Given a choice between the local walmart parking lot for free and the local scungy motel at $130 a night, I think any of you would opt for the camper.
A great many things to think about, pros and cons to either and a major consideration is where do you intend to go. Many places I've been in the last 6-7 decades didn't have affordable 5 star hotels right handy.
If you fly in, hotel is absolutely more convenient than renting a truck and trailer. if you are hitting a particular event or seeing a single attraction this works. But, if you are slow touring the country, there will be days when the only motel/hotel available is a sleazy dirty place run by foreigners who barely speak English. You also will see many towns that don't have any major tourist attractions and have no motel/hotel so that may mean extended driving time or missing an opportunity to fish so that you can reach a place that does have accommodations.
There is never any relaxation in hotel travel- every thing is to a schedule made by other people. What day is the rate cheaper, must have reservations and be there on that day, what time can you check in, what time must you check out or pay another day, when is the maid to clean the room and pilfer your belongings on extended stays, etc and so on.
I know people that had never traveled that just a few months ago sold their house and bought a big motor home, I have my doubts about the wisdom of that. The teardrop trailer behind a motor cycle or subcompact is intriguing, but I'm not ready for that yet.
We actually traveled a lot more when the kids were growing up than we have since, part of their education I thought. We always tent camped because it was fun for them and quicker than searching out nice and affordable motels. I have found that even second rate camp grounds are cleaner and more accommodating than second rate motels.
I've never heard of Airbnb or VRBO or the Armed Forces Vacation Club and will be researching them. I will not be using AARP in any manner they have been the enemy for a long time now.

I resemble that remark!

I am an old people and pulled a camper for years. Have got rid of the camper. Old geezers like me are unsafe on the roads pulling big campers and there are just too many headaches with them.Now days wifey and I take cruises where food and bed are waiting for us every day, or we fly to a certain location, rent a car, and tour, staying in motels. Senior rates and use the hotel websites for better deals.

Interesting thread.
Lots of good points for each choice.

Pulling a camper has more work than you'd think, but its Yours and that means a lot.

We have a big hill West of Chamberlain on I-90 it goes up hill for over a mile I see a LOT of campers broke down there!

We used to travel a bunch when the kids (2) we're still home. You can travel CHEAP if you want to. We owned a pickup with a slide-in camper. How cheap is cheap? Try a 2+ week trip out west...Yellowstone, Black Hills, Montana trout, Idaho too.....for a grand total of $800 and change. First off...No restaurants or fast food joints, National Forest Service campgrounds when possible. All our meals were grocery store feed cooked just like at home....so the cost of meals wasn't even part of the budget because you eat no matter where you are. There are lots of free/ cheap things to do that are cool. We made numerous vacation trips to other states for under a thousand dollars, even when moteling. We once made a trip Spoonbilling to Missouri and even stayed in resort cabins for around $800. My first Colorado elk hunt was made for less than $700 and over half that was deer/elk tags. I went with 5 other guys and we pooled the gas money and stayed in a tent. You can do lots of things cheaply if you pat attention to the little things and don't eat three squares a day at a restaurant.

My wife and I love our travel trailer. It is like being at home, just some where else. We camp on Forest Service or BLM ground if possible. A lot of the time for free. When we are sight seeing we day trip from there. We hunt, fish and trap from the trailer. We have two small dogs that go with everywhere. Not all motels are pet friendly. And yes I am an old geezer. Heads up and watch out.

In the off season you can't beat the winter motel rates in tourist areas are $40-$50 a night for hunting split 2-3 ways is hard to beat, spring turkey season is the best here.

I'd bet that most that are not liking campers never had one.

Well, when you fly ....

defiantly a camper been from Idaho to Manie to Florida an every where in between like taking home with you never eat in out always home cooking an buy a use trailer lot of people buy one an don't use them sell after a couple years cheap

I’m not retired but some of my relation did the camper thing when they retired, but they lived in theirs year around, my great grandfather would live in Arizona in the winter stop by here and plant corn then go to whitefish lake in Minnesota in the summer, and his son would take the boat up there, then stop back in the to combine on his way to Arizona, and did it for years. Other relation tried it with a motor home and it only worked for a couple of years before they bought a house again, and would just stay in a hotel when they travelled.

You can just hop a box car and travel all over the country for free.
Also see some great country that few people ever see.

Thanks for all of your help. There have been many interesting points brought up on both sides of the argument! I have quite a while until I hang up my welding hood for the last time. If at all possible, I plan on retiring at 63. Both parents died early and I plan on enjoying at least a little retirement.

I have a great uncle who used to drive his own truck for years and years. When he retired he bought a camper and kept on traveling with his wife.

He told me once, "I don't like to get on the road too early and be in the way of the workn man heading to his job, and I don't wanna be out there in his way when he's tryn to get home to his family either, we generally run from 9:30a to 3:30 - 4:00p" . I always thought that was kind of considerate.

out here in the west you can go over a hundred miles with no towns but plenty of public land. If your wanting to visit the cities hotels but if you are wanting to be out doors camp.

I would stay in a hotel or motel. After seeing the hassle my daughter and her husband have to go through setting up and taking down their camper every time they move is enough to deter me from ever owning or travelling with one. But, for them it's not a big deal. It would be for me.

We are going to start spending 2 months in the summer in Alaska. Camper is about the best way we have found.
You aren't anchored down and you can carry a lot of fish home with you when you decide to leave.

By all means, go for the latest greatest 50k camper with all the features like my friend did. Take it out a total of 3 weekends in a row before you burn up the trany in your 1/2 ton because of the mountains around here. Now go spend 70k on a 2500HD diesel that will handle the camper. A month later, when the novelty wears off, you park it in the back yard for the remainder of the year. Come next spring, you'll open up the sliders to get ready to hit the roads again. When you sit down on the couch, you'll put the rear portion of it through the floor because the sliders have been leaking since it was new and now you'll spend 13k replacing floors, sliders, etc. Now you're gonna miss all of this summer of "camping" with it because it is at a camper dealer 2 states away getting repairs. Oh well, now you have plenty of time to spend 20k on the pole barn in which to park it under when you get it back just before winter. For the older/cheaper campers, just spend $50 on the largest tarp you can find and cover it every few weeks as the wind dictates before they rip off.

Do the math, I'll stay at hotels. And yes, this actually did happen. Not knocking anyone who choses other wise but after seeing his experience, campers just aren't for me.

And at the same time meet a diverse cross section of people.

Zim