WBI Family To Buy or Not to Buy, Camper Question

[WannaBeImagineer 98]

Hey everyone,

 

The annual RV show is coming to town this weekend and we’re once again planning to go and look around (probably won't buy at a show).  But lately I’ve been doing a lot of thinking on the matter of buying a camper and I wanted to get some opinions and thoughts on the matter.

 

We love to travel and we do it a lot, but since we now have a baby that’s going to change, or the type of travel is going to change.  We know that camping is a great for family time, and we know we would enjoy it, but is it financially a good decision to buy a camper at this point in our lives?  Or should we keep traveling without one until we have another kid and they get a little older?

 

Trip Lengths: My wife is a school teacher following the school vacation times and I get a fair amount of vacation at my job, but I worry that it would be hard to take nice camping vacations since we most likely would want at least a week trip to get somewhere new and nice to camp  (we live in southwest Louisiana).  Do people camp a lot near their home town? 

 

I remember there was a thread where people talked about how many times they used their camper over the last year.  I’m afraid of being that family that doesn’t get to use it enough.

 

Sorry this is a lot of rambling but I’m just trying to get some thoughts on if a young travel crazy family should buy a camper now or keep waiting.

 

WBI

[bord1niowa......Curt 79]

Camping is something you would come to love.  It is totally different than hotel stays.  If you enjoy the outdoors it is an even better extension of it.  You don't necessarily need to buy a new huge camper.  Once you get into it, you will decide how important some things are to you.  Some campers move up in size, some love the smaller ones.  Of course buying used allows you to fit your budget too.  Once you have one, you'll find yourself looking for excuses to get out and enjoy nature with an occasional trip to the Fort!  It's a great way to leave the rest of the world behind.  Good luck on whatever you decide!

[Grumpy and Grandma 739]

WBI.  We bought our first camper (tent trailer) right after we first got married and then a year later bought our first pop-up when our oldest was 2. That was a decision we never regretted and as you can see in our signature there aren't many places we haven't camped and the majority was with the kids. 

 

I personally would strongly consider buying at the show since there are many manufacturer discounts offered as well as dealer specials during the show.

 

PS:  Linda was also a teacher and that really helped when it came time to travel.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

We bought our first entry into the RV world, a TT before a couple of years before my son was born. We used it even more after our son was born and eventually bought a Class C. Camping is great for kids. My son has camped so much that he'll sleep anywhere. He was never one of those kids who couldn't adjust to travel.

 

He loves being outside. We love vacationing or doing weekend trips where we don't have to worry about thin hotel walls during naps. It makes getting away for the weekend very affordable. We love camping on our local lake. We also love taking longer trips. I'm a teacher, so we spend the first 2 weeks of every summer at the beach. 

[Starbuc71 162]

Well, here is my opinion, and just my opinion.  I grew up camping with my parents from the age of 3 until around 16.  I loved it and so did my parents.  growing up in upsatate NY, it was something we looked forward to after a gloomy winter.  Unlike Florida.  Of course, growing up in the 70"s there were not many RV's with amenities like there are today.  Our experiences were actually in a pop up camper with no pop out sides.  That's how small it was.  I introduced my wife to camping about 6 years ago.  I purchased a used 16ft hybrid starcraft pull behind without asking her and caught some hell.  Our daughter was only 3 at the time and our first trip was planned at a local county park called Ft. Desoto right on the gulf in St. Petersburg.  After bending over backwards showing her that camping was fun and relaxing, she bought into it.  Next my mind (and wallet) started spinning and I wanted something newer and bigger.  Fastforward to 2014 and we are on our 4th trailer which is over double the size of our first at 35ft.  Some of my comments about camping now are as follows:

 

* Our kids are now 8 and 5 and we figured we will ride the camping train as long as they still enjoy it...and they do

* Bigger is not always better.  IMHO short trips are too much work with a large camper.  A pop up or a small hybrid is the best way to go to hitch, go and enjoy

* Larger= more $$$$- As another thread stated, if you go new and big, your large investment sits in storage or your yard more than you use it.  You have to weigh the cost of storage and RV payments (if applicable) and amount of use to see if it's worth it.

* Fort= Fun-  With us living in Tampa, we only camp at Disney.  We are spoiled.  I'm not a fan of the senior parks to camp in Florida and once again, the bigger the RV the harder it is to get into some state parks or more primitive camping grounds.  If it were not for the fort, we would probably sell the RV or at least downsize to make weekend trips more accesible at other places.

* the show is the way to go-  Show prices are the best time to get an RV,unless you have a trade.  Once you start trading RV's you never want to put the figures to a calculator on how much you are peeing down the drain.  A RV has the worst depreciation rate of almost anything you can buy if you buy it new.

 

With all that being said, camping rocks, especially at the fort.  Just do your research before you buy, decide where you will do the majority of your camping, how much will you use it and don't invest too much money just starting out.  You or the wife (who will normally be the one putting the foot down) may not like it and then you lost a lot of cash. :)

[bord1niowa......Curt 79]

We went to the Tampa show yesterday.  Very few pop ups.  If you don't buy at the show, buy on the last day of the month.  The salesmen get hungry.   Be careful of what looks like a terrific price as we noticed the pop ups did NOT have AC installed at their prices at the show. 

[Starbuc71 162]

We went to the Tampa show yesterday.  Very few pop ups.  If you don't buy at the show, buy on the last day of the month.  The salesmen get hungry.   Be careful of what looks like a terrific price as we noticed the pop ups did NOT have AC installed at their prices at the show.

Good point. We are actually at Disney this weekend so we will miss the show. First time in years. My wife is happy about that because my wallet always get "itchy" at that show

[MetalDad 33]

We bought our first camper (now Jason's) for wanting to travel around Florida and see things we didn't normally see and go places we wouldn't normally go.  Several years later, we now own a much larger travel trailer (formerly FP4's!). The timbre of our travel has changed dramatically since we became a camping family. We have three kids under 13 and a dog. We find we travel more for getaway weekends, and spend less.

 

The destination used to be all about, "where can we go that has a lot to do", which translates into "where can we dump a lot of money trying to create memories?"

 

Now, we look for places that are "away", and the things we like to do are usually free or close to it; hiking, fishing, bikes...

 

Now, instead of eating being a necessary expense, the "meal" and its preparation are part of the experience. I cook about 30-40% of the meals at home, and 100% of the meals camping. I've expanded an interest in BBQ and Smoking meat, iron skillets, and slow cookers! We can eat for 3-4 days what it costs for one meal at Cracker Barrel.

 

My kids like to explore and play outside, which makes me happy because we're not dealing with anti-social electro-gadget robots. They get dirty and skin their knees...just like we did! They've also learned that they need to work out there, helping keep camper and site neat and clean, help with the dog... they seem to be more open to it out there than at home!

 

We've become part of a few online camping communities, like this one, and have made several friends. Most of them are friends that we only see camping, as our "regular" friends don't get it! But, it's great to spend some time with folks that you kind of know, that have similar interests. It's funny, a bunch of familiar people at a hotel... that's a meeting, a bunch of familiar people on a campground is a rally or grand gathering!

 

It's grown from a minor interest or hobby, to part of our lifestyle. I can gauge how grumpy I am based on whether or not there is a trip on the calendar.

 

It seems like a lot of people have taken the same route we have, starting inexpensively with tents or popups and move up or down the line until you find the type of rig that suits you best. For me? I would prefer to be in my camper at a state park, with a cooler and a fire, than in a Holiday Inn.

 

I was at a Best Western this weekend in Orlando, and ended up twice at the Fort, and know that Jason recently did a similar trip, staying at a resort hotel and going to the Fort. It seems that for my $248 in hotel stay at DTD, I preferred to spend my time in a folding chair sat outside a camper!

[dblr....Rennie 224]

As most have said here I would agree with, we raised our boys camping both went on their 1st trip around 4 weeks old. They still like to camp at 22 & 18 and both love the outdoors, the oldest one is a ski instructor this winter at Taos NM and hopes to get a job at Philmont which is a boy scout camp, he is a Eagle Scout, plus he did a 10 day backpacking trip there.

   So if you start them young in camping they will think that's the way things are. The plus side is you always know how clean your accommodations are and you control the cost of eating, so I would go for it.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Wow.

 

I was going to tell you to wait until your kids are potty-trained, because that's what we did, but look at how many people jumped in way earlier than that!

 

I know you love the Florida Panhandle, and that you and the CP were married in Seaside.

 

That beach that GDF goes to every summer is Topsail Hill State Park, which is at the west end of 30A.

 

I've camped at Grayton Beach State park, which is an easy bike ride from Watercolor and Seaside.

 

Need I say more?

 

TCD

[DinDavie 37]

I would suggest that you start off with a pop up.  They are easy to tow and can come equiped with stuff that will make your DW feel as if she is not roughing it.  I've had two.  They are relatively easy to set up when you are younger and the kids love the out door experience.  They are cheap to insure, tow, and can fit in your garage so they can stay clean and insect free.  My adult daughters still love to reminice about the places they have been.  You are close to the Smokies and some outstanding camp grounds in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.  I've only camped in LA once and never heard so many bugs at night in my life.  State Parks tend to be great weekend get aways.  Part of the fun will be to find the ones you like that are close to where you live.  Camping in a tent may not be very easy with an infant but once you are off the ground and have shelter from the weather you will find it an adventure.  We camp with the grand kids now and I like being the cool grand parents.  My wife is called Honey by them and they call camping with us as going to Camp Honey.  You can't help but get closer to them in such a small environment.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

It's grown from a minor interest or hobby, to part of our lifestyle. I can gauge how grumpy I am based on whether or not there is a trip on the calendar.

 

It seems like a lot of people have taken the same route we have, starting inexpensively with tents or popups and move up or down the line until you find the type of rig that suits you best. For me? I would prefer to be in my camper at a state park, with a cooler and a fire, than in a Holiday Inn.

 

I was at a Best Western this weekend in Orlando, and ended up twice at the Fort, and know that Jason recently did a similar trip, staying at a resort hotel and going to the Fort. It seems that for my $248 in hotel stay at DTD, I preferred to spend my time in a folding chair sat outside a camper!

 

This is so true. I loved our stay at the Poly, but I really missed the Fort. And we will never do the beach any other way.

 

Wow.

 

I was going to tell you to wait until your kids are potty-trained, because that's what we did, but look at how many people jumped in way earlier than that!

 

I know you love the Florida Panhandle, and that you and the CP were married in Seaside.

 

That beach that GDF goes to every summer is Topsail Hill State Park, which is at the west end of 30A.

 

I've camped at Grayton Beach State park, which is an easy bike ride from Watercolor and Seaside.

 

Need I say more?

 

TCD

 

If you like the panhandle, you've got to get a camper. Sure, there is an expense buying a camper, but then you can stay at the beach for 2 weeks for $600-700. And your kid will ride bikes, fish, and catch bugs instead of being stuck in a hotel or condo. We cook a lot of our meals down there too.

[alexwyattmommy 181]

I wanted to start camping when the kids were younger, but my husband wasn't into the idea.  It took a dirty Wilderness Lodge $$$ room to change his mind.  So we actually bought the camper with the expressed intent to use it for Disney.  The reality is we have spent many more nights locally than long distance camping.  Turns out he likes the getting away from it all part.  Yes, you may give him the V-8 slap on the head if you see him.  We are now on our 3rd unit.  I am hoping this 5th wheel will be our last until we retire and perhaps getting a driving unit.

[WannaBeImagineer 98]

Thanks for the responses everyone!
 

Camping is something you would come to love. It is totally different than hotel stays. If you enjoy the outdoors it is an even better extension of it. You don't necessarily need to buy a new huge camper. Once you get into it, you will decide how important some things are to you. Some campers move up in size, some love the smaller ones. Of course buying used allows you to fit your budget too. Once you have one, you'll find yourself looking for excuses to get out and enjoy nature with an occasional trip to the Fort! It's a great way to leave the rest of the world behind. Good luck on whatever you decide!

It's funny we both know we would love having a camper, we're just hesitant to pull the trigger on a camper, all of our tent camping trips have been great and right up there with our all time favorite trips.

Thanks so much for the tips! I can totally see us making excuses to get out on a camping trip, actually we do it now trying to justifying the purchase of one.
 

WBI. We bought our first camper (tent trailer) right after we first got married and then a year later bought our first pop-up when our oldest was 2. That was a decision we never regretted and as you can see in our signature there aren't many places we haven't camped and the majority was with the kids.

I personally would strongly consider buying at the show since there are many manufacturer discounts offered as well as dealer specials during the show.

PS: Linda was also a teacher and that really helped when it came time to travel.

Awesome! Thanks for sharing, that's exactly what I was looking for, most people I know didn't buy until they were older, not when they were a young couple.

That's good to hear about buying at the show. I think DaveInTn has said that you can get good deals at a Show but other than that I hadn't heard much about buying at a show.

 

We bought our first entry into the RV world, a TT before a couple of years before my son was born. We used it even more after our son was born and eventually bought a Class C. Camping is great for kids. My son has camped so much that he'll sleep anywhere. He was never one of those kids who couldn't adjust to travel.

He loves being outside. We love vacationing or doing weekend trips where we don't have to worry about thin hotel walls during naps. It makes getting away for the weekend very affordable. We love camping on our local lake. We also love taking longer trips. I'm a teacher, so we spend the first 2 weeks of every summer at the beach.

Thanks Kelly! That's exactly how we want our son to be, as much as we like to travel and go I want him to be able to adjust and sleep in new places.

The more we look into it I think some of the local campgrounds are pretty nice and would be great cheaper weekend getaways.

Another teacher! Your two weeks in the summer gave me a great idea just now. My inlaws live in Naples, FL, we could do a two week trip where we drive down camp along the way, (Grayton State Park near Seaside, FL where we got married) visit the inlaws, then spend time at the Fort on the way back! That would probably sell it to my wife right there.
 

Well, here is my opinion, and just my opinion. I grew up camping with my parents from the age of 3 until around 16. I loved it and so did my parents. growing up in upsatate NY, it was something we looked forward to after a gloomy winter. Unlike Florida. Of course, growing up in the 70"s there were not many RV's with amenities like there are today. Our experiences were actually in a pop up camper with no pop out sides. That's how small it was. I introduced my wife to camping about 6 years ago. I purchased a used 16ft hybrid starcraft pull behind without asking her and caught some hell. Our daughter was only 3 at the time and our first trip was planned at a local county park called Ft. Desoto right on the gulf in St. Petersburg. After bending over backwards showing her that camping was fun and relaxing, she bought into it. Next my mind (and wallet) started spinning and I wanted something newer and bigger. Fastforward to 2014 and we are on our 4th trailer which is over double the size of our first at 35ft. Some of my comments about camping now are as follows:

* Our kids are now 8 and 5 and we figured we will ride the camping train as long as they still enjoy it...and they do
* Bigger is not always better. IMHO short trips are too much work with a large camper. A pop up or a small hybrid is the best way to go to hitch, go and enjoy
* Larger= more $$$$- As another thread stated, if you go new and big, your large investment sits in storage or your yard more than you use it. You have to weigh the cost of storage and RV payments (if applicable) and amount of use to see if it's worth it.
* Fort= Fun- With us living in Tampa, we only camp at Disney. We are spoiled. I'm not a fan of the senior parks to camp in Florida and once again, the bigger the RV the harder it is to get into some state parks or more primitive camping grounds. If it were not for the fort, we would probably sell the RV or at least downsize to make weekend trips more accesible at other places.
* the show is the way to go- Show prices are the best time to get an RV,unless you have a trade. Once you start trading RV's you never want to put the figures to a calculator on how much you are peeing down the drain. A RV has the worst depreciation rate of almost anything you can buy if you buy it new.

With all that being said, camping rocks, especially at the fort. Just do your research before you buy, decide where you will do the majority of your camping, how much will you use it and don't invest too much money just starting out. You or the wife (who will normally be the one putting the foot down) may not like it and then you lost a lot of cash. :)

Thanks for the input! I grew up camping too and we all loved it. My mom took us tent camping all over the US as kids. In high school we then up to a horse trailer with living quarters we used while rodeoing. I was the same way as you with my wife, her mother’s idea of camping was a Holiday Inn instead of the Ritz Carlton, but like you said I've managed to get her to fall in love with camping by taking her tent camping at the Fort.

Thanks for the list, I agree on the size thing, we're going to try and keep it under control and remember that bigger isn't what we need right now.

I like the idea of the smaller trailer being easier for the quick weekend trips. Plus I want to stay within my current trucks capacity so I don't have to buy a new horse because of a new cart.

Another recommendation for the show! Thanks for that! Our show starts tomorrow but the next town over is the following weekend so we can always shop and take a week to think about (our local dealers usually hit both).

We went to the Tampa show yesterday. Very few pop ups. If you don't buy at the show, buy on the last day of the month. The salesmen get hungry. Be careful of what looks like a terrific price as we noticed the pop ups did NOT have AC installed at their prices at the show.

Thanks for the tip!


 

We bought our first camper (now Jason's) for wanting to travel around Florida and see things we didn't normally see and go places we wouldn't normally go. Several years later, we now own a much larger travel trailer (formerly FP4's!). The timbre of our travel has changed dramatically since we became a camping family. We have three kids under 13 and a dog. We find we travel more for getaway weekends, and spend less.

The destination used to be all about, "where can we go that has a lot to do", which translates into "where can we dump a lot of money trying to create memories?"

Now, we look for places that are "away", and the things we like to do are usually free or close to it; hiking, fishing, bikes...

Now, instead of eating being a necessary expense, the "meal" and its preparation are part of the experience. I cook about 30-40% of the meals at home, and 100% of the meals camping. I've expanded an interest in BBQ and Smoking meat, iron skillets, and slow cookers! We can eat for 3-4 days what it costs for one meal at Cracker Barrel.

My kids like to explore and play outside, which makes me happy because we're not dealing with anti-social electro-gadget robots. They get dirty and skin their knees...just like we did! They've also learned that they need to work out there, helping keep camper and site neat and clean, help with the dog... they seem to be more open to it out there than at home!

We've become part of a few online camping communities, like this one, and have made several friends. Most of them are friends that we only see camping, as our "regular" friends don't get it! But, it's great to spend some time with folks that you kind of know, that have similar interests. It's funny, a bunch of familiar people at a hotel... that's a meeting, a bunch of familiar people on a campground is a rally or grand gathering!

It's grown from a minor interest or hobby, to part of our lifestyle. I can gauge how grumpy I am based on whether or not there is a trip on the calendar.

It seems like a lot of people have taken the same route we have, starting inexpensively with tents or popups and move up or down the line until you find the type of rig that suits you best. For me? I would prefer to be in my camper at a state park, with a cooler and a fire, than in a Holiday Inn.

I was at a Best Western this weekend in Orlando, and ended up twice at the Fort, and know that Jason recently did a similar trip, staying at a resort hotel and going to the Fort. It seems that for my $248 in hotel stay at DTD, I preferred to spend my time in a folding chair sat outside a camper!

Ahh that’s a good point about seeing things we wouldn’t normally see. We have done a lot of weekend trips in the past but now with the baby we find ourselves questioning what we would do if we drove or flew into a city for a long weekend. We’re both have lost interest in big cities, and before we did like you said and spent a ton of money on food and drinks touring different places on those trip. With a camper we could focus more on the things that you pointed out, which we both enjoy and then relax and cook out back at the camper. I know we’ll still like the occasional nice meal but we can do that too.

We do like trying new hotels and we’ve stayed at some amazing places by finding some good deals online, but we also know that we can have more trips per year by cutting out the expensive resorts. I fully agree about the Holiday Inn though, I’ll take a camper in a state park over that any day.

The last time we were at DisneyWorld, we stayed at the Poly and we still ended up at the Fort, so I understand you there also, lol.
 

As most have said here I would agree with, we raised our boys camping both went on their 1st trip around 4 weeks old. They still like to camp at 22 & 18 and both love the outdoors, the oldest one is a ski instructor this winter at Taos NM and hopes to get a job at Philmont which is a boy scout camp, he is a Eagle Scout, plus he did a 10 day backpacking trip there.
So if you start them young in camping they will think that's the way things are. The plus side is you always know how clean your accommodations are and you control the cost of eating, so I would go for it.

That’s a good point, I grew up that way and loved it!

So far everyone is talking me more and more into it!

Thanks for the comments!

WBI

[WannaBeImagineer 98]

Thanks again everyone this all very very helpful!!

 

 

Wow.

 

I was going to tell you to wait until your kids are potty-trained, because that's what we did, but look at how many people jumped in way earlier than that!

 

I know you love the Florida Panhandle, and that you and the CP were married in Seaside.

 

That beach that GDF goes to every summer is Topsail Hill State Park, which is at the west end of 30A.

 

I've camped at Grayton Beach State park, which is an easy bike ride from Watercolor and Seaside.

 

Need I say more?

 

TCD

 

Exactly!  The trips to Seaside alone almost justify it to me! 

 

I can't tell you how many long weekends we've thought about driving to Seaside but we can never justify the price of a cottage.

 

With a camper we could stay at Grayton Beach and actually have enough money left over to buy grill cheese or hot dog in Seaside! lol

 

Plus Kelly gave me that idea about a summer trip through Florida to visit my inlaws, I could visit my two favorite places (Seaside & Disney) and see in the inlaws in one really long trip.

 

I would suggest that you start off with a pop up.  They are easy to tow and can come equiped with stuff that will make your DW feel as if she is not roughing it.  I've had two.  They are relatively easy to set up when you are younger and the kids love the out door experience.  They are cheap to insure, tow, and can fit in your garage so they can stay clean and insect free.  My adult daughters still love to reminice about the places they have been.  You are close to the Smokies and some outstanding camp grounds in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.  I've only camped in LA once and never heard so many bugs at night in my life.  State Parks tend to be great weekend get aways.  Part of the fun will be to find the ones you like that are close to where you live.  Camping in a tent may not be very easy with an infant but once you are off the ground and have shelter from the weather you will find it an adventure.  We camp with the grand kids now and I like being the cool grand parents.  My wife is called Honey by them and they call camping with us as going to Camp Honey.  You can't help but get closer to them in such a small environment.

 

I actually think we would bypass the pop-up and at least start with a TT.  I grew up hauling very large trailers with all sized trucks so I'm not worried about the towing part.  My truck right now can tow up to a light-weight Fifth, but we probably won't go that route yet.  I've got a few options on storage to, my folks aren't far and have room to store anything I can afford, my own shop would handle a small TT if I don't mind it taking up the space, or there is a storage place a mile from our house.

 

We are actually planning a trip to the Smokies this summer!  I think its about an 11hr drive without a trailer,  I've only been once and loved it so I really want to take my wife, we'll go even if we don't buy a camper.  I like the idea of exploring all the campgrounds around here, I hear that Texas has some nice ones too that aren't far from us.

 

That experience with the grand kids sounds amazing, one day I'll be at the point but I have a little while.  I still remember doing the same thing with my grandparents they've had a camper for over 40 years and are big promoters of buying one.  They love having their bed with them everywhere they go!

 

This is so true. I loved our stay at the Poly, but I really missed the Fort. And we will never do the beach any other way.

 

 

If you like the panhandle, you've got to get a camper. Sure, there is an expense buying a camper, but then you can stay at the beach for 2 weeks for $600-700. And your kid will ride bikes, fish, and catch bugs instead of being stuck in a hotel or condo. We cook a lot of our meals down there too.

 

That's funny I said the same thing about the Poly!

 

You are 100% right about the panhandle and you can't beat that price for a 2 week beach stay!

 

I wanted to start camping when the kids were younger, but my husband wasn't into the idea.  It took a dirty Wilderness Lodge $$$ room to change his mind.  So we actually bought the camper with the expressed intent to use it for Disney.  The reality is we have spent many more nights locally than long distance camping.  Turns out he likes the getting away from it all part.  Yes, you may give him the V-8 slap on the head if you see him.  We are now on our 3rd unit.  I am hoping this 5th wheel will be our last until we retire and perhaps getting a driving unit.

 

Thanks Annie, that's a good way of thinking and you actually reminded me of something.

 

When we do spend the extra money to stay at a nice resort, I always look at it very critically, I figure I spend so much money it better be amazing.  Most of the time they are pretty awesome, but on the occasion when something is dirty or wrong, its very disappointing when you think about how much money you spent for it. 

 

I love to get away from it all!  I think we would use the camper for some local campgrounds mostly but eventually I want to do an out west camping trip to hit some of the big parks, and I know we would do the Fort, the Smokies, and Branson!

 

Man I'll have to get my wife to read all this tonight!

 

WBI

[Lou... 3,118]

I’m afraid of being that family that doesn’t get to use it enough.

 

 

We were that family.

It was a really dumb idea on my part, but it's gone now. It was a very costly lesson never to be repeated.

If it's a popup, it doesn't sting as much as a 40 foot brand new diesel pusher MH sitting for 330 days out of the year for 3 years.

[WannaBeImagineer 98]

We were that family.

It was a really dumb idea on my part, but it's gone now. It was a very costly lesson never to be repeated.

If it's a popup, it doesn't sting as much as a 40 foot brand new diesel pusher MH sitting for 330 days out of the year for 3 years.

 

Wow Lou, that stinks?

 

You really swung for the fences when you bought your MH!

 

Was that before you moved to Florida?

 

If I were still living in Naples I don't think we would ever buy one.  The cost to store one there was too much, and the drive time to get out of the state was brutal, we really would of only used it at the Fort.  Our goal is to use it over the years to see new places and the places we already love cheaper!

 

WBI

[bord1niowa......Curt 79]

You can also check out a local RV place that rents campers.  Try a pop up, see if that works for you.  Then go from there.  They're not really expensive to rent a pop up.

 

Many of the people that rent from us wanted to try it and see if they liked it.  Most of them said they are hooked and want to buy one.  Several have now bought their own and are now having other friends rent to try it. 

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

I grew up camping with my parents. We traveled from California to Florida via South Dakota one trip. They had a pop-up. I bought an OLD winnebago and Mama and Daddy had a different pop-up. We camped locally probably half the weekends of the year. I agree that a smaller camper is easier and you're more likely to use it.

 

I hope y'all decide to go ahead and enjoy all that camping offers while y'all are young enough to really enjoy it! Bring that baby up right! :)

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

You can also check out a local RV place that rents campers.  Try a pop up, see if that works for you.  Then go from there.  They're not really expensive to rent a pop up.

 

Many of the people that rent from us wanted to try it and see if they liked it.  Most of them said they are hooked and want to buy one.  Several have now bought their own and are now having other friends rent to try it. 

 

This was me and Sil. We had been thinking about buying a PUP but didnt want to be the ones on Craigslist selling a barely used PUP because we didn't like it. We rented Curt's and loved it and then ended up buying Metaldad's Can't wait to take it out a whole bunch this year. 

[Lou... 3,118]

 

You really swung for the fences when you bought your MH!

 

Was that before you moved to Florida?

 

 

I took a full swing, and it didn't go past first base. I was ready to hit the road.

 

We've been in Florida for over 20 years. This was when I retired for good, a little over 5 years ago.

I found out that then that it not only takes two to Tango, it takes two to retire.

Wifey not only didn't retire, her business is bigger than it ever has been right now, and growing.

 

But it wasn't a total loss. I enjoyed driving the MH, so when I was offered the bus driving job, I said, why not.

And it's directly responsible for me finding the fiends.

The jury is out on whether or not that was a good thing.

[Retired and Happy (Ken) 101]

Looking at the darker side....If you live anywhere in the coastal Southeast, you can escape hurricanes or other problems with your own bed and kitchen, and maybe a bathroom.  You also have shelter if you return home to problems.  Don't take this a negative.  Take it as a POSITIVE capability.  RV's have been known to provide such reassurance and a home atmosphere.

[Travisma 1,317]

Drove by the fairgrounds today.

Multiple millions of dollars sitting there, there are RV's wall to wall.

Be prepared to do a lot of walking and spend the entire day.

We started pop up camping when our 4 kids were all younger, probably 4 to 11. All 6 of us fit in a small used Coleman without a stove or sink. Washed dishes outside and used an old white gas coleman camp stove. Most meales were prepared at the camper.

We had a lot of good times and good memories.

We got rid of it as the kids got older and got into so many activities we had little free time. Plus my job had odd days off... No weekends.

We eventually started going to the Fort cabins... Just couldn't keep away.

Last fall we bought a used tent and went back to the fort with our 8 and 4 year old granddaughters. We made 3 trips in 3 months. It was a little harder at our age... 59, but we still had a great time.

This past Saturday we picked up another used popup. We hope to take it out in about a month or so. I still need to check everything out, get it registered and tagged.... etc.

We searched for a good cheap used one since we didn't know how much we would use it, and figured if we didn't use it a lot it wouldn't be a lot of $$ wasted.

We will eventually get our money's worth out of it.

Craigslist in FL can be your friend. Try to know what you are looking for, and be prepared to strike as soon as you see a good deal.

You'll get a sense of what a good deal is because it's pulled off line almost as fast as it's posted.

You will not regret a moment camping, and don't worry about not getting out enough. Just enjoy the times you are out with your family.

Good luck with your search.

[LONE-STAR 370]

I say buy a camper if you like camping. Camping with your kid even a baby is great. Me and the DW were 23 when we bought our first camper. We already had places we wanted to camp and i already had a 1 ton diesel truck. So for us it was perfect. Seven years later we decided to have a kid and we had just bought our second camper. Now she is four loves camping and we are on our third camper(we just bought it 6 months ago). Since we had our little girl we have stayed at the Board Walk and Animal Kingdom Lodge. Both me and the DW agree camping with her while she was a baby was easier then staying at the resorts. One place our little girl has loved to camp since she was 2 is the Yogi bear parks so we use these for a weekend get a way. http://www.campjellystone.com/. I know lots of people say get a pop up but if you can tow a hard side trailer the set up will be much easier. Also in a bad storm hard walls are nice i grew up camping in a pop up and it was fun but I wouldn't buy one. I have learned a smaller camper that tows easy is way more fun then a giant camper that you know is back there. That's my 2 cents. Oh and campers are a money pit but the memories are priceless. Not to mention I can walk out my front door go in my camper and be on vacation.

[Duane 150]

Like everyone else has said... "RV" camping is great, especially with a little one...  We started out in the natural progression of the RV'r...  Tent, then 2 pop-ups, a travel trailer, a 5th wheel, now a motorhome. I can remember moving the table out of the way in our first pop-up to make room for Ashleigh's portable crib.  We had a high chair that clamped to the table, and bathed her in a baby tub on the table we had to move out of the way...  That same little one, is now getting ready to graduate high school and go off to college.  She still loves and wants to camping. 

 

I travel a lot for work, and I'm sure you already know how "clean" or unclean those hotel rooms are these days... I know who has cleaned my camper and who has slept in the bed... I would much rather use "my stuff" than someone else's... 

 

Find yourself a slightly used pop-up... there are a ton of them out there... What you will find is that someone bought one, tried it a couple of times and decided the camping thing is not for them, or someone has decided to move up to the next step to a trailer.  You said that you enjoyed tent camping, then a pop-up is the next best thing... I used to call it "luxury tent camping"

 

As for the Tampa show, I was just there this afternoon... like someone said, there were not a lot of pop-ups out there, there were a bunch of A-Liners, but mostly motorhomes, and 5th wheels... For someone just beginning to look, that show is almost too overwhelming... One tends to get sucked up in the wow factor and not how the unit is built... I can't tell you how many conversations I heard between sales folks and potential customers on how great the products are... And some pretty good tall tales on these things are so much better now...  Yeah right.

 

Anyway, take your time, find that gem out there, and jump in...