Taking Break and Starting Over

[Grodyman]

Well, I sold my dream combo, 2016 Ford F350 dually gas/2012 Lance 830 to refocus on some home improvement projects that I never seem to have money for. So I will be tenting for about a year or so, and will hopefully have a chance to start over.

I seem to be trending toward smaller/lighter/less/better mpg, etc. I absolutely loved the dually, but in this state, taxes and registration keep going up, and I got tired of sending more and more to the big G, so am on a mission to cut expenses drastically to keep more of what we earn, while maintaining lifestyle.

I still favor truck campers for their versatility and low (none) registration costs, but am thinking of other possibilities, all of which are very minimal. Perhaps a cargo trailer conversion or even a low cost pop-up for local camping. I think the cargo trailer conversion would be a fun project.

What would you do if you sold everything and started over?
Gman

[Kayteg1]

Advantage of camper is when you drive a lot with it.
For driving couple of hr and staying for few days - trailers are hard to beat.
And with whole bunch of lightweight trailers coming on the market lately - even Fiat 500 can be used as TV

[H2oSprt]

I was in your shoes one year ago. I sold my Lance 830 and truck, tried the tent thing and my wife missed the camper perks. Went out and bought a cheap tent trailer for 1/3 of what I sold the camper for. it has everything the Lance did, and my family of five fit much easier. That said I will have a truck camper again once all my kids stop wanting to go!

Mc

[mike_kellie]

Gman, first off, there has to be a very happy family in your truck/camper combo. Also you have made a difficult decision putting the main household repairs first. Kudos to you.
Starting over for me would involve my wife and her needs as well since we are planning on many trips together. I still would want a larger camper with slides. I've done backpacking, tenting etc and this is our choice. I've tried to minimize costs by shopping out of state. The camper came from Oregon and I looked for a year finding my Ram truck in Indiana. Vehicle taxes are unavoidable but I think I saved some dollars. When you start looking, be prepared to jump. Good luck!

[jimh406]

Move to a cheaper place to live? 😉

Assuming that isn't an option, a cargo trailer or utility trailer conversion would give you different options for tow vehicle. Many of us have a truck because we need one. If you don't, there are far more options. Popups are cool, but aren't cheap. Checkout Youtube for conversions. A few are really creative including one that built their trailer with synthetic panels.