Hunt'n Trailer
 

I have wanted one for years. Every year I get the bug. I usually start looking for one, find a good deal, and back out. I figure the $ a good used trailer would cost verses how long I could stay in a motel. I end up backing out every year. I have the bug right now. I have also found a good deal on a trailer but it is going to cost a tank of gas just to go look at it. What do I do?

I need you guys help on this. Is a trailer worth it? I know it is more convenient. It would be great for some of the out-of-the-way places I want to hunt. Places that are a long drive to a town with a motel. But . . . There’s the cost. There’s the upkeep. There is the extra gas to tow the beast. I could go on two awesome guided elk hunts for what one costs.

Most years, I will hunt for over 3 weeks a year out of town. I figured it out once that I could stay in a motel all the nights I hunt for almost 10 years for what a good used Travel Trailer would cost. $45/night, 20 nights a year or $900/year, time 10 years is $9000.00. You add to that all the extra gas it is going to cost and it even gets more ugly.

I am planning to hunt more in my home state. There are a bunch of WMAs in Oklahoma that I want to hunt. All of these have campgrounds. None of these are located close to a town especially a town with a decent motel. So what do I do? You guys that own one or have owned one, PLEASE RESPOND.[/align]

RE: Hunt'n Trailer
 

my opinion would be that if you got the trailer you would be investing your money into something special that you would use and maybe down the road sell it. now if you keep going to a motel you are not gaining as much out of it. its kinda like buying a house rather than wasting money on an apartment. the trailer will pay for itself after some time...anyways just my 2 cents

RE: Hunt'n Trailer
 

you have to add in the intangibles such as sleeping in your own bed , eating at the campsite versus takeout .you can also use it for fishing trips , snowmobile trips etc......

RE: Hunt'n Trailer
 

I would definitly go with the trailer. A good thing about it in my opinion is the option of hunting right on the property. You can sleep in a half an hour later versus driving to get their and you wont have to go far in the event that you have to go get something you forgot. Just my thoughts.

RE: Hunt'n Trailer
 

Another few things to consider,

Will your hotel staysalways cost no more than the $45 you figured?
If you decide to go somewhere new, how much willit cost to stay there?

With a hotel you may run into"sold out/no vacancy" nights, price increases and so on. With the trailer, it all comes down to where you can park it and if that costs a fee. And like said before, you can use that trailer for more. Fishing trips, maybe you can now make more and/or longer hunting trips, to new areas, etc. If you want to go home early or stay later, no worries. Your room is always there, and you don't even need to pack your things and vacate it.

RE: Hunt'n Trailer
 

What about a camper that slides into the back of the truck??? You could find one of those used cheaper than a trailor. More options that I think.

RE: Hunt'n Trailer
 

My dad and I were in the same boat and we got a good deal for a cheap camper that was 29 feet long and beats stayin in a hotel and it is cheaper in the long run.

RE: Hunt'n Trailer
 

get it

RE: Hunt'n Trailer
 

I have hunted moose for years out of a wall tent which is actually warm and dry but one year we tried a different area and one of the guys brought in a 19 footer. That was the most comfortable hunt we ever had. That darn thing actiually had a thermostat on the furnace and it would kick in and turn off by itself and we slept like kings. The time you lose travelling from hotels and restaurants can be spent in the field or the sack. You also have to factor in money saved by not eating in restaurants ( never mind the health aspect ) and gas commuting back and forth. And when you decide you don't want it anymore you can sell it and recoup some of your investment so really the expense will not be the full purchase price. They also give you a warm place for mid day breaks which can be nice if it rains or snows all day.

RE: Hunt'n Trailer
 

It's a good idea, I think.

RE: Hunt'n Trailer
 

Although I don't own a trailer, I've always had the philosophy that you're way better off owning something than renting it if you're going to use it. Based on the numbers you gave, I'd say that your trailer will allow you to break even after a few years (depending on how lavish your trailer is or needs to be).

The heck with the hotels. Stay in your own traveling hunting lodge.

RE: Hunt'n Trailer
 

I have a pop up that we use as a family camper in the spring and summer,and my hunting camp in the fall.It opens to 24' tows great,and I have had no regrets on buying it.I drag it across three states,lots of mountains,and have had a great time with it.

RE: Hunt'n Trailer
 

Look at a trailer like buying a house you will eventually gain equity and it will be worth it.

RE: Hunt'n Trailer
 

A trailer is the way to go. I always left mine loaded with everything you would ever need except for food and clothes. Just throw that in when you're ready to leave. You can find trailers for a lot less than the $9,000 you mentioned in your first post. I had less than $1200 in mine and that included new tires and seat covers. It might not have been the prettiest one around but it didn't leak and the furnace kept it warm no matter how cold it was outside.It is 32' and sleeps 6 comfortably. I sold it to one of my hunting buddies and I still get to stay in it. I probably did only get 9 or 10 mpg though.

RE: Hunt'n Trailer
 

I think you already have yourself talked into it.
If you are hunting property with campgrounds nearby why not? It can be used for more than hunting trips also.

RE: Hunt'n Trailer
 

I too am thinking about getting a trailer. For me hunting use would be secondary. My wife and I both love camping and just spending time outdoors in general. We also have an 18 month old daughter that we want to teach about the outdoors so a camper is a no brainer for us. Me getting to use it for hunting is an added bonus. Now I just have to sell that 20' Nitro hull thats sitting out in the drive.

RE: Hunt'n Trailer
 

If I had to stay in a Motel when i went hunting. i would just stay at home and hunt around here. My deer camp is only 55 miles from the house and I go up there for 2-3 weeks during season and dont come home. The after the hunt life is just as much fun as the hunt itself IMO.

RE: Hunt'n Trailer
 

Me and a buddy just bought an old hi-lo travel trailer.It only sleeps 4.It has a stove, fridge, furnace and a toilet.I bought it off an older guy he noticed that it had a leak in one corner.It had been sitting a while.We got it for 300.00.I can tell you that there are good deals out there if you try hard.

RE: Hunt'n Trailer
 

What about renting a trailer for the time you would be hunting? I don't know what the cost would be verses a yearly payment on a trailer. If you went cheap you may save money but with a rental you'd be staying in a new trailer everytime and no upkeep. You also have the option of renting a smaller or larger model as needed.

RE: Hunt'n Trailer
 

You can find used trailers from $300 to next to new prices. I bought a slide in truck camper after 10 plus years in a tent. The first time we use it was for 12 days on an Elk hunt. It rained for 11 of the days, man wasI glad I wasn't in a tent.

They're worth every penny you spend.