Word from the Smokies: For some Smokies volunteers, campground hosting is the ideal lifestyle

Before they retired, Bob and Nancy Furlow owned and managed apartment buildings for a living. Now, they don’t even own a home — at least, not one without wheels. Since selling their house seven years ago, the couple, both in their late 60s, has resided in a 160-square-foot Boles Aero trailer, which Bob painstakingly rebuilt to feature cedar-paneled walls, a king-sized bed, and a full bathroom and kitchen. Four years into their new life as full-time RVers, they joined the ranks of the five dozen people who serve as campground hosts every year in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

“This is the way to go when you retire,” said Nancy. “It’s fantastic.”

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