Anyone else RV?

GreenSalsa · 12-08-2006, 07:51

I was talking to a couple of friends this morning and wondered if there were any other RVers out there?

Anyone up for “camping”?

Appended by Peregrino (GS' words, they just needed to be restored for "context"): I found an SF buddy on another board "Open Roads Forum" dedicated to RVs. Both of us own 39 ft fifth wheels. I am using mine for a variety of reasons;

1st I am catching up on a lot of missed family time while I was on an ODA. We take out the rig every single 3 or 4 day weekend.
2nd I am likely to attend Naval Post Graduate School (Monterey, CA) this next summer. For $3,000 a month I might be able to afford a 2 bedroom 1 bath apartment or in 18 months I could pay off a luxury RV. We have upgraded a number of features and made it quite livable. Best of all I will be living at the base RV Park which will only be 3/4 mile from my classes (and only a mile from the Pacific Beach not to mention the Monterey Bay Aquarium)

If there is any one else here that "RVs" please let me know...we (Steve and I) are thinking of forming a new club "USASOC, United States Army Special Operations Campers" It would meet 3-4 times a year to camp, learn new things, activities for the kids (treasure hunts) and just all around have a good time. Once you have purchased your RV the costs to camp / travel (especially with families) drops dramatically.

For instance;

To rent a house at Ft Fisher you would pay $85 per night, I pay $18 a night.
To eat out you are paying $20 - 40 a meal, I pay $0--our food is simply transferred from home to the RV in the fridge / freezer and cooked on our stove and grill and it's steaks, chicken or burgers any time I want, or Mac and Cheese if its easier.
Lastly it offers us a chance to see a lot of places and parks I would normally not get a chance to see. When I head west this summer to go to NPS I will take 30 days leave enroute and drive through and stay in DC, Mt Rushmore, The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite

So if anyone wants to know about RVs, buy them or whatever--although I am NOT an expert I am slowly becoming reasonably knowledgeable about them

Huey14 · 12-08-2006, 08:24

My parent's bought a bloody bus for my brother's stockcar (differant stockcar to the US ones). I'll take some photos once she's painted up.

x SF med · 12-08-2006, 09:23

Damn Chief, that ain't gonna fit in the ruck, so how do you bring it 'camping'?

HOLLiS · 12-08-2006, 09:48

We have slowed down a little bit. I restored a 1964 Airstream. This is it at the Vinatge Airstream Convention in S. Dakota, Mt. Rushmore's KOA. It is the one hooked to the blue truck.

GreenSalsa · 12-08-2006, 10:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by x_sf_med

Damn Chief, that ain't gonna fit in the ruck, so how do you bring it 'camping'?

I am DONE "camping" with a ruck AND the family...The happier the 3 and 5 year old--the happier I am!

I am thinking about naming it the FOB! After all it pretty much serves the same purpose.

I love the Airstream--Has GREAT classic design! I am hoping to get out to Mt Rushmore this spring / early summer

Do you subscribe to the Open Roads Forum? It is a great resource for a lot of RVing questions and problems

PSM · 12-08-2006, 10:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenSalsa

I am DONE "camping" with a ruck AND the family...The happier the 3 and 5 year old--the happier I am!

I am thinking about naming it the FOB! After all it pretty much serves the same purpose.

I love the Airstream--Has GREAT classic design! I am hoping to get out to Mt Rushmore this spring / early summer

Do you subscribe to the Open Roads Forum? It is a great resource for a lot of RVing questions and problems

That's a great site. I bought a generator based on info I found there.

We don't have an RV yet; parking is a bit of a problem here. We're considering a lease-back deal, but my wife doesn't like the idea of restocking before every trip.

Pat

GreenSalsa · 12-08-2006, 10:54

One of the major advantages of RVing is being able to LEAVE things in the RV. My sister-in-law is slowly begining to get the idea when she keeps asking how long it takes to "pack" the RV.

She keeps thinking we put everything into luggage and then "move in" and at the end of the trip "move out". I keep explaining to her all we use is three clothes baskets--

One for mine and the wife's clothes
One for the kids clothes
One for the "cold food" transfer

What kind of RV are you looking at?

PSM · 12-08-2006, 11:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenSalsa

One of the major advantages of RVing is being able to LEAVE things in the RV. My sister-in-law is slowly begining to get the idea when she keeps asking how long it takes to "pack" the RV.

She keeps thinking we put everything into luggage and then "move in" and at the end of the trip "move out". I keep explaining to her all we use is three clothes baskets--

One for mine and the wife's clothes
One for the kids clothes
One for the "cold food" transfer

What kind of RV are you looking at?

Probably a mid-sized C Class. Like with boats, my wife wants larger and I want smaller.

Pat

GreenSalsa · 12-08-2006, 11:09

Wish you luck...go larger...most people buy a smaller one and within a year or two they are trying to trade up to a larger unit

PSM · 12-08-2006, 11:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenSalsa

Wish you luck...go larger...most people buy a smaller one and within a year or two they are trying to trade up to a larger unit

That's another good reason to lease-back for awhile.

Pat

Maybe she could talk me into this:

x SF med · 12-08-2006, 11:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenSalsa

One of the major advantages of RVing is being able to LEAVE things in the RV. My sister-in-law is slowly begining to get the idea when she keeps asking how long it takes to "pack" the RV.

She keeps thinking we put everything into luggage and then "move in" and at the end of the trip "move out". I keep explaining to her all we use is three clothes baskets--

One for mine and the wife's clothes
One for the kids clothes
One for the "cold food" transfer

What kind of RV are you looking at?

Ah Ha!!! A Boat with wheels, gotcha Chief. It's not so much camping as a moveable extension of the domicile wherein many items pertinent to such extension are stored, ergo, boat with wheels. Only faster.

GreenSalsa · 12-08-2006, 11:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by PSM

That's another good reason to lease-back for awhile.

Pat

Maybe she could talk me into this:

Now thats a RIG!

**Peregrino** · 12-08-2006, 23:19

Yes, we're up for camping. We've got a 33' 5th wheel, had it out last month in fact. It's just the wife , dogs, and I so it more than meets our needs. She's actually enthusiastic about camping from an RV. A couple trips in tents when we were dating to test the waters followed by a gradual escalation in amenities with MWR rental campers and now she won't stand for anything less than "home away from home". Truthfully I'm with her on this one. Makes for a great "Be Prepared" primary plan too. Nice thing about Ft Bragg - this area may suck but it's convenient to some truely outstanding camping. The variety within 1-6 hours driving is incredible. We prefer military, state and federal campgrounds, the commercialism and homesteaders in the private ones are a turn-off. I need to add a generator so we can use the less developed sites (e.g. the national forest sites on the Blue Ridge Parkway). I'll have to check out the "Open Roads Forum". Give us a holler and we'll see about a link-up. Peregrino

GreenSalsa · 12-09-2006, 00:12

PM sent...

HOLLiS · 12-09-2006, 03:49

RV's are nice, Maybe it is a age thing. When I was young the ground was good enough. Then came the foam pad, then the thermarest, then.... Comfort.

Wife and I skied into a back country shelter, ice skates would have worked better. Fortunately I bought a long some soothing food and beverages to ease the aches and pains of falling down many time. On the way home, I rented a room at a lodge with a hot tub. Other wise, I might have wound up single. We also did a winter ski/camping of Crater Lake.

Now with kids, our longest trip was to Atlanta and back (Western Oregon). 35 days on the road. Most important factor was finding a KOA with a swimming pool, especially down South for the kid. It is nice to have ones on spot at the end of a the day.

The Air Stream is like a boat inside, pretty compact. It is amazing what the RV's have to offer.