used trailer sales price

[Hitch Itch]

It saddens me Very Much to say, Kim and I have been talking about selling our Trailer. For as much as we use it (maybe 20 nights a year if we are lucky) it is rather costly.
With cg prices & gas prices so high its more expensive to camp then stay in a hotel.
Example
A trip to Va beach with the camper is about 400 miles each way, 8 miles/gallon/50 gallons/$2.85 gallon/$142.50 ea way/total gas cost $285.00, does not included site seeing gas
Va beach Travel Park, $77/night/4 nights/$308.00
I wont consider food, because we tend to eat at restaurants when we go places like that, We love seafood
Gas and cg total $593.00

Same trip in a hotel,
car gets 30 mpg, total gas= $75.80
La Quinta Suites, Va Beach= $75.00/night/ 4 nights/$300.00
Gas and Hotel cost= $375.80

It costs $217.20 more to camp then to stay in a hotel, Not to mention all the prep time of keeping the TT clean, before and after (ugh never ending black streaks)
Now for us the real kicker is adding in the fact that we pay about $150 month for the trailer loan, and $200. for insurance plus inspections, chemicals, supplies etc.
It turns out to be significantly more expense to camp. I must admit tho I could cry just typing this because I love camping so much, it just doesn't make sense at this point in our lives to keep it. Not that a year or so We wouldn't buy another one.

So the Real question here is does anyone know how much our trailer is really worth ? I have looked at the RV Nada guide, but it seems wacky and not what we could really sell it for. I am going to call our local RV dealer tomorrow and look into a consignment sale, Not sure what there take of cash will be

The Trailer is in Mint condition, 2008 Keystone Cougar X-Lite 29FKS Fully loaded, LCD TV, 18' super slide, 18' awning, tinted windows, polar package, camping in style package, convenience package, outdoor integrated grill and sink, out door shower. outdoor speakers. I have added extra shelf's through out, electric tongue jack, Fantastic fan.

Just because I might not own a trailer in the near future doesnt mean I wont still be sticking my 2 cents in the forum.

Thanks for any info
  Ken

[jim]

I know exactly how you feel Ken.
I'm gonna guess that it's more related to each ones location more than anything else.
For us, we spend most of our weekends in a national forest campground that runs us about 10 bucks a night. The CG is about 45 minutes away and about a half tank of gas both ways.

When we look at longer trips to places like Disnyworld, it is always cheaper to just stay in a hotel.
I'm not sure how much camping you have closer to home, but that might be something to look at and consider. The 77 dollar rate you quoted abouve is what's killing you.

[rubrhammer]

Today I saw an 04 Sprinter 252 fwrls (letters might be jumbled) go through auction and it only drew a $5100 bid. I saw no evidence of water damage and other than the ladder having been removed it was fine. It didn't sell.
 Each of us has our own style of travel and that fluctuates as our life styles evolve. I agree that there are times when it is less expensive to camp in motels. That style of camping has its pluses and drawbacks. If you really like a campfire you'll be left wanting. Tough decisions in your future, move slowly s oyou have time to digest all your options.
Bob

[Coolbreeze]

Ken,

I never once paid $77/night and if campgrounds want that much well then I just say your price is to high and I'm not buying your product. Think the highest I paid was $55 and that was just lately in DC. Last year down to WV, KY and TN we paid $36 for a KOA, $27 in KY and I think Chan's place was what $38. Now what is a hotel in DC for four people? IF my wife and I want privacy from the kids now I'm at 2 rooms.  Also the going out to eat is killing you. That DC trip I doubt cost me $1000 all in including museums, souvenirs, etc and we went out to eat 2 nights. Dare you to stay 5 nights in DC and beat that, maybe for two but not four.  

All in all I say keep it, go out more and camp with us. So not that it solves all of your problems but we never pay much more then $45/night because for just a weekend a sewer hookup isn't worth. Furthermore if you camp cheaper and more often and closer to home well then you will get more use out of it. AS an example over Memorial Day weekend I think the sites are $32/night. No place to eat out anyways. We all do pot luck and done with that. If you wife doesn't like to cook when your out well same with mine then I grill.

Hope that helped and yes we would hate to loose you.

I think Hunter70 is on vacation but e-mail him and he could give you a pretty good idea.

[rubrhammer]

So Mikey, Just where is the Memorial day outing  this yr?

[prevish gang]

Ken,
The prices at holiday travel park are very high compared to other places.  We like it there, but they can and do get those rates.  We are staying in a state park for July 4th  weekfor $25 a night.  There is a state park in VA beach that would have been better priced and others somewhere in between.  Don't forget the comfort of sleeping in a bed that is you OWN bed where every Tom, Dick and Harry hasn't been doing God knows what on the same bedspread and blanket you are using.  Plus how often do you take a trip that far anyhow.  Up where you guys are there are so many options for great camping.  We sometimes camp in there driveway just because we want to sleep in the camper.  Give this a little more thought and do more off season camping if you can and utilize state parks more often and stay away from the "prime location" campgrounds and travel just a little further and you will be fine.  I hate to see you give up something you love when I know you will lose money in the sale.  Plus, how are we ever gonna meet if you don't keep that camper?  I don't stay at hotels anymore! 

Darlene

[Hitch Itch]

I know $77 is high, the norm is more like $50, but even if they charged $35.00/night it would still have cost $112 more to camp. It Almost Impossible to get a Nice cg for $35/night anymore.
I didnt include food for that trip because we would eat at seafood restaurants no matter where we stayed. on shorter trips it would cost slightly less to camp then hotel it, but not by much. If we didnt owe anything on the trailer we wouldn't consider getting rid of it. The Real Kicker is the $150. month loan payment, no matter how much you camp up here all you get is 6 months camping time and 6 months winterized.

Well the idea of selling it via dealer consignment is out. I checked with two dealers, both said they you give us $15k no matter how much they sold it for, NFW! what a rip off, They both said they would put in on the lot for about $24,000  even if they sold it for $21k, there taking $6k profit for just about nothing. We might try craig's list.

no matter what its crappy to pay the  $150 loan every month for for a few weeks a years and it sucks thinking of getting rid of it.

Ken

[Coolbreeze]

So Mikey, Just where is the Memorial day outing  this yr?

Same place Bob, up in Pine Creek Gorge. Think there is a picture in my Gallery. RobNJ, Clarke , Hunter, Greg and Sharon, Happy Campers, Steve and Leon, JoonBee think Steve's cousin and maybe some other but I can't remember.

Same place for the last 3 years for me. No frills campground which is fine by me. Good folks , stunning location and all in all it is my favorite camping place.

[kyoutback]

We seriously considered selling ours this year. Haven't camped yet and probably won't get out more than a few local trips. The only reason we didn't sell is because it's paid off and hopefully next year will be better.

One thing you can't do in a hotel.....Sit around the campfire.

[broken axle]

I tell ya what When I camped at the state park and other private cg's we paid over 1500.00 a summer in camping fees and only camped about  6-8 weeks now we put our camper in a seasonal cg and we are there every weekend and live there after june when the kids are out of school. We pay 1250.00 a year for our site with full hookups and park it on our lot year round if we want to. Hence no storage fees in the off season. We save on gas hauling the trailer and going camping is a turn key thing no set up or leveling every time we go. Also the cg has a marina on the lake and we keep our small fishing boat there for 75.00 a season. I wouldn't do it any other way we did the travel thing and saw a lot of different places but this is much more relaxing and economical for us now I am retired.