valhalla360
No paticular place.
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Joined: 08/19/2009
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Coming from the cruising world (boats), we can quickly pick out the other long term cruisers from the permanent non-mobile liveaboards and the weekend cruiser.
While we will certainly still socialize with the other groups and there is nothing wrong with them, are there any keys to picking out the equivilent RVers (ie: full time or longer term who move fairly regularly.)?
Tammy Mike & the Bilge Rat (AKA: Diego)
Ford F250 7.2L
1997 Sunnybrook 27' 5er
1995 Gemini Sail Catamaran 34'
Full Time spliting time between boat and 5er
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RVnRobin
West of the Mississippi
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Joined: 11/05/2006
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I've seen more misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and arguments over this type of profiling than any other issue RVers bring up. As you stated, how about visiting fellow RVers, get to know each individual, share experiences, and recognize there is something that, even if we can't identify it, that draws us to this lifestyle. There are some who, even though my rig is a quality unit, is well maintained, is spotless, and I am a retired, educated, professional with significant means to support myself, will call me homeless trailer trash. Reality is that there is no generalization that accurately describes the wide range of differences in individuals.
RVnRobin and DW.
Love my 94 Dodge 2500 almost as much as I love my DW.
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Bigburd
Tennessee
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Joined: 12/07/2006
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Basiclly, all our sites look somewhat alike. Some have more, some less. Talked to a "Full Timer" working Long Key SP that lived in a pop-up. Talked to others in Class A's. Only possible way to tell is keep tabs on who comes & goes. Full Timers have more time to do what they want and tend to stay longer.
07' Ford F-250 SD 6.0L
08' Keystone Sprinter 250 RBS
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Aridon
SE Florida
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Joined: 06/06/2007
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There really aren't that many of us in comparison to how many people RV as a whole. The easiest way is to watch them come and go from a single base and you will tend to see the same people sticking around. Even then, in places like FL where its common for people to stick around for 6 months and return to a stick and brick up north its difficult to pick them out.
I'd guess full timers make up <5% of the RV population. In the end it really doesn't matter that much in your travels you will find some of us.
2008 Newmar 4330 (Modified)
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valhalla360
No paticular place.
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Joined: 08/19/2009
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Not trying to hurt feelings, but as stated in the original post, we will hang out with others. If you have had issues with people calling you trailer park trash, start your own topic on the subject.
The reason I asked is ideas that work for a weekender or someone who goes south and stays at one park for the winter may not be as useful as someone who is moving a couple times a week.
We've found in the cruising world, we tend to get the best ideas and places to go from people doing simlar cruising as they are dealing with issues similar to ours and you can usually pick them out by the type of boat and how it's equipped.
Example: When we pull into a marina and ask the local weekend boaters where is a good place to eat, they invariably try to send us to a high end seafood restaurant that's 5 miles away. When you are living on the water high end seafood restaurants are a dime a dozen and we don't have a car. When you ask the same queston of a cruiser, they will point out the reasonably priced but good quality family restaurants that are within walking distance.
Two deer talking in the forest:
- Where's bambi (another deer)?
-He read a study that some Wolves are vegetarians. He checked it out an it's true.
- So where is he?
- He felt it would be wrong to steriotype them by running away every time he saw one.
- So where is he?
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johnbhicks
Lutz
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Joined: 07/25/2009
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I think fairly permanent campers tend to put out more stuff on their sites than people who move frequently just like a liveaboard who doesn't move tends to have junk all over the dock plus a dock box or two. Cruisers have learned that it's just too much work to stow all that stuff all the time.
A place for everything and everything in it's place, so to speak.
---
jbh
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RVnRobin
West of the Mississippi
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My point is, there is NO particular "look" to help you make your selection of who to talk to. Just visit with people. You will find out who stays in a location longer than others, and who will know the best restaurants or the best resource to address any of your questions.
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Happy_Trails
Fulltime, USA
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Joined: 11/21/2006
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valhalla360 wrote:Coming from the cruising world (boats), we can quickly pick out the other long term cruisers from the permanent non-mobile liveaboards and the weekend cruiser.
While we will certainly still socialize with the other groups and there is nothing wrong with them, are there any keys to picking out the equivilent RVers (ie: full time or longer term who move fairly regularly.)?
Just talk with anyone... There is no way to tell, even ways some mention do not work. We have been fulltiming now over 15 years. They say look for those who have "the most stuff out." Does not apply, for we have been traveling long enough to know what stuff is invaluable and what to discard. Generally over the years, we have left good "stuff" that we no longer wanted to mess with next to dumpsters. Its usually gone in an hour or so and it lightened our load. Means less work to pack up and go...
We travel 11,000-12,000 miles a year, and sometimes all we do is plug in the electric. Hook up sewer just B4 we leave and dump it, we can go two or three weeks before dumping.
If we put out our awning, it is unusual and only when hot or we want to hang the Hummer and bird feeders from it. We may put out our canvas chairs to sit out and read. We used to put out carpet, but after a coupla years stuck it next to a dumpster as not worth the trouble to bother with.
We may stay in one place two nights or a week and at the longest three weeks. SO just because people leave does not mean they are weekenders. We could have been there two weeks before you got there, and leave in less than a week. We think its much more fun to move around, rather than spend months in one place.
Like I take lots of pictures, have over 25,600 on my Terribyte Drive. Those are only from the past few years, as most are stored on DVD's.
We travel like the birds, you may meet us in FL or ME, S.CA or WA and anywhere in between in campsites big enough to hold a 20 ft RV or bigger and boondocking in the National Forest or Parks.....
Which reminds me, attendence in National Parks is WAY down.
We have stayed in many fm June to Sept that has less than 30% of the campsites filled. Yellowstone especially was less than 20% full.
Bob & Nadine
1984 Allegro 23 feet, always at home!
Living Life With a "Golden Age Passport"
and Thousand Trails VIP Membership, Priceless!.
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routeforty
ohio
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Joined: 12/26/2006
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I think I saw a post similiar to this awhile back, maybe on the Escapees forum, and if I remember right the general concensus was that the fulltimers were the ones that had a ladder with them. Now I like to talk with anyone camping but when I see someone that I think maybe fulltiming I really make an effort to talk to them-sort of pick their brain for info when we get ready to do as they are. As the old Mother Earth News used to say "A report from them that's doing" Gary
'05 chevy 3500, duramax, allison, '00 Coachmen Futura 2790 TT, 35th anniversary edition, 05 lance 1130-stable lift
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Happy_Trails
Fulltime, USA
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We dont carry a ladder either, use only the one on the back, to get stuff out of the rooftop carrier. Generally keeping off season clothing in it, keeping it light.
Though we once borrowed a neighbors and painted the rig. 
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