How to Become a Seasonal Camper

Is seasonal camping for you?

This is a question we faced with my husband after my son was born. Before his birth we enjoyed visiting different campgrounds with our comfortable large tent. We had all the necessary equipment for the two of us. However, now that we had a baby, everything changed. The tent seemed too small and all the extra stuff we needed to take seemed just impossible to fit into our car.

As I am sure you realize, camping trips require good organizational skills, but camping with kids requires extra ordinary skills to stay organized during your entire trip. So for a few years we just decided to take it easy and rent a cottage. However, cottage life has its ups and downs as well. Surely it is easier to stay dry and well organized, but then it is really never “your” place, plus you just never know what you gonna get. Cottages that look fabulous on pictures may turn out to be old and neglected. It is always a risk.

So one year, while visiting such a cottage in a beautiful little town of Red Bay, we paid a visit to a nearby Tent and Trailer Park. And we really liked it. In fact we liked it a lot more that our rented cottage. Then we decided that it was a good place for us. So the next day we went to town of Wiarton to look at some trailers and after a few days of exploring and discussing the options we purchased a used trailer.

Then we had to pick and reserve a spot at the park. It was also not easy, since there are just so many variables, and we changed our minds quite a few times to the amusement of the park owners. But finally our trailer was installed in just the perfect spot for us. Now we can enjoy our own place any time we want from early spring till Thanksgiving for a price of one week cottage rental.

In the first year we went there almost every weekend, right  after work. The following year I stayed there with my son and my mother for the entire two months of summer vacation, while my husband was commuting for the weekends. It is a true paradise for us. While it offers a privacy of our own place for a fixed annual price, it also offers a community of other campers nearby. So you never feel alone and you can talk to your neighbours whenever you like. The owners are always there to help out if you need them as well. Our trailer is quite spacey and it has one separate bedroom and a pull-out couch in the living-room area. It also has a kitchen and a bathroom. We had a beautiful deck built where we can eat and relax.
The park is a true heaven for children: safe and small. Kids play in the playground all day long. What else to ask for?

Are you considering seasonal camping for your family? These are the points to consider:

1) Do you like coming back to the same place and people year after year?

2) Do you like living in a trailer or you prefer the freedom of tent camping in the woods?

3) If you already own an RV, is the price of gas deterring you from long travels?

If you decide that seasonal camping is a good solution for you then you need to make some big decisions.

How to become seasonal camper:

1) You need to pick the right campground.

This is not as easy as it seems since there are hundreds to choose from. So you really need to do some research before you decide and go and visit some of the parks that meet your criteria. Do you like big parks with lots of facilities: golf, swimming pools and all infrastructures, or do you enjoy smaller, more private parks, that may not offer all the services, but instead offer a sense of privacy and belonging, where you can meet and get to know everybody. Do they offer any activities for kids at ll?

Of course you also have to consider the annual cost, cost of electricity and sewage (if not included in the seasonal fee) and the driving distance from home, since you will be driving there quite often.

The surrounding area itself is of most importance as well. Do you like the beach or the woods? Our campground is located in the woods (and backing up to acres and acres of woods), but also a five minute walk away from a beautiful sandy beach.

Where is the nearest town and shopping, nearest hospital? Some campgrounds have a little store and even a restaurant, but sometimes you may have to drive quite a distance to the nearest town. Shopping area should be no farther than 15 minutes driving distance away for your convenience. Same goes for a hospital: we all know that accidents happen.

Of course the easiest way to pick out a park is to just visit a few parks in the area that you like and know already.

2) The next logical step would be to choose a trailer.

The possibilities here are endless, so it may be a hard choice, but talking to a dealer would be very helpful. I suggest visiting some dealers closest to the campground of your choice. I bet that they know the owners and their requirements well. Trailers come in a wide array of types and sizes. There are truck trailers, travel trailers, fifth wheel and park models.

How many bedrooms do you need? How much living space? What configuration is the best? How many windows? These are important questions to consider. But even more important is the cost. Do you need a brand new trailer or you can settle for a used one. Usually you can get a very big trailer in excellent condition for the price of a small but a new one. It is your choice. We picked a used one-bedroom Golden Falcon model. But you have to remember that some "posh"parks only accept new (or almost new) trailers, so you need to find out their policy first.

It is really just like buying a house- you will know when you find the perfect match.

Sometimes, if you are lucky, there are good trailers available for sale at the park of your choice. They usually have everything you would ever need already, including the dishes, deck and storage shed. These are the most cost-effective choices you can make.

3) Pick the site.

Even the biggest campgrounds may be fully booked, so check in the office before you get your hopes up or even better call in advance before visiting.

If there are sites available, then you need to consider how big they are (for the size of your trailer), if they are sunny or shady most of the day (we definitely like the sun, it keeps the inside of the trailer warm and dry, but many people prefer the shade), how far from the gate and the washrooms, who are the neighbours, is the site sandy or grassy (or concrete) and many others.

Now you can await your trailer to be towed and installed at your site (you can do it yourself, if you have a pick-up truck, but it is not easy!). Then you can bring all your things and make it your second house. You may decide to have a deck build and a shed for storage, as we did. But you have to check the park policies first.

Now you can enjoy camping life and relax.