around, they are not hard to find. Safe Travels. Kevin & Alexis
Kevin & Alexis... Now gainfully employed fulltimers!
scabello wrote: If we are spending six (and some people seven) figures on a self contained class A, then why go out of your way to save $30/night? Of course I am all about saving money like the next guy, but to me, if I am going to go "camping", then to me I am paying zero. I want to be out on my own in my self contained vehicle enjoying nature and doing things without support of a "campground". That is part of the adventure. The adventure and enjoyment, to me, is not saving money. Otherwise I would never be in this hobby.
If I am going to go to a campground, then I will go with one that has full hookup. why do i want to unhook and move around the CG to dump? to save $30? no way !
Its $30 A DAY ( and maybe more depending on where you are!!) and as I said using a "blue sewage tank" you DONT HAVE TO MOVE THE RV to dump...you just "tote" the tank along behind your toad is all.
Personally..I LIKE "electric" because it makes many things a LOT easier..so I'llpay the little maount they want for electric...but I dont know what NF campgrounds you have stayed at...but the ones Ive been at the campsites are HUGE..and as far as enjoying nature...
One morning Im sitting under my main awning sipping coffee in the early morning and since my awning had been lowered a bit for rain runoff the night before...2 bull moose wandered along.. One couldnt get UNDER my lowered awning as I sat there in my chair sipping coffee and being REAL still. He didnt even flinch when I reached over easy to grab my camera sitting on the ground next to me so I could get quite a few pics of him! To me..thats enjoying nature partner
The Fireball wrote: Shhhhh...... Let's keep this our little secret. Otherwise, everybody will be wanting to do it and crowd us out.
AMEN!
TV 02' Chevy Silverado 3500 8.1 liter 4X4, Rancho 9000, Airlift Airbags 2 Honda EU3000,plus paralleling kit (6000 Watts peak!)
Old Rig (03' Lance 1161) Boy I missed it!
New Rig (05' Cedar Creek 37RDQS)
Second new Rig 1996 Damon Intruder 325B
My wife and I do not camp, not really. We never go to any park, private or otherwise, just to hang out, or to "get away from.....".
We use our motorhome for the CONVENIENCE and for the LUXURY of having our little house, complete with all our stuff,....DURING the road trip part and during our stay. We insist on being comfortable, and we are not opposed to cooking, therefore the most essential hookup is 50 amp electricity. It's not that we don't like running our Quiet Diesel generator, it's just that it gets expensive (we've been known to run it 24-7).
Our most frequent excursion is to Potters Creek Campground, at Canyon Lake. It's only 42 miles from where we live, and with our Golden Age pass it only costs $9 (with 50 amp and water and dump station). We take the boat, and we fish, and we catch fish, and we have a fish fry. We also do other cookouts, like grilled steaks, or burgers.
We also make trips to several other lakes.
All of our motorhome trips are about a specific destination, or event.
Willie & Betty Sue
Miko & Sparky
2003 41 ft Dutch Star Diesel Pusher/Spartan
Floorplan 4010
Blazer toad & Ranger bassboat
Offline
and Missy 
& Skeeter 
