Rental as long term strategy?

Mocoondo wrote:
What it all boils down to is usage.

With a rental, the more you drive it, the more it costs, period.

With an owned unit, the more you drive it, the cheaper it costs to own on a per mile basis.

Eventually, those two curves meet up, and we have found that to be right around the 9,500 mile/year mark.

Now throw in a few unscheduled repairs...a burned out fridge, a bad winterization, leaky upper bunk, etc., and ownership becomes a whole different ballgame.

That said, some people own simply because they don't want to find somebody else's toenail clippings in the carpet, and for them, owning is the only choice, regardless of cost.

To the OP thanks for a very interesting thread. As mentioned above the key to getting value out of an RV is to use it. If you only plan to use the C 3-4 times a year it's a no brainier not to buy one.
The only way to get value out of any RV regardless of type or cost is to use it. Letting an TV sit idle will always be a waste of money.
Now if you sold the pop up and used the C only, the C may have more value. Camping in a C and camping in a pop up are 2 different worlds.
While there maybe financial advantages to the pop up, the experiences are not the same.
I camp at least once a month from March through November, most months it's twice a month. During the summer it maybe every weekend with a few longer trips.
I am committed to getting value out of my RV by using it.
Mileage doesn't tell the whole story. I may travel 7000 miles year over 20-25 trip a year. I can't imagine the inconvenience of getting a rental each time vs. having my RV in the yard ready to go.
Nevertheless it sounds like the OP cannot or is not committed enough to camping to own a class C. There is really not a lot of analysis required, for just 2-3 trips a year renting is the way to go.