Occasionally looking at life beyond

It's an existential problem. No solution. If you keep it, you will keep agonizing about getting rid of it. If you get rid of it, you will agonize about your "buddy" being gone.
It has sentimental value and sounds like a precious joyful thing in a difficult time. You have the right to keep it without agonizing.
I wanted to sell my Royal Hawaiian surfboard that I enjoyed since 1966. The dealer talked me out of it. I am glad I kept it.
I sold my LP records. Got a good price, but now, 3 years later still miss having my old very heavy/bulky records around. Everything is impermanent. Choose carefully what you cling to. Clinging is the groundwork for suffering. We can cling, but eventually, all is ripped away. Even our own lives.
Oh! And my 1959 Pontiac Catalina. First car. Boy did I cry😪.

Selling it now to help with future costs makes sense to me. It is hard to know when you will be able to use it again. I’ve found that lightening my load and simplifying my life helps me handle the day to day challenges….

Could you set up your camper where you live and use it as a retreat- your private space? You could use it as a private space to have time to yourself, meditate, or pretend you're camping. Even for a few minutes a day.

My initial reaction was sell it, and then I thought about the 7 storage bins I have with all kinds of stuff that I'm still hanging onto. Here's what I know: I sold a beautiful piece of "quirky" art, back in 2013, and regret it EVERY DAY. I didn't realize the sentimental value of that piece and am still upset over doing so. For years, I ran ads trying to get it back from an estate sale. I wouldn't sell your camper until you are absolutely ready to do it. If it's tugging at your heart, then it will continue to be stuck in your brain, and play ping pong to all the memories and future desires you have. Use it now, set it up for something, I agree with another poster, to pretend your camping! I love that. Do a vision board, with where you want to travel. Post it in your camper. And visualize where you would go, the stops you would make, and every day go into your camper, drink your coffee and enjoy its stationary presence. I think that's what I would do. Until you KNOW what you need to do, where the time may come, you'd get more joy from the selling it with cash in hand. Right now, no cash in the world will make up for the joy you're still feeing from your coveted camper!
Best, Karla

Keep the camper for now. It can always be sold to help with care costs. We are close to the same age and my husband and I also traveled with a trailer. I loved it more than he did and still hope I can enjoy in the future. We sold our trailer years ago when he said he no longer felt comfortable towing it prior to his diagnosis. I constantly look at other trailers online to perhaps have in the the future. A bucket list of places to visit gives me a motivation to explore if only on a map. Imagining myself hiring someone to show me how to drive and manuever while towing a trailer. When I get to that time where it might be possible will I take that step? In the meantime I have something to look forward to. Love the idea of finding yourself in your camper even if just a few minutes escape.

Like you all thoughts of getting out and into nature have come to a halt due to my husband’s Alz/LB. I still think about it and I have read of many women our age who go it alone after becoming single later in life. I am not sure I could do that, but I admire them for it.

@ktcosmos
Just answering from my experience.
As soon as my husband could no longer drive, I put our trailer up for sale and do not regret it (just bummed out re-sale values for trailers are not as good as used cars these days).
Everyday I looked at it in our driveway before it sold just made me sad, because of the loss it represented. We had a few fun trips and saw just how amazing our country is, and enjoyed the camping life while it lasted.
Even if you sell your camper now, you can always get a more appropriate one for just you, down the road.
All the best to you as you make your decision. 🦋

I love the idea of setting up your camper in the yard or Woods next to your house whatever. I have done this and have used it as a place to read relax and be alone. I do understand needing money or selling it or just being in a quandary about the whole thing. But for now I would not sell it, I would use it in some new way just for you.

If you think you would be able to handle camping on your own now, I would suggest that you consider a very short trip of 3 to 5 days as a respite stay for yourself. That would work if you could have a friend or neighbor checking in on your husband during the day. Or if he's further along in his dementia, if you're able to hire a nurse to come in and stay with him for a few days. I have gone away for a few days and found it to be such a refresher in my attitude and ability to continue caregiving.

@kjc48
Don't it always seem to go, you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?
Sha la la la la la Live for today.