Hi. I am Lee. I want to trailer but my wife doesn't.

[Lee Davis]

I think a small trailer would be fun but my wife doesn't think she could do it. We'll do some looking.

[Darwin Maring]

If U will be comfortable with camping alone, go for it. If not, Forgetaboutit.
A happy life is with a happy wife.

[Zennifer]

Maybe visit a rally with her? Have her see some of the flanked up ones with all creature comforts?

[Lee Davis]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll work on it. I really like the looks of a new Ollie but when you add the "options" and TN sales tax it's about $55,000 plus a tow vehicle. My wife says she can stay in a lot of nice hotels for $100,000. We've got 4 cars now (2 Miatas) and have nowhere to park a trailer so that's a problem but time is slipping by; if not now, then when?

[Lee Davis]

I saw a trailer in a yard the other day for $8,500. I couldn't see inside. that might be a way to start.

[Donna D.]

One year from now you'll look back and wonder why you didn't start a year sooner. You can always make more money, but you can never, ever make more time.


Don't delay pleasure!


Best of luck!

[k corbin]

Ask your wife what bothers her the most about the idea of being in a trailer. Sometimes things are an emotional anticipation of stuff such as it being too claustrophobic or uncomfortable.

Of course her comment about 100k buying a lot of hotel rooms is a valid one. How many nights a year do you plan on being away from home? How much do you hate hotel rooms?

Keep us posted on what happens.

[GregandTeresa]

Good morning Lee. I'm not sure what part of Tennessee ya'll are in, but we have a new Escape 19 coming in a couple of months, and you and your wife would be welcome to come see if if you'd like. The Olivers are very nice, but way, way out of our budget. The Escapes are a lot more budget friendly.

[AnnKola]

Died your wife know about Sisters in the Fly? She might change her mind if she camps with some gals who make it super-fun.

[Jon in AZ]

Hi, Lee!

My wife is also not really a camper at heart. Some thoughts…

• Don't push it. Give her time to come to terms with the concept. Trust that in a strong marriage, she has a natural desire to make you happy by doing things you enjoy. Don't forget it's a two-way street.
• If she agrees to give it a try, don't spend a fortune on your first trailer. Look for a modest, clean used trailer that has the basic amenities you agree you need. Much better if you can tow it with a vehicle you already own. If you stay with molded fiberglass, resale is usually easy and financially painless if it doesn't work out.
• Let her choose the first destination. Keep it short, 3-4 days, and not too far away. Near a city or town is helpful so you can incorporate some non-camping activities she enjoys, and so she doesn't feel trapped in an isolated place.
• Pay attention to weather reports. We let go of a planned inaugural trip in our recently-purchased Scamp because rain and hail were forecast. I did not want that to be our first experience.
• End your first trip with a day or two in a nice motel or hotel. That way she arrives home rested and clean.
• Stay tuned in to her feelings. If she is truly miserable, let it go, or perhaps you can come to some arrangement in which you take out the trailer by yourself while she does something else she really enjoys.
• Finally, remember that there are lots of ways to get out and enjoy seeing the world. A trailer should never be an end in itself, but a means to enjoy the world together and build your relationship. If it's not doing that, move on.

One of our favorite travel destinations is Carlsbad, CA. My wife loves the ocean, and family is nearby. I had mentioned camping at the state beach several times, but my wife wasn't interested. Rising hotel prices almost nixed the trip one year, and then, out of the blue, my wife said the magic words: "What if we camped at the state beach?"

After tenting the first year, I began searching that fall for a small, inexpensive trailer I could tow with our minivan. After missing out on a couple of tent trailers, I found a Scamp less than an hour away. She looked at it, approved, and we bought it the next day. We still balance time in the trailer with time in hotels. I'm typing this from a Phoenix waterpark resort (cheap summer rates!).

I would like to take a longer trip through Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, as far as Mt. Rushmore. My wife has mentioned it in passing a couple of times, so I know she knows I want to do it and she's processing. I am waiting patiently for her to let me know she's ready.

[Lee Davis]

gregandteresa

Johnson City. I would like to see it if it's not too far away. Maybe I can rent one for a week, rent a truck to tow it and try it out that way. It would certainly be expensive to buy one, not like it and then resell it. Just seems like fun but I would want all the bells and whistles (big inverter, AGM batteries, back up camera, solar panels, TV, etc.)

[TappyGee]

Jon in AZ... What a nice and thoughtful reply. Your wife is a lucky woman.

[Lee Davis]

Jon in AZ

Sounds like you found the answer. I like what you've done. I may try to copy it!

[stevebaz]

For the most part stop calling it camping. It doesn't have to be the full on camping experience unless you want it to.

One of our favorite places to RV is Doheny State Beach. You are literally set up in town. Walk across the road you have everything from fast food to pizza, BBQ and beer. Very short drives less than 10 miles you have everything you could possibly want including antique and thrift store shopping, harbor and boating amenities and less than 100 yards from your camper to the water line, some sites are 150 feet from the water line.

As far as the camping goes with this type of trip you get to light a fire make some s'mores and have a BBQ if you want and stretch out and have a beer.

We also camp in Ventura outside of the town where it's more camping experience and day trip into civilization for good food and downtown main street experience with tourist shops, restaurant and beach and pier adventures.

We also do the out in the desert true camping where if you didn't bring it with you it a miserable drive to go fetch what ever you left behind.

We are still working so there will be no grand RV adventures for quite a while but it's just nice to take our little 13 foot bed on wheels Scamp for mini 4 day vacations without the full blown chore of "Camping" and just decompress.

There are so many options to expose a newby to what having an RV can do for you without scaring them with a Full blown camping nightmare.

Take a drive, spend a day and visit a nearby rally and talk to some RVer's and tour their rigs and see how the adventure may fit in your lifestyle. For your wife it will be allot less scary than, we're going camping.

[TappyGee]

"For the most part stop calling it camping..." Love this! A little psychology never hurt anyone.

[Leej]

Personally I love to camp and my husband..not so much. I have a lady friend that I camp with and we have so much fun....but we go out to eat, a lot.
I think for many women camping is work as usual, cooking, cleaning, meal planning etc, just in a smaller space.

My friend and I like to do things on the water, she fishes and I kayak, we both love the woods..but we also do urban camping and go to events, plays, museums...

So,perhaps some though about making your plans around your wife's interests would encourage her to participate? Do you cook for her? If not, learn how!
When we bought our casita the lady of the couple that sold it said she hated camping...her husband set up camp then did his own thing and she was alone while he chased fish. Can't say I blame her!

[OhTom]

Hi Lee,
My wife was against it when I first started looking at trailers. She said..."I am NOT a camping girl !!". As it turns out, she is. We just had our first weekend away with two of our good friends in Geneva on the Lake (Erie). We ate out in nice restaurants, we walked through town, the girls talked endlessly at the evening camp fires. We all had the best time. This morning she said that we should try going to Old Man's Cave next week and try to do more of our own cooking...(WHAT ?). And she also said we need to figure out how to take our bicycles. She seemed most happy about all the time we spent together. Two days was just right for the shakedown trip. It was a great learning experience and felt like a small adventure together.

[David L. C.]

Perhaps rent a nice fiberglass trailer for a few days and take the wife out and see how she likes it before considering buying a trailer.

[Mike Magee]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

One year from now you'll look back and wonder why you didn't start a year sooner. You can always make more money, but you can never, ever make more time.


Don't delay pleasure!

I keep telling my wife that, but she still isn't interested. (drumroll)

Anyway, she used to be on board with my camping bug. But then she had some medical issues that precluded travel. Once she got through that she said camping was boring to her and she'd rather stay home (with all the familiar comforts and amenities). But she doesn't mind me going by myself. At first this felt weird, but by the end of the first summer campout (about 10 days) the weirdness had worn off. I now feel liberated when I can go off and spend time enjoying the woods, lakes, & mountains and preparing my own meals. I stop when I want to stop and move on when I want to move on, whereas previously I had to run everything by the co-pilot and adjust to her desires.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by OhTom

Hi Lee,
My wife was against it when I first started looking at trailers. She said..."I am NOT a camping girl !!". As it turns out, she is. We just had our first weekend away with two of our good friends in Geneva on the Lake (Erie). We ate out in nice restaurants, we walked through town, the girls talked endlessly at the evening camp fires. We all had the best time. This morning she said that we should try going to Old Man's Cave next week and try to do more of our own cooking...(WHAT ?). And she also said we need to figure out how to take our bicycles. She seemed most happy about all the time we spent together. Two days was just right for the shakedown trip. It was a great learning experience and felt like a small adventure together.

I like the idea of making your first outing(s) with good friends who are more experienced campers (or RVers if you prefer… ). Having female companionship could relieve some of your wife's anxieties. We did not do that on our first tenting trip, but we have gone with friends several times since. We didn't this year, and my wife remarked that she missed having them around. Meals and campfires are lots more fun with a group.

One other late thought is to make sure your wife doesn't get saddled with all the cooking and clean-up, regardless of how it works at home. Our solution is lots of grilling, which I love to do, and I make sure to jump on the dishes after meals. Over time she has willingly pitched in, but in the beginning it was a big unknown to her. Even with a full trailer galley, it will never be the same as home, and that adds anxiety.