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RE: Is Socializing a Dying Thing in the RV Community?
We are using our Class B as another room in our small apartment during the time of social distancing/quarantine. We have campgrounds, back roads, pull off areas along the highway. We find that at the campgrounds people are sticking to their own groups with the social "wave" as they walk past our van. It has been pleasant. I now wish I had held out for a 4-season, 4wd Class B so we could do the same in the winter.
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fullmoonoversalem
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05/26/20 08:37pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Class B camper Van
We did downsize from A to B and love it. My advice would be to decide what you want to do and then look at what is out there. For instance, do you want to overland, winter camp, type of battery, solar, heating system, generator, etc.
Seeing that you are in WI, you might like to have one that is good for winter camping. I do wish we have been able to get a 4 season like the Winnebago Revel, but the layout is not that good for someone with disabilities. We ended up with a Galleria from Coachmen and love it. We went cross country and back, towing a 16 foot trailer (AK to NY and back) and it worked really well.
I had been thinking of converting to Lithium batteries, but after last winter decided not to do so. Too cold up here in Alaska. If we had a place to plug in and run a heater yes.
There are smaller C RVs out there that are excellent too. Good luck with your search.
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fullmoonoversalem
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04/30/20 12:06am |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: Is Socializing a Dying Thing in the RV Community?
I think rally's appeal to different types of people. Im not anti-social, but I don't necessarily enjoy the mass gatherings of people in an RV rally atmosphere.
I can sorta understand the new towable folks being a tad clannish. Remember, the "perception" likely was/is, "the coach folks opened up FMCA to towables because they needed new members in order to quit losing money". That may or may not be true, but I suspect when they arrived, and saw all the coach guys, they probably did just migrate to other towable folks. Honestly, I might have done the same, who knows.
I was at one campround a couple years ago, where there was a FMCA rally going on. Two folks left me with a bad impression for all. Doubt their behavior was indicative of the group at large, but it just seemed like "arrogance". One, an older lady, would take her dog out to do it's doo, and she let it do it's doo right in front of our friends 5th wheel... and of course never bothered to pick it up. I didn't find out about that until the last day, because I surely would have called her out.
Anyways, it's not surprising that like personnel are a tad clannish.
Mike
I think in the case of towables and others, people tend to gravitate towards people who have equipment like their own. We find that now that we have a B other B people come to meet us. I, personally, like to see what is out there, but unless I am going to a rally, etc., we kind of stick to ourselves. Mostly because we RV to "get away" from people. After we retired we did a lot of volunteering in situations where we had to deal with people, and enjoy being on our own after all that.
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fullmoonoversalem
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04/24/20 01:08am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Top Class Bs for towing?
Decision made. Found a 2012 Roadtrek w/ 6.0 that I am picking up on Tuesday. Can't wait.
Congratulations! May you have many miles of good times and memories.
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fullmoonoversalem
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04/24/20 01:00am |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: Is Socializing a Dying Thing in the RV Community?
I,m with the O/P. we have got into the r/v seen about 3 years ago spent a month in Alaska, back to South Dakota and all over Oregon. I can safely say that only one place we stayed was there anyone near sociable. what's wrong with people theses days or is it just a different group of people camping now?
we pulled off in a rundown campground somewhere in Canada. an soon a fellow was pulling in next to us he got parked and I said hello neighbor, when you get settled come over for a beer. he was traveling by himself and soon he was over and what a good time we had talking. the wife was getting ready to make something for diner and ask if he would like to join us, sure he said and got up and went to his R/V and came back with a large bag of fresh caught Halibut. we had a great diner and made a good friend. we all left the next morning and as he was pulling out he handed the wife a bag about 25# of more Halibut and said your nice people.
30 plus years ago me and three of my buddies went for a 2 week trip of Washington and Oregon. we were on Harleys and camping outside on the ground. I never meant so many nice people everywhere we went, it was great. you just don't see that any more. most people now act like your going to rob and **** them. i'm pretty bumbed about r/ving, anymore pulling into a campground is like pulling into a prison. Jay D.
At one time there weren't so many people into RVing. We thought we had more in common with other RVers then, perhaps. I found that while on the road between NY and AK, we were making time and although we didn't shun company, we were busy doing what we needed to do and sleeping for the next stretch of the journal.
Most of our social contacts through RVing came through meetups with people from RV Net, Facebook, and other RV organizations. We went to rallys and rv shows (not allowed to do that now), and organized some local meet-ups.
In the campgrounds, we are cautious about just walking up to people. We were in a campground once and found out that the next night the people in the site across from us were arrested. They were on the run for a violent crime. It made the Canadian news so it must have been big.
There are also the people who come up to us to talk about our Class B. We do love to talk about it, and will show it, but we were just notified by some of our fellow B-ers that there are people out there who ask to see your rig and then rip you off, or worse.
If you are in a campground for more than overnight, you often don't have the opportunity to meet others. One of the places we met some people with whom we are friends after 10 years was a Flying J. There doesn't seem to be any pattern to making friends. It just happens.
Some people RV to make friends, I think. We mostly are that kind of people, but on a long trip, we try to make the most of our time in campgrounds for organizing, resting, and preparation for the next leg of the journey.
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fullmoonoversalem
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02/03/20 08:53pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Top Class Bs for towing?
We traveled cross country pulling a 15 foot trailer with home goods in our Galleria - Sprinter 3500 from AK to NY and back. We checked with the Sprinter dealer and the RV dealership to be sure that the van could to it. They kind of laughed and told us it was fine. We did add Sumos to the springs so that helped the handling. So when we had the van checked after arriving back in Alaska, the Sprinter people said that the van was in good shape. Before leaving AK, and again before heading back from NY, we had the brakes and other things gone over. When we got back we had them check brakes again and they were still fine.
The van weathered the trip better than my DH. If I you have ever driven the Ice Fields Parkway, you might understand his anxiety.
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fullmoonoversalem
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01/04/20 04:23am |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: Is 70 the age to stop towing
I just met a woman who is 81 and just drove up the Alaska Highway. Yep, in the winter. She is going to stay with her grandson who is in the Coast Guard here in Alaska. Her DH dies last summer, she sold everything, bought a Winnebago Revel and drove it up. She was still practicing medicine until 2 years ago when her husband became ill. She plans to find a place for a base from which to travel in the next couple of years.
She had a thorough physical, and took some kind of driving course - she will email me the info - before starting out in early October. She spent some time semi-stranded in a couple snow storms, but did well. She is from Maine, and I know how the winters are there. She was well prepared.
I sure wish her well and a lot of miles in her future.
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fullmoonoversalem
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01/04/20 04:16am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Night stops with RV
There is a Walmart in Alaska that hires summer help and they stay in the lot. We noted this in other Walmarts across the country. I know that it looks like they are exceeding what is expected when you stay there, but they are essentially employees living there for the summer. We were placed with them in a "no overnight" store (we didn't see the sign) towards the back of the store where it was not obvious. It was really quiet there too.
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fullmoonoversalem
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11/04/19 01:43am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Is 70 the age to stop towing
As I was writing my last post, one of our resident bald eagles came to visit. She (we think) is munching on something near the tree outside our door. In winter we seem to have a whole flock hang around. I wish I could figure out how to do pictures. When I do I can post the one I took of her.
I would like to see those pictures. Just follow This post and you can post those pictures,easy peasy!
Will do. I will get to it as soon as I can. We had 2 moose out there today. Mom and her last year's young one. Last summer sand hill cranes by the dozen. Pets are frowned upon here, so we try to coddle the wildlife.
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fullmoonoversalem
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11/04/19 01:37am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: What Did You Do To Your Class B Today ?
... The Truma heater works really well. It takes a lot to impress me anymore but the Truma really does what it says. Having electric central heat and hot water makes a huge difference on our trips south when the temps are in the 20’s. Having the propane backup in case we “get caught on the road” is a plus.
Dave
Dave,
I used the B to sleep over at a friends in 9 degree weather. There were a few cold drafts, but the truma is a champ. And quiet. It uses to little propane too.
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fullmoonoversalem
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11/04/19 01:35am |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: Friends from the "OOP'S" thread.
I feel bad for you guys who are having all the bad weather and low temps. It is hard to imagine that you have colder weather than we do here where we live in Alaska. We have been in the 30s to 40s depending on the time of day. It has been raining a lot, some fog and quite a lot of black ice - and moose - on the roads. I am sure that the winter weather will be here soon and will probably happen when I have to go to Anchorage (150 mi) for doctor appointment. Oh, I looked on the Airport Temp in Prudoe bay and it said it was 19 degrees. Accuracy unknown.
I got a new calendar for the new year and am trying to plan some outings now. I plan a trip for every weekend, even if it is only just a mile or two away. We have been dreaming of giving up all our stuff and hitting the road full time, but can't figure out how to get started.
Stay healthy and safe.
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fullmoonoversalem
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11/04/19 01:30am |
Around the Campfire
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RE: RoadTrek 200
We went from A to B and love it. We spent 5 months in it and were still speaking at the end of our trip. I could full time if we had the opportunity. That would mean getting rid of stuff and pulling a big trailer full of hobby stuff.
One couple that I met had a tiny TT that they used for storage of things like a canopy, tools, etc and then had an extra bed for guests and/or “alone time.”
The cost of operating the B is so much better than the A. We can drive it anywhere. If I did anything else I would get one of those small C (B+?) like the View or Navion or the equivalent for more storage but could not park in our apartment’s parking lot.
Going “stealth” is easier. We did overnights in parking lots with no problems at times. I can’t even get interested in Class A. motorhomes anymore, even those luxury models.
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fullmoonoversalem
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10/26/19 03:26pm |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: Night stops with RV
Why go all the way to beautiful CO and WY to camp in parking lots, rest stops and WalMarts?
You have to adjust your thinking to understand how to utillize public land. All you have to do most places is pull off the highway and find a quiet spot. Be on the look out for private land which is mostlly posted.
Our intention when making our cross country trip this year (AK to NY and back) was to use public lands to camp along the way as were towing a trailer full of things for our son.. We got a later start than we intended and had to make up some time.. We were fortunate to find places to stop in Walmart lots, roadside rests, and truck stops. Usually we only stopped till daylight and were on the road again at dawn. Campgrouds were a luxury in which we indulged only twice and stayed for 2 days each - mostly for DH to decompress and to do laundry, etc.
Next summer we do want to do the public lands thing. Just to enjoy the land of country and hopefully Canada. This requires planning on our part. We will be looking for resources of information to access these lands.
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fullmoonoversalem
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10/26/19 03:13pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: What Did You Do To Your Class B Today ?
Spent the night in the B, or some of it. DH snoring and I did not want to wake him when I went to bed at 3 AM. The Truma heater works really well.
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fullmoonoversalem
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10/26/19 03:04pm |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: Is 70 the age to stop towing
As I was writing my last post, one of our resident bald eagles came to visit. She (we think) is munching on something near the tree outside our door. In winter we seem to have a whole flock hang around. I wish I could figure out how to do pictures. When I do I can post the one I took of her.
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fullmoonoversalem
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10/26/19 03:00pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Is 70 the age to stop towing
I am 78 years old and have been blind in my left eye for fifteen years. For the last few years I have my wife grade me on my driving with each trip. 1 being the worse score and ten being the best. We just got back from a 175 mile trip one way through the Smoky mountains. She gave me a score of ten. So I guess I still am doing good or either she is afraid I will quit driving and we are stuck at home staring at each other.
My hubby and I are always checking each other out. The passenger has the duty to spot bumps and holes and to spot new speed limits, act as navigator as well as look for other traffic hazards.
One thing that we both did before our trip this summer was to have physicals and eye exams. I had cataract surgery and enjoy much improved vision. Night driving is my job because my DH hates driving at night.
We also take it much easier than we did when younger. 500 mile days are notw 200 to 400 miles depending on what there is to see.
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fullmoonoversalem
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10/26/19 02:56pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Friends from the "OOP'S" thread.
I didn’t mention the problem whit the master actor that we had to replace. We spent as much in repairs as we did traveling I am just glad we had the problems in NY and not some place in between AK and NY.
We are still experiencing fall here and probably will be for another week. We Alaskans like to try to make the most of our outdoor time when we know it is limited. However, I plan to try to make an overnighter in the not to distant future if the sky is clear and we have Aurora. We will probably just head up to the Seward Hwy in the evening and use a pull off unless we can find an open campground that is open to the sky’s for the night view. Our camper keeps us cozy even if we have it winterized we still enjoy taking it out.
I was remembering other trips that we made east and came back on snowy roads. This year we left early and although there is snow in Tok and some northern areas of the highway, we have none here.
I do love winter in Alaska. Besides the scenery, get to meet our neighbors and do all the community things that small towns do. Winters where we live now are much milder and easier to manage than the ones we had in upstate NY.
Have a good weekend everyone.
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fullmoonoversalem
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10/26/19 02:47pm |
Around the Campfire
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RE: The Annual Class B Rally, And Other Events.
Dang! We missed this one. We didn't spend a lot of time on the computer during our cross country trip. Next year? Any B owners coming to AK next year?
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fullmoonoversalem
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10/19/19 07:21pm |
Class B - Camping Van Conversions
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RE: Is 70 the age to stop towing
Off topic but perhaps somehow remotely related:
I once watched a movie in which the main character was immortal and was around 1000 years old in the movie. This character was very sad and wouldn't have desired any other person on Earth to ever be immortal like he was. The reason -> because everything and everyone in his life that he had come to love eventually was gone or had died.
Maybe we all die after a number of years for our own good. :h
Maybe, but would it not be interesting to see what happens in the future? Maybe I could learn some new hobbies, quilt some more fabric, learn new skills, etc.
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fullmoonoversalem
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10/19/19 07:15pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Is 70 the age to stop towing
My Dad is 94 and still drives the 3 sports cars in the garage.
I had a great aunt who bought her last Mercedes at 98 and drove across the country round trip. She died 3 days before her 100 birthday. Still driving (some restrictions) still had red hair, still golfing, still wearing bikinis while in her swimming pool.
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fullmoonoversalem
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10/19/19 07:13pm |
General RVing Issues
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