Cheaper Camping?

[Adrian W]

Marg, Not sure about Escapees, but here is what they have for Passport America's Participating Campgrounds. I have never used either of them.
Search Discount Campgrounds Affiliated With Passport America

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Marg

Are there places in the western states that honor Escapees plan? Have been wondering is their membership price is worthwhile. I haven't been able to find which RV parks honor this membership without joining and I don't want to join if I can't take advantage of the reduced rate of membership.

Marg in NW California

Hi, Marg

Never heard of "Escapees", but if THEY can't tell you where you can take advantage of the plan they'd like to sell you, what would you be getting for your hard-earned money?

Seems odd to me...

Caveat Emptor!

Francesca

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Adrian W

Back to Original Topic, I have been shocked at the prices for camping in California in resent years, as well as how hard it is to just go and camp without having a reservation. But the area you chose to visit will have a great impact on the cost of staying there.

Napa, seems to have a name for being one of the "The" places to see, with a capital $ in its rep. I know there are place to dry camp in national forests and in the deserts which California has an abundance. The way I see things, most private campgrounds will be more expensive (seems the CA state parks are not far behind on this however), but I believe you can find a few state parks somewhat less costly than what you mentioned paying.
California State Parks Find a Park

Resort Type camping spots will have a higher price tag. As you asked, I would suggest to look into finding public places to camp and to give dry camping (camping without hookups) a try. Otherwise you will be paying for having all the amenities of such.

Maybe some of these will be of some help, but not as many listings along the California Coast.
Overnighting Sites are good places to overnight without renting a spot in a park.

Free or Almost Free Campgrounds are good for overnighting as well as seeing an area.

Free Campsites ditto on overnighting and camping.

Boondocking sites – Free places to park for the night | Has Been There The has been there is not from me, but from others.

National Forest: Find a Forest by State

California State Park Fees

Free Campsites in CA.

CA Free or Nearly Free Campgrounds

County parks might be one way find places, such as: Two Santa Barbara County Parks with Camping. Never been to them but have heard good things about Jalama Beach Park. But I have read, they are about to remodel Jalama. Not sure about cost.

While traveling in CA, I have noticed signs marking Regional Parks, they might be neat to use as well: Category:Regional parks in California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This was a neat one we have visited but never stayed in: Regional Parks

They may be county parks, not sure.

These may be of help, a "How to Boondock" sites: How to Boondock in Your RV | eHow.com

Boondock Camping

How to boondock safely - CampingRoadTrip.com

How To Boondock Camp

Boondocking Tips

Like life itself, pick what suits you.

Staying overnight or many nights isn't hard, what is difficult, IMHO, is showers. We have done them with just heating water and washing and shampooing by pouring water over the head, but would rather not at our stage of life. Having a shower house is really a plus for the state parks and such. Our 16' Scamp has a shower. I have noticed shower tents and shower systems for tent camping which might be worthwhile. Walmart.com: Ozark Trail Shower Utility Room: Camping

Walmart.com: Stansport Cabana Privacy Shelter: Camping

We used a 5 gal. camping can for many years to get water for camping.
Such as this: Walmart.com: Ozark Trails 5 gallon fold-a-carrier water container: Camping
or this: Walmart.com: Coghlan's Expandable Camp Jug: Camping

But camping like you want to do, shouldn't be too hard to find. But maybe not where you wanted to camp. Good luck.

I see Samuel P. Taylor SP isn't much less at $35. Samuel P. Taylor SP
Check out these:
Doran Park - Regional Parks - County of Sonoma, California
Westside Regional Park - Regional Parks - County of Sonoma, California
Point Reyes National Seashore - Nearby Campgrounds (U.S. National Park Service)

Showers are often considered an issue. There's several ways around this, sponge baths for one. Another is the use of chemical wipes like "Fresh Bath", "Wet Ones", or any number of baby wipes. I haven't tried it, but I believe you can get a shower at most truck stops for a fee. Many state parks will allow the use of a shower for a fee. Many National Parks have concessionaires that have showers.

Camping on a budget isn't that difficult. We just completed a 97 day trip with an average nightly cost of $7.23. Stays of one night to 2 weeks in one place. Maximum cost per night was $18.00 at a LA state park in New Orleans area, that was a 4 night stay. Minimum, free of course.

I'll take a look at your links,

[stude]

I did 4 months on the road from August 13 to Dec 17, 2009 and I only stayed in 6 campgrounds and that was to dump my tanks and get a shower. I mostly showered in truck stops, slept in Walmarts, Home depots, Casinos, Premium outlets where they allowed it, hid in between large trucks where they sell them, Truck Stops, the Desert in so many of the USA states as I was fully self contained, I bought 5 gallons of water at a time and pumped it into my tank which held 10 gallons, kept my porta pottie full which I dumped faithfully once ever 6 days. I also found Forestry campgrounds and some US parks that were on the cheaper side but not in California, California state parks are really expenisive and no one seems to look after them. I slept in a lot of parking lots and when I met up with people I parked in their driveways, lawns, or where ever they told me to park. I pulled in on some streets and parked for the night then carried on the next day. I guess it would help to tell you the kind of rig I had at the time, it was a 1986 DodgeB Van with a raised roof good for one but tight for 2, I never made the table up I left the bed made up and used the front seat to eat from, matter of fact I would fall asleep in the front seat a lot so I would not fall asleep while driving. I saw half the USA and all of Canada in this unit. The most expensive places for gas were Texas and California though Oregon was bad along the coast. I have to agree with you that camping has gotten very expensive but if you buy the books you can get 10% off and sometimes more if your a pensioner.
I found places in Florida for $10 a night with all the facilities. Bryce Canyon just outside of the park I parked on the side of the road. Same goes For Zion national Park i Parked in the same area people parked their tow vehicles, I did this in all the parks that had other parking and never paid one red dime and I used the showers some you paid and some you did not.
The trip still cost me plenty as Gas is not cheap, had some carb problems as I was carbureted no fuel injection in most of my vehicles until of late as I traded my Class B in for 2005 Echo and I now get 40mpg in town and 55+ on the hwy, I can camp and sleep in this and it is better than sleeping in a tent on the ground and is easy to hide on the street.
Peter

Originally Posted by Shaymus

I went camping in a scamp last weekend for the first time. Had a great time, however, was shocked at the prices of camp spots at the local camp grounds.

We were in a 13' scamp, not using any hookups. I basically wanted a tent site, not a full blown RV site. I couldn't get one. The first night, we paid around $50 for a spot near Napa. The next night, we packed up and drove a bit towards the coast to Olima, and got a spot there for $42.

That's more than some cheap motels, with bed linens, showers, and a TV!

Anyone camp away from the RV campgrounds and not pay the fees? How does that work, and how do you find spots where you can drop anchor for the night? I want to be out in nature more anyway, not listening to someone's generator and seeing their TV flicker through their window.

Please help! Camping in a tiny fiberglass trailer has to be cheaper than this!

[stude]

the trouble with the pensioner's rebate in the USA it is only good for US citizens not Canucks.
peter

Originally Posted by Shaymus

I went camping in a scamp last weekend for the first time. Had a great time, however, was shocked at the prices of camp spots at the local camp grounds.

We were in a 13' scamp, not using any hookups. I basically wanted a tent site, not a full blown RV site. I couldn't get one. The first night, we paid around $50 for a spot near Napa. The next night, we packed up and drove a bit towards the coast to Olima, and got a spot there for $42.

That's more than some cheap motels, with bed linens, showers, and a TV!

Anyone camp away from the RV campgrounds and not pay the fees? How does that work, and how do you find spots where you can drop anchor for the night? I want to be out in nature more anyway, not listening to someone's generator and seeing their TV flicker through their window.

Please help! Camping in a tiny fiberglass trailer has to be cheaper than this!

Originally Posted by Tom U

Shaymus - see the thread in this forum on WalMart "camping." This works on the road.

There are US Forest Service campgrounds all over the USA. They run from free to $15 a night (this is where the Golden Age Pass (one $10 payment for a lifetime card!!!) really shines) . You can find a list on the USFS website by state. Another option is BLM lands and camp sites.

When we are on the road we use the WalMart route. When we are in one place for several days we try and find a place with hookups for at least one day in three, using USFS, BLM and State campgrounds in between. AAA, Good Sam and Camping World are good resources to find less expensive RV parks. We have had good luck with AAA, usually paying between $25 to $35 a night.

Happy Trails,

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Peter Sauer

the trouble with the pensioner's rebate in the USA it is only good for US citizens not Canucks.
peter

Do you mean to say that U. S. Citizens can take advantage of Canadian Taxpayer subsidized pensioner's rebates in Canada?

Where do I sign up?

Francesca

[Roger C H]

We camp usually in Good Sam Parks which are about $30 with a 10% discount. We ask if they have limited sites. Our favorite one in Yuma has a pool side site for $22.

You don't need refrigeration if you eat dried, or canned, or all at once.

It is more expensive buying smaller containers of food, but not always, but not having to refrigerate leftovers is great.

I have no idea how someone would make a porta potti last so long. Ours is virtually full every morning.

NB we don't have a furnace, relying on electric heat. The one day we stayed at the Quartzsite Gathering, we arose to 42 degrees in the Homelet.

[mikedup]

We're planning to go down to Austin, Texas. We'll be going along I-29 til we get to KC then hit 35.

Our plan is to use the State Parks along the way. Although it interests me, I'm not sure my wife would want to spend a night in a parking lot. Especially since our 13' boler doesn't have a toilet.

Has anyone ever stayed at McKinney Falls State Park in Austin? From the website, it looks pretty nice to me!

TPWD: McKinney Falls State Park

[Byron Kinnaman]

There's another TX State Park out on Galveston Island. We wanted to stay there but it was full.
Most rest stops will allow at least 8 hours of parking, loosely enforced. We spent several nights in rest stops close to the rest rooms. WalMart Super Centers are open all night so parking in WalMart lot allows access to rest rooms (ask first). Truck Stops are open all night will allow RVs to spend the night (again ask first).
When we're just going from point A to point B and just need a night's sleep we use Rest Areas first, then WalMart, then Truck Stops, generally in that order. I see no need to spend $20+ just for a nights sleep.

[stude]

Well NAPA it hs to do with location if you were out in the desert where there is no wine for sale or to drink it would be free, just go to the liquor store and pick up some $2 buck Chuck and take that along with you. We up here have to pay way more than that for a bottle of Grape!
Peter

Originally Posted by Shaymus

I went camping in a scamp last weekend for the first time. Had a great time, however, was shocked at the prices of camp spots at the local camp grounds.

We were in a 13' scamp, not using any hookups. I basically wanted a tent site, not a full blown RV site. I couldn't get one. The first night, we paid around $50 for a spot near Napa. The next night, we packed up and drove a bit towards the coast to Olima, and got a spot there for $42.

That's more than some cheap motels, with bed linens, showers, and a TV!

Anyone camp away from the RV campgrounds and not pay the fees? How does that work, and how do you find spots where you can drop anchor for the night? I want to be out in nature more anyway, not listening to someone's generator and seeing their TV flicker through their window.

Please help! Camping in a tiny fiberglass trailer has to be cheaper than this!

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Peter Sauer

Well NAPA it hs to do with location if you were out in the desert where there is no wine for sale or to drink it would be free, just go to the liquor store and pick up some $2 buck Chuck and take that along with you. We up here have to pay way more than that for a bottle of Grape!
Peter

Pardon me for asking, but........HUH???????

Francesca

[stude]

basically for the area your in if one goes somewhere not so popular the prices in a campground would be cheaper or at least that is the way it is up here, also it the campground is kept up or new they have a right to charge more.
It happened to me when I used to use Motel 6 on our travels if I was close to a large city it cost almost double but if I was along a mjor highway not close to much other than a shopping centre in the middle of nowhere it was a lot cheaper.
By the way my neighbours are still looking for a 17' Plan B Escape but it has to be at least 4 years old.
p

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

Pardon me for asking, but........HUH???????

Francesca

[Alf S.]

Hi: Francesca Knowles... I think what they are saying is ...it's "Pay per view" camping. My parents used to live in a resort town. They always said that groceries were more expensive there and the lakeshore real estate certainly was too!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Francesca Knowles]

O-o-o-kay...
SO!
How much is a bottle of whatever it is you guys are drinking?

[Alf S.]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

O-o-o-kay...
SO!
How much is a bottle of whatever it is you guys are drinking?

Hi: Francesca Knowles... We buy from a "North shore" Winery. $79.95 for a 16Ltr box of red or white house wine. There's always some of each on tap in the cellar and you don't have to stop to open a new bottle!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie Purchase Canadian Wine Online, Ontario Wineries, Wine Retailers & Merchants

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Alf S.

Hi: Francesca Knowles... We buy from a "North shore" Winery. $79.95 for a 16Ltr box of red or white house wine. There's always some of each on tap in the cellar and you don't have to stop to open a new bottle!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie Purchase Canadian Wine Online, Ontario Wineries, Wine Retailers & Merchants

Alf,

16 liter boxes!
Sounds like my kind of party...
How about posting some pics of your on-board wine cellar?
Makes me curse the day I took the 14 gal water tank out of my Trillium...
If I reinstall it, do any of your "North Shore wineries" have drive-up spigots?


Francesca

[Cyndi B.]

Walmart is up to $2.95. Drinking the cheap stuff enough you don't know the difference until you have something good. Then you go back to drinking the cheap stuff.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Cyndi B.

Walmart is up to $2.95. Drinking the cheap stuff enough you don't know the difference until you have something good. Then you go back to drinking the cheap stuff.

$2.95 for only 16 liters!?!?

So much for Wal-Mart's "Low Prices Guaranteed".

Francesca