# Is it worth it or not?



## Alwaysinshorts

I've never even stayed in one but have been thinking of buying a small rv or I think the proper term is a pull behind. One of the things that I always hear is the fact that when you buy one that it just cost so much to buy it and store it that unless you use it 10 or so times a year it really just isn't worth it. 

What kind of questions should I be asking myself? Anything that I should know about it. 

Last year my daughter and I went camping (tent) 5 times, we had 9 planned but because of work I had to cancel 4 of them. It would be nice to have something to stay in when it rains.


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## Pilot281

I'm not sure you can really justify the "cost" of a camper. Does it cost a lot to purchase, maintain, insure and store a camper....yes.

To me, the "worth" of the memories I've made camping with my kids while they're still young and want to spend time with me is priceless.


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## Alwaysinshorts

I agree to the "price less" statement. That's why I tried to go so many times last year. I have been this year and don't have any trips planned in the immediate future but if I had an rv I would probably go. I know it's just an excuse but again I am looking for everyones opinion


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## redman71

You might think about renting one and see if it works for you. I can tell you it does take some time and effort to maintain, prepare and recover/cleanup after a trip.

It sounds like you are really busy with work. Do you really have the time to spend on an RV?

Consider how many trips you could spend in a cabin or hotel for the same amount of money you are going to spend on an RV. $10k-$12k will pay for a lot of hotel rooms/cabins and there's almost no prep. You just show up and enjoy. Also consider that many RV Resorts are getting $50/night for an RV space.

I speak from experience. I have a wife, three kids and a 25' trailer that we bought new 6 yrs ago. For a week long trip I begin preparing about two weeks out working in the evenings. There's always a list of things on the trailer that needs preparation, maintenance or repair. During the trip there is extra transit time and fuel cost, setup, teardown, and repairs. When we return the trailer has to be cleaned up and made ready for storage.

We just got back from a week long trip to Colorado and I can say I am reconsidering this whole RV thing. I could have paid for a cabin for a week and just showed up and relaxed. Instead I spent a lot of my vacation trying to keep everything working on the RV. My wife and children are reconsidering as well because I was not in a good mood due to the troubles we were having.

If you were retired and traveled a lot, I can see how you could benefit financially, but for me it may be worth it to pay a little extra and stay in a cabin/hotel.


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## Pilot281

Wow redman. That WOULD be a lot of work dragging one to Colorado. Our general rule of thumb is....if it's over 6 hrs. away, we hotel it instead.


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## redman71

I don't necessarily disagree with your 6 hour rule, but let me ask you this; what's the difference in preparation (or anything else) between driving 6 hours and 16 with the RV?


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## Salty Dog

How old are your kids? If you want to get into camping with them do it while they are young. When they hit about 12 years old they have so many things going on that it gets real hard to find weekends to go. That is what happened to us. We use to go camping 2-3 weekends per month plus a big trip every summer. We went to south Florida and Disney one year and Colorado another and then some bigger in state trips a few other years. Now for the last two years my 5th wheel has sat at the deer lease. Between my wife and kids we have something in the way every weekend.

I don't mind the upkeep and the set up and tear down. It costs a lot more to travel long distances when towing but once you get there the cost of an RV spot is usually way lower than a hotel or cabin. It all ends up being about even in expenses. Setup and teardown usually take me an hour each. You get a system down and it doesn't take too long.

One of the biggest differences in traveling with vs without an rv for us is who ends up driving. No rv, we both take turns. With rv, I drive the whole trip. Without the rv we set the cruise on 75 and roll. With the rv we drive 65 and it just takes longer. You have to plan out your pitstops a little better too. Some gas stations are just not set up to handle big campers. Other than that driving 500 miles vs towing 500 miles isn't a whole lot different for me.

The biggest plus for traveling with an rv is the ability to take all your junk with you. Bikes, fishing tackle, kayaks, waders, ice chests, etc, etc all go in or on the RV and away we go.


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## Don Smith

When our kids were growing up, we always had an RV. Work was demanding and time was scarce, but we always could find a couple of days to get away with the RV. Half the fun of going on the trip was the preparation and the kids packing. On the return they were pretty beat, so mostly useless. We could have easily spent the time in a hotel with swimming pool, tv and video games, but we could have stayed at home and had the same thing. We camped on beaches, in national forests, mountains and places where there were no conveniences or hotels. Now they are teaching their kids about the outdoors and they have RV's. Now that we are retired, we travel about 8 months out of the year, all over, and love it. When I get too old to handle this rig, I'll just get a smaller one and keep on going. Maintenance is a necessity and if you own an RV, you gotta learn how to work on it. But at the end of the day, it's all worth it.


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## Alwaysinshorts

Man there are some great points on here. I think I will avoid buying one. It really is easier to just rent one, get a cabin, stay in a hotel. 

I know there are advantages also but from the first long post to the second one you guys made some really good points. 

Not only is it a lot of work but my daughter is 12 now and it might be too much for just me to do. 

I just bought a boat and we are going out on that every weekend and I just wanted to change up the pace.


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## Hookem-Guy81

We love our RV-period. 28' 2008 Pilgrim Fifth wheel. Actually less of a hassle than renting RV. Got to get a rental ready too, plus clean, plus pick it up and return. Have to reserve ahead of time, and around Trail Ride or Race time in Dallas forget it. I keep it clean, put new Michelins on it and bought a brand new battery and have a new, quiet, 50 state CARB compliant Generator back up. We were going to Sargent last year and SLP for years before in the fall but switching back to SLP now. We keep it at Lake Conroe in spring and early summer. We have been to Yellowstone, Smokies, Florida, New Mexico, all around Texas too. Used to have a Truck Camper. We go every 2 to 3 weeks locally. Tried renting houses in Sargent a few years but they are $250 a night and up now. We keep our day trips to 10 hours or less. Only problems I have had: Turned an axle(actually it was bent first and loosened), and had a relay in the fridge go out. Got a boat too so we are fishin and RVin and loving it.


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## Pilot281

redman71 said:


> I don't necessarily disagree with your 6 hour rule, but let me ask you this; what's the difference in preparation (or anything else) between driving 6 hours and 16 with the RV?


 You're right. There's really no difference in preparation. It's a quality of time thing. If I only have a week of vacation, I would rather fly somewhere in 3 hours than spend 2 days on the road going and 2 days coming back. I'm not saying I would never drive somewhere far away either. I know getting there is half the fun sometimes. It's just the camper slows you down quite a bit. We took a trip with the camper that took 6 hours (slower speeds, more gas stops). Normally we can do it in 4. It only gets exponentially worse the farther you go. I'm sure this philosophy will change when the kids get older


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## Pocketfisherman

Don't buy new. There are great deals on used ones and you miss out on that initial big depreciation once a new one moves off a dealers lot. There are many great deals out there on used units, even at the big RV dealers. If you get one a couple of years old, you can usually also get a warranty with it if you buy from a bigger dealer. If it is approaching 6-7 years old, be ready to put some money into repairing things like roof/window seam leaks, AC, fridge, water heater, etc.


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## Archer

Another thing to consider is pets. That was the deal maker for us. We donâ€™t have any children, just 2 very expensive pure bred fur kids. Flying with a German Shepard is out, and most if not all hotels/rentals wonâ€™t allow the breed. When we went to Seattle for a week a couple of years ago it cost as much to board them in a nice place as our hotel room for the week. Add in the cost of eating out, vehicle rental, gas etc. and we more than doubled the cost of our hotel and airfare. 

With the camper we load the boyâ€™s up, strap the kayaks to the roof, stock the pantry and fridge and head out, only extra cost then is the fuel. Our next camper will be a nice 5th wheel and we plan to tour the country in that thing. Once I am finished with my Masters I will be in a position to work a lot less for twice the money and we already have a list of trips we want to make. Some of them are short and others will take a few days just to get there but having driven all over the country when I was younger I already know that getting there is half the fun and thereâ€™s a lot of beauty in this great nation that you just canâ€™t see on a plane.


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## sea hunt 202

We had two and loved them both it is a great deal is you have a free place to keep it, although we kept ours on our lot which was not free as we had taxes on the property. But we are considering another-just have to justify the the storage cost.


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## badlt1

Love ours. This is the 2nd one we have owned. I had a lot of fond memories of camping in rv with my family as a kid and I still enjoy it and like taking the kids and grandkids.


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## iamatt

Guy at work has big 5th wheel one. Everytime he comes back its some crazy story about what broke or blew out... Pretty much like a boat. We rented an RV best part was when we returned it, it wasn't our problem anymore.


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## mas360

Alwaysinshorts said:


> Man there are some great points on here. I think I will avoid buying one. It really is easier to just rent one, get a cabin, stay in a hotel.
> 
> I know there are advantages also but from the first long post to the second one you guys made some really good points.
> 
> Not only is it a lot of work but my daughter is 12 now and it might be too much for just me to do.
> 
> I just bought a boat and we are going out on that every weekend and I just wanted to change up the pace.


Your daughter is 12, that is a tad too late, not worth it unless you and your wife love camping.

While our children were young I wanted to camp but my wife vigorously made objection. It was always about the rain would kill her, the snakes and insects would get her, it was too hot outside.....blah blah blah...until our daughter was 12 I took both kids with me and left the wife home. After a few times she finally came because she was lonely at home. Well, after couple of trips she loved camping.....yeah...tell me about it, we lost all those good years before kids discovered friends of opposite gender.... 
I bought a popup camper. We had it for four years before moving up to a travel trailer. By then kids no longer wanted to go. They acted like they were going to my funeral unless their friends came along. 
Now, the camper is used at most three times a year. But I still want to keep it because I do not want to leave my pooch home or put him in with boarder. He's like a kid to me and he loves camping.

If you have a boat, which I also do, more reason to not have a camper unless you do not have to work for a living. You will not have time to use and maintain both.


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## redexpress

I think I would be calling about that Coleman pop up that was just posted for sale. 
$5,000.....let you see if you like it. Not the best in 10 degree weather or 110 degree weather, but who wants to out there then..


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## Bayoutalker

I would stay away from a pop up especially if you have time issues. If it is wet when you close it to come home, you have to open it for it to dry when you get home. If it is still raining, that might be a few days. If you leave it open to long, any fabric on it will fade or rot. I camped in one for a few years and will not do it again. If you have indoor storage for it, that might make a difference.

I have had several RV's in the last several years and have enjoyed them all. It sure is convenient to load your stuff one time and it is waiting when you are ready to go. Being able to keep it plugged in so the fridge stays cold is a big plus. We always appreciated having everything we wanted along with us including our hairy child.

You will never be able to justify the cost any more than most people can with a boat. It is just the convenience of being able to go at a moment's notice that makes it worthwhile.

Cliff


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## sea hunt 202

If you are reasonable on your expectations then you can buy a nice unit and save on your travels. We are on our third rv and yes it sucks paying for the storage-I even thought of renting it to others but then recanted. This is like belonging to a country club except that you do not have anything to show for it after years of paying the dues. Just start out with an inexpensive one and see how you like it-you dont like it then sell it.


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## Bobby

A good thing about having your own rv is the bed. You sleep in your own bed every night. Nobody else slept in it last night. Also someone said it was too slow getting to your destination. That is part of the fun. Slow down and see this beautiful nation of ours. You can also stop on the side of the road or a walmart store and fix you something to eat or drink without leaving the darn thing. You know how its cooked and you know nobody spit in your hamburger.


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## sea hunt 202

Ok to rack it up if you can not pay cash, then lets say the payment is 200.00 month and the storage is 100.00 month. You need to ask youre self tou are willing to spend 3600.00 per year for a bed room that you will only use a few times a year, oh and the insurence is about 270.00 per year bringing your total to 3870.00 per year before your repairs and the lot fee's of parking at the camp site. You might consider renting cabins as you need them. We have our third RV and it gripes me what it cost to sleep in your own bed-although we do totaly not have to deal with bed bugs. This alone with the deductable on health ins makes it almost choakable. So make a decision on how you want to sleep -


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