Suggestions greatly appreciated.
Thank you
My wife and I have had several, currently have a class a diesel pusher. I would recommend used, there are some very good buys out there. Know how you plan to use it (full time, part time or for weekends/vacations). Get a floor plan that works for you. HAVE IT INSPECTED...do not trust the dealer/seller (of course it is the best ever made and never had a problem and if you believe that...).
Do you have a type of rv in mind (5th wheel, bumper pull, class a, class b or class c)? If you know the type I could make recommendations.
The buying process can be confusing but and over whelming...be patient and don’t be pressured.
Buy used. Depreciation is YUGE!
Buy a good van and make rentals at B&Bs wherever you direct your travels. An RV, ANY RV, is a black hole of a money pit, new, used, reconditioned, bought at a bargain price, whatever. It has to be housed even when it is not moving, and you can expect 4-6 mpg on the road, which I suppose is not bad mileage for a house, but excretable for personal transportation. These vehicles depreciate at an alarming rate, and maintenance is a bear. These are heavy-duty TRUCKS, and while the actual mechanics of driving on a freeway are not too strenuous, they cannot be easily parked anywhere, and they have HUGE blind spots, even with rear-view cameras and sensors. Also, they are unusually sensitive to cross winds, and any mountain driving at all is subject to some of the most white-Knuckled heart-stopping experience there is short of being in a war zone.
I do not recommend ANY RV. Ever. And this is after having had three of them.
ImVho, you would do well to find an “OLD-SCHOOL” TRAVO or a BLUEBIRD Class A & remodel it to suit you.
(I’ve owned BOTH at one time or other.)
Yours, TMN78247
Budget? Class A or C. Gas or pusher? How big are comfortable driving? Motorized or towable? Fifth-wheel or bumper pull? Trust me I can help.
Avoid anything powered by a Ford V-10.
Done a lot research as I was looking for a good 32-34 ft gas coach. Came down to Tiffin and Newmar. Gave the edge to Tiffin after touring their factory in Red Bay Alabama last August.
I’d suggest taking a tour. Incredible access to everywhere but the weld shop. Great family owned company with a terrific product.
Good luck and have fun !
Wife and I bought an airstream and a truck that had good towing capacity. We got the big one with a slide out and my wife packed with everything she would need. We were rated at 10,000 pounds but were actually over that. The airstream pulled smoothly and we only had trouble with high altitude, but we toured the country for 4 years, went to the Keys but never had the nerve to go to Alaska, but we would have gone with a group, which is a nice way to travel.
After finally moving into a wonderful retirement community, we lost the urge to hit the road as much so we sold. The purchase price minus the sale price was 50,000 so our lifestyle cost 12 K per year. We licensed in low tax states and tried to find good weather. We wintered in south Texas and summered in the Pacific Northwest — everywhere else was too hot and humid.
We recently took a road trip in a rental car and stayed in mid range hotels. It was about the same cost as RV living but we had an easier time driving. We did have to transfer the luggage a lot of times — like each stop.
Oh, one thing about a big RV, ours was 34 ft plus the hitch and it was an SOB to maneuver some times. Buying gas when hitched was usually a nightmare unless we found a truck service station that was friendly to RVs.
On breakage, everything wears out and breaks , and ours had to go back to the factory the first time we used it, (Airstreams are well built, but suffer from the same problem that all mechanical things have, and Airstream has lost a lot of their early quality over the years. We have had trouble finding good mechanics, and it is best if you can fix some things yourself. This is just part of the price for this adventure, and it really is a great adventure, Good luck.
I think your idea to go for a class A is a good one, about 25 % had Class A, 50% had 5th wheels and the other 25 % were like us in a travel trailer.
We had a wonderful time, saw a lot of country, and enjoyed the camping lifestyle but now we are older and it became more of a chore, so the last item is to plan for the exit from the life style when you take the plunge.
You will acquire a lot of good ideas while on the road, and if you see him, say hi to Willie Nelson.
We had a motor home years ago. If I bought again, I’d get a good truck & a 5th wheel.
In a motor home, you either tow a small vehicle or be essentially stuck at the camp site after setting up. Towing a small vehicle can be tricky. You can forget backing up. If you are gonna tow, a 5th wheel is the best, most stable option. Having a truck to get around is very convenient, easier to park at events or attractions.
Mechanically, which is cheaper & more convenient: Servicing the engine & drive train of a truck, or servicing the same on a big motor home & a tow car? That’s a serious question on the road somewhere near Bumtown, Nowhere.
Plus, you can use the truck at home around town as your personal vehicle, making you intimately familiar with how it operates, & protect the biggest part of your investment in your garage at home.
One other thought:
Motor home layout has the living room in the front of the vehicle, but a 5th wheel can have the living room in the rear.
Imagine you get a waterfront site at a campground. backing in to the site, your primary view in a MH is through the windshield, looking on at fellow campers. In a 5th wheel with the LR in the rear, your view is of the water.
Having “been there-done that” as a full-timer, please consider a used RV if you can find one in turn-key condition for the right price...
Lots of “don’t-wanters” getting out of RV-ing who have kept up their coaches...Lots of nice RVs available used for about what you’d lose in depreciation on a new RV in the first few years you own it...Plan to spend a good bit of time with routine maintenance on RV systems, unless you can afford to breeze into the local RV dealer and pay to play...$$$
Try some short trips, gradually extending duration and distance until you’re sure it’s for you...Especially before you sell your home...Just a few things I learned...Good luck...
Great Thread N!
I think I have decided
After Reading All the Posts.
Thanks.