The Good (and Not-So-Good) Points Of Owning A Camper

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This past Sunday, I spent the day catching up with one of my good friends.

As it had been a few weeks since we spent time together, there was a lot to catch up on.

One of the questions he asked me as we sat outside enjoying the beautiful day over a few drinks was:

"So, tell me about your experience with the camper. What were the good and not-so-good points?"

As I spent all last week in the camper, completely off-grid, I thought it would be good to write about my first experience's good and not-so-good points.

I've wanted to buy a camper for a few years now.

So much so that in 2020, when I purchased my SUV, one of the criteria for the SUV was that it's powerful enough to tow a camper.

I have spent many hours since 2020 researching what type of camper I should buy, what I would need specifically to enjoy being off-grid as comfortably as I can, and, most importantly, how much it would cost.

Overall, the camper and my experience off-grid for a week was great.

It exceeded my expectations.

But, just like anything, there's always a flip side to the coin.

So let's get into it.

Towability

When deciding which camper to purchase, I didn't want anything large.

I didn't want to replace my apartment with a camper.

I wanted something big enough to protect me from the elements in any season but small enough to feel like I was camping.

Something I could tow comfortably over long distances into areas I could get to that people with large campers cannot.

Overall, towing the camper is relatively easy as it's incredibly lightweight.

Solar Power

The solar power was tremendous.

I paid extra to upgrade the solar panels, add a bank of lithium batteries, and a power inverter.

The power inverter is specifically for powering appliances such as the microwave oven, the air conditioner, or anything that requires a 110v outlet (just like the electrical outlets in a home).

The lithium batteries power everything else, including the refrigerator, the TV, and the water tank heaters.

We had a 100% charge on our batteries when we arrived at our campsite.

However, over 2 nights, we lost ~20% of the charge each evening.

We were not expecting that, especially since we didn't plug anything in that would draw a ton of power.

We were close to ~60% charge after the second night.

Depending on cloud cover, trees, etc., the solar panels recharged the batteries anywhere from ~10 - 15% each day.

We started to worry because we wouldn't last the week if we lost 20% of our power reserve each night.

After reading the owner's manual, I decided to turn off the power inverter as we didn't need it.

Our power consumption overnight went from losing ~20% to ~7%, which was great.

The solar panels recharged the batteries throughout the day, which kept the batteries charged at ~80% throughout the rest of the week.

We only turned on the power inverter when using the microwave oven.

Has Everything Needed

The camper has a two-burner stove, a refrigerator, a heater, an air conditioner, and, most importantly, a bathroom.

Not having to go outside at night or in the early morning to use the restroom is an absolute game changer, especially if it's raining or snowing outside.

We made coffee every morning, used the microwave to heat up food, and the heater (in such a small space) kept us toasty warm every night, especially when the temperatures were close to freezing outside.

The Not-So-Good

Small Space

The camper is ~16 feet long and ~9 feet at its highest point.

The camper is small.

It's tight for two people.

Setting up the bed, moving around, and using the small bathroom all take a bit of getting used to.

Storage Space

While there is some storage space, it is extremely limited in such a small space.

We made the rookie mistake of bringing too much stuff, thinking we'd have enough space to store everything within the camper.

At one point, we had to remove almost everything from the camper and bring in things we only needed or would use in the following days, which was extremely helpful.

The limited amount of storage space will require careful planning for longer trips.

Not the Most Comfortable Bed

It's a camper, the bed is not the most comfortable.

You won't sleep like you will if you're used to sleeping in a luxurious queen- or king-sized bed every evening.

Additionally, it requires a bit of setup each evening.

For one person, the bed may be extremely comfortable.

For two people, it can be a challenge.

Overall, I am pleased with the camper.

The not-so-good points did not take anything away from enjoying some time completely off-grid within a natural setting.

Granted, I have only spent a week in the camper so far, but I do not regret the purchase.

The week went by quickly and on our last day, I did wish we were staying for another day or two.

I am looking forward to further off-grid adventures, towing this little beast across the country, and escaping the overstimulation of New York City as often as I can.

What caught my attention:

The happiest people balance and prioritize 3 things

You can find the collection of financial tools & resources that helped me grow from a 6-figure debt to a 6-figure net worth by clicking here.

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