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).