# Camping Costs!



## NYS Prison Guard

This was really interesting, and I decided to sign up. Then I checked the rates! Now it is true that I am new to RVing, but am I to expect that campgrounds should charge the same rate that I can get a motel room for? Did I make a mistake in purchasing a camper for my retirement? $50 to $60 for a sight for the night, that is outrageous! I thought RVing was all about traveling the country on the cheap, are there any places where you can hook up for say under $20? If not I guess this outback will be in the classifieds!


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## clarkely

NYS Prison Guard said:


> This was really interesting, and I decided to sign up. Then I checked the rates! Now it is true that I am new to RVing, but am I to expect that campgrounds should charge the same rate that I can get a motel room for? Did I make a mistake in purchasing a camper for my retirement? $50 to $60 for a sight for the night, that is outrageous! I thought RVing was all about traveling the country on the cheap, are there any places where you can hook up for say under $20? If not I guess this outback will be in the classifieds!


state and national campgrounds with out hook ups can be had at a much lower rate............. gettysburg area hotels will be over or close to 100.00 a night - and with a hotel you never know who or what was or is in the bed........

Drummerboy is an expensive campground - but thats what the area supports


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## rdvholtwood

NYS Prison Guard said:


> This was really interesting, and I decided to sign up. Then I checked the rates! Now it is true that I am new to RVing, but am I to expect that campgrounds should charge the same rate that I can get a motel room for? Did I make a mistake in purchasing a camper for my retirement? $50 to $60 for a sight for the night, that is outrageous! I thought RVing was all about traveling the country on the cheap, are there any places where you can hook up for say under $20? If not I guess this outback will be in the classifieds!


Camping rates vary - with - State parks being slightly cheaper. Remember with State Parks you don't get the full hook-ups for the most part. Some state parks - such as Elk Neck in Maryland and Bull Run Regional in VA do have full hookups and are just slightly cheaper. I guess when you look at the big picture - the cost for your RV's loan, and TV loan (if you have loans) plus, the cost of gas or diesel it can be pretty expensive.

From what I've seen, hotels are pretty expensive - with camping being at least half the cost of staying in a motel.

I'd rather be camping.


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## joeymac

Not sure what kind of hotels you can stay at for $60.00 a night.







I travel quite a bit for my job and on average I spend $120-$175 a night. 
I have found that since we bought the camper we do spend more money over the summer than we use to spend on one vacation during the year. However for us it is money well spent. With young kids we are making priceless memories for them !
The campgrounds we frequent usually cost us $25 a night (state parks) to $50 a night for full hookups. Again with having kids, we usually look for place with swimming pools or activities. 
I am sure you can find campgrounds with less amenities in the $20-$30 range or if you pay monthly maybe less.


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## OBcanOB

In your retirement you will probably do some travelling for the first couple years. Get a Good Sam card, they are good for a 10% discount usually. We also travelled with the Passport America which gave us one to two day stays in the $15-25 range. Great for while you are moving around. Once you find that place you want to stay at for a month or more, you'll find the rates run from as low as $300/mo up into the $1000/mo +. All depends how luxurious you want. Then there are lots of cheaper ways to travel if need be, and the amazing State Parks system will ensure you have some of the finest stays anywhere, especially if you like the great outdoors. Same with the parks here in Canada if you travel north. Pulling your own 'house' around, and everything else that goes with it, the biggest part being the great people you meet, is more than worth it. (Think how boring it would be staying in a Motel 6 for a week... )


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## Y-Guy

Depends, yes there are cheaper campgrounds. As stated usually the State/Fed/Corp campgrounds are cheaper, but with all the cuts they have all raised their rates up. The USFS/BLM are usually the cheapest but that's for the site, not power/water. Our average for a nice State with hookup's runs about $30-35. If you stay at Private & KOA you're going to be paying for it. Want a view or premium site? Going to pay for it. East Coast? You guessed it.

There are many that have learned the art of boondocking to save money, but you'll need to have your RV setup to deal with it. Carry more water, solar/generator, etc.


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## luverofpeanuts

NYS Prison Guard said:


> Did I make a mistake in purchasing a camper for my retirement? $50 to $60 for a sight for the night, that is outrageous! I thought RVing was all about traveling the country on the cheap, are there any places where you can hook up for say under $20? If not I guess this outback will be in the classifieds!


With a 230RS, you'll be able to have a lot of flexibility on the type of campground you can stay at, so you'll have lots of choices. We stick to County/State parks with only electric hookups. $24/night. If you want amenities like full hookups, cable, wifi, etc... you'll pay for it. We prefer less amenities, more nature, more space between sites, etc.


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## CrazyAboutOrchids

With our family of 5, being able to camp and cook 3 meals a day as we would typically eat at home is far, far less expensive than to stay at a hotel and have to eat out 3 times daily. And on top of it, we have our own comfy "stuff" and just outside the door we can have a fire to sit around. Much better surroundings than any hotel, but to each their own....


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## John3640

I don't think you can expect to save any money while camping. If you factor in the cost of your RV, tow vehicle, storage and upkeep, and low fuel mileage, it would probably be cheaper to drive a hybrid car and stay at motels.
We like camping for the experience of it. Things like campfires, being outdoors, fishing, hiking, kayaking, biking, and meeting other campers. Its easier traveling with our dog and since he is one of the family we don't like to leave him behind. When we plan a hotel type vacation, we tend to stay in on spot for the week. With the camper we tend to move around and see more places which is more fun in my opinion.

I guess I feel its not about saving any money. Its just more fun!

John


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## clarkely

was this moved from a rally thread?

the op comments are out of context with it being moved ..........


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## CamperAndy

clarkely said:


> was this moved from a rally thread?
> 
> the op comments are out of context with it being moved ..........


What are you talking about?


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## KTMRacer

we seldom pay more than $40 for a overnight stay, state/FS parks are in the $20 range, RV Parks in the upper $30's, and some of them have been pretty high class, all have been nice places with nice facilities. One trick with RV parks is to do some searching before you stop, or planning before you leave, and not to necessarily take the spot the want to put you in, usually a premium pull through. Ask for a regular back in. If you don't need sewer for the night, ask for a water/electric site, use a full hookup every 3-4 nights when you need to dump, or dump along the way at rest stops with dumps. Personally we stay away from KOA's, for what we do we see them as way overpriced. Good sam saves 10% +$5.00 at most RV Parks with membership and the online $5.00 coupon you can print off. Can use the coupon as many times as you want.

Since the OP is retired, like us, traveling in the off season. (e.g. not June-August) often will get lower rates as well, along with staying during the week instead of weekend. Often we go Monday, come back friday. Lower rates, way fewer people in campgrounds or parks, people we do meet are traveling like us and make a wonderfull experience. Right now we are in a state park, full hookups, laundry facilities, beautiful view of the Rogue river, cost $20/night since October starts the "Discovery season" with rates cut by about $5/night.

Seldom can we find a motel I'd stay in for less than $80, usually near $100. then factor in meals and just for two ofus we figure $125/ night when traveling using a motel.

This last year we camped 90 days and traveled 7500 miles. total costs; campgrounds, groceries, NP entrance fees, truck diesel, propane etc, was a shade over $7,000, or about $75/day. Many national parks, great FS and state campgrounds, great sites, always nice camping neighbors, met lots people, learned of lots of places to visit. No we didn't overnight for free at any walmarts or rest stops, that could have saved some more.

EXPERIENCE-------PRICELESS!!


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## rsm7

John3640 said:


> I don't think you can expect to save any money while camping. If you factor in the cost of your RV, tow vehicle, storage and upkeep, and low fuel mileage, it would probably be cheaper to drive a hybrid car and stay at motels.
> We like camping for the experience of it. Things like campfires, being outdoors, fishing, hiking, kayaking, biking, and meeting other campers. Its easier traveling with our dog and since he is one of the family we don't like to leave him behind. When we plan a hotel type vacation, we tend to stay in on spot for the week. With the camper we tend to move around and see more places which is more fun in my opinion.
> 
> I guess I feel its not about saving any money. Its just more fun!
> 
> John


Exactly. RV'ing is not cheaper, just different. It's a lifestyle thing. Besides the money involved in buying the equipment it can also be alot of work. Maintenance, cleaning, packing up to go, packing up to come home, and unpacking. The part I like about it is getting together with friends and family. We routinely have around 20 people go camping with us and we have a great time. These get togethers wouldnt happen without camping. If I were traveling cross country I would prefer to do it in an RV as opposed to motels but I doubt an RV is cheaper. You either like it or you dont but saving money is pretty low on the decision list.


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## rdvholtwood

Lots of good responses - I would be curious to see what average costs for camping are from different areas. I know on the east coast they can range from about $36 (State Park with full hookups) to close to $100.00 for Jellystone campground - close to where I live - Quarryville,PA. The locale that I live in is purely rural farms. A $100 per night is ridiculous for a rural area.


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## egregg57

The most I have paid is about $84 a night. And that was at a Camping Resort, 4 Swimming Pools, 4 Hot Tubs, nightly entertainment, a restraunt on the campground, free trolley rides to the beach etc.

Understanding what camping _*really*_ costs takes some looking. A little bit of thinking about it really makes camping for us, at about 40 +/- a night a very enjoyable and cost effective thing.

1. Towing your camper to a CG provides the following things
a. You have your belongings with you
b. You're not living out of a suitcase
c. You don't have to pay for eating out
d. No matter where you go, you can come back to your things.
c. It helps to remove your family from the normal run of the mill things at home and provides the opportunity to maximize time as a family, together. That alone is worth any cost to some.
e. It provides a step off pad to many different activities. Instead of putting your family up at a hotel, bringing the camper close to a vacation spot or right to your vacation spot can save you hundreds and hundreds of dollars while providing a fantastic vacation. 
f. Outbacks make great weekend get aways. My wife and I like to just unplug for a weekend. We have a favorite campground about an hour and half away. It will cost a little less than $80 to stay there for the weekend and about $50 in gas round trip. BUT I know I am going to relax. The Dogs love it. My step-son (a teenager knows people there) is quite happy going. My wife loves her Lafuma and you'll catch hell if you disturb her and her Kindle while reclining in front of the pond. By the time Sunday afternoon rolls around I am ready for the work week. If I chose not to do anything else it cost me about $130.00 for guarranteed peace and relaxation.
g. Another good example is long distance trips which I have Blogged about. (I wish I had not removed them) We have gone to Acadia twice with about 17 to 21 other families. It cost us $294.00 to stay 7 nights and 8 days at a campground just outside of Acadia National Park. That is 2 Adults, 2 Teens, and 2 dogs. I went through 2 tanks of gas over the stay for about $220.00. We bought what we wanted, ate out when we chose to, but did not have to.

I would challenge anyone to go to Bar Harbor, Maine in August with a family of four, find a hotel, eat as you would normally and go do things for 8 days for less than $500.00. I don't think that's going to happen!

But aside from number crunching, it is about family, experiences, memories, and having a good time. I think if you have achieved even a few of the previous things, the cost of camping is well worth it.... *well* worth it.

Eric


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## clarkely

CamperAndy said:


> was this moved from a rally thread?
> 
> the op comments are out of context with it being moved ..........


What are you talking about?
[/quote]

this was moved from getysburg rally thread - op was going to sign up but they felt rate was to high to camp there - there is nothing that indicates it was moved from there.........

I knew it was moved because i commented on it to him in the rally thread - actually defending the rates.......

the op opens with "This was really interesting, and I decided to sign up" - i am just suggesting it is good to know where it was moved from so it doesnt look like the OP is babbling with out making any sense


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## rsm7

clarkely said:


> was this moved from a rally thread?
> 
> the op comments are out of context with it being moved ..........


What are you talking about?
[/quote]

this was moved from getysburg rally thread - op was going to sign up but they felt rate was to high to camp there - there is nothing that indicates it was moved from there.........

I knew it was moved because i commented on it to him in the rally thread - actually defending the rates.......

the op opens with "This was really interesting, and I decided to sign up" - i am just suggesting it is good to know where it was moved from so it doesnt look like the OP is babbling with out making any sense
[/quote]

Thanks clarkely. It does clear things up for me anyway.


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## clarkely

rdvholtwood said:


> Lots of good responses - I would be curious to see what average costs for camping are from different areas. I know on the east coast they can range from about $36 (State Park with full hookups) to close to $100.00 for Jellystone campground - close to where I live - Quarryville,PA. The locale that I live in is purely rural farms. A $100 per night is ridiculous for a rural area.


you can actually still get some for less than 30.00

I was just looking at promise land or hickory run (forget which one) and it was 29.00

Green lane park campground is 25.00

so there are some - albeit only a small amount under 30.00

funny thing is i remember 8-10 years ago when state sites were under 20.00 and most pay ones were around 30.00 - kick in the ......teeth







is they have sky rocketed as have fuel costs - and salaries have not accelerated at the same rate........


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## rdvholtwood

Great response Eric!























Actually, I never really try to think about the cost, but, what I gain in great times in memories is priceless!


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## rdvholtwood

rsm7 said:


> was this moved from a rally thread?
> 
> the op comments are out of context with it being moved ..........


What are you talking about?
[/quote]

this was moved from getysburg rally thread - op was going to sign up but they felt rate was to high to camp there - there is nothing that indicates it was moved from there.........

I knew it was moved because i commented on it to him in the rally thread - actually defending the rates.......

the op opens with "This was really interesting, and I decided to sign up" - i am just suggesting it is good to know where it was moved from so it doesnt look like the OP is babbling with out making any sense
[/quote]

Thanks clarkely. It does clear things up for me anyway.
[/quote]

At times, threads are split and moved when their context is, for the most part, off topic relative to the original topic. Many times when a thread goes off topic, it continues until usually a mod steps in. At times, splitting the topic allows for a more general conversation on the topic to reply to the OP concern. In this case, it was more about camping rates, then Gettysburg. Thread splitting is not new to the forum.

Whenever a topic is split - the OP is contacted to let them know that their topic is split.

With regards to the OP, lets keep the topic regarding camping costs on track and not on the GB rally.

Rick


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## CamperAndy

rdvholtwood said:


> was this moved from a rally thread?
> 
> the op comments are out of context with it being moved ..........


What are you talking about?
[/quote]

this was moved from getysburg rally thread - op was going to sign up but they felt rate was to high to camp there - there is nothing that indicates it was moved from there.........

I knew it was moved because i commented on it to him in the rally thread - actually defending the rates.......

the op opens with "This was really interesting, and I decided to sign up" - i am just suggesting it is good to know where it was moved from so it doesnt look like the OP is babbling with out making any sense
[/quote]

Thanks clarkely. It does clear things up for me anyway.
[/quote]

At times, threads are split and moved when their context is, for the most part, off topic relative to the original topic. Many times when a thread goes off topic, it continues until usually a mod steps in. At times, splitting the topic allows for a more general conversation on the topic to reply to the OP concern. In this case, it was more about camping rates, then Gettysburg. Thread splitting is not new to the forum.

Whenever a topic is split - the OP is contacted to let them know that their topic is split.

With regards to the OP, lets keep the topic regarding camping costs on track and not on the GB rally.

Rick
[/quote]

Well there you go. We admins sometimes make decisions to split without telling each other and I have seldom considered telling the general membership, every once in a while I will make a post in the split thread. Only the OP is typically told.

This thread has received a much better response as a seperated topic then it would have in a rally thread.


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## Piecemaker

Being able to sleep in your own bed Priceless!!


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## outback loft

I guess I am lucky as the most expensive campground here used to be a KOA, but the owner is an a$$ and lost the KOA title. He charged somewhere around $70 a night for a site in an open field with electric and water hookup, then he charges per person on the the site, along with a fee for each vehicle. To make it even worse the next campsite is about 3' off your awning, and the next one behind you is about 5' from the rear of you trailer. The county parks are the cheapest, I can get a campsite at the beach with electric, water, sewer for $27 a night, and I can get a site with water only for $15 a night. I can get a site _on_ the beach for $14 a night and I usually go out on the beach. When I do come off the beach, I get a site with just water as I need nothing else. I can get into the state parks for anywhere between $30-40 a night depending on hookups.


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## KTMRacer

rdvholtwood said:


> Lots of good responses - I would be curious to see what average costs for camping are from different areas. I know on the east coast they can range from about $36 (State Park with full hookups) to close to $100.00 for Jellystone campground - close to where I live - Quarryville,PA. The locale that I live in is purely rural farms. A $100 per night is ridiculous for a rural area.


Here is my experience for pacific northwest camping. This last year we camped 88 days, well 86 as of today, two more before we get home from our latest trip. Most of the time we try for state, forest service or county parks. Our 86 days included trips to yosemite, Zion, bryce canyon and campgrounds/RV parks in oregon, washington, idaho and california. Zion and Yosemite were weekly rates at RV parks. Total for these 86 days in camping costs were $2066, which works out to just under $24/night. Of the time, about 1 week ended up being no fee camping sites, (dispersed forest service etc.), take these out and make it 80 days, it's still about $25/day. about 1/2 of the RV park stays had heated pools, cable tv etc, I think the most we ever payed per night was just over $50. Granted many of the state/forest service campgrounds were no hookups, so they are less expensive, but that's the kind of camping we like. A generator and 90 gallons of grey/black tank capacity goes a long way!

One of the biggest rip off's for state and national park campgrounds IMHO is reserve america and the Park Service reservation system with the $8/reservation fee on top of the park rates.

as others have mentioned, good sam/AARP/AAA etc will save 10% of the RV park "rack rates". Also we are carefull of what site they try to push. If RV parks aren't full and you don't say anything you'll likely get a premium pull through site, extra $$$ in their pockets. I request a back in, and look at the map for a good view and a "regular" site. If it's only for 1-2 nights I go for water/electric only if it is less, and dump at the next site or a rest stop, usually saves about $5/night, and we can easily go 4 days without dumping or filling with water. and good sam now is letting you print a $5 off coupon as many times as you want. Saved us $25 so far on this trip. Also in our area (Oregon) there are lots of county parks/fairgrounds with very nice campgrounds for very reasonable prices. Oregon state parks with full hookups are about $20/night starting october 1st each year through early spring. 
Casino's are another good place for a inexpensive overnight stop. Vary from parking lots to some extremely nice resorts for very low rates.


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## clarkely

CamperAndy said:


> was this moved from a rally thread?
> 
> the op comments are out of context with it being moved ..........


What are you talking about?
[/quote]

this was moved from getysburg rally thread - op was going to sign up but they felt rate was to high to camp there - there is nothing that indicates it was moved from there.........

I knew it was moved because i commented on it to him in the rally thread - actually defending the rates.......

the op opens with "This was really interesting, and I decided to sign up" - i am just suggesting it is good to know where it was moved from so it doesnt look like the OP is babbling with out making any sense
[/quote]

Thanks clarkely. It does clear things up for me anyway.
[/quote]

At times, threads are split and moved when their context is, for the most part, off topic relative to the original topic. Many times when a thread goes off topic, it continues until usually a mod steps in. At times, splitting the topic allows for a more general conversation on the topic to reply to the OP concern. In this case, it was more about camping rates, then Gettysburg. Thread splitting is not new to the forum.

Whenever a topic is split - the OP is contacted to let them know that their topic is split.

With regards to the OP, lets keep the topic regarding camping costs on track and not on the GB rally.

Rick
[/quote]

Well there you go. We admins sometimes make decisions to split without telling each other and I have seldom considered telling the general membership, every once in a while I will make a post in the split thread. Only the OP is typically told.

This thread has received a much better response as a seperated topic then it would have in a rally thread.
[/quote]

it is a good topic and should be on its own - op should edit post though.......... as the way it is started on its own it is out of context and starts as jibberish if you do not know where it came from........ thats why i asked/posted about it


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## clarkely

Piecemaker said:


> Being able to sleep in your own bed Priceless!!


EXACTLY!!!!!!!!


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## clarkely

Actually just saw a campground in this thread Upstate Sc (Walhalla) Campgrounds that has 22.00/night with full hook ups







 Palmetto Cove, sc so they are out there


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## Piecemaker

In some 30+ years of camping we have found that you get what you pay for.

Once in a while you might find somethng that is exceptional and inexpensive.

I would suggest looking at the state parks they are beautiful.


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## rdvholtwood

Piecemaker said:


> In some 30+ years of camping we have found that you get what you pay for.
> 
> Once in a while you might find somethng that is exceptional and inexpensive.
> 
> I would suggest looking at the state parks they are beautiful.


The state parks are great! We have actually found a few that have full hookups - Elk Neck State Park in MD and Bull Run Regional Park in VA. Both are exceptional and inexpensive.


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## KTMRacer

rdvholtwood said:


> In some 30+ years of camping we have found that you get what you pay for.
> 
> Once in a while you might find somethng that is exceptional and inexpensive.
> 
> I would suggest looking at the state parks they are beautiful.


The state parks are great! We have actually found a few that have full hookups - Elk Neck State Park in MD and Bull Run Regional Park in VA. Both are exceptional and inexpensive.








[/quote]
x2. Many of the oregon state parks have full hookups as well and are very reasonably priced. It's the off season now, and for $20/night we have a huge full hookup site with a view of the Rogue River and salmon spawning, along with showers & laundry facilities.


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## CdnOutback

We travel for January and February and take our two dogs... We could never do that in motel / hotels...

It is also nicer to sleep where you know what was in the bed the night before....


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## bowhunter2819

rdvholtwood said:


> Lots of good responses - I would be curious to see what average costs for camping are from different areas. I know on the east coast they can range from about $36 (State Park with full hookups) to close to $100.00 for Jellystone campground - close to where I live - Quarryville,PA. The locale that I live in is purely rural farms. A $100 per night is ridiculous for a rural area.


 Less then 20 min from Goofy Bobs over priced campground is White Oak $33 a night, DandJ Shadyrest on route 372 is $39, Old Mill Stream is $45 right on route 30. Plenty of good prices then if you head over to Taquan by your house last time i was the it was in the 30's


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## rdvholtwood

bowhunter2819 said:


> Lots of good responses - I would be curious to see what average costs for camping are from different areas. I know on the east coast they can range from about $36 (State Park with full hookups) to close to $100.00 for Jellystone campground - close to where I live - Quarryville,PA. The locale that I live in is purely rural farms. A $100 per night is ridiculous for a rural area.


 Less then 20 min from Goofy Bobs over priced campground is White Oak $33 a night, DandJ Shadyrest on route 372 is $39, Old Mill Stream is $45 right on route 30. Plenty of good prices then if you head over to Taquan by your house last time i was the it was in the 30's
[/quote]

Old Mill Stream CG @ $45 a night is a great price for those that want to visit the Lancaster, PA area.


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## mdub

Thought I would finally jump in here as no one ever answered NYS Prison Guard's question about the cost of RVing in retirement. (hope he is on this post again before he sells his camper!)Most of the people on this website are weekend and yearly vacation campers. Once you are actually retired and are on your own without kids to be entertained there are a lot more options and places to stay that are much cheaper. Belonging to the Elks which has many lodges with hookups is something anyone can do. Join Passport America where for $40/year allows you half price at many, many places nationwide. http://www.passportamerica.com/campgrounds/

There are lots of city parks, Corps of Engineers, and Casino's that have cheap parking with hookups. Getting weekly or monthly rats also saves money. We are lucky as we are retired military, But $25/night for a state park is high for us, and in 6 years RVing about 8 months out of the year, we have only paid more than that twice. (Once at a KOA while traveling with a friend with small children) I have to caveat that it is much more expensive to camp in the east than the west, but don't sell the camper yet! There is a lot of good ideas out there. The Escapees discussion forum at http://www.rvnetwork.com/ is a great place to get ideas. (I do not belong, and most are fulltimers, but read the post often)
Good Luck!


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## vdub

I haven't been on Outbackers in months, but DW looks at it on occassion. Most of the time she's looking at Escapees, but for some reason she happened to see this thread and tell me about it.

Her response is absolutely correct. If you are retired, don't have any kids, and aren't in big hurry to meet a schedule, then you can easily see the USA for less than $20/night.

Passport America is one of the main programs we use. It costs $45/year and the "year" starts from the day you pay the fee and you can stay at many, many campgrounds for half price. Yes, there are caveats, such as not during Memorial Day or Labor Day or maybe not in the summer time, etc, etc. Each campground has it's own black out times. But those are the times when you don't want to go anyway because you are having to compete with noisey kids and stressed out families.

Another half off program is Camp USA. Their website is really poor compared to Passport America, so we've never used them, but you should check them out for yourself.

Also, if you have any kind of permanent veteran's disability, then you can apply for a national parks access card. The card is interagency and gets you into blm, USFS, and national parks for free. If you want to stay at a national park camp ground, then it is half off. Same goes for Corp of Engineer camp grounds which are some of the nicest.

Also, since you are retired, you don't need to travel fast. If you find a nice place, then stay for a week or even a month. Many places have monthly rates in the $300 range.

If you really want to save some money for a couple weeks at a time, the get a Honda 2000 gen and go dry camping on BLM land in the southwest.

And, as the wife said, most all Elks Clubs have "some" hook ups for members. It ranges form E only to full-hookups (normally E/W/D) and from 1 spot to maybe 50 or 60 spots, or even a 100. Normally, the price is about a $12 donation. A couple years ago we stayed on mile from Washington DC metro stop at the Arlington Elks. We donated $12/night, had a safe place to stay, had electric and water, and had our own private club to go have a few cocktails and dinner after a day of sight seeing in DC.

Elks clubs are all over the nation, so you should consider joining. We have been members for 37 years now.

Soooooo, anyway, if you are paying more than $20/night and you are retired, then you aren't doing some right.

Oh, I almost forgot workkamping. Many national, state or even private parks have some type of work kamping program where they let you stay for free if you put in 20 hrs a week of light maintenance, teller tending, or whatever needs to be done at the park. Each park has different jobs and rules. We were all signed up to spend 3 months at the LBJ State Park a couple years ago, but I went into the hospital instead. But we'll get back to it.


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## sunnybrook29

Absolutely correct ! If you are retired you will never go to Maine in August or Disney in February ! You will go when its cheap and empty .
We spend well over 100 nites in our camper and spend only 5 or 6 nites in full service campgrounds . Last week we spent 3 nites in a vacant lot in beautiful down town Cedar Key Florida . We asked the man who owned the lot and he said " sure , but wait until I mow it , come back in an hour ! Next weekend we will be on a lakefront lot in Macintosh , Fl . paying Passport rate of $11 per nite .
As a retired person you might travel slow and smell the roses instead of following the crowds to the crowded beaches . If we are driving down the road and see a rodeo , horse show , dog show , "Drink till your Naked contest , craft show or any large gathering that lasts for several days you can usually pull in and park right in with the other participants . Most State and Federal Parks offer free parking to volunteers . 
This year we have stayed in several church yards , school yards , Wal-Marts , grave yards , many rest areas , vacant lots , couple fire station s . Once you start traveling you will work it out . 
Most people on this forum are " destination campers ' , they are usually going somewhere in a certain time frame . Retired , tired people , we follow a different and cheaper drummer . 
Try it , you might like it . 
Also remember , you are looking for fun ! If you are having fun , why burn gasoline making a move !


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## vdub

> If you are having fun , why burn gasoline making a move!


Absolutely true! Staying for a month in one place can really be fun.

Back in the day, on this forum, I was sometimes criticized for wanting things like an LCD tv, satellite dish, and wifi on my Outback. People would come back and say "that's not camping -- we leave all that stuff home and just take along firewood and smors". Well, that's true, but we're not camping, we are living and traveling. No kids, no alarm clock, no schedule, no worries... It's a very different life style.


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## Barry

NYS Prison Guard said:


> This was really interesting, and I decided to sign up. Then I checked the rates! Now it is true that I am new to RVing, but am I to expect that campgrounds should charge the same rate that I can get a motel room for? Did I make a mistake in purchasing a camper for my retirement? $50 to $60 for a sight for the night, that is outrageous! I thought RVing was all about traveling the country on the cheap, are there any places where you can hook up for say under $20? If not I guess this outback will be in the classifieds!


We stay for example at Myrtle Beach State Park each Summer for $26.00 per night but if you go down the beach 1/2 mile to a pvt park you will pay the $60.00 rate.


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## NYS Prison Guard

clarkely said:


> This was really interesting, and I decided to sign up. Then I checked the rates! Now it is true that I am new to RVing, but am I to expect that campgrounds should charge the same rate that I can get a motel room for? Did I make a mistake in purchasing a camper for my retirement? $50 to $60 for a sight for the night, that is outrageous! I thought RVing was all about traveling the country on the cheap, are there any places where you can hook up for say under $20? If not I guess this outback will be in the classifieds!


state and national campgrounds with out hook ups can be had at a much lower rate............. gettysburg area hotels will be over or close to 100.00 a night - and with a hotel you never know who or what was or is in the bed........

Drummerboy is an expensive campground - but thats what the area supports
[/quote]
Wow, I got alot of response from this post. Yes someone else moved my post from a rally page. Sorry if this made my comments seems a bit confusing. I have learned much from all of your posts, had a few snide comments, but you have those everywhere! Thanks for all the helpfull info.


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