RV Travel Newsletter

Above, my mom and grandparents camping in Oregon in 1940 in their homemade teardrop trailer.

The Sunday edition of the RV Travel Newsletter is now posted.

It starts off with an essay by Chuck Woodbury that should conjure up some memories of oldtimers. It looks back at the good old days when camping out, in a tent or RV, was much more affordable.

It begins with:

Once upon a time, camping was free or close to it. I speak from my own experience as a well-aged human and RVer. I began RV camping as a child with my parents and then as a 20-something adult on my own. By campgrounds, I am referring to public campgrounds, operated by the government. There were few RV parks early on as we know them now. Those that existed were called trailer parks or mobile home parks.  

KOA was the first big player. Its first RV park debuted in 1962 along the route west to the Seattle World’s Fair. Campers paid $1.75 a night. The concept was soon franchised and grew fast. But most other parks were still in the future. As long as the government provided free stays or very cheap stays in its campgrounds, how could a private operation compete, at least in a popular tourist area?

To read the Newsletter, go here.