Sadly selling our TT this Saturday....

[Stclairm]

Due to one kid being in HS marching band and the other in middle school football, our weekends are shot from about August on. The younger one is losing interest in camping and I can't justify paying for a trailer and new truck any more. DW is sad about it, but we plan to buy another one (not a bunkhouse!!) once they're gone. We love camping together, so I know we'll be back in it. I've really loved being on this forum and hope I've contributed to help others. I've written reviews here, on rvparkreviews, and rvparky trying to help out. I've also received tons of help here and met some really great people. I will say reducing our debt will be a relief, so that really eases my pain. We do plan to stay in some cabins here and there, so it's not a total end to going to cg's.
Thanks for everything and I'll post up the next time we go camping.

[Veebyes]

Yes, there is life in the years AC, after children. We invite ours to come see their inheritance all the time but they seldom do. The foldout is not very comfy & the 5er is very much a couples 5er, not a family 5er.

[BarabooBob]

When our daughters were in high school, we were down to a two week vacation in the summer, Memorial Day, and Labor Day weekends.
After the kids were gone, I retired and we are gone for a month at a time. Last year we camped about 60 days. Love the kids, love them on their own.

[2012Coleman]

Didn't your wife say the the next one might be a fifth wheel? Did you get that 2500?

[magnusfide]

I'm liking that Holiday House retro look. Snazzy.

[Stclairm]

Reviving old thread because our youngest just graduated HS and we have started looking at TT's again! So, we are looking at TT's that are 3500 or less. What we're looking for preferably, is a dinette on one end, bed on the other in case the MIL wants to come along. I've been to two RV shows in the last month and was able to eliminate the $30k Intech Horizon and Little Guy Max as they are just too cramped and it's a no to wetbaths. If we were to spend 30k, we'd have to drive to New York from NC to get my favorite, the Holiday House 18RB.
Here's my list so far for TT's under 20k, under 3500 lbs, fibeglass construction. Keystone Bullet Crossfire 1900RD, Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser 19ERD, and the Apex Nano 191RBS. They all have their pluses and minuses. The Vintage Cruiser is the lightest at 3090#. The Apex Nano is the least expensive at $16500 and has the nicer fiberglass/plastic end cap with aluminum wheels. I have not been able to walk through and put my hands on the Gulfstream.
I hope to be a contributing member here again, I have done a lot of video watching and learning. We can't wait to go glamping!

[happybooker1]

For a few years now, I keep thinking "this summer is probably the last summer I'll go camping with DS" and then nope, he's begging for another trip somewhere. Now He's 17, and had a job all lined up for summer, but a jump out of a playground swing and a fractured foot bone kinda put an end to that!

So--he's gotten the idea that after his foots healed, I'm gonna take him & 4 of his friends camping at one of our favorite parks! I'm just hoping I can FEED all of them!

Sounds like fun, except I'm NOT cleaning any fish LOL.

[Chock_Full_o__N]

I completely understand. Middle school wasn't too bad and we took our kids camping with our pop-up about once a month from Feb-Nov. We also took along their friends and a big tent so they'd have there place and we'd have ours.

I had an epiphany in the winter of 2007. DD turned 14 and was about to graduate 8th grade. DH had just gone on permanent disability and I was working as a school nurse Aug-May. The stars aligned and we had the money, the time off and the relative health to take the kids on a cross-country trip in the summer. I realized that it was now or never--I knew that when DD went into HS our lives would dramatically change and we wouldn't be able to take off on camping trips so easily as before. It was the last big family camping trip. We bought a small TT and an SUV and took off 2 days after school let out for the summer. 6,000 miles in 2 months. 22 states, 12 state parks,and 9 national parks.

Now the kids are all out of the house. Still, last summer DD21 made a point of joining us for a big family reunion at our favorite campground, and she even brought her BFF!

[Crowe]

We'll be so much better off financially to take a car to the CG's (and get there much quicker) and stay in a cabin.

I think you just answered your own question right there.

[Stclairm]

I have thought about a popup. May keep my eye out for a hybrid too.

[twins89]

Do what you need to do. Stay in touch. If the itch is there, get a small, older pick up and a small, used TT and go out once in a while if the cabin thing isn't enough. After reading, I consider myself extremely grateful that my girls now 25 love to still come with us in their popup one with her husband and one with boyfriend. Buying the popup for them when they were in college was a great investment. They never feel like they are intruding, they can have their own site, own fire, own hours, own fun and go on their own if they want or come with us. It has been great to see the next generation enjoy what we enjoy. Perhaps and hopefully your boys will get to the point they miss going. I can't imagine not camping (or glamping as my friends say what we do is not camping.)

[Stclairm]

No, it's not really like that. We just can't go often enough to justify paying for the truck and trailer anymore. Before last year, we averaged about 12 trips a year. My younger son loves fishing, so we tried to go to cg's with stocked ponds. He just doesn't ask "when are we going camping again?". Our older son is good with whatever we do, he's mildly autistic in a way that just makes him extremely passive. Hopefully we'll get a plan together to save for our next one instead of borrowing money and having to justify using it. I would imagine the feeling is different when you OWN it.
We'll be so much better off financially to take a car to the CG's (and get there much quicker) and stay in a cabin. 35mpg vs 10 is quite huge. I'll definitely keep posting here and try to stay somewhat active. Thanks for all the replies.

[Crowe]

You would think that they both would get more out of camping with family than Xbox during the summer vacation.

Apparently you have forgotten your teenage years. Their behavior is very normal as is mom and dad's reaction. Camping isn't for everyone, even within a family.

To the OP: Other than how crazy life can be with kids at that stage, have you asked why they don't want to camp? Maybe it's the places you go or the activities you do? Chances are they've hit the "it's just not cool" stage but with a little digging maybe you can find out why.

[sh410]

You would think that they both would get more out of camping with family than Xbox during the summer vacation.

[campigloo]

I know the debt part will REALLY be good. It will take a lot of the pain out of letting it go. Don't forget an occasional rental for vacation or something. No need to leave the forum, you can still enjoy that. One really neat thing we found when the kids grew up and left, that I think you will enjoy too, is something called expendable income. IT'S GREAT!!! That's when you can really enjoy the RV, so just keep looking forward to it.