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Started By
Message
Talk me out of buying a travel trailer
Posted on 8/2/20 at 10:19 pm
Posted on 8/2/20 at 10:19 pm
Ready to Take the family on some outdoor vacations. Family of 6 and a dog so I’m looking at a 30’ trailer with all the amenities.
What’s the downside to it all? Seems like a relatively cheap way to travel with the trailer paying for itself in 5-10 years
What’s the downside to it all? Seems like a relatively cheap way to travel with the trailer paying for itself in 5-10 years
29
Posted on 8/2/20 at 10:30 pm to DustyDinkleman
Cheap how? $20-40k for a trailer that will need more
tires than expected, heavy fuel costs, and expensive maintenance (roof resealing, caulking, A/C, plumbing, etc). Not to mention stress from pulling an extra 4-8k lbs on our messed up hwys. Hotel rooms range $100-400/night you can buy a lot of those for the cost of a camper. 6 people and a dog crammed into a tiny house?
All that said, it’s an awesome way to see American and offers amazing experience with your family that’s irreplaceable.
tires than expected, heavy fuel costs, and expensive maintenance (roof resealing, caulking, A/C, plumbing, etc). Not to mention stress from pulling an extra 4-8k lbs on our messed up hwys. Hotel rooms range $100-400/night you can buy a lot of those for the cost of a camper. 6 people and a dog crammed into a tiny house?
All that said, it’s an awesome way to see American and offers amazing experience with your family that’s irreplaceable.
This post was edited on 8/2/20 at 10:32 pm
Posted on 8/2/20 at 10:35 pm to DustyDinkleman
Get a tent or a hotel room
Posted on 8/2/20 at 11:03 pm to DustyDinkleman
Ages of the kids? 6 could get tight depending on age. My two kids were 8 and 6 when we got our first camper back in 2017. We’ve enjoyed our camper without many problems. We keep ours covered under a pole barn with full 50amp power. We go on about 8-12 trips per yr, primarily AL, MS, LA. Best tip I could give is upgrade your wheels and tires before you have a blowout. We’ve had nothing but good memories. Our kids still love it.
Posted on 8/2/20 at 11:47 pm to DustyDinkleman
There seems to be no shortage of campers that have only been used a few times with the owners willing to take the balance of their note just to get rid of them. I would try to go that route, and save some money on what seems to be a rapidly depreciating asset.
Posted on 8/3/20 at 2:33 am to EA6B
If you buy one you need to protect it from the elements, especially the sun. The roof will need regular maintenance(expensive) if you don't store it under a roof.
Posted on 8/3/20 at 2:49 am to DustyDinkleman
Best thing to do is find your favorite lake to fish on, the one you spend the most time going to. Find a nice RV park that allows you to park your camper there year round!
Get your moneys worth easily by going and staying for weekends or even weeks at the lake, fishing, kids able to enjoy it more
If by chance you wanted to pull it on a trip somewhere you could do that do
6 kids in a 30 ft might be tight. But I would definitely look into keeping it at a place you can visit frequently year round
Get your moneys worth easily by going and staying for weekends or even weeks at the lake, fishing, kids able to enjoy it more
If by chance you wanted to pull it on a trip somewhere you could do that do
6 kids in a 30 ft might be tight. But I would definitely look into keeping it at a place you can visit frequently year round
Posted on 8/3/20 at 5:53 am to DustyDinkleman
quote:
Seems like a relatively cheap way to travel with the trailer paying for itself in 5-10 years
Sounds like something my wife would say
Went skiiing last year and we stayed at the resort. The family with us had a camper and had to fix two flats along the way, had to stop for gas twice as much, and they drove about 50 mph the whole way because the winds in Texas and New Mexico had it swerving real good. When I got back from skiing I got to drink beer in a hot tub They got to cram into a camper
Buy a camper because you want one but not because it saves you money.
Posted on 8/3/20 at 6:05 am to DustyDinkleman
The only way I would buy another one is if I was using it for work again. I had a used 2010 Jayco 17 feather lite and strictly used it for work. Had it for a couple years without any major problems but as everyone has said, if you cant keep it covered get ready for roof/leaking issues.
Posted on 8/3/20 at 6:09 am to DustyDinkleman
You HAVE to make time to use it for it to be worth it. Even then it can be more of a chore than its worth. My dad and I recently sold our toy hauler because of the maintenance, storage, pain of hauling it, setting it up, packing it, unpacking it, cleaning it etc. We now each have tents. He has an iKamper rooftop tent and I have a 10x10 Kodiak Canvas. Awesome way to spend time outdoors.
Posted on 8/3/20 at 6:25 am to DustyDinkleman
.
This post was edited on 8/3/20 at 6:26 am
Posted on 8/3/20 at 7:02 am to DustyDinkleman
quote:
Talk me out of buying
Came to the wrong place bud
Posted on 8/3/20 at 7:33 am to DustyDinkleman
I'm planning to buy a used one next year. My plan is to buy a lot on the lake. And put up a rv cover. When we want to go to the lake for the weekend it will be ready to go. If we want to go to a state park I'll bring the camper home a few days before.
Posted on 8/3/20 at 8:01 am to DustyDinkleman
You could rent one to see if your family likes it before buying one.
Most of my family had RVs growing up, so it’s something that has always stuck with me. My wife and 2 year old daughter love it, so we use ours often. If you do decide to buy, just understand that you’re going to lose a lot of money on depreciation. The memories made with your kids will Trump any money lost in the process.
Downsides
If you have to store it somewhere because you don’t have a covered place to park it at home, you’ve just added cost and headache to the hobby.
They come with crap tires, so you’ll want to put a set of Goodyear Endurance on within the first couple thousand miles.
They’re cheaply built in general, so things will break from time to time.
Most of my family had RVs growing up, so it’s something that has always stuck with me. My wife and 2 year old daughter love it, so we use ours often. If you do decide to buy, just understand that you’re going to lose a lot of money on depreciation. The memories made with your kids will Trump any money lost in the process.
Downsides
If you have to store it somewhere because you don’t have a covered place to park it at home, you’ve just added cost and headache to the hobby.
They come with crap tires, so you’ll want to put a set of Goodyear Endurance on within the first couple thousand miles.
They’re cheaply built in general, so things will break from time to time.
Posted on 8/3/20 at 8:08 am to DustyDinkleman
DO NOT BUY A CHEAP ONE, by cheap I mean anything that won't last you a lifetime. I had 2 bumper pulls. The reason I say that incase you can not sell it for what its worth to YOU are at least pay off, that way you can keep it an rest at night knowing the money you are paying for it, is not being flushed into fixing stuff in 5 years.ts takes forever to sell an to just get payoff. Keep that in mind
Posted on 8/3/20 at 8:36 am to DustyDinkleman
Will you actually use it or are you just giddy currently at the thought of using it and think your family will be down with camping a lot?
The chase>the kill
The chase>the kill
Posted on 8/3/20 at 8:48 am to DustyDinkleman
just got a 35'. First one ever. Love it.. this is not somethinh i will take long vacations on. Rather something for weekend get aways. Myself and wife have alot of time off. We have 3 yr old son. During summer we can take 3 day weekend trips every weekend. Any state parks, stay at the lake a weekend for $60total. Works for us... but when we go on actual longer vacations we still use hotels.
This post was edited on 8/3/20 at 8:51 am
Posted on 8/3/20 at 8:48 am to DustyDinkleman
quote:
Ready to Take the family on some outdoor vacations. Family of 6 and a dog so I’m looking at a 30’ trailer with all the amenities.
What’s the downside to it all? Seems like a relatively cheap way to travel with the trailer paying for itself in 5-10 years
Many people buy an RV and use it several times in the first couple of years and then it sits in the yard going to wreck and ruin. Unless you like doing maintenance on they will eat you alive with shite going wrong....nagging things.
Do y'all camp now in a tent or otherwise and do it consistently? If so then an RV probably makes sense. If your families idea of roughing it is a hotel that doesn't have round the clock room service probably not going to be their cup of tea....especially with 6 people in an RV it is not much more convenient than tent camping...one shower and one toilet means lots of trips to bath houses and public toilets.
Finally it is a lot of damn work to go camping in an RV. It seems like it'd be simple...but it ain't...if you're going for a week or so to one location it ain't bad but for a 3 day weekend it is too much.
Posted on 8/3/20 at 9:03 am to welder69
quote:
DO NOT BUY A CHEAP ONE
There's no such thing as RV's that don't break. Its a home on wheels that is made to be light, not durable. Moreover, OP has a family of 6 and a dog so it'll be a lot of use and opening of doors and what not.
OP as said you really need to figure out your use. I honestly think a lot of people would be better off buying a small cabin on a lake as a vacation home and then staying there often and maybe renting it out. As far as time and money.
Things to consider as a dad are as already said packing for a trip is A LOT of work with kids. Loading, unloading, and then cleaning and fixing stuff. 3 day weekend trips for day is really 5 days when before you leave you pack and prep and coming home you unpack and clean up.
Posted on 8/3/20 at 9:07 am to baldona
quote:
Things to consider as a dad are as already said packing for a trip is A LOT of work with kids. Loading, unloading, and then cleaning and fixing stuff. 3 day weekend trips for day is really 5 days when before you leave you pack and prep and coming home you unpack and clean up.
No its not lol. If you are packing/unpacking that much. You are doing it wrong. Everything stays in the camper. Throw a bag of clothes in, and go. It takes literally 5mins to hook up and unhook from camper.
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