Help convince me

[gradertb]

We are looking at purchasing a 2015 Jayco White Hawk 28dsbh from RV Connection in Middlebury, Indiana. They offered a solid price at $20,499 for a brand new unit.

Now, about us. Family of four. Parents 40 years old and two kids, 10 and 6. We would use this camper maybe 6 times a year for a total of lets say 15 days. We would have a very solid down payment.

Help convince me that spending 22k plus is the right decision. I would expect to keep the camper 3-4 years so I would assume considerable depreciation. In the end, is it worth it to buy new and would you spend that kind of money for 6 times a year?

[Adk Camper]

Personally I wouldn't waste 22 grand on something that I would use only 6 times per year then get rid of it in 3 - 4 years. That makes no sense to me.
But then again that's just me and only my opinion.

[Ela1948]

Because you need convincing, I would question your desire. It is a major investment if you KNOW that you want to camp. It sounds more like a passing whim in your case. I would spend it in a heart beat because I know how much we enjoy it. When you have enjoyed it as much as us, you won't need convincing!!!

[SouthCo]

Have u all ever camped (tent or trailer) before? Do u all enjoy doing stuff outside? Why do u expect that you'd keep it for 3-4 years?

[SouthCo]

And to answer question is it worth it to by new, we looked for a decent cleaned used trailer for a while. In the end the used ones that were in decent shape weren't much less than a new one so it was an easy decision for us to buy new.

[Flapper]

You should do it for the same reason that I spent much more than that for a boat, motor, and the lifetime purchases of fishing gear, to catch something I could cheaply buy every day at the grocery store.
Some things can't be very well justified on just the basis of economics. And yes, why do you only plan to keep it for only 3-4 years??

[Stingray75]

You'll have a tough time justifying unless you know with certainty that camping is the thing to do. Try looking at it this way
$200 / nite to rent a hotel someplace
$600 for a 3 night stay
$3600 if you do that 6 times a year
$14,400 after 4 years

Looks like you could spend $20k today and be ahead of you sold for $6500 in 4 years. To get real finite, roll in the cost of eating out vs bringing your own chow.

Can't imagine pictures of hotel rooms being nearly as memorable as pictures of campsites. ��

[Roadwarrior]

I agree, If you need that much convincing, it may not be for you. Think about storage, winterizing etc...lots of work for 15 days a year of camping.

[Touch N Go]

Just do it!! Life is short. The experience is priceless. Your kids will talk about it for life. When its over, you will say I should have done it earlier in life. I did, Amen to that.

[Tex1961]

I liked Stingray and Flapper's replies.. We found our unit which is similar to yours used. It was 1 year old and looks like it might have been used only a couple of times. New was 22k and we got it for 13k. We averaged 1 - 2 times per year tent camping, now we go on average of once per month because weather isn't as much of a factor anymore.

[Ela1948]

Back in the early 90's we took the kids to Disney in a truck camper. Stayed in Fort Wilderness.. Absolutely a wonderful experience. Forward 10 years. I got so envolved in work that I sold our campers and didn't take any vacations. The DW and I decided to go back to Disney even tho we didn't have a camper. We stayed IN Disney. It was nice BUT it was a motel room. When you went into your room and closed the door, you could have been in any upscale room up and down the road. At the end of the day we found ourselves back over to Fort Wilderness setting on the porch chewing the fat with the inhabitants of Fort Wilderness. I never took another trip without a camper. Never will!!! It's the experience, not the cost!!! If you truly love camping, the cost is not a major factor.
When I'm not camping, I'm plotting my next trip or I'm adding some component to expand the possibilities. That's what camping is to me!!!

[fielro]

The memories you make with your family camping can't be compared to a hotel stay. Life is way to short not to enjoy the great outdoors with family. Take the plunge, you will be glad you did when the kids are all grown and they tell you the best times of their life was spent camping.

[Ustabslim]

You will meet new friends in the parks..kids will make lots new friends..weekend romances...outdoor play..riding bikes etc. Cooking experiences..outdoor sights and sounds... in a hotel...well...your in a room.

[clubhouse]

4 years @ 15 nights a year is 60 nights total.

If you pay $22k then hopefully get $12k for it in 4 years you will have paid $166 + CG site fee for lodging each night

Now there could be lots of other expenses related to TT ownership therefore I think you can easily look at 60 nights over 4 years as $200+ a night. Is that worth it to you?

If I was you I would find something for 1/2 the amount used and plan to keep it 8-10 years.

[Camper_bob]

Bottom line: you can't consider a travel trailer an "investment" unless you consider memories to be the "return". It can't be about the money, it has to be about the experiences and the memories.

I'll agree with the others who have said that if you need convincing, your heart's not in it, and you'll never experience it like it should be.

[cekkk]

The question has me wondering if there's one "parent" who is not all that hot on making the deal. If that's the case, I wouldn't want to pick a side!

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by cekkk

The question has me wondering if there's one "parent" who is not all that hot on making the deal. If that's the case, I wouldn't want to pick a side!

Good point! It took me over 2 years to convince DW that we needed a TT. We went on a long road trip traveling like she thought she wanted to travel: staying in a different hotel room every night of the trip. She HATED it so much that on our way home, she said "OK, I'm ready to talk seriously about buying a travel trailer." A few months later we were signing papers on our new Jayco.

[Wrascal]

Two ideas come to my mind; first (as previously mentioned) is to purchase a very cheap used one, just for the experience - to see if y'all like it. My second idea is renting one.

I went with option one, we purchased an older/ well used bumper pull. Only used it 6-7 times over two years, for 3-4 day trips. We liked it and found out the additional things we needed, then upgraded to a 5th. Again used - but affordable.

Afterthought: I sold the first one for more than I paid for it!

[spoon059]

That's a lot of coin for minimal usage. I would find some sucker that did exactly what you want to do and buy his lightly used 4 year old camper. Then you can spend roughly $10-12,000 buying a used camper, use it for 4 years and sell it for $8-10,000. You will save a LOT of money and still have a nice camper.


We are looking to drop about $22 to buy a new Jayco this winter, but we go to Florida for 2 weeks every year... we go to the lake twice a year for a total of 7-8 days... we go to NYC on occasion... go for long weekend trips elsewhere... go to the beach for a week...


In other words, we plan to use ours.

[MrKong]

What are you using for a tow vehicle? Lets not put the cart before the horse.