RV Comfort vs S&B

[jacks]

I wonder about basic comforts such as heating and cooling, the noise that heating and cooling produce, food prep effort, claustrafobia, and security. I recently downsized from a nice home to a small condo at age 64, single and dislike the condo due to all the noise and close neighbors, even though its on a golf course, view ,nice pools but drives me nuts with all the noise.. I see and have met people who have lived here for 15 years and I don't want to live here anymore.......jump or slowly expire? I see adventure, new experiences, meeting new humans in the jump.

[sandsys]

31 minutes ago, jacks said:

I wonder about basic comforts such as heating and cooling, the noise that heating and cooling produce, food prep effort, claustrafobia, and security. I recently downsized from a nice home to a small condo at age 64, single and dislike the condo due to all the noise and close neighbors, even though its on a golf course, view ,nice pools but drives me nuts with all the noise.. I see and have met people who have lived here for 15 years and I don't want to live here anymore.......jump or slowly expire? I see adventure, new experiences, meeting new humans in the jump.

I am noise sensitive. The furnaces in our RVs did not bother me. When we had an RV with an air conditioner in the basement, its noise did not bother me. When we had roof air I hated its noise so we tried hard to stay in cooler places so we didn't need to run the A/C. I've never been much of a cook so did easy food prep. I'm not claustrophobic so didn't have to deal with that but many people spend more hours outside then they do inside their RVs unless the are sleeping. We never had a problem feeling secure but if we pulled into a campground that didn't feel right we just pulled right on out again. I think that happened twice in six years.

BUT, commercial campground usually pack rigs in quite close to one another. So, if neighbor noise bothers you, consider investing in a good solar system and a rig with large tanks so you can go live out in the boonies.

Linda Sand

ps. We are back in an apartment now and could hear neighbors talking as they waited for the elevator near us. We put a draft stopper under our door and that greatly reduced their noise.

Edited July 9, 2019 by sandsys

[Barbaraok]

If noise bothers you, RVing isn't for you.  I sometimes think that all RV parks are situated between a major interstate and a railroad switching year all underneath the flight path into LAX.    Yes, you can get away and find quite places, but you will also have places that have a lot of noise - and come the weekend, state and national parks can be swarming with noisy kids and over imbibing adults who are often worse than the kids.   Ear plugs to lessen (not completely block out) noise can help and truthfully, you 'learn' to block out noise.  

Lots of people boondock, but that takes planning ahead of time and if you are all by yourself might be too much quiet, not to mention what will you do if you have an accident, etc.    Most RVers find a happy mix of places to stay while they travel and see areas of interest.  

[LarryN]

Noise is certainly subjective. We spent the last week at a COE park on Table Rock Lake (Baxter-Missouri). First time there. Loved it. Yes, there was noise of boats, and you could hear the fireworks of adjacent property owners (off site) BUT....I slept like a baby. Nights were quiet. There is a residential airpark across that arm of the lake and planes took off and landed but that is music to my ears. To the OP...I am with you on condo living. I would rather live in my car or under a bridge. 

We never stay at RV resorts as our vintage GMC MH would not be allowed in due to age.

 

[FL-JOE]

I think the noise level you can expect will depend on two things in general, the quality of RV you select and the places you pick to park it.

Do not expect to purchase a $15,000 small pull behind travel trailer and be able to escape much noise when you are inside.  It will probably have single pane windows and very little insulation so you will hear about everything around you.  Spend $300,000 on the other end and get double pane windows and a ton of insulation, or something in between if you really want to cut down on hearing a neighbors conversations.

As others have suggested try to stay off the grid more for some piece and quiet.  When staying in commercial campgrounds try not to pick ones close to places where families attractions are located, unless you enjoy screaming kids and racing bicycles.  State Parks and County Parks could be nice alternatives if you can fit. 

Edited July 9, 2019 by FL-JOE

[noteven]

I’ve camped in the boondocks where you could hear a jack rabbit fart a half a mile away.

I’ve camped on a boondock lake shore listening to the call of the loon.

I am typing this having a coffee and listening to a herd of coyotes barking and yapping and robins chirping.

I’ve camped in the pits at a race track and enjoyed Friday night run what ya brung drag racing, 360 Sprint cars, and a national motorcycle road racing event on the same week end.

I’ve paid $65US a night in Malibu to have a twit in a class A pull in 8 ft away and run their roof airs on howlin fan blower mode 24/7 in winter. 

Some 🎶 of these camps is not like the others🎶

But ya see my condo has wheels ... want a change of neighbors? Kick the tires and away we go...

[$ Spot]

8 hours ago, jacks said:

I wonder about basic comforts such as heating and cooling, the noise that heating and cooling produce, food prep effort, claustrafobia, and security. I recently downsized from a nice home to a small condo at age 64, single and dislike the condo due to all the noise and close neighbors, even though its on a golf course, view ,nice pools but drives me nuts with all the noise.. I see and have met people who have lived here for 15 years and I don't want to live here anymore.......jump or slowly expire? I see adventure, new experiences, meeting new humans in the jump.

 You may be feeling trapped in the condo environment while in the RV environment you're in control, leave if you like. It's not the same noise day after bloody day. It'll vary and more or less be characteristic of the location, and time of week or year. On food prep, I use griddle and grill outside and skillet or saucepan inside (really like one dish meals) and there's minimal effort here, believe me. When I had the house I heard the furnace or air conditioner break the silence just as it does in the RV, there's a little difference but definitely not a deal breaker given the adventure that awaits, and a given location can negate the use of either. Spend time in various RVs and take your time to find what you can live in, based on your own words this move seems inevitable

     Spot

[Kirk W]

1 hour ago, $Spot said:

I wonder about basic comforts such as heating and cooling, the noise that heating and cooling produce,

Both of these make more noise than do typical home air conditioning and heating. If you find an RV with basement air conditioning it will be less issue but most RVs have roof mounted air conditioners that do make significant noise. The furnace blowers are 12V-DC powered and they too do make noise that you can hear. 

[GlennWest]

Mini splits are quiet. That's the noise from ac out of the equation

[derekb]

I'm new to this forum but I've owned RVs for 20 years.  As for A/C noise, I actually find the noise makes me sleep a little better.  What bothered me more was the cheap mattresses RV manufacturers used to put in their units.  I fixed that problem myself.  As for the other issues, I'm outside most of the time.  I even do most (if not all) cooking outside.

[NDBirdman]

Welcome to the forum derekb! 

Noise is easy to fix, just move.  I usually look for out of the way places not popular with screaming kids/drunk adults.  My roof air is fairly quiet but my furnace irritates the poop out of me.  I think if I keep this one much longer, I'm going furnace shopping.  Wife and I both sleep with CPAPS, the white noise those produce blocks out all but the worst noise at night so in some regards, they are a blessing.  As far as a condo, I'd rather sleep in a hill of biting ants than live in one of those things.  It's why our SnB is way out in the boonies.

Edited July 9, 2019 by NDBirdman

[TherapyBound]

1 hour ago, NDBirdman said:

Noise is easy to fix, just move.  I usually look for out of the way places not popular with screaming kids/drunk adults. 

Question: If you arrive at a campground at, say 2pm (or even 4pm), how do you know if you'll be near drunk adults? Is there some sort of warning sign? 

I ask in all sincerity. Is there a typical location drunks gravitate to, or is it really just the luck of the draw? How do you move if you're already there, already set up, and drunks move in 'next door'? Do people really leave in the late hours of the evening? 

I'm not seeing how this works.

[Barbaraok]

Usually weekenders, especially on holiday 3-day weekends.  You contact campground manager or call 911.  Often worst in state parks.  We’ve seen rangers call police into evict drunks.   We don’t move.  

[2gypsies]

17 hours ago, jacks said:

I wonder about basic comforts such as heating and cooling, the noise that heating and cooling produce,

food prep effort,

claustrafobia, and

security. 

First, for you I think you really need to rent one a few times to get your own feel for the issues.  Some are more tolerant of things than others.

Heating - we hated the furnace noise and it really is inefficient.  If you're not in freezing temperatures a electric heater from WalMart works wonders.  Another option that we used for over 16 years was a catalytic propane heater.... absolutely no noise and constant warm temperatures.  We loved it.

Cooling - the AC is noisy but you'll use it in the summer when there is more noise in the campgrounds so it will drown out the noise.  You really do get used to it and it makes for very nice sleeping.  Another option is to think 'elevation'.  Spend your summers above 7,000'; preferably 8,000' and you won't need air, especially at night.

Food prep & effort - as little or as much as you want.  You can cook the same as in a house.   You'll have a refrig, stove, oven or a microwave/convection oven which is great.  Most people also carry a grill.

Claustrophobia - that depends on you.  If you want to meet people it's easy to do; if not, that's your choice.  If you have an issue with closeness then I suggest you don't look for a small RV.  Get the size you'll be comfortable in.

Security - We've traveled constantly for 16+ years full-timing.  We never had anything stolen and never had to call the park security.  The only time we were somewhat uncomfortable was when we parked near Borrego Springs, CA at a large empty space.  A car pulled up and started unloading their target practice gear to shoot across the canyon.  They seemed o.k. and even offered us ear plugs.  However, that kind of stuff is not for us so we moved and easily found another spot for the night.  The uncomfortable part was the noise; not them.

Noise - we always looked for a site at the rear away from the office, bathrooms, etc.  Usually, we got the best site in the park being away from everything.  If you ever had really noisy neighbors or inconsiderate ones first introduce yourself and in a friendly way ask them to tone it down.  Usually, that's all that is needed.  If they have an attitude about it then just contact the park office and they'll deal with it.  Never, never ask them twice, never raise your voice and never threaten. That's when things can escalate.  Turn it over to authorities.  We've volunteered in parks a lot and even as volunteers that's how we were instructed to handle any issue.   That said... this happens way less than you may think.  Campers/RVers are on the whole, very considerate and nice and helpful.

Weekends and the 3-day holidays - we always were parked by the Wednesday or Thursday.  We let the weekenders have their fun at places on the lakes, rivers and parks that have pools.  We chose out of the way quiet places to stay and moved into those kinds of places on Sunday when everyone is leaving.

The majority of our camping was done on public lands - national forests and BLM lands.  This is the way that you can really get away from it all.  It really is doable.

[Solo18]

I nearly always stay in state, national, or county campgrounds because sites are more spread out.  Admittedly, there is more noise on summer weekends, but the rest of the time it is a lot quieter than my old condo complex was--night or day. 

To avoid noise, avoid the places on weekends where families congregate--anything that has the letters KOA in it, on boating lakes, big swimming pools with kiddie areas, places near big cities, etc.  For big holidays, think of where everyone wants to go and then find somewhere else!!  There are a lot of less busy state and national parks that do not attract noisy drunks or big family reunions.  

Also, pick a spot as far away from the lake or attraction as possible. Maybe even a site at the end of a row. Right now, I am at Emigrant Lake in Oregon.  Most people with families choose the lower sites along the lake.  I am on the second row, which is higher on a ridge--much quieter and not even full the last few days.  People drive by these spots, and you can see them say "too far away from the lake" before they drive on!  Last weekend, there was a large noisy group on the lower level, but I did not even hear them up here! 

Edited July 10, 2019 by Solo18

[Barbaraok]

Both furnace and A/C run because you are in temperatures outside of the 'golden' area.  We try to follow the 75° mark so we have found that we use electric heaters (on low, in front and back) and only will the furnace come on.  In the summer, make sure you have a couple of small fans, most days (we spend the summer in the PNW) we can just run the fans to get things circulating and don't need the A/C until we hit southern CA at the end of September returning to Arizona.   

I'll second the recommendation that you rent and try out living for at least a week in a rig.  Get the feel for how things will be done, including the less glamorous things like dumping tanks.

 

[richfaa]

I agree with Barbarok If noise bothers you, RVing isn't for you. You are not far away from anything when in the RV. Furnace, A/C,ETC.They are not as well insulated as a S&B.Campground lots are  not known for the size. The lot in our Winter HOA is 40 X 70 the neighbors are nearby our S&B lot is 80X330. We have a 40 foot 4 slide 5th wheel.I do not  know what the inside dimensions are but Helen and I are rarely out of one anothers sight in our 2100 sq foot 5 bedroom tri level I may not see her for hours and we can not hear anything  that is going on outside.In the RV we  know when  the A/C comes on as we are  just a few feet from it Here in the S&B we have central and it is two levels below me  I do not know if it is running or not.We transition easily between the 5th wheel and our S &B.

 

I like others would  recommend  since you have a noise sensitivity  that you try out the experience before you jump in. This is s great lifestyle although not for everyone.Try it I think you will like it.

[fpmtngal]

18 hours ago, jacks said:

I wonder about basic comforts such as heating and cooling, the noise that heating and cooling produce, food prep effort, claustrafobia, and security. I recently downsized from a nice home to a small condo at age 64, single and dislike the condo due to all the noise and close neighbors, even though its on a golf course, view ,nice pools but drives me nuts with all the noise.. I see and have met people who have lived here for 15 years and I don't want to live here anymore.......jump or slowly expire? I see adventure, new experiences, meeting new humans in the jump.

I agree with you about condos and apartments, I never do well living in them. I get claustrophobic when I’m surrounded by concrete, not when I’m in my little trailer parked somewhere out of the big city.  But that’s me, others might feel differently. I think if I were to buy a big RV and just put it permanently on a site in a campground, I might begin to feel the same way. The reason I hope to go full-time soon is so I can travel yet have as much time as I want to explore one area.

RV life isn’t for everyone. As was already suggested, rent one first before buying, a good idea that I didn’t do. No regrets and I love my travel trailer that I’ve used extensively for 3+ years. If my house ever sells, I’ll go full-time in it.

Noise is relative - I’ve camped with someone who complained that he couldn’t sleep with the traffic noise from I-10 which I didn’t notice. His TC has the same insulation my TT.

When it comes to food prep, make sure you choose a floor plan that allows you to do as much or as little as you want. I’m not much of a cook, so I don’t need as much as some people would want. 

I do think about security when I camp, since I’m solo and not very big. If I don’t like the looks of the campground, I’ll move on. I check online reviews of wherever I’ve stayed, choosing ones that have better ratings. I like variety, so one day I might be at a more expensive, lots of amenities type of campground and then a couple of days later I might be boondocking on BLM land somewhere with few people around.

I’ve only once camped where someone had too much to drink, and he happened to be a friend and was part of a group I was with. Others in the group took care of him and got him to bed. I won’t say it doesn’t happen, but I’ve never been in the situation where strangers got loud and obnoxious.  I’ve run into noisy kids far more often. 

Use common sense when choosing campgrounds. If you don’t want to hear kids playing, don’t go to a campground that has all sorts of family activities, try an over 55 park.

And yes, I’ve stayed at my fair share of campgrounds that have interstates on one boundary and train tracks on another, with an unrated road crossing on a third side (the train has to blow his horn like 3 times or something). 

 

[Dutch_12078]

We prefer state and national park campgrounds, and rarely run into any noise issues either within or from outside the park. We just spent 10 days over the 4th of July holiday at Gilbert Lake State Park in NY's Southern Tier in relative quiet the entire time. During the day, there was some mild noise from kids playing games in the field across the road from our site, but at dusk, everyone was back in their sites. NY state parks do not allow fireworks or sparklers, so even on the 4th itself we only heard some far off booms from a professional display at a baseball camp a few miles away. Over the past several years, I only recall once when a group started getting quite loud at one state park, and it wasn't long before the park police rolled up and shut them down. The following morning they were packing up, and didn't seem to be at all happy about it.

[noteven]

My Coleman Mach8 musta been validated by a deaf person. No one complains about my generator cause they can’t hear it over the ac unit noise. 

Apparently a “quiet kit” is available in the aftermarket. Why isn’t it there in the before market one wonders.

Anyways just go up in elevation or north on this continent and ac is not required much. 

[Kirk W]

18 hours ago, Bigthinkers said:

Question: If you arrive at a campground at, say 2pm (or even 4pm), how do you know if you'll be near drunk adults? Is there some sort of warning sign? 

The idea of avoiding places that tend to attract a rowdy group is a very valid one, but we have been RVing for more than 40 years and have not had a great deal of problems with drunks and only occasionally with other rowdy groups. We do tend to pick a site that is away from the other sites when possible and we also stay most in COE parks where sites tend to be farther apart than in commercial parks. But commercial parks are usually more inclined to deal with visitors who cause problems than are the staff in public parks. Life is too short to allow minor annoyances to ruin our day so unless the problem is really bad, we just keep to ourselves and ignor the party. 

[packnrat]

noise? what a subject.

i used to love peace and quiet, but now i have ringing in my ears, now never a quitet moment. but so much ”other” sound drowns it out.

but still i do not want those (self corrected) kids running around screaming, or the drunk frat boys partying. yes at 60 i do get grouchy. but then i am a loner type.

give me two-three months—longer away from everything.

e

wming.

 

[frater jason]

On 7/9/2019 at 7:55 AM, noteven said:

I am typing this having a coffee and listening to a herd of coyotes barking and yapping and robins chirping ...

Some 🎶 of these camps is not like the others🎶

Exactly so.  Boondocking at 9600' with barely any sound at all.  Gentle wind noise, a hummingbird or bumblebee flies in to visit a couple times a day.  Sometimes this laptop's fan comes on.  🙂

IME the key to peace and quiet is getting away from people. 

[Randyretired]

We like to get away from the hustle and bustle.   We prefer dispersed  camping in the National Forest or our summer property.   Currently we are at our summer property which is 140 acres surrounded by large ranches and BLM.  If you don't like solitude this isn't for you.

[NDBirdman]

28 minutes ago, Randyretired said:

140 acres surrounded by large ranches and BLM.  If you don't like solitude this isn't for you.

Sounds like heaven to me!!!!