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Old 04-22-2015, 08:39 PM   #21
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Getting flooded out camping in a canvas tent did it for me, went to a new 1990 Starcraft Starflyer, had to sell due to job loss and bought a 1994 version 10'yrs later....that one lasted 9 yrs before we traded her in for our new TT...pup camping wasn't working for me anymore since I was bring everything except the kitchen sink so set up and take down became a chore..along came the TT and I haven't looked back.
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Old 04-22-2015, 09:31 PM   #22
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We did the tent camping thing for a few years then about 8 years ago had the good fortune of borrowing a friend's 27' Prowler. That was a little large for us but it did plant the "seed". Went back to tent camping for a few more years and always had our eyes out for a reasonable used trailer. Wasn't really looking very hard and had one fall right into our lap. Found a 2001 Kiwi 17 a that had been sitting for about 8 years that needed some TLC and now we own it. Had it out 5 times now and are really looking forward to more trips.
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Old 04-23-2015, 05:47 AM   #23
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Several reasons.... We kind of hear the clock ticking with our kids being nearly 16 and 18. We love the movie "RV" and my kids have joked for years we should rent one for a trip. Well, last summer we came very close to doing just that then changed our minds last minute. Looking ahead to this year, thought we would for sure, but looking at rental costs we realized we would halfway to purchase of a good used trailer.

So, I got to shopping around a bit online. Found one, showed it to my wife, but we didn't pursue it. Then, headed to see her parents over Christmas break, she mentioned she couldn't quit thinking about the trailer. I was shocked! So we stopped to look at it on the way back home. We decided against that one, but that spurred a good month of more research. We kept coming back to the 264BHW. Finally, we decided that, depending on price, we probably would rather buy new, and the 2 year Jayco warranty was huge in that.

Then, I turned 50 in February. A week later, on Valentine's, we went to Tulsa (Camper Land) to pick up the unit. As we left the building to tow it home, my wife said, "Happy Birthday" and I said, "Happy Valentine's Day".

It was just the right time...Kids ages, percolating ideas, culmination of research, a landmark birthday, my wife's favorable opinion.
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Old 04-23-2015, 07:39 AM   #24
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I forgot to mention in my story that borrowing the outlaws' Class C MH was one of the tipping points too. I knew a lot already about what I wanted for my family in an RV, but I'm a firm believer (in RVs and other purchases) that until I put my fat a$$ IN it for a while, I don't really know. So we learned a lot from those couple trips about what we did and didn't want in our TT even though we were using a Class C.

So for anyone out there reading these, thinking about venturing into the RV lifestyle, my biggest recommendation is to borrow or rent a unit for AT LEAST one outing at some point in your research and shopping phase. Take a look at units, go to dealerships and sit in them with your family and without the salesman blabbing in your ear, then go rent/borrow one and take it out for a couple nights. Make a list of what you do and don't like about the unit you're in and it will go a long way toward picking the right unit for you.

Just my pair o' pennies.
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Old 04-23-2015, 08:48 AM   #25
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DW. She was right again, I love taking my own hotel room down the road and finding interesting places.
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Old 04-23-2015, 08:54 AM   #26
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I bought a rv/camper because my wife wanted one. Her family camped when she was younger. I camped some prior to meeting her but was fine with hotels and cabins at campgrounds. But I enjoy it and my wife and kids love it...
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Old 04-23-2015, 06:17 PM   #27
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Not a lot of camping as a kid, but my parents were into long cross country road trips to visit relatives and tourist sites. Those were the days when Dad could take all of his vacation at one time. Still remember waiting for the AAA map to arrive with route marked in Orange.

Fast forward 40 some years and retirement is looming. Tried the 7 day cruise; how much can you eat and drink in one day w/2,500 strangers.

Got to thinking about those road trips, so we bought a 5th wheel and traveled thru Colorado and Pacific NW over 2 summers. Decided to upgrade to the Seneca and will do SE this summer.

Life is good...
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Old 04-23-2015, 09:45 PM   #28
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My family always camped when I was growing up, and when I was 8, my parents sold the camper (a 14' Skipper -- kind of tight with two adults, three kids and two dogs) and bought a cottage. That was pretty much the end of camping for the next 20 years until I met my ex-wife. We did some tent camping until it became too much work, so we bought a pop-up. We kept that for 5 seasons until it started to become a hassle and expensive things started breaking -- the salesman who sold it to us probably saw us coming a mile away. We traded it in for a hybrid, and by that time we knew enough to make a much more informed buying decision. Our marriage failed soon after that, and my ex didn't want to have anything more to do with the trailer, so I managed to keep it. I met my current wife not much later, and we've had many great adventures with the hybrid. That's kind of amazing, since her idea of a vacation involves airline tickets and hotel reservations. She definitely enjoys her comfort, and anything without hot running water and a full bathroom would definitely be out of the question.

After owning the hybrid for 10 years, we've decided that it's time to move to something more comfortable and easy to set up, so this spring we bought a Jay Flight 24FBS, and we take delivery on May 6. I've been all over the province towing a trailer; I've seen some awesome country and done some cool things.
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Old 04-26-2015, 09:32 AM   #29
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Kids and tent camping? No thanks!
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Old 04-26-2015, 09:36 AM   #30
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Love of camping in many scenic places. Camp fires, etc etc

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Old 04-26-2015, 12:43 PM   #31
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Rain, wet dog + sick kids in six person tent = RV purchase

My wife and I tent camped for several years including from Kentucky up and around Lake Erie, Niagara Falls, and back to Kentucky. We had a lot of fun, some beautiful camping and we loved it. We discussed one day buying and RV.

We wanted our kids to experience tent camping and they got the opportunity; however, the trip that changed was, as some have said, rain. Our family went camping with another family and it rained the entire time. We had the dog (small dog) and the four of us in a six person tent, most of the weekend and while the tent did not leak it smelled like wet dog and to top it off one of the kids got sick from eating too many smores probably; so now the tent smelled like wet dog and vomit and that was it. We got up at 6 am packed the SUV and headed home - miserable!

We did not buy our TT right away but we didn't tent camp anymore, we had it with tent camping as a family. We purchased our TT in spring of 2014 and our family has a blast camping as much as we can.

My wife and I are still agreeable to tent camp if the two of us need to when necessary, and my son is a cub scout so we will still tent camp for outings but no more family tent camping trips; we are too used to the TT conveniences.

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Old 04-26-2015, 03:16 PM   #32
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I was working construction early in our marriage and was following some big construction projects. I took a job in Wyoming and found there was not a place for my wife and son to live there with me. The next best thing was to buy a TT and live in it and follow the work with my tow behind house.
We did this for 5 years and sold the trailer and picked a spot to live. Later on we went to tent camping with our boys. We had some good times but living in a tent when it rains and sleeping on a leaking air mattress took it's toll.
We started spending more time away from home and eventually decided a fifth wheel was actually cost effective for our trips and a lot more convenient. This ended up to be a good plan and enjoyed RV's ever since.
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Old 04-26-2015, 07:05 PM   #33
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Originally Posted by Iraqvet05 View Post
We tent camped a few times a year and splurged and rented a pop up now and then. Three years ago we tent camped with some neighbors on what turn out to be the hottest weekend of the year. The DW and I were miserable that weekend and that's what pushed us to buying a TT. I had also had enough of "roughing it" from years in the Army.
I have a similar story. I camped as a child. We started in a tent and then went to a 28' bunkhouse. Roughing it was bringing a B&W TV back in the 80's. After the Army I had enough "roughing it" but my family was still camping together so I bought a tent. My wife loved camping but hated the tent and the heat/humidity. We then rented a pop-up for the annual trip but it didn't have A/C and we had to load and unload it so we started looking looking for a hybrid. Been happy camping ever since.
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Old 04-26-2015, 08:20 PM   #34
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Well my parents always had a trailer or 5th wheel around growing up. In 07 I found a good used 32 foot prowler single slide had if for 3 years my oldest was around 10 money got tight so I sold it. This last fall I started looking around(mistake #1) so I looked and found several I liked a single slide with the big bunks. The triple slide with a room in the back. And the 33rlds. I liked the bunk houses I have a 17,15, and 7 year old so I was thinking beds for everyone. So I had my wife in the area were the dealer was so we went and looked you know just looking😄(mistake#2) she liked the 33rlds but was ok with any of them. So then I brought the kids(mistake #3) the funny thing was I figured the kids would want the bunk beds but they wanted the room of the double slide in the living room we have double fold out couches so we can sleep everybody. The figured you are up more than asleep let's have living space not sleeping space go figure.I still don't think I would have done it but my oldest daughter said lets get it and spend time as a family so I bought one of the only items that I know I will loose money on. But I'm happy about it. There's is just no way to explain the brain of a rv owner😃
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Old 04-26-2015, 08:21 PM   #35
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Grew up camping with Scouts and with my Dad being the scout master we ended up camping at least one weekend 11 months of the year. All our vacations were camping in tents as we traveled because we liked it. My wife loves camping as well but in 2013 when we were planning our vacation to the Oregon coast with a 9 month old baby and 2 large dogs we came to our senses and bought the TT. We had discussed for a long time wanting to get a TT and it was time.

Now that we have added a little girl to our family we are very happy to have the trailer and can't wait to go out for the first camp of the season in a couple weeks! a 2 and a 1/2 year old and a 9 week old camping will be interesting to say the least...
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Old 04-26-2015, 08:37 PM   #36
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Pretty much similar story, except I did not come from a camping family. But my then girlfriend liked the idea, and then and later as my wife we did a lot of tent camping - single, married, and with kids. And it was a very cheap way to see the country. Except for the two of us and two small kids tent camping when we went to Disney World - one sweltering night sent us to a motel!). Always was scheming an easier way to pack things to be ready to go, as there was always all that gear, coolers, etc. to load/unload. Kids got older, and decided that they hated hangin' with the parents, as they are wont to do, so camping faded away.
With retirement coming (and now here!) we knew we would never have the money needed for extensive plane/hotel travel. We prefer being outdoors than most city trips anyway. But there was all the now really old gear to replace, organize, load and unload. And there was sleeping on the ground..... Tried it once for old times sake. Nope, no good anymore. Ran the numbers, and even with depreciation, an RV and all the costs of RV travel fit well in the retirement budget. May not jet off to Europe very often, but there seems to be an awful lot of stuff to see in the US and Canada. So it was a pretty obvious solution. The only think I don't like about it is how much easier it seemed to be to find an outstanding campsite when it was just a tent....
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Old 04-26-2015, 09:10 PM   #37
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Never camped as a child and didn't know anyone who did.
My long time boyfriend decided for his 50th birthday to get his motorcycle racing license. He achieved his goal and we started traveling to races staying in hotel rooms. That got expensive really quick and it was more fun to stay at the track so we started overnighting in the back of the motorcycle trailer with the ramp door down and a blackout curtain across the back (our version of a toy hauler). These were private events so safety wasn't really a concern. That led to putting up walls on a 10 x 10 EZUp canopy and we called it our condo. Well the motorcycle hobby faded but we still enjoyed traveling and seeing the sites. That led to our first real tent and the first night we camped in it was 19 degrees and light snow. We were so naïve and I thought we were going to freeze to death, however that trip just convinced us we wanted to do more. Next came a used popup and we traveled from Alabama to Washington DC to Orlando (for a shuttle launch which is still one of the coolest things we've ever done). But alas we age and want more conveniences and easier setup (no more packing up wet canvas in the rain) so in 2 weeks my son will inherit the popup and we will pick up our brand new 20MRB to continue making more memories.
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Old 04-26-2015, 10:53 PM   #38
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Evidently, I suffered some sort of late life "episode". The Big Guy humored me as he thought the urge would pass, but by the time I had researched the WDH and unibody constructed TV's, he was getting a bit nervous. After one year of nightly research, I was ready to order a customized Jayco. That's when he knew he was going to be a camper.

We are most definitely "urban campers", but we have lived thru some boondocking (with the help of rather vast quantities of vodka); finally learned how to smother the incredible noise from our hitch etc; and have fallen in love with most all of the fellow campers we have met.

Everything I know about camping has been gleaned from these Forums and its most helpful members.

Now, if we could only learn how to back this thing up . . . !
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