My wife got the idea that she wants a camper. I've always wanted one but just had other priorities and was never in a rush to get one. I was checking out 18-22ft campers today and they are all pretty similar and all priced around $18k for decent ones it seems like. Slightly different layouts. The 20-22 footers seem to have a couch and eating table where the smaller ones seem to just have the table.

Does having a travel trailer give you more freedom then just staying in hotels and traveling? I was trying to justify it but I'm like man 18k buys a lot of hotel rooms.

I'd really love to have one of the Winnebago Mercedes Sprinter vans but they are like 100 grand.

and I know the rules. You aren't getting a pic.

My clients paid for mine and now it's a remote office/apartment for out of town jobs. 

If you're going to use it to travel...do your due diligence before you buy one. You'll need a bunch of accessory items like anti-sway hitch, sewer and fresh water hoses, mirrors, brake controller, etc. 

There a long thread on the subject in GD. Lots of great advice. 

here ya go

No, for me its a pain in the ass. You have to prep, pack all the crap, unpack all the crap, etc.

I'd just as soon stay in a hotel and let someone else do the cleanup.

In before the fuck it stay in a hotel guy's



god damn it 

We leave bedding, sweatshirts, etc. In the camper. Load food, drink and firewood and leave. We like and use ours often. Generators was the big thing for me. I wanted to run the A/C And be fully self sufficient. Power was the key to that. If you are going to full hooks ups all the time, then don't worry about that. Make sure you have a vehicle to pull it and a place to store it. Everything else is gravy.
PS: they are all made out of Popsicle sticks and beer cans.

Ours sees most use at race tracks and state parks. We try avoid resort style campgrounds.

Most permanent road courses offer great camping on site that's generally cheaper than hotels on race weekends and you wake up at the track so traffic is not an issue. We follow IndyCar racing, so I really can't offer much info on camping at oval tracks other than Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which is pretty nice.

In a couple of years we are planning to start doing some 2-3 week long swings through the western US.

We have a 22' trailer, and it perfect for me and the Mrs. The feature that sold us on our unit is a pedestal style bed. Nothing messes up a good nights sleep by having somebody climb over you to answer nature's call in the middle of the night.

There are no hotels where I want to hunt or fish or ride dirt bikes. Usually can't have a campfire in a hotel room. If you are staying in a hotel you have no real interest in the outdoors. My trailer stays pretty well loaded too. Food, drinks and maybe a few clothes and we are ready to go.

My Wife and I bought our first at the end of 2012. We have been on over 50
trips since. We are on our third unit. We have friends that have their own and
we go on trips together. It is great fun and we make day trips to attractions
close to where we are camping.

https://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1862060_Travel-trailers-for-camping-and-events-OFFICIAL-CAMPER-PHOTO-THREAD-PICS-ADDED-P9.html


A pic from last weekend

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As far as more freedom? no, i don't think so, campers can give you much better access to recreational activities but it depends on the campground. As far as freedom to travel? Eh, you could book a hotel room just as you can park a camper. It does take some effort to set up a camper, take it off the hitch, put the jacks down, etc, etc. I bought mine to enjoy the outdoors.

Ha we looked at those exact ones today. They are badass with the checkered flooring, wood paneling, and 50s looking table.

The fact that I don't have to sleep on a matress that other people have fucked, jizzed, sweated, drooled, pissed and shit on makes it worth it.

I got the pine interior with red accents. Makes it look a little more solidly built

My wife has a thing for campers and tiny houses.  She talked me into selling our McMasion and moving into our 28ft. It was actually liberating.  She when ended up having our son so we had to by a house.  We were pulling 100k a year with 0 bills so we bought a house with a a huge down payment and a 18 month mortgage.  She still drags me to the camper show ever year to pick out the one that we are going to travel the USA with when we retire.  I have my guns and she has here campers.  If I do buy another one it will be a hard tent with no bathroom as we use the campground bath houses anyway.  

Im sitting in mine right now.  

7 days coming to an end.. Set up on the shores of a 160 square mile lake.. Attached File

That's rad.

A lot of people start out thinking they will do the travel trailer/RV route. And after a few trips or a little time, they get tired of it. In other words, there's a hell of a market in used/lightly used rigs. Don't pay retail until you have looked around a bit.

The other thing to remember is where you can store it when you're not using it. A lot of folks forget this part.

I paid for mine living on the road.  Now we use it 1-2 times a year and it just sits.    

Ups-  
Its nice to throw your stuff in it and not have to move in and out of hotels.  
You can take your dagl with you if you want.  
quick setup/take down after you've done it a few times
campgrounds don't cost that much,  you can stay in the walmart parking lot in most cases

Downs-
Gas mileage My Chevy goes from 14mpg to 7 and my Tundra from 16mpg to 9
I have a huge box taking up space in my yard


We do a yearly road trip around Texas and a week dove hunting.   Thats about it.   Its not economical to just drive down to Houston from here for the weekend with it.  Its cheaper to stay in a Hotel.  Anything over 3 days it starts to slide the other way and be cheaper to RV down there.

Mine sits in my side yard as a middle finger to whoever turned me into the city when I parked it there to go to Pakistan.   It was a hurry up ordeal and my wife was going to move it to covered storage.   I think we had a letter from the city before I ever landed in Islamabad.   Did some legal wrangling via email and put that bitch up on stone pavers.   Its hideous but fuck that guy.


As a side note:  Around here RV storage is about $250-$300 a month.  You can find decent RV parks in cool places that cost that much.  ITs more win to park them there and have a little getaway.

Same thing for me. Most places we go (off-roading) dont have hotels. Two huge points already made that are spot on. Even the quality trailers are made out of "popsicle sticks and beer cans" and your tow vehicle needs to be stout.  By the time you get it loaded, it is at the hairy edge of 1/2 ton PU territory.

Pretty much that.  We don't even have a TT, we just stay in our enclosed trailer.

We have one that I'm about to sell. We jumped from tent camping to the RV when the wife was pregnant. Ours is a Keystone copy of the Jayco 23B. Hybrid with full amenities. Kitchen, bathroom, furnace, and AC.

I really REALLY like the hybrid style. The tip out bunks open up the space a lot. Being able to open the tent windows at both ends makes it comfortable to hang out in the camper. The sound, light, and breeze comes in. It doesn't feel like your stuck in a little tin box. Also nice when the kids are put to bed and the adults are still sitting by the fire, because you can peek in or hear what the kids are up to without opening the door.

The 23B floor plan has a U-shaped dinette leading up to the front bunk. This is the best layout. The dinette is big enough for the whole family to eat or lounge in comfortably, and the extra space behind it when the bunk is tipped down gives you room to actually relax in it.

With the bunk tipped down, dinette converted to a bed, and couch-slide extended, the front of the camper becomes a living room with big screened windows.



Owning an RV is different than what I expected when we bought it. The idea is that we would keep is stocked with stuff and be able to make quick getaway trips. Hitch up on Friday or Thursday after work and go camp for a 2-3 day weekend!
You have to plan things in advance if you want to be at a camp site that has electricity and fits your camper. They get booked up for the season, right at the beginning of the season.

It requires maintenance. You have to winterize it if you live in an area that reaches freezing temperatures. You have to store it. You have to inspect everything twice a year to catch problems early. A small undetected leak can turn that camper into a giant wad of toilet paper very quickly.

All bumper-tow trailers are built very lightly, because they want every American with a SUV or 1/2-ton pickup to be able to pull it. Full amenities and 1/2-ton towable means that the walls and roof are made of nothing.


If you're looking in the 18-20k range, you might be able to find a used deal on a 5th wheel trailer and tow vehicle together. The 5th wheel models are MUCH better built, because the manufacturers know that the towing ability will be there.


Good luck, and ... you can at least post pics of what you end up buying if you're not following the other rules. We are taking our time to type stuff for you.

OP

What do you have to tow it with?

We are blessed with a large number of State Parks in FL. We get together with our
friends, eat a good meal and plan trips many months in advance.

When we got our first one it was 5 years old and in good shape. It was a 18 footer and we
used it for a year. We had made a vow to use it at least every two months and it turned out
that we used it 13 times in the first year. So we traded it in and got a 26 footer and used that
for 2 years and we now have a 30 footer.

Our kids are grown but they come out sometimes for a meal or when we go on kayak trips.


We have a annual trip in Jan or Feb where friends and friends of friends come out to a small local
park. I smoke pork shoulders and grill Korean short ribs and everyone else cooks sides. It is a
feast and we have a really great time. We have done this 3 years in a Row. We had people in 15
sites this year.

It is what you make it.

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Yep. Camping this weekend. Also save some money and buy used. Attached File

Yep, you'd be surprised how nice some of the used ones are when folks buy them and only use them a few times. We bought a used 2004 camper for our farm ground last year. 30' length, one slide-out for the couch and kitchen counter/sink. Perfect for our needs. I paid about $9000 for it, which seemed in line with the little bit of price research I did on similar models in similar condition. My family absolutely loves this camper.

We bought a used 1999 Nash 19B all season camper a few years ago for $5K and have used the heck out of it.  I hate hotel rooms.  I love camping out in the boonies with no hookups.  It helps that we live in an area full of good camp spots.  Two of three times a year we'll also camp in a nicer state park with hookups and it's like renting a house.

I like being able to load up with bikes, RC toys kites, fishing gear, Weber grill, fire wood, etc. and have everything at our fingertips. My 10 yr old son gets to play with fire and hunting knives and ride his bike whenever he wants.  We can drink and listen to music by the fire and take breaks to fish  Compare that to a hotel, where you can't really have that stuff or do that.

I sent you a IM. I’m racing Indy in September for the SCCA runoffs and looking for a local Indy company that has campers they can deliver & pick up from the track. Do you know of anyone?

Thanks in advance!

If I buy another camper it will be a 26-30' 5th wheel. Easier to pull and more room.

It's nice sleeping in your bed, using your towels and surrounded by your stuff.  

In a hotel it's somebody else's.

It isn't any cheaper in the long run but with kids it's much nicer staying in a camper.  Even in the small campgrounds you have an outdoor area that's yours plus whatever amenities they offer.  Stuck in a hotel room with 3 kids sucks.  

We just got done remodeling a 1978 Avion 34' that we purchased for $3k.  It had some issues and we ended up with about $12k in it total.  It was a lot of damn work but we like the vintage style and they were built better back then.  I doubt any of the new campers besides an airstream will be around in 40 years.

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I'm thinking about getting a camper. Wife and I love camping but we have a toddler now and I don't see us tent camping again any time soon. We are thinking it will be a lot easier and comfortable to use a camper.

We don't have a place to park it at our house but I have a family member about 15 minutes away with plenty of room to park it.

Definitely looking at used, the used market seems much better than buying new.

Just to piggy back on this thread, how much trailer could I pull with a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0L? Google says 5,000-6,500 lbs. I'm thinking about a 23 ft 3,500 lb camper would work.

We have a 2014 Jayco 267 BHS and we love it. We hate staying in hotels and it gives us the ability to visit local state parks and the campground experience is great fun for the family. We chose to buy new after buying used because our two year old camper we bought used was a piece of crap. Sure, you can save some money buying used but regular maintenance and fixing problems the right way is important. You could be surprised how well you can conceal major issues in a camper. We chose the Jayco because it was the best quality in an entry level camper we found. Two year warranty and a roof rated for more weight than competitors. The build quality was way better than the Forest River Salem it replaced. Our second choice would have been a Keystone. We bought it new for 16.5. Here are a couple things to consider:

Tow vehicle. Do your research on what your tow vehicle can handle. Don't rely on what the RV dealers say. They will sell you anything. Your biggest limiting factor will be your cargo capacity and hitch weight. Don't use the manufacturers stated hitch weight either. Use 15 percent of the trailers fully loaded weight as a good estimate. My camper with a dry weight of 5600 lbs and a loaded capacity of 7500 lbs may State a hitch weight of 700lbs. My actual hitch weight is over 1000lbs. A trailer that seems well within the limits of most half ton pickups is now too much for most of them.

Another thing is materials. I do not like fiberglass camper sides. On the higher end trailers, it seems to be great. On light weight campers, the fiberglass is very thin and often have issues with delamination. Mine has aluminum sides. Although more heavy and harder to clean, I think it is more durable.

Inspection. If you do decide to buy used, do your research on what to look out for. Moisture and previous leaks are the biggest issue. Having an inspection by an rv mechanic will help. They can take moisture readings.

Also, if you have a big enough tow vehicle, I recommend getting something with dual axles and a slide. It makes a huge difference if you have kids and dogs. That usually puts you into the 23 ft or bigger range.

Having a camper is not necessarily cheaper than a hotel and it is a lot more work to pack, but we love doing it.

I used to pull an expedition trailer with my 4.0l.  It was about 1500lbs wet and that sucked.  I couldnt imagine a 23' TT.

I've been thinking about converting a cargo trailer to a camper.  I'd start with something like this all aluminum, 1650 lb, 7'x14' v-nose, tandem axle trailer.  7' is wide enough to have a bed going crossways.  Insulate the floor, walls and ceiling with polyisocyanurate insulation.  Install a fan-tastic vent or two in the ceiling.

Mount a 14' retractable awning on the side with the rv door and a 7' on the tail.  Rig up some supports to level out the ramp for extra floor space when deployed.  I'd install solar panels on the roof and a LiFePO4 battery bank.  Instead of a standard camper fridge I'd get one or two of these truck fridges on pull out shelves under the counter.  I'd just use my Coleman propane campstove and oven.  I'd throw in a Mr. Buddy heater if it was going to get cold.

For showers I think something like this:

The grand Cherokee will struggle to pull that size camper. I would check out pop-ups. Some of them can be pretty big and weigh a lot less. It will put a lot of stress on the vehicle and not feel very safe due to the short wheel base.

As long as you know you won't come out ahead.

1. It will never be as big as it is on the lot. The more you use them, the "smaller" they feel.
2. Look at ALL the specs on your tow vehicle. If you have a half ton truck, or a 3/4 with a diesel- especially if either is loaded with bling, you will run out of cargo capacity long before tow capacity. Next time you and the family are driving, find a Flying J or someplace with a CAT scale. Top off the tank and weigh your vehicle with everyone in it. Subtract that number from the GVWR on the door. That's how much you have left for tongue weight.
3. Even with an Equal-i-zer four point WDH/Anit sway hitch, my 8,000lb(fully loaded with water) camper is putting 1,100lbs on my hitch. I'm within specs on payload, but maxed on GCVWR. And going down the road in inclement weather- I feel it.
4. Tow figures are BS and salesmen support it. Being able to tow a lowboy trailer with a bobcat is COMPLETELY different than 9x30 barn that is two feet off the ground. With campers....it ain't the weight.....it's the WIND! (and the center of gravity).
5. We looked off and on for 17 years before buying ours. Biggest mistake we made was not buying one sooner. I totally regret not buying a smaller one 12-15 years ago.
6. Smartest thing I did was listening to the wife and buying the bigger one. 
7. If you have a place to park it at home, can run a 30 or better yet, 50 amp circuit out there, it makes a huge difference. We keep our set to 82 ish, fridge is always cold, etc. We come home, strip the bed, bring everything in. Laundry gets done the following day. That evening we remake the bed, restock the bath, etc. Then it's just food, clothes and ammo.
8. The range we go to is a little over an hour away and when I have a match, we often camp there. BIG difference getting up at 7, having coffee, bacon and eggs and then walking 75 yards to the proshop for the safety briefing as opposed to getting up at 5:30, driving, etc.
9. Being able to "shoot, nap, shoot" is WORTH IT!
10. Sometimes instead of staying at the range, we rent a spot at a local RV park. If the wife gets tired of shooting.....she leaves and goes to the pool. 

Yes, it's another thing to maintain. The box on mine is 29'6" and just a tad over 33' overall. Takes me about an hour to wash the whole thing. Big deal. Waxing it is about 3 hours though. Twice a year I scrub the roof.  But really......it's a house you can vacuum with a dustbuster. How hard can it be? I still call it my "30' stress sucking machine". You'll meet some of the nicest people in a campground/rv park. 

They are built like crap. Be prepared to fix stuff.

They are heavier than anyone/anything says.

Not saying you were in a FL state park, but if you were you can not fly that drone if you take of from within the park. Just fyi yo save you a headache.

Had one for years,  Like everyone else said..    Your pillows, sheets mattress etc...    One other thing though...   after about 3 days of eating out,  I get sick of it...  The RV lets me make my own meals when I want.    I have a complete kitchen set up for outside and love it.   Sometimes the rates at campgrounds are similar to cheap hotels, but  I prefer my stuff around me.  

We have a Jayco 26BH and in six years the plan is to get a Super C and head out for a few years since I will be retiring.  

As an aside,   my brother spent 7 days at Disney World in a Premium hotel on property had 7 day tickets and ate there etc.   That summer we stayed there for 26 days had some meals at the restaurants, bought annual passes which work out cheaper per day after a ten day trip and spent half what he did.

Our 23' hybrid is ~4500 pounds empty. Pulled it home with a 98' ZJ, 4.0l, 3.73 gears, factory tow package, load distributing hitch, over drive locked out, and Tekonsha brake controller. It could pull at highway speed on a level grade. If the grade shifted up hill, even a little, speed would decrease to ~55mph with the pedal floored. There was no way the Jeep was going to tow it around full of stuff on trips.

Dodge Ram 2500 doesn't even know it's back there.

The 5000 lb tow rating on your Jeep is optimistic, and includes any weight in the vehicle. People, fuel, gear, etc. I towed a small enclosed utility trailer scaling at 3500 with no trouble. Go above 4000 and you'll kill the Jeep. If you forget to lock out the over drive, you'll burn it up in no time.

Get a smaller trailer or a better tow vehicle.

Is it just the two of you? If so take a look at a casita. Don't really have the leaking and roof/wall issues with them compared to the traditional ones. Just think it's like a fiberglass airstream.