No matter what type of camping you enjoy, those three questions dominate your camping life. We have come to realize that we are not hardcore backwoods tent campers but kudos to those that are. We are a couple that enjoys RV Resorts. We also enjoy having the grandkids and their cousins tag along…NOT ALWAYS… but most of the time. We don’t have a big, fancy RV just a simple travel trailer but we like the big, fancy parks with lots of amenities.
The past 3 years, “has it really been three years?” We have focused on camping in the SE USA. Of course we were limited because of the pandemic but we have been to some great places in Alabama, Georgia & Florida so far. Recently, we spent our time in sunny Florida at Camp Margaritaville.
The main pool area and tiki bar reminded me of some of my favorite cruises. This place is great for families and for adults. We met young couples & young families that started full-time RVing last year and spent their past few months at Camp Margaritaville. We also met retirees that love to hang out at the Chill Bar and adult pool area and have camped for weeks.
Splash pad area for kids under 10 & nice walk-in pool
If you like RV Resorts this is the place for you. I was a little worried when booking our pull-through site because of the lack of shade trees. However the weather was not super hot and we had mostly partly-cloudy skies (unusual for Florida). When we return, I will most likely book a pull-through site with a private tiki hut. They are fairly large and can at least offer some additional shade.
PROS OF CAMP MARGARITAVILLE
Location-Location-Location Very easy to get to and not far from all the tourist spots in Central Florida. It is located between Tampa and Orlando. We were traveling south on I-75 so we took the turnpike and exited to go through Groveland, Florida. Then it was a straight shot to Polk City and then Auburndale. Very little traffic and nice country views. I avoid I-4 like the plague!
Full Hookups & Big Rig Access There are gravel spots and back-in but it seemed like most of the spots were pull-through and not too close to the neighbors. Our site was a concrete pad with a large paver style area under the picnic table & where we placed our reclining chairs. If you don’t have an RV, no problem, rent one of their cute cabins. Since I work for York, my family quickly spotted our York Air Conditioning unit on one of the cabins. Good choice!
ACTIVITIES GALORE – Not just for kids but adults too. Activities are scheduled each day with fun activity directors. Too much to list but believe me they have so much to do. The mini-golf course is beautiful and nicely laid out and the best part is you don’t even have to pay to play! We also saw basketball courts and more. There is also a main pool area that reminds me of a cruise ship and in the back of the park on the lake is a Chill Bar and Pool area, mostly used by adults.. You can also relax on a covered deck by the lake with drink in hand and watch the sun set in hues of pink, orange, yellow and purple.
They also have a nice workout room and outside of the park there is easy access to a walking/biking trail.
THIS PLACE IS ALMOST SPOTLESS ! This park is extremely well taken care. Even the dumpster areas.
GOOD FOOD & DECENT PRICES By the main pool you can order food like burgers, pizza, etc. One day I had the daily special – conch fritters. No joke it was not crazy expensive. We purchased large reusable cups for around $15 that you could refill at the soda dispenser. On Saturdays they have a food truck.
LARGE SOCIAL FIREPITS, DJ NIGHT & HAPPY HOUR Enough said, “I am there”!
SPECIAL OFFERS FOR MILITARY, FIRST RESPONDERS & FLORIDA RESIDENTS – I think they should extend this to nurses. My daughter is a nurse and nurses work hard all the time but the past three years were brutal for them.
DILIGENT RANGERS & PLEASANT STAFF – When you arrive you will be presented with arm bands to wear during your stay. The rangers make frequent trips around the park checking for arm bands. A great safety measure. The staff is very helpful & extremely friendly.
DOG FRIENDLY – Great areas for dogs to stretch their legs
CONS OF CAMP MARGARITAVILLE
PRICEY – but remember it is a resort with a lot of amenities. And it doesn’t seem out of line with other RV Resorts we have stayed at and it is top notch.
HMMMM, I am wracking my brain here but I can’t really think of another con. Well, maybe live entertainment, like acoustic guitarists or 2 person groups back at the adult pool. It may be something they offer but not while we were there.
If you are looking for an RV Resort that is fun for all, you can’t go wrong with Florida’s Camp Margaritaville in Auburndale. We recommend ordering a cheeseburger and a margarita. It will feel a little like paradise.
After four years of looking and begging my husband, we went to the Tampa RV show in January with family and friends. There we found almost everything we were looking for in a travel trailer. If we had gone on our own we probably would have left without buying anything except some popcorn and beer. However, we succumbed to peer pressure. We even bought from a vendor we swore we would never buy from (General RV). We left excited and looking forward to picking up our new RV the end of February.
Great layout with lots of storage
My list of must-haves were not many:
Length of trailer should be no longer than 30′
Lots of windows and lighter colored furnishings
Dual wheels
A good amount of storage
A large bathroom
Must sleep at least 5/6 people
An outside kitchen
Two doors for entering and exiting camper
Ultra Light weight
A simple exterior without outlandish designs and a neutral color palette
Room for my husband to work with his multitude of electronic devices
Heated and enclosed underbelly
NO aluminum siding
At least one slide with a slide topper
APEX by COACHMEN
The APEX 265RBSS met all of my wants with the exception of two. The RV has 1 door. I kept weighing the pros and cons and decided I could live without the extra door. It has one nice slide, but no slide topper. That I didn’t think I could do without.
My husband had other items that were important to him as far as the construction and features were concerned. He was happy with the overall construction, however he was adamant that we have two air conditioners. So, we agreed to pay extra for the slide topper and an air conditioner and negotiations began.
We picked up the RV the last week of February and then camped at Lazy Days for two days with our granddaughter. With four years of watching countless videos on camping and RVs, writing posts and interviewing experienced campers you would think we would have this RV camping thing down. HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA
“Okay, what do I do with this?”
So we thought, no problem, we will take a few short distance trips over the next few months before we hit the road for a long trip. Then Covid-19 happened and we were told to stay in our homes. Yes, we are in that age group, you know, the 60 and over group. One more challenge to our RV dream.
But maybe this is not a bad thing after all. Why do I say that? Well, my next post will address that subject.
This weekend we traveled to Conyers, Ga hoping to live stream this event. Somewhat of a disaster to start. First and foremost, internet service was awful. Evidently while Verizon is easily accessible everywhere else in this country, we were not able to live stream and go online. We talked to attendees about our website and when they would try and access the internet to visit our site to subscribe, they were unable to. It just wasn’t Verizon customers either, many with other providers were complaining as well.
Friday was a complete rain out and too cold to traipse around and look at RVs. I felt bad for the vendors thinking they wouldn’t sell a thing this weekend. However, what a surprise. The next two days were chilly but tolerable. The sun was out and all I saw was shiny new RVs everywhere, and on Sunday all we saw was SOLD. All sizes and types being purchased by all different ages of people. Many families with animals and kids, seniors, young couples and individuals… get this…many with the hopes of living full-time and traveling in their new purchase. Yes!!!! Camper Crazy people just like me.
SOLD
Lots of people!!! All ages from babies to seniors were roaming in and out of the RVs, signing up for the driving class from Camping World and attending the seminars from an RVSEF instructor.
RVSEF provides training for wannabe RVers or those seeking more education concerning RV safety and assisting people learn how to operate their RVs. We attended two of the seminars and found them to be informative. To learn more visit their website to find out more about online training and their conferences. Visit https://rvsafety.com/
The highlight of the weekend was my husband actually driving a motor-home!!! Never thought I would see that happen. Camping World offered show attendees the chance to drive a small Class A with an instructor. The nicest part was it was just that! No high pressure sales person saying, “BUY TODAY AND SAVE BIG.” Plus my husband didn’t crash so that was a big plus as well!
We stumbled into a nice Entegra Qwest Class C and there were many families that fell in love with it too. Currently I am trying to talk my husband into just buying a travel trailer and using it with our current truck until we retire. That way he can become accustomed to the RV lifestyle and will be happy to live full time in one after we retire. We looked at three different trailers that could be possibilities from the lowest cost spectrum up to the Lance 2985 Roadster to the more expensive Airstream Flying Cloud. If nothing else you gotta love that name!
Watch our video to see how Mark expertly learns how to maneuver the motor-home with great tips from the instructor and how he is slowly becoming Camper Crazy too! Check out our video on the 2020 Airstream Flying Cloud, Entegra Qwest and the Lance 2985 Roadster while we check them out at the Great American RV Show in Conyers, Georgia.
Camper Crazy Buzz
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A few weeks ago I received a text from a family friend and it said “you may want to read this“. I immediately went to the website and started briefly scanning the article. Then a wave of nausea hit me like a tidal wave. A panic attack…could it be? My immediate reaction was to quickly turn off my computer and hide it under the bed. There is no way my husband could see this. It would support every negative feeling he has about my Camper Crazy dream. He will say, “see, everything I have been telling you is confirmed in this article” and with a quick chuckle finish with a “I always knew you were crazy.”
A few days later peeking under the bed, I stared at the laptop and wondered if I was emotionally strong enough to confront the dreaded list. With sweaty palms and a racing heart, I summoned the courage to reopen that link and start reading. To be honest, I could not read it all at once. It took me a couple days to finish it. It was like trying to choke down a plate of broccoli, brussel sprouts and sauerkraut accompanied with a glass of buttermilk. I could not like it!
Should I just give up on my dream based on this article? At first, I was almost convinced that I should. The article was based on interviews of people that decided to live my dream and their valuable personal experiences, which remarks did not coincide with my dream.
Then my more rational side kicked in a couple of my brain cells. I decided that I would take one item at a time and analyze how it applied to us and how we could overcome. I started with what I felt would be the easier items to confront first.
I had to skip down to Slide 8 before I found a comfortable area to start. Not that dealing with your own waste is easy! However, in our previous article “To poop or not to poop” we confronted that topic with experienced campers. I feel like my husband will be more than capable of taking care of that part of the mess. He is an electrician by trade. That is close to a plumber, right?
Not a deal breaker
Slide 9 discusses how small the living quarters are and how it can create issues between traveling companions. That seemed plausible. We have been married 45 years and there are times I would just like to have the house to myself for an afternoon and have a “Calgon” moment. Is that enough to not follow my dream?
I sent a message to my friend Debbie. She and her husband sold their home and living full-time in an RV for over a year. When I asked her if she thought spending all her time with Joe caused issues, she laughed. Her reply was: “When you retire with your spouse what difference is there between hanging together all the time at your house or on the road in a camper? Either way you are together, so why not spend the time enjoying journeys?” Boom! Good Answer. Two down, eleven to go.
Slide 10 deals with the challenge of driving an RV. It is one of the things that sort of scares me. Not that my husband is a bad driver. But, lets face it, when one retires and ages, you look forward to losing your hearing and your eyesight. Uggg!!! It is always easier to drive when you can see where you are going. One of the things we learned from Dan & Mary Ellen, (the owners of the Pleasure-way) is careful planning helps. They plan their trip each day so they are only driving six hours a day. They can start after rush hour and arrive at their next campsite in late afternoon. A great plan!
I realize it is best if I learn to drive whatever camper we purchase in case of emergency or when my husband just doesn’t feel like driving. However, if we purchase a fifth-wheel or a travel trailer, I have zero experience. A Class C is not as scary to consider since I have driven the largest U haul trucks packed with furniture across the country.
Shanna and Brent ended up getting a fifth wheel to replace their totaled trailer. (refer to “Griswold’s in the making” article). Today she drove through Fancy Gap, VA on I-77. She said it is much easier towing a fifth-wheel than the previous Grey Wolf trailer.
Driving through Fancy Gap in a car scares me, so I am pretty impressed that she drove the F-250 with the new Elkridge. I was even more impressed that Brent wasn’t on his knees praying the whole time she was driving since the F-250 is his pride and joy.
Lynette and Mark from one of our previous posts drive a Dodge dual wheel pickup with a Jayco fifth-wheel. She tells me not to worry, it is easy. So I guess, if nothing else, I have Shanna and Lynnette to give me driving lessons if we buy a fifth-wheel.
Slide 11 discusses problematic overnight parking but gives suggestions on some apps you can utilize to find overnight parking. Easy enough we can do that. Note to self: download apps. 4 down!!! My blood pressure is now normal!
Slide 13 made me sigh. I am not a hoarder exactly, but very sentimental and like to keep things, that in all honesty.. I don’t need. However, I feel that someone close to me may appreciate the fact that I kept something that they may appreciate in the future. My husband on the other hand loves tools and wire, and nuts and bolts. We have made great strides in reducing the stuff we have over the past year. It is just stuff that will rust and deteriorate over time. For those things like old photos and letters and cards that are so dear to my heart, I am hoping my children will help me scan and maintain electronically and maybe keep some of the originals. Renting a storage unit is an option but costs extra money. We can’t forget that once we retire we are on a fixed income. A difficult obstacle for the emotional side but we can overcome!
Slide 14 deals with the fact that it is not easy to pull up your roots and leave friends and family. There is absolutely no way I can go for several months and not see my kids and granddaughters. We would both go insane. Another tip I learned from the glampers Dan and Mary, is when they owned their Class A is to invite others to join you along the way. Often they would have their kids, grand-kids and other family members and friends fly to a city on their journey. They pick them up at the airport and they travel together in the RV for a week or so and then drop them off at another airport to fly home. That way they continue their travels but share their journey with the ones they love. That can work for us as well.
Slides 2-6 &12 is what stresses me out. Those items started the heart palpitations and doubting my sanity. According to the article, RVs can be expensive, can cost a lot to repair, they depreciate, get bad gas mileage, can cost a lot to update if you buy used, and insurance can be a pain (see our blog on things you need to know about RV insurance).
While at face value those are accurate statements, what about the flip side? If you sell your home and purchase a condo to retire in, you may have huge assessments that come along as the association implements upgrades. Or like many that retire in Florida, they purchase mobile homes in 55+ communities. What happens when the AC goes out or the hot water tank breaks? Those repairs are not cheap either. Plus the lot rental can be increased every year. Stick and brick home renovations are expensive as well. In either case, if you live in an RV or a regular condo or stick and brick home – any type house repairs are going to be needed and will be expensive unless you know someone that can make the repairs for you.
I have a sister that lives in Ohio, in the same home she and her husband purchased back in the early 1960’s. If she only used her fuel oil for heating and not her wood-burner too, her heating bills in the winter would be astronomical. She would probably be better off driving a gas guzzling RV to Arizona to spend the winter. So saying that RVs are expensive may be true, but one would have to consider the alternative costs of whatever other living arrangements you make in retirement.
After reading the whole article I reached back out to our friends Debbie and Joe. Debbie made the point that after selling their home they purchased an RV lot where they spend the winters. However, after raising a family in a “bricks and sticks” home, they were happy to buy an RV even though they realized the RV would depreciate. Debbie said, “who cares? the experience is worth it”. Just look at this picture, you can see how the RV life suits them.
Happy CampersCovered deck at their RV lot – Real RV Relaxation!
Slide 7 deals with something we basically have little control over, Health Care. It makes sense that when you travel continuously it could be a hassle. While doctors may be everywhere, we prefer our regular doctors. That can be a real challenge.
My husband had major back surgery a few years ago. If by chance he has a similar issue while traveling that requires additional surgery, there is no way we will want some random doctor performing the surgery. Not knowing how the whole Medicare thing works is also a little nerve-wracking but we have some time to figure that part out.
For employed people that have the option of participating in an employee sponsored HSA (health savings account), it may be something to take full advantage of, especially if planning on a “Camper Crazy” lifestyle after retiring. We realize we must have something set aside to help pay for costs not covered by insurance.
While there are downsides to retiring in an RV, there are also upsides. The 13 reasons mentioned above are things that we feel can be minimized with knowledge and planning.
Unfortunately, we should have actually started planning for this lifestyle even sooner. However, my husband’s hesitancy is actually a good thing because it offsets my crazy “jump right in and do it” personality. With planning and the right strategy… hopefully… we will NEVER regret living full-time in an RV in retirement. That is, if my husband can be persuaded to be Camper Crazy too!
The video above gives just a small glimpse of this amazing Disney RV resort
Trying to convince a man that living full-time in an RV after retiring will be exciting and fun has been a challenge. The challenge is REAL, especially when this person does not enjoy vacations, hates cruising, refuses to fly and has little interest in hobbies. So, slowly through the course of the past few years I have dragged him to RV shows and RV showrooms, and he finally consented to earnestly try and consider the idea. Together we watch youtube videos and read blogs about RV life and are now sharing our thoughts and information through Camper Crazy Buzz.
However, he is still not totally convinced. I decided to try another tactic. I would introduce him to an over the top style of camping that may seal the deal. You see, this guy who hates anything to do with fun and vacationing (with the exception of going to see the trees change colors in the fall)… he has a specific weakness for the Wonderful World of Disney.
In the mid 90’s we moved to Orlando and he enjoyed watching the fireworks from our living room window at night. He loved walking through what was known then as Downtown Disney, and even enjoyed occasionally going to the parks. Something about the place…get this….makes him happy! He has even suggested that after retiring we should just move back to Orlando.
My plan… take him to Fort Wilderness. However, my plan backfired. We had been busy for many days helping family pack up to move. We were tired and I wanted to take a break, but he refused. He said he could not do anything related to my “camper crazy” dream and suggested I take our eight year old granddaughter on a “camper crazy” adventure.
I think he imagined that at eight years old she would be really bored looking at RVs and that would burst my camper crazy bubble. Our granddaughters are the center of our world and the main reason he is even considering that maybe, just maybe he will buy an RV. He has said that it “may be fun to take the girls on road trips in an RV”.
He just did not realize what I had planned. Surprise!!! Our granddaughter had a phenomenal time. We met up with some family staying at Fort Wilderness. Although, I had only planned on staying a few hours and look around and visit the pool, we stayed the night, thanks to a flat tire. My granddaughter experienced her first night in a “two-story camper”. “What is that?” you ask. It is what my granddaughter called the fifth-wheel camper we stayed in.
Of course, like anything Disney, Fort Wilderness is beautiful and designed in a charming, fairy tale frontier style. You can almost imagine walking the grounds, as you round the bend, you will run into the Seven Dwarfs or Winnie the Pooh and his gang. Needless to say, it is not your run-of-the-mill campground.
Fully equipped campsites can accommodate anything from tents to large Class A motor-homes. Finding your spot is easy since the sites are setup in loops. There is plenty of room between each site and designed in a way that features the beauty of Florida’s great outdoors and without feeling like your privacy is jeopardized. Your basic hookups are available at most sites along with cable TV, a picnic table and a grill.
Woof Woof! Many of our family members and friends that camp like to take their dogs with them. Many of the sites at Fort Wilderness are pet friendly with the exception of those camping in a tent or a popup style camper. As expected, there will be an additional charge to bring your pet, currently posted as $5 per night, but many find it well worth the added expense. Well behaved pets can be taken on the pet walking trails as long as they are on a lead, or they can play off leash at the Waggin Trail’s dog park. What if you want to spend the day at one of the parks and don’t want to leave Fido in the camper all day? Disney has an answer for that. Day and overnight care is available at the Best Friend’s Kennel Care.
With a resort boasting 750 acres of lush wilderness, you may want to explore the resort by renting a golf cart at the reception outpost. It is a great way to get the kids back to the RV after their hard day splashing around in the pool, canoeing, or galloping along the happy trails on horseback. If you are not up to riding the trails, catch a wagon ride or take a carriage ride. Don’t fret there are plenty of fun-filled activities for adults and children. Even though the horse and pony rides, wagon ride, carriage ride all comes with an additional cost, you may find that this is the best vacation you have taken in a long time.
Evenings offer activities such as gobbling up roasted marshmallows at the “campfire sing-along”, having fun watching a Disney film at the outside theater, enjoying dinner and a show at the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, or finding delight in the beautiful boat parade with all your favorite Disney characters, and then ending the day with breathtaking fireworks.
So now you are like, “I wanna go there but I don’t even own an RV” 😦 sad face, pout, tears in your eyes!!! Never fear…Disney wants you to feel like you are a happy camper too. SHHHH, do not tell my husband but there are log-cabins nestled within this wilderness with a private patio and a modern kitchen. But don’t worry, you don’t have to wash those dishes, housekeeping will do it for you. I know what you are thinking, ‘who wants to go to the grocery store on the way to a resort cabin?” No worries, pre-order your groceries long before you arrive. Make your list and then email, fax or snail mail to Disney. How great is that?
Cabins with modern kitchen and patio
As you probably realize, the cost for campsites and cabin rentals within Fort Wilderness will not be your typical campground cost. But then again, this is not your typical campground. In fact, my little great-niece said it was the best vacation she has ever been on. When her dad asked, “better than when you were kissed by the dolphin, and you shook the hand of the sea lion and fed the sharks?” With a big smile she answered with a resounding, “yes”.
All I can say is, the visit to Fort Wilderness heightened my “camper craziness” and made my granddaughter a little “camper crazy” too. Hopefully my fairy tale dream will come true and our family will be camping at Disney’s Fort Wilderness very soon.
“this is going to be a crappy, stinking blog”. We just hope you continue reading and visit our newest video as we research the dirty part of owning an RV. It is a topic that needs to be discussed and thought about when contemplating purchasing an RV.
Listening to videos about campers or visiting RV sales showrooms, you hear terms like, “black water”, “gray water”, “dump tanks” and may see toilet paper designed for RV use. Seriously, do you really need to buy a specialty toilet paper like this one sold on Amazon? There are youtube videos with people testing toilet paper to see which dissolves best. They are usually long, boring videos, so we decided to talk with people that own campers and ask their opinion.
Sold on Amazon
You may hear your camping friends talk about “toilet bombs”, but they are not Camper Crazy toilet terrorists, they are just sanitation sensitive. For us future RV owners, these may not be familiar terms. However, if we watched that movie “RV”, we probably all remember the dumping scene. Thus the question, “to poop or not to poop”.
If you remember our blog and videos featuring BJ & Shanna’s family, they started out their trip with strict orders to their kids not to poop in the RV. They had to use the comfort station at the RV parks. They didn’t want to deal with all that cleanup work. By the end of their trip, they were all using the throne for their dirty work.
When talking to other campers, some have decided it is not worth all the hard work and strictly use the RV park facilities they camp in. However, that is a bit difficult if you eat a lot of high fiber foods or if it is bad weather and you have to run to the park facilities.
But, why is this important? Well, for one thing we spend a lot of time using the toilet! There are studies that have been conducted that show people spend from 1.5 – 3 hours on the toilet each week. So, if you are living full-time in an RV, in one year, you may spend almost one full week on the toilet. So, we figure, not only should the bathroom area be the right size, but the toilet should be comfortable and we better know how to keep that toilet cleaned out properly.
So, what is black water and gray water? Below your beautiful RV are holding tanks that hold the non-pretty elements of your RV. Underneath will be your “black tank” that holds the waste from your toilet. You will also have a “gray tank” that holds the waste water from your shower and sinks. If your holding tanks are not properly cleaned, they will generate a smell that will make you think that skunks have taken your RV hostage.
All of the RVs we have looked at have a foot flush on the toilet. You step on it and it dispenses water into the bowl and opens the valve in the bowl to dump the toilet waste into your black tank. Following are tips that we will try to utilize, if we figure out what type RV to purchase:
Tip #1 – Make sure you have some water in the bottom of the toilet bowl before you use it.
Tip #2 – Some recommend that if you have your fan on while using the toilet, shut-off the fan when you flush. That process will eliminate the fan from pulling up the stinky odors from the black tank when the valve opens. Others say that if you clean out your tank properly and often, this is unnecessary.
Tip #3 – Make sure your toilet bowl is empty of all water once you start traveling, otherwise you will have to clean up a sloshy mess, especially if the driver of your RV drives like my husband.
Tip #4 – You can use your shower sprayer with hot water to spray out the toilet bowl before you dump the tank and the steam will also help breakup any solids that may be starting to harden.
Tip #5 – Dump your black tank and THEN dump your gray tank to flush out the hose.
Tip #6 – Make your own toilet bombs. You can find instructions online to get the recipe and the campers we interviewed used slightly different recipes but all happy with the results. One of the campers we interviewed simply uses a few scoops of Borax and large squirts of Dawn dish-washing liquid and flushes it down into the black tank.
Tip 7 – You may want to try Poo Pourri…
Some recommend after you dump and clean your tank to add water to the tank to help solids from sticking to the sides and bottom of the tank. Other campers say this is unnecessary if you dump often and clean properly and use toilet bombs. After you dump your tank, you should always clean it out manually or with a Saniflush if your RV comes equipped with it.
There is no way we will only use campsite comfort station facilities to do our business. So, our goal is to make sure we know all the correct procedures in emptying the tanks, keeping them clean and using the proper chemicals that will keep the tanks in good shape and eliminate stinky odors.
If any of our readers have other suggestions that have worked for them, please leave a comment to help educate us and others that are Camper Crazy Confused also! And if you are camper crazy confused, leave a question and we will try and find an answer.
As always we recommend you watch our video on this sensitive subject matter. Simply login to YouTube and search for Camper Crazy Buzz. Don’t forget to subscribe and like!
If your RV does not have a lock on the bathroom door, you may want to install a seat belt on your toilet. You never know when you will fall off the pot and fly out the door(s)! Learn more & get the BUZZ in our videos and remember, “safety first”!
What does a used Jayco 5th Wheel, a brand new Winnebago View C class and a Pleasureway B+ class have in common? Look closely, can you tell?
In our quest to figure out which type of RV we should consider for our future travels (if and when my husband decides it should be in our future), we decided to take a road trip. Traveling to just outside of Memphis, we met up with our experienced Glamping Sr. couple, the Mid-lifers in their new Winnebago and their friends that have camped for years from Arkansas, with their pickup and 5th Wheel Jayco camper.
On our way, we stopped at Gander RV Sales in Alabama. We have been to many RV showrooms over the past couple years just “kicking tires”, but now we need to get all the BUZZ! Time to really educate ourselves, but there is a lot to learn when you know little about the Camper Crazy World.
So to persuade my husband that this is a life he would enjoy, I take him into the accessory store. Anyone that knows my husband can tell you that if it has a knob or a plug or a switch… he has to turn it, plug it in or switch it. He just can’t help himself. My plan…there has to be generators right? We will make our way there. We will eventually make it to the campers, but one step at a time.
Gander RV has a great accessory store, one of the best we have visited so far. They had a great pet section, RV furniture, outdoor equipment, all kind of RV parts and of course…GENERATORS. https://rv.ganderoutdoors.com/dealer/oxford-alabama-anniston
Oh boy, the bait seems to be working. He is enthralled with all the gadgets and the chair even has some kind of knobs and switches! Wow, they have more generators than one of the electrical supply houses he likes to frequent. This store is great! It is clean and spacious and has a great supply of camping gear, parts and accessories.
That is not all, they also have a nice selection of RV trailers and we look at several with our sales rep, Danny. He hasn’t been selling RVs for very long but is quite informative. Since my husband is a free lance electrical estimator, it is important that we have access to WiFi and we know not all parks have great WiFi, so we ask Danny about options. He shows us an LTE WiFi Router by Furrion. “Stay Online while exploring the world offline”, seems to be their motto. We need to explore this option further and if you are interested too, check out their website https://furrion.com/collections/routers/products/router
We see several campers that could potentially work for us, but feel more CONFUSED and overwhelmed with the amount of stuff we don’t know about the Camper Crazy world. So we get back on the road to hopefully find some answers. I am also very excited because I have a special surprise for Mark. I made arrangements for us to stay one night in the Winnebago View with the Mid-Lifers at the RV Park! Not so sure how he will react, but I am hoping that he will love it.
Oh, I almost forgot, what does a Jayco 5th Wheel, a Pleasureway and a Winnebago have in common? Owners that are all HAPPY CAMPERS and love think their RV is best…..for them at least. They are happy to share their likes & dislikes of their campers and discuss how to choose your RV and much more.
Excitement and adventure is their dream as they load up their new Grey Wolf trailer by Forest River and leave the heat of Florida for the cool Canadian landscape. The camper layout is great for their family with a Queen bed and twin corner bunks and nice sized pantry. Purchased new from Camping World they are ready to be Camper Crazy World Travelers. https://www.campingworld.com/ Learn more about Forest River Grey Wolf trailers at:
However, if we look closely at their smiles and eyes, Shanna seems somewhat apprehensive and Mia has a grimace radiating a little fear…is her dad a bad driver or is she just dreading this trip? BJ, Colton and Jax look genuinely happy and ready to set-off and leave Central Florida for their first stop in Stone Mountain, Ga.
The first day took longer than they expected. They had to make extra stops for the baby so they arrive to the site late in the day. They decide that they must get up earlier in the mornings and get things wrapped up so they can reach their campsites while still daylight, although they all realize it just isn’t in their nature to be early birds. Every stop has been carefully mapped out by Shanna using RV Trip Wizard. http://rvtripwizard.com The website touts itself as the Best RV Trip Planner. Shanna, following the suggestion of mid-life crisis couple Chuck & Dana, signs up and plans her trip. We will find out later if RV Trip Wizard is all it says it is.
Days 1-6
The first couple days are just casual driving through the hills of Georgia and Tennessee heading to Minnesota. First few days are very enjoyable.
Kids are not miserable and in fact Mia and Jax are quite happy traveling through each state. Colton is not totally bored, but then…his internet access has not been interrupted too much. So all is well for now.
Not sure how BJ is living without his Starbucks drive through coffee. Do you think he brews Starbucks in the camper?
The circle of love – so far a great family trip. Look at those happy smiles. We will get Shanna & BJ’s comments about the campsites they stayed in a little later and will post on our YouTube Channel.
As we can see BJ is ready to do some laundry. They purchased a portable washer and dryer. We don’t have the details, as of yet as to how well they work. However, they store the washer under the main bed and haul the dryer in the back of their pickup. We did not realize they made such portable washers and dryers but are anxious to find out more about them, since I am not a fan of using laundromats. He looks so happy doing the laundry. I wish my husband looked like that when I ask him to throw some towels in the washer. Unfortunately, strong winds and hazardous steps cause some Camper Crazy drama. Stay tuned for future blogs. In the meantime, enjoy a video of their trip so far @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmijHYW2QGI&t=19s
Camping, Glamping & the World of Recreational Vehicles
“Oh, the places you’ll go!” Dr. Seuss
My husband calls me Camper Crazy because I have been nagging
him for the past 3 years to buy an RV. I
keep pitching the idea that we should live full-time in an RV when we retire…
just a few years away!
However, he thinks I am Crazy…Irrational…and just plain
NUTS! My husband is a workaholic and not
one that likes to try new things. The
thought of buying a camper totally stresses him out. So we have decided that we need to entrench
ourselves in finding the pros and cons of camping and glamping and figure out
which RV would work best for our circumstances and our future goals.
We have visited many blog sites and watched 100’s of videos on different types of RVs…..MANY ARE SO BORING. Plus, they have done nothing to convince my husband that an RV is something we need to buy, let alone live in. Let’s face it, you can only watch so many RV Salespeople showing you the features of an RV and then you find yourself…. snoring and dribbling spit on your pillow.
This site is a multi-family combined effort featuring the World of Camping, Glamping and Recreational
Vehicles. Why should YOU subscribe
to our blog and follow us on You Tube?
Because we will give you the Buzz of info to be off and running as
another CAMPER CRAZY, FUN LOVING INDIVIDUAL!
We will follow some RV trips of new campers and
experienced campers. We will share their
likes and dislikes, pros and cons.
We will learn the dos and don’ts – tips and
tricks – and share Hilarious, Outrageous stories!!!
What kind of RV works best for young families,
working couples, seniors, and single people?
A CLASS; B CLASS, C CLASS? No we
are not talking about school for you non-campers.
But wait…Mark and I have been involved in
construction all our lives. In fact, we
volunteer a lot of our time in helping with disaster relief work. Wow….you would think he would want an RV to
be able to do more in this type of work.
Is retrofitting an older camper more logical, economical and conducive to a more attractive interior? We may be retiring in a few years but I don’t want our RV to be classified as a Grandpa’s or Grandma’s Camper. Jeez, that is why we call ourselves Pa and Gigi to our granddaughters. If you didn’t know…Gigi is a grandmother but so much cooler! So, for me a Cool Awesome Camper is absolutely a necessity. Plus, my 8 year old granddaughter would never want to vacation in an ugly camper with her Gigi. Gigi & Derby Adventures are never boring and are very cool.
What do we buy for our RV, when we determine which one to buy? After all, we want our married children and their families to travel with us on family vacations. Our son, Shane is so much like his father and thinks RESORT = NO RV. But his wife Kelli, would love joining us on RV trips. Our daughter Summer is with me. She would love to get an RV and is trying to sweet talk her husband Garth so maybe…just maybe they can join in on the family fun with our grandbaby Cookie.
And what about food? What meals are the healthiest and easiest to make on the road?
What campsites are the best?
We will also share pics and videos of areas you may want to visit and more!
This site is dedicated to finding the answers and featuring
REAL LIFE CAMPERS in REAL LIFE (sometimes messy) RVs. Most of all, it is dedicated to helping
everyone become Camper Crazy!!!
Next up….The First Time RV Family
YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS…A young couple with 3 kids on their first RV trip from Florida to Canada, driving a Ford F-250 pulling a new Grey Wolf Travel Trailer, (their rig on top of blog page). So far, this trip falls somewhere between the movie RV and the National Lampoon Griswold Family. If anything can go wrong on this trip, so far it has.
Stay tuned to the adventures of Brent (B.J.) & Shanna, with the teenage son who likes video games and computers, the 9 year old daughter who likes to run 5k races with her mom and their adorable baby who has some special needs and the motivation for BJ to purchase an RV.
And then….Chuck & Dana
A mid-aged (mid-life crisis maybe?) couple with 3 married children: their eldest son and his wife and their travel friendly puppy, Tokyo catch up with their parents in California and travel up the coast, then they will be joined by their daughter, an Irish dance instructor and her husband.
Chuck and Dana are traveling from Florida to Vancouver on a
six week trip in their brand new
Winnebago View. Their children are taking
turns flying in to travel different legs on the trip with their parents. This trip got off to a rough start, but the
pics and videos are amazing. You won’t
want to miss being a part of this trip.
Traveling with them on this trip are her parents:
Danny & Mary Ellen, who are Totally Experienced Glampers to the Extreme! From previously traveling in a coach fit for a King and Queen, to now traveling in a new Pleasure-way Class B, they offer so many tips and tricks. But, don’t let their fancy lifestyle fool you. Danny is also an experienced Kayaker and Hiker. He is a true camper and can help us learn the best items to use when camping in a small tent in the wild…yes with wild bears and snakes and bugs of every sort. You can check out some of his hiking trips on YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngBadyvqGEM
So, now we are off…let the Adventure begin….join us at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-KjzYdmcJRpcRS3AAEEjQA and subscribe to join the fun. Our goal each week is gaining 100 subscribers to our channel and our blog. Can you help us reach that goal?
Please subscribe on the Blog Home page so you can get all the Camper Crazy Buzz!
This site is dedicated to all things camping, glamping and RVing…
We are Mark and Emily, married 45 years…and yes, all that time to each other!
Reaching another phase in our life, it is time for another adventure. Unfortunately, we are at a by-pass and not sure which direction to go…. we may be… OMG Senior Citizens (tough to even say), but in our minds we are still 17. I am ready to buy that RV, travel and live full-time in it once I retire, but Mark says….hmmm I don’t know about that.
After 4 years of dragging him through RV Shows and RV Campgrounds, we finally did it! We bought our first RV trailer. And of course, we did it the year of a PANDEMIC. Well I am not ready to retire just yet, so this year we may not travel much but we will continue to make plans and learn. Oh, and I forgot….my husband only agreed because he needs a travel trailer for his business. So much for my vacation paradise!
Camper Crazy Buzz 