So we pulled our 2016 trailer this month to a relatives' property in the northwest and spent 2 weeks there using the rig as a base and agreed that if we go in any direction that takes more than a day to get back we will stay in a motel and then return. We flew back home and will fly back mid August for 1 more weeks' stay and winterize rig, leave it there and drive back (900 plus miles) in tow vehicle. Between the gas cost, bumpy interstates, and things rattling loose in the night on the rig,campground fees/crowding (we don't boondock) it made sense for us. Of course, we are losing the adventure of being anywhere at anytime and we have done that and enjoyed it. I think if/when I get a better built rig (i.e. Outdoors RV or a Nash) I will rethink this . For the cost of a good rig 28K we could spend a lot of time in motels and just driving places. We won't give up the Rving lifestyle just reconfigure it. Until then we will enjoy!

Sounds like a plan to me. If it works for you, do it. Different circumstances should yield different approaches.

IF it works for you ....go for itI have an RV so I DON'T have to stay in ANY motel/hotel....:EI'm not a germaphobe by any stretch but motel/hotel bedcovers, carpet are nastyand who knows what has been done on those mattresses by who knows whoNope.......I'll drag an RV from here to timbuktu vs staying in ANY motel/hotel

Been doing the RV thing for many year and for the same reasons the OP described we are seriously thinking the exact same thing. Going on a 6 week trip in mid-September and after that will decide to either get out of RVing altogether or downsize TV and TT and just go local. Like the OP, we don't boondock so another big reason for us is that so many RV parks all over the country are now occupied mostly by permanent folks for whatever reason. As others have said, "if it works for you...go for it" and that's what we're going to do.

Old-Biscuit wrote:IF it works for you ....go for itI have an RV so I DON'T have to stay in ANY motel/hotel....:EI'm not a germaphobe by any stretch but motel/hotel bedcovers, carpet are nastyand who knows what has been done on those mattresses by who knows whoNope.......I'll drag an RV from here to timbuktu vs staying in ANY motel/hotelWell said Old Biscuit!OP, Outdoors RV is a well built rig, so far..

end of the beginning or begining of the end? | Good Sam Community

Walaby
Explorer II
Jul 30, 2017
Per your post subject, sounds to me like the beginning of the end for you. Which is obviously fine.. to each his/her own. Everyone reaches (or will reach) a point in time where it's just either not worth it, not fun any more, or just too much of a hassle. Sounds like you've kinda reached that point.

Me, I would probably sell it while it's still worth something. In a few years, sitting still, with hit or miss maintenance, it's not going to be worth much.

Mike
JIMNLIN
Explorer III
Jul 30, 2017
nephi007 wrote:
So we pulled our 2016 trailer this month to a relatives' property in the northwest and spent 2 weeks there using the rig as a base and agreed that if we go in any direction that takes more than a day to get back we will stay in a motel and then return. We flew back home and will fly back mid August for 1 more weeks' stay and winterize rig, leave it there and drive back (900 plus miles) in tow vehicle. Between the gas cost, bumpy interstates, and things rattling loose in the night on the rig,campground fees/crowding (we don't boondock) it made sense for us. Of course, we are losing the adventure of being anywhere at anytime and we have done that and enjoyed it. I think if/when I get a better built rig (i.e. Outdoors RV or a Nash) I will rethink this . For the cost of a good rig 28K we could spend a lot of time in motels and just driving places. We won't give up the Rving lifestyle just reconfigure it. Until then we will enjoy!

We've started and stopped several time with having a RV around. We have always did the rv thing if we felt like it or stayed in a motel.
With family in Florida/Utah/Washington, and were in Oklahoma, sometimes there isn't enough time or it doesn't make sense/cents to drag a rv trailer along.
In May had to make a trip to Provo/UT to pick up a grand daughter college. Its a two day trip up and 2 day trip back and stayed in motels. Now I have to do it again in late August and probaby christmas. Being a paw paw has its advantages.
If I was a germ-a-phobic I wouldn't be caught in a motel room or in a public rv dump station. IMO... that is silly.
Atlee
Explorer II
Jul 30, 2017
As others have said, you have to do what works for you. I must use mine as a mobile room on wheels. Hopefully, way too much football left for me to put mine out to pasture just yet.

I certainly hope it's up to the task for several more years, including a long trip to the upper plains and Yellowstone next year.
nephi007
Explorer
Jul 30, 2017
Yup water intrusion is killer and it rains a lot in the northwest so I will fine tooth inspect the roof and all seems. Where needed I will apply eternabond. I bought an ADCO 52244 Designer Series SPS Aqua Shed cover last year and had it on the trailer from fall to spring. It did snow some and no harm done to roof or seams. I'm gonna have to ship it from home to up there via UPS $71.00. When we de-winterize next year we will have a carport installed $795.00 and the ADCO will go to a plan b status.
rexlion
Explorer
Jul 30, 2017
If you really want it to last, you should build a shelter over it. Water intrusion kills more RVs than anything else, I think.
Bird_Freak
Explorer II
Jul 29, 2017
As my Father always said ( What ever floats your boat ). Personally there are wheels under my 5er to go different places and I will NOT do motels anymore.
Searching_Ut
Explorer
Jul 29, 2017
If you put a lot of miles on them, timber ridge trailers need a lot of work as well. I traded in a Timber Ridge 240RKS on the 5er I now have. I averaged a little over 7,000 miles a year towing it, and over 3.5 years I had to re-build most of the cabinets, tighten and loctite numerous screws and fasteners, to include drilling out and replacing ones where the heads broke off. Just the nature of all the shaking and flexing that takes place driving down the road. Our planned August trip is pretty short only around 1,000 miles, but September/October involves working up the west coast to the Canada border and will be approximately 3k. Hopefully, it will be relatively maintenance free. Having our own kitchen, refrigerator, bed etc make it worthwhile to us, but we also travel via motel and car quite often as well. Can't say the RV is the cheapest option, just that we tend to like having the home with us so to speak.
nephi007
Explorer
Jul 29, 2017
Appreciate the comments. Yup there are are many permanents in these parks because it's a cheap way to go. Typically, space rent with utilities is under $600.00 and many people are on social security as their source of income so they have to stretch it as far as they can.
Campground owners like that cause they have a captive tenant so to speak and do not have to depend on summer warriors like us. There are far fewer campground being built than hotels/motels so the squeeze is on for us who need parks with hookups. We are in our mid sixties and retired but we still have younguns at home so anytime we can get away we do it.We love our trailer but for its quality we can't pull it all over the place and not have it start falling apart. That''s why we are sitting put for now on that land.
Area13
Explorer
Jul 29, 2017
Old-Biscuit wrote:
IF it works for you ....go for it

I have an RV so I DON'T have to stay in ANY motel/hotel....:E

I'm not a germaphobe by any stretch but motel/hotel bedcovers, carpet are nasty
and who knows what has been done on those mattresses by who knows who

Nope.......I'll drag an RV from here to timbuktu vs staying in ANY motel/hotel

Well said Old Biscuit!

OP, Outdoors RV is a well built rig, so far..
bstar1952
Explorer
Jul 29, 2017
Been doing the RV thing for many year and for the same reasons the OP described we are seriously thinking the exact same thing. Going on a 6 week trip in mid-September and after that will decide to either get out of RVing altogether or downsize TV and TT and just go local. Like the OP, we don't boondock so another big reason for us is that so many RV parks all over the country are now occupied mostly by permanent folks for whatever reason. As others have said, "if it works for you...go for it" and that's what we're going to do.