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They’re Full-Time Gays
RVing Couple Make North Carolina Home After Years of Touring Gay Campgrounds by Chris Rudisill Qnotes Contributor
2. Grizzly Pines in Navasota, Texas is just a short drive from Houston and with year-round outdoor weather, it is a popular spot. It opened in 2015, replacing the Rockin R Campground, and has two tent areas with electrical service, cabins and RVs. Like many gay campgrounds, Grizzly Pines offers day passes for $15. For more information, visit grizzplypines.com.
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magine living in an 8-foot by 44-foot space. Since 2019, David Matthews and Eddie Vandermark, better known online as the “Full-Time Gays” have called an RV their home as they traverse the country in search of LGBTQ campgrounds. “Big Blanche,” as they call the RV, isn’t lacking in any of the modern conveniences of a traditional home, however. It has a queen size bed, full bathroom with walk-in shower, kitchen, separate living room and washer/dryer. The two have amassed over 2,700 subscribers on YouTube, and joined the trend of online content creators, or influencers, with the added benefit of seeing beautiful places across the country. Online video blogs and influencers have soared over the past few years, especially as COVID-19 increased our time spent online. Another similar gay RV’ing couple, “Tyler and Todd” have over 188,000 subscribers. The two lived in a $7,000 RV for over a year before recently building a Geodesic Dome in the woods of Nova Scotia with the goal of living entirely debt free. For David and Eddie, they have been big travelers for as long as they can remember. David had visited his 49th state by the time he was 27 years old, and Eddie got there a few years before he turned 40. They visited Alaska, the 50th state for both, in 2020. In case you are wondering, just driving through a state doesn’t qualify – they had to stay overnight. During their first summer traveling around in an RV, they traveled to visit their families and stopped at gay campgrounds along the way. The first stop – Wildwoods Hideaway in Eutaw, Ala. is a male-only clothing optional campground located about 90 miles southwest of Birmingham. During this first trip, they purchased a go-pro camera, and, with their drone, they were ready to launch their new venture. Bill Williams and Juan Alvarado of the former StayWithFamily.com international gay campground directory, were the inspiration, and according to Matthews, seeded the idea for the video blog. That first video posted in September 2020 has currently had over 5,700 views. After the initial popularity, the two got more ambitious and planned longer trips with the goal of visiting more gay campgrounds. Their 2021 summer tour included stops at 15 additional sites, and they have now reviewed and rated gay campgrounds across the country.
David Matthews and Eddie Vandermark launched the FullTime Gays video blog in 2019, touring gay campgrounds in the U.S. in “Big Blanche,” a 44-foot fifth wheel RV. CREDIT: Matthews and Vandermark How the ratings work Matthews starts the reviews with some initial planning and navigation. “There are many campgrounds that are not designed for rigs our size or they don’t have a safe way to get to them,” he says. “Big Blanche” is a 2018 North Point fifth wheel RV. It measures 43.5-foot long and 13-foot 5.5-inches tall, with a raised real living space that allows for three full pass-through storage bays. When parked, it has five slides and is designed to sleep up to four. Another key question for Matthews is about the strength of the Verizon cell signal at a campground location, allowing the couple to stay connected for work. They both have full-time jobs. Remote work has allowed for a lot of possibilities for people looking to escape the traditional living environments and tour the country. The couple say that a few campgrounds had unreliable WiFi or limited cell service though, like Starlite Trailer Lodge in North Carolina or Timberfell Lodge and Campground in Tennessee. All of these factors play a part in planning their tours. Finally, camping for the Full-Time Gays requires a 50amp site with sewer access. “We can use 30 amp, but can only run one AC,” says Matthews. “That’d be tough in the deep south in the middle of summer.” The top five LGBTQ campgrounds, according to Matthews and Vandermark: 1. SIRenity Farms in Sullivan, Mo. is an all-male, clothing optional campground on 32 lush, wooded acres. The property features a large lake, pool, two hot tubs, shower house, cabins and sites for RVs or tent camping. Don’t have an RV? The campground also has four RVs that you can rent. Nearby attractions include the Riverside Wildlife Center, the Jesse James Wax Museum, Missouri’s Canoehenge, Cathedral Cave and Meramec State Park. For more information, visit sirenityfarmscampground.com.
David Matthews and Eddie Vandermark
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Qnotes
June 10-June 23, 2022
“SIRenity Farms” - Aerial view of the pool deck at SIRenity Farms Campground, voted one of the top five campgrounds by the Full-Time Gays. Photo, SIRenity Farms Campground
“Grizzly Pines” – Bears enjoying the pool at Grizzly Pines in Texas. Photo, Facebook
3. Camp Mars in Venus, Fla. offers over 40 acres of some of Florida’s most beautiful forest, natural streams and grassy fields. Fondly referred to as “Sonoma South,” this area of Florida is home to three wineries and nearby Lake Placid (Florida) has local distilleries and craft breweries. The campground includes tent and RV sites in addition to a variety of rentals including cabins, larger cottages and even yurts. For more information, visit campmars.com.
“Camp Mars” – Friendships are built at many gay campgrounds through potlucks and communal grilling, like the community Thanksgiving dinner at Camp Mars in Florida. Photo, Facebook 4. The Hideaway in Collins, Ga. is located in the Magnolia Midlands, approximately 65 miles west of Savannah. It is predominantly an all-male campground but does have select weekends that are open to any gender. Grounds include a pool and spa area, café, a 4,000 square foot entertainment space with dance floor and includes RV or tent sites and cabins for rent. With six freshwater lakes, the area provides plenty of opportunities for fishing and trails wind through the tree-covered grounds. For more information, visit royshideaway.com.
