Campgrounds for Fulltimers

[honda03842]

"How about a section for really nice but cheap monthly camping sites? In all areas of the country. For when you find an area you want to hang around in for a while."

Southern NM.

Rusty's RV Ranch near Rodeo, NM
http://www.rustysrvranch.com/

Passport Park
Huge full service sites. sites 117 feet long, four Scamps could park in a site, no kidding.
Dark skys.
Near the Chirachua Mts. Nice camping in the Mts, lots of great hiking trails.
Friendly owner, spotless bathroom.

We have stayed here 3-4 times.

This campground is in a truly rural area, nearest gas station is about 25 miles, similarly for grocery stores.

[theresa p]

Yews, yes, yes! I second the suggestion for campground listings for long stays at reasonable prices.

That is one of the barriers to alot of folk travelling----wanting to stay for a while but hesitant due to higher costs on a fixed budget. Knowing in advance where one might stay longer for less would be a huge help!

[coastsignal]

Ocala Forest Campground, Florida Rt 42, Umatilla, Florida has very reasonable rates for a few nites or a month. The sites are not large, but the value is very good for Florida winter camping. We stayed there around St. Patrick's day and they had a nice dance with a band, in their campground hall. Many retired folks were staying there for the winter season and some leave their campers there all year round. The nice folks next to us had been there for 17 years!

This campground is private and is adjacent to the Ocala National Forest, but not part of the NF.

OcalaForestCampground.com

Location is about 40 miles north of Orlando, 15 miles from Eustis-Mt. Dora-Tavares-Leesburg area. Gas Station 5 miles, shopping, 10 miles.

[Darwin Maring]

Navy Campground at Solomuns Island Maryland, next tp Patuxent River Navy Base has many fulltimers. Active, Retired and some DOD. Check out their site.

[honda03842]

Bonita Canyon Campgrounds.
AZ side of Chirachua National Monument

The Chirachua National Monument is one of the most spectacular National Monuments we've seen in North America.

The campground is Fiberglass Trailer sized, you'll never see a bug rig in here.

The hiking and road to the summit is wondrous. This is in the wilderness, gas and food is a ways but it's the only reason you'll want to leave. Camping is $12 a night, $6 for seniors.

Bonita Canyon Campground - Chiricahua National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)

[honda03842]

Sunny Flats Campground.
East side of Chiracha National Monument

Not too far from Rusty's RV Ranch, but way more rural in the Chirachua Mts.

A very nice spot. We've met tow people in Scamps here, really a small trailer park. Another $5-6 a night park. This is on the east side of the Chirachua Mts, NM side.

Birding Around the Chiricahua Mountains

[honda03842]

Craters of the Moon

Another National Park, many haven't heard of it, at least we hadn't. The campground is OK, the park will tweek your brain. Great walking and sites you almost can not imagine. Prices are low, though again a ways out but town is probably 20 miles. a night

Price $6.

Birding Around the Chiricahua Mountains

[Rob V]

[QUOTE=theresa p;513472]Yews, yes, yes! I second the suggestion for campground listings for long stays at reasonable prices.

This is wonderful !!! Like finding the secret to life. Thanks to all.

[honda03842]

Newfoundland Provincial Parks are a best buy, $9-14 a day after buying an $18 Newfoundland all park pass. Usually great locations, not packed in sites and spotless bathrooms. Usually have wi-fi near the gate house with provided password.

All have water and a dump station, do tend to get a little crowded on weekends, not so much in the camping off season.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Newf...m=122&ie=UTF-8

[honda03842]

Sunset Point, Harrington, ME

On the water in Harrington, ME, about 3 miles off route 1. A small family owned campground with very clean restrooms and showers. It's located right on the water.

This small campground is run by nice people. When you arrive, if it's not too late in the afternoon you can order cooked lobster delivered to your site, just lobster and all the tools.

Good place for Kayaks.

Sunset Point Campground - Home | Campgrounds Maine Coast | RV Parks Maine | Recreational Vehicle Camp Sites Maine

Passport Park $14.50-17.50

[honda03842]

I could do this all day long. Where do you stay???

[Roger C H]

We use commercial campgrounds mostly for our Jan/Feb trips.

There is a lot of information on the internet. Most campgrounds have websites. We found that campgrounds that charge $30 per night will be more reasonable by the week.

We have seen rates increase since starting RVing in 2009. It used to be $25-$30 is now $30-$40. If you can stay in an area for a while, weekly and monthly rates are much less.

For example:

RV Park & Resort Reservations Patterson, CA, 209-892-2638

Kit Fox in Patterson, CA is $38.73 whereas by the week it is $31.63 and monthly $21.67, (per night). I don't know if monthly is 31 days in 31 day months and 28 days in February...

Memberships can save considerably. Passport America would be $19.36, but not on weekends and there are other limitations. Most parks use membership rates for their off times. They rather get $20 for a site than $0.

If you think these are expensive, have you checked the hotel/motel rates lately?
Holiday Inn Expresses in the area are $104.50 and $111.00.

Another point: If you call ahead and they find out your rig is 13' they may say, "No!" But if you just show up, and they see your rig is clean and neat looking, you will most likely get in. At least that has been our experience.

[Rob V]

Originally Posted by honda03842

I could do this all day long. Where do you stay???

We travel (almost exclusively) in the SW USA now.

[honda03842]

We like the Southwest as well. In the Southwest we tend to stay at Escapee Parks a lot.

$5-7 for boondocking
15-18 for full service daily, lest by the month
Weekly and monthly rates are less

The following link is to their coop parks. Usually all friendly former fulltime rvers.

https://escapees.com/parking/skp-co-ops


Rainbow parks are owned by the Escapee corporation. They also have weekly and monthly rates. As well they have long term leases.

https://escapees.com/parking/rainbow-parks

Click on a specific park to see the rates at their parks.

[Roger C H]

Norm & Ginny,

I looked at the Timber Valley SKP website and found this:

"The membership was to cost us about ten thousand dollars and the yearly maintenance fees would be somewhere around one thousand. There would be assessments from time to time,..."

Gulp!

Of course this is for permanent living but a far cry from RVing.

[honda03842]

[QUOTE=Roger C H;513564]Norm & Ginny,

I looked at the Timber Valley SKP website and found this:

"The membership was to cost us about ten thousand dollars and the yearly maintenance fees would be somewhere around one thousand. There would be assessments from time to time,..."

Gulp!

Roger.

You will never find less expensive living arrangements than an Escapee Coop Park. If you read the following you will under stand.

Timber Valley is the Oregon SKP park in Sutherlin Oregon. It is a co-op, owned by the lot owners. It is intended for retired Full time Rvers. Each lot is owned by an Escapee. When they are away their lots are rented out for a rate determined by the park's membership. Part of the rental fee is returned to the lot owner and usually goes to pay their yearly maintenance fee.

The daily rate for non-lot owners, for traveling Escapees, is $19 and the monthly rate is $325. lots are typically 40 by 80.

We have stayed here. The $10,000 is the charge for buying a lot in the park. (You do not need to buy a lot to stay here.) When you decide you no longer want your lot, the next person on the waiting list gets your lot andyou get your $10,000 back.

There is a monthly fee that includes taxes, water, sewerage and so on. In our Florida park the monthly fee is about $100 a month. There is no where that's cheaper to live than an Escapee park.

The following describes the benefits of buying into an Escapee Coop. Basically you get a lot in a nice park for free because you get your money back when you no longer want the lot. Read the write up by a Timber Valley member. The only charge for staying in the park is a membership in Escapees (this year $29) and paying the daily fee. weekly fee or monthly fee, All Escapee Coops operate on this basis.

The following is a members summary of joining Timber Valley.
Escapee-Co-op Park

There were several things to consider when it came time to choose the location that would be our home for our retirement years. When we decided on Timber Valley it was because of many factors.

First, it is in the beautiful north west with its four definite seasons and mild weather.Just a mile off of the I-5 freeway in a small town but still close to major shopping. We would be in a community of like minded people.

The most critical determination was financial. The membership was to cost us about ten thousand dollars and the yearly maintenance fees would be somewhere around one thousand. There would be assessments from time to time, usually for repaving of a street or the addition of a major improvement. & while those figures seemed quite reasonable what convinced us was the money paid for the membership plus the assessments would be paid back to us when we gave up our membership & that money could be our start up money in a different living arrangement or maybe money for our heirs.

We have had our lease in Timber Valley for 14 years now. Monthly we marvel at all our home here offers us. In our previous life and a more conventional home north of Seattle, our yearly water, garbage, and sewer bill was more than our present maintenance fee. And we still had
the property tax, , electric, and natural gas to pay. In Timber Valley water, garbage,and sewer are paid by our maintenance fee. Even our share of the property taxes are covered. We still have to pay electric and propane but together they are less than half our old electric bill.

Living in Timber Valley is very affordable and makes our limited income go further. And it is a comfort to know that if the time comes that we must leave Timber Valley there is a nice protected nest egg waiting for us.What a good choice we made.
By Helaine Hepworth

If you need more explanation please ask.

[honda03842]

Another short Escapee explanation.

Escapee parks are not like your typical campground. They are designed for retired full timers, to be an inexpensive place for like minded people to live.

There sites are typically large. They are not sit around the campfire places.

They are always clean and friendly and generally comparatively inexpensive. They are also each different.

Owning a lot in an Escapee park insures you of a place to live when you come off the road, particularly because many if not most full timers sell their 'family' home.

You do not need to own a lot in an Escapee Co-op park to stay in one but you do need to be an Escapee.

For those concerned about security, they are always safe.

We use them as stopping points, resting place wit friendly, knowledgeable people. Often places with meals, parties and information.

[theresa p]

norm--I have researched Escapee parks and I must agree with you---the costs are reasonable, extremely so. And one doesn't need to "buy in" to stay there...making it truly accessible to all for simply the annual membership fee.

[honda03842]

Full timers have so many choices for low cost camping. A few years ago we took a trip south on US 93 from Missoula, MT south to the Ruby Mts i Neveda. I remember passing numerous federal riverside campgrounds with minimal charges and most virtually empty and this trip was taken in August.

If you're seeking solitude and low cost there are plenty of opportunities.

The numerous Corps of Eng parks fall into the same category and often they are full service parks.

[Joy B]

This is a great thread-- When we aren't' traveling, we usually go to AEP- American Electric Powerlands also known as the ReCreation Land in Ohio--near McConnellsville. About 300 campsites all are FREE. No electric but generators are allowed. There is water available, but you can't stay hooked up to it. Well taken care of, mowed and trash pick up--New tables & outhouses last year. There are also over 300 lakes and ponds for fishing. We've also stayed at numerous city parks for low cost camping for just a few dollars. The best deal was at Grand Coolee Dam in Washington (some covered sites with a roof over them) for $2.50 a night. Hopefully more people will add to this thread!!