Should I keep my 5th wheel??

[blongtin]

Well I have a good question for everyone here...this might get a little long...but this is what my predicament is:

About 3 years ago my wife and I purhased some lake property and we ended up buying a 32' 5th wheel camper to put out there to spend our summers in. We loved spending time there. Well all the right things happened and I got a job that is allowing us to build a home at our lake lot which will be done this month. What I would like opinions on is whether or not we should keep our 5th wheel. I bought a truck to pull it which I will keep either way. It's currently financed, loan and insurance payments are low and not a problem. We'll just be paying it off for a long time or until we have some free cash to pay it down. We are a young couple that will be starting a family soon. Either way we want to have a camper. Our options were to sell this and pay for a smaller camper and not have the payments. We feel that it's big for us...but with the dogs & if we start having kids it'll be nice to all go camping in for years to come.

We brought it up to Duluth this last summer and it was great to have somewhere to go when it rained, and gave us a warm place to go since it was early in the year. We could bring it up to the Lake of the Woods where my grandma has a cabin. We don't "need" it up there, but it would give us our own place to sleep at night. We would also use a camper a couple of times a year where we bring it to my in-law's place with a group of other people that camp together for the 4th of July, etc...

So should we just keep this since we really do like it, or should we trade down to a smaller camper? These pics are not of our camper, but pretty much identical to it other than the interior color.

[croixflats]

Now that the lake home is on the way down sizing would probibly be a good idea. the size is nice but ask yourself how often will you need that size now that the lake home is on the way.

It served its purpose for the lake property now its a luxury item. Its a personal choice but for me a smaller camper I could get by with like in the case of grandma cabin, a place to sleep. I would think most of the time would be spent with grandma in her cabin.

Pluss a smaller camper is easier to store and up keep.

Dont get me wrong on "luxury item" evreyone deserves to have what floats their boat with in their means.

[heat checker]

If it's an older camper, it likely isn't worth a whole lot. Unless you buy a smaller camper of the same age, my guess is you won't gain much financially, and may be giving up the extra space along with quality of unit maybe being less on a newer unit.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Depends on if you want the hassle of a large rig vs a smaller one. IF you can get enough for it, I would sell it and get a smaller one. Consider one small enough to allow you to pull a boat behind. It may open up all sorts of new possibilities for you.

[S.D. Ice Angular]

I would keep it!

Unless you list it for sale and get a GREAT price for it.

You know what you think it is worth see it someone will give you that on the open market.

JMO

[wally-eye]

I'm jealous. I wish I had your predicament. A lake home & a camper would be almost perfect in my world.

[blongtin]

We're still not sure what we're going to do yet. I guess we have all winter to decide. Right now I'm thinking that maybe we'll keep it for next summer so we get a good idea as to how much we're going to use it when we're actually settled in.

[solbes]

The market would be nil right now due to the season, so certainly sit on it until spring. We have a 28 foot travel trailer that we use in a similar fashion. A "cabin" at our lake property until we can afford to build a real cabin. At 28 feet I feel we have too little room for guests, but too much for just our family of 4. Weird.

If I was to keep a camper after building a cabin, I would downsize to a lightly used 24 or 26 foot model. Just easier to store, easier/safer to travel down the road, less wear and tear on truck. When we are actually camping, we spend most of our time outside anyway so space is not as much of a premium.

Either way, you're in a great situation. Congrats on fulfilling the dream of that lake home!

[chasineyes]

My advice would be to sell it in the spring and then start putting away $1000 a MONTH . That way when you start your "family" you will have no problem with the daycare and other "costs" associated. (Other parents will probably concur) Plus you will then be able to buy a smaller camper to take the family. My parents have a cabin on Leech and every year we go there less and less because with a cabin, it's the same thing. Where as your camper...the sky's the limit!!

[deerminator]

Ditto on chasineyes advice. If you have to ask yourself if you need it, you probably don't. But that said, you don't want to sell it if you can't get a decent price for it. As far as the kids go, start saving right now if you're going to do daycare. Right now in the country, it's $1,200 a month for two kids to be in a good church-run daycare. I've heard it can be that much or more for one kid in the Cities!

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

My advice would be to sell it in the spring and then start putting away $1000 a MONTH . That way when you start your "family" you will have no problem with the daycare and other "costs" associated. (Other parents will probably concur) Plus you will then be able to buy a smaller camper to take the family. My parents have a cabin on Leech and every year we go there less and less because with a cabin, it's the same thing. Where as your camper...the sky's the limit!!

Ah, but to have them both... sweet

[chasineyes]

Ah, but to have the TIME to use them...priceless

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Ah, but to have the TIME to use them...priceless

Good one!

[blongtin]

Thanks for the reality check you guys! I think we're just going to sit on it over the winter and figure out what we're going to do since right now is not the time to sell anyways.