Hi,
Just a thought here. Did you think about renting a trailer? You could get the camping experience while getting some additional protection from the elements. I don't know if it is out of your budget. These are things you have to decide. My parents are renting a trailer when we go down in a few days. My mother found the price of renting was better than driving the motor home down.
Being first timers, I would suggest try tent camping closer to home a few times. This way you get a good idea of what to expect and how to react to it. I didn't catch this point in your post the first time around.
As a side note, my parents tented with me many of times when I really young and quoting my mother, I was camping while she was pregnant with me.
I did the tent and under the stars thing until I was in my mid to late 20s. The last couple of years my wife and I were either borrowing their motor home or shacking up with them. Last year we felt it was time to get our own RV and we bought a trailer. So I am second generation RVer and camping in some form or another since I was born. My DD wants to go tent camping at some point. FW? Maybe....