Pros and cons

[Dan_Vitale]

Hi folks,
I posted this another place and someone suggested I come here to Snowbirds. We are thinking about purchasing a travel trailer to spend the winters down south. We live in upstate NY, and thinking about anyplace from the Carolinas to Florida. I am 70 y/o, drive a Chevy 1500 5.3 V8 with the tow pkg. I guess I'm looking for some help making the decision, pros and cons?
Thanks,
Dan

[2gypsies1]

You may be surprised in comparing your winter in warm temps or staying home in bitter cold.

Yes, you'll have a vehicle fuel bill to get you down to Florida but once there you won't be spending any more than you would at home running around.

Food is needed at either place. That's an easy one to control.

What is your heating bill at home in the winter. That will be offset by staying in warmth.

As far as the RV, but a used one at first and see how you like it.

As stated, your health will be better and you'll be exercising more in the warmth. You'll also be more social and perhaps learn new activities.

You'll love it!!!

[Parrothead_Mike]

We just completed our 5th year of going to Florida with our 5th wheel. We've seen snowbirds in everything from a popup camper (not recommended) to very expensive Class A motorhomes. Finding your degree of comfort is important and it's helpful if you know what that might be before purchasing something so small that you're not comfortable staying in it for extended periods. If you prefer staying for short periods in many locations a small unit can be easier to get around in. For longer stays something that affords you comfort (a nice lounge chair or comfortable sofa) will be appreciated.

You can definitely have fun pulling and staying in a 24'-26' travel trailer. Again, it all depends upon what you consider fun. Some folks like to lounge around the pool or go to the beach. Others are into crafts, golfing, fishing, reading, socializing, walking their dogs, or sightseeing. There will be many days that you will want to stay in the park for activities or you might want to get out often. Unfortunately going out often generally causes you to spend more money, although there are many free activities you can take part in.

We now stay for 4 months in the same park. Originally we did more traveling around Florida checking out different parks and areas of the state. We stayed in some state parks as well as private parks. The daily costs in private parks will be reduced by staying for a month or longer. At first we did 3-4 days to a week in various parks getting to know them. By the 3rd year we've pretty much stayed put.

Your preference for a specific type of weather will dictate locations you will stay. Obviously Florida will be warmer than your home area. We're are from Michigan and while we like the warmer temps in FL we don't need 80 degrees plus very often. We've found that the Crystal River, FL (about 75 north of Tampa) area meets our climate needs just fine. Warm, but not too warm. Cool, but not too cool. I could take 75 degree days and 50 degree nights all year long, but that doesn't always happen. Still, we don't have to shovel any white stuff.

Our typical lifestyle during a week includes me golfing at least a couple of times. My wife likes aerobic type classes. We both power walk early in the day. We both like to read. I'm still picking up a wood carving hobby (just started this winter when introduced by a fellow camper in our park) and we enjoy sightseeing. I play horseshoes twice a week in the park and we attend a weekly campfire with friends we've met in the park, enjoying a few drinks and snacks to dishes to pass meals. Plus there is always plenty of social interaction with fellow campers, some new and some not so new to us. If you like to be stationary, not real active, you should be sure to bring nice outside lounge type chairs.

Comfort (I've mentioned this previously for a reason) is important and unless you're gone from your camper all the time you're going to want to make your home base a nice relaxing spot. A nice size RV to haul those comfy items is important. The smaller the unit the fewer things you can bring. The smaller the unit the closeness you will feel on cool and/or rainy days. Small units are somewhat difficult to cook in or watch TV in. I'm suggesting something 28'+, but again, it's your preference for what you want to bring and how you live your life.

Costs: The further south in FL, the more it costs (think $900+ per month up to $1,200 or more). The center of the state, even south, is relatively less expensive. We checked out Sebring and found monthly costs as low as $500/month to a few hundred more. It's a nice area too. We're north of Tampa a fair drive with no big beaches or traffic and prices are around $700+/month. Some places, for long stays, will also charge for electric. Our park does not, plus we have a nice cable selection. Definitely spend some time at RV Park Reviews.com researching different parks in areas you might like to visit. You will find daily-weekly-monthly rates and you can often see photos of parks and read about amenities offered.

And finally (sorry this is so long) in regard to whether it's worth it. Well....of course it is. I'd say that nearly 100% of the folks I interact with at our park love the lifestyle. Of course this doesn't take into account those people that try it and don't like it. I don't talk to those people because they are not snowbirding with the rest of us. Many in our park have done it longer than we have and we plan to see them again next winter. If you or your spouse are iffy about leaving your home friends and family you might not enjoy the winter away from them. But then again, there is always a phone to talk to them. They will envy you. That I can almost guarantee you.

[bucky]

If you want warm Jan-Mar you don't want the Carolinas and GA is iffy. I've had to wait in Myrtle Beach for the awning to thaw so that we could pack out.

[BarneyS]

I just turned 80 and have been towing our trailer from Michigan to mid Florida or to Texas and back for the past 15 years. If you go to Florida and want fairly warm weather most of the winter try to stay South of a line from Tampa on the West to Orlando on the East. There will be an occasional chilly day or two but mostly mid 70's to low 80's from January to early April. Usually not too many bugs during that time either.

There are hundreds of parks to choose from and all styles of accommodations. Mostly the people are friendly but the coast areas are quite crowded with the snowbirds during those months. If you don't want busy areas, stick to the central parts of the state and areas like Sebring or nearby towns.

Texas is nice also. Very friendly but not as warm as Florida. Lots of history and fun things to see and do there. We have stayed in the San Antonio area and the hill country. The hill country is quite cool early in the winter but warms up nicely in late Feb and early March.

Good luck in your decision. I certainly recommend giving it a try. Sure beats shoveling snow and driving around on snow and ice.
Barney

[almcc]

We have a larger unit than the 26 ft or so you will have due to the truck restriction but I wouldn't get too concerned about the size. We find that we spend most of our day outside the RV, and "indoor days" aren't fun, just like being indoors at home for days in the winter.

Pick a sunny warm destination, make sure you have an awning to protect you from the sun and an occasional rain shower and you will be fine. Try it out in a rental before taking the plunge!

[Padlin]

I'm a rookie so take this for what it's worth.

Are you thinking of moving around or sitting in one spot for the winter? We move around, at least for the 2 years we've been heading south. Our small 21' fifth wheel works fine for the 2 of us, moving around every week or 2, for 3 months. If we were to sit in one spot we'd want something a good deal bigger. You need to decide if the size trailer you can pull with your truck for 1500 miles is big enough to live in for however long you want to go south.

Costs us roughly $200 a week to stay mostly in state parks, add in gas, food, general spending and it's about $700 a week, for us. You can get better rates if you stay in commercial campgrounds and pay by the month or the season. Prices for camping vary considerably, $300 or so a month and up.

We spent some time this year in MS, LA, AL, and northern TX in Jan/Feb, cool but not bad. The cooler it is the more time we spend inside. We'd need a bigger camper if we wanted to spend more time in these areas.

[LewBob]

I absolutely agree with J&J. Dear wife and I have been spending winters volunteering in southwest Texas for the past several years, living in our 24-foot Arctic Fox trailer. Love it. Summers in the southwestern mountains of Arizona and Colorado. I understand that many couples would need a larger RV, but we make ours work for us. Volunteering to "work" interacting with other campers three days a week gets us free hookups in one of the nation's most beautiful areas.

[John_Joey]

Dan Vitale wrote:
Thanks everyone. I should clarify that I am wondering about the lifestyle, campgrounds, and costs and whether it's all worth it.

Is it worth it - definitely, and here is my main reason. You will stay much younger and healthier both in mind and body if you leave those secure comforts of your home an engage with new people (outside your comfort zone) in outside activities in a warm environment during those winter months. The quality of your life will be much better then sitting home, looking out the window, or doing the same boring social routine with people that are very predictable given the length of time you've known them. As a caveat, if you stay in a snowbird park for too long the same thing will happen there also.

How you snowbird only you can decide what gives you the most enjoyment for the least amount of money. Good luck.

[kerrlakeRoo]

there are rv parks in many areas that have rental units available. You may want to rent one and try living in it for a month to see if it is something you want to do long term . Waiting for winter to try to get a Fl. rental would likely be pricey, you may want to test the lifestyle change this year before going south.

[westernrvparkow]

If you will also use the RV during the summer, it will likely be a good idea. Like others have said, the size can be a major issue, but only you can decide if the RV has enough space for long periods of living. And I agree that being north of Florida is too cold for too long. Heck, even the northern half of Florida is too cold for me and I am from Montana. Go South, Young Man.
If your only intent is to go south for the winter and not RV in a traditional sense, buy a condo, buy a park model or buy a second home. Better investment, easier and more space. An RV isn't going to save you any significant amounts of money over one of those more traditional options. It will just shift the costs around.

[mgirardo]

You are the only one that can decide if it is worth it. I would think the biggest Pro is no more cold winters and snow shoveling. Which I think is tops on most snowbirders list. The big question that you need to address is whether you can adjust to living in a small space for several months at a time.

We have a 32' Class C motorhome and have no problems camping for the weekend or even a week or two at a time. However, it is very different when we live in the camper for 4 months. After the first few weeks, the size limitation becomes very apparent.

With your Truck, you will probably only be able to tow smaller trailers, maybe 26' at the longest. Even with slide outs, that's less than 200 square feet of living space. If you expect to spend most of your day indoors, that could become an issue. Before you jump head first into the life style, it might not be a bad idea to find a campground close to home where you can spend a month living in the camper. If you can do a month, then you can probably do the full season.

Every snow bird is different. A lot head south right after Christmas and get home before Easter. Some head south for a couple months, some spend 6 months down south and 6 months at home. We spend our summers in the north and live in the south. We generally go from May 1 to after Labor Day. If it were up to me, I'd spend 5 months up north May 1 to October 1, but the wife and kids are ready to get back home sooner.

-Michael

[Dan_Vitale]

Thanks everyone. I should clarify that I am wondering about the lifestyle, campgrounds, and costs and whether it's all worth it.

[K_Charles]

The weight distribution hitch got to heavy and the truck got to big to site see with so we got a MH.

[Snowman9000]

We have done the same thing for a few years. We had two trailers (fivers) and then switched to a small motorhome. This advice is from my perspective. Maybe it won't fit yours. But we are almost at this point:

If the only real usage is going to be for the snowbird trip, I no longer want to drive or drag an RV back and forth. Leave it there! I thought we were going to be doing a lot of other traveling besides the snowbird thing. In reality, the snowbird thing is a big chunk of the year, so the rest of the time we aren't as interested in RV travel. It's easy to tell yourself, we'll get this trailer and we'll go all over with it. But will you? Or will you just drag it back and forth to Florida?

You mention Carolina to Florida. Anything north of FL will have some serious cold weather, too cold for a snowbird experience, IMO.