I Might Be Back - Been a Long Long Time! ? For You!

Have a 29ft Carriage Carrilite all aluminum structure and absolutely love it too like you did. We're 71+ and hope to pass this Carrilite on the one of our kids when we croak as it's in perfect condition and they aren't made anymore. The other of our kids has a 30' 5th wheel so it won't be him it will go to. The 29' Carrilite has been outstanding for our Florida 2-3 month stays and plenty big enough also even with our large Siberian Husky Dog.

At the same time we also had a gorgeous optioned to the hilt 3 axle 36' Carriage Chaise model with 2 slides and an 18,000 lb GVWR but it was way too big and heavy to pull south for only a few month stay. So, we'd take the 29' Carrilite, perfect!. Alaska trips or mostly driving trips were with our Lance TC.

We'd kept the 36' on some acreage we own up north less than a hundred miles from our home with full hookups I put in back in 1991. The 36' spent the last several years of it's life there as our get-a-way that only took about 1-1/2 hrs to get to it. That is until a falling tree found it. Exactly when the tree fell or what caused it to fall we don't know but there was some mold already growing on the carpet when we went up there. We were in Montana with our Lance TC for 5 weeks. Our ins co totalled it! I bought back the carcass and sold it to a friend of ours who is a very fine over 30 year RV repair person, he stripped much of the inside totally rebuilt all the damaged framing and roof, added a fire place, new high end furnature, real hardwood floors and put new plush carpet in the bedroom, also his beautiful hand made carvings (his hobby) for the trim and moldings and accents. Took him over 7 months of nights and weekends! It is beyond beautiful and the our old wrecked Carriage lives again! They then bought the land next to ours and that's where it sits and they are there every weekend from April until Thanksgiving. Sometimes during the winter depending on the weather.

We'd looked at replacing the 36' with a new one with the ins settlement (our ins co was outstanding and gave us many thousands over the NADA average listed value including all the options it had) but at our age and having other RV's we own, we didn't buy another big replacement Carriage. Still miss the 36' and have a lost feeling for that wonderful 5th wheel but what can I say?

We RV and use one of our 3 RV's on an average of over 100 night stays a year with 158 being the highest.

As for the Praire Schooner? Not near the quality of the Carrilite you had but if in very good condition and maintained good, it may serve your needs very well. @9' with a decent sized slideout is plenry big enough for 2 people!

I would say if your RV investment is under 10% of your home and property investment, then just do it. If it is under 5% of your overall net worth, even better, go out and have fun when you can, and just enjoy the fact that it's there when you want to have fun with it.

But if it's becomes more than that, it becomes an investment in your time, and you have to dedicate the time to RV'ing to really feel you are getting your money's worth.

I say go for it, I have a farm too and it is hard to get away, we have owned an rv for 5 years now and on average get away 4 trips a season. currently it is still in storage from winter, hoping to get it out this weekend as we booked a weekend away in 2 weeks. We take short trips for 3-4 days as it is hard to get someone to fill in longer. Last summer was the first time we took it out for a week and absolutely loved it. I do own the trailer together with my brother so the trailer gets out about 8 times in a summer which makes the cost a little more easy to take, but if you calculate all the cost associated with it, it would never make sense. you have an rv because you love to rv, not because it is cheap.

Our rate of usage has varied over the years. Illnesses, family issues, etc. We have gotten a little creative with the TT. Using it for a guest room, etc. We've also bounced around from 21ft hybrid, to 31ft class C, back to 24ft TT. I think it depends on the floorplan. I really like a big bathroom. DH likes outside storage. When we got our first hybrid, we lived on a farm, too. We would set up camp at the end of the property-best campsite around!

Gulfstream Prairie Schooner is a very nice rig and should be plenty large enough for 2 that get away occasionally. We try to get out as often as possible but also Have to make a living so usually get out 10 weekends a year and 1 week trip a year!!

Gulfstream Prairie Schooner is a very nice rig and should be plenty large enough for 2 that get away occasionally. We try to get out as often as possible but also Have to make a living so usually get out 10 weekends a year and 1 week trip a year!!

I work every other weekend and I too have thought to myself if it is worth the expense of everything to go as little as I get too. But I do love getting away from this house. I recently moved from country back to town which was a big mistake for me. Camping now is a rare chance to get out of the city. As of now I am not trying to sell but who knows whats down the road.