How long did it take to find the perfect camper?

[homefor2]

I have been looking for an Arctic Fox 990 for a few months and have only looked at one so far. It was pretty rough so passed on it. I found one without a gen and air so passed on that. Another was a 2010 but the guy thought it was worth $30,000. Not. I would love to buy new but the sticker shock is just too much for us.

How long did you take to find your gem? I have placed a "Wanted" ad in the local on line RV sections in my area of Vancouver Island. I would be willing to travel to find the right one.

[MikeJinCO]

After a Hallmark popup, then an outstanding Bigfoot 2500, we were looking for more room with a slide, looked at a used Host, a couple of Eagle Caps then the morning we were flying off to Belize for a week the DW said does Bigfoot have any we would like? I looked at the catalog and found one, she said "I like the layout look for one". I Craigslist Jaxed for Bigfoot and found one near Portland(1700 miles away). Called and got some history and pictures and made a deal in an hour. We then left for the airport. Then we had to find a truck and that's another story. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

[Possilian]

I decided on the TC type five years before the actual purchase. Took two years to find the make and model that worked for me best, which was a 990. There is a bunch to figure if you do it right. I also needed a new truck. Balancing truck and camper plus what you want to bring with you. Just sold my featherlight car hauler and picking up a mission 14 feet enclosed. Lightened my rig by 8000 pounds doing that. I still have the motorcycles, cart, boat, etc, etc. But no extra car and metal shop!

[noteven]

We bought an older but good quality used camper first, and used it for 2 years plus a spring, camping about 75 or 80 days in it.

We settled on some requirements to move from our old camper -

1. Is the unit built with good workmanship, decent materials and appliances and fittings?

2. Can I stand up in the shower?

3. Does it have a slide out table area?

4. If it is missing any nice to haves, can they be retrofit (roof ac, fancier battery charging/converter, solar etc)?

Found a gently used Snowbird unit while wandering about a dealer lot looking at brand new campers that fit #1 but not #2 and made a trade in deal.

[SugarHillCTD]

As others have posted.......never.

The TC we now have is our 5th RV

2003 Adventurer 810ws

2005 Nash 25S (travel trailer- kids grew too fast!)

2007 Northstar 850SC (kids off at school- back to a TC!)

2011 Lance 825

2012 Lance 855s (happy with this one....for now.)

[silversand]

...it took us about 2 years:

-6 months debating and detailing our needs;

*buying new truck (another intense investigation!)

-18 months translating the above into a truck camper genre (pop-up), and investigating each and every pop-up manufacturer's various offerings, quality and finally, narrowing down 2 brands/models (at this point, delivery and our schedule is priority in decision).

It is EASY to go to a truck camper manufacturer, and negotiate the precise build/options/custom add-ons brand new. It is serendipity to find all the above in a used truck camper, at the right quality level! Used is ALWAYS a compromise (work will always need to be done, like re-building, reinforcing, repairing and adding the options you had to make the compromise on).

Good luck!
S-

[Camper_Jeff___K]

Found mine after about three months of looking on craigslist. Paid cash. Best investment I ever made other than real-estate.

[jefe_4x4]

Just lucky, I guess. I had the thought, opened the 'Recycler', an L.A. Craigslist, spied a 3-yr. old Lance Lite 165-s; used a few times only; called the guy; went over to inspect; took him to the bank; paid cash; all within about 3 hours. It still works fine. I really can't say it's perfect, however. The winter insulation package would have made it so. It's not the features that make one of these 'perfect', but the combination of features, value and cost that make it 'perfect' for you.
jefe

[69_Avion]

I bought my 1969 Avion from my grandfather in 1983. It sat for many years, but after a rebuild it is better than new. I guess that it is as perfect as I'm going to find and I didn't even have to leave the property to find it.

The truth is that I really wanted the 1977 Chevy K-30 Dually that it sat on. What is funny is that I'm still enjoying the camper I bought because it was a package deal and the truck is long gone. I don't know how many campers will still look good after 45 years in the hot Arizona sun.

[JimBollman]

Never. I find that I am always looking for my next camper. Just bought a significant upgrade a few months ago and did a bunch of mods to make the way we wanted. I never stopped looking at my eBay camper search to see what was available. I actually found this one on CraigsList and I have stopped looking there for now 🙂

You don't know what might make your next camper better, if you don't keep looking. This one has features I didn't know about because I hadn't looked at this brand before.

[skipnchar]

Every tv we've purchased has been perfect and every time I buy another one its even perfecter lol

[Dick_B]

It took us about two years.

[dbbls]

I haven't found the perfect one yet. There are always things that I find after I use it a while that I would like changed.

[Jon_L]

Two years

[Jean_S]

homefor2, you may find an arctic Fox 990 to buy, but you will never find a perfect camper for the same reason that you will never find a perfect boat.

[Too_Tall]

Don't know if the is anything perfect. We just got something close and made it right for us.