Sprinter/Camper-Van/Class-B RV Owners?

[rob_s]

We got “lucky” with ours in that we seem to have gotten in early enough in COVID that (a) we actually were able to buy off the lot and (b) from talking with other ow ears we didn’t pay a pretty I’m over what they paid a year before.

I would also say, regarding campers in general, if you’re looking to replace a hotel, you’re thinking about it wrong. It’s just a completely different thing. If I was just looking to travel to tourist destinations for cheap, I’d just stay in shittty hotels.

But, to use RJ’s example, if you take your Class B down to Key West, you can stay in a site where the ass-end of your camper literally opens out over the ocean. There’s no hotel there that does that. You can get up and make your own coffee and open the back doors and hang your feet over the ocean. Similar for sites out west where you’re waking up IN the national park, not in some hotel, driving into the park, waiting in line with all the other dickheads to get in... hell while the dickheads are in line I’m having my coffee in front of all the things.

Of course, that said, that’s the trade off: “Make your own coffee”. If you really “camp”, you’re gonna be making your own everything. There’s no room service at a campground (although to be fair, my dear wife does 99% of the cooking, so for me I guess there is!).

For us, the great thing about the class b is that, so far, it’s the best of both. If you’re in some big class a and you’re not towing a vehicle or hauling a motorcycle, once you’re in camp you’re in camp (Uber, friends, mass transit, etc. notwithstanding). We have left every single campsite we’ve been at at gone “to town” to see the sites, have someone else cook for us, etc.

We are even considering an ultra-light teardrop to tow behind to have as a “guest room” for the kids. We’d still be able to drop that at camp and take our whole “living room” and kitchen with us into town.

[mmc45414]

I would also say, regarding campers in general, if you’re looking to replace a hotel, you’re thinking about it wrong. It’s just a completely different thing. If I was just looking to travel to tourist destinations for cheap, I’d just stay in shittty hotels.

In our case we are thinking about something for traveling to the destinations. Where we live in Ohio we are 800-2000mi from places we want to go. Even close places we might do weekends at either take a big chunk of the first day to get to, or we put in 5hr of an 8hr trip after work the first day. When we went to go get our dog we went ~1500mi, and left on Friday after work and came back Saturday. We were only in the hotel for about 6hr, we could have dozed in a rest area with the trucks. Even if we are going to a hotel at a destination it would be nice to take a 5-6hr break with 12VDC air conditioning on the way.

[rob_s]

In our case we are thinking about something for traveling to the destinations. Where we live in Ohio we are 800-2000mi from places we want to go. Even close places we might do weekends at either take a big chunk of the first day to get to, or we put in 5hr of an 8hr trip after work the first day. When we went to go get our dog we went ~1500mi, and left on Friday after work and came back Saturday. We were only in the hotel for about 6hr, we could have dozed in a rest area with the trucks. Even if we are going to a hotel at a destination it would be nice to take a 5-6hr break with 12VDC air conditioning on the way.

that's a big deal for us too. Liivng in SE Florida there's a good 5 hours for us just to get out of the state, and even then that just gets us into GA. LA or AL are even further. Those areas are frankly fine with me (I grew up in N FL which is way more like S GA than what most people think of as "FL") but the wife loves the desert.

We're headed to Savannah, Helen, and Tallahassee in a few weeks. Taking the van for convenience, but not planning on sleeping in it a single night (hotel, Airbnb, VRBO).

Particularly with COVID issues it's nice to be able to pick up food at some trendy spot along the way and stop in a park to eat with our own "house".

[mmc45414]

that's a big deal for us too. Liivng in SE Florida there's a good 5 hours for us just to get out of the state

Another thing I might mention, is with my wife operating her small business, while people might think this means you get to do whatever you want, in reality it means you leave when you are able. This means we might leave on a trip at 3:30, 6:30, 8:30, or cancel the trip based on that specific days activities. Currently that means we just really don't go much right now, but are aspiring to do better, and some kind of camper angle might help.

[ranger]

For us, the great thing about the class b is that, so far, it’s the best of both. If you’re in some big class a and you’re not towing a vehicle or hauling a motorcycle, once you’re in camp you’re in camp (Uber, friends, mass transit, etc. notwithstanding). We have left every single campsite we’ve been at at gone “to town” to see the sites, have someone else cook for us, etc.

So, please tell me more about what techniques you are using to get transportation from the camp ground to see the sites. Mostly Uber? Thanks

[ranger]

Just retired and have been thinking about RV or no RV for several years. Biggest reason is want to travel and see US but we have our faithful Dachshund and we will not board and have to make a run to daughter to drop off for travel. We have a large boat that has similarities to RV except constrained to the lake. Many o our boat friends have RVs but interesting conversation lately has been that with surge of interest in RVs that there seems to be a shortage of RV camp sites. I hear talk about reserving popular sites year+ in advance. Any feedback on RV site availability?

I am retired Army - any feedback on the campgrounds on the military bases?

[mmc45414]

So, please tell me more about what techniques you are using to get transportation from the camp ground to see the sites. Mostly Uber? Thanks

Am not Rob, but my understanding was that since the van is not some big monster they just drive it around town.

[rob_s]

Another thing I might mention, is with my wife operating her small business, while people might think this means you get to do whatever you want, in reality it means you leave when you are able. This means we might leave on a trip at 3:30, 6:30, 8:30, or cancel the trip based on that specific days activities. Currently that means we just really don't go much right now, but are aspiring to do better, and some kind of camper angle might help.

oh for sure, particularly if you get good at finding "formal" campgrounds (there are national, state, county, city parks AND private campgrounds. The app Campendium helps) or if you're will to "boondock" (meaning stay on legal land but with zero hookups/amenities), "moochdock" (which tends to mean staying on private property with their permission. either friends/family or things like Cracker Barrel and Bass Pro), or flat out camp illegally (in basically every case I'm aware of people are just rousted and asked to leave, and the less like a dirtbag you look the less likely to have a negative outcome, like most things in life).

[rob_s]

So, please tell me more about what techniques you are using to get transportation from the camp ground to see the sites. Mostly Uber? Thanks

Am not Rob, but my understanding was that since the van is not some big monster they just drive it around town.

yeah sorry for the confusion.

What we've been doing is arriving at the site as early as they allow, get most of our shit unpacked (the kids currently sleep in a tent) and our basic setup in-place. Then we either plan to spend that day at the campground, or we plan to ditch the campground ASAP and head into town. In either case, we take the van. Ours is 21ft long so we "legally" fit in just about any space (but we still try to park in the back of lots, or in bus/camper parking, or even park "illegally" at boat ramps on slow days).

in any event, having the Class B is what lets us do this. If we had a larger C or A, we'd have to have an alternate means of transport.

On that note, we all have electric scooters. When we get into town we scooter our asses off all over town, grab lunch, see the sites, etc. We typically carry them on a hitch basket, which also extends the length of the van. Here's our van in an RV parking lot in St Augustine right before we took off to raise hell and scare old ladies.

[rob_s]

I have not been a fan of what I’ve seen of Winnebago in person when it comes to Class B vans in particular, but after some initial annoyance with the way they rolled this thing out, I’m starting to like wher they are headed with this.

Folks have compared it to the advanced RV B-Box, even calling it a copy, but given the time it would take to design these things I think it’s more coincide tal response to market needs and wants than it is anyone copying anyone else.

One thing I really like about the trendiness of the RV market is that more younger folks are getting into it, meaning the market is t a slave to the geezer market. I saw another European van and people,were bitching about a ladder to get up into a bed. Well, Karen, not everyone is 90 with a bad hip!

Anyway, the Winnebago Ekko. There is supposed to be a pop up version coming allowing for traveling with, and sleeping, 4 people. I’m curious to see if they have a way of “sealing” the pop up to allow everyone to get some AC. I can’t imagine it working in the middle of Florida summer, but we can find ourselves needing some AC even in December.