Both my wife and I camped as youngsters and it was one of the things we liked to do when we met / got engaged. We knew it would be something we would do with kids when we had them. We started with a very basic pop up I had before we met, and quickly decided we wanted a TT. That said, we looked for a floor plan that would work then and later with kids, but would still be small enough to tow with a SUV, and more important, would still fit in many of our favorite campgrounds.
We ended up with a 18ft (22ft hitch to bumper) no slide no light weight aluminum sided trailer that can and has slept up to 7 made by Fleetwood, very common floor plan. It was also a price leader model. With a low interest rate we ended up with $135 a month, insurance added about another $25 a month. So it doesn't cost much. It is stored on the driveway next to our house. We are not camping very much right now with the kids involved in activities (like 3-4 trips a year), but the TT serves multiple purposes. Our house is small, so when a relative comes to visit they get the TT. We use it to temporarily store stuff like Christmas presents. It is our emergency food and water store. So, even though we aren't camping a lot at the moment, I do not look at the payment as wasted money. I never really considered a number of trips to justify the payment. The TT is there for us whenever we realize we have a free weekend and want to go, just throw in some perishables and clothes. That alone is worth the price to me.
Besides, I know who slept in my bed and used my bathroom (also great for inevitable roadside pit stops), and I love fixing meals for the family. The kids love to lay on the folded down bed in their PJs and veg with games or a movie.
We only have about a year left to pay and then it will be ours. It is still in good shape (graphics faded some) and I see lasting us many years to come.
