HOW MUCH DO YOU USE YOUR SMB?

[macmcintire]

I just bought my 2003 Ford E-250 Sportsmobile in October. I have used it three times for camping -- two weekends and one week-long trip to the Beach in California. Since I live in Las Vegas I would use my SMB camping every weekend if I could get away from my family and business responsibilities. I have it so I can just jump in it and leave at the spur of the moment, so I love it.

[bitburger]

We picked our van up in June of 08. In both 08 and 09, we have slept between 50 and 60 nights in the van usually on longer trips that are arranged within the school holidays. We are around 25k miles.

Our usual mode is for me to do the long drives (Seattle to Las Vegas or SLC) and then have the girls fly in for the camping part of the trip. They are happy to avoid the long drive and I'm happy driving by myself now and then.

This way we maximize the camping and everyone seems to have a better time. We mix camping rough with National Park sites and the occasional KOAs when we need to do wash or a charge.

Our best trip so far was Arches in November although many have been good or great.

It has been a good family choice for us although as the girls grow larger, it does seem to get cozier inside. The family pile parties upstairs now show a bulge on the canopy sides.

[SMBDAD]

I have not been able to go on any extended trips. Just bought the van and have been going through it, upgrading. My kids have now come up with a new holiday tradition. They have come up with the idea that every holiday we must sleep in the van(Hard to do and get up for school next moring). We slept in it when I put the new house battery in. We watched a new movie and it just so happened that it was a holiday. Did it again at Thanksgiving. Young kids are great with the things they come up with!

[ecchastang]

I have owned mine for 20 days, and stayed 6 nights so far. Permenant move in date, mid-April for about 12-18 months.

[macmcintire]

ecchastang,

Congratulations on getting another Sportsmobile. It sounds like you are off on another live-in journey. You need to post pictures on your profile of both your previous and current Sportsmobiles. I enjoy following everyone's adventurers and seeing their rigs and where they have been.

Mac

[8850]

We've had our SMB for 4 months and have 33 nights in it and put 12,000 miles on it. There is really a relaxing mental shift that occurs for both me and my wife when we load up and head out not to mention sleeping up top and waking up in some remote place. Living in Salt Lake it is not hard to find some excuse to get out on the weekends and we're a bit spoiled with all the National Parks so close. One of our longest trip was up to the Kenai Peninsula this summer for a month. Incredible trip in an incredible vehicle. Great to see so many people enjoying their SMBs as well!

[billwilson]

I dont have a good number of nights
Wilson has been camp ready for 1 year
have been camping at least once a month for at least 2 nights
thats 24 nites
throw in a few 4 and 5 nighters we are probablty up to @ 40 nites

my ONLY limiting factor is time off work
Some i have to spend in Thailand, taking wife to visit family
Some i need to catch up on sleep from a 80 hour week
and a lot of time taking the wife around shopping

However:
Rig is kept stocked, gassed, propaned, watered, bedding and clothes
all we need is prep food in kitchen, pop in plastic boxes, stop at supermarket and go

well this is the idea anyway
we actually have managed to do this 3 times
3 hours from decision to go to driving out of our Soi (sorry, meant street to you falangs

wife is real comfy with USofA now, has a pretty good veggie garden, green house and now a drivers license.
This has freed up time for me, and will free up more time
(not so much days off work, but will save me 10-20 hours running errands and shopping)
(( grocery shopping for the Wilson family is 4 hours round trip, twice a month, PLUS daily trips to the market for fresh fruits and vegies))

that and the fact that my wife is not freezing to death all the time will allow us:
- cut down to 2-3 trips to thailand
- allow wintertime camping

Utah has a bunch of year round areas we want to check out
as well as Death Valley, Anza and Joshua Tree

My new camping map is the Cell phone coverage map
any where there is NO coverage, thats where i wanna go!!

[Stosh]

LOL.....I like that plan using cell phone coverage map. Great contrarian idea. Stosh

[billwilson]

Originally Posted by Stosh

LOL.....I like that plan using cell phone coverage map. Great contrarian idea. Stosh

being a little ADD and the world continues to melt, i cant help myself !

[stiggs]

3 years put about 20k miles only really get to camp in it 10 to 15 days a year, but do use it for 'day camping' at the beach. Its also my daily driver, musical equipment mover, sometimes band vehicle, and motorcycle hauler. Long way off from retirement unless I can land me one of those sweet California Union jobs.