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One thing I don’t understand is the need of having to be comfortable all the time. I mean, I like to be comfortable too but I made my van as comfortable as I could and I discovered one year while traveling around the world and tent camping that after three nights I could sleep just about anywhere and even without an air mattress and I’m a terrible sleeper. I’ve never yet managed to sleep on a plane flight for instance. My life has been a long career of dispensing with comforts and to a degree that fellow Americans might find shocking but comfort and convenience are not things I highly value and the need gradually diminishes if you don’t give in to it.
You're certainly entitled to travel in whatever manner you like. Knock yourself out. Doesn't make you superior.
There's nothing at all amiss if the rest of us prize comfort. Referring to it as an "addiction" smacks of eccentricity.
DaveinMtAiry, The east doesn't have much to offer in the way of free camping, from what I understand. The southwest, and many places have BLM, Bureau of Land Management areas that have free 14 day campsites. This is where the savings come in.
Check freecampsites.net to see if there is anything close to you. I think there are some free campsites in Florida, which may be the closest. There are lots of areas in Arizona.
Can anyone with knowledge of eastern campsites pitch in? I've never been there so I don't know. It would be interesting to find out though and I'll put those areas on my bucket list.
Thanks for that link, someone provided it for me a while ago. I used it to find a nice spot on the upper Potomac River but it wasn't free it was like $20. I would be interested to hear from others.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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I stay at a lot of private farms when RVing in eastern / NE and Midwest of USA. Farms have plenty of space, I 'network' to find locations / available spots.... such as go to a feed / farm / hardware store or cafe with a lot of pickups parked outside and ask!
Fairgrounds & city / county rural parks are also available sometimes.
Harvest Hosts is another option.
If 'military eligible' there are private campgrounds in some states.
Elks Club / fraternal organizations sometimes have RV with hook-ups.
Youth / church camps (off season).
I stay at a lot of private farms when RVing in eastern / NE and Midwest of USA. Farms have plenty of space, I 'network' to find locations / available spots.... such as go to a feed / farm / hardware store or cafe with a lot of pickups parked outside and ask!
Fairgrounds & city / county rural parks are also available sometimes.
Harvest Hosts is another option.
If 'military eligible' there are private campgrounds in some states.
Elks Club / fraternal organizations sometimes have RV with hook-ups.
Youth / church camps (off season).
That's pretty bold of you to ask a stranger at a hardware store if you can stay in their field. I'm impressed. I'm kind of that way too but this won't work for us. Our plan is to camp out of a van and camping means a fire. But with RVers I know they tend to stay inside.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,735 posts, read 58,090,525 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveinMtAiry
That's pretty bold of you to ask a stranger at a hardware store if you can stay in their field. I'm impressed. I'm kind of that way too but this won't work for us. Our plan is to camp out of a van and camping means a fire. But with RVers I know they tend to stay inside.
Can't count the frequent number of times I have had a campfire while RVing (via van / car / truck / motorcycle) at a farm or ranch. They often join me for Smores, music, stories... (and provide the firewood) Most already have 'fire-pits', my neighbor's is awesome and next to a delightful pond. (and waterfall). Ours just have a nice view. Our Texas fire-pit is near our pond + a nice view and lots of wildlife.
As you know, I stay with 'locals' as a matter of practice, largely to learn of their lifestyles and culture and purpose to be of assistance where needed. (I am in no hurry!) I like to help with harvest and projects around the farm.
There are also a lot of hosts available in the "Campe / Van Groups". (sometimes specific to make / model).
We have 2x annual GTG for 'fixing' / improvements. One site has a hoist and shop + lots of dry camping spots.
I just returned from a friend in AZ who has 4 RV sites and a 'Bunkhouse' for traveling guests (on 12 acres). All free. We do the same at our USA locations. Hope to add international locations.
There certainly must be a 'travel host club' for RVs, many Guest Homes allow RV's (for free) and post that benefit on their profile. We also list House / pet / plant sitting.
What intrigues me about a van conversion is that it seems like the best of both worlds. It's an ordinary minivan, so it handles like a car, gets good gas mileage, and there's no problem with driving or parking it in a city (which can be an issue with a true RV), but it gives you the flexibility to camp whenever you feel like it instead of having to stay in hotels, and you don't have to pack a ton of camping equipment to do it.
I doubt I'll ever give it a try, though. I can't see myself driving a vehicle as large as a minivan (I prefer smaller vehicles than that), and I'm not all that fond of road trips.
I just watched, well re-watched because I had forgotten, a young girl living out of a small car, not a prius, but a small boxy one like mine.
I have enough in investments that I could buy a decent van and still have back-up for my emergency fund but since I want this, exploring our nation, to last for a long time, I want a vehicle I will want to live in.
I plan to keep my Cube for quite a while as it is such a good car with nothing other than general maintenance for the five years I've had it plus it still only has 78k miles on it.
I think I may be looking at getting a class b or a schoolie once my traveling itch is scratched a bit. With the Cube getting 35 mpg, it would be to my benefit to travel in it for the first while.
If it's not comfortable, then I will look into trading it in for a minivan, or put it in storage and buy a minivan outright.
Thankfully I still have time to think things through. I seriously think I will learn a whole lot at the RTR and will still have plenty of time for decision making.
You're certainly entitled to travel in whatever manner you like. Knock yourself out. Doesn't make you superior.
There's nothing at all amiss if the rest of us prize comfort. Referring to it as an "addiction" smacks of eccentricity.
If we were to diminish the eccentric people who gave us brilliant ideas and brightened our lives, we would all be much poorer for it.
What kind of nut ties a key to a kite and goes out in a lightening storm? But if he hadn't we might still be seeing by candlelight. Who in their right mind would even think of putting things together so people could talk to each other outside of their hearing area? Look where that one got us.
Or how about the guys who messed around in their garages and came up the very systems that we are communicating with now.
You're certainly entitled to travel in whatever manner you like. Knock yourself out. Doesn't make you superior.
There's nothing at all amiss if the rest of us prize comfort. Referring to it as an "addiction" smacks of eccentricity.
Another thing that I will never understand is that sometimes when I state a preference, people will take it as me telling them what to do. It’s no skin off my back if anyone on here wants to crawl up on 15 mattresses at once at bedtime but I’m here to tell you, since this is the topic of the thread, that there is a trade-off....just as we often trade freedom for safety, we also trade freedom and adventure for comfort and convenience in this modern world and it’s not always a fair trade. Of course you are also entitled to do what you want but you might be missing out on something really special.
Also, this crazy ole lady doesn’t necessarily consider all addictions to be unhealthy because I’m addicted to coffee and now science says it’s good for you. And yes I’m eccentric and I have the head of hair to prove it. The only thing I believe about addictions is that they should be examined carefully to see whether you believe they still serve you and I’m betting that 99% of the folks on this forum have never even thought about that. Well I’m here to remind folks to examine their values and it’s not to make myself superior, because personal superiority is not a quality I value.
I would find that way of life attractive, driving from luxury resort to luxury resort across the country
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