Why is RV'ing so Popular Nowadays ?????

[camper1013]

I do think camping is more popular. We are booking some of our trips a year out now to make sure we get spots at our favorite locations.

My wife and I are in our mid 30’s and both grew up camping with our families. I am also an Eagle Scout and did tons of camping then. It’s because of that that we have a 5th whee now. Sick of tent camping. We love the conveniences of the trailer and being able to easily go and set up and also have things and space for the kids if weather isn’t great.

We are on our third trailer and truck combo in 5 years and admit that we have long term loans of the truck and trailer to make it work but other than that and our house have no debt. To us it is worth the cost for family time, being out doors and we also go with friends almost every time we are out. I am a busy body and if I am home I am working on a project for myself or a neighbor. It’s a great time to relax, not work and spend time with others.

[AustexGP]

I think we have a big group of baby boomers (1946-1964) retiring and wanting to travel. Most have paid the primary residence off so they have that money to put into a RV. If they are still working they have joined the we can work from anywhere group. Second we have an entire group of young folks who grew up with the internet, face time, skype and this group can work from anywhere. If you watch the TV program "going RV'ing" you'll see that most of the folks on the program are young couples or young families that travel around the country working from wherever their RV is parked. On the show last night (re-run from Aug 2018) this young couple bought a class C and planned to tour the entire country, with their first stop in Oregon. They were looking for a space big enough for both of them to work on the laptops at the same time. One of my friends son and daughter-in-law work here in Austin but currently they are in North Carolina and have been for several months. Third, most of the young couples can't afford a house with today's prices, but they can afford an RV and with the ability to work from anywhere they can travel and work while building a nest egg.

[VinceB]

We are baby boomers who bought our first TT two years ago. We are still newbies, but are enjoying the camping experience. My wife retired 3 years ago and traveled quite a bit for work so she was tired of hotels. We love to travel for fun and this became the best path for us...we bring our house with us...what a great concept. We wish we would have done this years ago. We are boomers who are enjoying the ride and when I retire...who knows where the road will take us. Isn’t that what we’ve worked for? Happy Camping.

[airballrad]

My wife and I have spent the past five years thinking about jumping into RV ownership; after much research and dithering, we have taken the plunge.

Our children are 13, 11, and 8. So we have between 5-10 years of them still being around before they go off into the world. We are all involved in Scouting, so we have done a lot of tent camping; but in this part of the world sleeping outdoors without air conditioning is not very popular for about 8 months out of the year. I am probably 15-20 years away from retirement, but I can work from any place with power and an internet connection. This makes long summer trips plausible once we get more comfortable with the idea of venturing far from home. Until then, there are a lot of local places we can reach with a 1-2 hour drive.

This is just a hobby for us for now, but it may become more of a lifestyle when the children have moved out.

[NanaWells]

A lot of young folks are now RVing full time making a living on the road, and with there kids in tow, they want that freedom of not being stuck in the brick and mortar behind a desk for the rest of their lives, I wish I had done that when I was younger but instead we are baby boomers getting ready to retire and hit the road full time

[Skirugger]

I’m not a baby-boomer, but nor am I considered “young”......I’m a Gen Xer, and we are full-timing it because we want to spend more time with our kids, and see some of the things about America that you don’t see when being a weekend “tourist”. Some of our favorite times are impromptu & unexpected......that little place to eat, or a really neat trail to bike or hike, or a sunrise with coffee & family. We are lucky enough to be able to retain our B&M residence during this time so we can keep a foot on the dock so to speak. This is also serving as a glimpse of what retired life in an RV could potentially be like if we decide it’s for us. Multifaceted trip that we just had to do because.....YOLO!

This forum has been instrumental in getting us ready and helping us prepare! Cheers to everyone!

[boyscout]

To answer the question for myself - new to the RV world as of the end of 2017 - it's first and foremost a means of escaping Canadian winter, plus seeing/experiencing new things and meeting lots of new people. Eventually we'll probably buy/rent a condo, but we'll be giving up much of the latter two benefits of RV-ing.

Some people will tolerate a lot to enjoy it! We met a young family on our travels this year, six months into their decision to full-time. Parents in their early thirties with mobile-friendly occupations. Three children, all girls ranging from eleven to four years old. Three cats. Two dogs. All living in a 22-foot retro-looking travel trailer, and they were among the happiest people we met!

[Ditchdigger]

I started RV'ing 50 years ago in my 20's (did tent camping since I can remember) Went full time when I lost everything in a wild fire May 13th 2013 ( 6 years ago yesterday). I could not afford to rebuild so I took the money from the insurance, and bought a used 5th wheel and a used truck and hit the road. Now I have a newer 5er and truck, and solar. It is a lot cheaper to live this way boon docking, then in a B/M, that is why I am full time. And there are jobs out here where it can make thing more affordable, work camping.