Do luxury campers take away from the camping experience?

Glamping and RV camping are both forms of luxury camping, but how do they vary, and how can you glamp up your park experience?

You’ve gone camping and heard of glamping, but what exactly do these phrases represent and how do they differ?

Generally speaking, RV camping is sleeping in a motorhome, travel trailer, pop-up, or truck camper at a campground, while glamping is an elevated tent camping experience, also at a campground or sometimes at a glamping-only property. Glamping is an abbreviation for “glamorous camping,” and it is a more cleaner and more luxurious experience than regular tent camping.

The Ultimate Guide to Glamping

Camping vs. Glamping

Wait, Where Am I Sleeping?

If you’re RV camping, you get to sleep in a bed with your own pillows and bedding. You bring with you a certain amount of luxury. Camping in a pop-up is typically not as glamorous as camping in a plush motorhome. You will be able to park your RV and then set up camp.

When glamping, you sleep in a unique shelter, like a yurt, cabin, teepee, treehouse, covered wagon, dome, or safari-style tent suite that typically has hardwood floors, electricity, A/C, and heat. We’ve even seen people camping in human-sized bird nests. Upon arrival, you are normally greeted with a bed with new sheets and pillows. Furthermore, although the amount of facilities varies, there is typically no setup necessary.

Natural Beauty or Nosy Neighbors?

Glamping destinations range from vineyards, resorts, and health retreats to secluded woodlands and even more typical campsites. While glamping options have yet to come to campgrounds inside national parks, there are locations near the entrance of popular parks that offer a luxe getaway. The objective is exclusivity, seclusion, and tranquillity, regardless of where you are.

You can also RV camp at wineries, resorts, farms, wellness retreats, and remote forests. Yet, the majority of RV camping occurs at national, state, county, and municipal campsites or RV parks. Some RVers choose to park for free with no facilities on Bureau of Land Management or United States Forest Service property. Not every campground has breathtaking views. Sometimes your view is obstructed by your neighbor’s camper.

Budget Friendly or Budget Busting?

Camping and glamping might be expensive, but you can locate campgrounds for free or for less than $30 per night. Pricing for RV camping frequently reflects the amount and quality of facilities, location, campground size, and pavement type. A simple campground with grassland campsites is less expensive than an RV complex with luxurious facilities and completely paved sites.

Nightly fees for glamping may vary from $50 to $3,000 or more. Glamping rates, like camping fees, vary based on the degree of lodgings. A multi-room luxury tent with king-sized beds, wood floors, electricity, and a private bathroom is more expensive than a single-room canvas tent with an air mattress, simple seating, electricity, and a shared bathhouse.

Who’s Cooking?

Several glamping locations will include restaurants or other eating alternatives on-site, enabling you to skip meal preparation and stockpiling. These choices are unlikely to be available in traditional campsites, and you will be responsible for cooking, serving, and cleaning up your own meals. This includes storing up on food and supplies ahead of time, as well as packing any essential equipment.

Not all glamping places provide food choices or have on-site restaurants, although it is more popular than staying in an RV park or regular campsite. While camping, it’s more likely that you’ll join a cookout or potluck, or, if you’re lucky, there will be an onsite restaurant or food truck.

Yoga or Board Games?

Glamping often includes spa treatments, instructor-led yoga, horseback riding, and wine tastings, all while sleeping in distant and beautiful natural settings.

You may anticipate everything from no facilities to pools, spas, hot tubs, private campsites, and outdoor kitchens when camping.

How to DIY Glamp

If you don’t want to park the RV and spend a week in a yurt, don’t worry—you can create a glamping experience in your RV.

Inside

Even if you have an older RV with dated décor, you may make it seem new again. Paint or put peel-and-stick wallpaper to those uninteresting walls. Replace your regular RV blinds with bright and lightweight drapes or window coverings. Including opulent textiles, cushions, throws, and carpets. Stock up on high-end small appliances and supplies for the kitchen. Replace your sink faucets and install a rain shower head.

Outside

Design your outside space with both comfy and elegant goods. Get a soft outdoor mat and include comfy sitting with cushions and blankets. Outside illumination, lanterns, and thin curtains hung from your awning frame your campground. Decorate the picnic table with a cloth tablecloth, candles, placemats, and fabric napkins. Potted plants and outdoor poufs complete the look.

Book the Ultimate Camp

Instead of roughing it, choose a place that corresponds to your level of luxury and comfort. Find a campsite that has an infinity pool, sauna, or spa. If you plan on staying at your campsite, select a location with private, spacious, and lush sites with brick pavers, outdoor kitchens, and fireplaces. Splurge on food delivery to the campsite for meals.

Related Questions

• Are campers a waste of money?

  The simple answer is no. The value of an RV depreciates with time, with the exception of certain in-demand antique models. An RV is an investment in a lifestyle, but you can mitigate the expense by renting it out when not in use through a third-party rental site like Outdoorsy or RVshare.

• Is camping in a camper really camping?

  Most people describe camping as “an outdoor pastime that involves overnight stays away from home in a shelter, such as a tent.” However keep in mind that shelter may refer to either a tent or an RV. Camping is camping whether you’re sleeping on the ground in a tent or in a cozy RV.

• Is the RV craze over?

  The RVIA sees this decline as a return to normal market trends, which it expects to carry over in 2023. As 2022 approaches, RV costs are falling in all but one class. Class B motorhomes are still in great demand, maybe as a result of rising fuel costs.

• What is the downside of owning an RV?

  The most significant disadvantage of having an RV is unquestionably the expense. In addition to the RV’s purchase price, there are several extra fees associated with RV ownership. There are also maintenance, storage, insurance, and several other charges.