A good friend of mine just bought a new (used) camper van:
He’ll use it for awhile, really enjoy it, and then he will probably sell it for a profit. That is just the way my friend does things. He knows a good deal when he sees one, and he doesn’t hesitate.
Me on the other hand, I think about all the variables and then a few extras just for fun. How much will it costs to maintain? Are parts easy to find? What typically goes wrong with these vehicles? What if I don’t like it, will it be easy to sell again? I won’t bore you with how long the list actually goes. Bottom line is, by the time I answer 1/3 of my questions, said item is usually long gone. Oh, and you don’t even want to know the list of questions (and anxieties) that go through my brain once I actually own something like a camper van.
I did have one once. A VW Westy. Ohhh… she was a beauty. In theory I miss that Westy. Anytime I actually look at one on Craigslist, though, my wife reminds me how much I worried about it. She is right, too. Still… I never should have sold it! What I should have done, instead, is learn to enjoy it and take the ups and downs as they come. I may have had to put some serious money in that van someday. The thought of that reality kept me from really enjoying it while I had it. That’s really my only regret about my VW Westy. That van was meant for epic camping trips. It’s a shame when we let anxiety over something we can’t control rob us of having a good time in our sweet camper van (or insert what your anxieties are keeping you from enjoying).
Either way, I hope my friend enjoys his sweet new camper. These days I am content with a pop-up (no engine that might need to be replaced someday).