Sold the RV, the Timeshare is next…

[JudyH]

55 years of various forms of camping, from leaky tents (20 years) to three trailers and two RVs. Some which also had various problems.
We decided at this point it’s easier to stay in hotel.
Our one TS unit is a tiger trader, although RCI doesn’t make it easy. We’ve now gone every where we wanted and I look thru the directory and nothing talks to me. Florida’s storms took care of the nice ones along the Gulf.
It’s time to say goodbye to that too.

 

[DaveNV]

I hear you, loud and clear. I sold my last timeshare two years ago. Now I travel as far and wide as I want to, without obligation. But to keep my hands in it, I'm renting two timeshares from Tuggers this year. (Yellowstone and Hawaii.) So the adventures continue.

Dave

 

[Timeshare Von]

Yep . . . I'm now timeshare-less too, but struggling on whether or not to pull the trigger on a small class C RV (like a 24-25 footer) that I'd be comfortable driving and camping in solo . . . but is big enough for hubby (or sister) and me. I'm still not there yet, feeling like to buy a nice one used, I'm still going to be in for $75-100k and if I have ten good years using it, the math just doesn't seem to work out well. So for now, I'm avoiding the urge to buy this one . . . which I've seen and test driven. For "just" $70k+tax (& financing) and under 10,000 miles, it's a great deal.

 

[silentg]

We are down to one timeshare. The last one I sold ( gave away) is still trying to say I own it. Paperwork has gone thru and the management company is slowly processing the sale. Not my problem anymore!

 

[DaveNV]

Yep . . . I'm now timeshare-less too, but struggling on whether or not to pull the trigger on a small class C RV (like a 24-25 footer) that I'd be comfortable driving and camping in solo . . . but is big enough for hubby (or sister) and me. I'm still not there yet, feeling like to buy a nice one used, I'm still going to be in for $75-100k and if I have ten good years using it, the math just doesn't seem to work out well. So for now, I'm avoiding the urge to buy this one . . . which I've seen and test driven. For "just" $70k+tax (& financing) and under 10,000 miles, it's a great deal.

If you're only planning to use it a bit, for weekends and short trips, maybe step back a few years. Lots of "well loved" Class C's out there that provide great camping options without spending a fortune. If your goal is cross-country trips, and/or long-term camping, then a solid engine and transmission are the more critical parts. For local-ish camping trips, the amenities in the unit are more important. Shop around - there are a TON of used RVs out there.

Dave

 

[jp10558]

IDK, from what I've heard about RV build quality, how well they're taken care of on average, and costs - they scream out to me a RENT kind of thing.

 

[JudyH]

Yep . . . I'm now timeshare-less too, but struggling on whether or not to pull the trigger on a small class C RV (like a 24-25 footer) that I'd be comfortable driving and camping in solo . . . but is big enough for hubby (or sister) and me. I'm still not there yet, feeling like to buy a nice one used, I'm still going to be in for $75-100k and if I have ten good years using it, the math just doesn't seem to work out well. So for now, I'm avoiding the urge to buy this one . . . which I've seen and test driven. For "just" $70k+tax (& financing) and under 10,000 miles, it's a great deal.

I spoke to lots of RVers. We sold a perfectly good 2013 25ft Puma (made by Forest River) in 2021 for a new version of the same. Hugh mistake. It was a piece of junk. Needed $4000 worth of repairs after the one year warranty was up. I learned that many units made during and after COVID are also junk. My son’s inlaws had a 2021!Grand Design fifth wheel that fell apart.
Don’t buy new.

 

[klpca]

You can rent one easily enough on Outdoorsy or RV share. We don't rent often, but when we do we drive our car as close as possible to the location, then rent an RV. My husband drives the RV and parks it, I follow in the car.

 

[Timeshare Von]

If you're only planning to use it a bit, for weekends and short trips, maybe step back a few years. Lots of "well loved" Class C's out there that provide great camping options without spending a fortune. If your goal is cross-country trips, and/or long-term camping, then a solid engine and transmission are the more critical parts. For local-ish camping trips, the amenities in the unit are more important. Shop around - there are a TON of used RVs out there.

Dave

That's the thing . . . I'm not sure how "we" will use it. I would like to be able to go set up in a place for weeks or months at a time, as a camp host, etc. Hubby has little to no interest in that. If it were just for a few weekends/weeks here or there, it makes no sense to own one. The one I found locally (the 2023 Thor 24') is a great deal but still hard to justify.

 

[Timeshare Von]

You can rent one easily enough on Outdoorsy or RV share. We don't rent often, but when we do we drive our car as close as possible to the location, then rent an RV. My husband drives the RV and parks it, I follow in the car.

I was looking at a trailer for a 2 week rental on Outdoorsy for a solo trip I have in July to Western NY. The unit was a nice $105/night x 14 nights. I could get it set up at the state park where I'm going to be a camp host, so I don't even have to haul it. But with set up, prep, dumping the grey/black tanks, insurance (including roadside assistance?), taxes, etc. it was going to be over $3,000. That is tough to justify and a luxury I don't really need since I'm pretty comfy car camping . . . and will augment my set up with a SUV style tent. I do like the idea of cooking and some indoor plumbing, but my site is literally next to the bathroom/shower house . . . and cooking isn't a necessity as I've lived out of a cooler & dry box for several weeks on the road.

If/when hubby & I do a trip like what you describe, we very well may do a rental and I'd follow behind in our vehicle. That is something we've considered for our upcoming Yellowstone trip . . . but we've opted for lodging in & around the park. (I typically car camp when doing Yellowstone solo)

 

[jp10558]

I was looking at a trailer for a 2 week rental on Outdoorsy for a solo trip I have in July to Western NY. The unit was a nice $105/night x 13 nights. I could get it set up at the state park where I'm going to be a camp host, so I don't even have to haul it. But with set up, prep, dumping the grey/black tanks, insurance (including roadside assistance?), taxes, etc. it was going to be over $3,000. That is tough to justify and a luxury I don't really need since I'm pretty comfy car camping . . . and will augment my set up with a SUV style tent. I do like the idea of cooking and some indoor plumbing, but my site is literally next to the bathroom/shower house . . . and cooking isn't a necessity as I've lived out of a cooler & dry box for several weeks on the road.

If/when hubby & I do a trip like what you describe, we very well may do a rental and I'd follow behind in our vehicle. That is something we've considered for our upcoming Yellowstone trip . . . but we've opted for lodging in & around the park. (I typically car camp when doing Yellowstone solo)

Kind of off topic - but when you just go to like Yellowstone solo - what do you do? Just go and see the scenery? Setting up for bird / animal watching? Setting up for photos? I figure I'd get kind of lonely all by myself just like in a car...

 

[Timeshare Von]

Kind of off topic - but when you just go to like Yellowstone solo - what do you do? Just go and see the scenery? Setting up for bird / animal watching? Setting up for photos? I figure I'd get kind of lonely all by myself just like in a car...

I find my annual road trips to Yellowstone to be very cathartic and rejuvenating. Before retiring (twice LOL) I always found the drive from Wisconsin and windshield time to be my best time to clear my head and think about work related challenges . . . but not 100% of the time. I found it so liberating in general, that after my "first retirement" (May 2022) I lived, worked and played in Yellowstone for 5 months solo. Working had me with people 40 hours/week in an office setting (Yellowstone Park Service Stations - operator of the 7 gas/convenience stores inside the park).

Each trip "there and back" is different, with new and exciting things to see along the way. Because I'm free to go as I wish, I can get off the beaten path for a day or two, just exploring little known national park sites or historic museums, etc. I often taken notes of places I learned about and wanted to see, but unfortunately timing didn't work out, so I have them logged for a future trip. This past summer's trip included one such location in rural North Dakota . . . the Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile State Park. I planned my trip west intentionally through the town of Cooperstown and camped there so I could visit the missile silo and launch facility first thing the next morning. Here's the link to my Facebook photo album from that trip, if you're interested.

Inside the park, yes, sometimes just sitting and waiting for the more illusive animals like brown/grizzly bears or wolves . . . or just enjoying watching the herds of bison . . . or setting up for a picnic lunch. I also did limited walking on many of the thermal feature board walks too, but nothing too remote or strenuous because of some physical limitations that I have.

There are also lots of great places to visit in the communities adjacent to Yellowstone . . . Cody, WY; Livingstone, Cooke City, Gardiner and W Yellowstone, MT and Jackson Hole, WY are all worthy of at least a day each . . . sometimes more. There is truly no shortage of places to go and things to see/experience. I'll also say, I'm friendly enough that many trips I have met and made friends with folks who years later, are my friends and people I keep in touch with. Just this past weekend, hubby & I had dinner with a lady from Madison, WI who I met on the boardwalk at Norris Geyser Basin over the summer of 2022.

If you're really interested, here are the links to some of my travel blogs (with lots of photos) which may give you an idea of what it's like to travel solo.

Living the Dream in Yellowstone (2022 my 5 months living, working & playing in Yellowstone)

Road Trippin' Across America's Heartland (2012 my first solo Yellowstone trip)

Celebrating America's National Parks' Centennial (2016)

Summer 2017 Road Trip to Yellowstone

Road Tripping West Never Gets Old (2023)

By the way, this year I will be doing an epic 25+ day trip from Wisconsin to NM, AZ, CA, UT & CO . . . and back . . . camping & visiting 10+ state and national parks! This will be the longest & furthest I've car camped by about 7-10 days. It should be amazing!

 

[dioxide45]

I spoke to lots of RVers. We sold a perfectly good 2013 25ft Puma (made by Forest River) in 2021 for a new version of the same. Hugh mistake. It was a piece of junk. Needed $4000 worth of repairs after the one year warranty was up. I learned that many units made during and after COVID are also junk. My son’s inlaws had a 2021!Grand Design fifth wheel that fell apart.
Don’t buy new.

I recall watching some YouTube videos where the creators were talking about very poor quality of new late model RVs vs older ones made a decade ago. Then there are some campgrounds that refuse to allow certain older model RVs to even park.

 

[Timeshare Von]

I recall watching some YouTube videos where the creators were talking about very poor quality of new late model RVs vs older ones made a decade ago. Then there are some campgrounds that refuse to allow certain older model RVs to even park.

The challenge is real. Post pandemic, I've actually run into some campgrounds that won't allow car camping because some people started living out of their cars/vans/suvs and don't leave the campground. This was a real issue in an city park campground in Anchorage where I was camping in a campervan last spring.

 

[klpca]

I was looking at a trailer for a 2 week rental on Outdoorsy for a solo trip I have in July to Western NY. The unit was a nice $105/night x 14 nights. I could get it set up at the state park where I'm going to be a camp host, so I don't even have to haul it. But with set up, prep, dumping the grey/black tanks, insurance (including roadside assistance?), taxes, etc. it was going to be over $3,000. That is tough to justify and a luxury I don't really need since I'm pretty comfy car camping . . . and will augment my set up with a SUV style tent. I do like the idea of cooking and some indoor plumbing, but my site is literally next to the bathroom/shower house . . . and cooking isn't a necessity as I've lived out of a cooler & dry box for several weeks on the road.

If/when hubby & I do a trip like what you describe, we very well may do a rental and I'd follow behind in our vehicle. That is something we've considered for our upcoming Yellowstone trip . . . but we've opted for lodging in & around the park. (I typically car camp when doing Yellowstone solo)

We still tent camp. But we have a Yosemite trip planned for mid spring, which could be amazing weather, could be rain, could be snow. We've had all three in the valley. So this time we're renting a small RV. It's a luxury to cook and eat inside when the weather doesn't cooperate. We will hike in anything other than driving rain, so we are good to go as long as I can get out of the rain when eating and cooking.

Our "tow" car (we used to have a tent trailer) is getting up there in mileage, plus our gas mileage goes to crap when towing. Class Cs get pretty poor gas mileage (~10mpg), and the gas costs really add up on a trip. We haven't done it, but on a camping road trip, I would still use our regular car (~30mpg) and just rent something for a few nights for camping at a certain destination, even if we were doing multiple locations.

I get the appeal of owning but no matter how hard I try, I can never get the numbers to work - and I have tried. I think it would make the most sense if you camp a lot, and we only camp a few times a year so it won't pencil out. One other option (although at bit of a PITA), we had friends who would buy a used, but relatively new, tent trailer early in camping season (April/May), use it all summer, then resell it in August. They did it for years. They were happy with how it worked out. So, if you have the stomach for it, it's another way to own.

 

[klpca]

I recall watching some YouTube videos where the creators were talking about very poor quality of new late model RVs vs older ones made a decade ago. Then there are some campgrounds that refuse to allow certain older model RVs to even park.

I just saw a reddit thread on this - anything older than 10 years was prohibited! Some people said that they got around it by sending a photo to the park/campground to get accepted. Crazy.

 

[JudyH]

I recall watching some YouTube videos where the creators were talking about very poor quality of new late model RVs vs older ones made a decade ago. Then there are some campgrounds that refuse to allow certain older model RVs to even park.

Yep

 

[Timeshare Von]

We still tent camp. But we have a Yosemite trip planned for mid spring, which could be amazing weather, could be rain, could be snow. We've had all three in the valley. So this time we're renting a small RV. It's a luxury to cook and eat inside when the weather doesn't cooperate. We will hike in anything other than driving rain, so we are good to go as long as I can get out of the rain when eating and cooking.

Our "tow" car (we used to have a tent trailer) is getting up there in mileage, plus our gas mileage goes to crap when towing. Class Cs get pretty poor gas mileage (~10mpg), and the gas costs really add up on a trip. We haven't done it, but on a camping road trip, I would still use our regular car (~30mpg) and just rent something for a few nights for camping at a certain destination, even if we were doing multiple locations.

I get the appeal of owning but no matter how hard I try, I can never get the numbers to work - and I have tried. I think it would make the most sense if you camp a lot, and we only camp a few times a year so it won't pencil out. One other option (although at bit of a PITA), we had friends who would buy a used, but relatively new, tent trailer early in camping season (April/May), use it all summer, then resell it in August. They did it for years. They were happy with how it worked out. So, if you have the stomach for it, it's another way to own.

We have experience with a 29' Winnebago Outlook in Alaska and familiar with the low(er) gas mileage and added costs. That for sure was one of the considerations when I/we opted to not buy that 24' Thor a couple of weeks ago. You're right . . . it's really had to make the math work to make sense! I really got spoiled with our friend's RV in Alaska when we did 4 2-week trips in it between 2010 and 2020, bartering our Hawaii timeshare for their RV. Even the Solis campervan got significantly lower mileage . . . only 14-15 mpg when "cruising" at 70-80 mph in Montana . . . and averaging 16-17 overall for the entire 5,000+ miles we drove it for 17 days.

I couldn't be bothered with the buy/sell cycle . . . so I'll just hold out a little longer until I "really need" to rent one and then decide how best to proceed.

 

[jp10558]

Yea - I have some friends who own an RV who used to use it to go everywere, including I guess a trip once to Disney World. I get how it has a lot of the benefits of like a TS - in that you can cook in it etc. You always have a bathroom with you. But again, there's no pennies on the dollar resale for RVs, and like others have said, I kind of doubt we'd use it enough unless we ditched time sharing and international trips. These friends were very concerned about renting - "you don't know what the last person did", but OTOH, they haven't used the RV in 5 years renting a house on Cape Cod instead, so... Yea. I'm not that worried - if a rental looked disgusting I'd just not take it. I think for us we'd probably rent a tow behind though, we do have some pick-ups. Might be cheaper, IDK. We'd need room for 3 people whatever we do.

Anyway I like hearing about people RVing, but given I've got dozens of TS still to get through, and more trips than I should afford already since TSing RVs are probably a in a decade or two kind of thing once I'm tired of flying etc.

 

[DaveNV]

Anyway I like hearing about people RVing, but given I've got dozens of TS still to get through, and more trips than I should afford already since TSing RVs are probably a in a decade or two kind of thing once I'm tired of flying etc.

Owning vs. renting: In my experience, RVing is less about the "being there" part of the vacation, and more about the "getting there" part. An RV trip can be amazing, enjoying the experience of getting to the destination. Unless the trip is about progressive camping in and around an area, once you've arrived at the final destination, getting around from an RV can be a huge hassle. And then, when the vacationing is over, you need to drive the RV back home again. So there is huge commitment.

I've owned them, enjoyed them, and have no intention of owning one again, unless I'm living in it full time. I'm at the point in my life where I'd rather get to my vacation destination easily, enjoy my time there, and get home easily. Unless the RV is a big part of the equation, it complicates things immensely. And if you own it, it sits in the driveway, a constant reminder that it's costing money every day, just sitting there. That engine and transmission need to be used and maintained. A travel trailer offers similar convenience, (if you own the right tow vehicle), without the mechanical inconvenience.

It's all a calculated process, for sure. Lots to consider.

Dave

 

[easyrider]

Yep . . . I'm now timeshare-less too, but struggling on whether or not to pull the trigger on a small class C RV (like a 24-25 footer) that I'd be comfortable driving and camping in solo . . . but is big enough for hubby (or sister) and me. I'm still not there yet, feeling like to buy a nice one used, I'm still going to be in for $75-100k and if I have ten good years using it, the math just doesn't seem to work out well. So for now, I'm avoiding the urge to buy this one . . . which I've seen and test driven. For "just" $70k+tax (& financing) and under 10,000 miles, it's a great deal.

That's a nice looking motor home. I like that it's a 7.3 power stroke on a Ford frame. The 7.3 power stroke is one of my favorite engines of all time because of the reliability.

Bill

 

[Timeshare Von]

Owning vs. renting: In my experience, RVing is less about the "being there" part of the vacation, and more about the "getting there" part. An RV trip can be amazing, enjoying the experience of getting to the destination. Unless the trip is about progressive camping in and around an area, once you've arrived at the final destination, getting around from an RV can be a huge hassle. And then, when the vacationing is over, you need to drive the RV back home again. So there is huge commitment.

I've owned them, enjoyed them, and have no intention of owning one again, unless I'm living in it full time. I'm at the point in my life where I'd rather get to my vacation destination easily, enjoy my time there, and get home easily. Unless the RV is a big part of the equation, it complicates things immensely. And if you own it, it sits in the driveway, a constant reminder that it's costing money every day, just sitting there. That engine and transmission need to be used and maintained. A travel trailer offers similar convenience, (if you own the right tow vehicle), without the mechanical inconvenience.

It's all a calculated process, for sure. Lots to consider.

Dave

That's how I initially viewed it . . . sell the house and live RVing for the first 5-7 years of retirement. But DH doesn't buy into any of that, and while I could go away for the summer living where I wanted off the grid, it's not how I envision my retirement either.

I do like the "getting there" part of the trip, which was why the 1-way rental of that Solis campervan from Iowa to Anchorage last May was so wonderful. And as expensive as it was, I would like to do it again . . . hopefully with the hubby . . . maybe 2027 since our "big vacation" in 2026 is to Ireland (and will include my sister too).

 

[easyrider]

I'm not here to brag but while some of you are shedding timeshares we are in an acquisition stage. We recently took on a huge WM membership that over doubled our credits. The goal was to be able to leave for 12 - 16 months and have room available for family to visit. We also added a VI . The WM and VI have many resorts that are driving distance from home. Driving distance for us is anywhere we can drive to, lol. All of our Mexico timeshares are expiring in the next few years. I could accelerate the use and be finished with the Mexico weeks this year or next year.

Yes, I'm leaving all of this to my kids to figure out on some day way out in the future. I hope they figure this out at a resort, lol.

Bill

 

[DaveNV]

I'm not here to brag but while some of you are shedding timeshares we are in an acquisition stage. We recently took on a huge WM membership that over doubled our credits. The goal was to be able to leave for 12 - 16 months and have room available for family to visit. We also added a VI . The WM and VI have many resorts that are driving distance from home. Driving distance for us is anywhere we can drive to, lol. All of our Mexico timeshares are expiring in the next few years. I could accelerate the use and be finished with the Mexico weeks this year or next year.

Yes, I'm leaving all of this to my kids to figure out on some day way out in the future. I hope they figure this out at a resort, lol.

Bill

Bill, you've always been smart about your ownerships. In my household, having both hit retirement age, and with a greatly reduced income, financial management has become key. Divesting ourselves of timeshares we weren't able to use properly was the smart move. Renting back from owners when we do want a timeshare stay is proving a valid option for us. Between us, we're illustrating the value in resale acquisition, and intelliigent usage.



Dave

 

[jp10558]

It's all a calculated process, for sure. Lots to consider.

Dave

I imagine it's for people who don't like camping but who want to be close to a natural area for early stuff - I'm thinking mostly like some of the youtube videos about the lake district photography where people roll out of a van at like 5AM and are set up for the sunrise. That said, I'm not inspired enough for sunrise photos to do that - I'll do sunset if I can be assed to wait in the right place for it. I'm not a morning person anyway. But all good things to know - While I do kind of like some parts of road trips, sometimes driving through new and interesting places, I also like sleeping in a hotel or TS way more, like orders of magnitude more than a tent.