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 Karen
and I were watching television the other day, an a
show came on featuring RVs. They had a trailer, a
fold-down tent trailer, a Model T Ford converted to
a camper, and a class A motorhome. The show host did
a tour of the motorhome, which had a second floor.
Oak stairs lead to the roof, where we found a patio
with a BBQ and much more. This coach was worth around
a couple hundred grand - American money, of course.
I could not believe my eyes.
I first experienced camping in my teens in a pop-up
trailer, today, known as a fold-down trailer. It was
1970 when I bought my first VW Campervan. It didn't
have a lot of fancy features - an ice box for a fridge,
a five gallon container to hold water, and a hand
pump to pump the water into the sink. Nevertheless,
it was mine. I remember phoning my parents and telling
them I was going camping for a couple days, and not
to worry.
I didn't go far. I found a campground, or what I thought
was a campground, and pulled in. The cost to stay
was three dollars per night, with no hookups. I honestly
don't think they even had hookups. I asked the person
where to park and he said anywhere. So, off I went
and found a nice level place by a fence. That evening
I pulled out my lawn chair, built a small campfire
and ate sandwiches I had brought from home while I
watched the stars.
The next morning I woke up to a mooing sound. I looked
out my window and there, on the other side of the
fence, were several cows. One was looking at me, while
another - its backside toward me - did what cows tend
to do in fields. Suitably inspired, I decided I should
find the outhouse. I got dressed and walked about
a quarter mile to find the outhouse, which had no
running water, no electricity and no toilet paper.
Good thing my mom told me to bring some, only problem
was, it was back in my camper. Off I went in a fast
walk to retrieve it.
As I looked around the outhouse listening to all the
sounds of nature (including the sounds of more cows
doing what cows tend to do) I thought of the pioneers
and how glad I was that I lived now. I went back to
the camper, pulled out my Coleman pump stove, and
made some bacon and eggs while I listened to the camper
radio. While retrieving my bacon and eggs from the
ice box, I noticed the block of ice was almost gone,
and I was going to have to go and buy another soon.
So I loaded up my stuff, said good-bye to the cows,
and off I went down the highway looking for ice and
another campground. When I got home, I told everyone
what a great time I had, and how I was going to do
it again the next weekend. I did.
Today, I am a professional Wagon Master, and I am
always amazed at how things have changed over the
years. When I first started leading Caravans and organizing
Rallies, it was a luxury to get an electrical hookup.
I remember leading an early Caravan out to western
Canada, and staying in a campground with electric
and water hookups. Several of our Caravaners were
surprised at this. On this Caravan, we did stay in
several parks without hookups. At the time, that was
more the norm.
Over the years, the trend not to have hookups began
to fade and more people began to want electric and
water service. Swimming pools started to become part
of the campground, and campsites were now assigned.
The first franchised campgrounds - the Kampgrounds
of America (KOA) - appeared, and set entirely new
standards. We called them the Holiday Inns of camping.
Motorhomes where becoming very popular and soon we
had to have holding tanks for our gray water. We had
holding tanks for our black water. Dump stations became
part of our campgrounds and due to the popularity
of motorhomes and all the electric items we carried,
30 amp electric hookups replaced the 15 amp originals.
Before you knew it, people wanted electric, water
and sewer hookups, along with cable TV. In some cases,
RVs were better equipped than some homes.
Camping fees started to rise - from three bucks for
a night next to the pasture to five bucks and then
up farther still. Many of the older campers, who were
used to the cheap camping with no facilities at all,
stayed away from the campgrounds with full hookups
and refused to pay the higher fees. The new younger
camper wanted the hookups and all the comforts of
home.
Today camping fees range from $25 all the way up to
$75 a night, depending on where you are and what you
want. Today when we run our Caravans or Rallies we
are asked for 50 amp service, water hookups, phone
hookups, cable or satellite hookups, sewer hookups,
pull through sites, level sites, internet hookups.
If the clients can't get them, they won't go.
Karen married me when I had a 26 foot motorhome and
she always said "Roughing it is when the color
TV breaks down." I remember one vacation we were
on and the TV did break. I was given the choice of
getting a new set or buying my wife a plane ticket
home.
It just amazes me when I look back at my first RV
and then at what we have today. Man have things changed.
Take care & happy RVing,
M.B. & Karen Wilson
Wagon Masters
rvtours@interlog.com
We have had many RVers' from Western Canada e-mail
us, asking if we would be coming out west. We will
be at the Calgary Stampede and Edmonton Klondike Days
in July 2004. Please check our web page at www.interlog.com/~rvtours
for our schedule. We really enjoy meeting RVers who
read our column and we are looking forward to going
west in 2004.
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