What have you sacrificed to get back to FW?

[yoopermom]

I can't believe I've done this, but I've listed my beloved Class C 30' motorhome for sale and will use the $$ to buy a tiny popup to haul behind my new Subaru. To get from the northern border of the US almost to the southern, I have to be able to get better than 8MPG. I really discussed it with the family, and we decided we'd rather be at FW in a popup, than at local campgrounds all summer in the motorhome. I even asked them if they'd rather keep the motorhome and fly/stay at one of the values, and they looked at me like I was nuts! Does this put us in the top 10% of "Crazy for FW" people or what?

Terri da Yoopermom

 

[terri01p]

Well we have done without a big vacation this year in hopes of going to FW next year, I put all the money I would have used on a vacation up for next years.

I figure if we are going to pull the tt that far we might as well stay 14 days so we are cutting back this year to have everything paid for next year except for the gas, which I plan on putting on a gas card and paying off later.

We have also thought of getting a pop-up instead of our heavy tt but it's paid for so we will keep it for a while and just try and be happy, of course our truck gets 8 miles a gallon regardless of what we pull with it so...

 

[stacktester]

I think you're in a category that is going to be growing leaps and bounds to be honest with you. I have a 31' 5'er that is a year old and it sits more than anything these days because fuel is too much to just hook up and make a weekend trip. I'm not saying we're going to stop going, but when we go it will be longer trips and possibly do things on the way as well that we might not do as a single trip. When I had a smaller camper we would just pack up for a 2 night Disney stay once a month. Now it's every 3 months or more. The thing killing me is the camper sitting there doing nothing.

 

[yoopermom]

Exactly, Donnie, I can't stand to see it sit. We bought it when we thought we'd "travel the states". But, we started at FW, fell in love, and just went there year after year! Our hope is to sell it, buy the popup, and go to FW for at least two weeks next summer. We love the roadtrip down, it's really part of the "adventure".

The only good/bad part is that I filled the mh up with gas last summer before putting it away, so now I don't know if we should go on one last trip to use it up, or siphon it off and use it in the car. I should add $300 to the price of the mh if I leave it in there!

Terri

 

[tellnotails]

a little advice from a fellow michigander............siphon the gas out....

 

[auntie]

Seems I've been reading more and more of this lately. I don't think you're alone. I'm glad that our tt is paid for. Honestly, we had been tossing around the idea of getting something new last year. For some reason we just didn't. I'm glad we don't have the payment now. We are seasonal for the most part, so we only really tow twice a year anyway. I have to say, I was surprised to see as many campers as I did in storage this year in our resort. Seems people are leaving them, and paying storage rather than towing home and back if they have another trip planned. Also...there is a wait list for the seasonal sites now. Even being seasonal...we aren't using our trailer as much as we used to. Gas is an issue. It's a good 3.5 to 4 hour trip(depending on traffic getting off L.I.). Some 250 miles. We used to shoot upstate on a Friday night and return on Sunday night...now..not so much. Since May 1st we've been there only twice, and one of those times was to set up for the season. My husband actually went himself Saturday..and came back this morning, just to do some work and check on things. We have a refrigerator issue. We're going to see how this season goes..but if we find that we don't get much use of trailer...we will bring it home in the fall, and maybe pass on next season. Rather have it sit in the driveway with no payment, then to pay the seasonal site fee and not use it. So even without towing, we have "issues" that are kind of new for us. We have a wait and see attitude right now. I don't blame you for opting for the pop up...sounds like a good idea. This way you can vacation where it is you really want to vacation, when you want to.. without the fuel being as much of an concern. Sounds like you made a good decision.

 

[AuburnJen92]

Here is hoping you can get a decent price for your MH. As others have said, you are not the only one making this decision and there are many MH's on the market right now. Hoping the best for you.

 

[Disney Campers]

The thing killing me is the camper sitting there doing nothing.

Amen Brother, mine has been sitting for 8 monthes now - the longest it has ever sat still, we use to go almost once a month somewhere. We visited Lazy Days on Saturday, the use lot is packed, lots of used fifth wheels and HD trucks, never actually seen that many trucks at Lazy Days before.

The drought will end for us in 2 weeks, we are finally headed to the fort then back again in Mid July.

 

[Momof626x3]

We did one close to home camping trip last weekend and that is it for camping until our big trip to FW in August. We're saving it all for that one trip, we'll be gone 2 1/2 weeks, and we are also going to make the trip down and back (from upstate NY) part of the adventure!

 

[auntie]

I was reading our local paper today, and noticed ALOT of campers/RV's for sale.

 

[yoopermom]

Luckily ours is paid for, because I know we're taking a bath on it. Better to have something we can use, though! Going to get back to FW one way or another (I think I can fit two sleeping bags in the back of the Subaru if need be...).

Terri

 

[AuburnJen92]

I was reading our local paper today, and noticed ALOT of campers/RV's for sale.

There are tons here too. Even the car lots have the RVs in them for sale now. Even though ours sits in the front driveway and I have a payment on it every month, I am still ok with it. We use it for different things other than camping (like taking it to softball tournaments) so we can still justify it, for now.

 

[ntsammy5]

Yeah, this is just the beginning too. If you're sure you want out, now is probably the time to sell -- prices will only go down from here IMHO.

 

[AuburnJen92]

I still live to close to FW for me to get rid of any RV I have! Plus, I have to have a getaway car for the hurricanes!

 

[ntsammy5]

I still live to close to FW for me to get rid of any RV I have! Plus, I have to have a getaway car for the hurricanes!

I know you don't want to get out!

 

[des1954]

I still live to close to FW for me to get rid of any RV I have! Plus, I have to have a getaway car for the hurricanes!

We actually lived in our RV several times during the '04 hurricane season. When the electricity went out, we just stepped outside, cranked up the generator & lived the life of luxury!!! We even ran an extension cord to the fridge in the house so I didn't have to move any frozen or perishable food!!

There's an auto auction about 4 miles from our house that is LOADED with RV's of all kinds & boats. I've never seen that before!!!

Our MH is financed with Thor Corporation and when DH was unemployed, I called in the hopes that they could lower our percentage rate (when the prime rate was dropping). The answer was NO, as they only finance new MH's. I said that mine wasn't a new MH any longer & that they were still financing it. (That went over her head!) So then I said, "so, you'd rather I not make my payments and then YOU can own the MH?" Her answer? "If that's what you have to do!" Now I ask you.... how STUPID is that?

It's just about as stupid as most CEO's of major corporations receiving on average of a 3-5% pay increases last year!!

 

[AuburnJen92]

We actually lived in our RV several times during the '04 hurricane season. When the electricity went out, we just stepped outside, cranked up the generator & lived the life of luxury!!! We even ran an extension cord to the fridge in the house so I didn't have to move any frozen or perishable food!!

We had our pop up when we had the two hurricanes back to back and out of 29 days of power. Apparently the tree from the lot next door that was hanging on our service line to the pole wasn't on the priority list from FPL. Having a 10mo old and no power all month was not fun at all. I needed the MH then!

 

[cwgamer]

One of the biggest reasons we settled on a PUP over a nice TT was the low towage cost. That and storage. Pulling my PUP behind my Avalanche hardly seems to cost more gas than it would going down the highway with my tent thrown in the back. Owning a PUP defintely has some advantages.

 

[tellnotails]

pay cash for your toys............thats what grandma always said......

 

[christinou]

We did one close to home camping trip last weekend and that is it for camping until our big trip to FW in August. We're saving it all for that one trip, we'll be gone 2 1/2 weeks, and we are also going to make the trip down and back (from upstate NY) part of the adventure!

Wow, I was going to write the same post, we generally do a lot of week-end camping, and have only 1 so far, and are going also for 2 weeks in August from Upstate. We just cannot afford the week-end camping trip, they now cost us $100 in gas.