Colombia Forum

cafetero
Joined 2015
Posts: 2328

8 years ago

Off-topic: RV-ing in US versus Colombia

8 years ago

This is an off-topic response to a question posted by Andreson about possible costs for RV lifestyle in US. I´m probably not a good source because I did it from 2000 to 2007 and at times the gasoline was close to $4 gallon.
During that time I started with an entry level 30 foot travel trailer, then traded up to a more luxurious 35-foot Keystone Montana travel trailer which I towed with a Chevy Silverado 2500HD.
i lived in that trailer full time for two years while i built my retirement home, and on the road with it for two years. I really enjoyed it because of the big picture windows and the double slides that gave me a lot more openness and floor space.
I also had a Dodge Caravan with flat to the floor seat storage that I camped weekends and short trips with an air mattress and a portable toilet. That was actually a very good experience, too.
I stayed in state and national parks whenever I could and often stayed for two weeks at a time which is the limit in a lot of those places. Other times I would stay in off the main road campgrounds that cost about half what the big RV resort campgrounds cost.
I rarely ate in restaurants, did all my own food shopping and cooking along the way.
My main recreation was kayaking and canoe camping where I would spend up to a month at a time wilderness camping and the Travel trailer and truck would sit parked somewhere.
If I had it to do over again, which I think about sometimes, I´d go with about a 30 foot RV pulling a minivan for day trips and short camping trips away from the main roads. With gas prices being what they are in the US the thoughts of returning to that lifestyle really appeal to me, especially if I can take one of these latina beauties with me :-)
I never did keep exact records, but my income at the time was $25,000 annually from retirement funds and I never ran short. I don´t have any major vices, just beer and tequila from time to time. My lifestyle was pretty basic, even primitive sometimes.
Like I said, I´m not a good one to judge today´s probable costs, but I might take a look through google and some of the RV forums to see what might be reasonable to expect.
I really would like to see Alaska, and there are many, many parts of the US I would like to see more of.
As for camping here in Colombia, I have not seen even one RV or travel trailer anywhere. I do see tent camping sometimes, but usually on a finca that is fenced and gated. I did see one riverside campground on headwaters of the Río Risaralda up near Anserma, Caldas, on one of my trips through that area. Looked like tents set up on platforms in a meadow alongside the river.
That river had some decent looking white water, too, from what I could see from the highway. Maybe someday I´ll go back there and take a look see.

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