HELP ME PICK AN RV... or not.

[!@#$%]

Heres the drill. I dont want a big RV because I have no where to park it. I dont want one that I have to pay taxes, inspection, insurance, etc on either. Then there's winterizing, tire dryrot, battery upkeep, etc. So I guess that leaves popups. Fine I guess, but I wanted to be in the same vehicle as the wife and kids on the way down and back. So I'm not sure on that one either. I have 4 vehicles already. A Nissan Maxima (my baby! 100MPH cruise control...) a low rider show mini truck (for sale; hopefully gone soon) & 2 vans (ones a dedicated plumbing van; the other does have some plumbing tools, but not much) the second van is an E-350 Club Wagon. Basically, a church van. Its the only logical solution. We considered making it our choice and we already have a portable RV potty. But heck... with $49.00 rooms at the Pop Century or All-Stars in value season... Should we bother?
I hate having to load and unload the motel room, but is that enough reason? Loading the van at home isnt as bad cause we do it over a week or two time, and it all fits in the trunk of our Maxima. Keeping an RV stocked and ready to go seems really nice. I'm just wondering what other peoples thoughts on the subject are. We considered finding an old VW bus too. Selling my lowrider would probably cover it, but they are older, and I'm not sure I'd trust them that far from home; even restored. My neighbor just bought a nice 32 foot RV. It hasnt left her yard yet, and she has sank a FORTUNE into maintenance and upkeep. (Plus it DESTROYED the view out of our window, now its ALL we see. My wife has vowed to stick a micky head on it somenight.) Is it worth it? Gas IS expensive afterall. The Maxima gets like 35MPG. (not at 100MPH though )
I know theres two sides to every story, so I came here to hear the other side. The side that doesnt seem logical to me... hoping to maybe find some logic I didnt consider.
Any takers?

 

[parrothead365]

How many people total will be camping with you? How old are your children? Would you be using it for quick weekend trips or just long trips?

 

[tim5055]

Check out my Pop Up Camping Frequently Asked Questions

That, in addition to the links to other pages should help you decide if a pop up is right for your family.

Now, just off the top of my head if all you would ever use it for is towing to FW, then just save your money and get rooms at POP. Just remember there is wonderful camping and family memories all over North Carolina as well as the ajoining states.

 

[movtarget]

If you only got the pop-up and camped at Ft Wilderness once every couple of years, you would still have satisfaction. But, camping with family has much more value than staying in hotel rooms. And camping beyond Disney, although not quite as magical, is a wonderful, relatively low-cost family outing.

You'll find that you'll come up with places to go. Even though you are within an easy drive of the Asheboro zoo, camping near there is great. The Blue Ridge and Smoky mountains hold many camping treasures, plus, there's nothing like camping at the big campgrounds at Myrtle Beach, or the still fairly remote Outer Banks.

My favorite reasons for camping...

the smell of a campfire and fresh bacon cooking outdoors on a crisp spring or fall morning...

sleeping in my own bed (I try not to think about the multitude of people that have slept in a hotel room I'm using... yuck.)

AND Intentional time dedicated to family interaction, with no neighbors, work, home chores, and most of the time, no TV, computer, or video games.

Moving Target in NC

 

[minkydog]

Well, that depends. Do you actually like camping? Because that's the first issue. Camping in a pop-up is definitely camping. It's small & crowded and very much fun, but only if everyone enjoys that kind of vacation.

We have a small-pop-up that cost us about $4000. We pull it with a GMC Safari minivan. We keep it stocked at all times with the items we need other than food. It takes about 3hrs to pack our clothes, toys and food then off we go. We love camping at FW because it's so laid back and the amenities are nice. However, if you are primarily resorty people this might seem like a lot of work to you.

Good luck with whatever you decide. Buying a camper is only a good investment if you enjoy camping

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Even a pop up requires some maintenance. If you want something that you can just slap on the back of the car and go then an RV IMHO isnt going to do that.

 

[!@#$%]

Lots to consider there. I like the camping website. Very informative!

 

[twinklebug]

Even a pop up requires some maintenance. If you want something that you can just slap on the back of the car and go then an RV IMHO isnt going to do that.

agreed.

From what I lived through ( 1 tent, 1 popup, 2 campers & a micro motorhome) there is nothing that is maintenance free. Even a plain 'ole tent needs work to keep it up. Easiest overall for use, setup and cleanup would be the motorhome if you don't count regular engine work into the equation. The nice thing about the micro was that it could easily be used for runs the mall and local entertainment area (think waterpark) and have a place to hang out.

Sounds like cabins or an RV rental may be a better way to go.

 

[!@#$%]

RV rental? Never considered that, but that seems kinda pointless. Everyone uses the clean beds as main reason, which makes sence. A rental RV has beds like a motel. I think if I try it, it will be a small motorhome. Really small. And I'll buy it used and fix it to my needs. I saw one recently that was painted black. The WHOLE RV, EVERYTHING was shiny black. It looked pretty cool actually. Of course I know where I might could score a nice streamline too, but thats a pull behind.

 

[twinklebug]

I just re-read your 1st post...

My neighbor just bought a nice 32 foot RV. It hasnt left her yard yet, and she has sank a FORTUNE into maintenance and upkeep. (Plus it DESTROYED the view out of our window, now its ALL we see. My wife has vowed to stick a micky head on it somenight.)

here's a thought, since it sounds like you havn't tried RVing yet - and if you're on good terms with the neighbor -

what if you mention to her of your interest in RVing, get her talking about it and sneak in that you'd "love to TRY it to see if it would work for your family... if only there were a way"... *wink wink*

We had friends who would borrow our camper from us for a week, we towed it and set it up of course, but after the second time the friends wound up buying their own RV.

 

[Gillian]

Check out my Pop Up Camping Frequently Asked Questions

From my whole family -- THANK YOU!

 

[Gillian]

There are places near me that rent and the units look pretty new.

To me, it's not the BEDS in hotels that are icky so much as the BEDDING. Know what I mean? So if you bring your own sheets and towels I think you'd be fine. If you go local you will be able to inspect the exact unit you're getting and see if it's to your standards of cleanliness.

Your van should be able to tow any popup out there. I think popups are good deals right now because a lot of people like the newer hybrids (high wall trailer with fold out beds). I'd get a hybrid if I had money for both a new TT and tow vehicle or if I had a TV already.

 

[hapinowagain]

We just saw one of these at an RV show. Quite interesting.

http://travelmanor.com/