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!

[SoundGuy]

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. 😉

[3oaks]

BB_TX wrote:
Pure and simple. It is worth it if your enjoyment outweighs your efforts to do it.

X2

Only YOU can determine if it is all worth it. And that would be decided by what your priorities are. But it does sound like a change course may be more satisfying to you.

[BB_TX]

Pure and simple. It is worth it if your enjoyment outweighs your efforts to do it.

[spoon059]

dave17352 wrote:
You might consider downsizing. JMHO

That was my thought as well, after reading your post. You have a MASSIVE 5th wheel for a couple and a 7 year old to go weekend camping. Seems to me that by the time you get everything set up, its probably time to start breaking down camp. I have to wonder if you wouldn't enjoy a smaller camper and time outdoors better. Growing up we had a pop up camper and spent out time outside when camping.

We love camping, but we still spend the majority of our time outside. We have campfires, the kids play in the dirt and water, we cook outside, we sit outside, the kids ride bikes, etc. Oftentimes we camp with a group of family or friends so that there are people with which to interact.

If camping feels like a hassle, you are less likely to do it. A small hybrid camper, some hot dogs/hamburgers/chicken to cook over the firepit or on a grill, some nice camping chairs and a well stocked cooler could completely change your perspective! Cheaper, easier and more fun for actual camping!

Good luck!

[DutchmenSport]

We had a similar experience a few years ago where we became disillusioned with the entire camping RVing lifestyle.

Long story short, we tried selling a house on a Land Contract and from the moment they took possession till the day they finally were forced by law to move out, it cost us $45,000 and almost 2.5 years of our life. Financially we were at the end of our selves and when we finally got the house back, after (over a year) of legal battle in court, we walked back into a house that had been 100% destroyed. Even taking the front door off and taking it with them! The damage was unbelievable, even plumbing was missing and electric switches, not to mention holes in walls, dog feces all over, and brand new carpets through the entire house had massive burn hole in them. Nothing, not a single room was usable, and this was a 6 bed room house.

Imagine the cost and time and aggravation, juggling court hearing, working full time, and attempting to re-model this entire house by ourselves (with no help). All my skills at plumbing, electrical, and carpentry were tested to the max.

Of course, all this time, the camper sat in the drive-way. If we had an extra dollar to spend on a campsite, it went to repair of the old house, and then there was never time.

Trailer sat for almost 2 years, paying insurance, a loan, and keep up license plate tags each year. We almost came to the point where we were in a position we HAD to sell sell it as we simply could not afford the loan any more. We lost all hope of EVER using the camper again. ... 2 years!

The Lord provided. I will say that. Money came in, the house finally did get remodeled, and once we were done, it sold in 3 days (to a real buyer)! We did such a marvelous job on it, and the price was so low, just so we could get out of THAT loan, it sold almost immediately.

One month later, our finances reversed as we didn't have the second mortgage, utilities, and expenses any more! 2 months later we were camping again!

Fast forward 9 years later now ... and we are sooooooo glad we hung onto the camper and didn't get rid of it. If we would have, we would have never gotten another one, I'm pretty sure. But since we hung on, we have since purchased a new one (4 years ago now), and use it almost 100% of the time.

The bottom line is, no one can make this type of a decision for you. It's all a matter of what is most important to you, under your current circumstances. Everyone in my extended family was telling us to 'sell the camper... sell... sell... sell!!!" But our better instincts just would let us do it. In the long run, looking back ... we did the right thing (for us). Someone else, maybe not?

You have to draw a line in the sand and simply make up your mind. Is it worth it or not? You really do not know what your future has. Things change.

But, you always do have the choice to sell it, and buy a new one again in a few years if and when your situation changes.

[FunnyCamper]

It all boils down to time and how you guys maintain your lifestyle and your 'free time' etc that you can go on mini-rv trips and do fine in your 'other work/true life' kinda thing 🙂 But only you can evaluate that one.

for us downsizing was key. omg so much easier. We were a tent, to a truck camper, to a small TT, to bigger one, to bigger one, to smaller 5th to GIANT 5th toyhauler and we fell right into the 'is this **** worth it anymore' feeling.

our big 40 ft toyhauler 5th blew a tire, omg the damage to it. It was a monster to get into our 'smaller loved state park sites' and the 'box' was so freaking hot for kiddo cause of us doing 30 amp parks around here and blah blah blah but in the end we downsized to 34 ft total TT toyhauler and we love this sucker LOL

But I sure understand the situations that puts you into 'is it worth it' cause for us we realized we had to go backward to 'simplier and easy' to make this fun anymore for us. Upsizing etc was fun, til it blew our mind on how we walked out of our true fun of how we camp and then we had to decide to 'fix it' once and for all and we did.

hold strong and think about what changes you can make to 'make this fit into' your life now as you need. You can do it 🙂

[blofgren]

Thanks very much for everyone's comments and thoughts.

During the camping season we do have the fiver packed, fridge on, etc. so it is relatively easy to pack a few last minute items and go. That definitely helps. We took several weekend trips, one week long trip, and one 2 week long trip over the season so we did use it a fair bit; not as much as some but definitely more than a lot of people do.

We do also do our weekend trips at a park within an hour of home (when traffic is normal which is rare in this region now) because the time and fuel cost is just too much to go any further for a short trip IMHO.

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.

My wife's schooling is now almost done so that should free up a fair bit of time for next season.

I suppose that one gets a bit bogged down at times with this hobby/lifestyle and naturally starts to wonder if it is worth it, especially having just put the rig to bed for 6 long months!

It is great to read about people's experiences and thoughts. Please keep them coming!

[SoundGuy]

rhagfo wrote:
Well think about keeping the 5er, packed and ready during the season. Cloths, non-perishable food, and other supplies ready to go. Then if you decide to go, tote and maybe ice chest to empty the house refer of desired foods for the weekend no need for shopping trip, and GO!

Easy to say but has never worked well at all for us. Yes, we do keep the trailer supplied with bedding, towels, clothes, etc, but there's always enough missing no matter how well organized we might try to be that I do still find it necessary to refer to a personal check list. In theory one ought to be able to store dry foods in the camper but during the summer when temps inside the trailer easily hit 100F I'm not too inclined to do so. Some keep their fridge stocked and running - not me, too costly with the electric rates we have here in Ontario that are among the highest in N America. Maybe this works for you but there's no way we can avoid a shopping trip before each camping trip by simply augmenting from the house. We keep our camper at home during the season so although I know some do park their rig at a remote storage lot it will always remain a mystery to me how anyone can make this work in any realistic fashion. In fact, with my wife increasingly harassing me every season about keeping the trailer here at the house that in itself may be enough to convince me this entire process is more trouble than it's worth. Easier for us now that our sons are adults but a tough decision for the OP considering the age of his son.

[dave17352]

We have a 5th wheel that has not been used for about three years. We also have a truck camper that was used 7 or 8 times this season. You might consider downsizing. JMHO

[rjf7g]

Consider leasing a lot for the season next year. We have three campers - side-by-side seasonal lots on Smith Mountain Lake (VA) so friends and family can join us and a van camper so we can travel the state.

On a normal weekend during the season, I get home from work between 4:30 and 5:00 and we're on the road in 30 minutes and at our campsite in less than 2 hours and unpacked and set up in 10 minutes. We pack clothes and a cooler, that's it.

When I can take a long weekend to go some place special, we take the van.

Check out the campgrounds that offer seasonal sites within 2 hours of your house. You may find one with lots of kids and that feels right. Ask about the rules - you want to know that your style won't be cramped AND that other people won't be able to turn your season into a nightmare. Who knows, you may find something that gets you through the next couple of years and allow you to camp.

[richamor]

I read you post and I hear you've had an accident, maintenance and structural issues that were big wallet hits, the neighborhood is getting crowded, and life is getting a little busier.

Those are all ongoing issues that, especially that last one, will continue to grow. Life with a 7yo is one thing. Life with a 12yo is another and it can take your life completely over. As it should be but it can leave scant time for other pursuits. Maybe time to downsize a bit. A truck camper would give plenty of space for a weekend and be super easy to handle. Go so far as to consider tent camping. I see more and more of that and they all seem to be having a ball.
At the end of the day only you can decide what works for you and your family. I know you wonder whether it's worth it or not but I wonder if your 7yo wonders that.
Good luck to you whatever the final decision be. Just be sure involve the wife and son in the conversation. Their input may surprise you.

[Fizz]

You both need a long sit down and discuss what's most important to your family, wants and needs.

We've been retired for 14 years. We have a cottage where we spend the summer. When we retired we bought a trailer and Snowbirded all over for seven years. Eventually we decided it wasn't fun anymore, been there, done that. We tent camped for twenty years before we got tired of sleeping on the ground and bought the cottage.
What I'm trying to say is don't get stuck in a rut. Figure out what you enjoy and aim for that.

[Halmfamily]

We understand what you're saying. The wife and I both work 50-60 hours a week and when the kids were young (Now 17 and 19) we had to schedule out our time for trips. We took many 4-5 day trips and would pull the kids out of school on a Friday if needed.

Time is too short, your child will be grown and gone before you know it. MAKE THE TIME as you cannot get it back.

I now go on 1 or 2 trips to the TNF by myself each year. Our son will join us when he can and we now take 1 trip to the Smokeys without the FW as we like to stay right in Gatlinburg.

Best of luck, it's a hard decision. Get your wife and son involved in the decision.

[rhagfo]

Well think about keeping the 5er, packed and ready during the season. Cloths, non-perishable food, and other supplies ready to go. Then if you decide to go, tote and maybe ice chest to empty the house refer of desired foods for the weekend no need for shopping trip, and GO!
We had ours in a storage yard two miles from home easy out and in. We didn't have the 7 year old, but did have two Beagles, some extra work. Our best time from me leaving work (4 miles from house) to out the gate at the storage yard was one hour and fifteen minutes, this included stopping at the house, and airing up TV tires, and installing hitch in TV, getting the tote of refer food, and dogs and their bedding.

[mikebreeze]

I've been RV'ing for over 5 years now and retired for 2 years. Now that my income is less I will have to make a decision soon as to whether to continue this hobby. But I enjoy it and try to get out once a month in my rig.

As for the OP's predicament I agree with others' replies. Store the 5er off site, try getting a smaller rig, camp closer to home. As far as selling your rig that is your decision. I wish you the best.