
Used campers, such as these at Maine Vintage Campers in Alfred, and new campers at RV dealerships have been hard to find during the pandemic. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer
For two months, Mary and Mike Monck of Waterville have been searching for a camper to take their newly adopted 12-year-old daughter on family trips.
But with the demand for campers – new and used – at historic levels, the Moncks were frustrated. RV dealerships had low or nonexistent inventories, or campers that did not fit the family’s needs. Some of the used campers they looked at from private sellers were overpriced and in poor condition, with rotted or spongy walls. One even had a hole under the bed.
So when they spotted an ad last week for a used camper that seemed promising, they wasted no time checking it out. By that evening, they put a down payment on a 29-foot trailer with a private bunk bed for…