Flip This Camper #004: The One That Got Me (But I Got It Anyway)
- Trail South
- May 23
- 2 min read
Location: Alabama ➝ South Carolina ➝ Tennessee
Vibe: Aggravated. Overbudget. Zero regrets.
I’ve walked Kala in every sketchy patch of grass from California to Georgia - just to buy campers.
But this one? This one got me.
The ad said $6,900.I had $5,900 in my pocket and a plan to talk him down. I figured he’d flinch. They always flinch.
Two days of driving later:
Crappy hotel
Terrible beer selection
One suspicious park walk with Kala...and I show up the next morning ready to out-hustle this dude.
But then I saw the camper.
It was… NICE.
Like, way nicer than the pictures.
Fireplace
Upgraded floors
Beautiful bathroom
Everything worked
Stereo? Bumping.
Even the awning was flawless (and we know awnings are almost always half-dead)
I started sweating.
I tried.
I looked for flaws:
“Is that chipped paint?”
“Smells kinda funky in here, huh?”
“Rodents, maybe?”
“Those tires look a little tired... right?”
He just looked at me and said:
“I’m not selling it for a dollar less. I owe $6,900 on it and I have other people who want it. Either you buy it right now, or I’m texting them.”
At that moment I realized something:
A good negotiator doesn’t win every time. A good negotiator knows when they’ve already lost — and still come out ahead.
So I drove to the bank.
Pulled the extra $1,000.
Met him at his bank. Paid off the loan. Got the title. Hooked it up. Left town.
That night, I parked at a campground in Tennessee. Kala gave it the sniff test. Laid down like she’d claimed it.
And you know what?
It was worth every penny.
Moral of the Story: Not every deal has to be a win on paper .Sometimes, the best victory is swallowing your pride, paying full price, and still driving away with the best damn camper on the lot.
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💬 Been there? Blown the budget and still felt great about it?
We get it. You’re one of us.
Drop your “L’s that were really W’s” below.
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