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As the weather cools, it’s time for RVers to start thinking about their RV winter. The vast majority of full time RVers will hit the road and start heading south. This results in a mass migration to a few warm winter locations, something that results in crowded campgrounds, meaning some extra planning will be needed on your part.
In this article we will discuss the winter RV mass migration to the southern states, sharing tips on how to plan and make sure you get the most out of your winter RV adventure.
Find Your Friends
First, we highly recommend finding a group of friends to spend the winter with. This will make the whole experience more fun, especially since you’re likely to be spending more time sitting still during the winter months.
Try to choose friends who wish to spend time in the same areas. Picking people who travel at the same pace as you and like to stay in similar campgrounds is also helpful. For instance, if you like to stay in state parks and your friends prefer Thousand Trails parks, you might have trouble staying together throughout the winter.
Make Reservations ASAP
Because RV parks fill up quickly in the most popular winter RV locations, it is important that you make reservations in advance. If you haven’t made your winter RV reservations already, now is the time to do that.
Most campgrounds will have opened their reservations up for the entire winter by now, and many will already be full. If you find that the campgrounds you wish to stay in are full, keep an eye on them, as some sites will open up thanks to cancellations. Wandering Labs is helpful for this.
Schedule Monthly Stays
Because there are only a select few places that stay warm and sunny throughout the winter, you probably aren’t going to be doing a whole lot of traveling during these months. For this reason, many full time RVers choose to book campsites for an entire month or more at a time.
This has a few benefits. It allows you to avoid traveling for longer than you normally might, giving you a chance to recuperate. You will also save some money going this route, as monthly rates tend to be much lower than daily rates. Lastly, sticking around in one spot for a longer amount of time gives you a chance to really get to know the area.
Grab a Thousand Trails Membership
Another option that will (1) help you save money, (2) ensure you camp near other families, and (3) may help you find sites if you have yet to book winter RV spots? A Thousand Trails membership!
Don’t get us wrong, Thousand Trails memberships aren’t cheap, but if you use your membership for the entire winter, you will easily save money. Thousand Trails parks do also fill up. That said, booking windows are shorter than they are at other campgrounds, meaning you have a better chance of snagging a spot this late in the game.
Because of these facts, many Fulltime Families utilize the Thousand Trails system, hopping from one Thousand Trails park to another for the entire winter RV season.
Consider Boondocking
If making campground reservations isn’t working out so well, there is another option: boondocking. Boondocking does require that you camp without hookups so you will want to head in prepared, but winter is the very best time for boondocking in the most popular winter RV hotspots, including Florida, south Texas, Arizona, and SoCal.
Arizona and SoCal are especially friendly toward boondockers, offering a number of Forest Service and BLM spots and entire pop-up communities that get together each winter. Florida does have some dry camping spots that are run by Water Management and the National Forest Service, and Texas has some boondocking as well as some free FCFS (first come, first serve) campgrounds with hookups in some smaller towns.
Make Your Way Slowly
It might be getting chilly up north, but that doesn’t mean you have to race as far south as possible right away. In fact, we recommend against it. Instead, start to head south slowly, making plenty of stops along the way to enjoy the change of season without allowing the coldest weather to catch up to you.
Some of the best fall destinations include:
- Virginia
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Georgia
- Arkansas
- South Dakota (early fall)
- Wyoming (early fall)
- New Mexico
Decide on a Routine
One issue that a lot of roadschooling families run into during the winter season? There are so many other families around that they have trouble getting things like schoolwork and chores done. This is especially true for those who stay in campgrounds like Thousand Trails Orlando, Thousand Trails Palm Springs, and Thousand Trails Lake Conroe, which are hubs for families during the winter.
The best way to remedy this is to head into the winter season with a solid routine and a plan for what you want to get done, and what that means you need to do each day. We recommend putting this routine into place well before the official start of snowbird season, so it is well established before the craziness ensues.
Plan for Holidays
Spending holidays alone is never fun. Unfortunately, this is what happens to many full time traveling folks when they don’t make a plan for the holidays in advance.
If you won’t be with your family for Thanksgiving and Christmas, think about who you would like to be with and make a plan for that well in advance. This will give all families involved enough time to book the same campgrounds for the holidays, ensuring you have a fun and festive season despite being away from family.
Prepare for Chilly Weather
Even if you head south, you are likely to see at least some chilly weather during the winter months. While this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to winterize the rig and grab a heated water hose, it is a good idea to be prepared for when the chilly weather does hit. Make sure everyone in your crew has hoodies for the brisk evenings, and grab a couple of space heaters to keep your home-on-wheels warm when the nights become a little bit cold.
There you have it, our top tips for surviving the winter RV mass migration to the southern states. As long as you use these tips, you will be well prepared to find yourself a spot amongst the other travelers and enjoy a winter of sunshine and warm weather.
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