The cost of a Camper !

     A lot of people  think a camper is to big an expense .For some it may be but I want to give a rundown on why for most it can be a great long term investment.

      I will use our Fun finder 210 as an example because most people would never consider much less . As a base line cost lets use 6500$. This is about what we have in ours. This includes purchase price, insurance, tag and some chairs and what not.

    Trips to Big Lagoon S.P. 2 stays, 23 days total cost 512$ added gas 180$ total cost 682$. Hotel cost 265$ a night X 23 = 6095$ . Savings on 2 trips =5,413$

   We spent 26 day camped at various state parks and lakes this year. Cost 546$  for site, gas around 200$ so 750$ or so. Flea bag hotels in those areas are 80+ or 2080$ or more. Savings 1330$

    These numbers are for one year and do not include the savings to family that have stayed with us or after us. A ruff guess would be they saved 1500 to 2000$ this year using our camper.

  The wife and I have saved 6,713$ in travel cost plus 2000$ more for our kids. The Larger Fun Finder has been a great investment in its first year . Next year it will cost us less than 500$ in maitence .insurance and tag.

    I do not think a new Camper is worth the additional cost but a 3 to 7 thousand dollar used camper for a famly that will use it 2 weeks and 4 weekends a year over 5 years is a no brainer.

   We did spent 1500 $ camping this year which is a lot but it was less than 150$ a month. My dear wife is the one that saves for travel out of her meager check and she is happy so I am to .

   If we keep Camping with family like we have been for 4 more years the savings will exceed 30,000$ on a 5500$ camper that will still have a value of 4000 to 5,000$.

P.S. While we love the Fun Finder we will be rebuilding our red Tear Drop this fall for quick trips With Out Family !!!!!!!!!

Home at last

    We got home late Thursday night . We let our son and his wife use the camper and they will bring it home Sunday . We had fun but 12 days was a little long for a single destination trip .

     I had to hit the door running and got the BBQ ready for Friday. got home at 9 and was cooking by 10 . Now that was changing gears ! Had a decent weekend .

     On our way we stopped at the casino both going and coming back ,going I won 230$ on the way back we lost 180$ back so we had 4 hours of fun and  50$ for the gas tank. :)

We are having fun !

          The trip down went well ! I made 1 mistake I kept my foot in the pedal going 75 pulling the fun finder and my mileage was about 9 miles to the gallon. That's a problem when its been awhile between trips you hurry and forget to enjoy the ride. The ride is as important as the destination going home I will be going slower and taking the old roads .

      Before the interstate system the rural HI ways held a lot of places for travelers to stop and places to see .Now they are almost gone I remember old Burma Shave billboards and See Rock City painted on old barns and Stuckys advertising 2 eggs bacon and toast for 99 cents.
 I will be back on here later this week. Love the Wi-Fi at mc D but this coffee suck . I am taking the wife a sausage bisects back to the camp site and fix some drinkable coffee !!!

Ready to Go .

     The camper is packed and ready to go and so am I .Sunday morning we will head out about 4 am to the gulf. Now I love to leave before sun up and avoid traffic .On Sunday traffic isn't a concern but I like leaving early . My wife hates it, one she's not an early riser and two she says she cant see the country side .What's to see I am taking 65 south . The sun will be up before we hit the back roads she can look then.

    I may stop at wind creek casino and let her play a little its on the way . Three years ago I  hit a 2000.00 $ jackpot on a machine you never know. The truck  will be ready tomorrow. I had the air fixed turns out it was a clogged orifice tube going into the condenser .It is a minor and cheep repair and will fix the whining sound from the passenger seat :) . We need a little time just the 2 of us. Having the kids around is driving us nuts . Since the stay will be 2 weeks I have the bikes and may rent a kayak one day . I will check in when I go to Mc Ds as the campground doesn't have Wi-Fi .  

Some friendships start on the wrong foot

      Last summer about this time I had a conflict with a vendor selling produce where I have been selling BBQ. Now I have never had a problem with yard sales or others joining me on the road .The more selection the more traffic for both. But this man was setting up in the exact spot I always have been. For 2 weeks I never said a word to him and his grandkids . Finally he came over and asked why I seemed mad about him selling his extra produce ? Well your welcome to sell but that spot where your table is  flat that's why I always have used it. This spot I have is sloped for water when I had the parking lot paved for the old gas station, in this trailer the tilt is terrible.
   Danny climbed in and said it feels like he was sliding and could see the pots would slide on the stove. The next day we swapped spots and struck up a conversation . He told me he took that spot so I would be more visible he didn't know how sloped the ground was .I have been there so long customers know my spot.
    By the end of the growing season he had a lot of regular customers also . This weekend he joined me selling nice to have a friend back . We trade food and lies back and forth between customers and have become friends. Today I cooked fried squash green tomatoes and had buttered new red potatoes. All picked yesterday morning. Next weekend he will have a bigger variety ripening and should do good .It could have turned out differently (in a bad way) I am glad it didn't .

Trip planning with family.

     For the last week we have been trying to coordinate a trip back to Big Lagoon in Perdido Bay Fl. We are set, reservations are made the Camper is packed. Add food and we can roll ! My sister in law is going to join us she has reservations for 4 days .Our daughter is going to come down and spend 3 days staying with us or her Aunt. For 4 days it will be 3 Man bashing women and me !

     My stepson and his wife are planning on coming down for our last 2 days and want to use the camper for 3 more nights and bring it home when done . I have no problem with that but for some reason they are hee hawing on the reservations and Gulf shores is full and big lagoon has 1 spot left. The days of plenty of camping spots are done . Now you have to plan a little ahead if you want weekend camping.  They are wanting to be at gulf state park because its closer to the night life and his father is going to be camping at GSP.

     Kind of funny my wife's EX bought a camper. Now he wants the kids to camp with them like they have with us. He has always been a condo resort type .Makes you wonder what brought it on .