RVers have responded

Carol Ann Quibell asks RVers about solar energy, the cost of fuel, Internet usage and other aspects of RVing

I recently sent out a survey to some of my RVing friends because I was really curious as to what may be affecting the way they travel and what was important to them. The results were somewhat surprising, but one thing did stand out: the majority of RVers did not let the cost of fuel affect the way they travel.

Does the cost of fuel affect your RVing?

I honestly believed that more people would have said they didn’t travel as often or stayed in one location longer, but that wasn’t the case. There were definitely some who did change the way they travelled, but 66 per cent said they did not make any changes. I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has some thoughts on this subject.

Solar energy

The other surprising result was that 76 per cent said they never use solar energy. I sincerely believed that number would be drastically lower—maybe because if we were travelling more, the first thing I would want on our unit are solar panels. I like the flexibility of having power for things like the computer or TV no matter where we are parked, since we don’t like being dependent on electrical hookups all the time.

Planning your trip

As someone who travelled for a year throughout Canada, the U.S.A. and Mexico without ever making a reservation, I was pleased to see that there are others like me out there. For the most part, people like to be spontaneous—but they do partially plan, whether it is making reservations or route planning. I can live with that, because as I get a bit older, I find I like to have more security in knowing there is a spot for us at the end of the day.

One response was “because of poor planning we faced a lack of accommodation at the end of the road” and they did not like that issue.

Using the Internet when travelling

The responses to this topic did not surprise me. Maybe because having the Internet is almost my lifeline, I believe everyone thinks the way I do. Ninety-two per cent use the Internet and email regularly. This seems to be the main form of communication among RVers—whether it is through email or Skype—and having an Internet connection is extremely important. In the future, I will be looking at what methods people use to secure their Internet connection, because there must be more economical ways than what I know about.

One person wrote: “My issues are getting a North American phone package, so that we can stay in touch with home, and have TV and Internet at a reasonable cost.” I think that is probably a concern with most RVers, and for Canadians travelling into the U.S.A. there are definitely obstacles they must overcome.

RV resort location

The main factor for people when searching for an RV resort or campground was the location—with a small portion looking for amenities first such as a pool or golf courses. The price of camping was not the first consideration when searching for a camping spot.

As you can see by the results above, the answers I received by people who took the survey are as varied as the RVers themselves. We all have priorities and do things in ways that are important to us and how we choose to RV. The most important message I received was that they love RVing and will continue to do so regardless of stumbling blocks put in their path.

Although the main purpose of doing the survey is past, I am still very interested in more information from other RVers. If you wish to take part in the survey, click here.