Discussions

We have a very nice camper which we hardly use. In trying to determine whether or not to sell it, I'm just wondering how many others have campers that are used maybe a few weekends of the year and how do you justify keeping it? Ours is bought and paid for, but I could think of a million things to spend the money on that is tide up in it. But when its needed, it sure is nice to have?! What to do??

I think you may have just answered your own question if you can think of a million things to spend the money on that is tied up in the camper.  
 
They are seasonal and a nice little benefit if you can afford them without anything else suffering. If you use it every weekend and have fun, that's great! If it's only used twice a summer and other things are suffering, get rid of it.  
 
That's just my thought. Great family vacations always and the memories are priceless. Good luck in deciding.  
 
Edited by Kellye, 2016-03-18 13:58:30

We vary a lot, from only once in a season for using it every other weekend sometimes. Ours is also paid for, bought in cash a number of years ago.  
 
I guess if you have money "tied up" in it that you'd rather use elsewhere, look at renting campers. There's a few outfits that do it, especially in the Winnipeg area. If you have $5,000 tied up in it, and it costs a couple hundred bucks to rent a camper for the weekend, you could rent quite a few weekends to "make up" the $5,000.

I have this thing called a tent. Cost me 300 bucks and everybody fits in it!  
 
To me the best part of not having a camper is not having to own a large vehicle to tow it. Our family of four + 3 dogs gets along with a subcompact car plus bike and roof rack.

We have one, paid in cash. We've only had it one summer and dropped it off for a month at a campground. We used it for 2 weeks and 4 weekends and a few days here and there. This year I think my husband is going to get a seasonal so we will probably use it more often. (Well he will, I may just stay home lol) We don't have a truck to haul it so that is a bit of a hassle but we have a wonderful family member who loves us and takes it to where need it  
 
If we were in debt, needed money or didn't use it enough to make the maintenance and insurance worthwhile, it would be the first thing to go though!!

We have one, paid for in cash.  
We started camping when the kids were very young.  
started in a 8X8 canvass tent.  
Then a 12X12 canvass tent and thought we had the Taj Mahal.  
And a canoe.  
We camped almost every weekend.  
Then we purchased a very good used hard top camper and literally wore it out.  
Then the kids were in high school, work commitments and we couldn't get away as much.  
Bought a fifth wheel 2 years ago, and with the grand kids, who just love camping , fishing and tubing we are at the lake now almost every weekend.  
We had a seasonal last year.  
Not this year, think maybe we will head to the Black Hills with the grand kids.  
Ours has bunk beds for the grand kids or adults,and we have actually slept ten in it.  
Think of the future if you have one.  
Grand kids enjoy going with Nana and Papa , and that's cool.  
 
Edited by sprinter, 2016-03-18 16:23:59

We were just going a few weekends a year - 1 week for holidays we had a small used one that didn't cost much to buy and something easy to pull. Now that we have a seasonal we have a much nicer large camper since we never have to move it. Now we camp every weekend from May 1st to the end of Sept as well as a couple of vacation weeks.  
Guess you need to figure out what you want and what's works for you.

You could always down grade to a cheaper camper. We have a camper that is small enough a car could pull it if need be, it fits 4 (if you don't mind being squished), but it's nice to be able to just hook up and go when we decide. I'd never go back to having a tent and having to pack, unpack, pack, and the unpack when we get home. We just leave all the camping stuff in it and take out our clothes (and blankets if they need washed). It's much easier, last year we used it once, but it was cheap so even using it once a year is worth it.

If it's not costing you anything and you don't need the money to keep the roof over our head or food in fridge, I say keep it.  
Find friends that like to camp and make a point to use it at least a couple times a year.  
 
Camping = Memories :D