Many RVers were tent campers before buying their first RV. It’s the natural progression in the camping world, isn’t it? Many people go from tent, to pop-up trailer, to RV. (If there were a camper evolution diagram, that’s probably what it would look like.)
Before you bought your first RV, did you tent camp? If yes, what made you decide to make the switch and buy an RV? If you had to go back to tent camping now, would you?
After you vote, please tell us about your tent camping experiences in the comments below.
Never used a tent but as a teenager I would ride my horse up on to the mountain and camp under the stars with just a blanket, Those were fun times.
Backpacker tent, regular tent, Danish tent pop up trailer, hard shell with pop up roof.
2 GMC Class A’s, finally 2 Class C’s.
Never mind GP medium Army tent and captured Iraqi Army tent.
Tent camped for about 15 years. Then one camping night we had a BAD rain (with 2 toddlers) and that was that…we bought our first of 2 pop up trailers. Years later, retired and with toddler grandchildren, we have a 5th wheel.
I said No, but as a child my family camped with a tent. Later, we graduated to two 8-man tents (6 kids, some of them teenagers by then). Later yet, my parents got a very used tent trailer – which we used for our honeymoon. We “inherited” that tent trailer as our first RV. After going many years without an RV (hotelling it when we did go out), we bought a 19-foot trailer about 15 years ago.
Tents, Travel Trailer, back to several tents, back to travel trailer, then to our current Class “A” in 2009.
The last time I camped in a tent was as a kid in the Boy Scouts! Maybe 65 years ago?
First camping was in a TT over 60 years ago. So through the years I have camped in RVS as well as tents. We’re camping in one of our latest additions, a mini cargo camper. We call it a hard sided tent – keeps the critters and bears out at night.
Did my time camping in a tent during my youth (8 to my mid 20s) then on to small campers and up to larger the current 5er. It sure seemed like alot more work with a tent from set up to take down and clean.
We tent camped for 50 years before doing the travel trailer scene. It was so much easier back then, but rain always put a damper on things. Do not like packing up a wet tent.
Yes indeed! We even took an extra tent for the babysitter.
We started with a tent, a large Coleman, which led to a Coleman pop up, 3 fifth wheels and now a Tiffin motor home.
This is our 35th season of camping. We camped for years with a tent, before moving to a tent on wheels, a.k.a. popup. We moved on to a small travel trailer far sooner than expected, when it became too difficult for me to solo camp reliably/comfortably.
My husband still backpacks, so does get some “tent time”. Soon, he’ll be doing 3 nights Below the Rim at Grand Canyon, plus another one if he gets a permit on North Rim.
We have our front country tent, just haven’t used it recently. Many times, we still use our Coleman stove to cook outside.
Started tent camping in 1955 using 2 Army surplus shelter halves buttoned together and a ground cloth. And I camped in a modern pop-up tent 2 weeks ago at 9,500′ in the Rockies. I prefer the modern tent!
Bears love tents.
After “camping” in the military for a number of years I never want to spend another night in a tent. 😂😂
Camped in tents as kids with other kids in the countryside or farmlands in the area. My Dad had a pickup camper for family vacations.
DW and I used to camp on Sandbars along the Mississippi River with friends. Sand was in everything! Our last time in a tent was at an archery competition in Eldora, IA. Day 1 we were doing well and my wife was on track to win her division. That night there were torrential downpours. The old cabin tent was leaking a lot and we got soaked and no sleep. Needless to say, Day 2 scores were not too good.
Goodbye tent. Hello used 1970’s 20′ Forester TT!
Thank you, RV Travel! 🙂 My answer was no. I actually did spend two nights in tents. The first was in high school and in a friend’s side yard. It was okay. Later, while in grad school, I was invited to do it again. It was easily the most miserable night I ever had. It was cold, the guy who was to loan me a sleeping bag decided to accompany us, leaving me with a blanket that was a bit small. I swore I’d never do it again. Consequently, I tell others that we “travel,” not “camp.”
I voted yes, but only if you consider bivouacking in the Army as camping….did a lot of tent usage then. If no, then I’d have to say NO to the question. Single axle and non-toilet 17′ Golden Falcon trailer was my introduction to camping.
I answered “No” because it was only a few times (and then mostly in a jungle hammock). I did a lot more time on a sailboat.
Yes and many fond memories, because that was when the kids were young.
I camped all my younger life in a canned ham camp trailer, while working with my father on weekends and summers. When we ran out of water, we filled our 10 gal milk cans with pond water. After getting married we used a tent most of the time. Once camping at a mountain area next to a stream in sleeping bags on the ground with our kids, we all woke up about 2 am to a bunch of skunks sniffing our faces. We shooed them away and went back to sleep.
We camped lots in a tent over the years, but got aches and pains as the years went on. So we bought our Rv. Tent camped mountains above Lake Tahoe. Ground frozen and baby got very cold so went to a motel at midnight.
I tent camped as a Boy Scout and as a Boy Scout adult leader, but my wife and I never tent camped before we got our motorhome.
Yes we did. Wonderful memories camping with our kids. One of the best times was when we had just turned the lantern off and a gentle rain would begin, lulling us to sleep. After the kids were off on their own, we continued to tent camp until one night lightning struck a nearby tree. DW says, “I don’t care if you sell it or give it away, I’ll never spend another night in a tent”. Well, what’s a guy to do except buy a motor home. No regrets!
Yes, we did, we also slept in the back of a Vega hatchback, that is long gone, but we still have the tent, a good but old Coleman stove and several lanterns. There are some things that are just to useful to let go of.
Yes, we started in a tent in our young days, then a pickup camper shell, then a pop-up trailer, then a small travel trailer, and finally a nice big travel trailer. And loved every minute in each one!
Way, way back when! Then came the van, then the Class C…now the Class A! Love the “grown up” style of camping, or whatever one wants to call it! lol
Does the Air Force Temper tent count? How about the Army canvas ones?
I camped in my Suburban and I miss it. I’m looking at getting the inflatable topper and cot for my truck bed so I can make quick one or two night trips without having to tow the TT.
The last time I used a tent was at Philmont Scout Ranch in 2011. I was fifty eight years old, trust me, I like the mattress in our Airstream.
We van camped, then tent camped, then van camped, and finally Classy B camping.
We still tent camp, first RV is two years out. We know make, model, and year range.
Good for you! What a wonderful thing to plan for and look forward to! We wish you many happy and safe trips in your upcoming RV. Keep us posted.👍 Have a good night, Bill, et al. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com