Congrats to everyone that's been here 10+ years.
10 years and two months and 2 weeks for me...didn't know it was that long until i just checked.
Here's my evolution since joining:
I joined when I had a Desert Fox toy hauler. Back then, there wasn't a toy hauler section here on RV.net, so I didn't spend much time here. I followed the toy hauler forum at another RV forum.
I loved the DF I had, but in 2006 I bought a Jeep and later on wanted to take it with me when I went camping. I started look at campers in mid 2008. Tent camping out of the Jeep was OK, but I wanted the comforts I had already become accustomed to with RV camping.
About this point in time, I started to realize that the DF was bigger than I needed. I used to have other motorcycle friends camp with me before they bought their RV, or before they moved away, so the extra room was good to have.... but I was camping alone in it, I was starting to get tired of climbing the ladder to get in and out of bed.
And when camping, I spend most of my time outside, so there was no longer a need to have so much space.
I used to haul my toys and camping gear around in a small cargo trailer, (6x10 Wells Cargo) and decided with a camper, I could make use of that trailer again, because mostly it was just sitting around rarely getting used.
Two of my camping buddies had truck campers already, so I was familiar with them. I grew up around TCs as well.
2009 comes along, and the stars aligned correctly and I sold my Desert Fox, then two weeks later I sold the truck (2002 2500HD, 6.0L with about 66,000 miles on it - low miles for a 8 year old truck - it was bought new in fall of 2001, I was the 2nd owner). August 30th 2009 I bought a new truck (09 3500HD dually, D/A, 4x4 CC).
I hadn't envisioned getting a camper until early to mid 2010. I'd already decided on a long bed Arctic Fox 811. AF doesn't make many long bed 811s, but the sales staff at the local dealer knew that's what I wanted. Low and behold, he calls me in November 09 and said they just received one from the factory, so I checked the alignment of the stars, everything lined up, so I bought it.
Delivery day:
The tailgate hasn't been back on the truck since then. I gutted the tailgate handle bezel of the back up camera and still use the camera, and it's too much hassle to reassemble the camera in to the bezel to use the tail gate, so I've opted to just leave the tail gate off during the winter (when the camper is in storage), when I don't drive the truck much anyway.
Late 2009 and in to early 2010 I tried like heck to sell the 6x10 trailer, because I decided a bigger one would be better - something with tandem axles (longer road trips, more weight capability, more space, 4 tires better than 2.)
I re-listed the trailer off and on for about 5 months on Craigslist, and it finally sold. I sold it for he same price I paid for it in 1993! (hard to believe I'd had it 17 years).
I bought a 2010 6x12 tandem axle Wells Cargo.
Delivery day:
Later on I bought a flat bed trailer to haul the Jeep on behind the truck and TC. That trailer had serious problems with an axle, so after it ate two tires and kept overheating bearings, I traded it in on a bigger, beefier flatbed.... and I actually never used the 2nd flatbed.
I also bought a 8.5x20 Haulmark trailer, to become my "big" toy box.
Delivery day... I found it in a land far, far away and made a road trip to buy it:
I took one trip with it, loaded to the hilt with the Jeep and other stuff, and didn't want to tow that much weight again. With the TC and the trailer, I was pushing the limits of what I felt comfortable towing with the truck (and the camper on it). Trailer weighed in just under 10k. The truck handled it fine, but it wasn't something I wanted to do again.
I lost interest in running trails in the Jeep.
I sold the 2nd flatbed sometime in early 2012 after having it for about a year and never using it.
Then I sold the Jeep in 2012.
I still have the two enclosed trailers.
Both still get used as my toy boxes when camping. What my trip entails and how many toys I take will dictate which trailer I use.
