Camper

[Janet]

That is a nice one Gayle. I do have to say that I wanted a motorhome first for very selfish reasons. I feel much braver driving a bus (or something big) than my van. I just thought if I felt like taking off for a weekend to go visit Diana, Judy, or whoever else would have me I could do that if I didn't have to go through a big city. I would feel safer driving a motorhome than pulling a camper, but I'll take what I can get at a decent price...lol.

The camper we are wanting to look at is described like this in the ad: 1997 Mallard Class A 30 Foot. Exc. cond. non-smoker, AC and furnace, stored inside, front kitchen, full bath, queen bed in back, sleeps 6 $7500 OBO There is a picture of it too and it looks like a new one, but really the picture is small, so who knows what it is hiding.

Where do you like to go Gayle? I started camping with my family when my younger brother and I were both able to sleep on an army cot in a 9x9 tent. Mom would sleep on another cot and dad would sleep on an mat in a sleeping bag crossways under the two cots. We then bought a 9x16 tent and thought we were in a hotel....LOL. It was big (for us) and so nice. After that the parents bought a very small 10 foot camper and now Mom has a 19 foot Wilderness. It's nice and she bought it new, but the way it is arranged is way to small for us and the dogs.

[Dobie]

I hope it's what they advertised! We love camping - although we haven't done as much since we gotten the NH house.

[gja1000]

Hi Janet,
We take both long trips and also short weekend trips in our camper. This summer we went to New Mexico for 3 weeks and our 12 year old granddaughter joined us for one of those weeks. Yes, our little 18 footer is very cozy for my hubby and I and our two Yorkies (and was VERY cozy with our granddaughter). But in terms of my being able to handle it on the road, negotiate into parking lots and park it, set it up, break it down, it is perfect for us. Yes, we wish it were a little bigger, but for what we "need" it is perfect.

This summer we started out at a family reunion in Oklahoma, then drove to western New Mexico, near Gallup. We camped at El Morro for a few days and then went to Albuquerque, Red River, Santa Fe, Ruidoso, Carlsbad, and then into to Texas to Big Bend, and then on home to central Texas. The little camper was a dream to drive.

Sometimes when we just need to get out of the city, we'll go to a state park only 30 miles from our house. We love (and so do the dogs) to be out in the country. Since I teach school, we can't do any more than a weekend here and there during the year. But we usually go somewhere close to home for the week between Christmas and New Years. This is actually the best time to camp in central Texas - the winters are so mild, it is wonderful. We don't do much camping in the summer in Texas, it is just too hot.

Janet, like you, we started out tent camping, for many many years. Then we bought a pop-up pull behind trailer. Then we got the fifth wheel, and now we are back to the baby 18 footer. I just love being in RV parks, next to a river, or in a forest - there's just nothing better!!

We never considered a motor home due to the maintenance of the engine. My husband can work on cars but doesn't like to and now is really unable to do that sort of work. Yes, the insurance on a motor home is much more than on a travel trailer. I think we pay about $250 per year for insurance.

Your post mentions a 30 foot travel trailer. That will be pretty heavy - do you have a tow vehicle that has enough towing capacity to pull it? It is very important that your tow vehicle can handle the load. Here is a site that I visit frequently with my travel trailer questions. It has lots of great information on how heavy a trailer you can tow with your tow vehicle. http://www.rv.net/forum/ You have to remember that it is not just the weight of the trailer, but that combined with all the stuff you will put in it, e.g., pot, pans, clothes, fresh water in the tank, you and your husband/son in the tow vehicle. It really adds up when you start getting ready go to.

Good luck with your search - I just don't think there is anything better than RVing!!!

[Tiramisu]

A couple years ago, I bought a 28' camper ($4800) from a niece's friend. Hubby went and pulled it home and we found a big tear in the roof, so he next evening he took it back. I've whined about getting a camper, but he won't budge. I just can't bring myself to do a tent - too afraid of snakes and insects. A camper would come in handy for hurricane evacuations, hunting, camping, family trips, family reunions, etc.

I hope you get a camper and enjoy every mile of it.

[Janet]

Thanks Sandy. Now we are worried about even going to look at the camper. The site Gayle suggested was very informative and now we don't know if hubby's truck will be able to pull it. We'll just have to wait and see.

[DianaB]

The camper in the ad certainly sounds like it's been well taken care of and the price seems like a really good price. You should go and take a look at it and talk to the owners about pulling it and what you would need.

Motor homes are wonderful but one thing about a motor home is that they get terrible gas mileage, like, just a few miles to a gallon. A couple of my aunts have motor homes but are finding that it's cheaper to just leave them at home and rent a motel room. Of course if you're not going too far that won't make a lot of difference.

We're needing a new camper too. We have a pop-up that we just love but it's really starting to show a lot of wear. They make a pop-up now that has a slide out so they're a little bigger inside. One thing about them is that they're easy to pull around and you don't need to have something heavy duty to do it either.

Janet, you don't need something to sleep in when you get here because I have a really nice guest room just waiting for you!!!!

[Janet]

I know, but it sure would be nice to be able to stop and see some sites on the way there and back...LOL. We are just waiting for them to call us back so we can go look at it and see what it takes to pull it. There is another one down around Indianapolis, but I feel bad to call them on a holiday. It's not quite as big, but it showed interior pictures http://www.mountcomfortrv.com/rvcoac...2&mid=21&cid=5 and it doesn't look bad at all for 1988. Problem is, with the older ones, they are heavier. So first things first, hopefully the ones close by will call soon. If not tomorrow morning then I'll probably call them again mid afternoon.