Where to begin always seems to be the issue. I’ll start with introductions. My name is Richard and my wife is Mary and we are very happy to have you here sharing in our passions. Where did it start and where is it going right? Well for me personally, camping started seemingly early on though not really as a child all too much. I mean I loved the idea of it. Did a few small trips in tents through summer camps and school but nothing long term or hard core. I did camp with a tent a few times in our family room as a kid too. Does that count?. I’d have a friend over and we would set up right in front of the television. Not sure it does, but we had fun.
It really started for me in my teens. My parents had a truck slide in unit that we would take to horse shows and campgrounds when we could. I just love being outside and what better way to enjoy it all than to be camping. You have the woods. Maybe a lake if you are lucky. Biking and hiking and lets not forget about campfires. I love a good campfire on an all day burn. Lucky me, my wife loves it too. As things progressed my parents moved up to a 5th wheel and then another. You know how it goes. The, I’ll say typical bit of progression.
Well, once married and very little tenting and then divorced and onto new things is really where our story lands. My wife and I when we first got married, we had talked about camping and of course time always interrupts the plans. No good excuse but it is what it is. We literally tent camped one time when the kids were younger. Two tents, two kids, one Lab and us and a bunch of totes. Oh, and 95 degrees out. Seriously, I wouldn’t change it except to add in more trips. I never minded the totes and setups and tear downs. It was just part of it and that was fine. I loved tenting, but you get a little older and the back is telling you, “seriously the ground”, um, no thank you. So we started talking more about trailers. And we talked. And we talked some more. Not gonna lie, money was a factor and so was time for that matter. If we were going to spend the money, then we sure as hack better start making the time. Any trailer at all was not going to sit in the driveway just to be an expensive yard ornament. So the talking turned into me hunting online and hunting some more. We went to a dealership and walked through several units getting ideas finally and then I looked a lot more. Again time and money. I literally looked at trailers online for almost two years. Looking at layouts, watching my weight and length so I didn’t kill our truck. Of course looking at price points as well, knowing new was likely not in the cards for now. That was fine but it restricts what’s out there to pick from. Back then there wasn’t nearly the used inventory like there is now since the covid camper influx. So picking was slim. We were patient, what choice did we have.
Then the day came. A Saturday morning, typical as can be. “I think I might have found one”. It’s two and half hours away though. The price isn’t bad. The trailer looks nice for being seven years used. Can we afford it was a big question. After a lengthy morning of calls to the dealership and a not so fun experience already with the person back and forth on the phone and getting additional photos, we made the decision to run up and see it before they closed. The day was honestly on the verge of a nightmare to the point that I requested a new salesperson to meet us when we arrived. Getting there just ahead of closing and a massive storm rolling in, there was no time to waist. This was one of those moments though that only happen on rare occasion. We did a relatively quick walk through trying to beat the rain. and then sat down for a short discussion. It was short too. “If we don’t do this now then when?” How much more time do we have to do this before the kids are grown and miss out on the opportunity with them? It was settled we were going for it. The rest is history as the say.
That trailer like I said was used 7 years. It was in really good condition though no thanks to the dealership. We put in some hard elbow grease and made it like new. Shined right up for us and was a great start to something that we never regretted doing. We are now on our 3rd travel trailer and have started the long process of searching for the next. Never know when that time is coming but we want to know whats out there.
Anyone who camps this way would likely agree that once you start it, it is very hard to stop looking at the next options. It’s more like an addition for us. Within months of getting the first trailer, we were looking at new ones with different amenities against what we liked and disliked about what we had. Our next trailer won’t be for a few years yet based on finances, our last kid outgrowing us and a few other thoughts like traveling longer and further. So yes, we are already looking for the things that will fit our needs.