To camper or not to camper... Hunting and married couple trips

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

The rationale for buying a camper vs. using hotels for longer trips typically includes cost savings from cooking your own meals, having flexibility to stay closer to parks and wildlife areas, and being able to stop wherever and whenever you want. In our case we could also include eliminating dog sitters or boarding fees.

For those of you veteran camper folks, in your experience, are the hard and soft savings from having a camper worth the extra maintenace and cost? I've always heard campers are one of those items you're better renting vs. buying, and I'm interested to hear from practical people that love them and would never go back vs. those that suffered buyer's regret.

As a sidenote, I have a 2009 Duramax that can tow around 13k pounds, and my wife and I have been casually looking at campers with a max length of 22-23', so capacity isn't an issue. Primary uses would be "couples" camping to visit our grown kids with our 3 dogs and occassional hunting or fishing trips. Thank you in advance for the advice!

 

[S.Clancy]

I am kinda in the same boat as you and am pathologically cheap. Based on my calculations, you have to be using a camper a ton to make it financially "wise", especially with today's upfront costs.

I still think there is reasons to buy a camper (having your own space, freedom of travel, etc) but it's gonna be hard to actually pencil out financially.

 

[AZ Gator]

I own a camper and I’ll use a comparison to paint the picture…

It’s like reloading. If your desire is financial gain, you will probably be selling it before too long. If your desire is the experience/results, then you will enjoy it and want to keep it.

I’m sure, like with reloading, you CAN do it in a way that is financially positive. But don’t count on that being the case. It’s a toy and it’s expensive. Let the desired experience be the motivating factor in your decision.

Another person’s desire may sound great, but not fit your family’s desired experience.

Campers are expensive to own. Added fuel expense, slower travel times, space rentals (if not boondocking) aren’t significantly cheaper than a hotel, maintenance (stuff frequently breaks especially if taking off road), insurance, buying stuff for inside the camper so you are constantly moving items back and forth from the house (toiletries, clothes, dishes, etc), storage if needed, annual registration, and more.

 

[TaperPin]

In many families it’s just assumed everyone would have one. However if you aren’t close enough to places it could be used every other weekend, renting, or renting from a friend looks better and better.

Serious vacationing in a camper a few times a year is more of a lifestyle choice than a cost savings. If it’s new you over paid for what you got and it depreciates very quickly. If it’s used you have a constant string of little things to fix. Once you start to see the roof membrane show a little age, maybe a few minor leaks, a little musty smell, you’ll recaulk and recoat with some over priced goop and start considering a structure to park it under, or at least a tarp. The tarp means it will be used even less. Once the roof preservation is figured out is about the time in the life cycle the electrical brake controller takes a dump in the middle of Yellowstone, or your AC compressor has to be replaced at the Grand Canyon.

Once you’re in the swing of things and have some experience under your belt so little things don’t seem like big things, it’s easy to simply pull in somewhere, throw out the area rug and chairs, start cooking and having a good time. Heck, you will even have time to figure out a replacement for the odd-size mini $1,500 Dometic fridge that is no longer made. Talk to the other trailer folks at the next campground - they all know your pain and the solution.

 

[Yooper]

It's a lifestyle IMO. Either you get into it or you don't. That's why you see a lot of used campers with "only used twice" for sale. Could you rent one first to see if it's something you would enjoy before going all in on one?

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

One perk with campers is proximity and time saved daily. IE a hotel might be 1hr+ away from the trailhead, camper might be right there. Day after day it adds up.

But you have to want a camper and like camping to deal with it. There are nuances of trailers vs truck campers too (in an ideal world having both are nice).

 

[Poser]

I don't own a camper, so there's that, but I think you have to look at like a toy: A SxS, dirtbikes, snowmobiles etc. You're almost certainly not going to get a financial ROI, but if you have the money and its something that improves your lifestyle demands, then consider it.

I go for a walk most evenings around my neighborhood and every 3rd house has a camper, many of them very nice, even a few Airstreams in the ~$150-$250k range. If people are taking them out and about, then they must pretty stealthy because they sure don't seem to move. Ever. I'm sure they can seem like a great idea. Sometimes, I wish I had one. But, you spend a lot of money for a tiny one, spend a little more money for a bigger one, next thing you know, you have one much bigger than you set out to buy, its a production to take the thing out, tires dry rot, wheel bearings go bad, you have to fill up and drain tanks, winterize, rough roads beat the crap out of it, you spend a lot of money for low quality manufacturing, parts are expensive, service is expensive.... turns to into a part time job, then you decide to cut your losses and you can't sell it so it rots in your driveway.

There's always a big tent with a stove, tent shower with a propane heater: premium car camping set up at a fraction the price. For about 3 grand, you can camp like a king.

 

[displacedtexan]

I own a camper and I’ll use a comparison to paint the picture…

It’s like reloading. If your desire is financial gain, you will probably be selling it before too long. If your desire is the experience/results, then you will enjoy it and want to keep it.

I’m sure, like with reloading, you CAN do it in a way that is financially positive. But don’t count on that being the case. It’s a toy and it’s expensive. Let the desired experience be the motivating factor in your decision.

Another person’s desire may sound great, but not fit your family’s desired experience.

Campers are expensive to own. Added fuel expense, slower travel times, space rentals (if not boondocking) aren’t significantly cheaper than a hotel, maintenance (stuff frequently breaks especially if taking off road), insurance, buying stuff for inside the camper so you are constantly moving items back and forth from the house (toiletries, clothes, dishes, etc), storage if needed, annual registration, and more.

We have a camper, it works out great for us.

I've never taken it on a hunting or fishing trip.

They're expensive to buy, expensive to haul, and require constant maintenance. Plus, if they're going to be convenient they require their own sets of sheets, towels, dishes, cookware, etc...

The purchase price will pay for a LOT of hotels.

 

[MuleyFever]

We started with a small camper and then wanted more room. We ended up with a big toy hauler and I hated towing it. We sold it a few years ago because we knew our plans would not allow for much camping trips the next year. I miss having one every now and then but dont regret selling it. If we get another in the near future it will be a simple cargo trailer hybrid type without all the comforts of a full on camp trailer. As mentioned, its a lifestyle. If you are going to live it they can be fun. When we are retired who knows, maybe we will get another nice one.

 

[ShootOkHuntWorse]

Growing up traveling the west with a camper has seriously influenced my entire life. People are right, it is a lifestyle. It’s a self contained privacy space that can be self contained and pulled to the side of the road on multi-day drives to the next destination. The “boredom” of sitting in camp vs in town at the hotel really should be looked at as more of a forced free-time with nothing to do but be bored and find things to explore with the family. Slide in campers are not as easily hooked up for a quick last minute trip. Bumper pull has its positives (atv goes in the truck bed. Dirty gas cans. Generator. Etc). Wife and I have struggled with loving the size of our 1993 slide in camper vs our bumper pull. Finding places to camp is infinitely easier with the small footprint of the camper in the truck, but then we have nowhere for our wet gear, gas cans, archery target, generator, and she isn’t confident in mounting the camper in the bed vs the millions times she has hooked up a bumper pull/goose neck.

And to summarize it costs a fuckload and it’s just not worth trying to justify it as “cheaper than”

 

[LFC911]

I had this same dilemma as the OP this year and my wife and I were weighing the options of paying for AirBNB for hunting and recreational trips versus putting it into something we own. We used the camper all summer long for weekends at the lake, trips to YNP and MT TAC. The first pic is my buddy's camper on the mountain hiking back from a hunt/bow hike and the second pic is my camper on the way to the mountain.

 

[ShootOkHuntWorse]

We started with a small camper and then wanted more room. We ended up with a big toy hauler and I hated towing it. We sold it a few years ago because we knew our plans would not allow for much camping trips the next year. I miss having one every now and then but dont regret selling it. If we get another in the near future it will be a simple cargo trailer hybrid type without all the comforts of a full on camp trailer. As mentioned, it’s a lifestyle. If you are going to live it they can be fun. When we are retired who knows, maybe we will get another nice one.

The cargo hybrid really is the best option.

 

[Joshk358]

We bought one a few years back. Love it. Family of 5 and we use it maybe 8-10 weekends/trips a year. I take it hunting a couple times a year as well. Have done the family hunting trips a couple times. Works great. Developed a leak at some point..so tore out part of it and fixing it now. Something always breaks on these things as they are built as cheap/light as possible. I do love it...but its annoying sometimes. Makes a great deer hunting base camp though.

 

[Jimmy]

We grew up with a tent trailer. Traveled all over the west and Canada.

Cheaper, easier to tow, sets up in minutes, easier to store... When its folded up and stored you don't get any sun or dust on the flexible parts inside. Pick one up for 10k and use it for 10 years.

 

[Dennis]

I have tried a lot different setup’s but have settled on this truck bed pop up camper. Easy to load and unload and quick to setup. I can either use by itself or tow a side by side, boat or whatever. Has bathroom which wife likes and our black lab likes the setup.

 

[Timplant]

My .02, Build out your own encolsoed trailer, you get EXACTLY what you want, no extra, no wasted junk, no cheap finishes or crappy doors/seals. it will go anywhere, tow great and are heavier duty. PLUSSSSSS it's dual purpose!

My hunting partner and I have an aluminum framed 19' steep v nose, does everything from haul a 4 door Ranger, cattle and 3-4 weeks a year worth camping, plus it stores all of our goose field stuff all fall.

It has worked flawlessly for up too 4 people and gear for up too a two week trip.

 

[Timplant]

I have tried a lot different setup’s but have settled on this truck bed pop up camper. Easy to load and unload and quick to setup. I can either use by itself or tow a side by side, boat or whatever. Has bathroom which wife likes and our black lab likes the setup.
View attachment 936275

What camper is this, very nice!

 

[cuerro viejo]

What camper is this, very nice!

Hallmark, larger and more option friendly option to four wheel campers

 

[mt terry d]

My wife and I use a 16'utility trailer I did some work on to make it
comfortable to camp. We haul her kayak and my dirtbike in it too.
We both despise hotels. I'd rather sleep under an underpass.
No need for reservations as we also hate an itinerary; take things as they come.
Only issue is the evermore restrictions on where to park overnight on
"our" public land.

 

[Pilsner]

The wife and I traveled with our camper for 9 months a year for more than a half-decade. Now that we have stopped traveling that much and built a cabin, we can NOT wait to see that camper leave our life. Much like a boat is just a hole in the water into which you throw hundred dollar bills a camper is the same way if you stay on top of maintenance and repairs. That was while living in it mostly full time. It is even worse when they are left stationary.
The comparison above to reloading as a cost savings measure is spot on. You don't buy a camper to save money - you buy a camper for the experiences that you have in them!
While I will never again own a pull behind camper we have given significant thought to a cab-over truck bed camper for travel and for my outdoor adventures. As I hit middle age and a lifetime of injuries has caught up with me, I prefer not sleeping on the ground and having AC when it's hot out. We already own and use an MilSurplus Jeep trailer that I tow gear/coolers/etc around with so storage lost isn't much of an issue.

Decide which is more important to you: experiences or cost savings. Then you will have your answer.
If you decide to get into the RV world, remember the first rule of RVing: AVOID CAMPING WORLD LIKE THE PLAGUE THAT IT IS!