Should I indulge my husband because it makes him happy?

@janet7 Can you find a motorhome or mini to rent for a short trip? That might be "just enough" without taking on the responsibility of ownership and maintenance again.
In most places this is the off-season, so you might even be able to get a lower rate. If I was doing this, I would camp close to home (or to where I rent) - maybe even in a favorite or familiar place so you can reminisce.

We too are experienced campers/travelers and recently bought a new pull-behind trailer. Even without MCI, it has been a challenge for the two of us to learn all the details of the new rig. Rentals usually have clearly posted list of how to operate each feature, and sometimes a number to call for help. And as you already know, other campers are the most helpful folks in the world.

Also, if you are on Facebook, you may want to ask in this very helpful group if anyone has tried this, and what their experience has been.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/roadtreking
Are you willing to discuss renting with your husband? Maybe talking about the difficulty of storage between trips would be a selling point?
Sue

Quality of life is always in the forefront of my decisions. I try to indulge my husband’s desires while at the same time weigh safety & finances. My suggestion is that you rent an RV for a week or two & see how that goes. They aren’t cheap but it’s way less of an investment than buying one. There’s no way of knowing up front if it will be a positive experience. Dementias are strange beasts. One can still have dreams & goals but the reality of them could be a nightmare. I learned my lesson when I booked a 7-day trip to Florida (one of my husband’s bucket list items). Once airfare, hotel, and vehicle rental were confirmed & paid for he started obsessing on strangely minor details - such as getting from the airport to the hotel (just a couple of blocks). His anxiety continued to grow over the next few days. I ended up having to cancel the trip & forfeit $2,500+ in expenses. (I hadn’t felt the need for trip insurance.) Now I plan virtual trips & provide my husband with all the details of the plane, lodgings, maps of the area, etc. When his anxiety kicks in I “cancel” the trip. In the event the anxiety didn’t kick in (and it always does) I’d tell him trip was canceled due to XXX. I could use possibility of delayed flights, or concern about covid, etc. This way he still gets to dream & plan.

Thank you for answering me so fast and the great advice you gave me about renting a camper. It is the best way to go for so many reasons. However, now Will wants to sell our car and buy a self-contained van to drive. We will see how this goes. Not in a hurry to buy one so he will be happy for a while looking for what he thinks he wants.
Like you, I am cautious about making monetary decisions because he can change his mind at any time, getting upset at the smallest detail. He is on meds for anxiety that he has always had.
I want to mention something else here. When we socialize, Will has always been quiet, sitting on the sidelines. So no one pays attention to him and he is just a fixture. At our Christmas family dinner, my granddaughter’s fiancé actually pulled up a chair beside Will and struck up a conversation using photos of cars he had on his phone. I was so grateful to this young man for paying attention to Will and I am going to thank him personally. Since I am also guilty of not paying much attention to Will at social gatherings, this young man’s kind gesture made me realize that I also need to share my time at gatherings with Will. It isn’t a duty, it is just common courtesy to acknowledge the presence of someone else.
Until next time, Happy New Year!!

Thank you for your advice. You are the second caregiver who told me to rent a camper, which is an excellent idea. Getting Will to agree with me is another matter.
I will look up the article on FB you told me about, it sounds interesting.
Thank you again for your helpful suggestions.
I definitely know why I ask for help in this group! You are all so wonderful and caring!
God bless you all!

Great point about socializing! I find myself so starved for “normal” conversations that I often don’t give my husband my full attention when others are around. Yet he always looks at me when trying to find words to answer other people. I’m going to work at engaging more with him on those few occasions others are with us. The Happiest of New Years to Both of You & May You Continue to Find Moments of Joy & Blessing!

I am glad you are now aware how we unintentionally ignore our loved ones when we are socializing. Thank you for helping me understand that when caught up in conversations, I forget about Will because I don’t have this at home. I am grateful for this insight because I am working to change this.
However, if I am talking to someone about an important matter and he tries to interrupt me because he wants me to leave with him, I tell him to go home and I’ll meet him there. Fortunately, we live in a Senior apartment building so he is safe to come and go while he is inside without me. I found out while walking the halls with him one day that he uses the stairs located in a separate location inside the building. If he fell, he would not easily be found because most of us use the elevators. I’m glad I found this out and told him not ti walk the stairs without me. Whew!

I'd seek out others to help communicate with your husband? Including establishing a trusted rapport where they can help him reason through some of his desires and thoughts. IMO, his doctor should also have an opinion at least in terms of how his mental & physical health may come into play in the not too distant future. Can you try to find alternastive activities like going to the movies, out to eat, going to a sporting goods store to peruse camping equipment? Going to a baseball or local sports' competition. I know it is a challenge to simply "create new interets"' but again maybe with the help of another or others that might be accomplished?

My husband has been a loner most of his life. When we socialize, he will stand near a group of people but doesn’t talk to them. Then he sits by himself and doesn’t say anything to anyone. He has a wonderful friend he has known for over 20 years, but other than camping, they do not share any interests, hobbies or sports. Will doesn’t like sports, but likes playing Solitaire on his tablet and cards with me or another couple. The other hobby he does love is cars but has not gone to a car show. We rarely go to movies because we watch them on TV and we don’t eat out much because it is so expensive. I don’t believe he has had a heart to heart talk with anyone he has known.
I have wished for him all of our married life to find a companion(s) he could share his interests with, but it has been 30 years and it hasn’t happened. I don’t know what else to say.

Time is not on your side, if you and your husband are able to travel do so as much as you can afford build some memories for soon that’s all you’ll have
My wife and i did some traveling but now because of dementia we just take daily drives, Home is where she remembers and feels safe strange motel's
are not for her

Thank you for your advice. We have given up the camping idea because he is not feeling well and we are in our 80’s. So far, staying at motels is fine with him. We stayed recently at a motel (in Illinois ) for a wedding and he was fine. Another wedding later this year is in Milwaukee so we will see how he likes staying in a motel again. Sorry your wife doesn’t like to stay in a motel. You’re limited where you can go for sure. I’ll count our blessings - so far!.