What we LOVE/HATE about RV Travel and Camping

RV Travel and Camping is very rewarding. And sometimes very challenging. It is filled with surprises, both good and bad. And in Episode 379 of the RV Podcast, we share them all.

The topic stems from a very lively discussion about this over on our Facebook RV Lifestyle Group when readers were asked to fill in the blank… “As much as I Love the outdoors, I can’t stand…”

This episode of the podcast was recorded at the Florida State Fairgrounds, on the eve of the 2022 Florida RV Supershow, which we will be covering this week.

On the drive down, we recorded lots of the LOVE/HATE moments we experienced. We also share lots of responses from our followers on the topic.

To see the video version of the podcast from our RV Lifestyle Channel on YouTube, click the player below.

You can listen to the audio-only version of the podcast on your favorite podcast app. We’re on all of them – Apple, Google, Stitcher, Spotify. Or, click the player below to listen now on the device you are reading this on.

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RV Travel and Camping feedback from our community

We heard lots of feedback this week about some important RV industry issues.

A YouTube follower of our RV Lifestyle Channel named John said the lack of available camping spots is causing him to rethink his plans to buy an RV. He writes:

“It really feels like we need to give up on camping for a while. We looked at new rigs this weekend. But, after thinking about it, we definitely aren't interested now, and may never be. We can't even get reservations at the campgrounds near our home in Central Florida, where we have camped for several years with no problems. What's the point of buying if you really can't use them?

“It's really a shame that there just aren't areas where we can camp right now. Oh, and making reservations 1 year plus in advance, especially with the crazy weather we have been having, I don't think is realistic for most people. I think we will be checking hotel/cottage rental opportunities for the foreseeable future, and our RV will stay parked in the yard. We just can't get spots to camp. It really is disappointing.”

John wasn't the only one reaching out about this issue. We've been hearing about it a lot lately.

The lack of RV inventory is another common problem

Even though there sure seem to be a lot of new RVs at the Supershow in Tampa this week, another major source of frustration we're hearing about out has to do with the lack of inventory. We received this note from a follower called Iggy Konrad:

“In Nov. of 2020, we sold our 42’ class A to attend to an elderly parent who needed care rather than letting it sit for who knows how long. We thought that we would not have a problem replacing it when the time came to begin RVing again. Wrong.

Our plan was to downsize to a Class B or small C. We have narrowed our search to 4 RV’s however, none will be available until late 2022 or 2023.

“One nationwide RV dealer, headquartered in Michigan, would take our order but required a $10k non-refundable deposit. No way!

“Needless to say it looks as if we’ll not be RVing in 2022. Sadly, we may just pack it in and stop RVing. We have owned an RV lot in Titusville, Florida which we recently put a used fiver on and build an executive suite so that may be our RVing for the future. BTW: our lot has gone up in value at least 400% since we bought it several years ago. Travel safe.”

Most RV Travel and Camping LOVE/HATE issues weren't so complicated

The response we had on Facebook to our questions about what people disliked the most about RV Travel and Camping brought hundreds of responses each time. These are the resulting blog posts about these questions and we've included a few highlights in the list below.

• The Top 10 Worst Things About Camping

• Top 10 Best Things About Camping
  
• Facebook Page Post with over 700 comments “As much as I love the outdoors… I can't stand… 🙂
  
• Facebook Group Post with over 300 comments “As much as I love the outdoors… I can't stand… –

Outdoors Love/Hate – over 1000 responses in the Group and on the Page

• all sorts of bugs – but especially mosquitos
• humidity and bad weather
• ticks and snakes get their own bullet point 🙂
• bad campground etiquette (lights on too late, loud music and campers)
• campfire smoke

Worst things about camping – Highlights from the post

• Then what goes up, must come down! Breaking down camp may include drying out the tent after a rainy night, stabilizing all the interior loose objects, airing out the fire smell, and dumping the tanks, of course. While ending the trip is bad enough, a dump job gone wrong is the worst!
  
• Dog poop is definitely the most problematic of them all. Despite dog parks and bag/trash stations being much more popular at many RV parks, many dog owners refuse to follow the simple rule of “please pick up after your pet.”
  
• Patricia shared on Facebook that expensive campgrounds are the worst in her opinion and many others agreed. Not only are the site costs rising, but many amenities and necessities are also increasing as well.
  
• Jim commented that taking his trailer back to the dealer has severely dulled his camping time.

BEST things about camping – Highlights from the post

• The RV lifestyle allows you to have your own bed, bath, and kitchen as Luci pointed out in the recent Facebook post. Hotels are impersonal, arguably clean, and often lack the comforts of home. Whereas, camping can provide those comforts to you and keep you able to travel long-term.
  
• Adding to the recent Facebook discussion, Hyatt stated that there is nothing else quite like food cooked over a fire. As the first kitchen, an open fire enhances mere hot dogs and marshmallows to a whole other level of edible magnificence!

• Yes, travel is one of the best things about camping! You might only go an hour or so away from home when camping or you may travel thousands of miles to camp. The ability to get away and see something new and different is the real joy. Travel brings new experiences, new people, new food, new memories, and more.
  
• Campers know and understand just that. Therefore, they have the ability to choose the weather they want to enjoy—another best of camping! And if you want to get a taste of our latest WINTER CAMPING – enjoy this video from 906 Outdoors — Discovering – Tahquamenon Sled Dog Race, Winter Camping – I have the lin set to start with the winter camping section.

We'd like to hear your experiences and opinions on all these topics

You are welcome to leave a comment below this post. You can leave a comment on any of our social posts. And if you really want to help, you can record a short video explaining how you feel about any of these topics and send it to us at MikeandJen@RVLifestyle.com and we'll try to use it in another podcast or video.

Thank you so very much for all your support.