I tell ya' Bob, R.V.ing just ain't what it used to be...

[Brock Samson]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/05/BA28RCORK1.DTL&hw=tv+sales&sn=042&sc=083

the short version...
                         RV parks make roughing it easier
               Kristina Shevory, New York Times
                  Sunday, August 5, 2007

  Gone are the days when recreational vehicle parks were rustic campgrounds with dirt roads, wooden picnic tables and a single pay phone.
...Parked behind the Schields' open-air kitchen, bar and living room is their 40-foot-long RV. Outfitted with granite countertops, satellite television and a washer and dryer, it sits on a 3,800-square-foot lot the couple bought and remodeled last year. Their "neighborhood" is lined with similar vehicles, which cost anywhere from $250,000 to $1.4 million.
  "The World War II generation was used to going without, and they knew how to do things, or at least they weren't afraid of cooking over a fire," said Linda Profaizer, president of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds in Falls Church, Va. "Baby Boomers want everything to be fed to them, and they want it to be easy."
  The lifestyle in these parks doesn't come cheap. A parking spot, which can be a plain concrete pad or have build outs like an outdoor kitchen and bar, can cost $68,000 to $280,000. At Aguanga, a concrete pad generally sells for $80,000 to $120,000."
                                                        End of edited article...

And to think I paid a whopping $3,350 for mine! 
Ain't they gonna love it when I show up...

   

[bull]

It's ok. Once the boomer generation dies off things will hopefully get back to normal.

You can still get off the beaten path if you want a real camping experience. Many state campgrounds here in Oregon offer dirt roads, wooden picnic tables and not a single pay phone for miles.

[The70RT]

You need to come to the midwest. 12 bucks will get you a gravel pad and a cold shower. Add 3 dollars for power.

[Old Moparz]

Yeah, some people really like to rough it & live off the land.   

I think I posted in one of your other threads about state campgrounds being more rustic & less expensive. My next door neighbors have a travel trailer, & we've camped together with a few other people we know. Out of the two of them though, the wife is the one who will not camp without electric for their air conditioner, a water & sewer connection, cable TV, & some kind of activity going on the the grounds like bingo in the rec room, a heated pool, & more. Her husband wouldn't care if those things were available, he'd just go fishing, but since she does, they don't always camp with us.

I at least like to get an electric site so I don't use as much propane to run the fridge. It's not the cost, just the minor hassle of refilling the tanks. There's usually enough to do & places to go see, so we hardly spend much time in the trailer. I don't mind dry camping without any kind of service because most times I just use the trailer to sleep in. I've put an air mattress in the back of my pick up before, & as long as there's a rest area somewhere to take a dump, I'm a happy camper. My neighbors say they want to go to the Mopar show at Carlisle, but it's 4 hours away & the campground has no cable so they won't go.   

[TeeWJay426]

I tell ya' Bob, R.V.ing just ain't what it used to be...

Ain't that the truth.... for more evidence of that, see below.......







Interior shots:

[Brock Samson]

 Welp, my home away from home is pretty much ready to go...
i did a trail run and slept in it while parked across the street and such,.. as best i could...
it's probematic though, as the fridge won't work parked on such a steep hill, the water all fills to the side of the drains and toilet...
  i have everything velcroed to the counter tops or laying on the sticky woven shelf liners, and when i had the heater goin' the heat all rose to the top and back of the cabin... while up front my feets were freezing... 
and every hour or so i'd awake all scrunched down at the bottom of the bunk. it's been alot of fun getting it ready though, i've come up with some neat solutions to problems like the wiring of the lights and stereos and how to improve some of the older factory engineering.
   
were supposed to have a hot weekend so i'm gonna roll out to a r/v park in Pacifica and give that a shot,..
lotsa' surfer chicks go there... 

edit i just made reservations for tonight and sat so i guess i ain't gonna be around too much...
gotta site right over lookin the beach! 

  http://youtube.com/watch?v=sUvpLlVJKQs&feature=PlayList&p=2C09F3CCD2CB4324&index=1&playnext=2&playnext_from=PL


(bumpin my post count by posting smilieies...    )

  http://www.rvonthego.com/San-Francisco-RV-Resort-CL447-8.htm

[PocketThunder]

Welp, my home away from home is pretty much ready to go...
i did a trail run and slept in it while parked across the street and such,.. as best i could...
it's probematic though, as the fridge won't work parked on such a steep hill, the water all fills to the side of the drains and toilet...
  i have everything velcroed to the counter tops or laying on the sticky woven shelf liners, and when i had the heater goin' the heat all rose to the top and back of the cabin... while up front my feets were freezing... 
and every hour or so i'd awake all scrunched down at the bottom of the bunk. it's been alot of fun getting it ready though, i've come up with some neat solutions to problems like the wiring of the lights and stereos and how to improve some of the older factory engineering.
   
were supposed to have a hot weekend so i'm gonna roll out to a r/v park in Pacifica and give that a shot,..
lotsa' surfer chicks go there... 

most of the campsites that i have been to are flat so you shouldnt have to worry much.   

[bull]

Welp, my home away from home is pretty much ready to go...
i did a trail run and slept in it while parked across the street and such,.. as best i could...
it's probematic though, as the fridge won't work parked on such a steep hill, the water all fills to the side of the drains and toilet...
  i have everything velcroed to the counter tops or laying on the sticky woven shelf liners, and when i had the heater goin' the heat all rose to the top and back of the cabin... while up front my feets were freezing... 
and every hour or so i'd awake all scrunched down at the bottom of the bunk. it's been alot of fun getting it ready though, i've come up with some neat solutions to problems like the wiring of the lights and stereos and how to improve some of the older factory engineering.
   
were supposed to have a hot weekend so i'm gonna roll out to a r/v park in Pacifica and give that a shot,..
lotsa' surfer chicks go there... 

I'm pointing out the obvious here and I'm sure you know this but you have to level them so everything works right.

[triple_green]

I didn't realize there were that many 45 YO "surfer chicks"

[Old Moparz]

I didn't realize there were that many 45 YO "surfer chicks"

Some are even older & readily available to all the young totally narly surfin' dudes out there.   

[triple_green]

Srat,

I read this post, because the RV'ing thing just drives me crazy.....My sons and I camp a couple times a year at Cannon Beach Oregon. The campsite has a few tent spots (which we use), but caters heavily to the RV'ers. Last August we spent 5 days there. I was amazed at all of the late 30s to 60 YOs who drive in, in these huge expensive RVs, set up, and never leave the campsite. Two blocks away is one of the most most gorgeuos beaches on the N. Oregon coast, and these people sit around the picnic table in a lawnchair and drink beer and shoot the breeze.....unbelieveable!!

My sons and I are there to enjoy the beach...and yes the "surf". Even when I'm 80 I plan on still taking a stroll down the beach a couple of times a day!! 

3X

[Brock Samson]

see that expression on the black kid to the right?.. 

  http://youtube.com/watch?v=1ZSZ6RvKE70

[bull]

I didn't realize there were that many 45 YO "surfer chicks"

Some are even older & readily available to all the young totally narly surfin' dudes out there.   

Whoa, that's hard to look at. At least the implants are still doing their job.

[BMOTOXSTAR]

That is what you call a He-She .

[Brock Samson]

 

If Jeanie rose up from the grave and went to Rio?..   

[nh_mopar_fan]

I wonder if she'll have a t-shirt for sale soon.

[Brock Samson]

 oh no ya' didn't.. 

[Lowprofile]

I didn't realize there were that many 45 YO "surfer chicks"

Some are even older & readily available to all the young totally narly surfin' dudes out there.   

Whoa, that's hard to look at. At least the implants are still doing their job.

Wow. That hurt my eyes........alot!    Dow Chemical should be Proud. 

[Todd Wilson]

I'd hit it!     


Todd

[RTPTRON]

It's ok. Once the boomer generation dies off things will hopefully get back to normal.

You can still get off the beaten path if you want a real camping experience. Many state campgrounds here in Oregon offer dirt roads, wooden picnic tables and not a single pay phone for miles.

Your right Bull, we boomer folk are just ruining it for the rest of you guys.  Normal is a state of mind.  Here are a couple of pictures of my second home.

[RTPTRON]

Sorry, we boomers sometime forget things like posting the pictures.  Never mind, my files are way to big to post and it is past my "boomer" bed time anyway.

[bull]

It's ok. Once the boomer generation dies off things will hopefully get back to normal.

You can still get off the beaten path if you want a real camping experience. Many state campgrounds here in Oregon offer dirt roads, wooden picnic tables and not a single pay phone for miles.

Your right Bull, we boomer folk are just ruining it for the rest of you guys.  Normal is a state of mind.  Here are a couple of pictures of my second home.

That's basically what the govt. is saying about social security and the strain on the medical insurance industry, if you listen to them. There's a heckuva lot of boomers for sure and most of them are at retirement age.

[Brock Samson]

 O.K. sorry to re-rail the thread... 
I resized the pics i took and thought I'd share...

[Brock Samson]

So it was cool..
I didn't bring enuff pots and pans so i had to get creative and use the same pots to eat out of i cooked in, but that kept stuff warm longer...
the bed is two inches too short... amazing how annoying that is...
i brought a dozen assort, donuts and that was the best single decision I've made in the past 3o years! 

[Brock Samson]

 The surfer chicks were a half mile south of my location turns out... 
    one cool thing is my rig is just right for pulling up stakes and haulin off for side trips, unlike some of these monster rigs there,..
i roamed all around the r.v. park asking everyone 20 questions and folks were amazingly open and helpful...
Some folks are actually living there as their expenses are down to around a grand a month where as when they were renting in a home in S.F. their rent alone was $2,500..
The Provost Coach I liked best, my Fav. ride there, turned out to be the most expensive rig there... at $1.2 Mill. it had a matching Black Lexus Hybrid the couple used for their local trans.
That's the other thing that struck me, was just how new all the rigs were, the oldest one was a 1990 Chevy similar to mine...
Alot of folks came over and commented on how "Awsome" my Dodge is... they were suprised to see it in such great condition... 
There was this one guy came Sat. afternoon about 2:00 p.m. he had this 30 footer which he promptly parked so he blocked the dirt trail that allows folks to walk along the Pacific coast,..
So the first thing he does is gets out and sets his TV Sat. Dish right on the trail along side his rig... then he spent the next three plus hours adjusting the dish, which i guess is done with a varying series of annoying whineing tones... what an asshole... 
at 5:00 something i went for a walk along the beach and he was still at it...
I met some really cool folks and some came over for coffee and donuts and helped me with all my questions...
Most everyone had at least one pet, many dogs, a few cats... I got a pet spider that kept popping up all over my rig...
just sort of appeared one day... 
just in time for Holloween. 

that's the Spider Door, just below the 440 sticker I put on the back.. 

[Old Moparz]

Back on topic?........why?   

Sounds like you had a good time, cool.   

Most people you'll meet with other RV's are generally friendly. I'm not sure if that's because the people have been out of contact with society, or the people travelling together have had enough of each other & demand new conversations.   

It takes a few trips to find out what you need like pots, pans & such. It sucks trying to keep one set at home & bring it each time, so a second set is best. I even did that with tools instead of dragging a tool box from the garage & loading it with what I think I'd need, I bought an inexpensive, second set of basic tools & a plastic tool chest & keep it in the trailer now. It's a piece of mind not having to remember to bring things every trip.

Dishes, pots, & whatever else you need, you can buy really cheap from a thrift shop, or a store like K-Mart instead of Macy's. Unless you do get the $1.2 million Provost, then you'd just be the local disgrace or embarrassment in RV land & other RVer's will request you park elsewhere. 

[Brock Samson]

 Bob, how about some pics of your R/V?.. 
One thing i forgot to mention is just how sweet it is to fall asleep to the sound of waves cruching on the sand... 

[Old Moparz]

I don't think I have any pics of the inside handy, but here is what the outside looks like.

This was when we first got it in August 2005 & before I leveled off the grass area with gravel at the lower left corner of the photo.


This was the same summer in Hammonasset, CT just a few minutes from the beach on Long Island Sound.


And the rest of the pics are from the Coachmen website.

[Chris G.]

Shiloh sent me an email asking why you edited the pic?  He's very upset with you and doubts he will make the next camping trip. 

[Really?]

At some of the astronomical RV prices out there, what in the hell constitutes "Trailer Trash?" . Can't wait to see what happens if the RV craze hits my neighborhood- I've seen every kinda car up here from a Model T to an Enzo. The saving grace is that most of my neighborhood is from Eastern Europe, Asia, and India...odds are they'll never get into those big rolling bastards. I have nothing against 'em, per sey, but these folks- no matter if it is a minivan or an M5- park with the front wheel 10" from the curb and the rear wheel 18-20" from the curb. Imagine the fun a LARGE vehicle in their hands would be