Northern base / Southern Base

[capt george]

Unlike most of you fine folks, my reason for wanting to full time in an AS is simply to enjoy warm, sunny weather year around in lieu of traveling and exploring.

I have my Northern summer spot picked out and want to find a Southern Base which I can return to year after year and hopefully meet up with the same old friends I met there earlier. Each place would be considered "home" with my doctor, library, grocery store etc. I would plan on spending a month on the road each way to give me a little adventure during the 1500+mile transit.

Are there any really nice parks w spacious lots renting to season long campers only? Not stuck on any particular state.

I do not want to purchase a condo site but that is basically what I'm after.

[Lily&Me]

There are many campgrounds in the south that cater primarily to long term residents, aka snowbirds.

Pick an area you like, get yourself on Campendium, AllStays, etc., and do some research on what is available.

You will undoubtedly need to visit and try places out, to find one with a flavor you like.

Good luck.

Maggie

[uraljohn]

If you have an Airstream check out Land Yacht Harbor Airstream Park in Melbourne, Florida. Nice place and very reasonable rates. No pets of any kind. Lots of great places to spend the winter in Florida. Depends on how much you want to spend. No better value for Airstream owners than LYH.

[Paddledipper]

Cedar Key RV Resort in Cedar Key Florida, Homosassa River RV Resort in Homosassa Springs, FL, Suwannee River Rendezvous in Mayo, FL Dunedin RV Resort in Dunedin, FL and Coastline RV Resort in Eastpoint all stood out as having a huge community feel with the residents who returned year after year for seasonal winter spots. We noticed this each time we while travelling through. Call ahead as I’m sure spots are booked far in advance.

[gary1burke]

We are really enjoying this park. Its probably not the least expensive place to spend the winter, but the weather here has been much better than most of the south this year. They have many activities (Pickle Ball, Putting practice areas, Poker, LRC, Trivia, Crafts) I decent restaurant onsite (BBQ Rush) with some live entertainment, and a terrific staff. Very dog-friendly. Just FYI...

[Candace]

We have spent 5 years on the road in our 27 foot Flying Cloud, and our basic weather rule is warm. Summer, we go North, most any where in our beautiful country. Winter, Warm is south Arizona, South Texas, or Florida. We do not care for Florida, although it is pretty and warm, it is a bit too crowded for our taste. Yuma AZ, if you look at annual temperature reports, is usually the warmest in the US. Lots of nice places to camp, good variety in prices, great for hiking, looking for gold, water sports of all kinds, and lots of golf courses. It can be very reasonable in fees. South Texas, called the Rio Grande Valley, is very nice. Lots of golf courses, good fishing, both offshore in the Gulf, and in rivers and lakes. The entire valley is full of Winter Texans during the winter months, and the activities and varieties of places to stay or live are huge, with places for every budget. Check out Escapees RV club for info on their sites nationwide, they are usually very nice and low fee. Their website will provide info. Good Luck, and enjoy! Try several spots and seek more info before you settle on one.

[HHPJ]

There is a lot of spaces parks in the Palm Springs area. I just bought a lot and winter here every year.

[Sammy99]

Capt George, do you have suggestions for Northern bases for the summer months? Would be nice to find a lot or nice RV Park not too far from civilization? Thanks!!

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by capt george

Unlike most of you fine folks, my reason for wanting to full time in an AS is simply to enjoy warm, sunny weather year around in lieu of traveling and exploring.

I have my Northern summer spot picked out and want to find a Southern Base which I can return to year after year and hopefully meet up with the same old friends I met there earlier. Each place would be considered "home" with my doctor, library, grocery store etc. I would plan on spending a month on the road each way to give me a little adventure during the 1500+mile transit.

Are there any really nice parks w spacious lots renting to season long campers only? Not stuck on any particular state.

I do not want to purchase a condo site but that is basically what I'm after.

I have been doing what you describe for the past 13 years. My southern point is central FL, my midpoint is home in NC spring and fall. I travel northward when I can during the heat of summer. I have no fixed northern/cool spot but I like the mountains of NC, UP of Michigan, and northern Maine or Vermont during summer. (Chasing 70s')

If you come to almost any city or town, large, small, crossroads, etc. in Florida there are RV/Mobil home parks that cater to snowbirds. There are some really nice, some so-so, and some pretty ratty. In almost every case there is a large variety of people from all over the USA & Canada. There even are a few people from mainland Europe and UK. Some people are poor, some are millionaires, but most are just average people.

It takes some searching to find out which is enjoyable and where to fit in. I started visiting in central Florida about 30 years ago, where my parents spent their winters about 70 miles south of Orlando. When I retired I came further south to a larger town with more of everything to do, restaurants, shopping, etc. I have stayed at the same park for 13 years. I have been renting a RV lot full time for the last 6 years. Those people paying for 4 months at the higher prime season monthly rate pay about the same as I do paying the yearly rate. I occupy the lot about 5-6 months and store my 34' trailer there, so the yearly rate was best for me.

We have made wonderful friends!

IMO:
South of I-4 is the area where I would consider because it still gets cold north of there, actually gets frost a few times per year even 75 miles further south. There is a snow flake on occasion and a hard freeze every few years in northern FL.

Cities (Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Palm Beach to Miami, Key West) would not be a pleasant places to stay. There are just too many people, to much traffic, and cost is crazy.

Any of the mid to southern FL beaches/costal areas are very crowded and it costs more to live there, but it is a beautiful place. I've found a small towns in central FL to be better suited to my lifestyle, but they still it get crowded. For example, the town where I stay has a fixed population of ~10,000 people. During high season there are about an extra 30,000 to 40,000 people.

I would advise you to come in late Oct and try a few places through Dec. Any time after Christmas you must have reservations made much earlier in the year. The park I am in has already been booked 100% full for next Jan, Feb, Mar. The owner of our park requires a non refundable deposit for those 3 prime months. Still, there always a few cancelations that can be had at the last minute.

ps:
I'm considering getting a fixed place (no wheels) in FL. The 34' trailer is getting too small for 6 months of staying.

[capt george]

Originally Posted by Sammy99

Capt George, do you have suggestions for Northern bases for the summer months? Would be nice to find a lot or nice RV Park not too far from civilization? Thanks!!

The Petoskey KOA is very nice

[kb0zke]

Are you a member of Escapees? If so, there are several co-ops for you to choose from. The common requirement is that you have to be and remain an Escapees member in order to have a lot. Go do escapees.com and check them out. I know that there are lots available immediately at The Ranch, which is near Carlsbad, NM.


We chose Lone Star Corral, near San Antonio, as that puts us more in a "family" path. There is a waiting list, but lots to become available on a regular basis, so it won't be all that long until we get to a place where we may actually stand a real chance of getting a lot.


Once you have your Airstream, of course, there are some Airstream-only parks. Between those and Escapees, you ought to have a pretty good selection.


Oh yes, some Escapees parks also have long-term leases. Basically, you lease a lot for five years, and can extend your lease for five-year intervals for $1. Again, check out escapees.com for all of the details.

[bmckeand]

I have made this my home base. We have several parks that are close to everything in Bonita Springs FL. I stayed at Bonita Spring trailer park for 2 years and it was great. They are a senior CO-OP. Most of the people there own but the park has some sites they rent out.

[dtansey]

Travelers Rest Resort in Dade City, FL is a lovely park with long term rentals. There are lots of activities and lots of friendly people. We have golf, pickle ball, live entertainment, a heated swimming pool and lots of great places to walk. Travelers Rest was founded by Airstreamers but now welcomes all people.

[Native143]

South Texas has plenty of parks that support the Winter Texans. I just stayed near Mission, TX in January. Plenty of spots, warm. friendly, activities, etc. And lots of 6 mos. people there to.

[MEHaark]

We found ORPS in Palm Springs CA right on an 18 hole golf course, 7 pools, pickleball and awesome weather most of the time!!! We bought a lot since it was cheaper on a yearly basis than a 3-4 mo rental if you can find one here. Problem is summer.....too hot to leave our new AS! Any experience with desert heat and Airstreams? Look forward to hot weather advice from you!

[Mike1997]

I am 1-3 years away from full retirement and currently looking for a winter base in a warmer climate area. Places like Savannah, Daytona, Charleston and New Orleans are worthy of more investigating. Summers I like to follow my friends advice.....do not stay anywhere you need AC Northern New England, Lake Tahoe, Alaska, Pacific NW are just some of those places.

[kb0zke]

"Are there any really nice parks w spacious lots renting to season long campers only? Not stuck on any particular state." I don't believe that anyone has addressed this point. Few, if any, State parks will have long-term residents. We were asked that at one park where we were hosting, and our answer was that the parks are there for all to enjoy, and therefore we had to have limits on how long any one person could stay. Commercial parks, by contrast, encourage long-term stays because that gives them a steady source of income.


We discovered someone who was gaming the system at one park. The entire State park system has a set limit on how long one can be there in a certain time period. Unfortunately, their computer reservation system wasn't quite up to figuring that out. A couple would reserve a site for 10-12 days under his name, then reserve another one for 10-12 days under her name, then back to him, etc. We noticed that they were moving from site to site but never leaving the park, so we asked the ranger. He looked up their history and paid them a visit. When their last reservation was up they left the park and we never saw them again.