How did you get started into RVing. I was in boy scouts liked camping. My dad was into bass fishing. We would go camping and fishing in a tent at Lake Sam Rayburn. My mom would go sometimes. Later my dad had a slide in camper that had a cabover bed on a 3/4 ton pickup . As I grew up a friend of mine had a van that we all ran around in. Made since to me. Also the custom van craze in the mid 70's came along. A lot easier to camp in a van than a tent. Throw you stuff in and go. We did the van thing forever. Wife Finally said she wanted a shower and AC at night. So in 2006 we bought an RV. About 6 month after I bought a brand new van!(IF Momma Ain't Happy). So we have gone on some nice road trips a couple of weeks at a time. Want to go for a month at onetime to see if we would like extended excursions .I don't think I would give up the sticks and bricks . We did live full time for 9 months after Hurricane Ike hit us in 2009. And after that we still like going in the RV. Whats your story.

I started out buying a used RV and just went for it. I made a lot of small mistakes, but learned a lot along the way.

I like you was in the scouts and camped out many times,went to jamborees, tent camped while hunting in eastern Oregon, just got too darn old to sleep on the ground so bought my first RV from friends in the dealership and the rest is history

Started out in a tent,lots of pop ups.But the best is my Class A with a slide.Now my idea of roughing it is WiFi don't work.

Family tent camping/fishing trips as a kid in the '60s at Crystal Beach, West Beach, Surfside and Matagorda Bay. We would also go to River Road on the Guadalupe before it got so commercialized. I continued the cycle with our kids but DW, coming from a non-camping family, wasn't as gung-ho. We bought a PUP and evolved from there.As a scout we camped at Camp Strake up by Conroe but I didn't enjoy that as much. Too many rules and discipline.

As a very young boy, my Dad came home with a tent that someone had returned to the Sears store where he worked at the time. He purchased the tent and started buying all of the accessories that we would need and discovered that he needed to buy a trailer to haul them all in. He found a really old band trailer that was painted purple and the name of the band was painted on the side "Purple Haze"From there it got to be a real chore to camp and we moved up to an Apache hard side pop up, then on to a Terry travel trailer, to Airstream to Class C and then a couple of Class A Diesel pushers.My Dad drove the Class A like a car, we went to the Mall, family outings, just going out to eat, camping etc. They were the best of times.I guess I followed right in my Dad's foot steps because I started off with a tent, Star pop up, Cougar trailer, Cardinal 5th Wheel and taking delivery of a 2009 Coachmen Class A Diesel pusher today.

How Did You Get Started RVing | Good Sam Community

48 Replies

smlranger
Explorer
Mar 12, 2016
Similar story. Started out camping in my local Boy Scout troop. Loved it. Got married in 1970 and DW and I camped in tents for several years. We eventually got a Palomino pop up camper and used it for 2 years. Traded it for 21' TT, then later got 26' TT. Used it for ten years then sold it when we bought a home on a lake. In 2003 we decided to get a used motorhome to see if we still liked the RV thing. We did and are now on our third motorhome.

We have taken several extended cross country trips, the longest was 4 months.
Anmacc2
Explorer
Mar 12, 2016
As a little kid I saw the movie, "the long long trailer" with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. I became infatuated with the whole idea! Saved my money and bought a tent. My BF and I Used to camp out in the yard. Got my drivers license at 16 and the very first weekend we went camping. DW and I got married at 17, graduated high scool at 18, loaded up the old Chevy and took off with the tent in the trunk. Bought a used old trailer at 20. DW and I restored the outside and my parents reaphulstered and made curtains for the inside. Kept his that camper nearly 20 years. Kept the next one nearly 20 years. Have had this one about a year.... We've traveled a lot of. America and a good deal of Canada. We love the whole lifestyle and experience!
rgatijnet1
Explorer III
Mar 12, 2016
Started with tents in scouts. After the military we still tent camped as a family. We got our first actual camper, a converted step van, back in 1970 and traveled all over the South in it. Through the years we have had TT, Class C, and Class A RV's. Changing whenever our needs or wants changed. Sometimes larger, sometimes smaller. Sometimes gas, sometimes diesel. Right now we are in a Class A but next year we may decide a Class B will suit our needs for awhile.
lakebum
Explorer
Mar 12, 2016
As a very young boy, my Dad came home with a tent that someone had returned to the Sears store where he worked at the time. He purchased the tent and started buying all of the accessories that we would need and discovered that he needed to buy a trailer to haul them all in. He found a really old band trailer that was painted purple and the name of the band was painted on the side "Purple Haze"

From there it got to be a real chore to camp and we moved up to an Apache hard side pop up, then on to a Terry travel trailer, to Airstream to Class C and then a couple of Class A Diesel pushers.

My Dad drove the Class A like a car, we went to the Mall, family outings, just going out to eat, camping etc. They were the best of times.

I guess I followed right in my Dad's foot steps because I started off with a tent, Star pop up, Cougar trailer, Cardinal 5th Wheel and taking delivery of a 2009 Coachmen Class A Diesel pusher today.
2112
Explorer II
Mar 12, 2016
Family tent camping/fishing trips as a kid in the '60s at Crystal Beach, West Beach, Surfside and Matagorda Bay. We would also go to River Road on the Guadalupe before it got so commercialized.

I continued the cycle with our kids but DW, coming from a non-camping family, wasn't as gung-ho. We bought a PUP and evolved from there.

As a scout we camped at Camp Strake up by Conroe but I didn't enjoy that as much. Too many rules and discipline.
hilldude
Explorer
Mar 12, 2016
Started out in a tent,lots of pop ups.But the best is my Class A with a slide.Now my idea of roughing it is WiFi don't work.
old_guy
Explorer
Mar 12, 2016
I like you was in the scouts and camped out many times,went to jamborees, tent camped while hunting in eastern Oregon, just got too darn old to sleep on the ground so bought my first RV from friends in the dealership and the rest is history
J-Rooster
Explorer
Mar 12, 2016
I started out buying a used RV and just went for it. I made a lot of small mistakes, but learned a lot along the way.

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How Did You Get Started RVing

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