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Old 05-29-2013, 10:56 AM   #1
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Seasonal or Storage?

So, it turns out after buying our new TT, we can't keep it at our house. (See my Welcome Mat thread for the rant about that. ) Instead of being at our house, it's currently stored at a friend of the in-laws house, but that was just a short term measure.

Now the wife and I are trying to decide what's the best way to store our trailer. The public storage places nearby are around $70 a month to store the trailer there. We might go that route this year, but I'm considering putting it on a seasonal next year.

I know my parents only pay about $700 a year for their seasonal, but they're at a private Moose Lodge campground that has absolutely nothing there for our kids. At the other end of the spectrum, there's a campground nearby with lots for the kids to do, but runs about $2000 a year.

So what are people's opinions? Does anybody use a seasonal site more like a storage site with perks, or do they only ever go to the seasonal site?

I'd like to kind of get the best of both worlds, having something that I go pick up and leave easily enough when we want to join other people at other sites, but also be able to get a few extra weekends in by just heading up and camping.

And if we do decide to go seasonal, does anybody have any recommendations for how to find sites in MI? We've already researched most of the sites here in SW Ontario, but I've been told we can sometimes find better deals crossing the border.

Thanks,

Mike
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Old 05-29-2013, 12:58 PM   #2
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There aren't many seasonal folks on here, but there are a few. I keep mine on a seasonal site as a "lake home" over the summer. I am able to quickly pull it out for a trip if needed. $2000 is about right. I pay a little more, but I am not metered for water, sewer and electric. Some Seasonal meter that on top of the annual fee. For a list of campground in a specific area, I would use Reviews of RV Parks and Campgrounds - RV Park Reviews. From there you can call a few directly and inquire as a starting point.
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Old 05-29-2013, 01:04 PM   #3
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Pm wiscampsin as he's a seasonal and he may be able to give you some insite.

As for me I am not but was at a cg this past weekend that offered seasonal sites for $1000.00
Fishing pond.
And a beach next to the river.
We can't justify a seasonal as we camp about 30 nights a year at $18.00 a night were cheaper to just go where we want.
Plus storage at my own house is not an issue.

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Old 05-29-2013, 01:14 PM   #4
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First, the worst thing you can do is not use your camper ~ that's when they seem to deteriorate the most; plus, if you use it frequently, you can catch small problems before they become big ones.

Second, financially, what is your smartest decision? Will the cost of leaving it set up reasonably equal the cost of camping? (gas, maintenance, camping fees, etc)

Third, where would you be most likely to use it? If it's set up and ready to go, you may be more likely to do just that. If you have to go get it, bring it home, pack, go camping, unload, clean, then take it back are you as likely to use it? I think I know what I'd do
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Old 05-29-2013, 01:19 PM   #5
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It's a toss up. I pay about $70/month for my storage lot (which about 1/2 of what most other places in this area want!).

Personally (and to each his own), I don't have any interest in being seasonal right now - I like going places and trying new things (and freaking out about parking this giant pig).

On the flip side, my sister absolutely loves having her camper at a seasonal site and regularly spends Thursday evening to Monday morning there. She had some changes this year and she's keeping the camper at the campground's storage lot. Her boytoy has to move it to the site each week that they camp, but it's a whole lot cheaper in the long run for them.
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Old 05-29-2013, 02:44 PM   #6
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Well, that's just the thing. I also would like to go multiple places, especially as most (read all but 1) of our siblings also have trailers so we like to plan weekends with them at different sites.

But since I have to put it in storage anyways, I was just thinking that we'd get a few extra trips if it was stored at a seasonal site.

So far this year, we only have 7 trips planned. If it was at a seasonal, maybe we'd get up there more often, thereby using the trailer more often. If I assume we'd take the 7 trips anyways (by pulling out of the seasonal site for them) what I'm trying to decide is if the extra $1160 per year (The difference between $2000 for seasonal and $840 for storage) is worth the extra weekends.

The lower the seasonal cost, the more likely yes. One of the options I've come across since the earlier post is Thousand Trails. They claim it's $44.00 a month, plus $3.00 per night after 30 nights. So that's ($44.00 x 12) + (3 x (365-30)) = $1533.00. But that type of deal sounds more like a time share approach where you pull in, use, and pull out. I don't know if I'd be allowed to leave the trailer there when we're not there to use it. The upside for that arrangement though is that we wouldn't have to pay the $3.00 a night whenever we do pull the trailer out but on the other hand we'd also risk losing our spot if we pulled out.

Argh, too many options....... I need to go camping so I can relax and clear the head.

Edit: Ok, scratch the Thousand Trails approach, searching the rules found a 14 day limit per park.
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Old 05-29-2013, 02:58 PM   #7
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another thing to consider is security. you park it there, lock it up and then go away for a long period of time...

if you store at a seasonal site and do not know those living there well, how do you feel about leaving it unattended for long periods of time? those living there will know your schedule of when you come and go. i've seen some of the seasonal sites in my area that offer really low rates in some sketchy parts of town and when i question my LEO friends about the area, they would always advise me to stay away from them.

i keep mine at a storage lot with cameras. yes, no such thing as full security, but it provides a bit more peace of mind. no body is supposed to be there every day/every night (that would be odd). however, if i did know and trust the people at the seasonal sites, i would leave my rv there. friends you can trust being around your property are just as good as great neighbors watching over your house...
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Old 05-29-2013, 03:07 PM   #8
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Seasonal or storage a big question. We have been camping the last 4 yrs and love it. But we have the ability to store it on our land. We ran into the problem that we would only use it for long weekends. Too much rushing around for Friday and Saturday, so this yr we decided on a seasonal site. March 31 to dec 1. We pay about 3 grand. And also pay our electric. But we have been lucky enough to spend every weekend here since march. It is great no set up, on our space for the season. And we can pull off anytime to go on vacation.
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Old 05-29-2013, 03:09 PM   #9
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Also we drive 100 miles each way on weekends
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Old 05-29-2013, 05:14 PM   #10
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The Thousand Trails 14-day limit is per stay. You can stay for 14-days, out for 7 and back in for 14-days.

The tricky rule is you can't go park to park once you stay more than 4 nights at a preserve. So you can't do 1 week at Park A and straight to a week at Park B.

I have a page on Thousand Trails on my blog.
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Old 05-29-2013, 05:24 PM   #11
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We do a combination of storage at home (which I know you can't) and store it at a campground........ The campground we go to at the beach charges $175 a quarter but will also bring it to a site when you are there and return it to storage when you leave. Their seasonal sites are over $5000 plus utilities.........

Are there any campgrounds that store as well near by???

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Old 05-29-2013, 07:02 PM   #12
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If it is at a seasonal site near your house you could use the trailer as a summer cottage. We use to have a site that was 1/2 hour drive from work. Many nights were spend at the trailer and we drove to work in the morning. Plus if we wanted to go on a trip we would hook up the trailer and go. If I had the choice of a storage yard or a CG the camping would win.
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Old 05-29-2013, 10:46 PM   #13
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After tenting and camping in pop ups for 20 yrs last year we purchased a 2013 Rockwood Roo 19 and originally intended to haul it around. Other family members had seasonals at a CG about an hour away. Went down for the weekend and its never left since. After crunching some numbers it's a lot cheaper for us to leave it there for the season. Leave the trailer, deck and everything else there all year and 1600 from may-oct hydro included, small ocean/freshwater beach and campground is ocean side. This year we ended up trading the roo for a 2013 Catalina 38BH (we have 3 kids and a dog) and couldn't be happier. Drive to the CG In the civic, unlock the door, put the awning out and were done.

I work shift work so I'm down there alot through the week/weekends and we'll definitely get our money's worth out of the site. The owners are great, good people around and they've always got some kind of theme weekend, barn dances, potlucks, poker, darts, river tubing, whale watching or something else going on for the kids too which is nice.

Already spent 10 nights there this year and at 40/night full hookups it wouldn't take long to add up If we weren't doing the seasonal thing. Plus the gas, wear and tear on the TV and trailer, registration/inspection i don't need to do now either.
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Old 08-26-2014, 09:27 AM   #14
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Ok, so I'm reviving my own old thread because my situation has changed and I'd like to get a new round of opinions. Last time around, this kind of got dropped because I was able to find free storage at a friend of my in-laws. I've now lost that free storage.

Instead, I'm now in a storage yard at $82.49 a month ($989.88 Cdn a year). My parents pay $700 US a year + Hydro for their seasonal. Their site is an old Moose Lodge campground that has no water, no sewer and pretty much no amenities, but it's cheap.

My DW doesn't want to seasonal there because there's nothing for the kids. Actually, she doesn't really want to seasonal anywhere because she enjoys going on trips to different places, but if she had to stay somewhere for a seasonal, it wouldn't be there.

I'm trying to convince her that it's worth it for the ~$200 a year savings, plus we'll have hydro, so we won't have to unpack the fridge, we'll have a dump station on site so we don't have to worry about where to empty the tanks, etc...

However, I'm concerned about three things:

1) The precedent we'd be setting turning a seasonal site into nothing more than a storage lot. Might the other campers be upset with us pulling out all the time? Will the campground owner realize what we're doing and decide to raise rates thereby costing my parents?

2) This site is about 1 1/2 hours from our place. Not really as convenient as the storage lot was at 1/2 hour away.

3) The seasonal is on the US side. So for those few times (1/4 to 1/3 of our trips) that are on the Canadian side I'd have to go get the trailer and bring it back across the border, making for some strange border crossing times. I.E. coming back with a trailer, but only having been gone a few hours instead of a whole weekend.

So what should I do? Keep it at the storage lot or turn a seasonal into a storage lot?
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Old 08-26-2014, 10:51 AM   #15
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In my opinion, I think you really need to ask yourselves, regardless of storage, if you want a seasonal or travel to different campsites. If its a seasonal then find something that the kids, wife, and you will enjoy. That will solve your storage issue. If you decide to pull it around then I would want the unit as close to me as possible. I would pay the extra $200/yr so I could have easy, fast, convenient access to it.
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Old 08-26-2014, 04:16 PM   #16
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When we were looking for RVs part of the mission was were it will be stored and many places in SE Texas will not let you store them in our driveway or back yard. It is the HOAs that will not allow you to keep them on your property. We live on a small ranch without any property restrictions but there are lots of storage lots, they just cost to much and if they have electric service they cost even more. I wouldn't let my
fiver sit in this SE Texas heat without the AC set on 80F.
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Old 09-22-2014, 12:58 PM   #17
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We are seasonal and love it. We drive 35 minutes to the RV Park on Thursday and return home on Monday. We have made some friends there and love hanging out at the pool during the day and around the fire at night.
The season starts April 1st to Oct.31. The rate next year will be $3,500 plus electric (around $35 per mo.). We could store it there all winter at this rate but we'll store at an indoor facility to keep it out of the harsh Michigan winter weather.
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Old 09-22-2014, 01:17 PM   #18
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Are you sure you would really be saving $200/yr if you have to drive 1 1/2 hours every time you want to pick it up and take to a different campground? Assuming 60 mph that's 90 miles just to pick it up plus any added mileage to your camping destination and it won't take long to eat up those savings. I think you would be better off with closer storage or finding a seasonal you and your family will enjoy and not worry about the cost difference.
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