Maybe its just us and we are just noticing it but this year we have observed more and more families living in RVs on a permanent basis. At one campground, I ran into a barber who had been living in an RV for 11 years--said it was all he could afford. At another campground, I saw a woman with three kids living in a small RV. At still another campground, I talked with a couple with four kids who lived in a 28 foot travel trailer. These folks said they had been there four years and planned to stay because they could not afford housing in the area. Has anyone else noticed this trend? It seems to me that the soaring house prices in this country are putting many less fortunate folks out of the housing market, or either they are living in an RV and trying to save up a downpayment, and it concerns me. Just last week, in Washington state, one afternoon right after we arrived, a school bus stopped in front of the campground and about nine children, some of them teenagers, got off and went to various RVs. If this is a growing trend, then it definitely will impact upon those of us who RV and travel. Any thoughts or comments anyone?
Right, wrong, or what ever, sounds like they are full timing to me. Personally I don't feel that it is the environment that kids should be raised in but that is only my opinion.
We have been full timing for a number of years, incedentally full timing means traveling not parking some place for years at a time, we have seen many nice parks start by letting a few people live there for extended periods of time (more then a year). As the years passed more and more people moved into the park until it was just another trailer park with run down crappy looking units, where RV'ers don't want to stay. We taked to a few owners that told us once they let them in for a certain period of time legally thay can't get rid of them and if they can it takes close to a year to have them removed from the park. One owner we talked to will now only sign a one month rental aggrement, that way with they turn in to trash he can kick them out at the end of the month. It's a shame, we've seen a lot of very nice parks turn into trash over the last few years.
We have found the same thing over the past five to six years now. We find more and more RV parks full of small trailers with lots of junk around them. Gas (LP) tanks set up in front, old cars, dog pens, refrigerators outside, and on one site we found a tree that had been in place so long they could not pull the trailer out of space. In Charleston, SC at Oaks Plantation we see the same kids get off school bus for years now. In Columbia, SC at Barn Yard RV Park you have nice parking for over night or short term but in rear we see old trailers, work trucks, grass not cut, trash on grounds, black mole on everything, roads are not good like ones in front near office. I have talked to number of people in parks across the USA and find large numbers who can not afford to live any other way. Last couple we talked to was in Perry, GA. They were old, sick, poor, worked at park couple hours a day to make a little money with free park rent. Very nice people. I do not think they had the money to gas up the very old motorhome and move it. We plan to sent they some items from FL to help them make a little more money. So sad to see this. We all have so much and others have so little!
When we were in Prescott, Az. last summer, we saw alot of "full timers". The place we stayed only had a small place for us coming and going to set up and camp. We had our P.O.S. then so we fit in!! After staying at a beautiful place in Sedona the week before, I was amazed. We are new to the RV/TRAILER life, so seeing it, brought us down to earth. Now i see why, county and state parks ( at least here in Arizona) have only a 2 week stay max. Housing really sucks now. Friends are trying to sell their home and their house is almost 1,000 sq ft less than ours and they want more than what our house is worth.
I have noticed the same thing going on over most of the S.E. U.S. One very nice park I stopped at twice a year to and from Florida now is 90% permanents. Getting real shabby, with old cars every where, cooking outside over burn rings rain or shine. I am looking for a different stop, as trying to get out in the early morning has become a hassel. The owner says it is a cash flow thing, he needs the steady income as his cost escalate and go on year around. Some one elses comment "this will eventually affect us as RVers", is right, it will. Florida is going this way rapidly as low cost housing has disappeared and insurance rates soar. One has to feel for those that are just trying to make it.
New laws for "home schooling" has added more younger families. Usually, they have minimal income and no medical insurance. Our rv lifestyle allows us to see a small view of life in the intercity. How many of us must make a choice between medical care, restaurants, and gasoline. These folks have FAR BIGGER choices to make.
We are currently considering full-timing (moving around the country) with 2 and soon-to-be 3 small children. We are considering this choice not because we cannot afford a home. Actually, it is the 100% appreciation in our home's value over the last 5 years that is allowing us this opportunity. We just want a simpler lifestyle where we spend more time with family instead of being married to 2 full-time jobs, mortgage, and other obligations that pull us away from enjoying the life the way God intended. We would do this for a period of 1-3 years and then settle in another state. Not to be naive, we understand there will be difficulties! Has anyone else out there made this kind of choice?
I am afraid that a lot of these "unfortunates" are just not willing to do the work it takes to become a stable part of society. Just about every newspaper I see has a large want ad section. Many of these people (not all of course) are expert at taking money from the government (that means the taxpayers) and doing very little productive work. I feel sorry for the children who are being taught no work ethic at all. Everybody has times in their life where they are down on their luck, but a lot of people are into the 3 rd generation of it. [/size]
QUOTE(fulltiming @ Jun 17 2006, 02:34 PM) [snapback]4408[/snapback] We are currently considering full-timing (moving around the country) with 2 and soon-to-be 3 small children. We are considering this choice not because we cannot afford a home. Actually, it is the 100% appreciation in our home's value over the last 5 years that is allowing us this opportunity. We just want a simpler lifestyle where we spend more time with family instead of being married to 2 full-time jobs, mortgage, and other obligations that pull us away from enjoying the life the way God intended. We would do this for a period of 1-3 years and then settle in another state. Not to be naive, we understand there will be difficulties! Has anyone else out there made this kind of choice?
I asked the owner of the park I am in right now if they allow full time year round campers and they do not, they only stay open six months a year and any one that camps here must have a permanent address outside of the park. He said once someone takes up residency it is difficult to get them out, this is a vacation property and they have a "season". One of the neighboring parks does allow year round people and has taken on a look of a trailer park as opposed to a campground. We went to visit it and you can see they are there all the time as the things we all have in our homes have spilled out onto their sites. Not real pretty, some even have makeshift enclosures. Not real condusive to an rver looking for a nice place to visit. If it is a financial thing, the park owner should just consider converting it a mobile home park so the unsuspecting rver won't be disappointed!
