Well, we put our fiver away into indoor storage 2 weeks ago after an interesting season.We took the fiver out of storage in early April and got sideswiped by a new driver one week later on the way home from our first trip out at Easter. $5k damage and a lot of fun with insurance companies and a less than stellar repair facility as I'm sure as you can imagine. It took 3 trips back to the facility to get the unit repaired properly.We didn't get out as much this year due to my wife taking a 7 month long upgrade program for her career. Great outcome for her and she did excellent in the program, but we spent much more time at home than we normally would have.Mid August I noticed some cracking in the frame of the trailer which I diagnosed to a lack of crossmembers between the axle areas. $1,100 later we had 6"x4" structural tubes welded in (x3) with gussets to the frame and the cracks repaired to correct the issue.We also have a few new people in the neighborhood who park all over the street which makes it a real PITA to get the trailer in and out of it's parking spot on pretty much most trips.We both still work full time and have a 7 year old son. We all love getting out but a weekend trip is a lot of work for the amount of time that we get to spend out.All of this combined with the cost of the maintenance, insurance, fuel, etc. is starting to make me wonder if this venture is still worth it. We have owned an RV since 1996 and truly enjoy getting out on the rig but sometimes it is certainly trying.What are other's experiences? I'm looking for a good conversation here so please keep nasty comments out of it. Thanks!

7 year old son?i'd be trying to make time to get out.my grandson turns 4 next aug.and i'm looking forward to teaching him to camp/fish and hunt.being from the lower mainland you know it's a whole different world in a few short hours of driving.i have 3 sons and they are all avid outdoorsmen due to our commitment to getting out as much as possible when they were young.but nowadays their lives are getting too hectic,that's where i come in.

Did the whole camping/RVng thing as a single person , then as a married couple then as a family UNTIL son reached 11-12 rs of age.Then weekends were taken up with soccer games, swimming meets etc.LIFE got in the way' so we sold the RVThen much later on...single againI got back into camping...first via motorcycle trips/then truck with camper shell Then WE started tenting camping then back into a 5th wheel then hit the road in new 5vr FtNow back in a S&B and campingLife goes in circlesBorn------ LIVE -----DieWhat you do in between is what you do based on needs/priorities/wants The 'other' options you have no control over so enjoy LIFE as needed

Might want to consider something a bit smaller and travel closer to home. That should reduce the effort and cost involved. It should also make it easier to get in and out of the driveway.Also, if you are willing to pick up the slack, the wife could study in the RV while you take the son on hikes. She still get's some recreation in.Of course, if you are simply done with it, no amount of convincing will change your mind but it really is about if you want to make it work.

In your situation and comments, I would say; no it is not worth it for you. If you enjoyed a two week vacation in the summer, and a few week ends here or there, or used it for snow birding I would say yes it is worth it. Like some one above said; Why not get rid of it and get a smaller 25 foot travel trailer and trade that monster truck for a regular eight cylinder gas one.Jack L

blofgren wrote:We both still work full time and have a 7 year old son. We all love getting out but a weekend trip is a lot of work for the amount of time that we get to spend out.What are other's experiences?Pretty much the same except our boys are now adults so it's just the two of us camping these days. Doing this for a couple of decades now, as you have, we've got the entire process down pretty well to a fine art but that said there are times it now seems to be more trouble & expense than it's worth. When our boys were younger and we could do longer road trips whatever it took to make it happen did justify the effort, but these days not so much. :( We still both enjoy it once we're on-site but all the before & after, no matter how finely tuned it's now become, does have us increasingly thinking of alternatives like more road trips without the camper and international travel, and less camping. However, in your case I'd say the difference is your son who still has enough years left before secondary school (and all the time consuming activities that involves) to still make it worth the effort, my only question being why for just 3 people going on short weekend trips, you need such a large rig and a truck to tow it with when a simple 20 footer towed with a nice 1/2 ton would be more than sufficient. :)

Is it worth it? | Good Sam Community

blofgren
Explorer
Oct 31, 2017
Thanks very much to everyone with their posts and thoughts. It has made me think and remember the big picture. It has also made me remember a lot of the highlights of my childhood which included camping, even though my parents no longer camp which is unfortunate.

This way of thinking certainly makes the work seem a lot less like a chore! :)
SoundGuy
Explorer
Oct 30, 2017
colliehauler wrote:
Actually I had my seasonal site 8 years before I retired. Most seasonals where I'm at live in the Twin Cities 4 hours away. I agree the best scenario would be a site within a 3 to 4 hour drive at most.

You are correct in that I won't be heading back soon, probably not until next spring. I'm more interested this time of year heading South.

I retired early and have been for quite a few years now but because my wife still has a few years to go a seasonal site no more than a couple of hours away is about the best we could hope for but anything we've seen around here just doesn't cut it for us. :( However, living in S Ontario we travel & camp quite a bit in the US, especially NY state which even though it means a border crossing is really quite close, closer to us than some of our better provincial parks. I've found a particularly nice looking seasonal park in the mountains between Springville and Ellicottevile, NY, an area we're familiar with, that may be worthy of consideration. One would think the border crossing would make it impractical but with a NEXUS card for each of us to speed the crossing I'd bet we could get there in 2 hrs. If the OP could find something really nice like this within a couple hours of home that might be his solution. :)

Thanks for your post about seasonals, it's got us thinking about it again! :B
RedRocket204
Explorer
Oct 30, 2017
blofgren wrote:
My son definitely loves the hobby. He is truck and trailer crazy and has several toy trucks and fifth wheel RV's to pretend that he's headed out camping!

Agree with Deb and Ed M and also want to point out that specific quote.

Some of my most memorable and enjoyable family experiences from my childhood were from the family camping trips we took every summer. Granted, we did not have a RV as all our camping trips were in a 70s Volkswagen bus with a very large and cumbersome tent. The means of our camping didn't add or detract from the experience when compared to a RV as the important part was spending family time doing something different, away from the day to day grind that can be life.

Even if you did sell off your 5th, do consider continuing on with some sort of camping and spending time in nature with your family. I guarantee that in the future you will be able to tell stories that are memorable to you and your family as it expands, i.e. grandchildren? Life in this world seems to continue to be getting more and more complex. Take the time to decompress and spend quality time with your loved ones... it will pay dividends to a tighter family unit.
colliehauler
Explorer III
Oct 30, 2017
SoundGuy wrote:
colliehauler wrote:
My seasonal site is 900 miles from my house, any further North and I would be in Western Ontario.

Just got back from a 6 week stay.

Like I said earlier what works for me might not necessarily work for other's.

Your style of "seasonal site" would in truth work for very few ... after all, how many other than fully retired have 6 continuous weeks to take off and travel 900 miles just to get to their camper? :R Very few, and certainly not the OP, judging from what he's posted so far about his own particular situation. Reality is, the most logical seasonal site for the majority of us would be one within an hour or two of home, making it practical to use as often as we choose. Unless you too are fully retired I'd bet you won't be heading back to your own seasonal site anytime soon. ;)
Actually I had my seasonal site 8 years before I retired. Most seasonals where I'm at live in the Twin Cities 4 hours away. I agree the best scenario would be a site within a 3 to 4 hour drive at most. You are correct in that I won't be heading back soon, probably not until next spring. I'm more interested this time of year heading South.

One woman has a seasonal site where I'm at and a house in Florida for the winter, best of both worlds climate wise.

The other problem with seasonal sites is the nicer ones tend to have a waiting list to get in to a open spot.
Deb_and_Ed_M
Explorer II
Oct 30, 2017
blofgren wrote:

My son definitely loves the hobby. He is truck and trailer crazy and has several toy trucks and fifth wheel RV's to pretend that he's headed out camping!

We have thought about a seasonal site because of the convenience factor; the only issue with that is that they cost an arm and a leg in this neck of the woods.

I guess deep down I know it is a lifestyle we love and will most likely continue with it. We certainly do have a lot of good memories camping over the years and that has increased with our son. We are on our fourth rig now and really like this one so we will likely keep it, although the thought of downsizing is somewhat appealing at times.

I'm seeing a family that truly loves camping - even if it's a short hop to a local-ish campground. If you can afford to keep the truck and 5er and let them sit unused for extended periods of time, go for it. I get it - our Class C would sit for months at a time. But when we finally could get away - magic happened. Some of my fondest memories, my "Happy Places" came from camping.

As others have said - as your son becomes a teen, camping will be more difficult (or if he goes - it will be one of the few times you can actually sit around and TALK! LOL!) - but later, because you raised him to be a camper, you will find yourself in the delightful position of being able to camp with your son and grandchildren :-)

It doesn't get any better than that!

PS: I have zero statistics to back up my assumption; but I suspect that kids who grow up camping, are less likely to get into trouble?
rickeoni
Explorer
Oct 30, 2017
We had five kids and went camping as often as possible. As they got into their teenage years, other stuff got in the way, but we still managed a few family camping trips every year and always got away on our annual May family vacation.

They are all grown up now and starting their own families. The DW and myself get out 50 to 60 nights a year. When we go to our local campground, inevitably one or all of them show up for a visit. When we reminisce about stuff they did as children they always talk about the camping trips we took, it is amazing the clarity in which they reamer details. Hockey, soccer, gymnastics etc all take a back seat to kids when it comes to doing stuff with their parents, and when the parents enjoy it as well, memories are made.
SoundGuy
Explorer
Oct 30, 2017
colliehauler wrote:
My seasonal site is 900 miles from my house, any further North and I would be in Western Ontario.

Just got back from a 6 week stay.

Like I said earlier what works for me might not necessarily work for other's.

Your style of "seasonal site" would in truth work for very few ... after all, how many other than fully retired have 6 continuous weeks to take off and travel 900 miles just to get to their camper? :R Very few, and certainly not the OP, judging from what he's posted so far about his own particular situation. Reality is, the most logical seasonal site for the majority of us would be one within an hour or two of home, making it practical to use as often as we choose. Unless you too are fully retired I'd bet you won't be heading back to your own seasonal site anytime soon. ;)
valhalla360
Navigator
Oct 30, 2017
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sele
Explorer
Oct 30, 2017
Life is short live it to the best you can with what you want. I remember when my son was seven, he is 37 know and I can't get back those years. So every day with him was a gift, its up to you and your wife how you live it. What are your priorities, Money sure but at what cost to quality of life. I guess my point is time management is as important as it gets in this game called life. For me God family then money. RVING is the best way I have found to be with family. Good Luck
colliehauler
Explorer III
Oct 30, 2017
SoundGuy wrote:
colliehauler wrote:
I would try a seasonal site, takes all the stress of towing, setting up out of the equation.

It's about what works for you, everybody is different with different needs. All we can do is offer suggestions that work for us.

We've considered this ourselves but any seasonal parks we've investigated that are within reasonable driving distance have been - well, let's just say "less than desirable", partly because of how crowded private parks generally are and in some cases because of the clientele. ;) Yeah I know, a generalization, BUT there's also always been a definite "clique" feel, where everyone seems to know everyone else and everyone else's business, unlike provincial or state parks where we know no one and prefer it that way. We do know of one park in the Adirondacks we really like but 600 km one way just to get there just isn't practical so for now we still transient camp just as we always have as that apparently mythical seasonal park where we'd be comfortable still manages to elude us. :(
My seasonal site is 900 miles from my house, any further North and I would be in Western Ontario. I have had a seasonal spot for 12 years. I have gotten to know a lot of the other seasonals and they have become like family. What you are forgetting is that not everyone goes to their seasonal site at the same time. Just got back from a 6 week stay. Where I'm located there are only two neighbors close to me. I seen one neighbor only once when they arrived the day before I left. The other neighbors were there only for two weeks. I had more privacy then a transient Campground.

I do keep another 5th wheel in storage at home to take trips with when I don't go to the seasonal site.

Like I said earlier what works for me might not necessarily work for other's.