Is this happening everywhere?

[oldxr]

I live in the San Francisco east Bay Area . All of the privately owned campgrounds are full of people working . With an old 1000ft house going for $500,000 you can see why . Went for a week in central Oregon last summer and stayed in 2 private campgrounds .70% to 80% of the trailers had not been moved in years . You know things are getting bad when blue collar labor has to live in rv’s. Most towns don’t want to zone for rv parks . Things will have to change . All over the Bay Area there are streets with homeless people living in broken down rv’s.

[frank4711]

Originally Posted by Jimmy James

Frank4711: the low rate you quoted in Florida only applies to Florida residences. Georgia gives a 10% cut in their state park rate if you're a senior citizen in any state as long as you can show proof on check-in.

You're right about the state parks being full. With the snowbirds invading our state it makes it hard to get a reservation. And combine that with Boomers retiring at record rates and getting in to the rv world, it only makes it worse.

Yes .... as a senior the price is low $11-$14 night but still a bargain at $22-$28 ... we have booked several trips up into Ga $38-$42 .... Ruth B. Kirby Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park, FL is Florida's newest park 3 years old there are 175 parks in Fl but not all have camping .... since my last post we have booked 2 more trips for a total of 5 to Fl/Ga state parks ... there will be no relief as more and more campers come to Fl ... one good thing is we always will have the summer months no one want s to be here June-September .... we just had a quick trip to see my Dad in Jacksonville and we saw 1,000's of RV's on our 4 hour drive on I-75/301 ...

[Dakota 1120]

My experience. Purchased a new TT in 2012 to use for weekend getaways and some 3 -4 day weekends plus vacation times a year.
I was surprised to lean most RV parks w/hookups are filling well in advance.
Near impossible to just 'hit the road' and find a place to stay that evening without making reservations weeks in advance ... in commercial RV parks or city/state parks w/campgrounds.
IT's really disappointing to have to pre-plan every step of a trip and where one will stay in an rv/state park every evening of your trip.
As for 'boondocking,' there is very little 'public lands' within a days drive my location and then, nothing to do as just out in the dry prairie grasslands.
Had I been aware of the lack of being able to just go and find a campground toward evening like a motel/hotel, I would have given more thought to a purchase of an rv.

[Nancyc7]

In 2018 we sold our house in Seattle, wanted to stay in a RV park for one month to empty the house and all that, It took weeks of searching and calling to find a park. We finally found a place north of Seattle. Pretty nice park, but was full of airplane manufacturing employees. They go home on the weekends, no competition for the laundromat. No need to mention old RVs in the streets.
Seattle did try a RV lot for homeless but I think it was too expensive to maintain. They have several tiny house lots but if you build it they will come.
Then I got this email from escapees today. We might be doomed.

[TheWolfPaq82]

I'm soooooo glad we bought our cabin last year. Done with that hassle. Use to go to CG on a Friday night after work and had no trouble finding a spot. Then it was.....Book all your sites JAN 1st or you were S.O.L.

[REBCAT]

YES
This is a nation wide trend, So many workers and often employers have found it cheaper, to have an RV either purchased by yourself or by your employer. They pay no state taxes as they have no permanent home. but campgrounds are becoming trailer parks. I attempted to host a rally for our camping club and drove over 1400 miles trying to book a campground. Being part of a national club we have herd this is not just a local thing. Many worker have become peripatetic, or there employers offer other bonuses for those who take to this new lifestyle. This does not even take into account those who make their living by computer and have no ties.

[Dakota 1120]

All the advance booking is not my style as there are to many variable like a change in the weather, emergencies, etc. so plans can and do change.
Frequently when I take a one or two week vacation, may have a few destinations in mind but, unlike some, I don't want to follow a set schedule ......that is like WORK!
I know some who plan every detail, leaving at x time, have dinner at XJ and be in XXX town on this date .... day after day thru their vacation. Everything in a set time table.
I just don't roll that way...that is not a vacation, it's a work schedule.

[marvin24]

We live in our camper full time, never take it out, I have found that with today’s fuel cost and what camp sites charge it’s cheaper to do a BB, last year we stayed in Brunswick Georgia for $30 a night the house was huge and secluded backed up till marsh, no folks to bother you,

[ALABAMARV]

If you follow this guy Rob on Youtube you can get a sense of what is happening to
to the RV lifestyle or campground availability. Basically the trouble with humanity is there is too much of it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKxIKjdaECk

[Dakota 1120]

Originally Posted by marvin24

We live in our camper full time, never take it out, I have found that with today’s fuel cost and what camp sites charge it’s cheaper to do a BB, last year we stayed in Brunswick Georgia for $30 a night the house was huge and secluded backed up till marsh, no folks to bother you,

That might work in the southern states but in the northern states where the temperature often get to 20 degrees below zero or more (not counting wind chills of -60) living in a camper year 'round is not feasible. ;-)

[Telescopist]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

Which is why I like to boondock. Lots more room to "spread out" than most RV parks

Being able to get along without hookups (including Wifi, Cable TV, Showers, Laundry, etc) makes it easy. I'm kind of a throwback in that sense, When I want to "get away from it all" I really mean it.

We are of the same mind. The difference perhaps being that my wife and I just got into the RV camping part just recently. Some of the mob scenes we have experienced at campgrounds are not for us. I have been bookmarking possible locations for boon docking. Is there a particular forum or some such which you use in order to find out about these places?

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by frank4711

Yes .... as a senior the price is low $11-$14 night but still a bargain at $22-$28 ... we have booked several trips up into Ga $38-$42 .... Ruth B. Kirby Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park, FL is Florida's newest park 3 years old there are 175 parks in Fl but not all have camping .... since my last post we have booked 2 more trips for a total of 5 to Fl/Ga state parks ... there will be no relief as more and more campers come to Fl ... one good thing is we always will have the summer months no one want s to be here June-September .... we just had a quick trip to see my Dad in Jacksonville and we saw 1,000's of RV's on our 4 hour drive on I-75/301 ...

Understandable. Who in their right mind would like to spend their summer locked inside an RV with the A/C trying it's best to beat down 90+ degree heat and humidity approaching 100%. Most people can have that kind of fun at home.

[marvin24]

Originally Posted by Dakota 1120

That might work in the southern states but in the northern states where the temperature often get to 20 degrees below zero or more (not counting wind chills of -60) living in a camper year 'round is not feasible. ;-)

It’s 18 here today south of Indy, our 39’ Sanibel
is nice and warm inside our 46’ long bunker sprayed foamed, our camper never get rained or snowed on, and in the spring we open the end up, so yes there is away to do it

[aircommuter]

In CA trying to build something real estate related has many high costs. Environmental studies, building fees, water connection, sewer, power and other utilities. These can easily reach $100K. But they want low cost housing? Now a real estate transaction fee so home buyers can build houses for others. Yet there aren't any laws that say one has to live here?
Of course if you come here from another country, housing is available. So campgrounds fill up with rv's that never move. Also parked along the streets often in industrial areas.

[Travelinman 2018]

I know some of the National Parks have gone to reservations only. This is concerning to me, as I don't want to be on a strict schedule. Also, with the parks and National Forests, being managed by vendors, they are free to close the campgrounds, according to the terms of the contract. I ran into this in VA in October, as I was going to stay at a campground, only to find out it closed after Labor Day. I actually contacted the vendor, and they said they were losing money, so they closed it. They also said they were trying to get a price increase for next year, to allievate the situation! I also contacted the Forest Service, and said the contract needs changed! With all the seniors and others looking for inexpensive camping, we should be keeping the campgrounds open as long as feasible.

[Nancyc7]

I love boon-docking and people always say their wife doesn't like it. My husband doesn't very much. We even have a small solar panel and additional LP tank that attaches to the MH. Having much of a schedule chokes me.

Anyway, everyone has to be happy.

A great app is iOverlander. The site online is easier to use than the app, I think. We stayed right on the Bay of Fundy and had a beautiful sunset to boot.

[Bluetick1955]

Yea, I don't patronize those type

[clockmanjim]

Originally Posted by lswartz

Some of the best camping sites I have been to are in New Brunswick and PEI. The other half were the really great neighbors, even if I didn’t know any French.

The wife and I spent 4 weeks touring Canada in 2018. The only reservation's we made in advance were near the Toronto area. All the other sites we stayed at were made via phone while on the road. One call on the day we wanted to camp and our site was waiting. We had this experience throughout Canada, PEI, New Brunswick, uebic.
We had a great time and no hassles. We even stayed in one campground where they were going away from seasonal and strictly becoming a good old fashion campground

[frank4711]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

Understandable. Who in their right mind would like to spend their summer locked inside an RV with the A/C trying it's best to beat down 90+ degree heat and humidity approaching 100%. Most people can have that kind of fun at home.

Yep for sure ... we go where we get full shade and bring couple of fans but me and the pups end up inside from 12-4 most summer days these 2 need cool air

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Travelinman 2018

I know some of the National Parks have gone to reservations only. This is concerning to me, as I don't want to be on a strict schedule. Also, with the parks and National Forests, being managed by vendors, they are free to close the campgrounds, according to the terms of the contract. I ran into this in VA in October, as I was going to stay at a campground, only to find out it closed after Labor Day. I actually contacted the vendor, and they said they were losing money, so they closed it. They also said they were trying to get a price increase for next year, to allievate the situation! I also contacted the Forest Service, and said the contract needs changed! With all the seniors and others looking for inexpensive camping, we should be keeping the campgrounds open as long as feasible.

A lot of the Forest Service campgrounds around here close shortly after Labor Day because the weather often turns "poopy". Roads get too muddy then covered in snow.

Few campers would even attempt to visit them and any maintenance required by their use would be a looser for sure.

Again around here, the "contractors" seem to change every year. Maybe someday we'll find one that will work out longer than one year.