Categorize yourself

Where do you fit in the ever more popular RVing community? When reading items in this forum it is sometimes very hard to distinguish a casual part-time camper from a semi casual camper. Say a number 1 category RVer is a fulltimer (no stick home and lives and moves around constantly in some sort of RV) and the last category is the casual weekender camper with a tent or six person pop-up sleeper. Now, knowing your category will make it much easier to understand where your comments and concerns are coming from. Most casual campers have no idea how to schedule their vacation. So they become the most abused and are always complaining because they just drive in and think they are going to get a space. They find the forum, open mouth and insert foot before thinking. After a few trips they learn a little about how it works and learn how to maneuver around in the system - we were all once ?Boots?. On the other hand the seasoned ?Fulltimer? has a lot of experience with the RV industry and how most Campgrounds, RV Resorts and FamCamps operate. They spend a lot of time researching the areas of the country they want to visit and make reservations accordingly. They very seldom complain about the ?Snow Birds? or ?Homesteaders? because they know where they are and avoid competing with them. Actually, most places that allow long term stays are isolated places. Even MacDill in FL with all it?s amenities is very isolated from the surrounding civilian communities.

The owner of this web site is a fulltimer with lots of campground experience. May be he should come up with a list of categories and their definitions and we could attach the one that fits our use to our comments.

I for one am a fulltimer and I don?t compete with ?Homesteaders? or ?Snow Birds?. Usually the objective of our travels is not compatible with theirs. Our longest stay is about 4 months and that?s just a seasonal thing. Once we went more than a year before we stopped for more than a month. Our most frequently used Military Campgrounds are NS Mayport, FL and NAS Jacksonville, FL because our kids and grand kids live there. We make our reservations in advance and then leave when our time runs out. We have no idea why someone would want to ?rotate?. We have ?piggie backed? one time and that was in the ?CB? base in Gulfport, MS before they got blown away. We used an overflow site at El Centro, CA once but it was a 30 amp FHU site in a parking lot. We have driven on military sites with the intent to stay and have just left, Charleston, AFB and Fort Bragg come to mind. We wish all sites could be like those at Laughlin, AFB at Del Reo, TX but understand why they are not. We understand why a place like Fort Bliss, TX takes no reservations and is always full - It?s a top notch place to stay. Those that look like ?Homesteaders? there are under orders and have to present them to the office. High on our list as full recreational sites are ADM Baker in San Diego, CA and Short Stay at Moncks Corner, SC. Isolated, Grand Forks AFB, ND and Martinez Lake, AZ.

FastEagle - In Yuma, AZ for four months, parked just 3 miles from MCAS Yuma main gate.

Fasteagle ? you could have been writing about us ? we fulltime, and have been on the road going on three years. While we consider ourselves fulltimers, we do still own our home, and have visited it twice, just to make certain it is still there. We have discussed selling it, but . . . I guess that makes us a category 1.5. Having stayed at almost 20 separate FamCamps, I think we have become somewhat knowledgeable on how the system works, and what to look for, or not.

Since beginning this grand adventure, our longest stay anywhere has been three months. High on our list is Admiral Baker, Davis-Monthan, Mid-South, Millington, and San Luis Obispo, CA ? a unique 20 amp FamCamp located in a WWII-like environment. I can certainly understand your appreciation for Laughlin AFB, because that is where we are right now, and will be through mid-January, longer if we can sweet talk management into a two week extension.

BTW, where are you located in Yuma ? we wintered in Yuma last year ? Sun Vista RV Park, but chose not to return there this year due to the high winds and ever-present dust.

Hi John & Maria , We are at the Arizona Sands RV Park because it's close to the MCAS, right between two super Wal-Marts and is only $315.00 per month for a FHU plus elect. When we are stopped for extended peroids we like a place where there is the posibility of interesting side trips and Yuma's location has a very good touring system. You're right about the wind, it is here every day.

FastEagle

don't know where we fit. have a 25 ft jayco w/ slide out. we travel to each of the states for up to ten days each. sightsee and of course golf a least once per state. I decided two years ago to collect a golf ball from all 50 and have 23 more to do. we currently plan on la, ms, al, fl, ga, sc nc va del oh wvir ky tn ark back to El Paso in 08 starting Feb 16th. Have made reservation in ms, al fl (mil) sc (civilian) va and dc (mil) del (mi) I'll post on this web my experience with each of the milatary camps as we go thru. ALso have a yamaha 2400i gen if Iwe have to dry camp any place.Yes we camped on the big island of hawaii. you can rent a rig for a couple of days there. ALaska will be the challenge!

We're a Category 1....ages 57 and 54.....this is our 4th season of full-timing.....we have no stick house....just the 5er for on the road living (7 months-Sept. thru April) and the 35 ft. Mallard for seasonal campground in Pa where we visit with kids, grandkids, and extended family on both sides of the fence.....we usually stay at Military CGs, but do use the civilian CGs if needed...(central FL, mostly)......our length of stay is usually 2 to 4 weeks, except this year as we are camp hosting........we make reservations where we can and we try to avoid the "Homesteader" CGs cause the Dr. advised us to watch the old "Blood Pressure".....lol.....planning a winter voyage west starting after Labor Day next year.....already scoped out SD, WY, NV, AZ, NM, and TX here.....long range plans are to do this until we can't...another 15 to 20 years, at least....lol......then the kids can take care of us.....lol....

Not sure what number we would be assigned. We have a stick house here in Oklahoma. Full retirement was 7/1/06. From that time up to October of this year we had spent about five months total at the house. The rest of the time we were out in our motorhome. The longest we have stayed in any one place was two weeks this past summer at Ellsworth AFB, SD.

Our traveling so far has been to sightsee and attend RV rallies with the Monaco Motorcoach clubs. We stay in military campgrounds if they happen to be in our path, otherwise we stay in private parks.

Currently we are at our house in Oklahoma and will be here until late spring due to family emergency. Hope to get back into our travel mode of seven to nine months of the year on the road.