3 trucks and 4 campers in a year

[Lawdogs]

The DW and I started out tent camping. We love to spend our time outdoors. After a couple of wet mountain trips and rocky sleeping areas, DW was ready to sleep up off the ground. So, down to the dealership to buy a pop-up, a 2002 Coleman. I loved the pop-up and we used it alot. At the time, I was towing it with a 07 Ram 1500 with a 4.7L engine. Here is where the story begins. Last April (2013), we were camping with family at a state park. DW made a comment that the fridge was not tall enough to stand stuff up (strike 1). She then made the comment how she hates getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathhouse and could not go back to sleep (strike 2). Before strike 3, back to the dealership.
We had the salesperson show us several smaller TT's. He was really a super guy. He would show us any TT we wanted but he stated if we bought to small, we would be back to up size. We ended up with a 2012 24' Wildwood TT with no slides. We thought it was perfect for us and our small Pitbull, Tater. The new issue was the truck. It would pull the TT fine, but I did not like the fact that I was taching 2700 rpm going down the interstate. So, I traded the truck for a 2012 Ram 1500 with the 5.7L Hemi. Towed like a dream and look great.
Veterans Day Weekend, we went camping with my parents in the mountains. We had a new addition to the family, a 16 week old German Shepard pup. My parents had a 26' camper with a large slide out. After seeing my parents camper and knowing the puppy would at some point in time be pushing 110-120 lbs, DW decided we needed more space (i.e. a bigger camper). On Veterans Day Monday, back to the dealership.
Same salesperson, again, showed us all the TT that we wanted to see. We were interested in newer used units with slides. After not see anything we liked, we decided to bite the bullet. Being that it was soon to be our 25th wedding anniversary, we agreed to attempt to buy our first new TT. Before looking, I put a weight restriction on any trailer we would buy. I was worried the Ram 1500 would have problems pulling a heavy trailer. After spending sometime looking and not finding anything, the salesperson said he had two TT's he wanted to show us. Both trailers had opposing slides, just what we had in mind. My issue with the TT's was the weight, around 7400 lbs. dry. Salesperson assured me our truck could handle the load. We ended up with the Outback 298 RE. We thought the Outback was the best thing since sliced bread. The truck did a good job of hauling as well.
Now that we were doing more camping and going to different places, I became concerned that the Ram 1500 might struggle pulling some of the mountain grades. I started looking for a TV with some diesel power. I found and bought my first new truck that had everything that I wanted already on the truck, a 2014 Ram 2500 with 6.7L Cummins diesel. With the new truck, we knew we could pull any trailer we wanted. Did I mention that DW and I always saw ourselves in a 5th wheel.
So in April of this year we made the first trip with the new truck and third for the Outback. We went camping with my sister and brother-in-law at a nice campground that we go to often. My brother-in-law had bought a TT toy hauler before we bought the Outback and he also bought a 2014 Chevy 3500 Duramax diesel before I bought my truck. Kind of looks like I am trying to keep up with the Jones. While sitting around the campfire and enjoying several barley pops (beers), the conversation about trailers came up. My brother-in-law says to me "You don't have a hair on you A** if the next time you go camping, you don't have a 5th wheel". DW and I both knew it was going to happen, and that we should go ahead and do it while we were both still working. So, Monday afternoon, back to the dealership. DW was not there so I was just window shopping. By Friday evening, we were the proud owners of a Cougar 327 RES 5th wheel. We absolutely love the 5er. We have camped in it ever weekend. Even did driveway camping over the holiday weekend (where we will do most of holiday weekends). I think we finally got to where we wanted to be. DW has even hauled the 5er a couple of times and did a awesome job (and why wouldn't she).
For those keeping count...that is 3 trucks and 4 campers in one years time.
Moral of my story: Buy the biggest, baddest TV and trailer you think you might sometime be able to afford. It might save you money and time in the long run.
Happy Camping!!!

[hankpage]

Wow! I feel cheated ..... two trucks and three trailers in twenty years. I must be doing something wrong. You really should not go camping with others and if you do stay out of their trailers. Hank

[HappyCamperMN]

Wow...

I feel very fortunate that we did (hopefully all of) our upgrading "on paper" between the pop-up and our Premier 31BHPR.

[Festus2]

Lawdogs -
RV and truck salespeople must drool every time they see you walk in the door. "Hey guys, look who's back!"

[ohiocougar]

Different moral of the story- go camping alone

[GaryWT]

Congrats, my guess is you are not alone, others just don't admit to it, lol.

[GMcKenzie]

I'm not guilty of this, but my parents sure are.

My inheritance is evenly distributed between the local GM dealer, the local RV dealer and the local Casino.

[JRTJH]

When I was in the Air Force most "young troops" had very little money. Knowing the military's requirement for "financial stability" some of them would find themselves in a position where they couldn't make their car payment on time. I had a couple of young guys along the way that "figured out" how it was simpler to trade in the car before the payment was due and buy another one while deferring the first payment "due date" for 60 days. Then, if they got into another bind, just trade that one in and defer the first payment again....

Somehow, they came to the conclusion that it was "safer" to owe the bank than it was to explain to the commander why they didn't pay their bills on time.......

I'm sure, for different reasons, the truck and RV salesmen in Ashland, VA salivate every time they see you walk into the showroom.....

[therink]

I thought I was bad. 7 campers and 6 trucks in 15 years.

[byrdr1]

Great story and a great camper 327RES.. We love ours..
Seems we all make this journey but maybe not in one year.
We have moved up each time but its been over the last 15-16 years.
Tent= F150 super cab
Popup= F-150 super cab
F-150= F-250 CC 5.4
F-250 crewcab gas engine= Popup
Used TT = F-250
F-250CC = F-350 7.3PSD SRW CC
F-350 = used TT
F-350 = 2006 Cougar 301BHS TT
F-350 = 2011 Cougar 327RES 5er
We are here for a while even though I keep looking at 2008/09 F-350 6.4PSD
Randy
Looking at this seems to be a pattern of F series trucks,
oh yeah I had an Ford Explorer before the truck.

[Ken / Claudia]

That last sentence is so true and I have advised the same thing for the same reason. RVs and boats, we get one and want/need a bigger one. Been there done that. Get the bigger truck now, it will cost more later. The fact is things in our lives change and a bigger or different RV or boat does make sense. Looking back 30-35 years, 8 Rvs, 3 boats, 11 vehicles to pull them.

[Lawdogs]

A pix of driveway camping over Memorial Day weekend.

[Bob Landry]

I'm not that bad.. Three trucks and two trailers in four years.

[bsmith0404]

Okay, I'm not quite that bad, but close. Started out with a 30' single slide Homestead 5er and a 2002 GMC 2500 gas. Had to stay small on the Rv due to the gas motor. That was 2009. After a few trip across the rockies I was dreaming for a Duramax. In 2011 about a month before returning from a year in Afghanistan I upgraded to a new 2500 Dmax. Salesman was great, made the deal completely through email and they delivered the truck to the house and did all of the paperwork with my DW at the kitchen table. Fast forward 3 weeks, 1 week away from coming home, hail storm destroys the Homestead and cancels our welcome home camping trip. Well now I have the Dmax, time for a bigger trailer. Along comes the triple slide Jayco 291 RLTS. Loved the camper except one thing, by the time the kids got all sprawled out at night I couldn't get to the kitchen for coffee or anything else in the morning. So after just 2 years, we bit the bullet again and bought our Alpine 3500RE. This camper is everything we have dreamed about and we absolutely love it. Now for the down side....the 2500 Dmax was about maxed out. Plenty of power, but I did not like the feel of the tires with that much weight sitting on the hitch. So back to the dealership for the current 3500 HD DRW Dmax. This combination is unbelievable, I "think" we are set for quite while now.

[Shewbox]

The important thing is you have fun -- enjoy every minute!! Be safe !!

[I.plod]

2 trucks, 2 trailers, 2 years.

I'm a chemist/ statistician.

I can see this will not end well...

[byrdr1]

Originally Posted by Lawdogs

A pix of driveway camping over Memorial Day weekend.

We do the same thing over Memorial day weekend at a friends house who has 6 acres. We do this and its called wrench-a-thon weekend. We also do a big Sunday cookout..

[Kristi]

Makes me feel better about our 2 trucks, & 2 campers in one year.