Reply
Honored Contributor
Posts: 30,238
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: The cost of campers these days --wow!

My 35 year old daughter and her male friend camp out in Colorado almost every weekend.  If it gets cold they get rooms, if not she sleeps in the tent and he sleeps in the car (she likes the tent).

 

I always say, "She gets her lover for camping from a distant relative.  My late husband and I prefer Hyatt Hotels".

 

I guess if you like it, good for you.  She makes amazing food on the fire pit.  There's usually a theme.  This weekend it was German food.  She found a place that would sell German beer.  When I visit we stay in a hotel.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,611
Registered: ‎10-25-2010

Re: The cost of campers these days --wow!


@Anita Bourbon wrote:
Carmie,
No worries, it's an honest question.
An RV restricts you to roads, and in some cases septic and electrical hookups. You can't climb up a mountain and find a little spot next to a stream in an
RV. The experience of nature is completely different. But truth be told I am a great deal younger than the
average RV owner so it's not entirely logical to assume all retirees want to backcountry hike (although I have met many thru hikers who were well over 60 and I hope to be half as awesome as they are
at that age).

That makes sense.  We pull our camper behind an SUV so we can unhook it and travel the backroads.  We do this often.  Those Big Class C rigs that do not tow a car behind would not be able to get into the back country.  I know know what you mean.

 

When we visited Acadia Nat'l Park in Maine, we supplied water to vehicles that boIled over and to hikers who didn't carry enough. (cold from our fridge) We have also allowed tenters to spend the night or wait out a storm in our RV so they would be safe and dry. 

 

We like to hike, but are now in our early 60's so we no longer enjoy it as often. I don't think I could hike to a spot and spend the night in a tent anymore, but my sister who is 3 years younger than I am, would be in her element.  We just do day trips and head back to the comfortable bed.

 

Thanks for the reply.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 69,391
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: The cost of campers these days --wow!

[ Edited ]

They have motor homes with slide outs now that are as large as 400 sq ft.  Many people choose to live in them full-time.  They are very luxurious with islands in the kitchen, washer/dryer, dishwasher, granite countertops, plush upholstered reclining furniture, multiple TVs, satellite TV, even electric fireplaces and ceiling fans...anything a house would have.  The space is so efficiently planned that it "lives" much bigger than it is.  There is also a ton of storage space for about anything including out-of-season clothing under the coach.

 

I'd love to be able to take a long hike but unfortunately am no longer able to do so.  I've taken some pretty adventurous 4-wheel trips over narrow, steep mountain shelf roads.

 

Many people are not interested in having a cabin in the woods.  They are adventurous, like to see and experience new places and meet new people.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment
Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,019
Registered: ‎08-08-2010

Re: The cost of campers these days --wow!


@Sooner wrote:

@151949 wrote:

@muttmom wrote:

@brii wrote:

For $400,000 I want land and a real house. 

 

 


You and me both.

 

I've never been camping and do not feel I'm missing a thing.



@muttmom wrote:

@brii wrote:

For $400,000 I want land and a real house. 

 

 


You and me both.

 

I've never been camping and do not feel I'm missing a thing.you are missing meeting a lot of fine and wonderful people , some have become lifelong friends.





I agree.  We have never been interested in camping.  You can meet nice people in lots of places.  But traveling with a trailer or in an RV just holds no appeal for some of us.  I do know people who love it however.  Whatever floats your boat--which is something and were glad to get rid of!  LOL!!!


Can't say I'm thrilled about just 'camping' in any form, but for travel, nothing beats a camper for comfort. Hotel rooms skeeve me out, no matter how nice or expensive the hotel. Germs and other people's yuck. 

 

When traveling with a camper, you have your own space, beds, linens, and can fix your own food and not be limited to the offerings of restaurants. Don't have to make reservations and can come and go as you please. If you don't like a destination, don't have to stay or if you do like it, you can extend your visit without worry about available accommodations.

 

Not cheap, to have a vehicle capable of pulling the camper, and the campers, even used, aren't all that cheap usually, but it's a great way to see the backroads of this great nation.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 25,929
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: The cost of campers these days --wow!


@Anita Bourbon wrote:
Carmie,
No worries, it's an honest question.
An RV restricts you to roads, and in some cases septic and electrical hookups. You can't climb up a mountain and find a little spot next to a stream in an
RV. The experience of nature is completely different. But truth be told I am a great deal younger than the
average RV owner so it's not entirely logical to assume all retirees want to backcountry hike (although I have met many thru hikers who were well over 60 and I hope to be half as awesome as they are
at that age).

 

 

You are absolutely wrong about RVs needing electrical, water and sewage hookups. We have batteries, clean water tanks and dirty water tanks to last about a week if used conservatively. My DH and I have often camped in our fifth wheel in sites with no hookups on beaches etc.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 32,486
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: The cost of campers these days --wow!

We work long hours, live in town, and have no time or room to keep a trailer or camper or whatever if we wanted.  Lifestyle restricts a lot of what people like to do, and then there are people who want to live on an acerage and people who want to live in town.  

 

We like to get away from home, get a hotel room and be able to come and go as we like.  Even if we wanted one, we wouldn't have the time or energy to take care of an RV or a second home.  We seem barely able to keep one house up and running sometimes.  When we retire, we want to be able to walk out of the house and go when we want.  To me, having an RV or trailer is a lot of responsibility, cost and work getting it ready and running. 

 

We have talked about renting a place at the beach for a few weeks, but finally someone says "It has a KITCHEN and dishes" and we laugh and book a hotel.  I want AWAY from the housework when we get a chance to escape!  LOL!!!

 

I think a lot of it depends on where you like to vacation too.  If you want to be in parks and more remote places, that's different from cities and urban areas.  If you like to hike, it's great, if you tend more toward "in town" activities, probably not so much.

 

By the way, once we went up a hiking trail in the Smokies for a short walk and some people behind us were, I assume "City Folk".  There was a waterfall like 8 miles ahead or something.  The woman asked the man what the tenth of a mile markers were and he said "Oh those are mile markers.  We're almost there."  We looked at each other and smiled.  They have been SIX TENTHS of a mile.  Think they made it to the waterfall?  I don't think so!  LOL!!! 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,521
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: The cost of campers these days --wow!

Back about 12 years ago I had a couple move in on the next property next to our home. God love those two the lady loved to camp she didn't care if it was in a tent or what ever she loved camping. Well one day in the driveway they pull in with a 5th wheel and it was really nice and they made plans of all the places they were going and even in the boonies they were going. I asked them how are you going to camp in such a remote area without water and electric? They told me they had batteries to use. So I know your correct about using batteries. They went every where with that 5th wheel and loved every minute of it in fact I think they might have camped at the place you are at. They then one day all of a sudden pulled in with Winnabago got rid of the 5th wheel.  That one lasted a few months the husband said it was too hard for him to drive that rig. Next they pulled in with I would say a 35 ft, trailor. They kept that thing and went all over the places with it and really loved it.  But then health issues took over the man's life and they had to let it go. But I can say no two people loved those three different campers more then those two.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 69,391
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: The cost of campers these days --wow!

[ Edited ]

@caterThat sounds like my parents, Cater.  They both loved, loved camping and had several trailers, then a motor home which I had to drive because they both had macular degeneration and became legally blind.  Finally dad had breathing problems and could no longer go to the higher altitudes so they sold the motor home.  They both cried.  While it lasted, they had the most wonderful retirement imaginable.  They were both Colorado natives and knew all the good places.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment
Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,664
Registered: ‎05-13-2010

Re: The cost of campers these days --wow!

I'm glad some people like camping.  Good for them.  We like to rent a condo and do breakfast and snacks and eat out the rest of the time.  That's a vacation.  No cooking, no cleaning and no su,cking in our stomachs to get by other people.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,521
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: The cost of campers these days --wow!

Kachina don't you just treasure those memories of your Mom and Dad? The people I was posting about were the best neighbors I ever had. From the day they moved in they were like family and i loved how she would bust her self all week to get things done so that when Friday came it was out to go camping for the weekend. Her husband was gone all week but on Friday when he got home it was "where are we going this weekend Toots?" So many memories of those two and the sad part is that they both passed away within three years of each other. But for the years they were part of my life I will forever treasure all the good times we had together and the beautiful memories they left me with. Guess you can tell  I really miss them. Thanks for telling me about your Mom and Dad.