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I have been giving this thread some thought lately, especially when I went to the RV show a couple of weeks ago. There I saw that almost all of the Class A's were luxury motor coaches in stead of the campers I grew up with. What I thought as we toured them was that as fuel prices continue to rise, camping will become more of a luxury activity than an inexpensive way to see the country. I also pondered that as more and more Class A only luxury camp grounds spring up, expectations among the boomers will be that of "glamping" rather than the rustic stays in National and State Parks. Boondocking will become an "experience" and not a form of camping. So I think camping, excuse me, RV'ing will continue to be around in the future, but it will not necessarily be camping as we know it today.
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2006 30' Safari - "Changes in Latitudes"
2008 F-250 Lariat Power Stroke Diesel Crew Cab SWB
Family of Disney Fanatics
WBCCI# 4821
I look toward an ever growing popularity of rallies, with people extending their stays and taking off of work as viable alternative to spending money on gas to travel far. Brad and I just finished up the Women's We Can Tow It Rally and had a great time with yet another unique blend of Airstreamers. From here we are going locally to another State Park rather than crossing country for parts unknown. We plan to travel more slowly and explore where ever we are and curtail vast sweeps in locality at random.
__________________ Carol
"A traveler without observation is a bird without wings.”
There is a big difference that needs to be noted for full-timing versus several annual trips.
Full-timing:
Only needs own one vehicle
Highly reduced "home expenses"
Limited only by time and energy dependent on income.
Part-timing
May have to own 2-3 vehicles per two people
The expenses of a home
The additional expense of the TT/TV
Etc
It might seem that the latter has more opportunity what with two incomes or more, and the advantages of relative youth. I notice, however, that for both my maternal granparents and parents, that the constraints of fixed income were more than matched by time. Time to really plan a trip, of strong feelings on where to go, and the knowledge that high winds one day might be gone the next.
My parents bought their trailer just before we kids entered college (and they had ten straight years of tuition, etc to pay), but they then enjoyed [18] years of travel as they saw fit. At one period the trailer was parked at a lovely lake nearby, and that had to suffice. Being a Silver Streak (with it's dirt simple suspension), after it was cranked out of the dirt little more than new tires and a brake job were necessary to make it roadworthy.
Once they "retired" (not really), the trailer was on the go for close to half a year at a stretch. Other years it went waaay out, stopped, and then rolled all the way back. More to it than the price of gas.
I believe one can distinguish between full and part-time travel AND for fixed location vacationing. Might be one could haul the trailer to a new spot for another couple of years, then move it again. Etcetera.
I have been giving this thread some thought lately, especially when I went to the RV show a couple of weeks ago. There I saw that almost all of the Class A's were luxury motor coaches in stead of the campers I grew up with. What I thought as we toured them was that as fuel prices continue to rise, camping will become more of a luxury activity than an inexpensive way to see the country. I also pondered that as more and more Class A only luxury camp grounds spring up, expectations among the boomers will be that of "glamping" rather than the rustic stays in National and State Parks. Boondocking will become an "experience" and not a form of camping. So I think camping, excuse me, RV'ing will continue to be around in the future, but it will not necessarily be camping as we know it today.
Go observation MM !
RV'ing is going down the same path that boating has.
Just a you mentioned, as a kid we just patched up an abandoned wooden boat and launched it into the East River and we were boating. Now you need a 6 figure income to own a boat or even get close to the water.
I’m a lot more ‘green’ in my 8L suburban (towing a 30’ A/S) than you’d think…
CASE #1:
7 passengers in suburban. 10 MPG. 12,000 miles a year= 1,200 gallons of gas.
vs.
7 drivers, each with their own HYBRID @ 32 MPG. 12,000 miles a year each= 2,625 gallons of gas.
CASE#2:
4 weeks out of the year (and several weekends), my family and I are living out of our Airstream. Looked at from a LEED’s standard (U.S. green building council), I’m well into a platinum certified lifestyle with the energy efficiency, and tremendously reduced emissions/waste-- Car emissions are a speck, compared to the pollution nearly every person’s home generates…
I’m a lot more ‘green’ in my 8L suburban (towing a 30’ A/S) than you’d think…
CASE #1:
7 passengers in suburban. 10 MPG. 12,000 miles a year= 1,200 gallons of gas.
vs.
7 drivers, each with their own HYBRID @ 32 MPG. 12,000 miles a year each= 2,625 gallons of gas.
CASE#2:
4 weeks out of the year (and several weekends), my family and I are living out of our Airstream. Looked at from a LEED’s standard (U.S. green building council), I’m well into a platinum certified lifestyle with the energy efficiency, and tremendously reduced emissions/waste-- Car emissions are a speck, compared to the pollution nearly every person’s home generates…
I drive a pick-up so I'm not picking on you, but
Case #1 how often do you have 7 pass in the suburban?
8 pass = 2 hybrids , 12000 div by 32 = 375 X 2=750 gals.
...people do, they are called burros or small pop up campers (unless they are the SUV hybrids)
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Computers manufactured by companies such as IBM, Compaq and millions of others are by far the most popular with about 70 million machines in use worldwide. Macintosh fans note that cockroaches are far more numerous than humans and that numbers alone do not denote a higher life form. -NY Times 1991
The Toyota Prius is the hybrid of choice among the Hollywood A-list who live in the McMansions that require $10,000/month in utilities just to operate them. That's enough to make me hate the cars without ever riding in one. Just the site of one struggling to climb a modest hill on the interstate on my way to/from work makes me want to yell "Towanda" and plow right through it...then I remember that Sean Penn isn't driving it and my blood pressure goes back down and I just think that the poor driver is just a greenie wannabe.
__________________
2006 30' Safari - "Changes in Latitudes"
2008 F-250 Lariat Power Stroke Diesel Crew Cab SWB
Family of Disney Fanatics
WBCCI# 4821
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