How To Plan For A Long Term RV Destination
Our very large setup, semi pulls the travel trailer and the Ford Bronco is along for the ride!
How to plan for a long term destination can be an exciting adventure, especially if it is not a place you have been to! Visiting long term can afford you many pleasures, such as national parks, scenic rides or views, unique places along the way, with plenty of time to visit. But what would you consider long term and why would you stay in a place for a long time when there is so much to see elsewhere?
There are plenty of reasons, but lets start with:
What are your needs?
Paddle boarding on the Helena Reservoir in Helena, Montana.
A simple, basic question, but one that must be answered only by you. Do you prefer to be far away from others, as that can be tempting for some of us to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life? Or do you prefer to have neighbors near you so you can be social and be interactive with others? Amenities anyone? Adventurous places to stamp in our national parks booklets or take plenty of photos to remember?
For us, it is about the destination and what it can offer. This is so important to us! But not only that, the basic necessities of life, like a grocery store, gas station, and well, you get the picture. So my next question is:
How far are you willing to travel to access those basic necessities?
Hiking on a trail on top of the Big Horns, Wyoming.
For some, it does not matter. The only thing that matters is where they are camped at and what they can do there. Maybe traveling into town can be an exciting challenge, seeing some cool things along the way and possibly not have a gas guzzler, like us! But for others, those basic necessities are necessary for easy access, less wear and tear on vehicle and easy in, easy out. I mean, who wants to wait in long lines in the only grocery store in town after driving a long distance?
We prefer to have basic necessities close to us, like shopping, medical, gas and more. It does not need to be down the street, however, it would be nice to drive less than 30 minutes to one of those basic necessities.
Long term for pleasure or work?
Amazing sunset along the Colorado River, Lake Havasu, Arizona.
Sometimes we find a job in a new town or city and need to stay somewhere safe, with camping amenities such as electricity, water and sewer, close to shopping and yet, still find pleasurable things to do on our days off. Maybe a job at a campground can be enticing for a FREE stay for several months, free hookups, amenities and plenty of tourist time on your days off. But don’t expect to get rich work camping!
Maybe we are the lucky ones and can spend time at a campground, blm land or forest for a long time and not have to work, but just play! One place I do recommend is the LTVA in Quartzsite, Arizona. You can get a permit for $180 plus tax, and use it anytime between September 15 - April 15. This also includes free water, trash and sewer for you take care of at your convenience. This is a very LARGE area that goes all the way down to nearby Yuma. This is a really good deal! Boondocking at its finest! Bring your side by side or 4x4 to traverse the nearby trails. There is shopping in the area, but if you need a big box store, like Walmart, you will travel either to Yuma or Parker. The Colorado River is close so swimming activities, boating or play is there waiting for you.
Gorgeous views and a late snow while hiking in St. George, Utah.
If you would rather camp in a campground with full hookups, nearby shopping and tourist activities, look into the smaller campgrounds for monthly fees, which could be a savings in the winter. The big name campgrounds may not have monthly fees, but charge you a daily fee, which could add up to a costly time.
We work camp to offset traveling costs, so this is our way to stay long term at one destination, at least in the summer. Check out this link, Why We Chose to Workcamp, to find out what work camping REALLY is! It saves us $$$ with gas (remember, gas guzzler plus we have a semi that pulls our large setup), we get to stay longer and enjoy the creature comforts of a new town and learn about its charm, the weather and things to do. Weather is something I still struggle with as going to new states is so different than my home state where I grew up. Not everything is the desert and not every place is going to be sunny many days in a row. Drat! But work camping can bring us new pleasures like visiting Yellowstone for the 1st time, the majestic Grand Tetons in all their glory and just stand in awe of them, historical towns (love these), new cuisines to try and especially new people to meet.
So for us, long term destinations are the way to go, as it affords us to travel when we do, visit new and exciting places and create memories that can last a lifetime. You could even work camp year round, but winter work camping you have a GOOD chance of not earning an income, but may work for your rv site and have it FREE for the winter season. You could always get a job in town (I always see “help wanted” signs in so many places). This is definitely doable and a fun way to learn about new towns and their uniqueness and something to brag to your friends about!
Are you ready to try something new?
Snowy Pass Range in beautiful Wyoming!