What age did you discover a MH was right for you?

[Jetguy]

This topic has been an on going discussion at my workplace, as many of the employees in my company love camping and several of them have motor homes or travel trailers. I’m curious what age did you purchase your first motorhome/camper and absolutely fall in love with being able to take your home on wheels just about anywhere?

I grew up flying R/c airplanes with my father and we used to travel all over the country competing in events and camping on site.

I bought my first pop up camper at 16, sold it quickly as i couldn’t haul the toys in it. I then converted a v nose enclosed trailer to double as a dry camper/airplane hauler. Propane fired outdoor shower, solar. Pretty basic but it worked great! I then went to a 19’ toy hauler, which felt like a Cadillac with an indoor shower and bathroom. Now that my wife and I have a little one we decided it was time to step into the MH world. We rented different MH’s over the course of a year to find out what we didn’t like. Dx3 34kd is what we decided on!

I tried searching to see if this topic had come up before, but I didn’t have much luck.

Cheers

[SmittyCorp]

We tented for decades. Finally got to a point that we could afford a trailer, and fully appreciate it's luxuries. I was 46 and my wife 43.

Btw, a 40-50 range is missing in your poll!

[Jetguy]

Originally Posted by SmittyCorp

We tented for decades. Finally got to a point that we could afford a trailer, and fully appreciate it's luxuries. I was 46 and my wife 43.

Btw, a 40-50 range is missing in your poll!

You are right! How do I edit the poll?

[ProfessorBB]

Backpacked growing up, then car tented, bought my first self-contained trailer in my early 20’s, went through two motorhomes and five more TTs over the next 15 years, got a divorce, then married a lovely lady who had never camped in her life, so essentially started over with backpacking, tent camping and a toyhauler before convincing her that a motorhome was better suited for traveling (for us now as seniors) than a TT. So we ordered a DX3.

[ProfessorBB]

There is also no category for 60-70.

[gorgeguy]

Bought a 22' class c back in 1980 for working away from home. Really liked it but sold it a few years later to free up cash for building a new house. Thirty years later bought a 25' TT to snow bird in but it was too small. Bought a 30' fifth wheel that we liked but the wife did not like driving the one ton Dodge when we were parked. Then when coming back from a family reunion in Yellowstone, my wife got a migraine and had to lay down. It was 90+ degrees outside and pretty miserable in the 5er. I decided that we needed the bed, bathroom and kitchen available while driving and bought a 37' motor home ( since you asked about age, I was about 65 when we bought the class a). Don't snowbird anymore and thinking about downsizing to the Isata 5 28ss.

[frozen]

Discovered it was right at age 72. Discovered it was wrong at 73.

[Lt Jim]

I got my first motorhome when I was in my 30's. I found I didn't like it as much as pull-behinds, so I went back to trailers. I bought another MH in my late 50's. I found that I still didn't like it, so I'm back to towed campers. Maybe in my late 70's?

[Vudu13]

Had a bad night of sleep on a bed of pine cones in a tent at 45. Travel trailer at 46, Class C at 51, Class A 32' at 56, Class A 38' at 60... happy and done for a while :-)

[TitanMike]

Certainly not poo-pooing anyone else's choice to get a MH but I would have to answer the poll as "none of the above".

I've rented both Class A's and Class C's and admit they are nice. Where I part company is on maintenance and having to have a Toad for side trips. My TV also serves me well when not out camping.

My last TT lasted me 22 years and two tow vehicles. My current TV will last me the rest of my days.

Not meaning to hijack, just making a case for "None of the above"

[DocP]

Originally Posted by Lt Jim

I got my first motorhome when I was in my 30's. I found I didn't like it as much as pull-behinds, so I went back to trailers. I bought another MH in my late 50's. I found that I still didn't like it, so I'm back to towed campers. Maybe in my late 70's?

Same scenario here. Towed a camper for 40+ years and always wanted a motorhome. Bought a brand new Class C when I was 62, replaced it with a nice Class A when I was 63, and sold it a year later. I just did not care for either experience. I went back to a towed travel trailer and never looked back. With the motorhomes, I was always towing a car behind it. Now, back to a towed camper, the truck is in front and the camper behind. Six of one, a half dozen of the other.



Your experience may well be different, but that's my story.

[Bob2019]

We bought a Class C Forester when I was 70. We had previously a popup starting out in 1979 and two different TT before the motorhome. I like the motorhome the best for convenience of not spending 40 minutes getting four corner jacks adjusted correctly and not twisting the frame with humid sun beating down using the hydro jacks now; being able to carry everything when traveling in the compartments, safe and not stolen and dry; no hooking up and rolling wheels when hitching when attaching the hitch and sway bars which are heavy and stored inside the trailer door; no 7 way cable to hook up with wires corroding; so much easier parking in sites and putting back in storage. Love the mirrors placement that we didn't have on the truck; Like being able to stop anywhere and heat up or eat a meal; TVs mounted that just swing out to use; the outside kitchen with another refer, and hot and cold sink for washing hands, a clean counter for food prep; hook up to coach for BBQ propane hose and not have to carry extra tanks, and having a generator for A/C use when parked; and finally the general "turn the key and go" convenience.

The drawback? Not having a toad to get around when parked at a destination.

[dmctlc]

Tenting at a young age till 20 then back of my F250 with my DW till 25 then popups till 40 then TTs till 60 Class A gasser to 65 retired this year and now Class A DP till I'm to old to enjoy it...my DW and I talked of traveling the country in a motorhome since we first met... in spite of illness, my DW and injuries, myself, the dreams started to come to fruition this year until this pandemic hit..our longest trip this year coming up next week of about 2000 miles RT prepping for next years xcountry adventure.

[BehindBars]

Age 40. Good thing I didn’t wait, because ages 41-49 are missing from the poll.

[pwoods]

The age I discovered a MH was right for me was about 55 years before actually getting our 1st one at age 64 (we pick it up in a couple of weeks). Growing up tent camping I spent a lot of time looking at Explorer class B brochures. After marriage it was tent camping out of a Dodge Omni. After 1st kid we borrowed in-laws' class C. Then tent trailer for 2 kids and dog. Outgrew that and had the 19' bunkhouse TT for 16 years. Upgraded to 25' TT with our own bedroom (what luxury) almost 5 years ago and finally figured out how we could afford a small class A. It's not a FR product but I'll still lurk for good tips. Happy camping everyone.

[Pipeman]

Started out with a 6 sleeper hard top camper. My wife had never camped before. She said she wouldn't go camping until our 3rd child was out of diapers.He was 3 then. We bought that camper and headed out west almost immediately, for a month. That was 41 years ago when we were in our 30s. Since then we've had 2 straight trailers, 1 36Ft toy hauler 5er and now a 35 ft 5er. Because of COVID, this is the 1st time in 41 years that we haven't gone camping anywhere. We are both 74 now and miss going out west to the Rockies and spending time with our kids who live out there. We just went to the storage yard yesterday to visit with our 5er. It was happy to see us. Made sure there weren't any critters in residence and everything was as we left it. Our 3 kids all have trailers and enjoy camping. We all really like boondocking as much as possible. So I do believe we are on our last trailer. Well have to see what time brings to us for traveling next season. Stay safe and enjoy, whatever age you are.

[shultz01]

You're missing 40-50 range in your poll. This is when we bought our first motorhome.

[BehindBars]

It probably doesn’t matter, but it’s confusing what the question is. The title asks about when you discovered a MH, but the text says “ I’m curious what age did you purchase your first motorhome/camper”. So is the question about motorhomes only, or any type of camper? We had a camper before buying a motorhome, but I answered the poll with our motorhome purchase age.

[Herk7769]

Don't wait too long.

Motor home steps can be quite a challenge with bad knees.
But so can some 5th wheel trailers.

[Jetguy]

If it’s possible to edit the poll with an admin that would be great. Realized I didn’t add all the age groups to the poll, and couldn’t figure out how to edit right after. Sorry for the confusion, my first time making a poll. Lol