theboondork's RV blog

My response to a comment from Larry.

6/7/2021

Don't click the pics if you're allergic to pictures of large flowers.

Close-up of a Petunia.

Thank you, Larry; that website was an interesting read, and so is your comment.

I consider myself fortunate that I preferred boondocking over camping in RV parks from the very beginning of my full-timing lifestyle. So I didn't have to force myself to fit into a lifestyle that I barely tolerate because right off the bat, I knew that boondocking was the way of camping that I enjoyed, and RV parks are places I go only if I have to. Just like I've said in my blog several times, for me, they've got the price structure backward; if RV parks were free, I would pay to boondock.

Even during last winter's travels, it was easy to see that state parks in Arizona and New Mexico were more crowded than I've ever seen them. And that was without the usual swarm of Canadian RVs heading South. And I just recently saw on the news that KOA campgrounds set an all-time record for campers this past Memorial Day weekend. And since KOA's average over $50 a night for RVs, and over $25 a night for tents, I think it shows that most campers are willing to pay whatever RV parks are eager to charge.

And with an ever-increasing shortage of commercial RV Park spaces, and an equally ever-increasing number of campers competing for those spaces, that can only lead to the dreaded ever-increasing cost of camping.

So it seems that with even more RVs coming online as the manufacturers slowly catch up with demand, there will be more pressure on RV parks. Especially State and National Parks that have been traditionally underfunded and barely holding their own due to constant government budget cuts over the years as we inexorably slide towards a welfare state, and the politicians need every dime they can lay their hands on to keep buying the votes of the ever-increasing number of welfare recipients.

And it's that kind of future, like it or not, that seems inevitable, that is causing me to want to become a better boondocker. And I think making the transition to a smaller, simpler, easier to maneuver RV will go a long way to not only remove the towing and maintenance stress from my life but also maximize the number of boondocking places available to me and increase the ease of finding more and better boondocking spots.

Theboondork

Purple flower.

Blue Tulip.

4 Comments

Judith

6/7/2021 08:44:16 pm

Sounds like your definition of boondocking is the only way to go in the near future....unless some people get tired of it.
LOVELY flower closeups.

Tom

6/7/2021 09:29:35 pm

Thank you Judith, I always appreciate a compliment. I love to get as close to flowers as I can, just to see which one of us wilts first.

I believe that boondocking could very well be the future of the average RVer. I think commercial campgrounds are going to get too expensive for the average RVer, and State and National Parks are going to get too crowded. So a lot of folks on fixed incomes, which inflation will start eating away, will turn mostly to boondocking as a way to camp and enjoy the outdoors.

Tom

Larry Steve Worsham

6/8/2021 05:34:51 am

I wonder if this current RV trend is going to be a bubble or not. I think to some extent it may be. Before moving to Texas for family issues I live in Oregon for 30 years. I hunted in the state and camped in almost every area. As we ventured further afield we traveled the entire west most enjoying forest service and state campgrounds. I have only stayed in commercial while necessary from point A to B. After retiring we would take 3-5 month trips out west while returning to Oregon and visiting historical sites. We liked to escape the Texas heat. After covering those area's extensively we want to explore the eastern half of the US. Making travel plans this summer to make what would likely be our last trip to the NW I learned that due to the current RV climate summer travel was almost out of the question without extensive planning and reservations. I think we may focus on the fall and spring times and hopefully we can find state parks or some boondocking as we head east. The great thing about RV ing is that it offers something for everyone and their interest. You've inspired me to take a winter trip to Southern Arizona and try some of those spots.

6/8/2021 08:03:17 am

There's only a couple of things that will cause me to write a blog post about someone's comment. One is their comment asks questions that are interesting to me, but I do get a lot of those from different folks.

The other thing, and is the most important thing by far is, I have almost nothing going on in my life at the moment, and can't think of anything to write about in my blog.

Both of those things apply to Larry's comment so I will answer it in my blog post today.

Tom

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My response to a comment from Larry.

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