My friends are buying a camper, should I?

[Rich M]

They want the luxury of parking, having a shower and a soft bed at the expense of the cost of the camper and truck to haul it.

I don't get it.  If I don't feel like staying in a tent, I can pay the hotels...a much more comfy option that a camper, and none of the work.

What am I missing here?

[smedleyb]

They want the luxury of parking, having a shower and a soft bed at the expense of the cost of the camper and truck to haul it.

I don't get it.  If I don't feel like staying in a tent, I can pay the hotels...a much more comfy option that a camper, and none of the work.

What am I missing here?

My buddy picked up a pop-up camper for a couple thousand bucks.  Not a huge investment and probably cheaper than a hotel room over a span of several years.  You're friends are obviously looking to roll in style, which is cool for them.  Like you though I'm partial to the hotel room.  Just be sure to grab some reward points to get it as cheap as possible.

[erwannabe]

I think it just depends on what kind of person you are, some people are creeped out over the cleanliness of hotels.

[catalana]

Have they got dogs?

[gooki]

I'd happily get a camper if I was going to do an extended touring holiday - a couple of months or so.

[bogart]

It doesn't sound like you should, no.

We have one, and I love it.  I like (a) being in the middle of nowhere (by most people's standards; I realize this is impossible in a camper by one subset of such standards), (b) not having to get back in a vehicle once I arrive where I'm going on vacation and (c) being able to prepare my own food.  That combination rules out pretty much all hotels (except maybe a few in national parks), and having the camper does, let's be blunt, make camping a lot easier than tent camping (in many ways, not all).  It also makes camping an (easy, comfortable) all-season activity in our part of the world (SE US).

[arebelspy]

I think it just depends on what kind of person you are

This.  Everyone enjoys things differently.

My sister wouldn't camp in a tent or camper.  Heck, you might be able to convince her to stay in a Motel 6 if you tell her it's "camping."

Others think an RV is too fancy for camping.

Really depends on your personal preferences.

[KittyWrestler]

LOL! RV is definitely too fancy to camp.. I don't get it either. Car camping is right on. Bring ton of food, a good durable tent and some lounge chairs. It's all we need..

[arebelspy]

LOL! RV is definitely too fancy to camp.. I don't get it either. Car camping is right on. Bring ton of food, a good durable tent and some lounge chairs. It's all we need..

And I'm of the opinion that car camping is way too fancy.

I like to pack the gear in backpacks and hike to the campsite.

To each his own.  :)

[Mrs MM]

I'd happily get a camper if I was going to do an extended touring holiday - a couple of months or so.

Exactly what I was going to say.  A camper might work out well for several months to a year of traveling around the country.

[CNM]

If they have young children, camping with a camper is much easier than tent camping.

[menorman]

They want the luxury of parking, having a shower and a soft bed at the expense of the cost of the camper and truck to haul it.

I don't get it.  If I don't feel like staying in a tent, I can pay the hotels...a much more comfy option that a camper, and none of the work.

What am I missing here?

Another quick way to drain your funds. How many of your friends actually use their campers regularly enough to justify all the expenses along with them? If they're out every other weekend, then buying definitely makes more sense then renting. Otherwise, rent the big one for that once-a-year vacation then just use the car if there happens to be a second time. I'll wager that they probably live as typical consumers as well, so they don't get much "vacation" time in a year anyway. Amusingly, the very apparatus they bought for vacation is prolonging their time without.

[strider3700]

We use our trailer every few weekends.  Tent camping for a weekend with 2 young kids was hard.  There was no way we could haul enough clean water to last 2 weeks for 4 of us either.   It's definitely not cheap though.  You need a truck to tow it, and for any decent trip we spend at least $100  on gas getting there and back.    We only camp in places where motels are not an option, and many times 4 wheel drive is necessary to get you in which is always fun dragging a trailer...