We're young folks with no kids, so it's just me and the hubby, sometimes the two dogs and once even with the cat too! He'd like to bring his father along sometime so he can see how much fun camping is, but oops - the Caravel is too small! Sorry!
I travel with a Bluegrass camping club called The Grillbillies. My pup
Layla was the first to get hooked. The family just thought I was nuts.
But one by one they all joined the wagon train. My son bought
a trailer in addition to mine, that is basically used as Party Central.
We set up the tow vehicle up as a bed room with porta potti. We bring a tent for the kids friends. We can sleep 12 comfortably. Now the concensus
is that the buying the Argosy was money very well spent. You can not
put a price tag on the family quality time, or for the hugs, kisses, magic moments, songs, and togetherness. It literally brings me to tears. BUT......
" If teardrops were pennies, then I'd be a wealthy man. " Anyway
I sure feel like a wealthy man.
With an 11, 7, 6, 5, 3, & almost 2 (#7 due next week), it feels as if we've been in babyland forever.
However, last year, after assessing our goals for family and education, it was determined that camping would be a positive addition to our many varied interests. After a little research and self reflection, it was decided that a "made for travel" trailer was the best choice....hence our Airstream purchase.
A new bathroom floor later (not to mention water heater, toilet, refinishing, custom bunk & dinette fabrication), we are ready to tour the country!! (An E-350 SuperDuty 7.3 PSD is a nice thing to have, also!)
We took a trip to Colorado last summer, with a few short trips here and there in between. We have reservations for JAX, FL in June and are planning a Gettysburg, PA trip in September.
We see this as an economical way to travel (cheaper than motel) and with assigned sleeping quarters, more predictable for the children. It is our dream to visit friends (spent 6 years in Navy) and places all over this great nation of ours.
Hopefully, we're creating (good) memories in our family that will last a lifetime!
Wife and me,
three soon to be four kids. 10, 8, 2, .8
28 foot trailer in progress.
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Tedd Ill
AIR#3788, WBCCI#4028 Membership discontinued
1967/8 Overlander International Twin w/ bunk/s.
Yes, four kids and two adults in the thing.
Happy wife, happy life.
Me, my wife, sometimes our reluctant teenage daughter (age 17), and occasionally a high school age foreign exchange student.
My daughter finds driving and camping boring. She liked our trip to Chicago in April, when we brought her friend along. In two years she will be off to college and I hope that we can travel more. If I just had more vacation time from work...
My partner, Frank, and our Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Brittany! Always!
Tom
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Tom and Frank
Evanston, Illinois
2004 Safari 28 ft Slideout "Lucy" 4 HI CAMP
2004 Ford Excursion 6.0 PSD PWRSTRK,
and Brittany, the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
We took children along in "inexpensive" SOB with bunks for 14 years, until they graduated from college and became too cool and too busy working to travel with us... At that point, sold "Casa de Cardboard" (named for prolific use of imitation wood inside with laminated wood covering..) and bought the Condoluminum. With living area up front, queen bed in rear, and no pets, it is perfect couples unit, and gets us out of routine and into a different mental state in short order...
No grandchildren on horizon, but try survey again in 5 years to see if things change...
John McG
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Condoluminum
In Theory, there's no difference between Theory and Practice, but in Practice, there is usually a difference...
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