Anyone own one? Are they worth it? Do you find most campgrounds fairly clean, etc? Are the other people on the grounds generally good people? (i.e. non criminals, drunks, etc.)

Thinking about buying one...any help/advice appreciated.

I think Frommer's Budget Traveler magazine had an article about this issue within the last 3-4 months. Not my bag but the article was pretty detailed.

We've tent, pop-up and RV camped for years and found it and the people to very satisfying 99% of the time.

Check out some campgrounds in your area. Notice that people leave a lot of their things out even while they are gone. Look at the environment and see it this or 4 star hotels are for you.

Would you like roughing it a little bit? Would you like the challenge of doing
new and different things?

Do you like being out in nature and doing outdoor activities?

Campgrounds range from resorts with lots of activities and RVs stacked next to each other to being out all alone in a wilderness area with no hook ups.

Two good web sites that I frequent are www.rv.net, and www.poptimes.com

Both have forums where you can learn all facets of RVing.

We had a travel trailer for 9 years. We had been camping in a van for a few years, then moved up to a tent-trailer for 5 years, then the trailer for 9 years and now a motorhome for the last 9 years. I guess I qualify to give some answers

We LOVE to travel and go camping. There are all kinds of campgrounds. Public ones like national park, national monuments, national forest, state parks etc are usually more rustic than your private campgrounds like KOA. It all depends on what you want.

We prefer the public campgrounds and really enjoy them. When we are traveling and want to make some time we stay at private campgrounds because they are usually easier to get to. Some of the private campgrounds especially in the west seem like a big parking lot with hookups.

We have never run into any problems at campgrounds. Keep your eyes and ears open, don't leave valuables where they can been seen, etc. Most campgrounds now adays have a campground host and they keep an eye out on the campground.

One nice thing about having a trailer is you have YOUR bed, YOUR bathroom, YOUR kitchen, YOUR stuff with you and so you don't care if a bathroom is clean or not. Most campgrounds are clean and picked up as far as trash goes.

Camping can save you money. We were in Canyon de Chelly last year. The campground was free but the motel was $106 per night!

We enjoy cooking our own food so we save by not eatting out. My DH and I share the work. I prepare the food, he cooks, I wash, he dries. I don't even mind washing dishes when we have a scenic view out the window. We also find great places to pull out and cook and eat our meals.

You might look into renting an RV before you buy to see if this something you might be interested in.

Utahtea

just wondering why Mike would even THINK
about "drunks and criminals" when thinking about campgrounds and travel trailers...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm interesting

I wouldn't spend too much time wondering Dave. Didn't mean to suggest that campers are that...just not sure what to expect...sorry if you took offense

We just returned from a week in Maine at a great campground on the ocean. We like a trailer for the reasons stated above but when it came time to eat lobsters we opted to go to a lobster pound and leave the cooking to them. Basically, even if the campground is not great, you have your own private place. We do not care for places where many of the campers are seasonal. They have their friends and don't try to mix with those of us who are just passing thru. The purpose of camping is also to meet new people and it was great to have friendly neighbors last week with whom to share notes and tips. We've been to a couple of places where spending one night was all we could stand. OTH one fabulous summer we spent a month going down thru VA into NC staying as long as we felt like in some great places. After a week at home to re-group, we spent a second fabulous month roaming around PEI and Nova Scotia. I would suggest a second hand unit to see if you like it. You can always sell it and you might find that you prefer a different configuration. We currently have a 28' with a bedroom. Our old camper had bunks for kids and a fold out couch for parents. Making up the bed every night was a chore we disliked. I don't think we are using the camper enough to justify the cost but we are trying to remedy that. It would be nice to have a good campground within 2 hours for weekend getaways. Make sure you have an adequate tow vehicle. My husband much prefers our current truck which was factory built with a tow package. Our old truck was retro-fitted but didn't have the pulling power and couldn't handle steep grades. We have enjoyed B&Bs but personally, I hate hotels.

One time when our kids were small,we camped with tents in a large upstate NY campground.
All night the guys next to us, drank,talked around the campfire and threw KNIVES at a tree.
So, maybe the campgrounds today aren't full of drunks and criminals, but the possibilities of troublesome neighbors is there!

The possibility of troublesome neighbors can occur anytime anywhere. The solution is to contact the management.

Mike, my suggestion would be to rent before you buy. We have an SUT (Sport Utility Trailer) now. We sold our C-Class to buy it. Had an A class before that (we called it an apt building on wheels). With each type we've learned things we hadn't even thought of before. I prefer to have an oven. My mom would never have used it. Most of our camping has been at enduros and such. Other friends who camp head to the campgrounds at nearby state parks as often as they can get away. Are they worth it? Only you can answer that. We definitely enjoy ours.

Most definitely worth it! We usually frequent State Parks and have found every one to be clean and welcoming. We've only had one incident where there were two drunk men that were lost. We got their number and called the state patrol, and they responded in no time. Our "neighbors" have been fellow families, most with children. I'd say 99% of the people are out to have a nice, quiet time just like you would be.

Private campgrounds can be fun too, with all the amenities and full hook ups. I've found those to be noisier than the state parks, simply because there are more activities (pool, etc.).

I would invest in a good guide book like Woodall's or Trailer Life. My other advice would be to really know what your vehicle is capable of towing. If you're not sure, ask your dealer or a trusted mechanic. We just upgraded to a V8 engine, as our V6 just wasn't cutting it.

I think you will really enjoy the freedom and security of having your own home on wheels!

DEFINITELY know what your vehicle is capable of towing! We have a number of friends that are into camping and enduros with us. Over the last several years too many of them have had transmission problems for various reasons including too much stress on the vehicle being driven. We have a E-350 15-passenger van with a Triton V-10 engine for long trips and to pull our SUT. My hubby has replaced the transmission pan with one that holds several more quarts of transmission fluid, added a fan to cool the fluid, and added a temperature guage. This was much cheaper than replacing a transmission.