How much of a factor is your age?

[rabraz]

Not to step on any toes but I am really curious to hear from my older RVing brothers and sisters as to how your age affects your camping activities. I am 57 with a retirement plan of 62. Based on how I've slowed down the last few years I cannot help but ask myself if I will still enjoy hitching up and traveling as much as I do now. Will there come a time when a Class A replaces the 5ver?? I think we all have to admit there is a certain amount of hard work that goes into RVing.
How about it? Any insight or opinion when your age becomes a real factor in these great activities we all love?
Happy Trails this season!

[davel1971]

age limits me because I am far to young to retire and camp more

[martinto]

65 Strong...well, the lower back plays havoc once in awhile...and I need a good nap from time to time...almost daily!

Once I hook up, make the drive, and the set up is done, I'll sit next to a warm campfire and everything just settles.

Just do it!

[geotex1]

We've done the natural progression from tents, to PUPs, to HTTs, and now simplified the routine with a hardside TT, but at slower pace that most in our age group. DW and I wanted faster setups and breakdowns when hitting the CG and more convenience features, and DW wanted a made bed ready to sleep in for a distinct change. However, this change was more because our careers are demanding and we find ourselves taking quick weekend escapes. So, the camper is ready to go all the time during the season - fridge running, pantry stocked, camping clothes packed, and, of course, bed made so all we need to to is come home, hitch and go, and hit the grocery store for fresh groceries along the way.

I have a bad knee and back issues from an injury in my 20s, and DW has a bad knee, shoulders, and elbows from playing tennis competitively, but we are both still very active and spend most of our time camping outdoors hiking, biking, paddling, and enjoying the serenity of a campfire. Definitely slower than we were with more aches, pains, and joints cracking, but you'll still find me DIYing everything.

I doubt we'd every go the route of MH, and we'd be towing with that regardless because of the need for a toad. So, next and likely last progression will be a 5er provided our health doesn't leave us and I gotta wear out the 8.1L first and she's only got 45K on her.

[Edmund]

We went FT when I was 55. The moving around, hitching and unhitching, I feel, has kept me fairly limber. I am now REAL close to 75 and don't plan to quit any time soon.

[Platokidd]

After 30 plus year of playing softball, 15 years of racquetball (both in leagues) this camping stuff is a can of corn. But then again, I often tweak my hammy just getting out of bed in the morning.

[Total Bliss]

I believe camping keeps you young. Fresh air and nature. And of course a great bottle of Cabernet. Just to keep the blood thin. Medically thinking.

[BigTJohn]

If you worry about, might as well just quit now. Don't worry about it. Nothing is very hard and I'm 67, cycle 50-100 miles 3-4 times a week. Life is good.

[davel1971]

^^^^^^what he said^^^^^^

[OldCoot]

Close to 75 and still lazy and getting lazier, trying to figure out how to make things even easier while camping.

Pulling a 5er I'm not supposed to be able to.

[toslow]

well i'm 51 and just done 14hrs of snowmobiling yesterday. i feel it a little today but nothing i'll ever complain about.

[Hudlow]

Just bury me at the campground.

[Hoglou]

i guess we considered the age issue to some degree, but we mainly considered the type of travel we would be doing. We existed the scooter world at 59 and swapped out the Ultra for a Class C.

We have seen (a lot of) it across the US and Canada, and we want to see it again but this time with air, satt, and a blender at our disposal. For us the C won over the others because of the ease of driving in tight areas and he continued ease of multiple quick (and simple) toad excursions and relocations during the trip. The toad connects/seperates to/from the mother ship faster then DW can load the road cooler. I guess I am still in the biker touring mode of travel. Our daughter and her hubby/kids do the fifth wheel thing but are prone not to break camp as frequently. For me, I get a season pass every year to short attention span theature, go to it see it do it eat it leave it.

If we ever do the months long break we would/will probably be in an A pusher.

So the age issue from my perspective is a function of ability to do the work, the means to pay, and the type of action you are seeking..

[mlangdn]

At only 60, I'm not sure yet what my limits will be. The TT sets up quickly and hookup is a snap. The bed is always ready. Unloading firewood from the truck is the hardest I have to do at camp. That said, we love the peacefulness and the campfire. I don't mean quiet peace, because we love to watch the grandkids play and all the other shenanigans of all the camp kids. Plan on going a long ways yet.

[AshnJim]

We're in our mid-sixties, retired on a fixed income, and currently have a PUP. We're aiming to trade "up" for a TT at the end of this season, but in the past have been tenters, and camped in a VW bus for several years, too. Our PUP is a high wall, and because we're both relatively short, the beds are often overhead, which makes them hard for us to pull out. We begrudge the time it takes us - about 2 hours - to set up and take down, and that's why we're aiming for a TT (with a Murphy bed).

Our usual haunts are Forest Service campgrounds in SE Arizona, but now that we've started holding a booth for our Scottish clan at Celtic festivals - which requires a couple of hours to set up and tear down, often in the wind, which can be challenging - we're camping more often, and learning to enjoy having the full hookups at KOAs and private 'grounds. We are camping more this year than we usually get to, and hope to add more trips to our schedule once we have the TT and can stay places for one or two nights; right now, it's not worth the trouble for less than three-four nights.

So no, although height (or lack thereof) gets in our way sometimes (dang - did we forget to unzip the awning again?), age doesn't. We agree with geotex1 on that - it keeps us young, limber-ish, and healthy. (And because we can't afford a toad, and we like mobility for touristing, we don't plan/expect ever to have a motorhome. Got our fill of that with the VW bus.)

[rabraz]

Some really good input so far. I suppose no one can tell you when you've had enough. I, like many others have made the complete transition in camping gear over the last 40 years. DW and I spent the first 3 months our lives together living in a pup! Good thing we were young and in love because that was a damn cold winter.
I only started this thread because we have been talking about going fulltime and the while the excitement of the concept makes me lean to retirement at 60 years, 62 makes a lot of difference for us financially. Don't want to miss my window because I age out! Decisions...
Old Coot, you give hope for the future!!
Happy Trails To All This Season

[DreiHunde]

Originally Posted by davel1971

age limits me because I am far to young to retire and camp more

Couldn't agree more!!!

[rockfordroo]

Early sixties. Had a popup for 20 yrs with the kids. Went to a HTT 3 yrs ago. But DW didn't like putting the bunk up and down (as someone else said: faster setups/teardowns), so we just ordered a Mini Lite on Friday. It has a Murphy bed, so we'll see if she likes that. If not, we'll probably be trading up again in a few years!!

Someone discussed ending up with a MH or Class C. Downside to that is you end up stuck in the campground most of the time, unless you have a toad. If you have a toad, you still have "setup/teardown" related to the toad. Of course, if this is YOUR problem and not the DW's, then she'll still be happy, you not so much.

[Button]

We are 57 and that is why we looked and bought this roo 183, wife plans to retire at 62, my job I can do for a long time, we have done everything from rendezvousing in an 18 ft tipi to wall tents, have had a 80's Coleman pop up, other pop ups, a Shasta, 2 fifth wheels, another FR popup and now this, with 3 grandkids, three adult children it was time to find something that would work for us without so much set up. don't mind dropping beds everything else is stocked, would have gone with a 23 ft but we have to angle into driveway from an alley and have a limit on length. Happy camping we are going to as long as we can....want to keep our grandkids involved as long as we can so they can enjoy it as adults also. bucket list is to camp at as many Ohio state parks as we can, see a few dirt tracks we haven't been to and hopefully make it to a few national parks...

[n-e-d]

64 and moving from sleeping in someone's elses bed to our own.Grand tour in 2yrs. Living the good life on the road