Nomad Retirement

[Woods'nWater]

We don't call it full-timing because we worked 50 years to earn this privilege. We wanted to be Nomadic Retirees. Now that the time has come we are holding off on selling the house. Why? Because the road is full of 1) homeless 2) young van-dwellers 3) digital nomads and 4) boomers like ourselves wanting to travel. Don't know if I'm jealous, sadden, envious or angry that we are being pushed out of our travel experiences we waited a life time to happen. So many family's on the road doing virtual learning because of Covid. So many homeless just parked and staying in their vehicle all day taking up boondocking spots we could be enjoying. So many more RV's on the road, period. The National Parks are seeing record visits. Loud mouths are giving away secluded spots via Free Campsites, iOverland or Campedium. Weekends are impossible to book earlier than ever now and doesn't let up until the snow flies. I'm happy people are enjoying the great outdoors but I feel cheated. How about you?

 

[papermakermd]

We didn't experience any problems finding campsites during our winter trip to Tx or on the return trip. We tried to book a couple days ahead of time. I know this was during winter and early spring but I understand where you are coming from. Hopefully as things get back to normal some of these digital nomads and the younger people will move on to other adventures. I would not let it ruin your retirement plans I don't intend to let it ruin mine. We are retired and not on a schedule.

 

[WhittleBurner]

Having to plan ahead started about 5 years ago and is nothing new. The competition is more now for that spot but I wouldn't let it stop us from doing what we want. At times it does mean altering your plans but not ditching the whole thing.

Just go and enjoy each day for what it is, you only live once

 

[D2Reid]

I feel cheated. How about you?

I am definitely not cheated. But I have been nomadic for over 10 years. March 2020 certainly had me worried, had we had a homestead we would have run and hid. It was a scary time, not knowing if the city council would close the RV parks and make us leave without having anyplace to go... but that passed.

So while the nomadic life style is more difficult than it was in 2011 it is still doable, you just have to plan ahead more these days. Some coined the phrase "Decision Fatigue", we are experiencing it. We are a little anxious because we have not booked August and September yet. We really need to get around to it.

 

[Woods'nWater]

That's the problem, don't want to plan, that's exhausting to me. We like to travel with the wind and go where the mood takes us. We did that Jan. - March this year, so much fun! Then things started to heat up and boy was it tough finding places to stay. Weekends especially. We are home now and know we won't be doing any camping this summer besides forest boondocking. That's my point, no flying by the seat of your pants right now, it's too crowded out there and I don't see it letting up for a long time.

 

[ktnissen]

I don't feel cheated at all. I am out here experiencing the greatest times in my life. Stay home, enjoy the feeling of not doing what you want to do because of some irrational fear.

 

[Tgunter5]

I can kinda relate..... as a kid I've ALWAYS been fascinated with campers and being able to pack up and go explore the out doors. Now that I'm older and still a relatively new father (kids are 8 and 5) it is even more of a pleasure to take my kids out while still having "home amenities". I'm a blue collar worker and the value of a dollar is high. With covid, I feel EVERYTHING is more complicated and expensive. Purchasing a rig is as high as it has ever been, campsites are ALWAYS booked, when we finally find a site, its 4-6 hours away which is kinda tough since I still have to work 9-5 / mon-fri for that same dollar. Its great people are getting out and exploring the out doors but I feel its everyone's "second choice" since covid which it turn has cause my "first choice" to be taken. I don't want to come off as entitled and I'm probably doing a poor job expressing my thoughts and opinions but these are the times we are dealing with. Happy camping to all!!!

 

[ktnissen]

Not trying to be condescending but these are all problems everybody has dealt with since my grandparents. They used to worry about getting a spot in Yuma because of the retirees. Trying to find a camping spot on the weekend has always been an issue since I started taking my kids camping 20 years ago. These do not change. Yes homelessness has increased, but not at places I want to go, they are to far out for homeless to attain services, we have met some wonderful families with kids out in the road and we hope to run in to them again, and don't get me started on the boomers, those guys are crazy, always wanting to explore and see things they didn't see in their 9-5 job stuck in the city.

Camping with a bigger rig has decreased places we can go, but not once in our 4 years full timing (no shot over 2 weeks) have I not found a place to sleep. It is not as easy as with a tent but I like my amenities.

 

[Woods'nWater]

Thank you for the thoughts people! I like to hear different points of view on topics I'm concerned about, that's why I posted. Ktnissen, I ran into problems on the eastern US and it wasn't irrational, it was real. Glad you're having a good time!

 

[ktnissen]

Woods, I am not trying to argue that it isn't difficult to travel during the epidemic. Most of our fears are fears of being inconvenienced. The inconvenience of trying too and failing to find a spot where you want to be, or there are no spots at the location that you have been wanting to see. Camping in a casino or Walmart parking lot is not the idea of what you wanted but it happens. You are not going from beautiful spot to beautiful spot, there are crummy spots along the way. When you do get the beauty spots the crummy ones are easily laughed at over drinks the next night.

The East Coast is not my favorite side of America but we have traveled it Pre-Covid and Post-Covid. It takes more planning and willingness to find the out of the way places because the tourist attractions are packed. You have to start early if you want reservations at the premier full hook up spots. It can be done, you just have to be inconvenienced to do it. So what if you can't find a spot for a night, get a hotel, a lot of hotels will let you park your RV and then you get a 30 minute shower, room, service and you don't have to make the bed.

Full time RV is not for every one, the ability to freely travel and go places is daunting to some people. You need to be able to think through problems, go past your comfort zone and trust that you aren't going to die because the kids in the van next to you don't fit your idea of camping.

We all run in to problems out here, and after all these years I have yet to see some one camping alongside the road stuck where they broke down or couldn't drive any longer when I passed by the next day. Things break, you have to get it fixed, inconvenient but not what I would call a fear. My fear is that I have to use the big credit card to repair major damage, then wait around 2 months for insurance to reimburse.

I wish you the best travels and hope to see you out here on the road. I did not wrote this post in malice or contempt, just another perspective to help your transitioning to full time. If you have any questions I would be happy to answer about the wonderful life full timing.

Kip

 

[D2Reid]

I would like to thank all of you for keeping this discussion civil. There are different perspectives on the issue of obtaining a reservation. Style and type of camping can also bring about heated discussion where no one is right or wrong, just different.

As a 10 year full time camper, and 55 year camper, I can attest that things are different now than say 1985. Good, bad, to me its a matter of perspective and attitude.

As a campground host I get to see the full gamet of camping choices. I see destitute car campers just trying to survive. Young folks, much like I was at that age, on great adventures against the adversities of living in the wild, foreigners (please don't beat me up on this phrase, it is not ill intended nor intended to be disrespectful, mostly it refers to folks that I don't think grew up camping), millionaires in their $550k+ mega campers. My take on the whole thing; I am very happy to see folks traveling and exploring, it's one of the things in life that brings enrichment and fulfillment. The key is not to judge or condescend. Although sometimes it's a little bit of a struggle.

You have to admire the struggles it takes to go camping. I.E. couple checked into a tent site 3 from us, on our camphost rounds I noticed them trying to build a campfire. I have to admit seeing a person in heels, rubbery looking pink pants, green jacket, and purple hair trying to build a fire with 4" logs and a roll of toilet paper, it will get your attention. I did the camphost thing and asked if they were ok, they said they were having a little trouble with the campfire. I spent 30 minutes splitting wood and making kindling, then showed them how to get the toilet paper to burn, fire going I left. Next round they were roasting something over the fire, I didn't get close enough to see.

Bottom line = Don't fret about what others are doing, enjoy the outdoors, endure the hardships it takes to get there, others have. Be kind and understanding to your neighbor. And when you can't stand the ************** next to you find the camphost and let them know, we have friends with guns and badges.

Safe Travels...

 

[traveldawg]

We don't call it full-timing because we worked 50 years to earn this privilege. We wanted to be Nomadic Retirees. Now that the time has come we are holding off on selling the house. Why? Because the road is full of 1) homeless 2) young van-dwellers 3) digital nomads and 4) boomers like ourselves wanting to travel. Don't know if I'm jealous, sadden, envious or angry that we are being pushed out of our travel experiences we waited a life time to happen. So many family's on the road doing virtual learning because of Covid. So many homeless just parked and staying in their vehicle all day taking up boondocking spots we could be enjoying. So many more RV's on the road, period. The National Parks are seeing record visits. Loud mouths are giving away secluded spots via Free Campsites, iOverland or Campedium. Weekends are impossible to book earlier than ever now and doesn't let up until the snow flies. I'm happy people are enjoying the great outdoors but I feel cheated. How about you?

Wow... I'm sensing a bit of everything here - anger, sadness and jealousy, and a bit of self pity. But not cheating.

We've all heard this before ==> the only constant is change. So those that can change and adapt make the best of things and those that don't get muddled down in self pity. Please don't let this happen to you.

We're all going through this together - having to reserve in advance, "dance" around the weekenders and having to plan more and more. Consider this.... even the folks traveling by car and air have the same issues - making reservations, etc. So this business of crowding is not limited to just campers. And it isn't going to get better soon, if ever. So, please, don't get bogged down and stay home.

We've been at this for about 35 years now. So, yeh, things have changed. The biggest changes as far as scheduling do seem to have occurred in the last 5 or so years tho (having to schedule more).

Two years ago we ran into the need for more planning. As it was for remote places in Wyoming it caught us by surprise. We were still able to ramble and see what we wanted to see. We just had to make some adjustments in the order of seeing things and learned to so a bit more planning.

Fast forward to now and we've planned EVERY stop from March 8th to August 23rd. But part of the fun was the planning over the winter (and last summer when stuck at home). We originally left open July and most of August hoping Canada would open; it hasn't so we made alternative plans. We are still rambling although it isn't so spontaneous, we are still able to see everything we want to see. But it is taking a bit more energy/planning.

If you think this year is bad, wait until next year when the international travelers come back. They'll all be in their rented RVs and staying at places large companies reserve for them in advance further filling campgrounds and our National Parks. And those 60 passenger busses will start showing up again at all the popular spots. Not even the park ranges we've talked to are looking forward to that.

And speaking of National Parks - no more just driving up and getting in. More-and-more of them require passes and limit entry now. I don't see that changing much either.

sorry - long ramble. Just hoping you might be able to adjust your feelings toward all this and get out there and enjoy things your way while working around some new limitations. It can be done. But you probably aren't going to just "ramble" 'willie-nilly' like those folks trying to live out of vans, trucks and cars - which hardly seems like a nice life style.

A few final thoughts.... and a bit of a rant...... IMO social media has absolutly ruined spontaneity and exposed a lot of nice secluded locations; most people posting on social media do it as an income generating activity, so they don't care; their intent is to try to live on the road using social media as an income, if you avoid them then it deprives them as one more 'hit' and one more penny - stay away from a lot of them if it bothers you.

one final, final thought - keep your bricks and sticks as a private spot to return to so you can unwind and plan some more.