I may be wrong..but?

It's not a "monetary investment" If you think, or want it to be, you are in for disappointment.

How much the time spent while sightseeing, hiking, camping, bonding, etc, etc is worth to YOU is a call only you can make.

I have camped since I was negative .75, she started camping when she met me. We have camped and backpacked on 3 different continents. Wore out a lot of gear. Finally started to wear out ourselves. Switching to a TT, and all of it's accouterments and issues, was a great idea. We are on our third TT and third truck.. though, we owned the first truck before a TT, and would still own one if we didn't have a TT. The only truck difference being we bought the last two with towing also in mind.

Oh, and while "out and about".. sleeping in your own bed, pooping and showering in your own bathroom, where only your germs have been, is a very very very nice thing. Or so she tells me.

and of course... Bacon.

I've always had a pickup.  And before the RPod, I had a truck camper and I still have it and use it.

My take on your question is this:  Sometimes it's too far to drive somewhere to recreate and flying is the better idea.  But you cannot recreate by flying somewhere the same way you can by having a truck and RPod.

The freedom to explore, camp, and have your own stuff is huge.  There are so many places to go with a truck and RPod.

And then there's the quality of life issues.  When and if you're 75, will the expense of buying a truck and RPod matter more than having had the experiences they brought to you and yours?  Obviously, we all have to live within our means.

Life really is about living and it's awfully short.

Lostagain... yes, we had a  Casita for 3 years and could not handle the wet bath thing.  That is the whole reason we bought our Rpod 180.  Huge difference in trailer living

Thanks you all for the replies. As far as cost, just got news today my car needs couple thousand in work a 2000 Maxima. Not worth it so we now need a vehicle . I have camped quite a bit in my time, from Cub Scouts on up.Just no need to wake up on the floor anymore. My oldest daughter hiked the 2,260 mile of the Appalachian trail 2 years ago. Camping in our blood. Think the TT Gods are smiling on me.

My goal for a TV was to have a vehicle for everyday use as well as for towing. That meant getting enough towing capacity for the RPod (5000 pounds minimum) but not sacrificing a lot in the way of fuel mileage when not towing. We ended up with a 2012 Toyota Highlander V6 because it was a good compromise. It was close to $40k, but so far, it has proved its worth in both scenarios.

As others have said, you won't save money with an RPod vs. reasonable motels. In fact, I doubt you'd ever make up the difference unless you travel A LOT. Most of us have travel trailers for their convenience, not their economy.