I had so much success on an earlier post today I thought I'd try my luck againl. The first group mqy have saved me around $10,000 so, I says to myself, "why don't I present the new issue I've been dwelling over and see if I can solicit the same type of outstanding answers.
I feel sure that all of you, like me, are concerned about the cost of traveling and how much it's taking out of your bottom line when you need to do a show 1000 miles away. We can't do much about the cost of fuel so I won't mess with that one; The second largest expense for most of us would be motels and that's the one I'm trying to cut out of the loop
I travel by myself most of the time so I don't have to please anyone other than myself. I bought a new trailer this summer which is much larger and nicer that the rent trailer I was using. I've rigged it out to sleep in and, for just myself, it's as comfortable and I would ever need a hotel to be. I have heat, a.c. and can carry a small tv if I want.
It's lacking in two respects and those are the two hurddles I'm trying to jump. The lesser of the two is finding a place to park it for the night if the show does not allow parkiig of this sort near their facility; Have any of you found the 'secret" to this issue. And how do you go about locating these "parking" places? Also, I believe some of them may charge as much as some motels
The big issue for me is the lack of a bathroom. I don't think I could deal with the issue of not being able to take a shower at the end of each day, And, the lack of a bathroom also has it's obvious problems. Can any of you address these issues without getting too colorful especially on the latter Part of the problem. I know these facilities are available at most campgrounds but I detest taking a shower and then having to walk a half mile across a 40 degree campground wrapped in a blanket or something. I'm afraid to even ask your solutions to the other part of the proboleml I can't imagine many of you using chamber pots so I can't imagine what your answers might be.
Finally, if you're in the campground that does not have shower and restroom facilities, what then?
If I don't get some of these sorts of expenses off my bottom-line, especially in today's economy, I may find myslf working as the Greeter at Wal-Mart. And, no, I don't think there is anything wrong with being a greeter - I just can't stand in one place that long!
Thanks to all.
Don
I apologize for getting into such a "personal" issue but we're talking about the second larget travel expense most of use havel I figure any dollar saved is a dollar added back to the profit line and I could use thatl]
Thanks for any and all input.
Don
Comments
Back when we had a much smaller trailer without a bathroom we solved the shower issue by buying a "hot water on demand system" that is sold by Coleman. It uses propane and we were able to rig up a mini shower using a square plastic container to stand in and then empty the water. We actually were talking about listing ours on Craiglist and selling it since we don't use it any more.
http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/subcategory.asp?CategoryI...
Regarding inexpensive places to stay, we've researched BLM and Natinal Forest sites that are free or very cheap, not sure where you are located but in the Western US there are lots of options on Federal Land. Our local Camping World store had a few books on free or nearly free camping and we purchased one of those that stays in the truck.
We've also found, at least in our area, that county parks with campgrounds can be a very inexpensive alternative, quite often the county parks charge much less than the state parks, are generally less crowded and much quieter and usually not quite as far off the beaten path as some of the state parks.
we have many times stayed at truck stops..they let you park free and there are toilets open all night and showers......
also have purchased a 'camping' potty that we keep in the trailer....flushes and everything....then you dump it when/where you can...
We travel in our 39' fifth wheel toyhauler being towed by my Chevy Dually, so we are about the size of a semi. We have never gone to a show and not found a place to park...that being said, I always call show promoters before I even apply and ask them their artist parking situation if it's not stated, and even if it is, I do, because most people have NO idea how big a rig is until they see it and I don't like to surprise show coordinators. My husband can be very creative in the times when space is tight. You also must learn the size of your rig, and truly understand it and the limitations, what you can and can't do. Backing up down a one way city street truly sucks. Study your GPS. Walmarts are a godsend, as are Flying J's, Love's, TA's, and many casinos- all free. Some of the big truck stops have dump stations and you can take showers there, a lot of times truckers get more shower chits than they can use and are agreeable to giving them away.
If you plan on doing a lot of major interstate driving, check this site out:
http://www.interstaterestareas.com/
Call campgrounds ahead of time and ask them what their faciliites are like (20, 30, 50, w/e, w/s/e?) I've written a few times about how nearly every time I've stayed at a campground for more than a day, I sell my work, enough to pay for the site fee. Since you will be crossing over into RV territory, you may want to look at this site from strictly RV'ers:
http://www.rv.net/forum/
I've gotten some great info from people there. It's like AFI but dedicated to RVing! Folks there know a whole lot more than I do. You get used to not taking a shower every single day- if it's a driving day and youre headed to a truck stop or wally world, who cares anyway? Good luck and enjoy!