HEADER PHOTO DESCRIPTION:

HEADER PHOTO DESCRIPTION: Desert Storm
NOTE: Open post and then Single Click On first Post Photo to view an album in a more detailed, larger format...

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Cocooned


I will be the first to admit that unofficial polls often go lacking in the science department. But Pal Boonie asked me to respond to his exploratory RV Caravan idea through the lens of my Box Canyon binoculars. In order to do comply with his request, I "need input," as SAINT, the cute little robot from the movie Short Circuit would say. "Need input!"
In order for this RV poll to work... to keep ole' Marge N. Auv'aire at bay... I need to beg a fair sample. So I'm calling on my "regulars" to please share your thoughts, as well as (gulp) asking Lurkers to come out of closets and comment. You do have opinions, don't you? Comment anonymously if need be; I'm just asking for your opinion, not your damn Social Security number. 

That said, I need to properly formulate the question(s); it concerns RV lifestyles of the Poor and In-famous... in other words, people like me and Boonie, and maybe most of you. 

If you've been reading the Occupier of Independence you already know that he recently ditched his austere, solitary RV boondocking lifestyle for a little "community" of single male and female RV'ers. It has nothing to do with "hooking up," though I suppose that could happen. Instead, it's more about sharing extended time and company with other RV'ers in a "outdoorsy" setting; campfire conversations, if you will... hikes, dog walking, maybe a bike ride. Though Boonie's group is comprised of singles, he assures that couples would be welcome. 

THE SET UP

Long Haul RV'ers... those who have been on the road for years and plan on being out there for years to come, if not forever... tend to fall into travel routines. They can become slippery after a while, and  often slope toward a rut. The knee jerk solution for most RV'ers is to set a diesel fueled fire to road boredom baggage... to go someplace they have yet to experience, someplace "glossy" with Adventure like Alaska! 

Well that's fine and good if you have a cushy pension and fat savings. But what about the rest of us? And then what, after we've shot our "wad"? An Alaskan RV adventure only kills a measly three months, most of which is spent driving... then it's back to routine's "slippery slope" and all you got to show for the gas and credit card statement are photos of you standing by a Totem Pole in Skagway and a carbon footprint as big as the hole in the ozone. 

Let's face some facts; if it's wintertime there aren't many choices for boondockers to scratch the itch in their hitch. Easterners tend to go to Florida and pack into expensive RV parks; lovely weather down there but lethally boring to those of us whose definition of "outdoorsy" doesn't include activities like golf, shopping and excursions to Epcot. Wild West lovers usually end up in Arizona during winter and for good reasons. Unlike Florida and Texas, most of Arizona is public land, laced with back road access, pine topped mountains and Sonoran Desert warmth and eye candy. 

Big as it is, though, we found ourselves in a little RV rut after winter boondocking in southern Arizona year in and year out. Maps came out and before you could say "Spring Break" we were making the long ass, gas guzzling journey to beaches in south Texas (what a God forsaken stretch west Texas is). We landed on North Padre Island in the Gulf of Mexico... near Port Aransas. We thought it cool that RV's were allowed to camp right on the beach. The first week we actually considered wintering there... lulled to sleep by ocean waves of white noise and jolted awake by flaming orange skies that I at first mistook to be a giant forest fire. 

After all the gasoline and driving, driving, driving... we were surprised (and disappointed) at how quickly a flat sea horizon, smelly dead-fish sand and island-life in general became boring. Maybe it would have helped if I wasn't allergic to shell fish (sigh); Deep fried shrimp goes a long way at supplanting boredom. 

What's not to love? Certainly the weather on Padre was agreeably warm to hot. But something was missing... there were no mountains to challenge eyes and legs, just mile after mile of seawater that just kinda laid there... lapping an occasional wave onto a beach littered with continuous Gulf Stream deliveries of seemingly all the southern hemisphere's trash... including hypodermic needles, waiting to poke a bare-footer. 

Every morning Bobbie and I had two choices; walk north on the beach, or, walk south on the beach. After a month, Bobbie pointed to the "elephant in the room" and said, "I need mountains." In the end I suppose it was a nice change of scene from Arizona, like I'm sure Alaska would be... but at what cost given the price of fuel?

That's the "RV Trap" as I see it (this is going to piss some people off)... trying to scratch the perpetual-to-eventual bored-with-myself-same ole'-same ole' hitch itch with gasoline. We are social beings, or at least we use to be. But hopping RV park to RV park is a lot like hopping sardine can to sardine can; campers are literally "nuts to butts" and paying 30 to 40 bucks a night for the privilege of listening to your neighbor snore and fart. Boondocking, on the other hand, allows plenty of space to breathe fresh air and it's quiet enough to hear a coyotes desert yips and howls off in the distance. Drawbacks/downsides are that there is seldom anyone to talk to except our dogs, cats and selves. 

So now, after this rather lengthy setting of the "stage," here are my questions: 

Given the expense and "sardine can" layouts of most RV parks, do you think that a come and go mobile community of RV boondockers would be better... could it work long-term as a viable alternative? In other words, would a slower paced, less gas guzzling, rome-with-the-seasons boondocking "community" covey enough (or too much) social cohesiveness to succeed? Do you like the idea of being connected, perhaps more closely, in a boondocking environment with "regulars" and occasional newcomers for longer terms? 

Are you tired of setting fire to your boredom with fuel? Would you prefer a greener alternative like fellowship. Could we "all get along," as Rodney King put it, meeting up place to place as a come and go RV group? Is it even possible in this short attention span day and age? Our culture seems to be de-evolving from the "front porch" society of our parents and grandparents into a more and more impersonal "device" subculture where interaction is accomplished with thumbs on keyboard instead of face to face.  Is this idea too Utopian? Commune-like? Have we changed too much since the advent of "cocoons" such as automobiles and single family track houses? Are we now irretrievably singular oriented beings in a brave new "my space--- text me--- TV--- fenced yards--- mine/yours" world for this idea to work? 

Would you enjoy a come and go traveling and boondocking experience with a band of gypsy brothers and sisters? Or do you need your "My Space?" 

Need input... What say you? Then I'll give you my spin on the idea.





Help spread the Box Canyon Blog "Virus!"
If you enjoy thoughts and/or photos on this post please 
"Like" on Facebook or "Tweet" by clicking the "F" or "T" icons below.
Thanks for your support :))  

   

29 comments:

  1. "Every morning Bobbie and I had basically only two choices; walk north on the beach, or, walk south on the beach."

    My problem with beaches exactly. I got a good giggle out of this line.

    As for group camping in RV parks: I know that some people who would be fun to talk to on a nice hike might not be set up to boondock.

    But imagine how much work it takes to handle the logistics of campground camping with a group: scheduling it a year in advance, reservations, deposits, anti-dog rules, driving an hour to the trailhead, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  2. "We are social beings" says it all. I think we need to spend time with like-minded people. I have spent some time in RV parks and was an outsider because I am single. I currently am working at a National Park and have time to do things with others, and I can also go back to my RV whenever I want. I have miles and miles of trails to walk, and mountains and creeks, rivers, etc. For me, this is the best of both worlds right now and I get paid to do it. And I use their gas to go shopping, to town, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm a lurker and soon to be full timer. Your community might be limited to the smaller rigs. I have a hunch this group would be constantly evolving as relationships are strained, partnerships formed and personalities come and go. I would love to share a campfire, conversation and a drink with this group. Bob Wallace.

    ReplyDelete
  4. As co-founder of the group described, Ithank you for asking the perfect contextural question.
    My vision is for the "organism" to invent itself by evolution. I think mobility, frugality and self containment are interesting "givens" for evolution to work on. I'm as curious as Boonie what sort of creature will emerge. One month into the process I'm delighted. Hope you will cross paths with us this summer.

    ReplyDelete
  5. “For everything there is a season, and a time...” Ecclesiastes 3:1

    I enjoy both a sense of community and at times a lot of solitude. So I would be more inclined to drop in and out of a group like this. I suppose the plan could be for a core with visitors from time to time. Perhaps set up a Yahoo Group or something similar letting everyone know what the seasonal camping plans are. Utopias are a myth. As long as you expect to encounter issues occasionally, the better you’ll be able to deal with them as they occur. Sounds like a moving outdoor activity and social club. Here in the Northwest we have access to something like that with The Mountaineers (www.mountaineers.org) and Mazamas (www.mazamas.org) minus the moving part.
    McBe

    ReplyDelete
  6. I may not qualify to participate in this poll, but I'll leave you with my thoughts. I travelled in a large motorhome for 3 months out of the year with my husband when we owned our business (which allowed us to work during slow months). We had a wonderful time, together, and we looked forward to retirement and full timing (keeping our home so that we'd have a place to return to to see our kids. I didn't think we needed to keep it, but my husband felt strongly that we needed to keep it, at least until we decided that LONG TIME full timing was for us. Unfortunately, we never got the chance to experience it as he passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. It was as though someone turned me upside down and emptied me out. I sold the motorhome and bought a small Aframe trailer so that I could give our two labs the life he wanted them to have (they were the apples of his eye). I found that I enjoyed camping and met a group of other single women, from all walks of life, who I enjoyed camping with. When we planned to meet, I would always plan to camp at least a week before and many times a week after so that i could enjoy solo camping, too. It took me five years to decide that I could go west by myself. By then, I couldn't think of long distance traveling as my one lab had gotten on in years and was beginning to have health problems. When we lost her, Jack (my younger lab) and I set off for the west in a 21 ft trailer that I pulled with a used 3500 Ram diesel truck to pull it. I traveled for 6 months and enjoyed every moment of our time wandering the back roads. I only returned home because of a wedding I was obligated to attend. I expected to turn around and go back out, but Jack had a rare condition that was discovered in a routine exam which took a year to fix--he's like a young pup, now. As luck would have it, now my back is out. SO...(I would chance it by myself, but I worry about what would happen to him if my back decided to take a turn for the worse and I couldn't walk or something--so I'm stuck).

    My first impulse to the poll was to say no, I'd prefer to camp by myself, but I have revised that thinking to feel that "Variety is the spice of life". I could live in a "community of sorts" IF I were free to come and go at will. I don't like the idea of caravanning as I don't know if I'm going to turn left or right at turns when I'm traveling. I will say that I've never met a camper I didn't like and I enjoy campfire conversations and company very much, and enjoyed many evenings of laughter with the women from the group I camped with. That said, I'm hoping that some day, when I am physically able, if that day ever comes, I would like to head west, again. If I ran into a community such as yours--sure, I could enjoy pulling up a chair to a campfire. Without going back to proof my thoughts as I have just "blurted them out", I think I'm pipe dreaming, at this point. I will be camping soon over on the coast with my daughter for two weeks, but I will have to take my time hitching up--sitting down every five or so minutes as my back only hurts when I'm on my feet. I know surgery is the answer, but I'm not willing to give up my time with Jack, yet--it's too precious. I'll wait until fall to camp, again as I hate the heat.

    For everyone's information, Central to South Georgia State parks are perfect in the winter. Some cold days, but some days where you can sit in the sun with a jacket and read and sort of rustic. I have sat by campfires with weather in the 20s and teens. Nothing to compete with the west, though my favorite weather is between 50 and 70.

    So there you have it. An unsolicited response from a wudda been, wannabe, hopetobe, again. And, I WILL look you up. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm not a full time RVer, but when I do get out I like to be around others who like to hike and just enjoy the simple pleasures of nature. Boondocking by myself for 5 nights last summer in Lander, Wy next to a beautiful lake was different. After the third day I was ready to paint a face on a soccer ball and call it Wilson for company.
    If you can set up a schedule of places to be through out the year, then fellow friends can just come and go as they please.

    ReplyDelete
  8. In the beginning of my RV lifestyle I boondocked because I was poor and like my own company. Plus talked to loads of people on weekends when selling at various flea markets. And often camped communally with other vendors.

    RV parks can be convenient for an overnighter when rolling from A to B. Though very costly even if I can afford it. Under those circumstances I don't usually mingle. Not that I'm unsociable, just tired.

    More recently my RV gets moved twice a year. It's my affordable home on wheels. I go camping for fun, in a tent. Sometimes with a group of friends.

    Yet in my 17 years of RV living I didn't get bored. Also didn't live on the beach very much, just not my thing.


    Yes RVs are fuel guzzlers. I justify that I make a smaller "foot print" than most home owners.

    Meeting people is my thing. I would like to travel around meeting bloggers. RVing would be perfect for that.

    Not sure what you've got in mind. So maybe more details of your idea.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I followed mobile kodger blog a bit - that sort of answers your question in some ways- But that situation would not be for me at this time- In the past few years I have met probably a thousand people who enjoy hitting the road at different times of the year- From Ouray to Key West- many different stories and lifestyles-

    ReplyDelete
  10. How absolutely refreshing it was for me to read your post this morning. Like you folks, Kelly & I are not in the RVing lifestyle mainstream. It is rare for me to read another Blogger's thoughts & opinions that so closely mirror my own. Couldn't agree with you more about practically everything you had to say. And, good for you in coming out & clearly saying it. Kelly feels the same way I do so I now know there are at least 4 of us out here with basically the same understanding.
    As for the Caravan idea proposed by some, let me just say that for Kelly & I we would have zero interest in anything like that. Traveling with, boondocking near, or participating in people events holds no interest for us whatsoever. Only thing we want to see or hear in our travels is the beauty of nature around us & the peace & tranquility that kind of lifestyle brings. If we feel the need to be sociable, we drive into town & spend 20 minutes in a Walmart store. That's generally enough to hustle us right back out into the countryside & thank our lucky stars that we are totally happy living the quiet stress free way we do. In my 67 years, I have learned that less people equals less stress. So no, the Caravan idea does not work for us..........

    ReplyDelete
  11. Michael and LouiseMay 18, 2012 at 12:01 PM

    Mark and Bobbi,
    As you know, we wintering in a tiny home in God "is this desert every going to end" foresaken west Texas for about two months/year. It was a beautifully cool little town and served it's purpose of allowing us to do repairs, organize, receive mail, doing taxes, vehicle registrations, insurance and gearing up for the next year on the road.

    Living full time on the road is very challenging, but maybe less so if there is a mechanic, dentist, doctor or such in the group. That said, there are groups of people who travel and enjoy each others company most of the year with relative ease. We met Indian groups in Alaska and California who share the bounty of the ocean within their group all summer long in a campground. We met hot springers that bounce from one spring to another and don't forget those NASCAR fans who drive from one race to another all season long. All these folks have a common bond and seem to do quite well.

    As you observed, in many full timers, our schedule for the 3 1/2 years on the road was based on hobbies, medical appointments, weather, family and friend visits. Our annual travel routine route followed the seasons in a fairly circular pattern that was worked out through trial and error. We traveled farther north in the summer and worked our way south in the winter. We had our 90 degree F high temp and 30 degree F low temp maximum places all mapped out so we could do our hobbies in relative comfort. We spent little less than $1000/month for 3 1/2 years and never felt deprived of anything. We came to disdain, National Parks, Trailer parks - except when we needed to do laundry or take a long shower,
    big cities, loud free campgrounds and campgrounds with full hook-ups in the summer - those usually attracted the yapping dogs, out of control kids, loud music and all night group parties. WE WERE IN the TRAP!

    What Boonie, Kodger and his group are doing is commendable and is what humans have done for a millenium. Groups traveled and lived together starting in the cave man days. Granted, those were mostly related family groups but as groups got larger, tribes and bands traveled to the mountains in summer and wintered in the low lands. They carried with them, mostly on there backs, basic tools of survival, now it seems we need 200 horses under the hood and a 25'long aluminum skinned tent to drag our crap around.

    A group as you describe, is safer, cheaper, more helpful, more exciting, stronger and healthier than a lone traveler.

    Mark you and I have the best of both worlds now. We can still go out for a month to get our hobby/travel fix, then come home to watch the garden grow, say hello to our neighbors and friends, sit on our porch with a drink in our hand without fear of getting a ticket, repair the vehicles, have a sense of home and belonging to a community, heat on cold days, cold on hot days. Vehicle registration, insurance, voting,and getting mail is so much better now that our travel routine is reversed. We are on the road for 2 months out of the year and home for 10 months. We choose the cream of the crop locations during the best time of the year and primo campsites now and really enjoy ourselves!

    That said, my plan when I can not take care of myself is to sell everything and check into a retirement home in Yountville, CA.
    I am a realist.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Reading your words about having only two choices of things to do at the beach made me chuckle. I am a beach person and believe there are many things to enjoy at the beach.

    How do I like the beach? Let me count the ways. Surf fishing, crabbing, jet skiing, parasailing, shell hunting, wind surfing, boating, swimming, tanning, snorkeling, dolphin watching, downtown shopping, downtown dining, kite flying, bird watching, beach volleyball, people watch, read a book, boogie boarding, have a picnic, take photos... use your imagination.

    Sometimes, just walking at the beach and seeing the joyful faces of families having the time of their lives with the waves and the sand and each other - fills me with happiness. Listening to the music of the waves as they splash the land is like listening to the beat of nature.

    I have no desire to go the mountains. The beach has always been my favorite destination. I do not like to hike, nor do I like to cycle the bike paths, nor do I want to drive up to a peak and camp on the summit.

    When I leave sea level, I cannot breathe. I love the beach, it is at sea level. I love the smell of the salt air and sand between my toes.

    Water is life. The ocean is almost synonymous to the celebration of life. There is so much to explore at the ocean.

    I'm a solo traveler and don't think I would like a group as you describe.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi there. We love boondocking for the solitude and the silence. We're both introverts, and excessive socializing feels like a long day in the mines. A little is wonderful.

    So, when we're in close proximity to someone we know, we're likely to try to get together with them. We might even 'dock with them a night or two. But, then it's time to cut loose and get quiet again.

    I don't think we'd avail ourselves of this type of community, but I never say "never."

    Roxanne

    ReplyDelete
  14. Editor's Note:
    Hey everybody... Thanks for your sharing your diverse opinions on the idea of an RV Boondocking Group. I love all the different "takes" you are providing .

    I'm looking forward to sharing my thoughts so stay tuned. I'll wait a little longer as some are just now finding their way to this post.

    I hope a few more of you will voice opinions on what kind of RV Boondocking Group you might be willing to participate in, and the benefits and/or problems you might foresee with just such a group.

    Tag your friends with a link... share on Facebook/twitter. Let's get the largest sample of ideas possible, then I'll "tear" them apart :))
    Thanks, Mark

    ReplyDelete
  15. Chuck and I are on the road in our 5th wheel,"The MotherShip" about 10 months out of each year. The way we explore and see all we want to see is by workamping! Chuck is more of a social butterfly than I am. So he fits well in the role of camp host and I do well in the office interacting on the computer or checking guests into our workplace Zion River RV Resort near Zion National Park. Our work commitment is 6 months. We work 4 days and are off 3 consecutive days. We get free campsites with FHU, free wifi, free laundry, free cable tv and $8.50 an hour for any hour worked over 24 combined hours. It's a good gig and we get to meet folks from all over the world. Then on our days off, we go exploring and we post our adventures on our blog. This keeps the boredom down, the environmental footprint smaller and our curiosity about what around the next corner active! As for groups that meet and travel together, I featured one such group who are camping her now on my last blog entry. They call themselves the P.O.O.F , Pack of old Farts!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I did recently try a mini-version of your idea. I'm going to post this as anonymous and you'll see why. I joined a group kind of like you're proposing for a few days, thinking it would be good for me, as I always boondock alone. I would become more sociable and enjoy meeting new people. Well, what I found was that, as a newcomer, I was a bit out of the circle. I tried my best to engage in conversations and I've been told I have some interesting things to say, but the circle had an established social pyramid and I wasn't on it. A couple of kind souls tried to engage me in conversation, but then soon left to hang with the big dogs. When it came time for going to a nearby cafe for dinner, I wasn't invited nor informed. Ditto with breakfast. The group was just one big clicque that made noises about newcomers but didn't really give a whit.

    Lest I sound like sour grapes, I have camped with larger groups and had a lot of fun, but they were mostly impromptu gatherings, no leaders or big dogs, everyone just did thier own thing. The problem with organizations like this is that they're organizations and tend to develop levels as such. Enough said. Count me out.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Some commenters might have misinterpreted our use of the word, "caravan". Nobody has any desire for TIGHT caravanning, ducks in a row, spaced out every 103.6 meters on the highway, talking on walkie-talkies. "Stop everyone. Fred and Mildred missed that last turn!"

    We were just using caravanning as verbal shorthand for an entire sentence: traveling more-or-less together, camping at the same (widely dispersed) "site", following a rough itinerary for a season.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I noticed that misunderstanding, too. If it was like that, and with planned activities--you know the sort, with dancing and sitting on chairs in a circle discussing the assigned topic of the evening--organizations already exist and I'd be joined if I had any interest. I don't.

    Now if it's a loose association of independent souls who are happy and content to remain solo, but do it together (some of the time), then I'm interested. Solo, together, might work as long as nobody tries to make it more organized than that. Worth a try.

    ReplyDelete
  19. The Two Wise Ones are gonna hit the road in 6 weeks and wanna know if the Two Johnsons are gonna come along? Hee Har. And no... you can not have our social security numbers.

    ReplyDelete
  20. What ya'll are talking about is basic human nature. It ain't evolved in 10,000+ years and no Winnebago is gonna change that.

    If you're talking an "accidental" convergence that grows on its own out of random friendships, you bet, it can work.

    But... If you're talking a deliberate, intended, association... it will work for a bit...Until Human Nature takes over.

    There's gonna be SOME body who starts "Working the crowd" to achieve his/her agenda. One day you'll wake up with everyone of the "Caravan" pointing at you because of some propagandized infraction... and the "instigator" will be carefully standing Behind and out of sight.

    One or two... maybe three,(maybe more but not many) who "accidentally" converge in a situation where each gets the "Something" they need from the group. sure... but once each has his/her hunger "Fed" the group dissipates.

    anything other is doomed to consumption and corruption by the lust of some to control and command.

    Basic unchanged and un changing Human Nature.

    But then... what does a puss gut, broken down old grumpy cowboy biker know?

    ReplyDelete
  21. Mark tells us to "share on Facebook/Twitter". WHAT ? Lets keep this Simple ! It seems to be headed for a runaway course already.

    Boonie, I am the lady from MN who sent you the E Mail this afternoon and pictures.....and my desire to become a part of what you describe. Andrea and Uri

    ps I have never been on FaceBook or Twitter. I live life.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Aw, this was a very nice post. In thought I want to put in writing like this additionally – taking time and precise effort to make a very good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate alot and not at all seem to get one thing done.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I like traveling solo, and keeping the gas expense down. I've been on the road for a year now, and enjoyed it all, everywhere I've been. I've become very frugal and liked the LTVA permit situation in the Arizona/California deserts.

    I ended up in a loose group in Quartzsite who have been coming to the same area for years, some people come and go, others have been constant for years. I liked being able to join a campfire or share a ride into town, but was happy to keep to myself most of the time.

    I like your idea of camping loosely, coming and going, joining in or not, as long as I'm not made to feel guilty for not being "in attendance" for campfires, potlucks, hikes, etc.

    One thing that is good about your group idea is the safety involved in having other RVers nearby, especially if you know them. I imagine a group like this would evolve and change into what the members need or want. Some will be more social, some will have hiking partners and exploring partners, some will just enjoy being near others.

    I'm interested in how this is working out so far. If you are mostly boondocking, I'd be more interested. This summer I plan to get a New Mexico State Park annual pass and boondock on their park lands, mainly for the security, dump/water access and to see a little of the state. $225 isn't a bad price for 4 or 5 months, then I plan to LTVA in AZ/CA. When it's too hot, I'll return to NM maybe because I'll have a few months left on my annual pass.

    I'm still new at this full-timer thing. I'll tell you, moving the rig is sure easier than buying/selling my house and moving to a new town every couple of years! I guess I've always been a gypsy, and a bit of a loner too. Now I understand... :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Me and My Dog,
    Yes, you bring up an important subject that I left out and no one has mentioned..." Safety "

    It is an issue of growing concern is some areas, like it or not. The is safety in numbers. We Boondock everywhere... even in southern arizona. I must admit, it does cross my mind nowadays that "something" could happen to us in the more remote camps we choose.
    Thanks for bringing that up, and I hope you will keep in touch as the RV group finds it's wings.

    I also like what you said about liking the idea of an RV group as long as they don't expect you to show up at every campfire, potluck etc.. I think that is also important, that a group member can choose to be solitary while camping with or near the rest of the group... that they don't have to get in their rig and drive down the road to "get away." The fewer the expectations, the more chance a group like this has of making it... on some level, anyway.
    Great comment!
    thanks, mark.

    ReplyDelete
  25. These comments are great and cover a wide range of ideas and issues. Some of what people mention wanting is covered in existing RV groups such as the Escapees, LOWS, Wins, etc. Those groups do come with their cliques and their organization but, in general, the people are very friendly and it is a great way to travel in a group. I do not really understand why people seem to be so negative about them as they have many similarities to what is being discussed in this forum. Brian brings up a great point that no one else really touched on, that is, the difference in the "accidental" convergence that grows out of random friendship and deliberate, intended, associations where inevitably someone has an agenda. I believe he has a very valid point and the group should listen and heed. All that said, it is still an interesting experiment where there is no harm in trying. Sometimes the strangest things are discovered in the strangest ways. No growth comes without experimentation.

    ReplyDelete
  26. i like the idea of the "group" i hope it's still going when i hit the road...not sure when that is exactly but getting my ducks in a row. have the camper, searching for the tow vehicle now and developing a revenue stream to support...should be soon :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. Coupe and anon.,
    Stay tuned for more info... the RV "wheels" are turning.
    mark

    ReplyDelete
  28. I'm glad I stumbled on this thread. At the risk of sounding completely selfish, which I am, I love the idea of traveling and camping more or less as a loose group. There is definately safety in numbers, and to have someone around that knows mechanics, or medical, and perhaps information on safe, interesting, and free places to camp could be a total asset. But, that said, I am a loner at heart, and as such cherish my quiet time. So, any type of ("Why weren't you at the dance last night?") GROUP THANG scares the hell out of me.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Anon.
    I agree, an RV group should be "loose," very loose. Obligations and guilt trips should be rule number one... as in "Thou shalt NOT...
    thanks, mark

    ReplyDelete