Seasonal Campers

cmprguy · 12-11-2007, 05:20 PM

Hey Everyone! Well.. we are gonna give it a try.. 4th year campers going seasonal. We signed up a few days ago and I just gotta ask.. is there anything we should watch out for? Does the campground do anything else for us?? Would appreciate any input or info from the more experienced crowd! Thank you!

NDJollyMon · 12-11-2007, 11:20 PM

Howdy. We are loooooooong time campers, pretty loooong time RV'ers. And have one season of seasonal camping under our belt and signed on for many more. We love it.

One thing I learned is that different places have different rules, ammenities, and different things included in price. Many of my friends have seasonals where...even the grass is mowed for them. (of course, they pay much more than I do!) We take care of our own lawns, trees, and are encouraged to landscape however we like. Extra work...yes. But you can make it as nice or as basic as you choose.

Let us know if you have any specific questions. I love to talk 'seasonal!'

cmprguy · 12-12-2007, 06:36 PM

Well Thank you! I guess the `grounds` takes care of our site.. i think. they do have a broadcasted wi-fi signal through the entire campground..yippie! no cable or satellite yet..but they are workin on it.. we camp every other weekend anyway so this seasonal thing just seemed to be the right thing to do. plus our rig is much much bigger for this season and i really dont want to be haulin it around all the time.

we almost signed at a co-op campground..but figured none of our freinds could bring there rigs up so we went with a regular ground. our site is away from `weekender alley`should be nice and quiet for the dogs!
2 pools..arcade..plenty of activitys.. should be fun!

and the best part bein..if this isnt the home for us..we move to another place for the 09 season!

NDJollyMon · 12-12-2007, 11:08 PM

Camping is different to all people.
Our resort is 'seasonal camping only'...no other camping allowed.
The grounds are nicely wooded, serene with some ponds, and large acreage to explore. The big lake is right across the road...but not on the property itself. There are golf cart trails all over, a basketball court...and that's about it for activities. Kids pretty much tool around on carts all day.
Everyone has quite large wooded lots with full hookups, and we can pretty much do what we want there. There are cable Tv, and phone hookups...but you pay the bills on those.
They mow all the common areas, but we mow our lots.
I love our resort because it's quiet with a back to nature feel, has no overnight campers/partiers that are away from Mom for a weekend of binge drinking...you get the idea.

There are a lot of things to like about seasonal camping. This was just the right thing to do, and the right time. I look forward to summer like never before!

I will say this: It' s much more like having a cabin in the woods or at the lake than 'camping.' I enjoy both methods, but at this time in my life....I'm done moving from place to place. I just want some stress free relaxing.

dimurrrw · 12-13-2007, 09:35 AM

We've been doing the seasonal thing for 22 years. One advantage that has not been mentioned is that you can look for a site in a County where the personal property tax rate is lower than where you live. In our case we are able to save enough to pay for 1/3 of the seasonal fee. Also, you can pull out and travel whenever you want and, with a storage shed, not have to worry about where you are going to leave all the extras that you don't take on the road with you. Did I mention making new friends and enjoying group activities/travel with them?

budfans · 12-15-2007, 08:48 PM

do what i do when theirs no cable . i have directv at home and a portable dish for the camper ,when i leave home i grab the boxes out of the kids room .

j2detroit · 12-16-2007, 08:19 PM

Welcome to the world of seasonal camping My wife and I have been seasonal for 3 summers now and LOVE it We bought a new 30 ft Cherroke and had it delivered right to our site and haven't moved it Ww have only not gone to our camper 2 weekends in the last 3 years One thing you may want to think about is mounting your camper on blocks instead of just using the cranck down jacks it takes a little time to get it leval but its well worth the time spent doing it Have a great season and have fun

NDJollyMon · 12-17-2007, 01:49 PM

Bluebird....I don't understand about the property tax thing. Care to elaborate?

j2...Ours was delivered to site and set up on blocks. It is very stable. They also used the crank downs as well for the corners.

We bought a plastic shed to store things in. Just in case we wanted to move/quit the campground if we didn't like it the first season.
Now we know we'd like to stay for the long haul...so we are thinking more permanant. (ie...large wooden deck) Things can still be moved off or taken apart anyway. (I've already outgrown my shed!)

cmprguy · 12-17-2007, 08:41 PM

I was thinking wether or not to put it up on blocks. the underside of the trailer is enclosed with some sorta hard plastic sheeting so i don`t recall if i can get to the frame or not. will have to do some more inspecting in the spring! i definatly didnt like the rocking feeling in the other trailer!

j2`s post about the tax didnt make much sense to me..i would love to hear more too!

NDJollyMon · 12-18-2007, 02:08 PM

The underbelly of our PT is also enclosed, but the frame members hang below where they sit on blocks. It is perfectly stable with zero movement.

wvsteve · 12-18-2007, 02:40 PM

the tax thing, if you live somewhere more than 6 months a yr you can call that your permanent residence. For Instance my parents rent a place for 6 months in fl where there is no state tax so he calls that his permanent residence, and saves paying his home state any money on income. If you have money it saves alot but for people like me it saves next to nothing. Personal property tax it would save on a camper, vehicles, boats and four wheelers would be alot if you found a county without it. Talk to your accountant for details.

NDJollyMon · 12-19-2007, 01:51 PM

ok, gotcha. Thanks.

welshman599 · 12-19-2007, 09:15 PM

We're heading into our 8th year of seasonal camping, 7 in our current campground. The campground is everything - the mix of neighbours, the owners interest, the environment. We love ours on all counts. The owners view the campers as extended family and we look at them that way too.

Generally the campground takes care of everything, but most of us chip in in any way we can: running kids events, potluck suppers, etc. Many campers mow their own lawns - the campground does not usually mow close to a trailer, and we fussy old guys prefer the cut of a small mower over that of the big commercial ride-ons anyway. You'll often see three or four going around mowing wippersnipping each other's lots as well as those of older folk. while common areas are cared for by the owners staff.

Blocking is the only way to go with seasonal, in my view. Those with jacks never seem all that satisfied with the stability. Good placement and weight management is crucial though. Helping a neighbour and the dealer when they have a new unit delivered will teach a lot on that topic. Invest in good concrete or plastic pads, nice blocks, and skirting if you like. Double blocking is far more stable than single.

Deck-building is a hobby among seasonals and takes the form of an old-fashioned barnraising in the right campground.... I've helped build about a dozen in my years at the current campground and enjoy working on every one. (psst .. free burgers and beer!) Our own deck is ground-level - my own preference - and 34 feet long after the last extension.

We chose a campground within 45 minutes from home, so we are off work at 4:30 and barbequing by 6. Everythings on site and getting ready for the weekend consists of grocery shopping.

Our campground is mixed and I do like that, you get to meet new fols every day and that add a little extra to the experience.

welshman599 · 12-19-2007, 09:22 PM

Oh and one last thing. Fridges on decks. Depending on your camping preference, you might watch out for campgrounds that seem to have a lot of them. Party-zone central. If that's not your thing, back on out as fast as possible.

NDJollyMon · 12-19-2007, 10:23 PM

or Fridges in sheds!
They put them in their sheds here. I think it's (many times)...simply not enough room for food/drinks 'inside' rather than just for parties. (at ours at least)

We've got a house/residential style fridge in our RV, so we have no use for another one.

Our campground is very clique-y too. Many of them get together every weekend. We have been invited to some campfires, but have yet to go. Right now....we just do our own thing and that's what we like. Most people are very friendly, and some are characters.

welshman599 · 12-21-2007, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NDJollyMon

or Fridges in sheds!
They put them in their sheds here. I think it's (many times)...simply not enough room for food/drinks 'inside' rather than just for parties. (at ours at least)

We've got a house/residential style fridge in our RV, so we have no use for another one.

Our campground is very clique-y too. Many of them get together every weekend. We have been invited to some campfires, but have yet to go. Right now....we just do our own thing and that's what we like. Most people are very friendly, and some are characters.

Yah sorry didn't mean to tar everyone with the same brush... in the campgrounds I was thinking of they were clearly party fridges. But in others I'm sure its a way to expand normal fridge storage.

EastlakeRoo · 03-29-2012, 01:22 PM

Great posts. We are looking to put our trailer seasonal this year for the 1st time. The campground we have chosen cuts the grass and our lot has a direct tv dish. I was wondering what I need to do in order to use it. Is all that is required is a receiver? We are also purchasing our resin shed soon so there is much to be done this first year but I can't wait to start using the trailer. Not having to set up our camp every Friday and tear down on Sunday is going to make it a lot nicer.

camper_Lucy · 03-29-2012, 02:48 PM

Notice you were from NE ohio, so which CG did you pick? We have a lot of great ones with seasonal setups.

EastlakeRoo · 03-29-2012, 06:58 PM

thousand trails kenisee lake preserve in Jefferson. Its about 50 min from where we currently live and looks very nice. It has some nice spots around the lake that you can oversee. We were going to camp down the street at a HideAway Lakes camground but the only spot that was open was a complete mud hole from all the rain plus it didn't have a drive to get to the lot. We had to park on the road and walk thorugh the mud to get to the lot. I said, forget this is going to be a friggin mess with tracking mud everywhere. This campground we signed up for was very dry and the lot we chose has new gravel and timbers outlining the parameter of the spot. Was done up real well. I don't have to do much besides bring my trailer and get my shed installed. Once that's done, bring the golf cart and start a fire. My kinda camping.

Wiscampsin · 03-29-2012, 08:59 PM

After travelling and seeing the sites from coast to coast we're starting our 5th season at our seasonal site. Two hour drive is just far enough to feel like we're getting away without burning up too much gas. Unlock the door, deploy the awning, unpack the cooler, pop open a cold one and relax. Plenty of activities if we choose to participate, plenty of friends to sit around the campfire with, on a lake, heated pool, right now it works for us. We can leave at 4 on Sunday and still make it home by 6. Been retired 2 years, once DW retires we'll be back on the road again traveling.

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