My husband and I had always dreamed of taking epic road trips in our retirement, and the idea of a camper van seemed perfect. We recently sold our van and realized that, with a little creativity, our road trip dreams were still very much alive.
When I joined my husband in retirement last year, a compact camper van from the ’90s seemed to fall into our laps. We were at a car show and spotted one that fit our budget, and it had all the features we thought we wanted, including a generator and kitchen space. We bought it on the spot, thinking it was fate.
It turned out the camper van wasn’t as perfect as we’d hoped.
The first time we took it out, we stayed overnight in a cousin’s driveway to see a concert. We ended up sleeping for only a few hours. The space felt cramped, but we figured we just needed to get used to it.
Our second outing, a four-day music festival with no access to running water or electricity, was the true test. Our camper van was packed. We constantly moved belongings in and out to create space, and I, at five feet tall, still found myself bumping my head on the storage cupboards. My six-foot-tall husband couldn’t stand up straight.
We also discovered the van had some issues the sellers hadn’t been transparent about, including a broken generator and microwave. The costs of upkeep added up quickly with insurance and storage fees. It didn’t make sense to tie up money in a vehicle we’d use only a few times a year.
We recently sold the van to another couple, being upfront about all its issues. We even managed to recoup our investment. After doing the math, we realized we didn’t need a camper van to do the road trips we dreamed of. For now, we plan to drive our car and book cheaper accommodations that come with free breakfasts, and we’ll pack our own lunches and snacks in a cooler to save money on the road. Maybe we’ll even cross paths with the new owners on the road!
