Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Montana Owners Club - Keystone Montana 5th Wheel Forum > GENERAL DISCUSSIONS > Sitting around the Campfire
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 01-19-2005, 05:45 AM   #1
Montana_2779
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Woodlands
Posts: 211
M.O.C. #2779
The Greatest Folks On Earth!

Much to Cheryl's chagrin, I am a man of many hobbies (music, cars, golf, guns, camping, letterboxing, birdwatching and on and on......). Now that Caveman Pete has joined the technologically advanced Information Age, I'm finding forums on all of my favorite pastimes! I was surprised to find one constant amongst almost all forums-- many threads start well but end up as p***ing contests. (ask a musician what the best amplifier is, and three days later you'll have death threats posted by Marshall and Fender aficionados)

I mention this as I have found NOTHING but the nicest, friendliest and most sincere folks in the MOC and other RV forums (especially the MOC, which has become my primary RV site/forum). I'm finding that RVers are a breed apart. Even when members post differing opinions, the conversations are good-natured and focus on the facts of the dicussion (VERY helpful) rather than one-upsmanship. I knew all along that fulltiming would bring us closer to a group of folks that share our general disposition (a quiet, relaxed, fun and safe community). Thanks to all of you on this and other RV forums, we are more at home on the road than we ever were in our stick house neigborhood! Thanks for welcoming us into a very special community!
 
Montana_2779 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-19-2005, 06:44 AM   #2
Glenn and Lorraine
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Clearwater
Posts: 10,917
M.O.C. #420
Well said Pete and I agree 100%. Not only are RVers more friendly on the Interenet but also in life.
An example is the campground I am currently in and the one just previous to this one.

The Yankee Traveler, our current cg, is loaded with snowbirds that live here in permanently set up travel trailers or park models. In the spring and summer these snowbirds still live in their stick houses up north and drive down here in their autos for the winter. In no way do they consider themselves RVers and in NO WAY do they act like RVers. They are a bunch of clique oriented snobs. Oh they do say hello as they walk by or we ride our bikes but that's about as far as it goes. On Monday I ventured over for some horseshoes. They actually invited me to join in but I swear it was only because they were short one player. During the entire hour and a half I felt as the odd man out. After the game they all returned to their little cliques.
The only actual friendships I have made in the two and a half months we have been here are with four 5th wheelers and three with motor homes. These folks arrived here with their RVs and four of them even went to the RV show. They also have the same opinions of the other residents as I have.
In contrast, On Tuesday I paid a visit to a friend at Roberts RV, the park we were at in October, to drop off a copy of the PDI as they were buying a new rig. This park is primarily RVers that actually dragged or drove their RVs to Florida for the winter. In the short time that I visited a dozen or so RVers walking by stopped to BS for a couple minutes. I was even invited for a pizza dinner that evening. These RVers made me feel very comfortable and I hardly knew them. The complete opposite of the snobs I have to deal with at our home for the next 3 and a half months.
Looks like I'll be visiting the folks over at Roberts quite often.

Glenn and Lorraine is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-19-2005, 07:34 AM   #3
Lady RV
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Everywhere
Posts: 3,931
M.O.C. #30
Pete, on behalf of all the MOC Staff I'd like to thank you for your kind comments. We sincerely do have the most remarkable people who participate on this forum and belong to the Montana Owner's Club.
Lady RV is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-19-2005, 09:11 AM   #4
Montana_2779
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Woodlands
Posts: 211
M.O.C. #2779
Gotta love RVers! I've had similar experiences to Glenn and Lorraine's. It seems that the "real RVers" are friends before they even meet! Cheryl and I were in Florida last year and saw many of the "permanent" RV parks. Didn't meet any of the folks, but were surprised at the number of people who have permanently anchored (and built around) their TT's and 5ers. Gotta admit, we scratched our heads a bit....to each his own!! I'm sure that these folks are often as happy with their lifestyles as we are with ours.

As a side note, we are terribly disappointed that we can't stay at the 55+ parks (I was checking out the link to Yankee Traveler when I remembered this issue). Although we are in our 30's, we are kid-free, enjoy the company of folks who are more experienced and detest the loud, thumping music beloved by ours and later generations (personally, it's bluegrass, Herb Alpert, Burt Bacharach and Baroque for me...). To date, we've only found one 55+ campground that would welcome us (once they figured out I had no kids or Rappin' Joe Vanilla Ice T albums). Has anyone come across other parks that will loosen the rules for the prematurely matured folks such as ourselves? (Cheryl tells me I walk like a 55+ on the way to the potty in the morning)

As well, thanks to Lady RV. You guys and gals run a TERRIFIC forum here!
Montana_2779 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-19-2005, 11:14 AM   #5
Glenn and Lorraine
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Clearwater
Posts: 10,917
M.O.C. #420
Yankee Traveler is a STRICT 55+ park. So much so that we had to produce our drivers licenses to prove our age. They then photo copied them and returned them. The owner explained that if you are going to enforce the 55+ rule you better be able to prove everyone staying in the park is over 55. If you are over 55 but your spouse is under 55 you are not welcome. Both must be 55+. If they get caught with one person under 55 it is than considered discrimination and they would be fined heavily. The only exception is children and grand children visiting and than they are only allowed to stay 2 weeks.
Glenn and Lorraine is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2005, 11:35 AM   #6
Parrothead
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Fallon
Posts: 6,064
M.O.C. #1989
Send a message via MSN to Parrothead
We've noticed a lot of the parks advertise as adult oriented instead of Over 55. I assume that would keep out children. I'm talking about season RV Parks not weekend camping ones. Where we are now is an Adult park and although I love children, I do think riding bikes in front in and out in front of cars and motorhomes is not a safe place for children. The park we were in last year was a family park and these children lived in the park. There was not a lot of room for them to play and I felt sorry for them but was also annoyed by their playing right under my windows and around my vehicles.

I agree with you about this site. I have seen only a few testy posts and then either the person disappears or gets the picture that is not what we are.
Parrothead is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2005, 04:59 AM   #7
Montana_2779
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Woodlands
Posts: 211
M.O.C. #2779
Looks like you guys spend some time in my old neck of the woods. I lived up in The City back in the mid-90's (and Escondido in the mid-80's). I've been planting the seed with Cheryl to relocate back there. I loved the RV parks in Pacifica and over by Candlestick (some of the surrounding neigborhoods not withstanding). However, with SF looking at banning handguns AND charging for plastic or paper bags at the grocery stores, I'm thinking that part of the peninsula may have gotten a little too "Feinsteined" for me..... oh well...... maybe Pacifica!

Like you, I'm torn on the situation with children in RV parks. On one hand, I think RVing is one of the greatest things you can do with your kids (we wouldn't be doing this if my folks hadn't taken us to a million places in the old Coleman). On the other hand, I think a LOT of parents (and, yes, I sadly admit that this more often than not my generation-- the 30 and 40-somethings) use the world as a babysitter these days. Not only do you see some folks abandoning any real control of their kids, they get angry when you ask them to modify disruptive behaviors. If each generation is worse than the last, watch out!

To all of the parents who still believe that kids should be seen and not heard...BLESS YOU!! (Heck, I'm starting to wonder if anyone under 40 has ever heard this phrase--- or knows what a turn signal is used for)
Montana_2779 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2005, 06:02 AM   #8
azstar
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Chandler
Posts: 624
M.O.C. #740
Hello Pete,

Thanks for the kind words.

We live in an Adult Development where 80% of the residents must be 55. When we were building here, someone made the comment "Oh you don't like Kids". My answer was "Wrong, we do like Kids we just don't like the baggage the Kids bring with them" Then they looked puzzled and asked, "What baggage"? answer "30 year old parents"

I guess I should have said, most 30 year old parents.

You are right, but maybe (fingers crossed here) the next generation will fool us and go up a notch on the ladder.

Happy Camping

PS, Both Nina & I work Part Time for the Schools. Special Needs Students, Bus Driver (Him) and Bus Aide (Her). Don't like Kids Huh
azstar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2005, 09:02 AM   #9
Parrothead
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Fallon
Posts: 6,064
M.O.C. #1989
Send a message via MSN to Parrothead
Pete,
Yes I agree we all are RVing because we did it earlier in life. Mine was tent camping as a child and my youngest daughter and I started when she was still in diapers and today she is a certified outdoor rescue specialist (hobby). But she was taught basic campground etiquitte - you know - stay out of other people's area, don't touch what is not yours, no screaming unless you are in danger, etc.
If you haven't been in the bay area lately, you are going to be surprised. The campground at Pacifica is horrible. We spent a lot of time there in the late 90's. One 6 month stint because I was working for the school district. It was going bankrupt. Lots of trashy livers, sites had not been updated for new wider, longer units. Plus the sea air trashed our RV (not the Monty), bikes and had started working on the truck and car. Everyone told us to stay away from Candlestick. There is only one left in Pacifica - the big one right on the ocean front. Plus the town in declining badly. We like Escondido - we've stayed and worked there also. When we went to San Rafael for a few years, we stayed at the KOA in Petaluma where a lot of people stay while visiting San Fran. It is a great park.
Parrothead is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2005, 09:08 AM   #10
sreigle
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oceanside
Posts: 20,028
M.O.C. #20
Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Pete Alford

I lived up in The City back in the mid-90's (and Escondido in the mid-80's).
Escondido in the 80's?
Poway / Chula Vista / San Diego in the 70's.


sreigle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2005, 09:58 AM   #11
Montana_2779
Montana Fan
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Woodlands
Posts: 211
M.O.C. #2779
Dad is still in Bonsall, but we don't mention him much as he is a Holiday Rambler guy (37' MH). Some day he'll see the light...

I enjoyed SoCal, but I definitely left my heart (and a bunch of my rent money) in San Francisco! Really sorry to hear about the two RV parks in the Bay Area! The only thing constant is change!! I've heard nice things about the Petaluma park on a couple of different threads. We'll have to check into that for our next visit.

You hate to see the parks that "preview" your rig before you are allowed to register....but I SURE understand why they do it (otherwise they'll have the same issues as the park in Pacifica)! As in any neighborhood, there will always be folks who just simply haven't the desire (or ability in some cases) to maintain their rigs properly (if anyone has been turned away in a well maintained, older rig, well shame on the park owner!). We all hate to see discrimination on any level, but I understand that a resort owner can offer a better park environment (and make a little more scratch) if all of the rigs are in excellent condition. Thumbs up to all of the reasonable park owners who judge by condition rather than age. (hmm, that seems to be a recurring theme in my diatribes....I need to find a nice bench in front of a barber shop)

I figure an old adage in the Libertarian Party ought to be hung at the gate of all RV parks: "Be nice to people, and don't hit your sister."
Montana_2779 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2005, 05:20 PM   #12
sreigle
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oceanside
Posts: 20,028
M.O.C. #20
If you don't mind being a bit south of SF, Betabel RV Park at San Juan Bautista, on 101 is pretty nice. We've been there a couple of times when visiting friends. That may be too far south for your purpose.
sreigle is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Level up is the greatest bncinwv General Discussions about our Montanas 11 11-06-2013 04:46 AM
The greatest Play in Baseball Tom S. Sitting around the Campfire 1 12-08-2011 06:25 AM
Thank You "Greatest Generation" bw2 Sitting around the Campfire 1 11-11-2011 02:39 PM
Coming soon...my greatest mod ! Wild Horse Additions & Improvements 6 12-20-2010 08:16 AM
Greatest people ronstan Sitting around the Campfire 5 02-01-2005 01:51 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Montana RV, Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:54 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.