Who goes RVing?

As relative newcombers to RVing in North America it is fascinating to see who is on the road.  The vast numbers of RVs you see here particularly in Arizona and New Mexico is amazing. The best book I have found on the subject is “Frommer’s exploring America by RV” by Shirley Slater and Harry Basch. 

Firstly you see all sorts of modes of transport and camping from tenting, to VW Campers, to Type B (Van conversions), Type C (like ours – a truck chasis with space over the cab) to Type A (bus like vehicles that can be up to 50 feet long and be towing a car or trailer). And then there are separate trailers (caravans) and fifth wheels towed by the appropriately sized truck.

All have their pros and cons and listening to people many have owned several sorts over the years. We started with tenting in the 1960s, then a tent trailer in the 1970s and a 16 foot trailer (caravan) in the 1980s and now in 2013 a 26 foot Type C Motorhome on a Ford chasis with a 6.8 L V10 engine.

The Frommer book defines 12 different types of people who go RVing.  One they call Garbo Gourmets ‘They like to be alone together luxuriating in the best life can offer. They dislike tiptoeing through creaky B&Bs or suffering second-rate food and service at expensive hotels and resorts preferring to carry their own wine and food, sleep in their own beds, and select their own surroundings by serendipity”.  Penny agrees some of this applies to us.

Other types we have encountered and some partly apply to us : Sportsmen – golfers, fishermen etc,  Weekenders,  Ecotourists (birdwatching, hiking, biking etc), Relatives,  Retirees and Empty Nesters,  Pet lovers (it seems at least 1/3 of RVs have dogs!), Special event attendees  (We have seen RVs towing trailers with their Harley Davidsons, Nascar race cars or ATVs), Snowbirds and Full-timers.  We would also add those who like being nomadic whether it is on a sailboat or in an RV. We  know a number of them.

You can get all sorts of information from RV  magazines and web sites but I would recommend the Frommer book to anyone contemplating RVing or who is intrigued buy the amazing spectrum of people who are on the road.