Stay at a park a month or more then move on and do it again?

[Jedidad]

Am getting ready to purchase an RV and was thinking about RVing pretty much full time at least for a year or so and see the country. To save money I was looking at doing a lot of boondocking rather than pay for nights in an RV park.

Then I noticed that some parks have monthly rates that are ridiculously low. Some as low as $250/month! Some with full hookups and some have you pay extra for the electric you use.

So I'm thinking that I could perhaps see the country at a more leisurely pace, staying at a park for a month or so and explore the surrounding area in my toad then move on to another area.

I know snowbirds kind of do this, staying 6 months or so in one park. So, any downside to this? Thx.

[Jedidad]

JAXFL wrote:
...it is over 7 years just to get out of the state.

Sometimes it feels that way going up I-75. 🙂

[JAXFL]

Plan to spend a lot of YEARS ding this.... Example there are over 400 campgrounds in the state of Florida that you can spend time at..... At just a week each it is over 7 years just to get out of the state.

[doxiemom11]

There are many many parks with lower rates. Some first time specials on monthly rates that are lower than even their normal monthly rate. You have to research areas and find them, but it can be done. We are currently in a park. FHU at $150 mo + elect. The cheaper parks are usually smaller and tend to be out and away from large towns and tourist locations. We hate the crowds and traffic, so it's no problem for us.

[bikendan]

Dennis12 wrote:
State and National parks accept golden age cards. some free and most 1/2 price

ALL state parks do not accept the America the Beautiful Senior Pass(no longer called Golden Age).
I've only found a few that do, since it's for Federal lands.

[JimK-NY]

Of course, you could drive nearby to the Mojave Preserve and stay for $6 senior or $12 full cost. I stayed for free. There are plenty of dispersed areas to camp in. Deva is nearby. I paid $6 per night there. While you are in the area, there are plenty of other places worth visiting. You don't need to drive back and forth for hours everyday. Just drive, visit and stay for little or no cost.

[Jedidad]

jarata1 wrote:
Yes 250 is a bit low I think your looking at least 500-600 for cheap and a place you would want to stay in

Yeah, 500-700 or thereabouts is what I'm seeing.

Here's the one I found for $250: http://tradewindsrvpark.com/

[jarata1]

Yes 250 is a bit low I think your looking at least 500-600 for cheap and a place you would want to stay in

[Jedidad]

Thanks all for the replies. Good stuff.

[Dennis12]

State and National parks accept golden age cards. some free and most 1/2 price

[JimK-NY]

ljr wrote:
....The RV lifestyle is expensive if you avoid the real dumps.

The RV lifestyle can be expensive for those who want to stay in resort style RV parks. Staying in national parks and national forests can be inexpensive. There are lots of BLM campgrounds that are free or very inexpensive. While traveling it costs nothing to stop overnight at Walmart or a truck stop or rest stop.

[p220sigman]

Like was said, be sure to check out the parks. Sometimes, the parks that have monthly rates that are super low, cater to transient workers and may not have the amenities or be as nice as others.

[Corkey05]

I've done the monthly rate exercise and it worked "ok", but it does have its drawbacks. Monthly rates seldom include electricity and parks all use their own formula to calculate the cost. Electricity isn't much of an issue during mild weather, but in the heat of summer be prepared for a healthy extra cost from air conditioner use.

The suggestion from a earlier post to join Escapees RV Club is excellent!

[jplante4]

On our winter trip, we stayed a week or 2 at each place. Most CGs have a weekly rate that saves you a little. We were on the road for 6 months and not in a hurry.

This trip is a bit more aggressive on the goal (Puget Sound and back in 10 weeks), so we're only doing 2-4 nights on each stop.

Be careful when selecting a campground for a month based solely on price. You may find yourself in a position of staying to keep your fee or leaving because it's terrible and losing the rent. RV Park Reviews is your friend. We never stay at a place with less than a 7 rating.

[ljr]

I’ve been doing that for years. I stay for anywhere from 1 to 3 months at a lot of State, County and Municipal parks along or near I-10 from late Fall to early Spring. Many are not very busy that time of year so they are happy to have any cash flow they can get to help pay their utility bills.

That said, don’t expect everything to be cheap or free. Rates can vary wildly. The RV lifestyle is expensive if you avoid the real dumps.