Campers or Travelers ?

[MOS]

We are more travelers . Have a 28W AS tow it with a F150 gasser and motorcycle in the bed of the truck.
We wonder if we would be better off with a class C MoHo
What are you ?
Why do you have your setup?

[Protagonist]

There are some who would argue that none of us are "campers."

So any answer to your question requires that one define the difference between travelers and campers. I travel to campgrounds, but I can keep myself amused at the campground by hitting the hiking trails or splashing around in a boat, or just relaxing under my awning. I seldom visit tourist attractions, but I don't make a point of avoiding them, either; if one along my route or near my destination strikes my fancy I'll visit it.

I suppose that puts me in the "campers" category, since I choose my destination by picking the campground and not by picking the city or attractions.

[crispyboy]

I am still working so that puts me more in the "camper" group. This fall we are taking a longer trip with several stops so we will be in the "traveler" group for a short time.

[kb0zke]

We're full-timers. The "plan" is to work about a third of the time, volunteer about a third of the time, and be on our own about a third of the time. Reality is a little bit off from that, but not all that much, especially since we've had our daughters' weddings last June and this June. I guess you could call us travelers, since we usually have a place to be at some point, and then we pick our route to see what there is to see on the way.

As for your question about a Class C, I'd recommend against it. Any vehicle with a motor needs to be driven frequently, and it sounds like you won't be doing that. Also, you will be very limited in what sort of vehicle you can tow (keep it very light - think Smart Car or motorcycle). Otherwise you have to pack your coach for travel just to go to the store.

[PKI]

This is a question that only you can answer. It is driven by your preference and circumstances. 1) Do you normally use a tow vehicle in your day to day usage or is it only used for service as a tow vehicle? 2) Do you find touring in the Tow Vehicle functional and to your liking or would an alternate vehicle provide a more satisfying experience? 3) Do you get more or less satisfaction from owning an Airstream over just owning an RV? 4) Are you more comfortable and/or skilled in towing or driving a self contained RV?

For us, it is the Airstream thing, the living close to the ground thing, and the dual use of one vehicle that moved us to our solution. For you, that may or may not be true. My brother does not travel with his motorcycle. He would very much like to do that. A toy hauler might work better for him, but that is not a choice he feels is appropriate for his lifestyle.

Possibly, you could go to an RV dealer and sit in a Class C. Do you find it preferable to your AS? Consider the hauling and handling of your motorcycle. Would that be easier with the Class "C"? Is the motorcycle a more important part of your recreation than the Airstream contribution? Suspect those considerations may help to bring you to a conclusion.

Good luck with your evaluation. Pat

[CRH]

I am a camper. I still like and use liquid fuel Coleman stoves and lanterns. I like a fire every night. I like a hot dog on a stick stuck over the fire and a cold drink.....I have noticed the AS crowd appear to be more into wine and cheese, though....

[Jacob D]

Originally Posted by CRH

I am a camper. I still like and use liquid fuel Coleman stoves and lanterns. I like a fire every night. I like a hot dog on a stick stuck over the fire and a cold drink.....I have noticed the AS crowd appear to be more into wine and cheese, though....

The "Airstream crowd" is like any large organization with all kinds of different likes. Some do like wine and cheese, others like a fire and hot dogs on a stick. Recently our club had a "Grand children's rally" in which the kids were treated to an open evening fire complete with Smores. Sometimes we do hot dogs on a stick with them.

I like your style of camping but my wife won't go unless she can take her bath tub which our vintage Airstream provides for her. Some rv parks provide fire rings and grills and others do not. A fire dish which is easily cleaned and carried with us is usually fine at parks that do not allow a fire on the ground. No matter what your preferences are "Life is good" on the road.

[Seemore2006]

This is a big point of discussion in our house and we are both campers and travelers. The Airstream fits nicely into that plan most of the time but we would really like to use a car vs tow vehicle at extended stays. When we meet up with Moho friends we are always ready to buy one then we settle back into our 25 and remember we can have all we need without the hassle of the larger vehicle. The Airstream tows like a dream and we can go pretty much anywhere so we are happy...until we see the washer and dryer and slides and storage....then the conversation starts again ��. But...we still love our Airstream. And, we sometimes talk about getting a larger one but we still love our Airstream 25'.. As much as we like the extras in other units it's hard to think about traveling in 'a shower stall' which is what the fiberglass brings to mind. Hope you find what works for you.

[m.hony]

Some travel and some camping-
Don't want any other rig than the one I have-

[silverlabs]

We are a little bit of both. Some trips we are wanderers and campers. Other trips make us travelers when we are trying to meet a specific date/time to be in a specific place. We usually leave early and take the slow road to get there and stop several times along the way at points of interest.

We travel with a 28FT RT and tow with an F150. We have camped for many years with friends who have motorhomes of all shapes and sizes and they will tell you that they are dependent on traveling with someone who has a car or attaching a tow behind vehicle. The tow behind significantly affects their gas mileage. They recently sold their 43' MH in favor of switching to a trailer of some sort down the line. They like space and tons of storage so will likely go with a fifth wheel.

We love our AS for several reasons. One, it can go in lots of places larger rigs can't go. Two, it tows behind us like a dream. Three, it is very comfortable for us and our two dogs, who would otherwise have to stay home. Four, it is really nice to sleep in the same bed each night even when you are in a different locale.

Basically, there are lots of options out there and it is very much a story of "different strokes for different folks". We love the options we have chosen and can't wait to get back out on the road next month!

[GammaDog]

I actually thought through that question in those terms a while back.

We are travelers. We see campers everywhere (gear of all types strewn around their campsite, a sign with their name and hometown lit up by a solar powered spot light, tablecloth on the campsite picnic table... you know) They are clearly in it for life around the campground.

We are travelers. We frequently deploy no gear, even awning or camp chairs. We pop the hatch on the Eddie Bauer and enjoy the great outdoors from inside. We only grill out once or twice a week. We have not made a campfire since last Labor Day weekend on Lake Lanier, GA. I have even been known to make s'mores in the microwave (send me a PM and I'll send you the secret recipe timed to the second)

I think we could be as happy in a motorhome as we are in the 25 EB. Either way, we park for the night in State or Federal parks. We are happier away from every amenity, backed up to water (tonight it's Kerr Lake, NC). We like being small and light enough to move quickly and get in and out of anywhere. Capacity in tanks for fresh and waste as well as propane matter to us. We frequently don't hook up to camp water until we have less than a day of fresh left and we dump when full. I own a blue boy that has only been used once and that was a test with fresh water in my driveway.

We travel about 3 months a year (been to AZ and UT already this year... heading to MD and PA now... Follow us on blogspot.silvercliche.com) I like that our TV is my daily driver. It gets exercise and maintenance year round and its comfortable and familiar when we travel.

[Minno]

We prefer the trailer and tow vehicle set up as opposed to moho towing a car. Reasoning is: if we have to tow something we'd rather tow a trailer than tow a car. We then don't have a motorhome engine to maintain, while it may sit for months at a time while we work. Since we have a trailer, we use our tow vehicle for other things when we're not towing (like get to work in snow, etc.). Not towing a car with a moho wouldn't be an option for us usually as we like to sightsee, and that's harder with just a motorhome.
It really is a matter of what you are comfortable driving, how much you use your set up, and what you want to do. No right or wrong, just preferences.

Kay

[franklyfrank]

How do you define traveler or camper ? I believe its one and the same. You travel for a while to get to a destination than sit a while repeat. The question is personal preference and compromises in any event. I see people pull into a slot next to me with a huge moho or a fifth wheel and very first thing the slides get deployed.
My personal preference is to be nimble and as unencumbered as possible. I told my wife if our 30' Airstream becomes to small for her we quit traveling/camping and stay home.
I would never consider to take on the maintenance, upkeep and having to drive around a big bus for relaxation. The Airstream keeps me more busy as it is than I want to be.

[John&Vicki]

We call it "living on the ground". After many years of extensive travel for my internet business, both domestic and international, we are tired of airplanes, tired of airports and tired of dashing from place to place. It is still a genuine pleasure to actually *drive* somewhere and to pull over and have lunch in our little portable vacation house. We're always kind of euphoric about it.

An Airstream is pretty fancy, but we still think of ourselves as campers. I worked as a park ranger when we were first married and did a lot of tent camping in those days so that's in our blood. We enjoy RV parks from time to time, mostly when attending Oregon Unit rallies, but we most enjoy state parks and NFS campgrounds. It seems a little barren without a campfire. Plus we like to hike and roam around outdoors and meet our fellow campers.

When we lost our plumbing at the beginning of a one month gig as lighthouse hosts at Cape Blanco it was no big deal. We just brought it in in buckets and when we needed hot water we heated it on the stove. So it was easy to be in a more camping state of mind.

We just spent a few days at a fancy RV park filled with motor homes and I found it remarkable that 95% of them (I actually counted) had no gear outside. They appeared to spend all of their time inside their rig - I saw a lot of lit up TV screens. That doesn't fit my definition of camping, but I imagine that an Airstream doesn't fit other folks definition of camping either.

Whatever makes your duck quack. I'll take three days in my Airstream in a campground over three days in a Four Seasons any day.

Cheers,
John

[Al and Missy]

With a motorhome and a toad:
1. There are two drive trains to maintain. One gets infrequent use.
2. You have to unhook the toad before you can back into a site, or anytime you have to back up, for that matter.
3. Both vehicles require liability insurance.
4. The combination is typically, but not always, longer than a trailer and tow vehicle. If I were going to have a motorhome, I'd probably want a class A.
5. 4WD generally not an option. I have been in campgrounds with grass spots when I had to use 4WD to get out.

With a trailer and a tow vehicle:
1. When not camping the TV can serve as day-to-day transportation
2. The TV can also tow boats, utility trailers, etc. when not towing the motorhome.
3. The TV can support those home project trips to haul lumber, sod, gravel, etc.
4. With 4WD and better maneuverability, more camping spots (as opposed to travel stops) are accessible.
5. I already had a truck. It turns out after a year I upgraded to a 3/4T diesel for towing performance, but for all except one of our trips the 4WD F-150 was just fine. The truck upgrade led to a trailer upgrade. I think we are settled now, at least I hope so.

Good luck with your search!

Al

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Al and Missy

With a motorhome and a toad:
1. There are two drive trains to maintain. One gets infrequent use.

That depends. I have a motorhome (Airstream Interstate Class B) and a toad (Honda Fit hatchback) and both get nearly equal use, jusdging by the odometer. The Interstate racks up more miles in a single day, the Honda gets used more days, but their odometer readings are nearly equal after four years of Airstreaming.

Besides, the "one drivetrain to maintain" argument only applies to one-car families and full-timers who are one-car families by default. If you're going to part-time in your Airstream and maintain a stick-and-brick house, then you'll probably maintain more than one vehicle anyway, and a motorhome that lets you use an existing family car as a toad might be a better option than selling an existing car to buy a tow vehicle and a trailer.

2. You have to unhook the toad before you can back into a site, or anytime you have to back up, for that matter.

Only applies to a toad towed four-down. You can back a dolly-towed toad just like you can back any other trailer. As for unhooking before backing in, that's true, but not a hardship because unhitching a toad is a whole lot easier and faster than unhitching a trailer with sway bars and weight distribution hitch.

3. Both vehicles require liability insurance.

True. But full-coverage insurance on my motorhome costs about 1% of the purchase price per year, while insurance on my Honda coasts about 5% of the purchase price per year.

4. The combination is typically, but not always, longer than a trailer and tow vehicle.

That also depends. A typical toad adds about 15' to the length of the motorhome. A typical tow vehicle adds about 20' to the length of a travel trailer.

5. 4WD generally not an option. I have been in campgrounds with grass spots when I had to use 4WD to get out.

I've never managed to get either my motorhome or toad stuck, even on wet grass— though not for lack of trying at Lewisburg, WV in the very recent past. The fact that you don't hitch up until after you pull out of the campsite helps because neither vehicle is pulling dead weight while getting out of the campsite— each is getting out under its own power.

I'll be the first to admit that motorhomes of any size are not for everybody. But trailers of any size are not for everybody, either. My dinky little motorhome and dinkier little toad fit my needs and I'm happy with them. But what I consider best for me is not what others might consider best for me, or for themselves. Lots of folks have told me I should have bought a trailer instead, but I just ignore them because my reasons are my own, just as their reasons are their own.

[moosetags]

Our camping set-up is rather unusual as it changes depending on the season. We have a 2015 Flying Cloud 25FB. We have been Airstreaming for over ten years now. We have logged almost 1,800 nights in our three Airstreams.

We have two tow vehicles. One is a 2005 3/4 ton Suburban. We tow with this vehicle primarily during the winter months. We also have a 2011 Silverado one ton pick-up with a pop-up truck camper in the bed. We use this to tow the Airstream in the summer months. We use the truck camper to explore the back country while leaving the Airstream at a campground for a day or two at a time.

Our observation over the years is that there are two types of campers. One is the END camper. This is the type of camper who takes his RV to the campground and stays there for a week or two at a time. He takes full advantage of the campground amenities, hangs out at the RV, has chairs outside, and enjoys a campfire.

The other type is the MEANS camper. This is the fellow who uses his RV to travel and visit places. This fellow usually does not camp at one location more than two or three day at a time. He rarely hangs out at the RV, never has a campfire, and does not own any folding chairs.

We lean toward being MEANS campers, but do drift over into the END category from time to time.

Brian

[nvestysly]

Camping versus traveling...

My definitions may be different than yours. I think a similar question can be posed regarding living in your RV (similar to camping in my mind) compared to my definition of full-timing (similar to traveling in my mind)

Camping: To me camping is going somewhere, maybe are series of somewhere's and typically staying at public or private campgrounds on the weekend. In my mind camping is usually a relatively short duration situation. Campers probably do all their laundry back at home - they're not gone long enough to need to do laundry on the road. Similarly, most of the food they eat/prepare may have come from home. Sure they go to the grocery store when camping but mostly because they forgot something at home.

Traveling: Traveling to me is going from place to place to place to place (you get the idea) and doing all the things you would typically do when living at home but doing them while traveling. This includes laundry, grocery shopping on a regular basis, finding churches or places of worship (if that's your thing) while on the road and generally finding ways to occupy your time. Traveling may involve staying in one location for a period of time but knowing you will be going to another location at some point soon.

If you can find your way to traveling light I highly recommend a Class B or small Class C for traveling. Do it without a "towed/toad" and you'll experience a completely unencumbered form of travel. We traveled a few times in our Airstream B190 and absolutely loved it! Ultimately we sold the B190 but are actively looking for a twin-bed Interstate. A Class B or small Class C will allow you to travel with ease. Just fill up the fresh water tank periodically, dump the sewer tanks periodically and only plug into electric when needed. Go, go, go and do whatever you want when you want. The Class B or small C can be parked in almost any parking area - the only restriction is height. You always have your clothes with you. You always have your toilet with you. You always have your food with you.

[Tn Traveler]

Our Air Forums name tells our story for the most part. We will do some camping on fishing trips, and have a reservation for a week at the beach to meet family.

This fall we will use the trailer to travel to Mississippi State football games. We plan to do an AS gathering in N Georgia in the fall. Then it will be on the boat or trailer for someplace warm this winter. Either Nova Scotia or the Rockies next summer. We haven't decided.

Airstream trailers are very versatile.

[ke6gkv]

I'm a camper: i stay at state parks,and boondock. I hunt and use my ham radios. I have all the comfort i need in my airstream. I lack nothing, hot water,oven and stove when needed,tv and all thechatting i want. Oh happy days( and nights). Kurt