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Old 07-04-2013, 08:00 AM   #1
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"Camping" while visiting family or friends

I found my fireworks-free (or minimal) location for the weekend- staying at my sister's weekend house where fireworks are only allowed on the 4th itself (and few do them.) Though it turns out that I didn't need to bring the trailer (the other guests bailed on coming) I"m enjoying having it. We're sitting outside enjoying the early morning, I can fix coffee in the trailer, no need to worry about the dogs waking anyone when it is time to go out, etc.

I stayed in the trailer when visiting my new grandbabies, too, but there I was parked on the street so it served only as a bedroom.

I know some of you do this regularly when you visit your kids. Pros, cons? Do you do it if you visit friends on the road?
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Old 07-04-2013, 08:30 AM   #2
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We like to take our trailer when visiting in many cases. It gives us a bit of a retreat for our privacy, and that of our hosts. In most cases we would have a place to sleep anyway, but just prefer our own trailer. Getting up in the morning and making my own coffee is nice too.

On one 7 hr (each way) trip to friends for a memorial service, I had calculated that it would cost us about $75 in extra fuel to tow the trailer through the mountains. A cost that we felt was well justified for the benefits it afforded.
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Old 07-04-2013, 09:32 AM   #3
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Visiting others

Though most can not understand it when visiting friends and relatives we mostly stay in our trailer. We feel it gives both parties a break and we're happiest in our own bed.
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Old 07-04-2013, 10:50 AM   #4
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My wife is feeling enough better (stones in kidney have stopped bothering her) that she relented and let me bring the trailer on our 1000 mile (each way) trip to Michigan last month. First time since, oh, probably 2007 that we've towed the TT for our (usually) annual trip to MI.

I loved it. The smells of forests and campfires on the way up and back, the familiar bed each night, and the ability to escape the relatives (we spend the bulk of the time at her mother's place) for a while to rest or read made a huge difference for me.

My wife hated it. She says she's too old to camp. The campfire smoke and other things in the air bother her now. The bed isn't comfy enough. The trailer is too small. There's nothing for her to do. And on, and on... she has enough reasons to fill a book. She slept in the house while we were parked at her mother's place.

Her mother lives in a wooded area bordering on state land. It is a nice spot (except for the skeeters, of course). They've suggested that I could leave the trailer (or another trailer) parked there all year, and whenever we go there I can stay in it or hook up and go camping awhile. I'm liking the idea. Gee, a wife who doesn't like camping but who gives me a green light to own 2 travel trailers... interesting....
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Old 07-04-2013, 10:58 AM   #5
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We do it, extremely beneficial with the dogs.
On a side note, as we all age we become more set in our ways. Being able to get away from your hosts makes visits more tolerable for all.
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Old 07-04-2013, 10:59 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by honda03842 View Post
Though most can not understand it when visiting friends and relatives we mostly stay in our trailer. We feel it gives both parties a break and we're happiest in our own bed.
My friends and family have different likes and routines than we do. Each of us having private space enhances the visit for all of us.
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Old 07-04-2013, 11:22 AM   #7
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I vote for the camper, I love my family and friends, but I also love having my own space. I don't need to tiptoe around the house. I usually stay up late, and like to sleep in the mornings. I take the camper when ever I can.
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Old 07-04-2013, 11:24 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by Mike Magee View Post
Gee, a wife who doesn't like camping but who gives me a green light to own 2 travel trailers... interesting....

I can totally relate to this, Mike...especially in long term marriages, if/when interests/likes tend to diverge adjustments have to be made. No reason for you not to have your trailer(s) just because the Wife doesn't want to use it/them as much as you do!

In my household it's motorcycles.

My Husband is a member of a "street gang" and owns two (so far- I've noticed him looking at BMW bikes lately). I've never even gone for a ride on one of those puppies, let alone gone along on one of "The Rebels Without a Clue" road trips. That is NOT my idea of a good time...I'm a Trailer Traveler!

We do, however, manage to mesh our two styles of travel a lot of the time, method being what I like to call chuckwagoning. He gets to ride one of his bikes and I drive the chuckwagon. We don't even attempt to stay together on the road...just agree on general routes, a meetup time/spot, and a drop-dead time to start worrying if the other person doesn't show up there. This arrangement is necessitated by our varying interests while on the road: he likes to fish every hole he sees, and I like to stop at every roadside memorial/historic marker/point of interest.

Different strokes for different folks, even inside a marriage...

As for the main threadtopic:
We do take the trailer when visiting. It's great to have our own space, and even better not to have to unpack when we get there!

Francesca
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Old 07-04-2013, 12:04 PM   #9
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Francesca, I think in a long term relationship, possibly in any relationship, it's possible to develop divergent interests.

That said I think retirement is one of those opportunities to separate yourself from your past, to develop new shared interests.

I think being on the road together in a small trailer requires accomodation, a more youthful sharing attitude.

The only thing I regret is that we'll not be able to see and do it all. To the life we left behind, it's a happy good by. The new life is like getting a second chance, like living a second life.

One of my goals in life is to do more different things, to live more lives.
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Old 07-04-2013, 12:07 PM   #10
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I never leave home without it.

I like my own little retreat no matter whom I'm visiting and it's nice to have a portable dog house along as well.

I play in at least 1 golf invitational tournament a year. It's about an hour and a half drive and the Scamp goes with me so I have a place for Lily while I'm golfing. My friends husband isn't well so I won't leave Lily in their house while we golf.
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Old 07-04-2013, 12:11 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by Mary Ann in MN View Post
I vote for the camper, I love my family and friends, but I also love having my own space. I don't need to tiptoe around the house. I usually stay up late, and like to sleep in the mornings. I take the camper when ever I can.
I'm just the opposite- sleep early, rise early.
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Old 07-04-2013, 12:50 PM   #12
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I'm just the opposite- sleep early, rise early.
I am a bit of a cross between the two. To bed late, rise early. Sleep is a terrible waste of time.
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Old 07-04-2013, 07:35 PM   #13
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I'm more like Bobbie. I think I've seen the sun come up every day of my life. It's a glorious part of the day. Quiet and new.

I'll be in bed asleep before the sun goes down tonight... that's normal too.
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Old 07-04-2013, 07:52 PM   #14
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I'm more like Bobbie. I think I've seen the sun come up every day of my life. It's a glorious part of the day. Quiet and new.

I'll be in bed asleep before the sun goes down tonight... that's normal too.
In Oregon? I'll buy you were UP when the sun came up.. up there above the clouds...
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Old 07-04-2013, 09:10 PM   #15
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I like taking the trailer because I hate dragging my "stuff" in and out of the home of the people we are visiting. I hate knowing they have to do something special to host us. I just want them to relax so we can enjoy each other's company.

We do take advantage of their showers, though.
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Old 07-04-2013, 09:15 PM   #16
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We do take advantage of their showers, though.
For sure, much better than the small one in the trailer.

I do spend lots of time in the guests house, and with them. Usually the reason I went. It is just that the trailer gives me a retreat to my own home. when needed.
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Old 07-05-2013, 02:53 AM   #17
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when we had our 13 footer we took it everywhere with us, it was great. when we got the 17 footer, my van was getting tired, and I spent too much time worrying about gas prices. Now that we have the envoy , we were just talking about how for our sanity when visiting relatives we would start taking the camper again,
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Old 07-05-2013, 04:13 AM   #18
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I often tow my ParkLiner caravan to friends houses for the weekends, as well as if I have to stay a night at my parents house. I love my rolling home and its slowly being modified to be comfortable to me. This way when Im tired I can take a nap...or if I want some alone time. Yesterday after working in the heat for a while I decided I wanted to take a nap before we went to an evening bbq. My friend went and did his thing, I went back to my own bed and got to take a nice nap lol!

I did the same thing with my little red home built gypsy vardo...I dig the lifestyle of the gypsies lol!
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