Reservations

[Jayco-noslide]

When we started camping 40+ years ago I'm not sure we ever made reservations and probably seldom did until much later. Now I've adopted the attitude that if any doubt at all, make reservations and be prepared to accept "losing" some money by cancelling. Being cheap this is hard but not as hard as showing up late afternoon at a favorite place and finding it booked. I've also adopted the attitude that " anything is possible" as far as campgrounds being booked. Places we never thought would fill now might. It's just all part of the new reality of the popularity of RVing. I just tried to reserve a national park site in March only to find our preferred loop is booked.

[dedmiston]

We're still talking about Reservations here, right?

[2oldman]

Crowe wrote:
What makes you think a boomer's health is going to give out any faster than older generations?

I go by how many I see walking around with watermelons in their t-shirts.

Crowe wrote:
you are still looking at quite a few years before your "vision" of what's going to happen comes to fruition. Will you still be healthy and RVing?

I have no idea.

[Crowe]

Most boomers I meet have waited until after 65 to retire and blow their money on an RV. It won't be long before their health gives out, they get tired of the work involved, and camping returns to normal, along with a glut of used RVs on the market.

I wouldn't hold your breath on that. I'm a tail-end boomer who has 8 years to go before 65. What makes you think a boomer's health is going to give out any faster than older generations? I don't know how old you are but there a goodly number of people on here in their 60s, 70s, and 80s that are still RVing. As such, you are still looking at quite a few years before your "vision" of what's going to happen comes to fruition. Will you still be healthy and RVing?

[2oldman]

Most boomers I meet have waited until after 65 to retire and blow their money on an RV. It won't be long before their health gives out, they get tired of the work involved, and camping returns to normal, along with a glut of used RVs on the market.

[garmp]

Tvov wrote:
We had a little more difficulty this year getting campsites than past years. It does seem to me that RV'ing is getting more popular, and campgrounds more crowded.

You got that right!!! It's all those dang baby boomers. Retired and on the road.
Ooh wait! That's me!

[Roy_Lynne]

Oasisbob wrote:
Given the loading & gas money wasted if campground is full we make reservations. Sadly 3 were cancelled this year. In Oregon it is really really hard to get into a state park without a reservation. We have families living in our Oregon state campgrounds as it is cheaper than rent. Things have sure changed

We live in Washington and often camp in Oregon, and there was a guy who was broken down and had been at the state park for two weeks. The rangers called a tow truck to get him out of there. I don't know how folks can stay longer than 2 weeks at any of the Oregon State Parks. They sure can't at the ones I've stayed at.

[Tvov]

We had a little more difficulty this year getting campsites than past years. It does seem to me that RV'ing is getting more popular, and campgrounds more crowded.

[nypatnva]

When traveling, only use Walmart, home depot etc. we only camp after labor day and before Memorial day. Never not had a site. Summer is for the younger generations with kids.

[2oldman]

2gypsies wrote:
If we had to make reservations for 6,840 nights during our full-timing years we would have never RVd.

If I had to stay in RV parks for most of those nights I would have quit by now.

[2gypsies1]

If you're on a strict schedule because of still at a job and only two weeks vacation, yes, make reservations.

However, if you're retired you have the great opportunity to travel off times. Don't go for weekend trips. Make your weekend begin on Monday.

There are many ways to do without reservations if you're not over pickey. If you need to be in a particular site or a particular loop then you'll have a difficult time. But if you can be flexible there are sites to be had - even in the popular national parks. Do you really need hookups? There are usually dry campgrounds that don't even accept reservations, including in Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier, etc. On the major holidays we never stayed anywhere where there's water - pools, lakes, rivers. That was our time to chill out in a nice quiet setting. We went to the 'water' places after the weekenders left - pulled in Monday early and got our site. Also, there are many city and county parks that are very pleasant. Try national forest sites. They are many times on beautiful lakes or rivers. We also boondocked a lot on public lands - national forest and BLM. There are options out there. Try them!

If we had to make reservations for 6,840 nights during our full-timing years we would have never RVd.

[Crowe]

We always made reservations. Tight schedules didn't give us much alternative plus I felt it was one less thing to stress about. Last thing I wanted was to get somewhere and not have a place to sleep.

[mdcamping]

We still are doing 40, so reservations are a must. I have noticed the past few yrs that sites are tough to come by on the more popular rvparks/campgrounds, so my booking starts around the first week in January. For this upcoming columbus day weekend to get a W/E site at assatleague state park I had to book 1 year in advance, just hrs after the online window opened.

Mike

[DrewE]

As a non-retired person, I nearly always use reservations, though they are not always made far in advance. I don't have the luxury of adjusting my schedule by a few days if needed.

Sometimes this has led to making what turned out to be unnecessary reservations, such as at Greenbelt Park near Washington, DC around Thanksgiving time when the occupancy rate was less than 5% and for most of my stay I could not see another camper from my reserved site.

[jplante4]

It's easier in some parts of the country to go no-res. North Dakota for instance. I'm at a COE park in Nebraska right now and there are over 100 sites open. The camp host has the day off. Pull in and pick a site.

This trip we had reservations (or were going to a first-come place) for the next stop and I was looking for the place after that. I need to be in the Kansas City area around Oct 1, so I have the next 2 weeks booked.

I would not recommend winging it in the northeast in Just and August. Too many campers, not enough parks.