Justifying the cost of a Travel Trailer

rollindowntheroad wrote:
I have been thinking about getting a small travel trailer, less than 20 foot. It is just myself, don't need anything big and I can tow up to 3,500 lbs.

I don't know if buying one would justify the cost. I live in upstate NY so only have about 6 months to use it. Would use it weekends, maybe every other and possibly for a weeks vacation. I am still working so can't use it much more than that during those 6 months.

I have looked online and found a few used ones. Price ranges from $8,000 to $15,000. Found some new ones (2018) that run $15,000 and up, seems they are discounted a lot this time of year. Probably would not buy new though. Right now online dealers in my area don't have a great deal to choose from but I'm not in any hurry to get one if I do.

I would pay cash for it. Then there is insurance and also storage fees when not using it. I realize that there are also campground fees, propane, etc. I live in an apartment community and they don't allow RV's to be parked in the lot. The going rate for storage in my area seems to be about $50 a month.

Would I be foolish to buy one only to get to use it 12 times a year or so?

Camping / RVing is a hobby for me. I love it, but it doesn't make any more financial sense than embroidering tea towels or fiddling with my veggie garden. I enjoy it, and that's enough. It would be cheaper overall to toss a tent into my truck, and buy tea towels and tomatoes at Walmart. But what kind of fun is that?

Your jeep is really going to limit the size of trailer you can safely tow. But that doesn't mean you can't find a teardrop and get out there.