Hello everyone..oh how happy I was to read some of the Questions and Answers some of you have asked or replied to. Im a 23 year old female who has dreamed of this kind of thing for as long as I can remember. About 2 years ago I got the idea to get an Rv and live in it full time..I figured it was an easier and more afforable way to travel around to different places..So here's my plan..I would like to move to a place..live there for a year..save up..get my taxes...and then move to the next town..anywhere just somewhere is my moto..(im hoping its implied that i will find a full time job)..So of course I have soooo many questions and info I need to find out..Since Im on my own with my big beautiful dog as my body guard ..lol..I'm learning things are alot harder than the dream was to think about.. ..To keep my hopes up and my reality my dream I keep trying to push on...so Im painting the inside of my Rv....and most people think im crazy until they see how far i've gotten...im planning to live in it for 3-6 years im gonna make it fit my style... Is how im seeing it anyways..Its a 1986 Chevy MH TK Honey 28 FT..so not big but I think it fits me..I tore some old ugly carpet up from the "hallway" and some where the bench for the table had been..I have these 2 spots that look aweful and I have wood flooring for the kitchen area..since I have to change stuff up..which should I go with... Wood flooring?? Or carpet?? Remember I have a Dog who sheds..and Im leaning for the wood flooring..But need a soundboard...Is this a Do it yourself kind of project??? What kind of tools would I need?? I am the kind of person who would rather build it than buy it..But I need to know it will be at a lower cost..Or Should I just pay somebody to come in and do it??? Around what kind of cost should I be expecting?? The manger of this Rv park says he can install a wall heater..is that more efficent??? He says he does it all the time and has it in his own... I have never even driven this thing..And with gas prices how can I afford to take it out and practice...People say its like driving a truck..I think they're wrong...Should I take it out on the backroads??? I know that sounds silly..It just requires unhooking everything and making sure things dont fall...That brings me to my next question..Should I always take things down and secure them..Or is there some kinds of straps or something to prevent things from falling that work best in Rvs???But Im lookin to move soon....should I fix it up to the way I like it then save up and go???Or should I just go and fix it up along the way??? Its decent looking..and everything works...and its not too shabby on the outside..But Im lookin to paint the outside too..anybody know a ball park price range??
Mallo said
08:26 AM Apr 17, 2011
iw84no1 wrote:
Hello everyone..
...Is this a Do it yourself kind of project???
What kind of tools would I need??
..Or Should I just pay somebody to come in and do it???
Around what kind of cost should I be expecting??
The manger of this Rv park says he can install a wall heater..is that more efficent???
...People say its like driving a truck..I think they're wrong...Should I take it out on the backroads???
.Should I always take things down and secure them..Or is there some kinds of straps or something to prevent things from falling that work best in Rvs???
But Im lookin to move soon....should I fix it up to the way I like it then save up and go???
Or should I just go and fix it up along the way???
..But Im lookin to paint the outside too..anybody know a ball park price range??
OK I think I was able to tease out the actual questions formating does make it easier to answer.
As to the flooring with no slide outs go ahead and use the Pergo style flooring I know a number of folks who have done this and they're happy with the out come.
As to price on this it depends on the square footage since your talking about a fairly small class A more then likely one or two boxes will do the job.
You'll need some sort of cutting tool to cut them maybe a miter box of some sort to make the angle cuts you may need. Home Depot will have;
1. The products that will work
2. Someone to tell you how to install it
3. The tools for rent to do the job unless you only need small hand tools then buy.
You should be able to do it your self for less then $100
As for a heater get the Ceremic electric heaters from WalMart they do a find job and in a small RVwill keep you warm.
As for driving I'm sorry to say but I suspect the people telling you it drives like a truck are right the GMC unit your talking about was built on a truck frame. The good news is that it will drive more like a big pickup at 28 feet then anything else. Take it out drive it around make sure everything really does work before you hit the road.
Yes the price of fuel means you'll spend a bit driving around close but that is cheaper than a tow from the middle of nowhere.
Fix up anything that you can't live with and then head out and follow your dreams. Prices are not going to be going down as near as I can see.
Mallo
PS Painting the outside can get very expensive.
Ckerr said
07:17 PM Apr 18, 2011
Another thought on the flooring is to try check out the wood look vinyl. It comes in strips like wood, is really easy to install and the only tools you should need are a good tape measure, small square/straight edge and a good utility knife.
As far as driving, I would start out making a few laps around the rv park where you are currently staying. It will give you a chance to unhook and hook up everything, and check out that everything works, plus you can learn to back into your spot.
I agree about the little ceramic heater. That and an electric blanket will keep you warm through most conditions and if it doesn't -- pack up and move further south!
Terry and Jo said
08:18 PM Apr 22, 2011
Stephanie,
With having a dog and thinking of wood, Pergo, or other "slick" type floor, is your dog active enough that he might be slipping on those surfaces? At the same time, you could put down the wood floor and then use some rugs that could be washed. That is, IF you dog is active.
Welcome to the forums and good luck with your research, planning and dreams.
Hello everyone
..oh how happy I was to read some of the Questions and Answers some of you have asked or replied to. Im a 23 year old female who has dreamed of this kind of thing for as long as I can remember. About 2 years ago I got the idea to get an Rv and live in it full time..I figured it was an easier and more afforable way to travel around to different places..So here's my plan..I would like to move to a place..live there for a year..save up..get my taxes...and then move to the next town..anywhere just somewhere is my moto..(im hoping its implied that i will find a full time job)..So of course I have soooo many questions and info I need to find out..Since Im on my own with my big beautiful dog as my body guard ..lol..I'm learning things are alot harder than the dream was to think about.. 
..To keep my hopes up and my reality my dream I keep trying to push on...so Im painting the inside of my Rv....and most people think im crazy until they see how far i've gotten...im planning to live in it for 3-6 years im gonna make it fit my style... Is how im seeing it anyways..Its a 1986 Chevy MH TK Honey 28 FT..so not big but I think it fits me..I tore some old ugly carpet up from the "hallway" and some where the bench for the table had been..I have these 2 spots that look aweful and I have wood flooring for the kitchen area..since I have to change stuff up..which should I go with... Wood flooring?? Or carpet?? Remember I have a Dog who sheds..and Im leaning for the wood flooring..But need a soundboard...Is this a Do it yourself kind of project??? What kind of tools would I need?? I am the kind of person who would rather build it than buy it..But I need to know it will be at a lower cost..Or Should I just pay somebody to come in and do it??? Around what kind of cost should I be expecting?? The manger of this Rv park says he can install a wall heater..is that more efficent??? He says he does it all the time and has it in his own... I have never even driven this thing..And with gas prices how can I afford to take it out and practice...People say its like driving a truck..I think they're wrong...Should I take it out on the backroads??? I know that sounds silly..It just requires unhooking everything and making sure things dont fall...That brings me to my next question..Should I always take things down and secure them..Or is there some kinds of straps or something to prevent things from falling that work best in Rvs???But Im lookin to move soon....should I fix it up to the way I like it then save up and go???Or should I just go and fix it up along the way??? Its decent looking..and everything works...and its not too shabby on the outside..But Im lookin to paint the outside too..anybody know a ball park price range??
OK I think I was able to tease out the actual questions formating does make it easier to answer.
As to the flooring with no slide outs go ahead and use the Pergo style flooring I know a number of folks who have done this and they're happy with the out come.
As to price on this it depends on the square footage since your talking about a fairly small class A more then likely one or two boxes will do the job.
You'll need some sort of cutting tool to cut them maybe a miter box of some sort to make the angle cuts you may need. Home Depot will have;
1. The products that will work
2. Someone to tell you how to install it
3. The tools for rent to do the job unless you only need small hand tools then buy.
You should be able to do it your self for less then $100
As for a heater get the Ceremic electric heaters from WalMart they do a find job and in a small RVwill keep you warm.
As for driving I'm sorry to say but I suspect the people telling you it drives like a truck are right the GMC unit your talking about was built on a truck frame. The good news is that it will drive more like a big pickup at 28 feet then anything else. Take it out drive it around make sure everything really does work before you hit the road.
Yes the price of fuel means you'll spend a bit driving around close but that is cheaper than a tow from the middle of nowhere.
Fix up anything that you can't live with and then head out and follow your dreams. Prices are not going to be going down as near as I can see.
Mallo
PS Painting the outside can get very expensive.
As far as driving, I would start out making a few laps around the rv park where you are currently staying. It will give you a chance to unhook and hook up everything, and check out that everything works, plus you can learn to back into your spot.
I agree about the little ceramic heater. That and an electric blanket will keep you warm through most conditions and if it doesn't -- pack up and move further south!
Stephanie,
With having a dog and thinking of wood, Pergo, or other "slick" type floor, is your dog active enough that he might be slipping on those surfaces? At the same time, you could put down the wood floor and then use some rugs that could be washed. That is, IF you dog is active.
Welcome to the forums and good luck with your research, planning and dreams.
Terry