Camper or RVer? Or like us, a mixture of both — an “RVing camper.” RVTravel.com newsletter publisher Chuck Woodbury takes on this question of ‘RVing versus Camping’ in the Feb. 11, 2012 edition .
As for Jimmy and me, before we purchased our 29-foot 5th wheel last August, we were definitely on the ‘camper’ side of the scale.
For two years we traveled more than 20,000 miles in an 8-1/2-foot Lance light camper strapped to the back of our 3/4-ton Chevy pickup. We camped almost exclusively on public lands, using both primitive and developed sites. Every night, when permitted, Jimmy (the Eagle Scout) would build a terrific campfire and we’d always char a couple of marshmallows.
These days the scales have shifted to the ‘RVer’ side. Because we are pulling our home, which weights more than 12,000 pounds with us, we go down far fewer dirt roads and stay for longer durations at more organized RV parks.
While we love the room and comfort of our 2001 Citation, we miss the lightness and spontaneity of exploring the smaller backroads of America. We miss it so much, in fact, we’re sure there is another truck camper in our near future.
Photos: (Top) Campfire on our last evening camping on Lake Seminole at a Corps of Engineers campground on the Florida-Georgia state line. (Bottom) Lost Dutchman State Park in the shadow of the Superstition Mountains near Phoenix, Arizona. (Julianne G. Crane)
