Hello, I am new to this site and new to the RV'ing world. My sister and her husband have a class A RV and I'v sat in it a few times. I say that so you know just how little my experience is. lol About 6 months ago my husband Pete told me of his dream to retire and buy an Rv and travel around in it. He wants to sell the house and do it full time. I know most of you have this dream so I'm sure you can understand him better than I. I have had a cleaning business for 25 years now and will keep it running even while I am gone so I have something to come back to if it doesn't work out. I have been online for the past 3 months reading all that I can about the kind of RV to buy and my head is going to explode. We started out wanting a class B van type to leaning to a class C or B plus. Now after going to a few RV shows we like a small Class A. We both like the Damon Aventi that's 28 feet long. We also saw a Georgetown 28 foot one that is gas and the guy said it gets 20 mpg. That seems unbelievable to me. All that I've read has told me to get a diesel powered RV and that has been the plan all along but now if the Georgetown one really gets 20 mpg it makes me wonder. We don't like highways much and will travel back roads more so I wonder if it will make a difference. My husband will pretty much buy whatever I like to keep me happy since I've agreed to do this so I feel I want to find the perfect one for us. We haven't even test drove one yet. Do the RV places understand the need to drive these things before you buy? None of them have just offered. Sorry to ramble on here. It's just getting close to the end of Feb. when my husband retires and I want us to be ready. How low can we go on an offer before we insult a dealer? We have many dealers calling us back now making me feel bad for wasting their time. If it's this hard now, how will be survive being on the road? I want to love this! I've read so many of your blogs and I want to be as excited as you all seem to be but I'm not sure how to get to that point. It's a lot of money to spend and get it wrong. Thanks for hearing me out. :)
53 Merc said
01:07 PM Jan 9, 2011
The perfect Rv does not exist. No matter how much you study and plan, after purchase you are gonna say, well I wish -----. Whatever makes you happy should be the guidance here. Have you and DH had a sit down and serious discussion about this? Are you both excited about full-timing? If not, you better have the discussion before jumping into this. It ain't for the weak of heart, just like getting old ain't for weenies.
As far as driving one, when you get the selection process down to a short list (3 or 4), tell 'em, OK, you made the short list, now let's take a ride.
Another thing, when short listed, sit in a rig for an hour or so and envision where all the stuff fits, how do I do ----, how will ---- fit, how can I make this----. Only when you have gotten comfortable should you make a commitment.
You are correct, diesel is the way to go. 20 mpg from a big heavy box is unreasonable. A truthful salesman will tell you that according to driving habits and style, you can get as much as 10 or 11 mpg.
BTW, welcome to the site, come on with the questions.
Terry and Jo said
01:35 PM Jan 9, 2011
Sue,
First of all, welcome to the RV Dreams forums. We welcome any and all questions and comments, even if they may seem silly or dumb. You would be surprised at the different perspectives that even a single, simple question can make.
I agree with Ken (53Merc), even if he is a Texan. However, I suggest that you go to as many RV shows as you can, as many RV dealers as you can, and to look at as many options as you can. By the options, I mean that you should look into all classes of RV's, even the travel trailers and fifth wheels. More than once, someone started out thinking that a Class A was THE WAY to go, but once they actually got into a fifth wheel and saw the different layouts, they had a change of mind.
Jo and I looked at both Class A diesel pushers and fifth wheels. Since we eventually will not have a home, our fifth wheel will be our home. So, for our needs and wants, we wanted something bigger than what the B and C classes could offer. As for pulling, a fifth wheel is easier and more stable than a travel trailer. After 2+ years of looking and researching and test driving and sitting in and poking around in, we chose the one listed in our signature.
Everyone has their own ideas of what they want. Jo's sister and her husband was down about a month ago, looking at RV's They came down with Richard insisting on a Class A, diesel pusher with a Caterpillar engine. Well, after some looking, talking to salesmen, and seeing the prices for the Class A's, they began to consider fifth wheels, because they could buy a good used truck and a brand new fifth wheel for a lot less than what the Class A diesel pusher would be.
After you begin to narrow your choices down to some specific models, see if you can find online owner's forums for "X" brand of model. Then, you can see what people are saying about theirs. Keep in mind that a lot of times, people are on forums to see if they can find a solution for a problem they are having with their unit. That does NOT mean that the brand or model is bad, because all have their problems. The key question to ask an owner of a brand or model that you like is, "Given the opportunity or need to purchase another RV, would you buy the same brand or model again?"
Good luck with your research, your looking, and your future life.
Terry
Miris said
04:43 PM Jan 9, 2011
Hi Ken, thanks for responding to my post so quickly! I did not mean to make it sound like I didn't want to do this travel thing, I do and we have talked for hours about what we would be doing. We are neither weak at heart or weenies so I think we will do ok. I am just having a hard time letting myself be excited about it because there is so much to do to make it happen. I can't say it was a dream that I ever had but I'm the kind of wife that will follow my husband to the end of the earth if that was what he wanted us to do. He has done well by me in the 11 years that we have been married and I'm sure we will have a ball! It's not every husband that says quit cleaning all those houses and lets go on vacation for the rest of our lives. Everyone should be so lucky at 52 years old. You made some great points about having a short list, which I think we have now, but since we've never camped before it's hard to know just what it is we should have on our list! Glad to know that we will be able to drive them all before we buy. I do most of the driving now because I'm a terrible passenger and I hope to still be able to drive most of the time. I'm also glad to hear diesel is the way to go. It's not only about the mileage for me but also about being able to convert it to something that's better for the environment if something becomes available. I guess if we were able to get the perfect RV the first time we would not have a reason to upgrade later on :) Thanks for the welcome. Sue ps what does DH mean? demanding husband? or maybe delightful husband? lol
Luvglass said
07:14 PM Jan 9, 2011
Small motorhomes, like you are considering can be rented quite easily. I would suggest you rent one for a week and see how it feels. Most people who full time want as much room as possible and opt for something much larger. They offer both more living and storage space and carrying capacity.
Also, since you sound somewhat unsure as to whether or not this life is for you, you might consider buying a used unit, which will be much less of an investment, and much less of a loss if you decide to abandon the lifestyle after a short period.
Just like automobiles, RV's depreciate in value very quickly when new and much more slowly as they get older. And also like cars, a 4 or 5 year old RV that has only been used for vacations, can have many years of reliable service life left.
Good luck, and keep asking questions.
Fred
maintguy62 said
06:49 PM Feb 26, 2011
From a CT campground owner and a Rver here. Their is no such motorhome in a class A or C that will get 20 mpg.
I would start out now with a gas Class A do some weekend trips. You can buy a nice 2000 for about 20k on www.rvtrader.com They may be asking 25k but they are going down. The lose a lot in the furst few years so I'd avoid new to start.
Then try CT campgrounds and then further, make sure you like the life style the driving part includes backing up etc.
Good Luck Brian
NorCal Dan said
07:59 PM Feb 26, 2011
Welcome to the forum Sue. Great questions. DH = Darling Husband
Choosing an RV is such a personal thing, everybody has their own reasons. My DW and I were in a similar situation, had never RV'd before...we decided to purchase a nice used class C to explore the lifestyle. We owned that unit for 2 years and made numerous trips ranging in length from a weekend to 2 weeks. We loved it so much we sold it and bought the rig in my signature line and never looked back. Sold the house, all our toys, and hit the road.
For us, the living space, floorplan, and storage space were the big items. We ruled out a 5th wheel only because we didn't want to have a big truck as our daily run around town vehicle. We knew we were going to be workamping and staying put for long stretches of time, so the vehicle was important. Buying a class A DP allowed us to pick the vehicle we wanted to take with us.
I know the feeling you have about finding the right RV. They are expensive and you don't want to make a mistake. We found that our lack of experience meant we didn't even know what questions to ask. Renting a unit would be a good option for testing the water and gaining some experience before making the leap to full-timing.
In any case, we are here and ready to answer any questions you may have so don't hesitate to ask...
Dan
Miris said
11:16 PM Feb 26, 2011
Hi Brian, wow, seems we are neighbors! We are from East Haddam! Small world! After going to the RV show in Boston we've re-thought it yet again and think we are going to go with a diesel pusher. We'd still like to stay on the smaller size but since the gas milage won't be so great anyway we decided to go alittle bigger. We hear Tiffins are good so now we are on the search again. My husbands last day of work was yesterday so he's itching to sell the house and go! Want to buy a house??
About 6 months ago my husband Pete told me of his dream to retire and buy an Rv and travel around in it. He wants to sell the house and do it full time. I know most of you have this dream so I'm sure you can understand him better than I. I have had a cleaning business for 25 years now and will keep it running even while I am gone so I have something to come back to if it doesn't work out.
I have been online for the past 3 months reading all that I can about the kind of RV to buy and my head is going to explode. We started out wanting a class B van type to leaning to a class C or B plus. Now after going to a few RV shows we like a small Class A. We both like the Damon Aventi that's 28 feet long. We also saw a Georgetown 28 foot one that is gas and the guy said it gets 20 mpg. That seems unbelievable to me. All that I've read has told me to get a diesel powered RV and that has been the plan all along but now if the Georgetown one really gets 20 mpg it makes me wonder. We don't like highways much and will travel back roads more so I wonder if it will make a difference. My husband will pretty much buy whatever I like to keep me happy since I've agreed to do this so I feel I want to find the perfect one for us. We haven't even test drove one yet. Do the RV places understand the need to drive these things before you buy? None of them have just offered. Sorry to ramble on here. It's just getting close to the end of Feb. when my husband retires and I want us to be ready. How low can we go on an offer before we insult a dealer? We have many dealers calling us back now making me feel bad for wasting their time. If it's this hard now, how will be survive being on the road? I want to love this! I've read so many of your blogs and I want to be as excited as you all seem to be but I'm not sure how to get to that point. It's a lot of money to spend and get it wrong. Thanks for hearing me out. :)
First of all, welcome to the RV Dreams forums. We welcome any and all questions and comments, even if they may seem silly or dumb. You would be surprised at the different perspectives that even a single, simple question can make.
I agree with Ken (53Merc), even if he is a Texan. However, I suggest that you go to as many RV shows as you can, as many RV dealers as you can, and to look at as many options as you can. By the options, I mean that you should look into all classes of RV's, even the travel trailers and fifth wheels. More than once, someone started out thinking that a Class A was THE WAY to go, but once they actually got into a fifth wheel and saw the different layouts, they had a change of mind.
Jo and I looked at both Class A diesel pushers and fifth wheels. Since we eventually will not have a home, our fifth wheel will be our home. So, for our needs and wants, we wanted something bigger than what the B and C classes could offer. As for pulling, a fifth wheel is easier and more stable than a travel trailer. After 2+ years of looking and researching and test driving and sitting in and poking around in, we chose the one listed in our signature.
Everyone has their own ideas of what they want. Jo's sister and her husband was down about a month ago, looking at RV's They came down with Richard insisting on a Class A, diesel pusher with a Caterpillar engine. Well, after some looking, talking to salesmen, and seeing the prices for the Class A's, they began to consider fifth wheels, because they could buy a good used truck and a brand new fifth wheel for a lot less than what the Class A diesel pusher would be.
After you begin to narrow your choices down to some specific models, see if you can find online owner's forums for "X" brand of model. Then, you can see what people are saying about theirs. Keep in mind that a lot of times, people are on forums to see if they can find a solution for a problem they are having with their unit. That does NOT mean that the brand or model is bad, because all have their problems. The key question to ask an owner of a brand or model that you like is, "Given the opportunity or need to purchase another RV, would you buy the same brand or model again?"
Good luck with your research, your looking, and your future life.
Terry
You made some great points about having a short list, which I think we have now, but since we've never camped before it's hard to know just what it is we should have on our list! Glad to know that we will be able to drive them all before we buy. I do most of the driving now because I'm a terrible passenger and I hope to still be able to drive most of the time. I'm also glad to hear diesel is the way to go. It's not only about the mileage for me but also about being able to convert it to something that's better for the environment if something becomes available. I guess if we were able to get the perfect RV the first time we would not have a reason to upgrade later on :) Thanks for the welcome. Sue ps what does DH mean? demanding husband? or maybe delightful husband? lol
I would start out now with a gas Class A do some weekend trips. You can buy a nice 2000 for about 20k on www.rvtrader.com They may be asking 25k but they are going down. The lose a lot in the furst few years so I'd avoid new to start.
Then try CT campgrounds and then further, make sure you like the life style the driving part includes backing up etc.
Good Luck
Brian