Get a Dutch Barge. It is like a floating apartment, you can cruise all over Europe and the UK, and after a few years you can sell it for what you paid for it.
Posted on 04/06/2019 4:29:58 PM PDT by N. Theknow
Wife and I are now officially retired. Looking at RV's to allow us roaming on our schedule. We have made an "Our Turn" list of things/places we want to do/see.
After years of caring for ailing parents, divorced siblings who sent their children to be raised by us along with our kids and all the activities requiring Mom and Dad taxi service, working our butts off making our small business thrive (which it is still doing as a nice tax write-off) it is Our Turn and we are getting ready.
You will need a vehicle to drive around in. Either the truck you towed the trailer with or a motor home hauling another vehicle. I’ve seen some large motor homes hauling full sized pickups.
Love your honest post.
A friend of mine said the WORST vacation their family ever took, was when they rented an RV and set out, to the west.
She said constantly having to sweep floors, cook and squeeze past each other, was NOT a vacation :-)
Whatever you do, do not buy a Gulfstream. Their electrical system is insane, and their plumbing is not much better.
It is like they were designed by monkeys on LSD and they consider everything in them to be a proprietary secret. They will not tell an owner anything about repairs, won’t sell you a repair manual or repair parts. They expect you to go to one of their very few factory trained mechanics.
For 1200 a month, you could rent a nice apartment steps from the Pantheon in Rome on an annual lease. I don’t care what you drive or where you drive it, it will not be as comfortable as an apartment and the location will not be as nice as Rome.
Ah, Roma...the land of endless graffiti and pick pockets.
You still have to factor in the cost of airfare, to get to Rome, several times/year. (Unless you take the bus/train, as Always On Crack suggests).
We love Rome, but are saddened by what has become of of it/Europe :-(
Get a Dutch Barge. It is like a floating apartment, you can cruise all over Europe and the UK, and after a few years you can sell it for what you paid for it.
Show me an RV with an interior this nice.
You can ship it across the Atlantic on a freighter and use it to cruise the Great Loop. New York to Chicago to New Orleans to Miami, then up the Intercoastal back to NYC.
The advice here is good- particularly buying lightly used— affirmed mileage/odometer.
Don’t be fooled by the wonderful interior photos, or ads that do not talk or show the mechanical side of things. The powerplant (as stated elsewhere.. gas vs. diesel— diesel is the long haul system, for example.) is important consideration, and thus mileage becomes important and maintenance records of the prior owner.
Have more than a few friends who are pro road entertainers/musicians- and they warn about this in reference to conversion busses- which they now lease instead of own. Professionally speaking volumes. They have pro drivers—trucker pros, insured (non-drinkers, and non-diabetics, etc.) This would be of consideration if you are thinking of getting a used Prevost vs. other ‘brands’ like MCI or other. These are busses— not what bus owners call “plastic busses” with slide outs that are truly de-stabilizing in the structure (walls are not continuous with slide outs).
Here’s an ad for one in CA- which has (if true) low mileage for a 1999 Prevost Diesel—167,000 miles. And it is a bus.. a real one. :https://www.poprvs.com/conversion-buses-for-sale/prevost-45-in-oakdale-california-154954
For a view of what that means— you could check out Neil Boortz (@talkmaster) who has a top end (read: hexpensive- in the neighborhood of 500K or more). Prevost is the President’s rig (obamaumao bought two— money no object- armored etc. Secret Service drivers... camping out... NOT!)
Besides these comments— if you want economy and less hassle- it is far easier to drive a Conversion van- and one that has what are called “Dually” rear wheels (that is, rear wheel drive and there are paired wheels (2 on the R, 2 on the Left) for ... stability. The taller models have some sway issues— and high profile in wind. Not to scare you- but it could be an issue in any of our mtns. and esp out West and in AK. They have showers/bath, full beds etc. and you can stay in a motel if you tire of this on the road in campsites or Walmart parking lots (many of these are zoos)
Finally- imho- one has to have some mechanical ability to keep up with an RV-. electrical, plumbing, gas/diesel generator operation/maintenance. And for driving— it is not a sportscar to drive a 35 or 45 foot pusher diesel on an interstate (or a mtn. two-lane for that matter). As someone said it can be white knuckle— stopping emergently for example. Again, not to scare off— in opinion- if you can do this, then it will be a vacation- otherwise it might be road repair “out there”. There is a wealth of info out there- and FReepers here have given great wide advice. Fulltimer RV living is seriously different— but many just love it!
Buy one that goes vrooooom.
Sorry- that link would not allow looking at all the photos without registering facebook or other connections. It is a nice rig, and the ad shows the mechanical— lots of it. apologies.
There are floor plans that are 1 and 1/2 bath. This is what our bus had and it was wonderful. The only thing different I would do should we buy another bus is to find one with a king bed. The queen was just too cramped.
Best of luck in your search and I hope you have many, many wonderful trips in whatever model you choose!
My husband and I purchased a 2016 Palomino Columbus fifth wheel today. Great deal. About 1/3 of the original msrp. Hoping to take short trips now to practice and after retiring longer trips. I will admit to being overwhelmed with the amount of knowledge needed to just operate it. We did get the 6 point auto level.
OMGosh, I am soooooo JEALOUS! Bless your hearts after all your family dedication you guys deserve some time to go and explore. I hope you are blessed with MANY YEARS of safe travel and enjoyment. God Speed!
Ditto. Thanks, Semantic.
Please excuse my ignorance, but where do I get someone to inspect an RV? That makes sense, but I would have no idea where to find someone.
2. Maybe rent different sizes to fine turn to right size for your travel.
3. Look at flying or driving a car to the area you want to explore, then rent a RV for the short travel. May make more dollars and sense then owning a RV which will not be used a lot. Remember if renting no storage and maintenance costs. Just arrive and travel.
4. My plan is a Sprinter Van size unit because our travel will be to cities and not the wilderness so a smaller RV will be easier in a city.
5. RVs are like boats economically, a hole in the water..... so make sure before buying.
Well his loss.
I would definitely take the earlier advice and try renting first. RVs aren’t cheap to own. There’s insurance and maybe storage if you can’t park it in your yard, and maintenance. Some people dream of it then find they don’t use it as much as they thought after making a big investment. Renting may be cheaper in the long run, and you can try out different classes and makes before you decide.
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