Newbie with Questions on RV/Airstreaming

[dmackay]

HI all - I've been doing alot of research on Airstreams and am new to the group. Considering a FC 25. I have been RV'ing, but it was when I was a kid. Love backpacking and the great outdoors. We have four kids, but two are now in college and others not far from it. Anyway, I'm thinking this could be something my wife and family could do together. My question is this. I'm not big into crowds, but love the outdoors. More of a remote kind of guy. Don't know how I'd enjoy the campground scene. Anyone have any advice? I'd like to rent one and try it out, but it is very very expensive to do so and it also seems like they aren't available for rent from just anywhere.

Thanks for your thoughts!

[Wconley]

Campgrounds vary from one to another. State Parks (at least here in Washington) have a more remote feel to them. Then there are even more remote campgrounds like BLM campgrounds or even Boondocking to get totally away from it all. Even in more crowded campgrounds we’ve found people by and large to be wonderful. Whether any of this fits your likes, I can’t answer for you. Although it might be expensive to rent, it’s a lot cheaper than buying something and then finding out you made a mistake!

[pt.reyesfan]

Originally Posted by dmackay

HI all - I've been doing alot of research on Airstreams and am new to the group. Considering a FC 25. I have been RV'ing, but it was when I was a kid. Love backpacking and the great outdoors. We have four kids, but two are now in college and others not far from it. Anyway, I'm thinking this could be something my wife and family could do together. My question is this. I'm not big into crowds, but love the outdoors. More of a remote kind of guy. Don't know how I'd enjoy the campground scene. Anyone have any advice? I'd like to rent one and try it out, but it is very very expensive to do so and it also seems like they aren't available for rent from just anywhere.



Thanks for your thoughts!

I’ve always been able to find “low density” campgrounds in California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Washington, Utah, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Dakotas, Colorado, and Oregon. It takes a bit of research time.

[woodfox45]

Indian lake State park in Ohio is one of my favorite state parks in Ohio their sites are far enough apart to make for a nice time . The last time we were there they were planning on building a swimming pool . They also have some full hookup sites as well . I can't help with info about renting an Airstream.

[1973Argosy]

Boondocking offers the ultimate in privacy and is available all across this great nation with a little research and preperation. Within established campgrounds you can usually find sites that offer some to alot of privacy. I would much prefer staying in my trailer in a high density campground than a hotel in the same area. Having your own private, clean restroom in tow is always a bonus too.

We have raised our family using the trailer for most of our vacations and travels. We have owned our Argosy for 17 of 22 years that we've been married. Like you we are quickly nearing the empty nester stage. We have one adult daughter, one in her second year at Alabama and a high school junior that is planning on going to Texas or Georgia Tech. All three have promised to add a 30 amp hook up to their future homes for us to visit. Two of the three will be Airstream owners themselves one day.

I might suggest finding a campground that offers small cabins as way to beat the high rv rental cost. You could stay in the cabin and get the basic vibe of campground life. People will walk past but most just offer a friendly wave and keep on going. Over our 17 years there have only been a handful of times that we felt uncomfortable or unsafe in a campground. The great thing about having the trailer is you can always leave.

[dbj216]

Hello from Colorado and welcome to the Airstream Forums. Many folks on these Forums travel to destinations where they can have outdoor adventures. The best opportunities are typically in the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service Lands and Corp of Engineers lands. You gotta research these places and find out what might be possible. There are maps of available campsites. Many are quite remote on dirt roads and the like.

A camper makes these adventures a bit more comfortable at night over a pup tent. There are outfits that make very robust pickup truck campers and trailer campers that can handle the rough terrain of these backcountry adventures. The Airstream Basecamp trailer comes to mind.

It is my view that the Airstream travel trailer is a luxury coach that is better suited to established RV campsites on reasonable roads. I've pulled mine down some rough gravel roads and regretted it as it seemed the trailer was bouncing pretty hard.

We can "base camp" in a RV park and take day trips hiking the trails. Then back for the night for a good rest. We could hike for days on different trails from this location.

David

[ExStreamin]

I don't know if renting one time will give you an impression either way (like or not). For me it took quite a few trips to feel comfortable and with that, more enjoyment.

[halfloaf]

The awesome thing about RVing is if you hate your neighbors you have wheels. And for myself I find the fact that they will be gone in a week makes people much more tolerable than if that loud TV at night is For The Rest Of Your Life.

I've been full time for six weeks. I had been in an RV before as a child but had never been in an RV park before. I'm sure I will meet that annoying person who won't go away, but so far it's worked as per your usual socialization - I meet the neighbors. If we like each other we both make an extra effort to interact when we're outside. If I don't like them I don't make eye contact and we all keep to ourselves for the week. I was in a cheek-by-jowl parking lot sort of park where I almost never saw another human being. I had to lurk outside for days before I finally made two friends.

Right now I'm in a spot in the woods but next door is Miss Congeniality so we talk every day and she has other friends that have come into my network. That's what I want, ALL THE PEOPLES, but if I had ignored her I'm sure she would have kept to herself because her social skills are all adult and stuff.

[Protagonist]

I have a distinct preference for Corps of Engineers campgrounds. They're located in 44 states, so you could travel clear across the country and never stay anywhere else, if you were of a mind to try.

Corps campgrounds are almost all located on the banks of a river or lake, usually include a boat launch on the premises, and tend to have a campsite density of 4 campsites per acre or less— though there are exceptions where the campsites are closer together. Most Corps campgrounds have ample green space between you and your neighbors, with some care taken to ensure that the view out your windows is not directly into your neighbor's windows— something that is rare in commercial campgrounds that have to turn a profit and pack in the customers like sardines. Campsites at Corps campgrounds tend to be gravel-surfaced, and reasonably (but not completely) level. A few are full-hookup, but water/electric hookups predominate, with a few electric-only and a good number of no-hookup sites.

If you want to get a feel for where Corps campgrounds are located in your area, you can find them all at the Corps Lakes Gateway (https://corpslakes.erdc.dren.mil/visitors/visitors.cfm).

[moosetags]

First off, welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us. You are definitely on the right track. We have been avid Airstreamers for twelve years now. We have logged over 1,800 nights of Airstream camping, and have towed our Airstreams over 170,000 miles all over the United States.

We have absolutely loved the experience. Whether we are camped in the boondocks enjoying the great outdoors, or overnighting in a Wal-Mart parking lot enjoying the show, Airstreaming is our happily ever after.

Brian