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Old 02-09-2018, 10:42 AM   #1
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Long term camping-perm. to yrly.

This is probably a better category for this: I am located in around Putnam County/Gainesville FLORIDA So like I've called around and very few places that seem to be cool with long term to yearly stays/parking then also say they want your rig newer or it must pass their standard nice look. (Which I get to a certain extend) Mine is a 1996 International and they usually hesitate.

However, I am just really wandering now where long term people like workers or local skoolies park long term and plug up???? Surely, not all skoolies work from home and travel or have the ability to jump from local campground to another. I am not rich or fortunate enough to work from home or anything like that. I am someone who is moving into the bus full time and want to live like this but maintain a local stable job. Sounds like I need to do a full conversion (Plumbing) and move into a mobile home park that allows RVs?

If anyone has any suggestions in or around Alachua/Putnam Counties or other Centrail Fl locations of campgrounds that is good for long term stays please advise if you would. I am having ZERO luck. I am not looking for alot of amenities, or a fancy place. I just need a bathroom and shower on site. Anyone else found anything around me ? Thanks! Thank u

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Old 02-09-2018, 12:25 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by BigDeb68 View Post
This is probably a better category for this: I am located in around Putnam County/Gainesville FLORIDA So like I've called around and very few places that seem to be cool with long term to yearly stays/parking then also say they want your rig newer or it must pass their standard nice look. (Which I get to a certain extend) Mine is a 1996 International and they usually hesitate.

However, I am just really wandering now where long term people like workers or local skoolies park long term and plug up???? Surely, not all skoolies work from home and travel or have the ability to jump from local campground to another. I am not rich or fortunate enough to work from home or anything like that. I am someone who is moving into the bus full time and want to live like this but maintain a local stable job. Sounds like I need to do a full conversion (Plumbing) and move into a mobile home park that allows RVs?

If anyone has any suggestions in or around Alachua/Putnam Counties or other Centrail Fl locations of campgrounds that is good for long term stays please advise if you would. I am having ZERO luck. I am not looking for alot of amenities, or a fancy place. I just need a bathroom and shower on site. Anyone else found anything around me ? Thanks! Thank u
Used to be fishing camps in the 80s...hunting camps maybe? Idk...apparently Florida has a very different attitude than Texas


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Old 02-09-2018, 03:16 PM   #3
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Used to be fishing camps in the 80s...hunting camps maybe? Idk...apparently Florida has a very different attitude than Texas


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I think the resorts where the Snowbirds spend the winter in their million-dollar RVs have attitudes not welcoming to Skoolies, and Florida has a lot of them.

Florida also has state and National parks that would welcome you. Dunno about a maximum stay, but there are plenty to tour around.
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Old 02-09-2018, 07:57 PM   #4
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hey deb, I am in FL also kinda near your area and "was" wanting to live in a sch bus to attend the fire academy. i do not care to do the full conversion b/c having a bathroom and plumbing is not in my budget mostly nor my interest. i wanted to rely on campground/rv parks for long term stay that had amenities like a bathroom & shower for that. I was going to install electricity YES! me too. i needed AC for my cats b/c i dont want them to bake and solar power dont cut it with an AC and mini frig in hot summer. so boondocking does not seem resasonable for MY situation and i dnt know anyone in fl with land to park on. i liked the idea of full time campsite living and i know it exsits. but thats just me. i am a single person that wants to stay local unlike most who think picking up and leaving from one place to the other or boondocking is the answer well it is not for me.sounds like your in the same boat. and after doing some exhausting research over a period of months here is what I found to be true in the putnam/east gainsville and clay county areas- your not alone! heres how my skooly dream hit the breaks: after yrs living in typical housing i was not happy with it- ever-i sold everything i own down to nothing. i want a simpiler life. i found this lifestyle and thought perfect these are my peps!!! then learned it is not as easy as many think (in my opinion) i guess b/c i dont work from home, or whatever, im just a broke local with no where to turn thinkin this was a salvagable way of living better while having a steady job to make ends meet. ive called so many campgrounds in those areas Aulachua/putnam/clay. by google search everyone i could find.after calling i also had visited the website asked it again in email and provided a photo of my bus... it all came back down to these things no matter where i called.
1-the yr of the bus. most did not like anything older than 10 yrs. also it was mentioned that if i was hauling/pulling something else, the date also applied. anything older than 10 yrs they requested pics
2-color. fact is, nobody i called liked the thought of a school bus regardless of the color. I say color b/c some said nothing that would be an eye sore. to most yellow sch buses are not as beautiful as I think they are. > i was told that sch buses are NOT motor home/RV and it does not count no matter what conversions are made or the color b/c its a sch bus outside.
3-most only wanted RVs or trailers
4-Long term staying was out of the question for most. KOA told me "we do not allow non-conventional RV's to stay" the ones that allowed long term stays referred back to any of the 1-5!
5-After speaking with a nice campground owner who took the time to explain the following:he said he was familar with skoolies and wished he could help but he is licensed. if any campground is "licensed" the county inspectors are TOUGH and at his long owned large campground when the inspector ever sees a school bus or anything resembling one, he wanted to see the title record to confirm it stated RV even then he would inspect the rig to make sure it had a holding tank which meant it HAD to be plugged up to plumbing connection, electric and sewer or he would fine the campground. Often times the bus guests were asked to leave. He stated that maybe an unlicensed place would not be inspected or strict but good luck finding those. He also stated 1-3. he thought in his opinion, RV parks are moving towards competing with hotels and are going towards more resort type images and names rather than using a term like campgrounds.

He allowed long-term to yearly stays but if it resembled a sch bus -NO!
I was told by 2 people that told me if I lived anywhere else other than florida it would be easier.but FL is upitty and stricter b/c it is a tourest state and they have standards and state guideines (..whatever those are)
As a matter of fact, every campground i called seemed unimpressed to insulted by me asking if they accept long term stays/seasonal and let alone if they accepted converted sch buses. The ones that were hesitant requested photos be sent and they would ask management. Maybe others have had better luck but thats my luck and experience.

so IF i decided to do the skoolie life, and did the full conversion... i still have to deal with 1-3. and I am sorry my budget does not allow me to buy anything newer than 10 yrs old. i drove a sch bus for yrs so i LIKE the sch bus look. that is why i do not like RVs and motorhomes. I am sure that many are like me,otherwise we'd buy those and not sch buses. so idk, im stuck personally and lost now. i had better luck when i was homeless. good luck to you and others b/c its just not working for me. by the way, i am not saying i expect it to be easy, but these issues to me are dealbreakers for many i would think
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Old 02-09-2018, 08:10 PM   #5
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hey deb, I am in FL also kinda near your area and "was" wanting to live in a sch bus to attend the fire academy. i do not care to do the full conversion b/c having a bathroom and plumbing is not in my budget mostly nor my interest. i wanted to rely on campground/rv parks for long term stay that had amenities like a bathroom & shower for that. I was going to install electricity YES! me too. i needed AC for my cats b/c i dont want them to bake and solar power dont cut it with an AC and mini frig in hot summer. so boondocking does not seem resasonable for MY situation and i dnt know anyone in fl with land to park on. i liked the idea of full time campsite living and i know it exsits. but thats just me. i am a single person that wants to stay local unlike most who think picking up and leaving from one place to the other or boondocking is the answer well it is not for me.sounds like your in the same boat. and after doing some exhausting research over a period of months here is what I found to be true in the putnam/east gainsville and clay county areas- your not alone! heres how my skooly dream hit the breaks: after yrs living in typical housing i was not happy with it- ever-i sold everything i own down to nothing. i want a simpiler life. i found this lifestyle and thought perfect these are my peps!!! then learned it is not as easy as many think (in my opinion) i guess b/c i dont work from home, or whatever, im just a broke local with no where to turn thinkin this was a salvagable way of living better while having a steady job to make ends meet. ive called so many campgrounds in those areas Aulachua/putnam/clay. by google search everyone i could find.after calling i also had visited the website asked it again in email and provided a photo of my bus... it all came back down to these things no matter where i called.
1-the yr of the bus. most did not like anything older than 10 yrs. also it was mentioned that if i was hauling/pulling something else, the date also applied. anything older than 10 yrs they requested pics
2-color. fact is, nobody i called liked the thought of a school bus regardless of the color. I say color b/c some said nothing that would be an eye sore. to most yellow sch buses are not as beautiful as I think they are. > i was told that sch buses are NOT motor home/RV and it does not count no matter what conversions are made or the color b/c its a sch bus outside.
3-most only wanted RVs or trailers
4-Long term staying was out of the question for most. KOA told me "we do not allow non-conventional RV's to stay" the ones that allowed long term stays referred back to any of the 1-5!
5-After speaking with a nice campground owner who took the time to explain the following:he said he was familar with skoolies and wished he could help but he is licensed. if any campground is "licensed" the county inspectors are TOUGH and at his long owned large campground when the inspector ever sees a school bus or anything resembling one, he wanted to see the title record to confirm it stated RV even then he would inspect the rig to make sure it had a holding tank which meant it HAD to be plugged up to plumbing connection, electric and sewer or he would fine the campground. Often times the bus guests were asked to leave. He stated that maybe an unlicensed place would not be inspected or strict but good luck finding those. He also stated 1-3. he thought in his opinion, RV parks are moving towards competing with hotels and are going towards more resort type images and names rather than using a term like campgrounds.

He allowed long-term to yearly stays but if it resembled a sch bus -NO!
I was told by 2 people that told me if I lived anywhere else other than florida it would be easier.but FL is upitty and stricter b/c it is a tourest state and they have standards and state guideines (..whatever those are)
As a matter of fact, every campground i called seemed unimpressed to insulted by me asking if they accept long term stays/seasonal and let alone if they accepted converted sch buses. The ones that were hesitant requested photos be sent and they would ask management. Maybe others have had better luck but thats my luck and experience.

so IF i decided to do the skoolie life, and did the full conversion... i still have to deal with 1-3. and I am sorry my budget does not allow me to buy anything newer than 10 yrs old. i drove a sch bus for yrs so i LIKE the sch bus look. that is why i do not like RVs and motorhomes. I am sure that many are like me,otherwise we'd buy those and not sch buses. so idk, im stuck personally and lost now. i had better luck when i was homeless. good luck to you and others b/c its just not working for me. by the way, i am not saying i expect it to be easy, but these issues to me are dealbreakers for many i would think
I was in Florida in the 80s so my experience is seriously dated...there used to be fishing camps and hunting camps...there's the groves/migrate camps...maybe there's industrial areas that would consider "live-on property security"...Idk, I wish you luck

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Old 02-10-2018, 08:54 PM   #6
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Hi, Like OMGish, I am finding out that same thing Mbutler79! Here is an article I found. It is so depressing. I have been on this site looking around alot and rarely have I noticed this topic about skoolies finding long term parking (Of course I am still reading) I just feel like you have to have alot of money to travel/skoolie/and jump from campground to campground and have the luxury of working from home to support this life style. But, what I cannot wrap my head around is how skoolies get around the 10 yr old/older "school bus conversion" topic or their rig. I've called around and hearing the very same things. You are right on with that and I believe it is because we are in Florida. I also don't understand how you hear people mention their animals and yet how do they provide AC in Fl. I mean where I live, a few hours running the AC don't cut it. So do they run the generators around the clock or have a ton of solar batteries? People say boon-docking like its so easy. LOL, Even if I had all that stuff, holding tanks and all that crap, seems I'd spend time riding around looking for a place to dump, fill up etc. I guess this isn't for me. Or, as some idiot PM'ed me and said "Why don't you just buy a house and park it in your back yard?" -Really sir. Another said, to just buy a newer RV. -Ok, sure. why don't we all sir.
LOL!!!!!!
Note: KOA's asked me right off the bat and said no. I am calling around and it don't sound promising. I guess I need to quite my job after 13 yrs and move across the state to support a lifestyle of freedom while moving away from family and all that! Florida sucks.

Here's that link...

Why Many RV Parks Prohibit and Dislike Skoolies – Asphalt Nomads
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Old 02-10-2018, 09:05 PM   #7
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Indulge>> http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f13/sk...ites-6938.html
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Old 02-10-2018, 11:19 PM   #8
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My wife and I are both employed by our local school district. She is a high school math teacher.

Our three children are straight "A" students. The oldest an All-State saxophonist, then middle child an All-State choir singer and the youngest's lowest class score this year is 98%

We are about as nice a family as you could wish to meet (Mrs Twigg gets the credit for that, I am less nice when faced with bigotry).

If a bunch of snobs don't want us then f&$k 'em?

Who the hell wants to stay in their rip-off RV Ghettos anyway
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Old 02-11-2018, 05:53 AM   #9
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My wife and I are both employed by our local school district. She is a high school math teacher.

Our three children are straight "A" students. The oldest an All-State saxophonist, then middle child an All-State choir singer and the youngest's lowest class score this year is 98%

We are about as nice a family as you could wish to meet (Mrs Twigg gets the credit for that, I am less nice when faced with bigotry).

If a bunch of snobs don't want us then f&$k 'em?

Who the hell wants to stay in their rip-off RV Ghettos anyway
That's how I feel. RV parks suck.
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Old 02-11-2018, 09:56 PM   #10
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This was too good not to share: I completely agree with you Mbutler!!

hey deb,i def believe its got alot to do with living in florida adds to the challenge. i dnt think there are many skoolie friendly campgrounds in fl and seems like most any campground or rv parks do not like long term stays anyway from anyone. guess if your in a traditional rv type trailer or motorhome you stand a better chance, but then about that too old of a rig deal kinda gets me. i cant believe its 2018 and with the tiny house movement and all the alternative living style now being pursued, economy leaving people with low incomes etc...now we up our standards and act like its a pretty world. i guess it is in the rv resorts! haa. if i had the money to buy land, a house, a class A rv, or travel, i wouldnt consider a skoolie. im just broke. otherwise id not want to live in a vehicle. haa.
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Old 02-11-2018, 11:00 PM   #11
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Not me. I've always taken the low road. Ok, so buses aren't exactly the low road. It's the lower end of RV type camping because it's self built. It's a pain making one of these, but when you're done you can fix anything on it. That's something RV owners can't say.
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Old 02-11-2018, 11:40 PM   #12
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This was too good not to share: I completely agree with you Mbutler!!

hey deb,i def believe its got alot to do with living in florida adds to the challenge. i dnt think there are many skoolie friendly campgrounds in fl and seems like most any campground or rv parks do not like long term stays anyway from anyone. guess if your in a traditional rv type trailer or motorhome you stand a better chance, but then about that too old of a rig deal kinda gets me. i cant believe its 2018 and with the tiny house movement and all the alternative living style now being pursued, economy leaving people with low incomes etc...now we up our standards and act like its a pretty world. i guess it is in the rv resorts! haa. if i had the money to buy land, a house, a class A rv, or travel, i wouldnt consider a skoolie. im just broke. otherwise id not want to live in a vehicle. haa.
The Baby Boomers, who have squandered their resistance for a pocketful of mumbles, such are promises ... are dying off, and their kids and grandkids can't afford the same toys. Ask Harley Davidson!

Give it a few years and those parks will be going broke, and begging for dollars from anyone prepared to stay there.
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Old 02-12-2018, 04:27 AM   #13
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The Baby Boomers, who have squandered their resistance for a pocketful of mumbles, such are promises ... are dying off, and their kids and grandkids can't afford the same toys. Ask Harley Davidson!

Give it a few years and those parks will be going broke, and begging for dollars from anyone prepared to stay there.
Living in FL my whole life I've seen it firsthand. You either have an expensive RV park that caters to old people from Michigan and Ohio, or you have a ghetto full of trashy meth heads and pain pill addicts in old clapped out rigs.
I'd choose the first if it were my enterprise.
Florida is FULL of trailer ghettos.
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Old 02-12-2018, 01:56 PM   #14
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at this point i think id like to know the whereabouts of the ghetto full of trashy meth heads and pain pill addicts in old clapped out rigs.they suddenly sound like my type. lol.
living in the car isn't bad lately! haa
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Old 02-12-2018, 07:31 PM   #15
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at this point i think id like to know the whereabouts of the ghetto full of trashy meth heads and pain pill addicts in old clapped out rigs.they suddenly sound like my type. lol.
living in the car isn't bad lately! haa
All over FL, man.

Are you not from here?
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Old 02-12-2018, 08:01 PM   #16
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All over FL, man.

Are you not from here?
When I went to Ocala last Apr. it was a bit of a culture shock for me. I prefer slim woman and around here all i see are "cattle". I go to Ocala and notice all the woman look like strung out meth hoe's, everyone has long air and tatted from head to toe, even the grandmas. A gazillion motorcycles and no one wears protective gear. Talk to some locals who wondered why on earth I would want to move to Ocala, the meth capital of the world. So from what I've seen of that area, yes, I can imagine what the low end skoolie parks look like.
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Old 02-12-2018, 08:37 PM   #17
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I've not seen a skoolie park, but the really REALLY rough neighborhoods that traditionally have had single-wide mobile homes are now sporting some rather shabby looking "tiny homes".
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Old 02-12-2018, 09:36 PM   #18
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My name is Earl was in a low rent trailer park.

Let's not start calling trailer parks skoolie parks. It might be a good idea though, where skoolies could openly discriminated against RV owners.
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