When to Upgrade Your Camper

Once you have the camping bug it never seems to go away. Well, at least that is the case for me. Endless Caverns fed that bug but just wasn’t enough. Endless Caverns showed Jamie that weekend camping could be simple and he agreed to One Last Trip! In true Jamie and Dee fashion, this one last trip had us questioning when we should upgrade our camper. 

So when is the right time to upgrade your camper?

This isn’t a question that anyone can answer for you and it definitely isn’t one that should be rushed into. For us, it was started by a comment a friend made and a response that my dad gave. Everyone’s when and why is different but here are some things to think about when considering an upgrade. 

Consider Upgrading When… 

Your Family Grows.

When we first started camping it was just Jamie and I and our chocolate lab Ruben. At that point the Coleman Pop-Up was HUGE! It had two king size beds, a couch that made a twin bed and a table that folded down into a full. When we camped we only used one side of the camper. 

Then we had Henleigh and for the first couple of trips we still only used one side of the camper but then she got bigger and started to move around, so we built her a “sleeping pen”. When the boys came they slept in bed with us for the first two trips. For the third, we Baby Proofed (link to sleeping with kids in a Pop Up) the other king bed. So the sleeping was fine, but all of the STUFF!!! By the end of the trip, it was everywhere and it took me just as long to clean up the inside as it did Jamie to put the camper down. 

Taking down and setting up gets harder.

We loved camping but after our trip to the Outer Banks in the Pop Up with the boys (they were 8 weeks old) and Henleigh (a year old) Jamie was a little hesitant to go on another trip because of how much work went into setting up and taking down the pop up for such a short time frame (granite we were there for a week). But we both loved camping and didn’t want to stop. 

So when Mike suggested that we sell the truck and buy a Jeep because it had more space in the back seat and dad chimed in by adding that we could use his truck whenever we needed to, we started to think that maybe we could upgrade. Since we would still have access to a truck to tow. 

You have some money to invest in something you will enjoy.

We started to discuss what we would need in a new camper. Our main need was a bunkhouse for the kids. A bathroom would be nice but not something that we had to have. 

And since my dads truck is a Chevy 2500 we knew that it could handle a 5th wheel which we had discussed getting in the long run. So that is where I started my search. I had seen a few on Facebook for sale and pulled them back up to show Jamie that the price wasn’t too bad. Then I moved on to searching the web for different models that included a bunkhouse. 

Since my aunt and uncle had a travel trailer I decided to search for travel trailers with bunkhouses to see if it was an option. And it WAS!!! I was shocked, and even found a few that fit in our price range. At that point, I was SOLD! Jamie and I spent the rest of the trip discussing how we could actually make this “idea” now dream work.

You want to make a commitment to the camping lifestyle and adventuring.

Let’s face it buying a camper is very similar to buying a house or car; it’s a BIG purchase and one that should not be taken likely. No one wants to buy something that is going to sit around and not be used especially if it cost a good amount of money. So before upgrading make sure that you are ready to commit to using your camper and making time to take those adventures with your family.

Camping does require a bit of work no matter what type of camper you have but you can find ways to cut down on the “work” when you upgrade. So if the opportunity presents itself to consider it!!!  

So you should consider upgrading your camper when you love camping but dread the setting up and taking down, when you feel like you have the money to invest in something that you will enjoy and use for a few years, or when your family grows and you just need the space and the simplicity. But remember that When to Upgrade Your Camper is different for everyone. Check out how we came to the decision to upgrade by reading Our Crazy Decision to Upgrade.

If you are looking for more Camping Tips & Tricks please subscribe to my Monthly Newsletter and check out our Tips & Tricks page.