When we first started RV’ing I was really looking forward to traveling to the west coast specifically along the coast of California. You see when I finished graduate school I took a few weeks off to take a trip from Vancouver Canada all the way down Highway 1 along the coastline to Los Angeles before I turned back toward Texas.
The biggest differences that have detracted from this trip along the northern coastline are:
- The price of diesel and gas in California are super high when compared to the rest of America due to the high gas taxes required of Californians from their state government.
- The price of RV parks is exorbitantly high and I think in part due to the fact that the state charges such high prices for its state park sites. I mean I have found state or county parks along the coast that charge $50.00 or more for a dry camping spot… NO HOOKUPS! No wonder there are private parks charging over $90.00 for a spot…
- Many of the roads in California are some of the worst we have encountered, especially Highway 101…
Throw in the fact that the water is cold and it is always chilly on the beach, I don’t think we will feel compelled to return to this part of of America anytime soon in our RV. We feel California should pay heed to the potential snowballing crisis they are in. RV’ing tourists such as us will likely not return to spend our monies 
I am not saying don’t come to California as it is one of the most beautiful states we have seen with some really outstanding weather. However, if you do come prepare for costs to be 25-50 percent higher than what you may be used to…
We have had some nice sunsets here and I am hopeful we will have better luck as we head south in this beautiful state but I am fully aware that Los Angeles still awaits us…
Thanks for sharing. Although we don't plan to head in that direction for a couple years, it's certainly fuel for thought. Maybe traveling the entire coastline will not be realistic.
ReplyDeleteWe share your view of California. The thing you didnt mention that really disgusts us is the trash along most of their roads. We had decided to avoid California as much as possible, but now we are looking at a paid workamper job in Redding. Hmm.
ReplyDeleteRedding, one of our fav stops in past 5 mos...
DeleteUnfortunately, that's all true. What you did not say was that Hollywood and San Francisco rule the rest of us in California. For example, we passed a gas tax a very few years ago (maybe 5) to improve highways all over the state. The day after it passed, those two cities immediately laid claim to the windfall. So LA and SF have modernized their roads and repainted stripes while the rest of us get by on potholes and leftover tar. There's more but no one wants to hear it. I think I'll move to Texas. At least there is more space.
ReplyDeleteI have friends that live in CA, they want out so bad. The costs are insane but hey, I live in Illinois where we have the highest gas costs, 66% higher income tax, 200% higher toll way tax over the past decade and a State Government that seems hell bent on being the most corrupt in the nation.
ReplyDeleteThe wife and I want SD, ND, Texas or Montana.. heck even Alaska!
Erik
Amen! We look forward to your rant about the southern half of our former home state. Safe travels!
ReplyDeleteWe bought our RV without fully understanding how expensive local trips would be during the next year or so while we work on the house.
ReplyDeleteWe just hope our home will sell for a decent price. Not what it was worth five years ago, but just a decent price considering what we have put into it.
If you find a decent, reasonable park in San Diego, let us know!
We were in Northern California this past winter and have decided that we didn't leave anything there that we need to go back for.
ReplyDeleteIn our future travels, we'll avoid the state as much as possible.
Good information. It might be best to stay more inland and just journey over to spots on the coast. You have given us some food for thought as we planned on traveling to California next summer.
ReplyDeleteWould have avoided it for the exact reasons cited if not for the wife wanting to see a friend in Bakersfield, which was punishment enough. Now, Monterey Bay, Petaluma, SF and Redding--all gorgeous! The other frustration---statewide speed limit of 55 mph for RVers---arghhh!
ReplyDeleteWe stayed in the fairgrounds at Indio fairgrounds for 20.00 a night, Bakersfield, CA, at the Orange Grove RV park for 37.00 a night, and the Sonoma/Marin Fairgrounds for 25.00 a night (that was an awful lot). Another fairgrounds we tried with a similar name, just Sonoma COUNTY Fairgrounds, I think, was 25.00 a night. It was just totally a gravel parking lot, but still very nice facilities. We stayed at Sounds of the Sea "ocean view"-there wasn't any, blocked by trees-- in Trinidad as well for 40.00 a night. We stayed at two Escapee parks which really helped us save money. Hey, where are you guys staying in Florida this winter?
ReplyDeleteWe were planning to travel in N California next year on the way to Oregon and Washington. Thanks for this information. We may now avoid the coast and travel inland where it might be a little less expensive. We can see the ocean in Oregon.
ReplyDeleteWe have spent a bit of time in California.
ReplyDeleteCamping costs for us are reasonable with our membership park systems that we belong to. Quite a few free with full hookups and even more at $10. to $15 a night.
Yes the fuel is expensive there but still less than the $5.00 a gallon we pay here in Canada.
Still lotsa different places to explore thou.
We are work camping at a spot between SF and Sacramento this winter. Glad we are not on the coast from what you've said. We have work camped in California once before and we found living expenses a little higher even then. We'll see how it goes, the good part is we won't have any campground fees.
ReplyDeleteAllow me to rant with you...That is the only state we avoid for many reasons. If you want coastline,Oregon is wonderful. Come on down to Texas y'all.
ReplyDeleteWe TOTALLY agree with your view of California. We wouldn't live there unless it was the last resort!!!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, baby. We're hoping to be out there for Christmas, as my parents live in Monterey County. We are trying to secure a workcamping job out there, otherwise we may be moochdocking :)
ReplyDeleteGood to know ... we can only hope things will change by the time we make it out that way ... but we won't be holding our breath.
ReplyDeleteI am a native of Southern California. For this area, add potholes big enough to break your suspension, heavy bumper to bumper traffic 24 hours a day, and the highest tax rate in the nation.Thank God for a 55 mph speed limit for trailers and rvs. Even that is too fast for many of our "highways". Can't think of what would bring rvers down here. Disneyland at 90.00 per day? Maybe nice weather with no humidity and no bugs or snakes. Hmmmn, that's all the positives I could come up with :)
ReplyDeleteWe're done with the Golden State. High prices, too much traffic, terrible roads. The continuous pounding sheared 4 bolts off a shroud around the radiators in the back. I5 is just disgraceful. When we migrate south we're thinking about driving farther, but avoiding California.
ReplyDeleteditto, ditto, ditto on everything that you said. Mo and I have traveled south on 101 and 1 several times during the winter and each time the good balances the bad, but the bad can be very bad and very expensive. Bad roads, crowded highways, incredibly expensive camping...We may have done it enough. California has become a tired state, once a paradise, but she needs some loving care and some money to fix her up. I was born there and raised there, and actually remember some of the good stuff when it was still wonderful. Of course, lots of folks still see the wonderful part, but I do wonder how they deal with the expense. I was so so happy to get home to Oregon after my last stint there from 2006 to 2010. I have no idea what might create a badly needed shift for a magical part of the country.
ReplyDeleteAlthough all you say is true, we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Northern CA last summer. Have you looked into joining Passport America? For a nominal fee (around $40 for a year) you can stay at participating RV parks for half price. If you belong to the Elks, a lot of the lodges in CA have actual RV parks that are very reasonable (This is not true in other states where it's usually a parking lot. Of course, we're happy with that.) If you are willing to boondock, there are lots of casinos that allow RV parking for free. Just some thoughts.
ReplyDeleteWe bought our rig in California in 2001... had to PAY a driver to get it out of CA or else we'd had to pay CA sales tax! We'll NEVER volunteer in CA... too many complications (all have to do with taxes and politics... what else?).... We've traveled the length and width of the state, but only as a means to get from one point A to point B. We just don't feel like CA is an RV friendly place.....
ReplyDeleterant on... although I myself enjoy my extremely rare visit to the bay area to visit my father in law I must say there are just too many people there and this is at least a large part of the problem. a lot of people putting pressure on scarce real estate resources means every bit of real estate is extremely pricey. a lot other things are consequently directly impacted by the price of this basic necessity. for a large part government (over the past 30 years or so) has not been able to fully utilize increasing real property valuation due to proposition 13..... which has the basic effect of taxing all new comers to the state and allowing existing real estate owner's property tax bills to be subsidized. some commercial real folks got on the band wagon early and will pay the same tax bill in the next century that they were paying in 1975. tax on motor fuel is another matter and I believe if you want tax receipts to the states to do all that essential repair to the road places year in and year out places like California and Canada may have a better system than we do here in Texas. for one thing the flat tax/gallon here in Texas does not assist in reducing demand when demand is high and also generates fewer and fewer tax dollars for the state when prices are high. even in it's economic heyday the road along the northern California coast was not so good... but then it didn't appear to be heavily traveled either. prices away from the coast were less pricey but still not cheap as far as I could tell.
ReplyDelete