Re: [A/S] Full Timing Costs

[Terry Tyler <tylerbears@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi JolietDogMagic,

The points raised by Hunter are important features. My take on having a
permanent spot is that those who rent a lot on a yearly basis are more
likely to stay on that lot and become "settlers" in their Airstream than
those who become "explorers" of the North American continent.

When it comes to costs, there are other considerations.  For example:

2 - As Hunter said, those of us who use the Coast to Coast (CC) campground
membership system pay $6 per night at CC campgrounds. But, to become a
member requires buying a membership in one of the private campgrounds within
the system. That cost can vary widely depending on the private campground.
In addition to CC, there are other campground membership systems available,
each with their own unique characteristics (AOR, RPI, CCA, PA, etc., etc.).

2a - We know of RVers who paid $3,000 to join a CC park and a few who were
given a membership by RVer friends who no longer traveled. Frequently, there
are free memberships listed on campground bulletin boards and in Good Sam
magazines with the stipulation the buyer must take responsibility for the
annual dues and pay the legal transfer fee ($75).  More often (every month),
we see "resale" memberships advertised in camping magazines at $500.

The advantage of buying a resale from a particular park is it becomes the
"home park" which means visits are not restricted to one week. Instead, the
park can be used more often. The exact rules vary but most allow nearly
unrestricted visits. Members who volunteer to help out in the home park get
even better options.  If location is important, then search carefully.

2b - Secondly, when it comes to annual dues at the private campground, the
price ranges widely (less than $100 up to $1,000). Another wrinkle is some
dues are frozen for life while others are not. Mostly, we see dues between
$100 to $200 advertised as frozen for life. There are probably other
amounts, but they aren't heavily advertised.

2c - As a result of these costs and others (like being required to pay $1 a
day for cable whether wanted or not - or $0.50 per day for a site with a
concrete pad), the actual cost per night is always more than the $6 paid
each night, especially after figuring amortization in at five years.

2d - Several years ago, I kept track of every single penny spent within our
membership systems. After 1272 nights, our per night cost averaged out
to almost $7 a night. Before you get excited about the cost, consider
this. Although there is an up side, there is a down side, depending on your
personal preferences.

2e - Living within the membership campground system may be precisely what
you'd like. During our yearly travels, we learn more about which campgrounds
are the most desirable ones. Each year, we make it a point to stay at them
when we are in their part of the country. Some are truly exquisite places
for staying a week and the staff are delightful.  The majority of membership
system campgrounds we've visited are usually in this category.

2f - By contrast, living within any of the membership systems may not always
be what you'd like. Occasionally, we have been assigned campsites that
flooded when it rained, that were next to the railroad tracks or fence
beside the Interstate or stinky dumpster, or were the smallest site in the
campground, or had monster motor homes so close we couldn't put out our
awning, or were way off the beaten path (10 miles of dirt road).

2g - Then, there is a range of differences in when reservations can be made
(7 days, 14 days, 30 days, 60 days, 6 months, etc.). We learned that using a
a reservation system meant being highly organized at scheduling our calls
(usually a toll call which must be figured into the per night cost).

If we want to be at a specific campground in December and they only accept
reservations up to six months in advance, we have to make that call in June.
To wait beyond the exact first day that reservations are accepted may mean
there are no sites available when we want them. That has happened to us.

In contrast, if we want to be at a specific campground and they only accept
reservations up to 7 days in advance, we have to keep that week open during
our scheduling efforts and remember to make the call on the exact date. This
process sounds simple and it is for anyone who is at ease with desk work.
Yet in a way, the sequencing of reservation calls to parks with varying lead
times for taking reservations is an art form.

The campgrounds with "drive up only" campsites are also in the mix for
sequencing.  During off season, we treat everything as drive up and have
never been turned away. That's not the case during peak season when some
campgrounds arbitrarily limit our stay to less than a week (3 days). When
that occurs, we shift into our tried and true mode of using OTHER TYPES of
campgrounds. 

All in all, we enjoy using the membership systems. There are additional
details other than those I've outlined. We approach our decisions about
where to stay with several layers of options in mind should our first choice
not work out. Like most new skills, it took us a month to learn the ropes.
Although they may may sound difficult, they aren't. The biggest advantage to
using a membership system is the $6 per night in a safe campground with most
of the amenities an average traveler needs.

Shifting to a new topic and the real reason for my reply.

3 - For the last 12 years, we've used hundreds of OTHER TYPES of campgrounds
NOT in any of the membership systems and NOT listed in the thick directories
and NOT heavily advertised. Finding them can be like going on a scavenger
hunt or playing an engrossing game. We play the game and join the hunt
enthusiastically - even passionately. Each of us have our oddities.

3a - What does it really cost to use these campgrounds? For three years, we
kept track of our costs. They came out to an average overnight cost of about
$7 per night and similar to our campground membership system costs.

3b - For those interested in locating these campgrounds, here is a
partial list. It's somewhat like following a trail that brings great joy and
pleasure with each new found treasure (for that is what each one is).

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
National Park Service
National Forests State
Forests State Parks
State Environmental Conservation Parks

County Parks 
Municipal Parks 
City Parks 
Town Parks 
Village Parks 
Ghost Towns

County Fairgrounds 
State Fairgrounds 
Elkdom Campsites 
Museums with overnight parking
Bureau of Land Management  (BLM)
BLM primitive areas/ no services
BLM improved areas/ dump station

Church campgrounds 
Power and Light Company campgrounds
Natural Gas Company campgrounds
Lumber Company campgrounds
Tennessee Valley Authority campgrounds
Mississippi River Authority campgrounds

Homes of Family and Friends
Hospitals with RV sites
Interstates with ON parking in security patrolled areas
Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Parking on the island
Businesses with over night parking, i.e.
Wal-Mart / K-Mart / Shopping Malls
Mom & Pop Restaurants
Cracker Barrel Restaurants
Truck Stops 
RV dealerships and service stations

Rallies of all types
Single Brand RV Parks
Airstream Parks - 34
Escapees Parks - 20+ Day's End
Listings in SKP magazine - These are little known campsites and boondock
areas found by SKPs who vouch for authenticity with their name and the date
they used it.

The above listing represents an estimated 25,000  places to park an RV, yet
they are a fraction of what is available. At each of these locations, the
cost per night depends on the facilities and services offered. Some are
comparable to expensive private campgrounds. Most are cost free and can be
enjoyed by any RVer with a basic knowledge of boondocking and two or more
solar panels on their RV.

3c - It is possible to develop a YEAR ROUND schedule of RV parking places
that don't cost anything, BUT IT REQUIRES great attention to detail,
judicious planning, organizing and considerable thought before action.  Some
people love this type of mental gymnastics while others resist or even
detest it. 

3d - When we first started full timing, the goal was to keep our average
overnight campground costs within the $4-5 range. Collecting that data
required extreme alertness.  It became an enjoyable game for us.

3e - Each of us is different in what we need or want for RV parking. The one
certainty is there are abundant campsites for anyone who wants to spend $15
or more per night. That information is found in any of the fat directories
and choosing each night's campsite requires little or no thought or
planning. Those with money to burn will find many places to burn it.

4 - Finally, one question you didn't ask is, "What is the minimum annual
income needed to live comfortably as a full time RVer?" This means every
single penny spent for every single expense incurred on every single day of
the year.  At first we thought the annual cost would be in the $20,000+ plus
range, but ....

With each successive year as full timers, the amount decreased as our
knowledge and familiarity with the North American continent increased. As of
January 2002, I'm confident it's possible to live a well traveled and
luxurious RV Full Timer's lifestyle with an annual income of $12,000.  It
may be easier for some to do that than for others, but our experience shows
it is very doable for most folks.

So - there you have it JolietDogMagic. These ideas are offered as starters
in your search for adventuresome Airstream parking locations.  I realize the
range and scope of ideas are more than you asked for, but perhaps some of
them will prove useful to you.  Use the delete key to discard those that
don't interest you.

Terry
mailto:tylerbears@airstream.net