Rving vs Tent Camping: 10 Reasons to make the leap!

RVing vs Tent Camping

While searching for an RV to replace our many tents, we made lists like, “Rving vs Tent Camping” to determine which was the better option. For sure tent camping is cheaper; you can find tents only cost a few hundred dollars. RVs, even pop-ups, cost much more than that. But the tent camping “pros” end there! So here are 10 Benefits of RVing vs Tent Camping to get you psyched about finding and buying that first RV!

  1. Shoulder season is much more appealing with an RV. One of our biggest reasons for buying an RV was to take advantage of early spring and late fall camping. With a tent, even if there’s frost outside, you have to get up and get out of your cozy sleeping bag to make coffee on your camp stove. With an RV you can turn on the heat and stay toasty warm while that coffee is brewing!
  2. Rain and Wind don’t matter (as much). Moab springs can be brutally windy and Crested Butte summers have rain almost every afternoon.  For tent campers those two factors can ruin a trip. For RVers, they are a minor inconvenience. RVers can sit inside at a table and play games or watch TV.  They can sit under an awning and stay dry while watching the rain.  Often when it’s very windy, they might sit at the window and take bets on whose tent is going to blow away first.
  3. No coolers required! If you have a travel trailer you’ll find plenty of room in the fridge for all your food and even enough room in the freezer to store several bags of ice for drinks. There’s no having to go outside, open the cooler, dig around, get what you want, reorganize everything so the lid shuts…let’s face it: that can be a real pain.
  4. Showers. If you enjoy mountain biking, swimming in the lake, or 4-wheeling, you often come back to camp sweaty, smelly, or covered in dust. Having a hot shower, even if it’s a wet bath or an outside shower, is a luxury! If you’ve come back from a ride cold and wet, a steaming shower is that much nicer.
  5. Meals are easier. Being able to utilize a stove (and sometimes an oven) inside your camper is much easier than trying to cook outside, especially if the weather is working against you.  Even in a small A-frame pop up 4 people can sit comfortably while a dinner of jambalaya warms on the stove and it rains outside. After spending too many evenings under a rain tarp trying to eat while shivering, being able to eat inside is a welcome change.
  6. It’s more social! If the weather turns rough, there’s plenty of room in some campers for you and your friends to hang out together. If you’re all in separate tents then, when it rains, everyone runs for their own shelter and you miss out on valuable time with friends.
  7. It’s much easier to get up off a bed than from the ground. Enough said.
  8. Packing is easier. The trailer is already sitting there – all you have to do before you go is stock the fridge and throw your duffel bags in! There’s no filling up the car with the kitchen box and the tent and the rain shelter and the sleeping bags. In the battle of RVing vs Tent Camping, this definitely gives the RV more clout!
  9. Easier to make a one-night stop. If you’re traveling and need to stop for just one night, it’s much more convenient to pull in to a campsite with your trailer. You don’t even have to unhook it; just level it and put down your stabilizer jacks and wheel chocks.
  10. You’re self-contained. The National Forest service allows dispersed camping IF you have a toilet system. Well, if you have a trailer that’s probably built in! No need to drag a tiny portable toilet or “groover” with you.
  11. Extra: You can bring your adventure cats and dogs! Containing dogs or cats at night in your camper is better for them and for your peace of mind. It’s also much nicer for your camp neighbors who might not enjoy it if your dog gets excited and starts barking at 3 a.m.

So the next time you’re making that RVing vs Tent Camping list, remember these 11 reasons to go ahead and make the leap!

We know the cost of a camper can be daunting, but there are plenty of financing options available! There are also plenty of RV options on our site – from clearance and used to brand new.