Declining interest in RVing?

[Jayco-noslide]

Wonder if anyone else experiences this from time to time. I am 73, still healthy and active and we have RV'd 1 way or the other for 44 years; now in a 30 ft. Class C. Like the RV just fine but I find myself a little bit questionning how interested I am now in continuing. Certainly the "excitement" about upcoming trips is gone and has been replaced by moderate interest or a concern about what we would do in place of it. We will leave mid-Jan to snowbird for 2 months. Part of the issue is how much more money we would have to go without RV maintenance and going to 1 vehicle. Also, a simpler life. Quitting would be a pretty big decision because I don't see us ever spending the money to get back in at our age. But, so far, most trips turn out pretty good so I guess we will just go on trip by trip, season by season. Just venting a little.

[southbound]

Great to get these answers right now as we to are going through a phase, should we sell, or wait. Reading all your answers and all the pro and cons, we've decided to wait on selling.

[Campfire_Time]

I can relate to this. We're no where near that stage in life. But after a somewhat hectic road trip this past summer we're no longer going to tow on long hauls anymore. Just as much for us and a lot less stress and planning time staying within 5 or 6 hours of home. Any "big" trips from here on out we'll be flying and/or renting a car. We did that a few years ago for a trip to Kentucky. We stayed in a state park cabin and had a great time and no hassles.

[2lazy4U]

I sold my trailer about a year ago, intending to buy another before long. (It was an Escape and I had an offer I couldn't refuse.) Well, since then, I've been to Alaska, car camping, and I love the ease of it all so much more that I don't think I'll get another. I rented a house while up there as a base and it made everything just so much easier - nothing to pull or worry about turning around, etc. I have dogs, so always thought I'd trailer camp, but this is not only cheaper, but lots more fun and mobile and I now have no investment. I can make 10 trips up there and rent for what the trailer cost. I may buy another cheap one for camp hosting, but I won't pull it long distances. Too much of a hassle. I might add that I'm 64 and yet tent camping on the way up there was a lot of fun, though I sometimes slept in my SUV.

[Earl_E]

I'm 76. Used to full-time and when we stopped doing that we still go out several times a year. We belong to a local RV Group and have a lot of fun with them. Most trips are for 4 days to a week with a two month trip in the summer. But I have several close friends my age that have given up on RVing completely. No right or wrong here...our interests change as we change.

[SoundGuy]

The best I can offer is know you're not alone ... time marches on and circumstances change for all of us. I did a lot of long distance motorcycle touring over the course of 30 yrs but eventually it came time to hang up the skates, it's now been 15 yrs since I've swung a leg over and I don't regret it at all ... great for what it was at the time, with friends I enjoyed riding with, but that was then and this is now. Same for RVing ... absolutely great when we traveled & camped as a family but my wife and I are now on our own and it's just not the same. Probably our most enjoyable times now are when we camp with friends, otherwise the interest just isn't the same as it used to be. I personally still enjoy the RV experience because attending to the trailer we own has also been a hobby ... not so for my wife who would just as soon spend her weekends in the garden. We've considered selling but as has already been mentioned, once it's gone it's gone with the likelihood of another camper being slim to none, so for now I'd like to think we'll continue for another few years. Time will tell.

[JAXFL]

The excitement goes away as it does with most things in life. Once you have done them 100's of times. I think sometimes that it would be fun just to go cruising and not camping...but then after a few dozen cruises and seeing the "New" same old places again that also got old, playing golf everyday for 3 years was great at first then one morning you get up and realize you are in a rut with that...and the excitement is gone.

I suggest you just find something new to do for awhile and then come back to camping and it might be NEW again.

[DutchmenSport]

I'm assuming your camper is paid for. So, it should not be eating too much hay, other than tags and insurance. So, before jumping the ship and selling it, why not just park it for a while. It' won't hurt anything. See if the "itch" to go somewhere comes back.

I for one am not that thrilled at traveling so much any more. I've seen enough, done enough, and experienced enough, that I am quite happy with everything if I were to hit the proverbial bus right now! We still go, look forward to new experiences, but like you, the excitement is just not as much any more.

However, even if we lost interest in traveling completely, I still could not part with my camper! It can sit in the back yard and turn to dust before I'd sell it. It's still a great little get-away, even at home, and also serves as a portable office from time to time, and extra bedroom when all the kids come home and they invade the house. We escape to the camper! It's my play house I never had as a kid! Wouldn't dream of parting with it. But traveling is not so adventurous any more.

Park it for a while. See if your interest renews! You might be surprised in a couple months what may happen!

[bob_nestor]

Before I retired I found there was as much excitement and enjoyment in planning my upcoming RV trips as there was in making them. Now that I'm retired the planning isn't as exciting, after all, I can leave on any old day I choose. But once I'm on the road or at my destination I find all the excitement is still there.

So I find it a bit difficult to get motivated to plan a trip and get started. But I keep reminding myself how much fun I have making the trips and doing things at my chosen destination and that gets me motivated enough to hit the road.

[Homer1]

I have gone through the same dilemma that you are now. The decider was when my DW died quite suddenly. I went on with the RV lifestyle for a while, them I lost all interest in it. It seemed so foolish to maintain a motor home, buy gas, and all the other maintenance items to just set by yourself by the campfire. Sure there are lots of nice people out there to meet. In the end you are going to end up questioning your decision to carry on. The worst part are the days when I really would like to go camping, but the equipment is all sold. Then I hop in the car and take a day trip and I am fine again, do not regret my decision.

[lj2654]

We have been rving for several years. I really haven't lost interest, but I have lost respect for service centers that work on RV's. I have had way too many negative issues along the way to really trust any of them I have been too. They don't listen to your input and try to cover up things that they have not repaired correctly, and charge you for unneeded work if you aren't careful.

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

Sometimes a change is as good as a rest, and we can all experience at some point or another having too much of any one good thing! The newness and anticipation has long worn off, and for sure you would have seen untold changes over that number of years from when you first started out. I know in the 15 years we've been RVing, we have for sure and our biggest pet peeves are the "over governing, more licensing etc" of things we enjoyed doing. We were blown away by the change of impression this year in visiting many towns on a Washington/Oregon/Northern California trip, compared to how much we loved it some 12 years prior!

Rather than risk the loss of selling it all up, can you not just park all up for a while and try different forms of travel/areas/places - countries even. Just to change it up for a bit or even mix it up for a bit.

Pros and Cons lists always help me when considering making a major change decision in our lives = Just a thought, and for sure can relate at times.

[Fizz]

All you need is to stay home and get caught in a horrible Winter like we did twice before. It really sparks your interest for the next time.

[3oaks]

Pros and cons to both to both worlds. So who knows. What ever floats your boat.

That covers it.

Comes a time in life we all make lifestyle changes. Some by choice, some by necessity.

[BB_TX]

About to turn 70. Have tent camped off and on since the 60's, but only have rv'ed for just under 10 yrs. But even at that, the excitement is not what it was. Still enjoy it, just not to the level of anticipation we once had for an upcoming trip. We take occasional short trips using hotels and are beginning to wonder if that is the future of our travel. Or maybe a newer RV with auto leveling to simplify and speed up set up and take down. Pros and cons to both to both worlds. So who knows. What ever floats your boat.

[samsontdog]

The DW and I have been RVing for well over 55 years and so far we still enjoy getting away to visit new places. Don't enjoy all the traffic and crazy drivers.
I would say enjoy each day as they come as it might be our last at this age