Last week, thanks to a very generous Grandfather, we are now the proud owners of this:
Yep, that right there is a 1988 Jayco JayDove 6 PopUp camper. It’s not fancy, it certainly needs some work, but it was acquired at less than $700 and any problems it has are simply cosmetic. Structurally speaking, it’s in primo shape!
This is a big deal to us, because as any family with multiple children can tell you, travelling expenses are ridiculous when you want to take a weekend trip. Hotels are typically around a minimum $100/night if you want an efficiency where you can cook your own meals at the room as opposed to dropping $100 per day on eating out.
Additionally, we’ve been wanting to get the boys out fishing and hiking, and basically just get them the hell away from video screens. Now, we can.
I remember when I was a boy growing up, my parents owned travel trailers (much nicer than this one, almost like a hotel on wheels) and we would camp out (or RV if you’re a purist I guess) at least one weekend per month from April to October and we’d take a week long vacation every Summer as well. Campgrounds charge considerably less for a site per night than you can expect to pay for a hotel room, and many campgrounds have pools, recreation centers, miniature golf courses, and other activities so that you always have something to keep the kids busy.
So yes, we’re finally going to be campers. It’s a step up from having to sleep on the ground and that’s a huge plus in my book. I did my share of tent camping as a teenager with my friends, and even back in my younger and more limber days, I would wake up stiff and sore from sleeping on the ground. Perhaps, I’m just not built for true roughing it.
As a bonus, I have this set up in the yard right now while I figure out what I need to do to fix up the looks and the kids have already spent two nights camping out in it. It’s almost like having a babysitter built in. They’re not more than 30 yards from the front door, and we can leave a window open to keep an eye on them all night long. A little alone time with Momma goes a LONG way.
