You've Had Enough of Tent Camping: What's Next

You’ve Had Enough of Tent Camping: What’s Next?

Tent camping is not for the frail. Hey, it’s a great way to get started if you are on a shoestring budget. Some folks continue to camp in tents their entire camping life, and they love it. I gave up tent camping as soon as I could afford something with a few more creature comforts.

Why is Tent Camping a Pain?

-When it rains, everything gets wet. It doesn’t matter how well the waterproofing is; you’re going to get wet.
-Sneakers drying on the campfire smell!!!
-If you roll up a wet tent, it will stink too!!!
-Warm beer is bad for you!!!
-The earth is NOT flat. Neither is your bed if you’re sleeping in a tent.
-Bugs, snakes, and other critters! The ground belongs to them.
-No NASCAR race on the TV! What TV?
-No AC!!! Try tenting in Florida in the summer.
-No Heat!!! Camping in Canada!!! (summer or winter)
-No running water?
-Port-a-Potties should be outlawed!
-Valleys: yes, we did; we set up our tents on low ground, a tenting no-no. In our defence, we arrived very late at night at Sauble Speedway for a weekend race event. The entire entourage set up our tents in a large circle. It looked like an Indian tepee camp. Yes, it rained and rained and rained. Yes, we were all on low ground. Did I mention that smoking sneakers stink???

Movin’ Up!!!
If you are still wet yourself, it is time to move up and get yourself off of the ground. There are many options to choose from: tent trailers, truck campers, travel trailers, 5th wheels, and motor-homes. I recommend you visit the winter camping show. At the show, you can see the entire range of options as well as compare all the major manufacturers all under one roof.

Tent Trailers:
A tent trailer is an easy step up for those on a tight budget. They are light, so you can tow it behind most any mid-sized vehicle. You can buy a basic model with slide out beds, a table, a small fridge, and sink. A top-of-the-line model will sleep 6 or 8 and have running water, heat and AC, a shower, and a toilet. Everything you need, really.

Truck Campers:
If you own a pickup truck, this is a good option for 2 people or a couple with small children. One benefit of a truck camper is the ability to tow a small fishing boat.

Travel Trailers:
In order to upgrade to a travel trailer, you must take into consideration the capacity of your tow vehicle. I recommend allowing a 10% cushion on the total capacity so as not to overtax your tow vehicle on the mountain pass.

Travel trailers today generally range from 15FT to 35FT. A nice size for a family of 4 is 22FT to 24FT although, growing up, our family of 5 travelled in a 15 FT model. It was a bit cozy, but it did the trick.

Today we have a 30 FT trailer for our family of 4. This sounds like overkill, but it is extremely comfortable. The girls have their own private bedroom at the back of the trailer; there is a queen-sized private bedroom up front and in the middle, a couch and a Lazy Boy. The couch is a must-have for reading on a rainy day.

Fifth Wheels:
Ditto for the travel trailer data above. Fifth wheels are generally a bit larger and heavier. They tow a lot better, but the obvious limitation is you must own a truck.

Motor-Homes:
There are 2 basic categories of motor-homes: a Class A and a Class C. The Class C was at one time very common. You will remember these units which were built on a van chassis with a bunk bed over the driver’s compartment.
Today you seem to see more Class As on the road. The limitation here is $$$$. You can spend as little as $100,000 or up to $2,000,000. Yes, that’s million. If you’re in a tent now, I’m thinking $2 million is just not happening today.
But if you won the lottery (Hurley) or are planning a reverse mortgage, the features available in a Class A are limitless: marble countertops, big screen plasma TVs, hardwood floors, leather seats, ceramic tiles. Just take a look at any million-dollar home, and you will find the same features in a high-end motor-home.

Shopping Today: Must-Haves for the Modern Camper:
-Fridge, cook-top, TV, Heat and AC
-Shower and toilet
-Slide-out for added space
-Awning
-Abundant storage
-Everything else your spouse wants