RV vacation.... Opinions ??

Out of curiosity I googled rv mpg - ouch they're thirsty beasts.

Lou

We've been RVing for about 10 years now and I love staying close to the sites where I want to photograph. I often set up for birds right in the camp site and have great luck.

Our modus operandi is a truck camper which we load on the 4x4 pickup whenever we hit the road. The rest of the time it sits in the driveway and I use the truck as my daily driver and it's ready for carrying cargo. Mileage isn't the same as a compact car but it's a lot better than a Class A or towing a trailer.

The great advantage of the truck camper is you can go darned near anywhere with it which is a huge advantage over all other RV classes especially out west. We can camp off the grid for over a week. Campgrounds are really not a necessity and we still have all the comforts of home. Heat, hot water, toilet, shower, electricity, fridge, stove, television and a queen-sized bed.

TCing. No other way to go in my opinion.

Ron: Very interesting, thanks for posting. 

I've been tempted by the TC idea several times, although I doubt my daily driver (F150 HD 4x4) has enough capacity for anything but the smallest TC.  I keep reading on rv.net and similar sites about overloaded TC, need a 1 ton dually, etc. so I have not been able to make the idea of daily driver + occasional TC fit.

A friend started with a toy hauler pulled by an F250.  That was great for a number of missions, he liked it so much he traded to a motor home which is much nicer.  The F250 was replaced by a Ranger which he can tow behind the MH, so he has wheels once he gets to a campground.  So far no troubles with being too big for the available sites but I understand some state and provincial parks are limited.

The wheels keep going around...

Jeff

Jeff

That's exactly the truck that I have. I carry a Northstar Laredo on it with no issues whatsoever. Definitely doable for you.

As I said, TCs go places no other class can go. If you're into campgrounds then just about any RV will do. If you're into being on site at dawn in some remote location then a TC is the answer.

Not for everyone though. They're not spacious in a lot of cases but they are comfortable.

We love ours.

Ron: Very interesting, good point about being on site at dawn, thanks.

Of course I just spent an hour watching videos on the Northstar site...

Jeff

Hi Lou,

I have been reading this topic as I have often wondered about buying a class b camper and traveling. I did rent one in Maine a number of years ago for a three day period. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it. The cost of a purchase however has put me off on the idea as the msrp on these things can easily reach 6 figures.I am interested in following your progress on this decision if you care to share.

 In my very limited experience, the class b's are easy to park and you can take them and park in most places with reasonable road surfaces. Storage is often a concern for long term occupancy. Some models have significant exterior storage space (I always look so see if I could store two lawn chairs). I have noticed that some have exterior showers that might come in handy for a shorebird photographer and others have an option for an exterior grill running off the propane system that might help keep cooking vapors out of the cabin.

Anyway good luck with the trip. I would very much like to read about it in this forum.

Dick B.

Dick.. far from even considering buying an RV. still toying with the idea of a trip with a rental.

Richard B. wrote:Hi Lou,

I have been reading this topic as I have often wondered about buying a class b camper and traveling. I did rent one in Maine a number of years ago for a three day period. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it. The cost of a purchase however has put me off on the idea as the msrp on these things can easily reach 6 figures.I am interested in following your progress on this decision if you care to share.

 In my very limited experience, the class b's are easy to park and you can take them and park in most places with reasonable road surfaces. Storage is often a concern for long term occupancy. Some models have significant exterior storage space (I always look so see if I could store two lawn chairs). I have noticed that some have exterior showers that might come in handy for a shorebird photographer and others have an option for an exterior grill running off the propane system that might help keep cooking vapors out of the cabin.

Anyway good luck with the trip. I would very much like to read about it in this forum.

Dick B.

Just some info on owning an RV. Know that everyone will think you are rich and will have their hand out if you have one. Many places charge more to park for a night than some Motel rooms! About 7 years ago I was planning on taking my 5th wheel to south Florida for a month, when I checked into some parks they were $1500.00 a month PLUS electricity! I decided to stay at Everglades NP campground for I think $16 a night with no elec. or water hook-ups. While there I looked at the parks charging so much, they had you park side by side with barely enough room to walk between the slide-outs and hundreds upon hundreds of RV's crammed together like sardines, no thank you!

Then there is the premium price for diesel fuel and accessories. RV's are like owning a boat..............always something needing to be done. However it's really nice to always be sleeping in your own bed.

At $1500 a month that must be some resort. I hope it came with maid-service.

I won't mention names but one of the top-rated RV parks in the U.S., which is right beside Bentsen S.P. in Texas, only charges $600 for a month. And, there's plenty of green space around all of the units. You couldn't find a motel/hotel anywhere for that kind of money.

RVing is what you make of it. Not all options (rigs or parks) are expensive. And diesel is not mandatory. It takes a little research to get the most benefit but the freedom it provides is unequalled in my opinion.

I'm not wealthy, I didn't spend anywhere near 6 figures on my rig, and I don't spend a lot on my travels. I just think it's a very viable and flexible alternative for many nature photogrpahers.

Ron, I agree completely about RV's serving a good purpose for photographers. There have been many times I wish I never sold mine. I was just putting it out there that there are some cons to owning one also.

As to that park in Florida, that was pretty much the going rate for South Florida during the winter. When that first one I called gave me that $1500 a month quote I was floored. I told the guy "look I just want a trailer space, I don't want to buy your house!" He laughed a little and said that's OK as he was all booked up a year in advance any ways.

One more opinion of you don't mind.  Look at sportsmobile.com.  The convert Vans(different makes) to RV's  The nice thing about them, is you get to pick  the options, you want or don't want.  so you can control the cost.  I purchased a ford van in 2003 19 ft.  They did the work I could not do.  But I finished the inside, like
the bed and cabinets. etc that suited my needs.  Some other companies, you buy it all.  I saved quite a bit, by elminating things I did not need or could live without.
And Yes it only gets 14 to 15 mpg.  But at 19 ft I can park almost anywhere.  veryfew restrictions with it.  Ride on highway is accpetable.  It is also designed with the popup roof.  I can lower my profile, yet with the roof up I have the head room.  And it is fixed that I can raise the roof and photograph from the inside of the van.
Seldom do we cook in it, so we elminated, the stove, sink etc.  Some times it is 50 yards to the outhouse, but I see the fellows in the big rigs, doing the same.  We always have a clean bed, we get along with a small heater and or a electric blanket.  They have three locations, Texas, indiana and calif.
My experience with the one in texas was top notch.  enjoy  jimbo

Interesting discussion. I've tried to justify an RV for decades. The weighting of certain factors admittedly is changing as I get older.....tent camping doesn't have quite the allure of yesteryear! I've looked at truck campers, trailers, A's, B's, and C's. The 2 greatest negatives have always been massive and/or inefficient use of space and horrific gas mileage. While I'd frequently use it for short, local trips where mileage isn't such a factor, the real purpose would be for multiweek trips of several thousand miles (2-5k)....gas mieage DOES count. The sprinter van type RVs are deemed the perfect setup for me, but they are pricey, listing at well over $100k.

Like any number of other situations, there is no universally best RV for everyone but rather are dependent on number of people, seasons and weather you're traveling in, need for creature comforts, mileage to destination(s), and whether you'll be "base camping" or constantly on the move. I'm down to 1-2 people most of the time with the option to tent for extra people (grandkids) in what would most likely be school vacation periods (summer). I do NOT like to base out of one area (with some exceptions) but rather constantly seeing "what's around the next bend". It KILLS me to consider anything getting less than 15 mpg which the vast majority of RVs are well under. Having finally given up on "car camping" ie tenting, I've worked out of a minivan for 6-7 years...quite adequate, even optimal sometimes, for me and during the longer daylight, warmer times of the year. However, its not ideal for the "shoulder" seasons (shorter, colder days) and definitely not for winters. My favorite time of travel is in the fall...but its also when days are rapidly getting short (and nights in the PNW are 10-14 hrs....too long to sleep thru) and cold (too cold to sit around a campsite's table and read). The minivan does necessitate a greater degree of camping than an RV would, which is preferred for much of my travels...but not all. What to do, what to do???

Please continue to share experiences and advise.

Another suggestion of a highly mobile and efficient set up is a pickup truck of your choice and a lightweight camper from 4 Wheel Camper http://www.fourwheelcampers.com
Although I do not own one myself (I have a F/250 Diesel and a toy hauler for other reasons), I have friends that have been exploring and photographing the west for years in theirs - which sports a Toyota Tundra pickup as the haul vehicle. Small, efficient, easy to maneuver, 4 wheel drive—etc.

I did the RV thing for 2 people .. had hoped for 4 to cut expenses but last minute stuff came up ......

We picked up a RV in Billings ( I'm guessing, can't remember now ) but hey, this RV seemed nice, new tires all the way around, 25 foot, clean ........ till I got on the road in this CALIFORNIA RV ..... turns out that is where most of thesed rentals are from / so gas oxtane requirements are higher .... and this wide body was like on a lil ford 1/2 ton pickup chassis .....  I mean every little crack in the highway it followed .. light ..... well I.ll be honest I had it floored ..cuz I wanted to make it up the next hill and not hold folks back .. in the end to get to Gardnier where we stayed in that RV place as you enter town Yellowstone RV ?? anyway .. a 100 bucks gas ...... we'd of gone broke driving this thing for a week in Yellowstone PLUS what was said about parking ..... the other photog drove my SUV down so we used the RV as a hotel as rooms were booked and those available were like $180 a night ... so we were able to zip in and out in the lil Mazda SUV, but we'd of had to pass up places we stopped at if we'd of been driving the SUV ...  don't recall what I paid for the week we were there renting with all hookups / used their showers - RV bathroom ....... and I'm so glad the other two folks couldn't make it !!  25 foot was just enough for 2 first time RV'ers .......  Do it again .. nay - when  you rent you can't tow anything behing your rental, have a ton of cleaning requirements for you pay them to do it for you  ......... I'd plan far in advance and get a room at the Mammoth Inn with a bath, like I've done before .. now that was nice !!  Yeah, Old Faithful was a hike, but we were primarily there for wildlife so that loop for us was great at that gate !

Thanks Curt, this is the insight I was looking for.

The wife has been talking about going back to Italy instead.... which I can deal with