Choosing the Rig

     For the past five years, we’ve attended the annual Colorado RV and boat show that is held in downtown Denver at the Colorado Convention Center.  We drooled over toy haulers, lingered over quad bunk 5^th wheels and pondered pop up campers.  But never took the plunge. 

     Though we hauled buckets of pamphlets and flyers home, it inevitably ended in the trash because we never felt that it quite the “right” time. Finally, we decided to take the plunge. Financially, we were stable and both in the right mindset. 

     So mid-March, I took the kids to a local Camping World lot and laid out our financial picture to Anne, the wonderful saleswoman.  Then we looked at Class C campers.  All our years of dreaming and planning had culminated to a small camper.  They seemed nice enough with a loft bunk over the cab, a couch (for the boy) and a small queen bed in back for us.  We figured that by trading in the truck, we could get a nice down payment, and wrap the auto loan in with the RV loan. Plus, our 2006 Kia Spectra could act as the go-around-towner.  I agreed to come back that Saturday and let Bill look at the campers as well. 

     Saturday morning, after a particularly fun Star Wars troop (Bill belongs to the 501^st legion –a group of Star Wars fans who build movie quality costumes (think storm troopers) and wear them to any and all types of events—at the Colorado Mills Lego store, we headed over to Camping World and met with Anne. 

     She was honest with us in that we would need at least $6K down in cash because our truck was upside-down on its loan.  Disheartened, we looked at the class C’s anyway and then Bill decided to look at travel trailers.  Just in case…

     Both he and Anne came to the same conclusion almost immediately.  We could get a small travel trailer with less money down ($2,000) that could fit the whole family.  The kids, ecstatic at the thought of owning a trailer, climbed into the bunks and began making plans.   I wasn’t quite as excited about the idea because I still had my heart set on a class C.  She looked me in the eye and said, “You have become a professional RV shopper.  And at some point, all the floor plans and amenities run together.  If you find something you like and its within your price range, buy it.”

     I know she is a salesman and it’s her job to sell RVs, but she was right.  We still weren’t sure, so we packed the kids up and went over to a local park.  After a hearty picnic lunch and some serious prayer, we decided to take the plunge.  Just in time too because shortly after we started the paperwork and paid the deposit, another couple put a back-up offer on the trailer. 

     We agreed to come back in a week, with financing, and complete the transaction. After years of wanting, we finally got something.  And I had complete peace about it.