Is it worth it?

[blofgren]

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!

[blofgren]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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[sele]

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]

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.

[SoundGuy]

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. 😞

[colliehauler]

I would try a seasonal site, takes all the stress of towing, setting up out of the equation. Kind of nice showing up using the rv and head back home. You always have the option of taking the RV to a different destination.

At my seasonal I keep a pontoon boat and a fishing boat. I usually haul a motorcycle up with me as well.

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

[Crowe]

My experience has been very similar to yours but my son was a good deal older. We got out of RVing for multiple reasons-our son was in college and the extra money came in handy, we weren't RVing due to crazy schedules and we got a little tired of repeating the same vacations over and over due to time constraints. Living in a polarized area of the country makes getting lots of places hard.

Don't let anyone tell you that if you don't RV you'll miss prime time with your son. That's pure BS. It's not the what but the who and time. Weekends may be better spent right now doing day trips to the zoo, amusement park, beach, etc. or even just playing ball in the back yard. Much less planning, less stress and just as memorable. And there's always renting a cabin or an RV for the weekend. My son loved to RV but wouldn't give up the trips to Disney World, Yellowstone etc. for anything (RVing and plane travel are NOT mutually exclusive). Finances aren't even relevant in this discussion-if you want something bad enough you will find a way. For you it appears it's not an issue. One thing I did discover though we did feel a bit of "guilt" so-to-speak when we didn't use the Endura but took a vacation. Selling it took a good amount of pressure in a number of ways off our shoulders.

Size doesn't matter if a unit is just going to sit and not be used. Like anything mechanical inactivity causes a whole new set of issues over the long-term. Ultimately you have to decide for yourself what is going to stress you the least amount.

[blofgren]

SoundGuy wrote:

blofgren wrote:
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 confident some of us find this statement somewhat inconsistent with your earlier concerns about the costs involved in supporting your current RV lifestyle when a significant reduction in your investment and ongoing maintenance / operating costs could be made by downsizing not only the rig but also the truck you use to pull it with. Yes, you may really like your current 5th but honestly do just 2 adults and a 7 yr old really require a big 5th and a dually with which to pull it, especially when we're talking just weekends and a couple of week long trips each season? The answer from many of us would be no, not at all, since camping in a 20' travel trailer can be just as satisfying, as many of us do it all the time. I guess you're just musing at this stage but I know what my solution would be if I were in your shoes. 😉

LOL, I guess that statement is a bit inconsistent, isn't it?

I think I may have been a bit unclear in my first post, but affordability isn't really an issue for this rig for us. We aren't just getting by in life and we don't owe a ton of money on the rig. In regards to maintenance and upkeep I don't think this unit costs a significant amount more than any other rig we have owned. I do as much work as I can myself to keep the costs down. Saying that it is still a significant investment.

This fiver is just over 35' long so certainly not small but not huge like many of them out there these days. I really don't find handling it much different than our last fiver which was 30'. I also don't think setting it up is much more if any work than any trailer we have owned which includes a 24' travel trailer and a 27' fifth wheel. We certainly appreciate the extra space on our longer trips and when the weather is poor.

Setting up and packing up camp is a significant amount of work no matter how one looks at it. I think it may be somewhat easier with the larger rig because there is so much more storage in and out. As with most people we have gathered a lot more "stuff" to set up over the years! :E

And overall, yes I'm laying my thoughts out and truly enjoy and appreciate others thoughts on the issue too. We went to Hawaii a couple of winters ago and really enjoyed it but missed the camper at the same time. I guess we've been in the camping game so long we really don't know much different.