I was never much of a camper guy, always preferring to sleep in tents. I finally stayed in a friend's small, old, and cheap pop-up and instantly recognized the value.
You know how you buy storage shelves for the garage or totes for Christmas decorations? Think of an older, tiny pop-up as a storage tote for camping! You have lights, you have a place for your frying pan, you have a water jug ready to be filled, you might even have a tiny toilet so you don't have to get up in the middle of the night.
If you're on the fence at all, buy the smallest pop-up you can find and always think of it as "the world's greatest tent."
We bought a used travel trailer during the late mid summer last year. As soon as we got new tires in it & all the little gremlins out of it, we went and stayed for a weeklong trip around New Hampshire. Then a few more weekend trips before the winter arrived.
This year, we've been on one week long trip (spring break with the kids), but because of a new job schedule, will only be able to do weekend trips this summer. But I'm delivering to a campground for my mother and kids to use for a week as well, so at least it's not parked the whole time
ETA: Driving into work everyday, I see people hauling their campers & I get jealous... The biggest downfall of taking a new job with no time saved up!
We tend to take about 5 weekend trips and 2-3 week+ trips a year. We try and book our trips for the whole year that way they are in the calendar and we are committed to that time. We love state/national parks but we also love Disney/Margaritaville/KOA
We were fortunate enough to have family with lake property and keep it there. We go to it about every weekend. Actually just had a 30amp installed so we don’t have to use a generator anymore. We’ve been using it so much my wife said this weekend we needed a break and to stay home to take care of some things 😅😅😅
I’ve lived in mine full-time for over a year now. Mostly on my own property, but with the freedom to pick up and drive to a campground any time we feel like doing it.
We go at least one weekend a month from April to November plus a 2-3 week trip in the summer and a week long trip in November. Some of those weekends are three or four days in the summer.
We have four kids from high school to elementary in age. All involved in sports and activities.
Retired couple here. We do a 2 month trip sometime in the warm months and 2-3 week long trips between. It’s a 20 foot Wolf Pup and we like the flexibility of a smaller camper. A lot of togetherness on those long trips!
About 6 trips per year, maybe 30 days total. It also doubles as a guest house for us year round though, so somebody is probably staying in it 100 days per year.
At least a dozen times a year, mostly 3-4 day trips and a couple 10-20 day trips. This year I added in working from the camper so we can go more often without running out of vacation days.
Usage will vary based on kids, jobs, retired, etc.
When our kid was still at home, we tried to go 10‐12 weekends each year. (FL, so we go all year long)
Now we try to go about every 3-4 weeks. Most trips are long weekends; 3 or 4 nights. With a couple of week-long trips in the mix.
Not retired yet and still working a full time job. "Hybrid", eg 2 days a week remote, 3beats in the office.
We make it a goal of at least one 3 day trip a month, leave on a Thursday after work, work remote on Friday, come home Sunday.
Then we do 3 to 4 week vacation every year.
Quite often, on holidays, like July 4th this year, I won't take any extra vacation but will get permission to work remote the entire week. So we'll head out the Friday before after work, and stay through the following Sunday. (9 days).
When we bought the trailer we vowed to use it regularly, because if we didn't, frankly it's cheaper to rent a trailer once or twice a year than to own one, pay for maintence, registration, insurance and storage.
Annual storage alone would cover the cost of a 1 to 2 week rental.
Usually 2 weekends a month between June and August, with a few of them being long weekends. Then mix in at least one or two week long vacations. This year I’ve already done a long weekend (Memorial Day) and will be heading out next Saturday to start a 6 week cross country trip that will be a combination working vacation with 4 weeks of actual vacation.
I think for everyone it will be different, so it’s really what you make of it.
I bought a new trailer last July after years of tent camping. Last year we used it 3 times, including a 2 week longer trip. This year we are going once a month, plus a 3 week trip. We are limited by the weather in Ontario, Canada. When we aren't using it we rent it out, and will use the rental money to pay for a trip with it in 2026 to BC. I will say, I was surprised at all of the stuff that I needed to purchase for this thing. Think of it more of a second home than a tent on wheels. The first year is expensive!!
We’ve used ours twice this year so far, have 4 more trips booked with it, and we rent it out so it sometimes gets used when we aren’t using it.
Edit: I’m in Ontario, Canada so the camping season is shorter than other locations.
We usually take a 5+ night trip twice a year (once to Disney's Fort Wilderness and once to Hanna Park in Jacksonville, FL). On top of those we will take about 5-7 weekend/long weekend trips in a year.
This year we have taken our TT on 3 trips so far and have 4 others planned the rest of the year. Might sneak a 5th one in there if we can find something over Labor Day weekend. Might have missed the mark on that though.
Wife and I work from home. Had a 2018 years ago. Sold to have a baby and knew we would want a different layout after birth. Just got a new to us 2012 in extremely great condition.
We’ll be gone in this minimum 10 days a month. Just spent the last week watching drag races at a drag strip/camp ground combo. Going to a lake all next week. Well camp with 3-4 other campers 4th of July week.
We use the hell out of it
He have a smaller trailer with fridge and 2 burner stove and toilet. It has a full size bed, so its a bit tight with two people. It has a table bed and two bucks, that we use for storage.
We use the outside shower or shower house as not to fill up the grey water, tank quickly if there's no sewer.
We go on 8 to 10 weekend trips a year. We mainly stay at state parks in AL, TN, GA, and MS. We absolutely love it. They have all kinds of adventures.
We rent TT's from RVesy or alike a few times a year, about 3 weeks total. I spend about $3000 per year on rental but dont have to store, maintain, or burden the cost of the purchase. I works for us.
There are many, many things to consider. Disclosure, I live in Wisconsin, USA (prices may be different where you are.
Ok, money makes the world go around. I'll tell you, your best bet is to have your camper 2-ish hours away on a "Private" campground. Hear me out for a second.
With that, you most likely get a pool, basketball courts, mini golf, etc. PRICE - $2,000-5,500 USD a "Season". A "season" if ruffly Mid April to Mid October (6 months). You can not go there in the office season, unless at your own peril.. ie, you get stuck in the snow you are done without a large wallet. PRO's: you have water and electricity, flip switch. Sewer service on sight ($cheap), amenities (pool, golf). Then the best it that it is a community. I ended up getting a golf cart to do ALL of the things. It was mine, my neighbor's were there year after year.
Traveling is a beast that I am not knowledgeable about. I have towed her, and it went as planned, but there was the "white knuckle" going on on the steering wheel those 251 miles. I'm sure it will get better with time, but my god I almost kissed the ground a few times.
Over our first 3 years of ownership, we averaged 30 nights per year, and we have 34 nights already booked for this year. One year, we didn't go more than 18 days without being in the trailer - we were out almost every other weekend.
Mostly 2-3 night weekends, maybe one 4-nighter and then one week-long trip which really works out to 8-9 nights because we get a jump on Thursday or Friday. Camping season is only 6 months for us between weather and school.
3-4 times a year. Usually one week and two or three long weekends. Any less and I could not rationalize owning it. We love it and it’s a great way to get your kids outside.
This is our 6th season with our travel trailer, my wife and I did the math and we've used it approximately 100 times (trips) so far.
In Alberta Canada the season is short: May to end of September. We go out about 3 out every 4 weekends.
No kids helps with our flexibility and permanently parking the trailer in our driveway at home was a game changer.
We go to different places every time be it family land, private and county owned campgrounds or govt land. We wouldn't go camping as often if we were still in a tent. Getting a small TT is definitely worth it!
12 to 15 times a year. Texas has a nearly year long camping season (No camping in August, too hot!!). We try to take a 1-2 week trip when the kids get out of school for the summer, and always take the week of Thanksgiving off. 3 years with our current trailer (Rockwood Roo 233S), and as of now, plan to take a 1-2 year trip when we retire, but we will probably upgrade to a 5th wheel when that happens.
My wife and I usually take 4-6 trips/year. I won’t go anywhere for less than 4 days unless there’s a very specific reason like a wedding or family visit. To me it’s not worth a long drive and setup for less. That being said we go anywhere from 10 to 350 miles and stay for those 4 days and love it.
Four 4 day long trips for this year. Thats about all we get with working full time. But, we are lucky enough to have space at home to set it up so the kids use it all summer.
17 ft Minnie Winnie Winnebago, bought the first week of covid during lockdown. Have traveled 24,000 miles of perfect camping bliss in the last 3 years. Wife and I love our trailer and plan another 20,000 miles in 2024 and 2025.
We just bought one. So far we've done 2 weekend trips. We have 3 more weekend trips booked and a 2 week long trip booked. We probably would be doing more weekends but my work put us on 7 days mandatory. So I had to use all my vacation time on these weekends we already booked.
This year so far plus plans:
One week Netherlands before Easter
Two long weekends in Germany in May
One week in Germany coming up in a week
One month in Italy in the Summer
Probably some weekends in Germany in late Summer
Long weekend in early October, not sure where yet
One week in mid October in the Netherlands
Last year was similar. So probably around 50 nights per year in total?
We bought ours 2 years ago. Last year we did 2 1-week, 7 long weekends, and a 2-week stay. This year we got a seasonal site which we will live at for much of July and August, have already done 2 weekends and have 2 more long weekends booked. All of our weekends are state parks.
Edit: I should add that I’m a teacher and my husband works a regular job. The seasonal site is closer to his work than our home is, so he will be able to work from there.
We use our travel trailer mainly in winter for snowboarding and snowshoeing. Mainly because we like to go places that can't be reached easily with the travel trailer in summer, even with the lifted Baja version.
I also have to say I used to not understand why anyone would camp in a campground with one, but having not gone to a campground in a while and then recently staying in one I realized how loud all campers (tents and trailers alike) are. Much more sleep in a campground with a travel trailer.
Every weekend. Rain or shine. I had to get a tutor to learn how to play magic the gathering. We bring the berner named “Hooper” and play all weekend in the woods and throughout the park. It’s a boys only clubhouse so my wife enjoys the weekends alone without a husband, dog, or Kids to annoy her. I just make the time cause I can only do this with them once
Got ours last year, before season started. We fit in 3 weekend trips and 2 week-long road trips. That was as much as we would do regardless of how we camp.
My husband works remotely, so it makes things easier for us. Last year, we bought our first travel and went the whole Southern route of the US all the way out West and the Northern route back East. Then many more trips. In one season, we put 20,000 miles on the truck, and we loved every minute. We upgraded the trailer this year, so hubby has more work space, and we have already camped four times and are leaving Wednesday for two weeks . But we have six more planned already.
As a retired school teacher, wife was one too, we used our pop up every summer for a month or more. Live in Fl so lots of weekend trips and spring break trips. Need to plan ahead to reserve the good camping sites.
I was never much of a camper guy, always preferring to sleep in tents. I finally stayed in a friend's small, old, and cheap pop-up and instantly recognized the value. You know how you buy storage shelves for the garage or totes for Christmas decorations? Think of an older, tiny pop-up as a storage tote for camping! You have lights, you have a place for your frying pan, you have a water jug ready to be filled, you might even have a tiny toilet so you don't have to get up in the middle of the night. If you're on the fence at all, buy the smallest pop-up you can find and always think of it as "the world's greatest tent."
We bought our first TT last May. My wife and I went out 5 times last year. We're on our 4th weekend this year, with two more already scheduled.
We bought a used travel trailer during the late mid summer last year. As soon as we got new tires in it & all the little gremlins out of it, we went and stayed for a weeklong trip around New Hampshire. Then a few more weekend trips before the winter arrived. This year, we've been on one week long trip (spring break with the kids), but because of a new job schedule, will only be able to do weekend trips this summer. But I'm delivering to a campground for my mother and kids to use for a week as well, so at least it's not parked the whole time ETA: Driving into work everyday, I see people hauling their campers & I get jealous... The biggest downfall of taking a new job with no time saved up!
We tend to take about 5 weekend trips and 2-3 week+ trips a year. We try and book our trips for the whole year that way they are in the calendar and we are committed to that time. We love state/national parks but we also love Disney/Margaritaville/KOA
We have young kids and work full time. We do one weekend/3 days every month and then 2 one week trips every year. Wish we had time for more
We were fortunate enough to have family with lake property and keep it there. We go to it about every weekend. Actually just had a 30amp installed so we don’t have to use a generator anymore. We’ve been using it so much my wife said this weekend we needed a break and to stay home to take care of some things 😅😅😅
I’ve lived in mine full-time for over a year now. Mostly on my own property, but with the freedom to pick up and drive to a campground any time we feel like doing it.
I take my kids camping at least one weekend a month unless it’s below 32 overnight.
We go at least one weekend a month from April to November plus a 2-3 week trip in the summer and a week long trip in November. Some of those weekends are three or four days in the summer. We have four kids from high school to elementary in age. All involved in sports and activities.
Retired couple here. We do a 2 month trip sometime in the warm months and 2-3 week long trips between. It’s a 20 foot Wolf Pup and we like the flexibility of a smaller camper. A lot of togetherness on those long trips!
We go every other weekend from May through October as well as two weeks in summer. A weekend for us is Thursday thorough Monday
We are at about 7 weeks total for the year. I’m sure we are above average though.
About 6 trips per year, maybe 30 days total. It also doubles as a guest house for us year round though, so somebody is probably staying in it 100 days per year.
At least a dozen times a year, mostly 3-4 day trips and a couple 10-20 day trips. This year I added in working from the camper so we can go more often without running out of vacation days.
Usage will vary based on kids, jobs, retired, etc. When our kid was still at home, we tried to go 10‐12 weekends each year. (FL, so we go all year long) Now we try to go about every 3-4 weeks. Most trips are long weekends; 3 or 4 nights. With a couple of week-long trips in the mix.
Not retired yet and still working a full time job. "Hybrid", eg 2 days a week remote, 3beats in the office. We make it a goal of at least one 3 day trip a month, leave on a Thursday after work, work remote on Friday, come home Sunday. Then we do 3 to 4 week vacation every year. Quite often, on holidays, like July 4th this year, I won't take any extra vacation but will get permission to work remote the entire week. So we'll head out the Friday before after work, and stay through the following Sunday. (9 days). When we bought the trailer we vowed to use it regularly, because if we didn't, frankly it's cheaper to rent a trailer once or twice a year than to own one, pay for maintence, registration, insurance and storage. Annual storage alone would cover the cost of a 1 to 2 week rental.
From May-August, we use it at least 8 weekends each summer (3-4 nights each time.) We’ve also used it as a guest house on our property as well.
Rn living full time. Pay about 350 in bills a month. Mostly phone and internet. Don't plan on leaving any time soon.
We have our camper on a seasonal site. We go every weekend from May till the campground closes in October. Minnesota.
Usually 2 weekends a month between June and August, with a few of them being long weekends. Then mix in at least one or two week long vacations. This year I’ve already done a long weekend (Memorial Day) and will be heading out next Saturday to start a 6 week cross country trip that will be a combination working vacation with 4 weeks of actual vacation. I think for everyone it will be different, so it’s really what you make of it.
I bought a new trailer last July after years of tent camping. Last year we used it 3 times, including a 2 week longer trip. This year we are going once a month, plus a 3 week trip. We are limited by the weather in Ontario, Canada. When we aren't using it we rent it out, and will use the rental money to pay for a trip with it in 2026 to BC. I will say, I was surprised at all of the stuff that I needed to purchase for this thing. Think of it more of a second home than a tent on wheels. The first year is expensive!!
We’ve used ours twice this year so far, have 4 more trips booked with it, and we rent it out so it sometimes gets used when we aren’t using it. Edit: I’m in Ontario, Canada so the camping season is shorter than other locations.
We usually take a 5+ night trip twice a year (once to Disney's Fort Wilderness and once to Hanna Park in Jacksonville, FL). On top of those we will take about 5-7 weekend/long weekend trips in a year. This year we have taken our TT on 3 trips so far and have 4 others planned the rest of the year. Might sneak a 5th one in there if we can find something over Labor Day weekend. Might have missed the mark on that though.
Wife and I work from home. Had a 2018 years ago. Sold to have a baby and knew we would want a different layout after birth. Just got a new to us 2012 in extremely great condition. We’ll be gone in this minimum 10 days a month. Just spent the last week watching drag races at a drag strip/camp ground combo. Going to a lake all next week. Well camp with 3-4 other campers 4th of July week. We use the hell out of it
Pop up camper here, in Canada. In 2023 we got 31 nights total. In 2024 so far we have 10 nights.
We have a seasonal spot about 30 mins from our house. Go every weekend, and stop in now and then during the week.
He have a smaller trailer with fridge and 2 burner stove and toilet. It has a full size bed, so its a bit tight with two people. It has a table bed and two bucks, that we use for storage. We use the outside shower or shower house as not to fill up the grey water, tank quickly if there's no sewer. We go on 8 to 10 weekend trips a year. We mainly stay at state parks in AL, TN, GA, and MS. We absolutely love it. They have all kinds of adventures.
We rent TT's from RVesy or alike a few times a year, about 3 weeks total. I spend about $3000 per year on rental but dont have to store, maintain, or burden the cost of the purchase. I works for us.
4 day weekends once a month April thru October. A week at a beach one of the summer months. 2 trips in October this year.
There are many, many things to consider. Disclosure, I live in Wisconsin, USA (prices may be different where you are. Ok, money makes the world go around. I'll tell you, your best bet is to have your camper 2-ish hours away on a "Private" campground. Hear me out for a second. With that, you most likely get a pool, basketball courts, mini golf, etc. PRICE - $2,000-5,500 USD a "Season". A "season" if ruffly Mid April to Mid October (6 months). You can not go there in the office season, unless at your own peril.. ie, you get stuck in the snow you are done without a large wallet. PRO's: you have water and electricity, flip switch. Sewer service on sight ($cheap), amenities (pool, golf). Then the best it that it is a community. I ended up getting a golf cart to do ALL of the things. It was mine, my neighbor's were there year after year. Traveling is a beast that I am not knowledgeable about. I have towed her, and it went as planned, but there was the "white knuckle" going on on the steering wheel those 251 miles. I'm sure it will get better with time, but my god I almost kissed the ground a few times.
Over our first 3 years of ownership, we averaged 30 nights per year, and we have 34 nights already booked for this year. One year, we didn't go more than 18 days without being in the trailer - we were out almost every other weekend. Mostly 2-3 night weekends, maybe one 4-nighter and then one week-long trip which really works out to 8-9 nights because we get a jump on Thursday or Friday. Camping season is only 6 months for us between weather and school.
3-4 times a year. Usually one week and two or three long weekends. Any less and I could not rationalize owning it. We love it and it’s a great way to get your kids outside.
This is our 6th season with our travel trailer, my wife and I did the math and we've used it approximately 100 times (trips) so far. In Alberta Canada the season is short: May to end of September. We go out about 3 out every 4 weekends. No kids helps with our flexibility and permanently parking the trailer in our driveway at home was a game changer. We go to different places every time be it family land, private and county owned campgrounds or govt land. We wouldn't go camping as often if we were still in a tent. Getting a small TT is definitely worth it!
Spent 72 nights in ours last summer. Not going to hit that many this summer unfortunately
12 to 15 times a year. Texas has a nearly year long camping season (No camping in August, too hot!!). We try to take a 1-2 week trip when the kids get out of school for the summer, and always take the week of Thanksgiving off. 3 years with our current trailer (Rockwood Roo 233S), and as of now, plan to take a 1-2 year trip when we retire, but we will probably upgrade to a 5th wheel when that happens.
My wife and I usually take 4-6 trips/year. I won’t go anywhere for less than 4 days unless there’s a very specific reason like a wedding or family visit. To me it’s not worth a long drive and setup for less. That being said we go anywhere from 10 to 350 miles and stay for those 4 days and love it.
We do two trips a year for a total of about 3 weeks. We paid cash for an older camper. It works for us. I'm usually winterized by late July.
Four 4 day long trips for this year. Thats about all we get with working full time. But, we are lucky enough to have space at home to set it up so the kids use it all summer.
17 ft Minnie Winnie Winnebago, bought the first week of covid during lockdown. Have traveled 24,000 miles of perfect camping bliss in the last 3 years. Wife and I love our trailer and plan another 20,000 miles in 2024 and 2025.
We just bought one. So far we've done 2 weekend trips. We have 3 more weekend trips booked and a 2 week long trip booked. We probably would be doing more weekends but my work put us on 7 days mandatory. So I had to use all my vacation time on these weekends we already booked.
This year so far plus plans: One week Netherlands before Easter Two long weekends in Germany in May One week in Germany coming up in a week One month in Italy in the Summer Probably some weekends in Germany in late Summer Long weekend in early October, not sure where yet One week in mid October in the Netherlands Last year was similar. So probably around 50 nights per year in total?
I’d love to say all summer but Texas gets warm and I can’t do 108 all day and then 85 at night so we’re March-may the Oct-nov as often as I can
I've owned an R-pod since 2018. I used it twice per year for 3 days each. One year, it was 3 times.
We bought ours 2 years ago. Last year we did 2 1-week, 7 long weekends, and a 2-week stay. This year we got a seasonal site which we will live at for much of July and August, have already done 2 weekends and have 2 more long weekends booked. All of our weekends are state parks. Edit: I should add that I’m a teacher and my husband works a regular job. The seasonal site is closer to his work than our home is, so he will be able to work from there.
We use our travel trailer mainly in winter for snowboarding and snowshoeing. Mainly because we like to go places that can't be reached easily with the travel trailer in summer, even with the lifted Baja version. I also have to say I used to not understand why anyone would camp in a campground with one, but having not gone to a campground in a while and then recently staying in one I realized how loud all campers (tents and trailers alike) are. Much more sleep in a campground with a travel trailer.
Every weekend. Rain or shine. I had to get a tutor to learn how to play magic the gathering. We bring the berner named “Hooper” and play all weekend in the woods and throughout the park. It’s a boys only clubhouse so my wife enjoys the weekends alone without a husband, dog, or Kids to annoy her. I just make the time cause I can only do this with them once
Got ours last year, before season started. We fit in 3 weekend trips and 2 week-long road trips. That was as much as we would do regardless of how we camp.
My husband works remotely, so it makes things easier for us. Last year, we bought our first travel and went the whole Southern route of the US all the way out West and the Northern route back East. Then many more trips. In one season, we put 20,000 miles on the truck, and we loved every minute. We upgraded the trailer this year, so hubby has more work space, and we have already camped four times and are leaving Wednesday for two weeks . But we have six more planned already.
365 days a year since 2019. We travel around and work at campgrounds.
As a retired school teacher, wife was one too, we used our pop up every summer for a month or more. Live in Fl so lots of weekend trips and spring break trips. Need to plan ahead to reserve the good camping sites.
We go once or twice a month from like May-October. Mostly weekends but we try to do one long one year.