New and Clueless!!

[FamilyCamper133]

Hi Everyone!! My husband are getting ready to purchase our first ever camper-2013 Starcraft Autumn Ridge 329bhu. Like our FIRST...EVER!!! Granted, my husband camped in a pop up with his family growing up and I went on vacations with my best fiends family in their travel trailer but all I had to know then was throw the toilet paper in the trash unless you...you know...so, I (both of us really) are clueless!!!!! I don't even know where to begin. We have three small children-4, 2 1/2, and 10 months so our goal in camping is creating lots of great memories for them.

Our plan is to pretty much lease a lot at a camp ground that is about 30minutes away and just have little mini vacations when we want to. And eventually build a deck at our lot and have it be our home away from home.

I desperately want to do everything right and care for our new "home" to make it last for years to come! Any tips and advice would be appreciated. Till then...I will continue to explore the forums and try to teach myself all I can! 🙂

[2012Coleman]

Roadrash450 wrote:

Desert Captain wrote:
I don't see where any of us "slammed" the OP.

Example Comments like:

"I truly believe that this forum is not the one that you are looking for"

"Buying new is for folks with way too much money"

" personally I would never and I mean NEVER buy new as your first RV"

These are kind of a turn off/insulting when read and not just by the OP, as others have posted that they took offence to it as well!
The way I look at this topic, as well as any others, read the OP's comments, answer thier questions, and then move on. An answer that starts with "May I suggest that you look at a used TT ---" comes across a lot better than " Buying new is for folks with way too much money", not so brash and condescending in my opinion, maybe not your's, but mine.

Agree. I believe the originial question was about maintenance. If the OP learned anything from the useless answers and unsolicited advice given, it was how to use the block member feature. "I truly believe that this forum is not the one that you are looking for" - give me a break...

[rbpru]

My wife and I spent a lot of time looking at trailers we thought we would like. Finally we decided to rent what we thought we wanted.

A 2010 model 25 ft with a slide out cost us $1000.00 for a 10 day trip to the Ozarks. We learned a lot, good and bad, about hauling one of these beasts.

In the end, we decided to buy one but with a much better understanding of gas mileage, towing, handling and etc.

Try before you buy if you can.

[Kosmic]

This forum is great. You ask one question and get a dozen or more answers. That's because camping folk love camping (RVing) for all different reasons. But I consider any response more as an opinion than an answer.

So my opinion, I do whatever I can to camp as much as possible. I have a seasonal site where my camper can sit from April until October. Every morning I share a coffee with one of my neighbors and every night someone has a campfire going where we all gather. (This never happens at my house neighborhood). My sons have made friends there as well since we are seasonal. This is something you don't usually get chance to experience when you are a weekend wonderer.

However, we still head out periodically and explore the Nomadic adventures as well. At least once a month we are on the road. It may just be for a weekend. But at least the option is there.

Personally, I believe we have the best of both worlds (again, my opinion). We have great friends at our seasonal site and still explore new places. Our seasonal site is the same distance from work as our house allowing us to stay here as much as we like.
We actually go to work from our campsite.

For the naysayers that think camping close to home is crazy (within 45 minutes), it's a matter of opinion. When you are sitting at the evening campfire, can you tell if you are 10 minutes or 10 hours from home? Of course not. And I never remember thinking of the house when camping.

Yes, we bought new. As one other person mentioned, if there be dirt, let the dirt be mine. And many units were traded in because of some obscure water damage. A big plus is you have all the instruction books and get a good familiarization session with the RV dealer. Just take good notes. And the RV dealer is also someone to call if you run into an issue. But 90% of the time, if you have any issue, someone at the campground will assist you.

Do what feels good for you and your family. Nothing is permanent. If you don't like a choice you made, you change it. And you had a lot of useful info on this forum provided by some good folk.

Enjoy.

[Wanderer96]

Thank you for this thread, I know it's an older one, but we just got our first trailer (first RV ever), bought it used, and reading these responses makes me feel even better about our purchase!! I had no idea you could rent spots seasonally, and leave your trailer parked there the whole time! That is awesome! I am so excited for our first trip!!!

FamilyCamper133, I am so excited for you guys! Hope you are still enjoying your trailer 🙂

[Squonk61]

Good to hear! I've learned lots from campground neighbors. For the trickier stuff, I read a lot here. Lots of summer ahead-cheers!

[FamilyCamper133]

We are set up at our seasonal site and LOVE it. Actually building our deck today--thanks to out neighbor here 🙂 we have found a second family here. It is great. We couldn't be more blessed and it has been a perfect choice for our family!

And our TT was bought used--people bought it in October, got a divorce, which means we got a great deal!!

Thanks for the input!

[Rubber_Ducky1]

davidcyndi wrote:
Why lease when you can travel to all the different state parks, koa, national forest campgrounds, rv parks etc..? Going to the same plot of land every time I think will become very monotonous.

My wife & I have had a seasonal site at the same campground since 1993. It is 19 miles from home. We haven't got tired of it yet. We have in the past taken some trips with our trailer. What we do is no different than somebody having a cabin on a lake and going there every weekend. It's whatever floats your boat. :B

[dadmomh]

Strictly personal opinion from someone who has just bought a brand spankin' new TT...to use it like you're thinking, I would certainly check out the CG first to see if there are any good used for sale. They're absolutely right on the depreciation and we took all that into account. We bought our ROO 23SS hybrid brand new and for us, it's worked out. But we're "old folks" and this new one is our last camper.

We visit various parks. We feel like that is part of the camping experience. Years ago we had a cottage on a lake and loved it, but it turned into a work-weekend no matter how hard we tried to avoid it. I think you might find this to be the case, whether you know it or not. Before I absolutely committed to a seasonal/semi-permanent site, I'd get the map out and see what is out there within 1 - 2 hours drive. In our case, we can visit probably 15 TN, MS or KY SPs or COE within 100 miles. Our very favorite CG and the one we love the most is 45 minutes driveway to site...minus the stop at McD for lunch on the way. Another concern - at least it would be for us - is that many of the parks that offer seasonals end up looking awfully junky. Folks haul a years worth of firewood, a boat that they leave, chairs that get blown around....not what we want in a campground. That is not to say that they're all the same, but I'd really check it out first. If you're absolutely sure this is the way you want to go, maybe look into a small-size park model. It would be sort of a combination TT/cottage. Not easy to move if you change your mind.

Hope you'll do some more homework before you sign on the dotted line.

[JiminDenver]

The great thing about this hobby is the diversity of rigs and the way we use them. No one is right or wrong, what they decide is what is right for them and maybe only them.

We like to find a new spot every time but I wouldn't mind having something set up closer for those short weekends. So much time is spent in travel and set up that it's only worth doing if we have at least four days or more.

New vs used...We looked at a lot of used first and found them dirty, smelly and needing repairs. Even if I do own a cleaning and repair service, I wanted to go camping not spend months cleaning and rebuilding. There may be perfect units out there but we didn't see them.

As gar as depreciation goes we bought a inexpensive entry level unit and would have taken a hit if we traded it in right away. Then again we got a great price on a year end deal and used they are running within a grand or two of what we paid for the same year. We also knew we would have a warranty for at least the first year on most things and the roof much longer.

I do think it is a good idea to visit the camp ground you pick a few times, especially on a busy holiday weekend to see what it is like. Talk to your potential neighbors, the management, maybe they will have a rental you can try out first. Getting a campground you don't like for a weekend is one thing, a full season is another.

Once set up I think you will have a great time. As a kid our family had both a cabin and a trailer and us kids loved them both. After the folks sold the cabin we primarily used one campground and we were never bored. we were camping.

[Chaps1980]

Seasonal lot is the way to go. Set it up once, and then its there. I dont think the mindset that you will put your trailer on a lot and then not use it is is very valid, no more so then folks who leave the trailer in their yard and never go out. Lets face it, the few hours it takes to setup is a PITB in my opinion. Not to mention your putting wear and tear on your vehicle and trailer. Oh and the price of gas, atleast up here in northern alberta at 1.25/litre is easily recouped by having the trailer parked on a seasonal lot. My 2500HD doesnt exactly get good gas mileage.

In terms of buying new, we bought our 31' KZ travel trailer in 2011 brand new. However our house did burn in a wildfire and we needed something to live in from May - October. We had a lot at an RV park for that first summer, and It was ok, considering the circumstances. Last summer i towed it all over, and 2 things happened. 1) I destroyed my half ton and had to buy a 3/4 ton, and 2) I sure missed not having to set it up and pack it up every trip.

A seasonal lot became available 85km from home, and our camper is there, and will be there for as long as that camp ground is in business. So awesome.

[CampingN_C_]

In regards to buying new. My wife and I bought our first camper (new)10 years ago before kids. Everything we LOVED about it on the sales lot we HATED about it in the campground. I sold it and lost my butt. Point is we didn't really know what we wanted.
Now, we have small kids and "SprinklerMan" made a very good point. Kids are rough on stuff. We have an older camper that is paid for. Yes, I could go tomorrow and buy new, but not with two small wrecking balls running around. We camp at the beach a lot. Sand, sand and more sand gets tracked in. And if (when) something breaks I'm not that stressed about it as opposed to a brand new camper.

And the seasonal site.... Who cares!! Camping's camping !! When you fire up the grill and campfire and maybe even a cold one. Does it really matter where you are???

[Kittykath]

I second that. We are seasonals with a brand new 36' camper and would never have it any other way, except with another new camper someday. Matter of fact, I pity the people who are at their wits end by the time they finally arrive and get set up. I'm already there, enjoying an early start to my weekend. I didn't pay the extra fuel or the jacked-up camping fee. I didn't have to make reservations or super pack. I didn't have to watch the clock to beat the sundown. I actually never have to leave. And our new baby has a total of 120 miles on it, the distance from the campground to storage twice a year, rinse, repeat. It's the reason we bought a previous camper. It had been parked at a site all year and hadn't suffered the wear and tear of being dragged down roads all it's life.

If you're considering a seasonal site, definitely test drive the campground for a weekend. Read the reviews. Some places are absolutely trashy and uncontrolled. Some are so uppity or have too many rules. Pick something in the middle, maybe a county or state run park. Do what makes you happy and what's sensible and affordable for your family. You're all young, and you'll have plenty of time to explore this country. Get to know the camping lifestyle first and don't let anyone burst your bubble.

[jrhanbar98]

Great advice on the seasonal lots. My in-laws stayed at 2 separate seasonal sites. A few things to look for
1) Leases are typically run from April/May to mid Oct. It is cold in the winterin MN, warmer weather spots may differ.

2). While you can find good deals for used RV's at seasonal sites you now have 2 hurdles, finding the right RV AT the right seasonal lot. Otherwise you have to I've the RV, not huge, buts if you are behind mid-lease typically the balance of the lease is included I the sale thus tying you to that location.

3). Many seasonal sites have "age" rules. Meaning all new and sometimes existing campers can only be so old or they have to be replaced, ie less than 10 years.

These as well as others are why many don't like seasonal sites hence some of the commentary, but I stick with my original thought. Best way to start is the path you have chosen, experience is best used whe learn first hand. Enjoy.

[boosTT]

I highly highly highly suggest looking for a seasonal campsite already setup with a camper. They are often plentiful and very good values. Most of the time you need to go to the actual campground to find them for sale. Sometimes they are listed on craigslist though. In my area you can find a nice clean 40’ park model about 10 years old with a deck, golf cart, landscaping, shed for $15-20k. This is way less than half the price it would cost to do it yourself. In addition, the down time it takes building a deck, shed, landscraping, etc. Your new trailer is going to be considered used after about 1 year anyway.

Seasonal sites are not a bad thing. Just MAKE SURE you try out the campground first. Rent a cabin or stay all day/into the night and drive home after midnight. Usually the largest campgrounds are best for season sites. They offer more to do and have more fellow kids for your kids to play with. And it’s more likely you will make adult friends too. I would also suggest a seasonal site near a lake or rec trail, because you could tow a boat, jet ski, atv, snowmobile, etc since the camper is already setup. This would keep the older kids interested during the high school years.