Beginner Camper

[CHSD]

We are currently talking about buying a camper. Looking for some advice on things to look for or avoid when buying a used camper. Budget would probably be around 7k-10k. We have 2 parents, 2 kids and a dog.

Wondering if its worth it?

 

[Jimmy]

What type of places are you looking to go with it?

 

[wyosteve]

My only suggestion is to make sure it has tandem axles. Less blowover chances, and a safety margin when a tire blows.

 

[CorbLand]

More times than not, I see people buy campers, thinking they will use them every weekend during the summer. Then reality sets in that its still work to get them loaded, hooked up, pull them places, spend a couple nights, then hook up, pull them home, unload them and do it all again in 5 days. So they just sit and get used a couple times a year.

Then you add that things go wrong with them, they require maintenance and paying someone to do it all generally isnt that cheap.

Then make sure that you have everything you need to make it feasible. Another trap that people get caught in is buying a camper, then "having" to buy a bigger pickup to pull said camper. Then there is all the stuff to make a camper amenities work...hauling water, generators, trips to the dump station, etc.

My advice, truly sit down and see if you will use it enough to actually make it worth the cost. Many times, I think people would be much further ahead finding a cabin on AirBnB a couple times a year. But if you are actually going to use it, they can be great.

 

[AG8]

Wondering if its worth it?

No one else can really tell you that. But, for all the doom and gloom above, there are plenty who really like them. Hooking it up is about a 5 minute job once you know how to do it, and pulling it places and pulling it home, you were going to drive there anyway, yes?
Anyway, I would say rent one a couple times first off of RVshare or outdoorsy (like Airbnb for other peoples RVs, not a corporate fleet). Great way to try it out first. Just find the GVWR sticker on it, take 12.5% of that and make sure your vehicle has that to spare in its payload capacity, otherwise no, you will not have a great time. (But you might already know all that). And to answer your first question, if you do decide to buy used, it’s all about the roof. Look it over very carefully from above and below for any signs of water intrusion

 

[brca005]

What @CorbLand said!

As someone who did 2 1/2 years of full time living in an RV with a family of 4 and a dog (wouldn’t trade the memories and experiences we had for the world), what we realized over that time, unless you are living in it or able to take longer trips a few times a year, you can do the Air BnB or rental/hotels cheaper than the cost of fuel and rv sites. Then at the end of your rental/hotel, you turn in the keys and off you go home, no strings attached, no worry about having to unload the camper and truck when you get home, no worry about having to do maintenance of the camper either.

And remember, regardless of the kind of camper you get, they’re gonna break, water is gonna leak and you’re gonna have to maintain it, winterize it, plus you’ll have to insure it.

It all depends on what you want, you’re on the only one who can make that call. With a $10K budget, you can go on multiple trips for a few years with that budget, without having to store, maintain, insure a camper.

In my world, the juice isn’t worth the squeeze only to be used a few times a year, it’s cheaper to just get hotels, campsites or AirBnB’s.

 

[DougR67]

Great ideas on renting one for a weekend or two before pulling the trigger. If you decide it's for you and your family...

1) Make sure you have a vehicle that will pull the camper, and more importantly STOP the camper. Don't push the weight limits on your truck or SUV. Most campers have brakes, make sure they work.

2) Check for water leaks and damage. Soft spots on the floors, especially around the perimeter is a major red flag. obviously water stains on ceiling around fans and other openings should be inspected.

3) If you're not handy with mechanics and home repairs, I would not buy a used camper. When that thing travels down the road, it shakes and rattles things loose. Plan on doing some type of repair (however small it may be) every other trip. Around here winterizing a camper can cost between $100-200. I can do it myself for about $10 and an hours worth of work.

4) Tires - regardless of how much tread is on them, check the manufacture date. Don't use cheap tires, if they separate while driving down the road it will do hundreds if not thousands of dollars in damage to the camper.

5) Don't forget about the cost of insurance and storage for the camper. If possible, you'll want to storage under a covered unit.

6) Join an RV forum

 

[Jimmy]

Don't overlook tent trailers. Depends where you live and where you're going, these can be awesome.

 

[TaperPin]

You will know after owning one for two months if it’s your deleeoh.

Kind of like swimming - no amount of talking about it, or thinking about it will take the place of trying one out.

If you have room to park it within your fenced in area, during the comfortable months it can often take the place of a backyard tent or quiet spot to read. One of our friends keeps theirs plugged in and it gets used a lot. Teenagers often like it more than being in the house.

Spend a night at a KOA campground and a dozen retired couples will talk your ear off about how to outfit your new toy.

These things depreciate quickly so don’t expect to sell it and come out ahead.

Old campers will look attractive - the same basic size and maybe even layout for 1/8th the cost, but don’t do it unless you enjoy putting money into a hole in the ground, or you enjoy tinkering. The price of RV fridges or air conditioning is crazy. Every piece of fabric will need to be replaced so hopefully you enjoy sewing. Floors get roughed up, but vinyl plank flooring works well. Funky looking wood paneling from 1980 can be replaced with new funky looking paneling from Home Depot. Plumbing will drive you nuts and it takes a RV supply store to keep you functional. Roofs don’t last long and anything with 10 years on it is probably in need of at least recaulking and a waterproof brush on coat to hobble by a few more years to afford to pay someone crazy money to peal off the old and put a new rubber roof on. Store it under something or inside to prolong the roof, but fix leaks asap because rotten areas are a pain to fix and moldy interiors never smell right.

I’ve watched four 10 year old 26’ campers being towed to the landfill after they were left full of water, connected to a water supply via hose, and all the tanks, furnace, waterlines, toilet, shower and faucets were ice damaged and the interior was flooded.

So yes, you should definitely get one and try it out. Worst thing that will happen is it will sit and rapidly depreciate, rather than be used and rapidly depreciate.

 

[rogerdoger]

The main thing I would look for is if the roof has any leaks or if it looks like somebody has applied gallons of silicone on top. I honestly do not deal with the water system or the waste. I bring water and then use my portable toilet and the wag bag system. A lot easier to clean and do not need winterize.

We have a slide in from the mid 90's and maintenance has been minimal. The fun the kids have when we go camping outweighs the maintenance. Even if the weather turns south we have a spot to warm up, cook food, and play games.

Once you get it set up with all the gear it is super easy to hook up and go. I would go for it, it is a lot of fun not to have to drive back to town after a day on the lake or woods. And hopefully you get shitty cell service so all can disconnect from the humdrum bs.

 

[Loper]

I haven’t seriously considered a camper, but have always toyed with the idea in the back of my mind. However, after reading the responses in this thread, I don’t think I will ever get a camper. The maintenance and depreciation are enough to keep me away from camper ownership.

 

[Deerhunter6250]

A friend of mine said he was really happy when he bought one but happier when he sold it.

 

[406life]

Lots of good advice here.

I bought a Cougar brand new when rates were nothing and Covid hadn't jacked up prices. But I really like having mine. Spare bedroom, mobile hunting camp, hotel on wheels, it all works. I take Starlink with me and work remote a lot from it. I spend a lot of days in mine. Its nice after hunting for day to flick a switch and have heat, turn a knob and have hot water.

I would look for 4 seasons, and something bigger than you think you'll want. Don't try to shoehorn yourself into it. Bunkhouse models work great. You will spend another $1k or more just getting essentials to run a camper: hoses, jack plates, camper silverware, etc.

 

[cnelk]

Just use Outdoorsy.com and rent one when you want to go camping

 

[Customweld]

I love mine. With that being said, they are all junk and cheaply made. Some more so than others. You won’t use it nearly as much as you think. If you are gonna buy one, learn how to work on it yourself. YouTube is a wonderful resource for rv repairs.
They do make camping a little easier, especially with kids. I say go for it, kids aren’t kids for very long, and camping memories will last a lifetime.

 

[Felix40]

I just finished building a truck bed camper. I’ve spent about 12 nights in it already this year. Before that we had a vintage 13 foot bumper pull.

My opinion is that people go too big and too fancy which ends up leading to tons of maintenance and makes it hard to haul around. Maybe my family is unusually minimalist but all we wanted in the camper was a dry place to sleep, lights, and an ac for camping on the beach. Theres nothing that will require constant maintenance. All we have to do is throw a cooler, bedding, and a camping gear tote in the truck and we are good to go.

I think it’s definitely worth having one if you keep it simple.

 

[Customweld]

My opinion is that people go too big and too fancy which ends up leading to tons of maintenance and makes it hard to haul around. Maybe my family is unusually minimalist but all we wanted in the camper was a dry place to sleep, lights, and an ac for camping on the beach. Theres nothing that will require constant maintenance. All we have to do is throw a cooler, bedding, and a camping gear tote in the truck and we are good to go.

I think it’s definitely worth having one if you keep it simple.

Exactly! Keep it simple.

 

[wapitibob]

If it was me and a family, I'd get a Nash 17C for 20K but, that's $2,000 a year for the next 10 years plus insurance, addl fuel for the truck, and any maintenance vs motels. You can get a lot of motel for $2000+/year, but motels aren't camping, and kids aren't kids for very long.

No need to stay in an rv park unless you want their laundry. I stocked all our rv's with their own bedding, cookware, etc, so not much to load/unload. I would be leery of a 10K price tag on a trailer big enough for your family. As mentioned, a tent trailer may be an option. Not the amenities of a hard side and notorious for mold in the canvas, but a friend had one and used the heck out of it.

 

[kpk]

More times than not, I see people buy campers, thinking they will use them every weekend during the summer. Then reality sets in that its still work to get them loaded, hooked up, pull them places, spend a couple nights, then hook up, pull them home, unload them and do it all again in 5 days. So they just sit and get used a couple times a year.

Then you add that things go wrong with them, they require maintenance and paying someone to do it all generally isnt that cheap.

Then make sure that you have everything you need to make it feasible. Another trap that people get caught in is buying a camper, then "having" to buy a bigger pickup to pull said camper. Then there is all the stuff to make a camper amenities work...hauling water, generators, trips to the dump station, etc.

My advice, truly sit down and see if you will use it enough to actually make it worth the cost. Many times, I think people would be much further ahead finding a cabin on AirBnB a couple times a year. But if you are actually going to use it, they can be great.

Can you call my wife and tell her this?? Sounds exactly like what I've been saying for the past year, but she won't listen to me. The only thing I've really considered is something like an Intech Discover but they aren't cheap for what they are.

I'd much rather do a few VRBOs or AirBnBs every summer instead of getting a camper. I swear my neighbors spend as much time packing and unpacking the camper as they do actually camping.

 

[Luked]

I have had multiple campers over the years. Also Tent camped.
Enjoy it all.

Big thing other that what has already been said as far as make sure its what you want to do etc.
Make sure you have the right vehicle to tow it with. And dont buy one over the size of that tow vehicle.
When I bought my truck last year we bought a 1/2 ton truck with a lift..I had thought my wife had got the "New Camper bug" out of her system. And we would be keeping the smaller 21' Hybrid we had.
4 months later we bought a 30' bumper pull
Dont get me wrong its a really nice camper and we got a decent deal on it as it was only a year old and the people before us barely used it at all.
But if I would have known that is what we would be getting I would have got a different truck. Mine does ok with it but still would have got something else.
Now the way the truck market is we are pretty much stuck with what we have.

Also like others said. We dont use ours nearly like we thought. We had ours almost a year before my wife ever even got to stay it in due to a knee surgery she had to have.
Think I have used it about 5-6 times by myself.

Also get a good weight distribution hitch. And do some research on them. The one we bought when we bought ours I do not like at all and now have to go spend another $600 on a whole other setup.

I enjoy camping, Have done it since I was a kid in so many ways from tents to travel trailers to small motor homes.