Snowbirds - Page 4

kristan · ‎03-13-2010

Not sure if I could live all summer in a camper, but then I don't consider that camping.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

On 9/19/2014 Marienkaefer2 said: I never liked camping, HOWEVER the motor home that the o/p has sounds like a very nice living space, not like camping at all. Some of those motor homes are really luxurious. I've changed my mind about them vs staying in hotels, no matter how nice the hotel is. I have seen so many gross people, even in the most high end places, that I skeeve when I think about staying in a hotel anymore. I'd rather have my own place, whether it's a really nice motor home, or a small condo.

So true. we don't have to worry about who was here before us. Who did what in the bed. Bedbugs etc. I much prefer having my own place. plus when we get here all we do is unload our clothes and we are ready to go. There is also a huge advantage in having a camper at a campground over a house. when we aren't here there is still someone keeping an eye on things. Actually, the campground owner's house is across the street from our camper. Also, we pay the dealer where we bought the camper and they come and drain all the water and put in the antifreeze in all the lines so no worry there either.if anything was not properly winterized they would be responsible for the damages. When you have a house , you have to always worry about it. A camper is much more worry free. My DH does go to the extreme and puts 1/2 " plywood up on the roof where he can so in case a tree branch would come down on the roof it won't go through, as our site is heavily wooded.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

On 9/19/2014 Marienkaefer2 said: I never liked camping, HOWEVER the motor home that the o/p has sounds like a very nice living space, not like camping at all. Some of those motor homes are really luxurious. I've changed my mind about them vs staying in hotels, no matter how nice the hotel is. I have seen so many gross people, even in the most high end places, that I skeeve when I think about staying in a hotel anymore. I'd rather have my own place, whether it's a really nice motor home, or a small condo.

we do not have a motorhome - we have a trailer. A motorhome is more or less a bus - a trailer is pulled behind a truck.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

On 9/19/2014 bluegrassbaby said:
On 9/19/2014 Lila Belle said:
That sounds like a horrible way to spend 5 months !

It sounds like the crime in the area where the OP is living has increased...I think I would be worried about the crime spreading to the campground while she and DH are back in Fl...you can pop a door lock on a camper door in a split second...we had ours changed when we bought our RV to something much more secure.

Our campground is in a very safe rural area.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

On 9/19/2014 LipstickDiva said:
We have friends that recently bought a "camper" and it stays year round at a campground. I remember crinkling my nose when they told us they bought it and the first thought that went through my mind was "how dreadful."

That was until we went to actually see it. OMG it is phenomenal. Now granted, they paid more money for this thing than many people pay for their starter home but it's very, very luxurious. It has a washer and dryer, fridge, stove, microwave, flat screen mounted to the wall, full bathroom with separate tub/shower. It's air conditioned and heated. It's nothing like I was thinking when they said camper.

As soon as you say camper many people have that reaction.However, it is a very comfortable way to travel or to do as we have chosen to do, and use it like a condo. because we always had dogs we have always had a camper to travel for vacations - we really like the people we meet and the campground lifestyle.

Danky · ‎08-04-2013

We go in the exact opposite direction, HH......sometime before Thanksgiving we will open up our house in Vermont and begin the long, cold winter. We do come back and forth on occasion over the 6 months (it's about a 5 hour drive) but mostly we are hunkered down with plenty of wood and plenty of snow !

Free2be · ‎03-10-2010

We're not snowbirds but I'm glad my cranky neighbor will be going south soon. It's always a yearly highlight.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

Just to clarify : there are many different types of RVs and they cover almost every pocketbook. Starting at the top are Motorhomes. These are made in various styles and sizes from what looks like a bus to the ones that are like vans. However, they all have a motorized vehicle included so they are not towed. They vary in price from half a million dollar custom ones to the vans that run around the $50,000 range. Then there are park model campers - these are wider than allowed to drive on the road so they are generally delivered by a dealer and never moved again.Also a wide variety of sizes and degrees of luxury so they range from $100,000 down to around $30, 000. There are fifth wheel campers - they have multiple levels - are towed by a pickup truck and can be quite nice as well. They are currently running in the $40,000 to about $75,000 range, maybe some higher. Then there are trailers. Trailers come in every imaginable size. they are towed behind a car or a truck. They range from ones that pop open and are really half trailer and half tent to luxury ones that are too large to be moved except by a semi truck. They cover every possible size and cost you can imagine. The biggest advantage of a trailer is - they are the roomiest of all the choices.

It is possible to buy a RV that will cover every pocketbook and every need or desire for luxury. And there is one to cover every individuals RV needs - some people live full time year round in a RV - some , like us, just for a season each year, some only to travel and some who park their camper somewhere and use it like folks used to use a cabin. My DH used to take our old camper hunting in the fall when he was younger, because it was more comfortable than a hunting cabin. you can buy RVs that are only for summer use or ones that can be used in the winter. I know someone who went to Alaska in the winter in a fifth wheel camper.

Many of the ladies here don't really understand that not every RV is a motorhome or a trailer or what the various types are called, so I thought I would clarify that.

Free2be · ‎03-10-2010

I know a two couples who sold their homes and live year round in 5th-wheels, moving them from campground to campground. One of the wives had told me they plan to retire in some community set up just for such people where their 5th-wheel will remain, they'll live out their days in it and services are brought to them, to everyone in this program/community. It's somewhere in Texas.

Sounds interesting but not for me.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

On 9/19/2014 Free2be said:
I know a two couples who sold their homes and live year round in 5th-wheels, moving them from campground to campground. One of the wives had told me they plan to retire in some community set up just for such people where their 5th-wheel will remain, they'll live out their days in it and services are brought to them, to everyone in this program/community. It's somewhere in Texas.

Sounds interesting but not for me.

That would hold no appeal to me either. Especially a fifth wheel - cramped space and many stairs are not how I want to live out the remainder of my life. We enjoy our lovely home at the beach in florida but if we stayed there year round we would soon be lonely for our friends and family, and the beautiful mountains and rivers here. Since my DH just turned 70 we feel it is reasonable that we will most likely snowbird for about another 5 years - as long as he is able - then sell this and stay in our home in florida. Already, in just the 4 years we have been doing this, some of our closest friends and family have passed away , and so with each of those passings we come closer to not needing to come back to pittsburgh.

I would say that I much prefer the company of the people we meet in campgrounds over some we have as neighbors in our plan in Fl. We are not too much into the "putting on airs" crowd, and we have some of that in our gated community home in Florida. HA HA - almost every plan in Florida is a "gated community" but some folks are very impressed with the fact that they live behind gates.Our plan doesn't even have a wall or a fence around it - just a set of gates across the roads at the exits.But yet so many of the residents think that will keep the boogey man out, and that they are living the high life inside there.