Article Title: It's Summertime, and the R.V. Livin' is Easy

Edition: August 2001
Category: General Interest
Author: Diane Donovan
Article:

Take a drive anywhere in Vermont, and it becomes pretty clear what season it is. It's Recreational Vehicle (R.V.) season.

With names like Bounder, Ultimate Freedom, Prowler, Discovery, Holiday Rambler and Hurricane, homes on wheels offer the unique combination of the comforts of home and the call of the open road.

A far cry from the early motor homes and Volkswagen conversion vans of the 60's, a late model 40 foot-long Country Coach Intrigue on ebay can be bought for a starting bid of $125,000, complete with leather sleep sofa and recliner, central air-conditioning, satellite dish, convection oven and walnut cabinets.

The Intrigue is known as a luxurious "Class A" motor home. The smaller motor homes, starting at 10 feet, are known as "Class C." There are also travel trailers and fifth wheels, which hitch to a pickup truck, and finally, the tent campers or "pop-ups," which need only a ball hitch on your commuter vehicle.

"Most people who are attracted to recreational vehicles start as tent campers", says Bruce Mekkelsen of Mekkelsen RV in East Montpelier, Vermont's oldest family run RV dealership.

Growing up in the business, Mekkelsen has witnessed the growth of the industry over the last 35 years. "Campers who see the benefits of camping versus vacationing in a motel move up to the convenience of a recreation vehicle," says Mekkelsen. "Families who are excited about getting back to nature with their growing families can purchase a tent trailer for as little as $2,000. This is an investment that will last many years."

The temptation to sell the family home to invest in a motor home probably falls to only about 5 to 10 percent of R.V.-ers says Mekkelsen. Retirees sometimes opt for two travel trailers, one in a summer and one in a winter location. Lot rents can be as low as $1,000 a year and include taxes, sewer and water.

Vermont's Beauty a Draw

The natural beauty of the Vermont landscape attracts many R.V.-ers from May to October. Not far from Mekkelsen's and just about three miles up Vermont State Route 232 in Marshfield, you can find Groton Forest Road Campground, bought seven years ago by Jim and Wanda McDonald.

The campground has more than 30 fully equipped campsites.

Sitting outside by the picnic table enjoying the sun earlier this summer were John and Marion Thompson.

From California, they were touring New England for the second time. "The first time we came to Vermont we visited the covered bridges with our customized shell camper", said John Thompson, "but we're not going to try it with this motor home!"

The Thompson's have been R.V.-ing since 1985 and have visited all 48 contiguous states and Alaska.

"We haven't stopped since," said Marion Thompson. We have a home in California close to my daughter, but stay there for only about three months out of the year", she added.

Watching the Races Wherever You Are

The satellite dish is a fairly new acquisition for the Thompsons and gives them the opportunity to follow NASCAR races. To set up the dish, it needs to be on a level surface. The Thompsons find out the zip code from the campground or local post office and the satellite dish company then gives the coordinates for the angle by which the dish will find the satellite.

To the east in Danville is Sugar Ridge Campground, 68 acres with 111 campsites. "The campground is full almost every weekend," said Ed Blanchard. As a camp worker who retired three years ago from the granite industry where he worked for 39 years, Blanchard and his wife Jane get a free campsite for the season, a salary, and all the amenities of Sugar Ridge, including 18- hole mini-golf, swimming pools, tennis and volley ball.

Landscaped with biking and walking trails and a fishpond, it is home to 15 seasonal R.V.-ers. Blanchard has been camping since 1964. He started in the state lean-tos and bought his first pop-up in 1968, which he had for 30 years.

"This is a great way to spend the summer," he said, and he's enjoying every minute of his "retirement".

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