WHY do people eventually sell their FWC?

[zirkel]

I recently found myself in the right place at the right time to pick up a great deal on a lightly-used 2019 Fleet.

This being my first FWC, I'm looking forward to MANY years of all-season use and travels. But given the current demand for these campers, I'm curious...

WHY do people eventually sell their campers?

Do they get tired of this type of travel? Expectations of traveling in a camper not meet reality? A desire for more comfort (think Airbnb)? Health or financial reasons? Gas prices? Vehicle maintenance costs?

Any insight from current or former FWC owners?

 

[RicoV]

For me, a 9-yr owner, it'll be old age and all that comes with that reality, hopefully won't be too soon into the future. We're just short of 500 nights in the Grandby to date, and are planning to get to 730 nights (2 yrs) before I'd consider letting it go, health willing of course.
Rico

 

[longhorn1]

Some people's financial situation change, and there have been several that shared. Life style changes (age). Medical. Too small for their liking. Over the years a number have switched to custom vans. Decided that the pop-up wasn't what they thought. Everyone has a slightly different reason. Most we won't know why. When I see a lightly used 2019 or even a 2018 my eyes do a little roll.
jd

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

I think some owners don't like the compromising that owning our style camper might require.
Or the family out grows it.Health/age reasons.
Their loss was sure your gain.
Enjoy your new camper and may it take you on many adventures.
Also welcome to the cult.
Frank

 

[Adventurer]

I've noticed it too, seems like some campers get sold after just a year or two. Interesting.

 

[Oilbrnr]

I could foresee me selling my slide in Hawk for a flatbed version. Since I’ve already dedicated my truck as a more extreme off-road camping rig, it would be nice to have the greater interior room, added storage in a tray with a minimal gain in weight. Spare tire placement is a bit of a quandary however.

 

[K6ON]

For me, it will be age. I've had my camper 12 years and still love it. I'll be 77 in July, and lifting the roof, climbing in, etc are starting to become more difficult as I get up there in age. Whenever I have to sell it (maybe when I'm 80) , I plan on getting a small travel trailer and continuing to "get out there".

 

[Kolockum]

I will be selling mine when the maintenance for the old girl gets over whelming and I get enough money to get a newer model.

 

[PaulT]

Situations change and perhaps, the owner doesn't think about alternatives. For example, we lost my FIL this past fall and now have a need to take my MIL along. The front dinette Hawk is comfortably a two person camper. No place for a third person. As we have gotten the Hawk where we want it, we really didn't want to sell it.

We considered replacing it with a travel trailer but I really don't like dragging a large trailer to places where we like to go. Our compromise was to purchase a IntechRV Flyer Pursue. We just got it and I am making the mods that we think will work for us. Think of it as a teardrop with benefits.

Offloading some weight from the Hawk to the trailer and freeing up the floor of the Hawk to make set up and take down faster is a priority. We should be able to leave the trailer where camped and take side trips in the truck. We'll see how it goes.

Paul

 

[57Pan]

The gentleman that I bought my camper from, switched to a trailer because it was to hard for him to get up into the upper bed. He was eighty years young when he sold his camper.

 

[todgru]

Upgrade! I sold my 80’s vintage Fleet and bought a new 2016 Fleet.

 

[TGK]

I've owned 2 FWC's between 1998 & 2019. 1st one was a Grandby, full camper Had it for 7 years and sold when we bought a vintage Airstream Trailer. Either camped out of the trailer or from a tent &/or truck canopy for 5 years. Missed the FWC for backroad exploring and bought a Grandby shell in 2010. Sold it in 2019 because we weren't using it quite as much as we used to and wanted to downsize from a 3 vehicle to a 2 vehicle family. Also, as we got older, if we found an area we wanted to explore, we got tired of having to set up and break down the camper in the morning if we wanted to go out to explore during the day. Also the roads we are going down are not quite as gnarly as the ones we frequented in the past. We like the option of setting up a "base" camp by dropping a trailer and being able to drive away for the day and come back to a set up camp. Can do that in some areas with our old Airstream but not when we get further off paved roads. So, we are considering getting a smaller/more rugged trailer that will meet our needs. Proving to be a challenge as most of the trailers that one can stand up in and have basic camping amenities are not up to the task. There are a few that might have potential. However, as with everything, there are tradeoffs. Lastly, we've been without our FWC shell for a year now and we do miss it.

 

[craig333]

I'm in the age/health camp. Probably get a small trailer when the camper becomes too much.

Lots of reason for a 2018/19 camper to be for sale. Can be a death in the family, unexpected loss of job or in a few cases, unexpected addition to the family!

 

[esimmers]

This is a very timely topic since we're getting our 2009 Hawk ready to sell this spring. We've loved having all the comforts of a fully-outfitted rig and have used it often. But even with a ladder I added to get into the over-cab bed the climb's getting to be a nighttime hassle at our age. Here, north of Seattle, the climate's good enough for almost year-round camping so we've bought a well-insulated small 5th wheel trailer from Escape Trailer to take its place. We'll miss the convenience of not having to drag a trailer around but hope to enjoy leaving the set-up trailer in camp and using the truck to drive to nearby sites. I'll be posting the Hawk for sale in about 3 weeks when we get all our stuff out of it and clean it up.

Ed

 

[TGK]

simmers, how do you like your Escape 5th who? We are considering a 19ft Escape or possibly the new 21ft with the Queen bed. If we go that route, will likely sell the old Airstream.

 

[Colorado Mark]

We sold our first many years ago. It was a financial situation. Truck had to go first but the camper was just sitting there. Figured may as well sell the camper since it was just sitting.

Took a while (~20 years) but bounced back. New truck and new Grandby.

 

[Bjammin]

We bought our FWC Hawk used from a man who had a big change in his life situation. He and his wife were to be the only users until he had to adopt his 5-year-old grand son, who tipped the scales and made the camper too small for them (the dogs didn't help either) I'm sure there are as many reasons to move on from a camper as there are owners.

 

[Occidental]

We sold our first camper (3rd owners of a 90's FWC) to upgrade and avoid dumping money into an old camper. We sold it after 150 nights over three years for more than we bought it for. We bought a nearly new FWC from a couple who were converting a sprinter van which was more to their liking for what they planned to do. It looked like they got little use out of the FWC, I'm doubtful that converting to a van actually got them out and about more, but the upshot was a nearly new used camper for us!

 

[hook]

buyers remorse, a new FWC is a significant chunk of money if you are stretched

 

[klahanie]

The dream doesn't match your reality.

We bought ours at the wrong time. I thought we'd be out every weekend !!, then maybe twice a month. Umm, no.

We had a few years use until other demands on our finances and time were made priority. We had the means to store the camper, most would prob have sold. Later, when we were in better shape the truck had gotten old and was gone. Again, we kept the camper while saving for a new truck. Gotta think most would have sold.

Like Colorado Mark we we able to come back to it, thankfully.

Now we've had 10+ years to get thru a punch list of trips. Another good time to sell... but we'll keep it for now.

Why will we eventually sell ? Prob because like us, the camper will get too darned old. I read on the FWC site that most of their buyers are retired or near retirement. Kind of surprised me but they should know. The clock ticks a bit faster then.

Whatever your window of time is, use it. If a FWC doesn't do it for someone, no matter, sell it and move on 'cause that window can close at any time.

Enjoy your camper Davo and Happy Travels !