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Travel Style - go or plan
Quote from: DPhilbrick  - 
Colddog...it might sound crazy but I envy you! Ha!  I've been wondering how it would be when we get the LD to just hit the road and see what happens.  The good thing about planning is the knowledge that there will be a place at the end of the road.  I guess the flip side is that if something really intrigues you and you want to hang out more,  you might not be able to because of the plans.  I guess there's always next year.  And who knows; for kicks we might just take off for a week or two and see where the road takes us.

Let me share our process.   I'm sure there are others with better.   We are always open for new information.

We have joined a few 'clubs' that we found helpful. 
 Passport America.   We have found the sites to either be new, old, or out of the beaten path. 
 Escapees.  Good for discounts of some campgrounds.   Also let you stay in various Escapees RV Parks.   We use a local one as one of our standard 'jumping' off points.  Also as a member you can join a very extensive listing of boon-docking sites.    Day's End Directory
We also use so apps to check each day as we are on the road.  They are all android but I'm sure there is an Apple version.
RV Parky
All Stays
Gas Buddy

We also have no problem spending the night in a local Walmart, Costco, or Cracker  Barrel for a night.   <smile> we have a few very interesting stories about our adventures in parking lot camping. 

We pick a amount of time we plan to be on the road then an area.   Once those two in set in 'stone' we hit the road.   Our plan is never to exceed 300 miles or 7 hours.   Sometime around 12ish the copilot calls ahead for a nightly landing spot.    If its a parking lot then its one night.   If its a RV park generally  also one night.   National Parks, BLM, and other State or local parks we may stay for a few days up to a week or two at times.   In four plus years of using this plan we only got turned away from a National Park on a Fourth of July weekend.  Interestingly we ended up in a better RV park with a town that had a great firework display that night. 





personal fine art photo stuff
TF Mack | Flickr
It's all good .......
2014 Twin King
Re: Travel Style - go or plan
Reply #1 –
Other than the final destination, we rarely make extensive plans.  The most planning we do is to decide on a route...and we don't always stick to that plan.

We don't make reservations as we travel, mainly because we are usually boondocking.  But even when we do stay in an RV park, we arrive early (2 or 3 in the afternoon), and have always been able to find a spot.

While we do have the apps noted above, we almost exclusively use the Day's End listings of places to stay. 
Linda Hylton
Re: Travel Style - go or plan
Reply #2 –
We plan. It is an aspect of travel that we enjoy, letting us "pre travel" for months before hitting the road. Our trips last for several months at a time and inevitably include those holidays and destinations when camping spots are hard to find, especially in the east where boondocking is rare.

Once we have a detailed plan we can adapt and improvise from it. The only things we don't deviate from are meet ups with friends and relatives, or unique places like the Florida Keys in January.
Paul
'92 Mid Bath
Re: Travel Style - go or plan
Reply #3 –
Reservations?  It all depends on when and where we are going.
In year's past, we didn't make a lot of reservations.
During the last decade, RVs have multiplied like flies and now many campgrounds, that were empty in the winter, are now fill to capacity most weekends, year round.
If you plan on camping on the coast, during the warn season,  you are almost forced into making reservations, since  first come-first serve sites are rare today. This applies to California, Oregon and the Washington coasts.
Holiday weekends, in the winter, now also require reservations, to guarantee a site.

Granted there is a lot of BLM  boondocking areas in the West but they are usually located far away from many of the places we like to visit, outside of the desert and mountains. Little is found available near the coast.

I'm planning our summer trip right now and many of the campgrounds are already booked out.
We had a hard time last summer, traveling up the northern coast of California into Oregon, finding sites.
Most coastal cities do not allow overnight parking on the streets or in Wal Marts.

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: Travel Style - go or plan
Reply #4 –
I like the idea of "flying by the seat of my pants" and while at home a spur of the moment decision for dining or other outings is pretty straight forward.

Currently I work full'ish  (or is that foolish) time. My weekend is in the middle of the week. This works great for me when heading to Big Bear or other local campgrounds. The true weekend usually finds the campgrounds packed. I'm in my campsite late Monday night and head home late Thursday or Friday night. Leaving the campground to the families and barking dogs. Works for me.

I have found little difficulty getting into Serrano if I plan ahead, but if I wait too long the pickings are slim.

My camping calendar is full. From the end of May through October... my favourite sites at my favourite campgrounds are all locked in.

With a little forethought, a touch of insight and a sprinkle of good luck, I have managed to keep the LD out of my driveway and in the deserts or hills a good portion of the year.

While the idea of boondocking on BLM land appeals to me, I currently don't have the time to wander as my DW and I continue to punch the clock. One day, perhaps, but for now I'm good with what we've got.

Heading to Big Bear very soon at one of my favourite sites only a very short walk to the lake. Ahhh...

Kent

 
2015 27' RB "MissB.Haven"
Re: Travel Style - go or plan
Reply #5 –
It appears that part of the discussion depends on where you plan to camp and when.   It's very difficult to find a spot in a Texas SP near any of the large cities on weekends with nice weather.  We have to make reservations. 

Once schools close for summer vacation, popular CPs are booked weeks in advance and longer.    We're in Bull Shoals SP right now and the weekends are booked with summer nearly booked according to the Office.

Location and time ... the 2 keys to this question IMO.  Hope this helps.
Re: Travel Style - go or plan
Reply #6 –
The la-te-da travel plan is really difficult now. Larry wrote "During the last decade, RVs have multiplied like flies" Amen.

We spent a week staying at three northern AZ dispersed areas. We had distant neighbors every night. The campgrounds were still closed, but I would guess they will be at capacity this weekend.

Parked at Lone Rock for a few days. There must be over a hundred RV's and tents on the shoreline.
Don & Dorothy
Sold our LD in June of 2023

Our boring always non-PC travel blog
Traveling Dorothy
Re: Travel Style - go or plan
Reply #7 –
I guess I am sort of like the others.  Case in point - when traveling from Jackson, WY to Eugene, OR about 10 days ago, I picked my route - easy, only two options.  I chose the slower but more direct and more scenic Rt 20.  I left Jackson after a sluggish start.  My thinking was to stop at Craters Of The Moon.  But, I was feeling low energy, so I stopped at a city park, free, dump station, in Idaho Falls.  The next day, I had in mind a spot about 5 miles north of Rt 20, about 25 miles northeast of Mountain Home.  Nice spot, but when I got there, I decided to push on and stopped at a Walmart in Mountain Home.  The third day, one option was the Walmart in Ontario, OR, but the desired objective was Chickahominy Reservoir in Riley, OR.  That is where I wound up, with an 8 day cushion so I could pick my final day of travel to cross Santiam Pass. 

Bottom line, I have a loose plan, with workable options for stops, but I don't feel locked into the plan.  I avoid making reservations because I don't want to feel like I have to make it to my destination by a certain time.

Ken F in OR
'08 MB
Re: Travel Style - go or plan
Reply #8 –
I prefer to to travel without reservations; I like the freedom of flexible "jello plans" and to have my travels unconstrained by having to be at a specific location at a specific date or time. However, this type of spontaneous ,"wing it" RV travel has become increasingly difficult to manage over the past few years; there are too many people competing for space at too few facilities and/or locations of every type (some of which, e.g., many public lands, have increased restrictions on where one can camp), there are much shorter "off season" windows, particularly in areas with more RV-friendly weather, and rising campground fees and fuel prices (gas in many areas of California runs as much as $3.50 per gallon, more in certain areas) no longer seem to be deterrents to longer-distance  RV travel. Over the past few years, sales of every type and size of RV have steadily increased; (despite dismal quality of much of the output) a glance at the delivery data put out by RVIA confirms the huge increases in RV production.

The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association: Business Indicators

Obviously, there are many differences in RV life and travel styles, from fulltimers to weekenders to "two week" vacationers to multi-month travelers and everything in between, and in every kind and size and configuration of "RV" imaginable, but the numbers in all types are ballooning; pressure on existing "campgrounds", public lands and parks, RV parks, and every other kind of "stay" option is tremendous, particularly in more popular locations and seasons, and even more particularly, if the RVer is constrained by vacation days or other travel/stay time limitations.

Going as much as possible without reservations is still my preference; having a small rig (and one that does not rely on hookups) can offer more choices, and having access to several "campground locator" sites/apps makes finding places easier. However, there are no guarantees that what one finds on the fly is going to have space; I gave up trusting to chance a long time ago to serendipitously find suitable spots on certain types of road trips. I now plan a trip in much greater detail than in past years, and almost always make advance reservations when traveling in seasonally popular areas or venues, on weekends, or on holidays and/or local event times.

Candidly, I expect the crowding and pressures on all types of "camping" facilities, lands, and venues to continue to increase; the RV industry is cranking out units at warp speed, there are many dozens of RV shows and thousands and thousands of RV dealers to pitch the wares, used RV "for sale" sites of every type, and more and more people of all ages clamoring to get an RV and get on the road. For several reasons, facility construction/expansion/improvement lags well behind the demand, and public land areas, e.g., national parks and monuments, national forests, BLM lands, state-manged wildlands, etc., that were previously more accessible to RVers have experienced curtailed access, often due to damage done by overuse.

Things change; "just take off" may have been the way to go for many in the past (and for some, it still is, to one degree or another), but, for most RVers (regardless of type), I believe that planning and flexibility are now more critical than ever for continued enjoyment of this lifestyle. A bright spot is this scenario (IMO) is that travel planning offers its own "fun quotient"; websites, apps, maps, Benchmark atlases, others' trip reports and suggestions, etc., are great resources for "goseedo".  ;)

Go when, where, and while you can; don't put off the adventures. Prioritize, plan, adjust, be flexible, but go!





2003 TK has a new home
Re: Travel Style - go or plan
Reply #9 –
We are still working stiffs. We plan and make reservations months in advance for our weekenders and weeklongs. As others have said, it has gotten more and more necessary over the years. In a cove with about 40 RV's near a lake. There are 37 trailers and 3 motorhomes. Trailers allow the masses to invade parks.

Sitting in a beautiful park now under shade trees after a 5 mile hike through the woods. Yet only 30 miles from the city.

Reservations are a must.

Dave
Ruby, the red 2004 26' RK hauling Dave and Kristine hither and yon
Re: Travel Style - go or plan
Reply #10 –
We are on day 20 on this trip and the only reservations we made was at the Grand Canyon. We haven't had any problems getting spots elsewhere without reservations. And we have traveled over 3400 miles in 9 states.
Lynn and Lori
Re: Travel Style - go or plan
Reply #11 –
We have traveled with loose plans and few reservations and also with rigid timelines and all days reserved in advance.  I like the former and my bride likes the latter.  Each has advantages and disadvantages.  Since we regularly pull a 14 foot trailer with the motorcycle in it, our 27 foot length is stretched to 41 feet and limits where we can easily fit in.  We have had a few situations where we had to try several places before we found a suitable place for the night.  We have also had reservations for a subsequent night and had to move from somewhere we really liked because if we didn't move, the planned reservation schedule wouldn't work for the remainder of the trip!  Grrr...

Cyndy loves to schedule and plan. I love Cyndy.  She has lots of fun obsessing about future trips, places, camping sites, and routes.  Prior to a trip she spends so much time with maps and on-line campsite reviews that she has the route all memorized before we leave.  She is happiest if I let her plan the trip and just ask her "Where are we going today?".  She spent her working career managing and scheduling.  Since retiring, she only has me, the dog, and our free time to manage.  Old habits die hard.

Personally, I roll with few, if any plans.  But planning keeps her happy, and we get to make more trips in the RV.  Happy wife, ...

HD
2014 27 MB
Towd: Either the Jeep Wrangler or trailer containing the BMW R1200GS and 2 E-bicycles
Happy wife=Happy life
Re: Travel Style - go or plan
Reply #12 –
One issue that I have not noticed addressed is the occupancy factor of private RV parks.    In the past decade, RV park management has changed.    Before, say, 2007, most private RV parks had *stay* limits of 14 - 21 days.    The deteriorating economy (Great Recession) changed that practice.    In your travels, particularly in the Western states, you will find more and more parks with full-time residents.    In some areas of serious winter weather, you will find seasonal full-time residents who seem to travel for work (particularly seasonal highway work) and weather.   Many parks we've encountered are at least half full before the vacation travelers even inquire about availability.    From the park owners' perspective, this is how the bills get paid.   From the travelers perspective, it really limits what is available.     For example, the KOA/Good Sam park on North Temple in Salt Lake City has about  500 spaces of which perhaps 200 or less are available for daily/weekly travelers.    Using the Good Sam RV Travel Guide (campground directory) check the number of total spaces vs the available spaces.    This also impacts the forestry, state, county, BLM camps, too, as many more folks are unable to find availability in private parks.   Yes, I am aware that many prefer camping over RVing.   Bottom line:  only so many spots  for so many rigs.   
We would prefer to 'wing it' but have found we also prefer to know we have a space for the night. 
Juli
Juli W.
Former owner 1994 mid bath,  2006 26.5'rear bath
Re: Travel Style - go or plan
Reply #13 –
HD, it sounds like the opposite of Marie and I.  I spent most of my 2nd career managing and scheduling between 25 and 150 people at a time.  Marie is the "open to anything" person in our marriage.  It all works if we can have a little of both thrown in from time to time.
David
David and Marie Philbrick
Proud former 2017 27' MB Owners
Re: Travel Style - go or plan
Reply #14 –
"We would prefer to 'wing it' but have found we also prefer to know we have a space for the night."

I do not particularly care to be forced to make reservations but I have to concede that sometimes it's necessary.

That having been said, it has always been my objective to travel no more than 200 miles per day. Not only is this easier on my old bones but it puts me into a night's location before the Road Warriors give it up for the day, nearly guaranteeing a space. It also allows for a bit of sightseeing or a dinner out. That's why they call me 'Lazy Bones'.  ;)
Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Cedar
2004 30'IB (Island Bed)
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery
Live for the day!
Re: Travel Style - go or plan
Reply #15 –
The majority of our camping is in disbursed areas. Reservations are not required.
Ed
Re: Travel Style - go or plan
Reply #16 –
We prefer the la-te-da travel mode, but it's getting slightly more difficult as vastly more people are competing for the spots. The Europeans in the rentals know many of the remote places we favor. Simply put the dispersed areas are no longer a secret.

We drove five miles on a gravel road last week. There were dozens of dispersed sites and most of them were occupied or unlevel.

Even the lesser National Monuments have crowds by 10am. Only a few years ago the rangers were lonely.

We always try to park by 1 PM. We have long practiced moving on Sundays and Thursday's. But, we are finding that is sometimes not enough in 2017.
Don & Dorothy
Sold our LD in June of 2023

Our boring always non-PC travel blog
Traveling Dorothy
Re: Travel Style - go or plan
Reply #17 –
"getting slightly more difficult as vastly more people are competing for the spots. "

That's exactly right, Don, and the advent of most everyone traveling with internet access is a big part of the reason.
There are dozens of free, and a few paid, sites dedicated to providing information on free, or low cost camping.  Most campers who are interested in getting off the asphalt, are aware of these sites. I don't know it to be the case, but I wouldn't be surprised if the rental companies didn't provide links to some of these sites as a courtesy to their customers. If nothing else, Google knows all.

Between a booming economy and the internet, it's only going to get worse.

Our answer is to broaden the 'shoulder' season for camping and avoiding prime time if at all possible.

We were in Moab in January and had the place to ourselves. No traffic.  Seats in the restaurants. Our favorite boondocking spot was all ours. Loved it. Yes, it was chilly but nothing that another layer couldn't handle.  Went back in mid-March, and it was already a zoo. Our favorite disbursed sites were jammed. 

Heading out next week through southern CO hoping to get at least a little time in before school lets out. After that, good luck finding any privacy anywhere.

Ed


Re: Travel Style - go or plan
Reply #19 –
Quote from: JCT  - 
There's a similar "campsites" thread on the Escapees forum; interesting variety of experiences and opinions!

I read that thread and very interesting.  I particularly enjoyed reading about RV travel challenges before the advent of the Internet and all the RV resources.  That kind of history brings perspective to today's "challenges."
FSOP
Reply #20 –
I use the FSOP method.  ???

Greg & Victoria
2017 Mid-Bath  “Nocona” towing a manual 2015 Forester
Previously a 1985 TK
SKP #61264