We're back to camping, kind of.

[keith_h 420]

We have been without a trailer since our Micro Minnie was hit by an uninsured driver in October of 2021. The insurance company ended up totaling it. Thankfully due to the pandemic distorting RV prices we came out well with the settlement. We decided to hold off on buying and to take our time looking at the different models for several reasons but the two biggest were the already low quality of RV construction getting worse during the pandemic and the distorted markets. We also wanted to see what some of the newer RV companies were going to do in regards to travel trailer introductions. About 2 weeks ago we picked up our new trailer. While the MSRP was higher than pre-pandemic dealers were more than willing to make deal and we ended up getting a little over 30% off on a 2023 that had just come onto the lot a week or two earlier. This was something that even a few months ago would have been hard to get but the dealers, or the ones I dealt with, appear to have recognized that the market is returning to its historical norms and the days of full price sales are over for the foreseeable future.

We had considered replacing the Micro Minnie with a newer version of the same model but didn't like the changes Winnebago has made in the intervening years. We also liked what Alliance has come out with but they are larger than what we were looking for and we didn't want to wait another year to see what they would introduce for smaller floorplans. So what did we end up with? A Grand Design Imagine XLS 22MLE. It is larger that the Micro Minnie but at 26 ft it is close enough to the 25 ft or under range I was looking for. We like the additional space and having a dinette plus living room seating. There is also more storage than we've ever had in a trailer. Like any new RV we have found a several problems but they are all minor such as a loose shower control and an unsealed area of vapor barrier where the utility port goes through the subfloor into the pass-through. To be honest I was expecting more issues and am pleasantly surprised there aren't more. We have another weekender planned for a nearby park in a couple of weeks after which I will contact the dealer to see about getting the problems fixed.   

Now to the "kind of". Campsite availability hasn't returned to pre-pandemic levels and as a result trying to get sites at our two favorite parks is still close to impossible unless you book them 4 - 6 months out. Rene should be retiring next year or the year after and I can't wait until we can have the time where we can book during the week when the campgrounds are empty. I don't think we will be getting back down to WDW until after Rene retires but we usually haven't had problems getting reservations there since we tend to go in the gap between Halloween and Thanksgiving or the tail end of January/early February. Arriving on a Sunday and leaving the following Friday or Saturday also helps. 

[ThemeParkCommando 81]

Congrats on the new camper!  If you are a disney plus member, check out the September rates at the Fort, if you can go then.  I'm snagging another cabin this year, the rates are pretty low during the promotion. 

 

[keith_h 420]

19 hours ago, ThemeParkCommando said:

Congrats on the new camper!  If you are a disney plus member, check out the September rates at the Fort, if you can go then.  I'm snagging another cabin this year, the rates are pretty low during the promotion. 

 

Thanks.

Florida in September is still too hot for us especially when we will be hanging out in large crowds. Not to mention being the peak of hurricane season where I rather be home here in NC and can ride one out if we are in the track.

[Tony 27]

Congrats and welcome back to the great outdoors 🤠