Age of fiberglass trailer owners?

[JCZ]

I know it's politically incorrect to ask this question but..........I need some support.

I'm 61 and my wife is 56 yrs. old. She has concerns that if we buy a trailer it'll just sit and we'll not use it much. My thinking is that we'd probably do more weekend get aways.

We're not really "campers" but we love to travel. We just retuned from a vacation with two other couples, all of us on our Harley Davidsons (my wife rides her own), from Calif. to Nev, Utah, Ariz. and Colo and back to Calif so we're pretty adventurous. We did all of that in ten days.

I'd not be surprised to learn that the average egg owner (I believe that's a common term used for fiberglass trailers) is somewhere close to our age group.


So, to calm her fears or suspisions.....what is your age?

And other than washing and waxing three or four times a year, is there any real repetative maintenance needed or required (or is it more that once in awhile maint. thing)?

[Sharon G]

JC, I'm 64 and hubby is 69. We love getting out in our egg more than anything else we do!

I used PoliGlow on my Casita. The directions recommend adding a couple of coats twice a year in tropical climates. Since we are in the deep South, I plan to do that. If you are farther up north, once a year would be fine.

Maintenance on mine has been easy. I just give it a visual once over every month or so to see if there's a rust spot on the frame that needs touching up, how the caulking is holding up, etc. I do sanitize my water system twice a year. And I winterize the water system with RV antifreeze before freezing weather arrives.

I certainly don't consider it high maintenance.

[cpaharley2008]

I'd say the age of campers would be similar to those of bikers. The young's one who are hearty and sleep in tents, middle age where you move up to pop ups and trailers. I gave up my Harley riding because it competes with camping. Motorcycle rides are solo activities, camping involves other parties if you prefer. I'm retired and like the luxury of a self contained bath in my f/g and I enjoy winter camping, so camping is year round in all weather, motorcycles are more fair weather activity.
The other enjoyable part of ownership is tinkering with your home on wheels and making it better or more personal, just like customizing your Harley. No 2 are alike.
You can keep your trailer as clean as your Harley, some people spend hours polishing their Airstreams while other spend hours riding/camping. It is your choice, but maintenance is no more than that of an automobile.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by JCZ

I know it's politically incorrect to ask this question but..........I need some support.

I'm 61 and my wife is 56 yrs. old. She has concerns that if we buy a trailer it'll just sit and we'll not use it much. My thinking is that we'd probably do more weekend get aways.

We're not really "campers" but we love to travel. We just retuned from a vacation with two other couples, all of us on our Harley Davidsons (my wife rides her own), from Calif. to Nev, Utah, Ariz. and Colo and back to Calif so we're pretty adventurous. We did all of that in ten days.

I'd not be surprised to learn that the average egg owner (I believe that's a common term used for fiberglass trailers) is somewhere close to our age group.


So, to calm her fears or suspisions.....what is your age?

And other than washing and waxing three or four times a year, is there any real repetative maintenance needed or required (or is it more that once in awhile maint. thing)?

I'll soon be 61 myself and we have towed our Scamp about 60000 miles over the last eight years,and about 300 nights. We have have attended many ScampCamps and fiberglass rallies and many times we are the youngsters in the group. Many of our fellow campers are well into their 70's and still travel and camp extensively. You are the right age to meet many new friends with common interests and seek many new adventures with the easy to tow and user friendly Fiberglass trailer of your choice.
We don't actually own a "Camper".... Our 13D Scamp is a "Travel Trailer" which is easier, cheaper,and more comfortable than a motel.
We have averaged less than $8 a night for lodging and our trailer is still worth most of it's purchase price.

[Kenny Strong]

We have a 05 Electraglide classic, and a 1993 13' Bigfoot. and we enjoy doing the two different styles of riding. I am 66 and Karen is 62. We have Poly-glo on the Bigfoot. when you use this extreme finish,,, washing is much easier.

[rabbit]

I have to say if my mate thought we wouldn't use X and I thought I didn't want to maintain X, we'd wind up with 2X. I'm 64 and wife still feeds me when she gets hungry. But seriously folks, my wife and I rode a lot of bicycle/camping tours into our mid-fifties. I'm afraid arthritis and general condition has put paid to that. I said when we bought our trailer that I could have lived my whole life without feeling the "need to tow," but she wanted one so I threw myself into the venture heart, soul, and screwdriver. The remedial maintenance has meant more to me than the camping therein because I was forced to learn something about which I knew nothing. As I hinted in my first sentence, you'll need motivation to get out and use a trailer and some honest self-questioning about the degree of your interest in using and maintaining is a realistic place from which to contemplate purchase. If the age of the "interest group" matters, I'd agree that many are getting a bit long in the tooth. Seize the day but make it the day of your choosing.

jack

[Jim Bennett]

Why, I am only 29.....

Ok, actually relatively young, 55, and the wife is 54. My immaturity keeps me youthful though.

I am SOOOOOO looking forward to retiring, and I am absolutely positive that the trailer will get lots and lots of use. This was the main reason we bought it, plus we got a good introductory price.

Unless you buy an older trailer that needs lots of repairs right off, maintenance is minimal.

Even if you buy and decide to sell a while later, you would not be out much, and would have gained some great experiences.

[JCZ]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I'd say the age of campers would be similar to those of bikers. The young's one who are hearty and sleep in tents, middle age where you move up to pop ups and trailers. I gave up my Harley riding because it competes with camping. Motorcycle rides are solo activities, camping involves other parties if you prefer. I'm retired and like the luxury of a self contained bath in my f/g and I enjoy winter camping, so camping is year round in all weather, motorcycles are more fair weather activity.
The other enjoyable part of ownership is tinkering with your home on wheels and making it better or more personal, just like customizing your Harley. No 2 are alike.
You can keep your trailer as clean as your Harley, some people spend hours polishing their Airstreams while other spend hours riding/camping. It is your choice, but maintenance is no more than that of an automobile.

Somebody forgot to tell us this part. Here's some pics that were taken on Hwy. 50 going across Nev. (headed for Colo) when a freak snow storm hit)...... my bike as we arrived in Austin, Nev.



Her bike (the red Street Glide) just outside of Austin as we head for Ely, Nev.....

[jen b]

I'm 43 but am reading at a 47 year old level.

[JCZ]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Why, I am only 29.....

Ok, actually relatively young, 55, and the wife is 54. My immaturity keeps me youthful though.

I am SOOOOOO looking forward to retiring, and I am absolutely positive that the trailer will get lots and lots of use. This was the main reason we bought it, plus we got a good introductory price.

Unless you buy an older trailer that needs lots of repairs right off, maintenance is minimal.

Even if you buy and decide to sell a while later, you would not be out much, and would have gained some great experiences.

My thoughts exactly!

And I forgot to mention.....I'm a twenty year old trapped in an old man's body. My wife keeps reminding me how old I am cuz I've gotten hurt a few times (broken hip on a wave runner in Key West, fractured ribs from a fall on black diamond ski slopes of Squaw Valley, motorcycle accident in San Francisco that resulted in two months in the hospital and ten surgeries).

I believe that a little egg trailer would get used often until we retire and then..........

[john warren]

your like a carbon copy of us. my wife is 55, i am 61. we are not that into camping,,,b ut we love to travel. we are getting ready to retire and are looking at what it costs to travel. the two biggest expenses are gas and lodging. when i turn 62 i can get the golden age pass for national parks that make them half price, by the way.

no as to the trailer. one thing we realise is we do not sit around in the trailer. we are off sight seeing, exploring,,,having fun.

we get up in the morning, i make coffee and breakfast, then we clean up and head out for the day. we may come back during the day for lunch and a nap,,,or maybe not till dinner time. after dinner and cleanup we usually read or watch a dvd on the laptop then about dark:3o we go to bed.

our little camper is effecient at these things.

we don't want to buy a $60-70,000 truck to haul a monster trailer, nore do we want a motor home.(which we had in the past) both options cost too much and use too much gas. we want something we can pull with a reasonable vehicle, my ford ranger,,,or her jeep liberty.

our little camper again excells at this.

and finaly we want a nice looking ,cute camper that others will get a kick out of seeing . that will welcome visitors to come chat. and that those folks that drive behemouths can't even turn their noses up at.
in addition i don't want to do a lot of maintenance, and i hate the look of faded dented aluminium.

agian our little scamp 13 nails it.

now finaly looking at the cost of new , and used scamps, i figured if we bought a new one, used it and cared for it for a few years. decided it wasn't for us, we could sell it for such a small loss as to be a worth while experiment if nothing else.
now that being said, we picked our up feb.19th and on the 18th of july will head out on our 8th trip this year. this time to a dulcimer festival.
my wife, (who's idea of roughing it is no hot tub in the hotel room) is now finding places to go and trips to take , just to get away for the weekend.

so in somation i would say to you, do it. the best investment you can make is an investment of time together. and this is just the ticket.

now if you do get one, , i personaly invite you to michigan for an adventure. you tell me what you would love to do or see, and we will meet you there as your personal guides.

[itlives]

I'm 56 an just got my 1st egg this year (well, actually lat last year). I've been gone in it three times. We slept in it for the fourth (of July). I actually set it all up like we were camping and surprised the wife. She loved it!
I haven't even washed it yet because I've been "updating" the inside. Since mine is 35 years, old it needs a little more upkeep than a new one would.
Let me rephrase that, it needs more work.But that comes with age. Once I get it up-to-date, it will be like any other egg- no more upkeep than anything else that's outdoors.

[john warren]

Originally Posted by JCZ

My thoughts exactly!

And I forgot to mention.....I'm a twenty year old trapped in an old man's body. My wife keeps reminding me how old I am cuz I've gotten hurt a few times (broken hip on a wave runner in Key West, fractured ribs from a fall on black diamond ski slopes of Squaw Valley, motorcycle accident in San Francisco that resulted in two months in the hospital and ten surgeries).

I believe that a little egg trailer would get used often until we retire and then..........

lol ditto,,, spinning my grand kids around on a merry go round and jumping on is how i broke my ribs last year.
my 23 yo brain keeps writing checks my 61 yo butt can't cash.

[john warren]

oh,,,P.S. most harley dealers have bikes for rent about $75 a day, they include helmet and raingear. so you go where you want and ride when you want. i would recomend keeping travel under300 or so miles a day. no need to beat yourself up.

[john warren]

Originally Posted by JCZ

I know it's politically incorrect to ask this question but..........I need some support.

I'm 61 and my wife is 56 yrs. old. She has concerns that if we buy a trailer it'll just sit and we'll not use it much. My thinking is that we'd probably do more weekend get aways.

We're not really "campers" but we love to travel. We just retuned from a vacation with two other couples, all of us on our Harley Davidsons (my wife rides her own), from Calif. to Nev, Utah, Ariz. and Colo and back to Calif so we're pretty adventurous. We did all of that in ten days.

I'd not be surprised to learn that the average egg owner (I believe that's a common term used for fiberglass trailers) is somewhere close to our age group.


So, to calm her fears or suspisions.....what is your age?

And other than washing and waxing three or four times a year, is there any real repetative maintenance needed or required (or is it more that once in awhile maint. thing)?

maint. on ours consists of washing it after we get back home. unpacking diry laundry, and unconsumed food. and cleaning her up inside.
we don't have a toilet or shower just to reduce those sort of problems, and so far we haven't used our city water or greywater tank. but really, barring any goofs i make,,,shouldn't be much other then tires ever few years or a battery.

[Per Walthinsen]

71 and 69. Regretting we didn't get our trailer 30 years ago. Ours is a multi-use unit: travel trailer (up to 6 weeks at a time so far), camper (for hiking and veging) and guest suite at home (OK, just a great place to nap).

It used to be a pain to have to wash it once a year, but since RedMax 3 the process is relatively painless.

If there was no maintenance nor upgrades necessary I'd be badly disappointed. The Burro is a test bed for all my wacky ideas. My main goal is to scehdule enough outings.

[Carol H]

Just celebrated by 30th birthday for the 25th time :-)) Although I have a trailer I still like doing other activities such as kayak camping and skiing. Yes the trailer is nice to have for those times when you find you have a few extra days so you can just head out to explore. Have done lots of travel but not so much in N/A as I have since getting the trailer.... who know.... as its not a real big investment you dont feel bad if it doesnt get used every week-end as you do with a recreation property. As far as upkeep goes again its a lot less than a recreational property.... as you say a wash and wax is a repetative maintenance but only if you like a real clean trailer (some dont) but the other repetitive one is repacking the wheel bearings - done yearly or x so many miles and winterizing is another once a year event which only takes about 15 min. and only if you live in a cold climate.


The average age of fiberglass trailer owners is all over the map. At the last meet we held in BC, the youngest member of the group was 2 months old and the eldest...... well.... so I dont get beat up for revealing it, lets just say they have been enjoying retirement for a number of years now. :-)

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by JCZ

I know it's politically incorrect to ask this question but..........

I'd not be surprised to learn that the average egg owner (I believe that's a common term used for fiberglass trailers) is somewhere close to our age group.

So, to calm her fears or suspisions.....what is your age?

You might want to create a poll for this thread, that way people can respond to the age without identifying themselves. Don't you know you are not supposed to ask women their age or weight?

Since you travel, check out the 2012 rally map which is also available from this thread:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...aps-48254.html

All the green dots that show up on the map are upcoming meets. There are some coming up out your way. You can drop in on a meet and talk to people and see the variety of trailers available. Most of us don't bite. That will give your wife a good idea of the community.

[Mike Magee]

Originally Posted by JCZ

I know it's politically incorrect to ask this question but..........I need some support.

I'm 61 and my wife is 56 yrs. old. She has concerns that if we buy a trailer it'll just sit and we'll not use it much. My thinking is that we'd probably do more weekend get aways.

We're not really "campers" but we love to travel. We just retuned from a vacation with two other couples, all of us on our Harley Davidsons (my wife rides her own), from Calif. to Nev, Utah, Ariz. and Colo and back to Calif so we're pretty adventurous. We did all of that in ten days.

I'd not be surprised to learn that the average egg owner (I believe that's a common term used for fiberglass trailers) is somewhere close to our age group.

So, to calm her fears or suspisions.....what is your age?

And other than washing and waxing three or four times a year, is there any real repetative maintenance needed or required (or is it more that once in awhile maint. thing)?

Washing and waxing... what's that? Never heard of it...

I do have to winterize the water lines and empty the water heater around Nov. 1, and I sweep the floor regularly. That's about it. An older unit might need more periodic repairs, though.

Whether you'll use it a lot or let it sit, you just have to try it and see. Never know till you try it. If you buy a used one and decide in 2-3 years to sell it, you won't be out much money. Eggs hold their value pretty well. I had my Burro for a year or two (I forget which) and sold it for $50 less than what I paid for it.

I'm about to turn 54 in a few days, my wife is 52. Unfortunately she isn't physically up to traveling any more, but fortunately she knows how much I enjoy it and lets me go on my trips. I would not camp for camping's sake, but seeing the sights and going north in summer for a while to enjoy some cooler weather is important to me. We've had a trailer since '04 or '05 and I don't regret it one little bit.

On the other hand, I bought a kayak this spring... I thought it might be a similar feeling... and I'm finding that it is not that important to me after all... I could take it or leave it. I'll probably sell the yak after my next trip (to the lakes of MN). Again, don't know until ya try it.

It's true that a trailer the size of an egg is not consistent with your motorcycling pastime. You're going to be engaging in one or the other at any given time, not both. Maybe you two would enjoy a tiny pop-up trailer that you can tow with your motorcycle? That way you could do both simultaneously.

PS: Roy is right, most of us don't bite... but some of us might gum you to death with conversation!

[Glennrose]

Originally Posted by JCZ

Somebody forgot to tell us this part. Here's some pics that were taken on Hwy. 50 going across Nev. (headed for Colo) when a freak snow storm hit)...... my bike as we arrived in Austin, Nev.

Ha Ha Ha! That happened to us June 2010 at the Grand Canyon - the only snow we saw on our entire 4000 m trip from Victoria CANADA.