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I am new to this forum and I have no experience of campers/ RVs. My husband and I are thinking about buying one for family vacations. I have heard some pros and cons about buying one and just want some more opinions and information before spending the money. We have a two year old girl and plan to have more children. We love doing outdoor activities, especially during the spring, fall and summer months and want to go vacationing more. I have heard that in the long run a camper is cheaper because you do not have to spend the money on hotels, eating out, etc. I have also heard you get more family time this way because the rv parks are very family oriented. Every time we go on vacation some where we always get caught up in all the things to do and never spend the quality time we want with our daughter. I have also been told that campers cost a lot of up keep and the roofs are not great on them at all. Also if anyone knows of the better brands I would like input on that also.
When I was younger we always went camping but it was in tents. There is nothing wrong with this way but I would rather own a camper at this point in life. The safety of my two year old is my top priority. I am really looking forward to getting some great advice on here and maybe buying our family's first camper with the help from everyone.
You've put this in the most general of terms ... without any perspective as to what or where you're trying to spend your vacation time. It's beneficial that you have a background of camping, but it doesn't sound like that's where you've been vacationing more recently. Perhaps you are now looking at a totally different paradigm of vacation/family time?
Consider where you'll be traveling/camping with an RV, the activities, what it costs to do so for the RV/vehicle, fuel economy, camping costs/fees, and the convenience of "home on the road" compared to hospitality lodging/restaurants and access to the activities you may want to enjoy.
Is an RV how you want to spend your vacation time? for many people, the point of a "vacation" is to get away from all of the household chores; ie, they want lodging with services, they want to enjoy "nice" meals with somebody else to do the cooking/serving/cleaning.
I've known more than a few people who bought really nice RV rigs for all kinds of activities and found out they spent more on the RV then they did on using hotels/restaurants to get access to the activities they enjoyed. The RV travel and lodging cost was an adventure unto itself that didn't bring them any net benefits. All the more so when the rig got used only a few days per year.
OTOH, there's places you may wish to enjoy where an RV is the "best" access ... camping out in forests with access to boating/fishing, hiking, bicycling, simply being in the "outdoors" ... maybe the things that you enjoyed years ago with your tent camping but would like to have the conveniences of an RV now.
Only you can determine which approach is best for you and your family's activities and interests.
Do you have a budget in mind for an RV? Do you have a place to conveniently store it when not in use? Do you have reasonably close access to places where you'd use it frequently enough to justify it's cost (like a nearby NF or camping area)? Don't forget that like any other acquisition, there will be maintenance and repairs on the unit itself, the systems, and the interior/exterior of the rig; these are costs of ownership and operation that come with all rigs. There's only a few manufacturers of the system stuff ... like refrigerators, furnaces, water system components, toilets, lighting fixtures, etc. .. that all of the RV manufacturers use, so these items have similar operating/maintenance/repair costs whatever brand of RV you buy.
Do keep in mind that there's a wide range of RV's to use, which all have their pro's and con's re cost/benefits/utility. For some folk, a Class B RV is a workable choice ... for others, a larger Class C makes sense. Yet for others, a Class A ... in a wide range of sizes and costs ... is the ticket. Some folk are happy with a trailer, and there's many choices/price ranges there. And for many, a truck-mounted slide in camper is ideal. You can spend as little as a few thou for a used slide-in camper or an older Class C with good service life remaining, or the sky's the limit in more upscale units.
What's your pleasure?
PS: all of us here who are RV owners can give you our anecdotal experiences with RV's ... mine is to have access to regional travels to remote small towns for sales calls where lodging/restaurants are virtually non-existent (or outrageously priced in tourist areas), so my Class B RV is an ideal solution for a transport/lodging/restaurant/mobile office. Fortunately, I'm in a region where local/state/fed public lands are in abundance with great access to places to camp and enjoy in my free time; this region is a destination resort for many folk who come to see the attractions here. But recently, Mrs Sun's line of work has had her traveling the region for business 5-7 times per year, and my Class B RV is a bit confining for those extended stays. It helps that she gets a per diem allowance and travel paid. So we're now buying a 5th wheel RV, which will use one of our 3/4 ton diesel pick-up trucks for these trips; the 5th wheel RV trailer will cost a fraction of the price of the Class B (which I bought used and got a great deal on). There's trade-offs ... the 5th wheel has much more space for us and our dogs, has much nicer facilities on-board ... but costs more to haul, operate, and camp ... and we can't "stealth camp" conveniently as we can with the Class B RV. I've got plenty of room to park the RV's when not in use, so that's not an issue for us. The point here is that we have clearly defined uses for our RV's and the costs are well justified for our use and they do get used frequently enough to justify the expense.
Camping is a very different lifestyle from the hotel/restaurant scene. Time, storage, distance you want to travel and $$$, all enter into this picture. We started when the kids were pre-teens and sold our last trailer last summer. The "kids" are now in their 50s. After retirement our time was ours to do as we wished, down into Mexico, up into Canada, coast to coast. We kept it low budget and enjoyed it a lot. One place we lived there was an RV club where members would lead caravans. We had the smallest rig in the club, but we got to see the same things as the folks with the very high dollar rigs.
We are in our early 80s now but we have many pleasant memories and souvenirs of our travels.
There is a wealth of information in those forums. There is a forum for every type of camper or RV. There is a forum for beginning RVers. There is a forum for trailer towing.
ETC.
In my lifetime, I have had every type of RV except a Class B (van conversion).
IMO, the floor plan is the most important consideration. The number of people who can sleep in it is nowhere near as important as the number of people you can put up with in there on a rainy day!
We now have a 32 foot gas powered Class A. It works for us at the present time.
I am new to this forum and I have no experience of campers/ RVs. My husband and I are thinking about buying one for family vacations. I have heard some pros and cons about buying one and just want some more opinions and information before spending the money. We have a two year old girl and plan to have more children. We love doing outdoor activities, especially during the spring, fall and summer months and want to go vacationing more. I have heard that in the long run a camper is cheaper because you do not have to spend the money on hotels, eating out, etc. I have also heard you get more family time this way because the rv parks are very family oriented. Every time we go on vacation some where we always get caught up in all the things to do and never spend the quality time we want with our daughter. I have also been told that campers cost a lot of up keep and the roofs are not great on them at all. Also if anyone knows of the better brands I would like input on that also.
When I was younger we always went camping but it was in tents. There is nothing wrong with this way but I would rather own a camper at this point in life. The safety of my two year old is my top priority. I am really looking forward to getting some great advice on here and maybe buying our family's first camper with the help from everyone.
Thanks in advance,
Amber Archer
As far as being cheaper will depend how much you use it, for me I have a small travel trailer and only use it 3 or 4 times a year so it doesn't save me any money because the places I camp there is no option for a motel but it is very convenient.
They are more secure than a tent but if someone wants what you own they will get it (I've never had a problem). The roofs are much better now, you shouldn't need to worry.
The best thing to do is go out and look at all the different campers and choose what fits what you want to do.
I will add that you should be able to find a really good used RV. It is probably not a good idea to buy new.
There are many good brands and just a little poking around on the internet will help you find some names --(we have had HitchHiker and Jayco but there are many other good ones).
The things we LIKED about having a trailer:
1) Your bathroom is always right behind you "just in case"
2) The mattress and pillows aren't used by other people on other nights
3) We could leave 'camping towels', 'camping bedding', and even a few old clothes inside to make packing and loading easier
4) It was closer to nature to camp on a river bank or lakes edge etc and it was generally easy to find a campground
The things we didn't like:
1) Needing some place to store it when not in use.
2) Upkeep (batteries, tires, propane) and cleaning.
3) Winterizing and gray water/Black water tank emptying and cleaning.
When our kids were younger we often went on camping trips fishing, hiking, going to Branson etc. I am glad we did and the 'boys' (all grown men now) still talk about how much fun we used to have camping.
Much like a boat, however, the 2 happiest days for some campers are the 1)day they buy the camper and 2) the day they sell it.
Whoever told you it was cheaper lied. Depending on the camper, you have to have a tow vehicle. Fuel mileage with most new trucks/cars sucks real bad when a trailer is on the hitch. You'll find you'll eat more out of a camper because you are far more active than you would be sitting in a motel watching TV. Snacks. You'll eat more snacks on a weekend than you will all week at home. Same with drinks. What you will gain are new friends who more than likely will have kids like yours. Kids are like that, they find friends most any where. Then comes the meet and greet with the parents and then you'll be trading phone numbers so you can do it again. You'll also get independence, you can stay where ever you want including a Walmart parking lot or a National Park in the forests or along a sea shore. I'd skip the sea shore if you like your camper as the salt and sand gets in everything. Rust will be yer new friend even though they use a lot of aluminum on them. Things like springs, frame, axle are at risk. But the freedom, yes indeed, the freedom to park most any where is worth its weight in gold. Can't really put a price on the memories it will bring.
I am new to this forum and I have no experience of campers/ RVs. My husband and I are thinking about buying one for family vacations. I have heard some pros and cons about buying one and just want some more opinions and information before spending the money. We have a two year old girl and plan to have more children. We love doing outdoor activities, especially during the spring, fall and summer months and want to go vacationing more. I have heard that in the long run a camper is cheaper because you do not have to spend the money on hotels, eating out, etc. I have also heard you get more family time this way because the rv parks are very family oriented. Every time we go on vacation some where we always get caught up in all the things to do and never spend the quality time we want with our daughter. I have also been told that campers cost a lot of up keep and the roofs are not great on them at all. Also if anyone knows of the better brands I would like input on that also.
When I was younger we always went camping but it was in tents. There is nothing wrong with this way but I would rather own a camper at this point in life. The safety of my two year old is my top priority. I am really looking forward to getting some great advice on here and maybe buying our family's first camper with the help from everyone.
Thanks in advance,
Amber Archer
1. Owning a camper is more expensive. I have a truck camper and it requires maintenance. My batteries need replacing every couple of years ($100 a piece). I had to replace a water heater last year, ($750 for the part and I did the labor), my screen door 'screen' has to be replaced, the screen door latch broke this weekend, I lost one of my vent covers on the trip back from Oregon yesterday, I've lost the fridge vent cover last year... I need to reupholster the dining cushions....
I pay for the convenience of comfort in all weather. I've spent close to 250- odd nights in the camper in the past 4-5 years so it get's some use! I hunt, hike, fish and travel for work in my camper. It would be easier in a hotel, but I go places where there ain't none!
2. What are you trying to keep your child safe from? I've camped all my life most of it in tents.. I'm active in Scouting so I still sleep in a tent at least once a month. What in your mind makes a camper 'more safe' than a tent? In fact under some circumstances an enclosed RV can be deadly for all inhabitants! CO poisoning, fire.. I don't see it as 'more safe' in my view. We've camped in our tent when my daughter was 6 months old- totally safe and totally fun... The only thing I had to worry about were other humans, lol.
My son and I just got back from a 1,600 mile journey to the Oregon coast. Normally I don't stay in RV parks when I go out- I'll boondock in the US Forest somewhere. I've stayed in maybe 10 RV parks my entire life- most of them were okay, but not my cup of tea generally speaking. However I was towing a utility trailer and thought it would be easier to go this route. Last Thursday we stayed in a small 20 spot RV park in WA state along the river. $35 a night, nice place with nice people. On our way back to Montana we stopped at an RV park in Coeur d'Alene ID on Saturday . We took one cruise through and let me tell you I would not have fallen asleep in that place. It was trashy, filled with drunks and NOT a safe place and they wanted $30 a night. We drove another hour to a quiet spot in the US Forest and spent the night peacefully.
So my camper cost me $19,000 used. Add to that the cost to 'hook up' at an RV park, plus ongoing maintenance... Yeah not cheap. If you're trying to decide if a hotel is cheaper than an RV- Hotel is almost always cheaper unless you REALLY use the RV a lot. If you think an RV in RV parks is safer than a tent? Yeah better think that one over again too.
We tent camped throughout our kids childhood, starting when our first child was 6 months old. Your interests may differ but as we enjoyed hiking, bike-riding and other outdoor activities we tended to stay in state parks rather than commercial campgrounds. In state parks the sites tend to be more private, more quiet and in more of a natural wooded setting. What was really nice was when we were stationed near other families who enjoyed camping and we had a group of 4 families who would go together.
We didn't buy a travel trailer until our kids were off to college and found that it took as much time to set up a travel trailer as it did a tent. Backing, leveling, sewer and water hookups, etc.
Hotel is almost always cheaper unless you REALLY use the RV a lot.
That assumes there are hotel vacancies where you vacation. Where I camp along the west side of Michigan, good luck getting a hotel room during the summer months. These are mostly small to medium-size towns with limited hotel availability. However, there are many campgrounds available.
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