How many are living full-time in rv parks?

[A Wing and a Prayer]

Hi,

So I'm on my test run and here is what I am finding out.

I LOVE living small. I can't wait to get back and put my house up for sale.

I don't think I like living mobile. I research parks in the direction I want to go and it takes me days to figure out my next destination, and sometimes I still don't know. I'm sticking with parks right now while I get my feet wet. I don't have solar yet. Not sure if I'm the type to live by myself in the wilderness. I do love nature however and want a place with lots of trees around me and some privacy. 

I'm only 2 weeks in, but I'm starting to think I should look for either a small piece of property that allows camping on your land or an inexpensive park with lots of trees (maybe even one for the summer and another for the winter).

Does anyone here stay in an RV park full-time? 

 I like the North Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky areas best. Does anyone know of an inexpensive rv park that would accept a 10' gypsy style camper in those areas?

Thanks

 

[A Wing and a Prayer]

Sorry, I meant to post this in the "topics that don't fit other areas" section.

 

[Stargazer]

I have lived in a fifth wheel in an RV park in central Texas for four years now. It's my home base. In the dead of summer, I take my van and head for mountains (Colorado right now).

I used to boondock and travel a lot but after a few years I just tired of it. Maybe I'll head back out there in the future but for now, it's break time.

The park in Texas is out in the country with trails, a river, plenty of wildlife, very little traffic. I lucked out finding it.

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome A Wing and A Prayer to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you. well you needed an intro anyways so I will just leave it here. highdesertranger

 

[rvwandering]

Oops, HDR I moved it.

Wing and a Prayer - Have you tried any Corp of Engineer Parks? Most of them are really nice with trees, grass, and plenty of space between the sites. They don't all have electric hook ups and the stay is limited to 14 days although that is sometimes extended during the winter months when the parks are not filled. If you have an Access or Senior Pass you'll get half price camping which makes the parks very reasonable.

 

[bullfrog]

We bought a lot on the Little Sandy River in Greenup County Kentucky fifteen years ago. There was a veterans club there, some houses and a lot of campers. Lots were cheap as it flooded at least once a year. We put a concrete pad, water and electric pole in but no septic. We had an older motor home that we would either use a totter or drive 10 miles to dump and fill, usually every two weeks as we both worked town 20 miles away and had a YMCA membership where we worked out and showered most days. When the river flooded we would move to my place of work or local state parks (where we dumped) sometimes for 3 months of the year. We did this for about 3 years until I retired. We traveled 2 years and found if we worked in a National Park in Utah for Aramark we could live there with all utilities for little or sometimes nothing. Crowded in the summer but great spring and fall, cold 6 weeks of the winter sometimes a little snow but always windy. We now travel south in a small trailer and tent for the winters staying on BLM land. I would not own land now just because it requires work to maintain utilities and pay taxes when I can live in a National Park or on BLM land for little or free and move if I don't like the neighbors. We have been doing this the last 12 years.

 

[A Wing and a Prayer]

Oops, HDR I moved it.

Wing and a Prayer - Have you tried any Corp of Engineer Parks? Most of them are really nice with trees, grass, and plenty of space between the sites. They don't all have electric hook ups and the stay is limited to 14 days although that is sometimes extended during the winter months when the parks are not filled. If you have an Access or Senior Pass you'll get half price camping which makes the parks very reasonable.

Thanks rvwandering those look interesting. I did call up on one that sounds great but still a little expensive at $28 a night.

 

[Travelers Rest]

Wing and a Prayer,
Go to google maps, pull map over to area you would like,in the address search box, just type in rv parks. RV parks pop up in areas. Hold down the mouse, drag it over some, then the box upper middle will pop up " search this area ", click on that box. More rv parks will pop up. It's time consuming, but you'll find all kinds of parks. You could type in campgrounds and it will do the same. Another suggestion is you could call some of the rv parks and ask them if they know of a small rv park. Not all will show up on maps. Just a lot of research. Just have unlimited minutes on your cell.
Hope this doesn't sound confusing. I've played around on google maps searching all kind of stuff.
But maybe someone will put you on a good place. Hang in there.

 

[Travelers Rest]

Just a thought. A private landowner may have a place or rv pad on there property for rent. I've seen a couple of them once in a while on craigslist, here's an example https://panamacity.craigslist.org/apa/d/rv-lot-for-rentmonth-includes/6248999680.html
I just went to craigslist and typed in " rv lot for rent " . Very few of them, but just one other possibility to look for.
You can talk to a private owner and maybe negotiate a price.
Pick a city in the area you want, craigslist, and this also is alot of research.
Here's one close to Huntsville, AL
https://huntsville.craigslist.org/reo/d/trailer-lot-for-rentor-rv/6228833256.html

 

[TrainChaser]

Wing&aPrayer: "Not sure if I'm the type to live by myself in the wilderness. I do love nature however and want a place with lots of trees around me and some privacy."

You don't need to be by yourself. Once you're out there (boondocking), you should meet other people. They have the same 14-day limitation that you do. Ask them where they intend to go next. Check it out online, and see if you think it would suit you. Ask your "neighbor" if they would mind if you follow them to that place. It seems that a lot of people do that, and caravan together to the next place. New view, same friends and neighbors.

 

[IGBT]

I will tell you what we did last year while visiting my parents.   We camped at the Georgia Veteran's State Park on Lake Blackshear.  During November and December it was EMPTY.   We had a spot right on the lake for about $18 a night which included cable TV, water, electricity and you had pretty nice bathrooms with showers.   We later learned there was an even cheaper rate by the month during the winter, something like $400 a month!   We got a good signal on AT&T cell phone too.

This is south Georgia, so a bit lower than you wanted to go, but it is very nice during the winter and pretty much zero chance of snow.   Sometimes I call my mum during January and she says it is sunny and 75 degrees.

Look into the Friends of Georgia Parks year pass.  It gets you several nights free and a big discount on staying at the parks plus covers the parking fee.

The Lake is a lot of fun to play around if you have a canoe or something.

 

[A Wing and a Prayer]

Thanks everyone. These are all great ideas. I'll look into each of them. I'm feeling better already.

 

[Wallflower]

I'm in a RV park,they do give you a secure feeling, but very few have nice lots, privacy, I'm not single but while my sweetheart was hospitalized I stayed alone fine. The neighbors offered to help care for our dog while I was at the hospital. we had looked for private landowner space but in Salem Oregon there are so few the cost is high.I'm not social person so RV parks seem too confined. We are leaving soon for the open desert, where you can chose to be close to people or move farther out when the introvert need to recharge kicks in. I joined the Elks because they had the best rent around with amenities

 

[shadowmoss]

I have lived full time in RV parks for the past year.  I have an annual spot down in Phoenix metro area and I head to higher elevation in the summers.  I am going to do my first long term boondocking next month while waiting for it to cool down in Phoenix.  I like my 55+ resort park, and the annual rate is reasonable, under $2500/year which includes water.  I like the sense of community and the sense of having someplace to call home base.  As I boondock more I may turn loose of the need for all that.  Time will tell.

 

[sushidog]

If you like the NC mountains like I do, here's a reasonable park $300/mo in the beautiful Smokies with lots of trees, beautiful views and all the amenities. For shorter stays they are more expensive, but if you have Passport America it's $15/night. http://www.fortwilderness.net/ I'll be staying there for a week in September.

In N. Georgia Jenny's Creek is nice. True wilderness experience in a campground for $350/mo except Oct, which is $450. http://www.jennyscreek.com/

Chip

 

[frater secessus]

As it happens, I just visited an RV park today.    It's associated with a gun range so you get free range membership.    

If I were to move out of the S&B I'm renting and go full time there in the van until my retirement:

• my rent/utilities would drop $285
• my gasoline costs would decrease by $60
• I would shave 1.5hrs off my daily commute (7.5hrs/week, which is almost a day off).  The drive doesn't bother me but losing the time hurts.
• I could keep my dogbuddies there
• it's still in a semirural area although only 15mins from work.

My motorcycle is paid off on Sept 1, so the only debt I will have will be the van.  $285 + $60 + the finished bike payment funds would pay for the van note.  Compared to my current cash flow it would feel like a free van.

If I were to do this it'd probably be after the RTR.  Feb?  March?

Food for thought.