How much experience in RV living do you have?

[Kirk W]

A recent thread about the RV market and who is buying them got me to wondering about those of us on these forums and who we really are. It might be interesting if we could share some of what our backgrounds are, just to satisfy the curiosity...... I know that this will only address who we are on these forums, but even that could be fun and interesting, and if the Escapee management is reading it might also be useful to them in planning for the future.

 

If you will, I thought that I'd do two things one to start a poll just so we can see some numbers and then also ask everyone to post a little more about themselves and their RV experience.

 

We began "camping with a tent, then moved to a popup in 1972, and over the years worked up through different levels to our full-time RV of nearly 12 years and are now back downsized to a 20' travel trailer. We owned two popups, two travel trailers, two motorhomes and now bact to a travel trailer. We have also belonged to several RV clubs and at one time were members of three of them but today are back to only Escapees.

 

How about sharing some of your history? If you don't exactly fit, just pick something that is pretty close as it would just take too many choices to cover everyone. I wanted to ask number of RVs and years of RVing in separate questions, but it don't provide for that. ...

[AFchap]

We tent camped while overseas with our kids in the Pacific area. We stayed with friends in a pickup camper once, other friends in a TT, and rented a TT once for a week set in place. We bought our first and only rv in 2003. We lived fulltime in it from mid 2005 to early 2012, and currently are in it about half time.

[Bill Joyce]

I have only owned 2 RVs in over 10 years, so I chose the over 10 years and 3 to 5 option. I admit that I have had experience with a couple other RVs before owning my own.

[jamtracy]

After years of tent camping before and after having 3 kids we purchased a tent trailer in 1990. Used it 3 times and bought an old but good 1978 field and stream class C. In 1992 traded that in for a 1984 27' Allegro. Gave that up in 1993 when we moved from San Diego to Seattle. Didn't buy another RV until 2004 when we bought a brand new 25' Aljo travel trailer. Sold that in 2008. Didn't get another one until our current 5th wheel bought in 2013.

But growing up we always had a truck camper and Motorhomes. This life is good.

 

James

[Pat & Pete]

We also tent camped early on , then rented cottages and cabins and went right into our Monaco .We bought our current and only RV near 5 years ago . We've lived & traveled in it full time for 4+ years . But for the initial inspection / service when we bought it ; two factory recalls and having a new set of Toyo tires mounted , I've done all the maintenance and repairs .

 

I'll add that we love full timing .

[SandeeAR]

Tent camped after marriage, when kids were little. Bought a small pop up, all my little Escort wagon would pull. Traded for a larger pop up when I got a van. Later bought Class C Motorhome. Then Class B van. Then upgraded to a ROADTREK Class B. Now to a 2008 25' Tioga Rnger, Claas C full time.

[Chalkie]

Wow! Been camping for the last 52+ years! Up until 1991 it was all tent camping. When I retired from the military we bought a Coleman pop-up. Used the living daylights out of it until about 2010 (along with borrowing the in-law's fiver whenever we could). Some of our best tent camping was done when the kids were little in southern Spain.

[Kinsa]

We started off with a pop-up but never lived in it. Had it for a few years until our family outgrew it with baby #5.

 

Then we had a travel trailer bunkhouse for about ten years. DH lived in it for a year away from the family in San Antonio while he worked in Houston.

 

Then we bought the 5er for our grand trip. All eight of us lived in it for 15 months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, as a scouting family, we still have the tents and paraphernalia that goes along with it. Some habits die hard.

[Carolaow]

Newbie, full-time, started July 2014. Phoenix Cruiser 2351 (class B+). Tent camped in my youth. Am loving this lifestyle and am grateful for google and this forum when it comes to trying to figure out how all this stuff works and what to do when it doesn't!

[Dennis M]

Like Bill we are over ten (20 actually) but have only owned 2 RVs. Checked 10 or more and 3-5 since there were several rentals at the beginning.

[LindaH]

We never did camping in any form when I was growing up. DH and I did backpacking in our younger years (tent, of course), but our first RV was a slide-in truck camper after we retired. Several years later, we bought our first fifth wheel when we started fulltiming. Did that for 12 years before coming off the road and buying a house. We are now snowbirds.

[docj]

We had a pop-up in the 90's when the kids were teenagers and graduated to a Roadtrek in 2000. After trips of several weeks duration, we decided that a Class C would offer more space and we went to a Coach House 27'. When we decided to go full-time we knew we wanted something bigger, so now we're at 40'.

[Jim Corey]

Our first RV was a 13 foot travel trailer 47 years ago. We went through a series of vehicles: tent (not for us!), VW pop top, class C with bunks for kids, Southwind Class A, now our 30 ft Monaco. All rigs bought used, all kept a long time. We've always had some sort of RV. Love the lifestyle, but we're not full-timers.

[bruce t]

18 years and in a 35ft motorhome followed by a 40ft bus conversion followed by a 40ft DP. All god fun. But now we are in a two 'person' tent and a 4x4 and having just as much fun.

Only down side is finding a bear proof tent!!!!!!!

 

regards

[Big Z]

Over ten years and 6 RV's

1 class C

1 Class A gasser

2 Campers

1 40' DP

1 40' 5th wheel

[ronmon]

In 1975 we bought a small pop-up& followerd it with a 13' TT. Next was a 20' TT, then another pop-up but this one has a shower. Then a 25' TT (which we had for almost 25 years). Began full-timing in '03 in a 33' fiver. New fiver in '07 & filltiming ended in mid '13 due to a health condition.

Ron

[jimnina]

I started tent camping when I was about 14 when we lived in a tent for about 2 months. At the age of 17 I moved to tent camping in the USMC .

Once married my better half and I tent camped until the rug rats came around then we camped with them, We camped from Florida all the way to Maine on weekends and vacations. Once we move to Florida we camped with tents and Pop-ups until the rug rats left the roost. One that happened we started with the grand rug-rats with a Class 'A' RV. We camped with the grand rug-rats in a older class 'A' gasser over the summer from Florida to Upstate NY and all over the East Coast. We then moved up to a DP and continue to camping with the rug-rats and our Grand Rug-Rats. We hope to soon start FTing, but work is in the way. Unless we win the lottery we will need to wait until Jan 2019 .

[Bill B]

Started at 8, with the parents in EARLY 1960's. Tents, trailers, boats, pickups, tents, trailers, fifth wheels. Long time and many different things. Does deer hunting from the back of a station wagon count? Me and Dad, sleeping bags and a Coleman lantern and stove.

[whatsnext]

My wife and I have been RV camping since 1995 but have owned just two (2) travel trailers. We have tent camped for 10 years prior to 1995 including tent camping and back packing in the wilderness.

We tend to research for at least a year and zero in on the features we need at that time in our lives (needs do change over the years). We are now in the final stages of deciding on our fulltime coach and truck. We try to make the right decision upfront and not trade rigs very often.

We love camping and the lifestyle and look forward to our new adventure in 2016.

[aunut]

I can't find a category that fits us. We have only been RVing about 2 and a half years and have owned two motorhomes.

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

RVing with my wife for 4 years now, but growing up we had several pop-ups, 2 different Shasta's, an Airsteam, and the first one that I remember was a real tent camper. Made from plans out of Popular Science, that had the kitchen and storage with 1 bed/bunk on the box with the canvas that all folded out. That one was pulled by a Volkswagon station wagon...

Would camping include hiking the Appalachian Trail?

[sandsys]

When i was 10 my parents bought a tent trailer and we went for many weekends and one one long trip. Dave & I started as backpackers more than 40 years ago, graduated to a tent trailer, then a VW camper. We stopped for several years then went to a Class B, Class C, Class A, then me back to a B when Dave stopped traveling. Hmmm I said we owned 5 but that sounds like 6 to me. I never was good at math.

 

Linda Sand

[aunut]

I can't find a category that fits us. We have only been RVing about 2 and a half years and have owned two motorhomes.

Also, we started RVing a couple of years before we fully retire so that we would be ready. I am a hunter/fisherman, but never really camped except a few times in a tent when I was a scout. Susan had never camped. We have traveled quite a bit the last 20 years and decided that we would try RVing. We love it and now are semi-retired, taking off in our coach whenever we can.

[gfstryder]

We have tent camped, backpacked and canoe camped our whole lives. We spent a few months in a pop-up tent trailer approximately 15 years ago. We just started living full-time in our 2013 motor home in April 2014.

[Jim Seward]

19 years owned 2