Fulltimer wannabe signing on... - RV-Dreams Community Forum

heyduke · RV-Dreams Family Member

Fulltimer wannabe signing on...

Roz · RV-Dreams Family Member

Welcome to the RV-Dreams Forum. You will get many, if not all of your questions answered here in a very friendly manner.

Much knowledge and experience and many cheerleaders to get you on down the road to 2011. You will likely find more Class C MH in that length than the Class A. Just depends on what you want. Both bring a lot to the table.

Jim01 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Welcome to the forum! smile

Like ROZ said, lots of friendly people here that are more than willing to answer any questions you may have.

Good luck with your plans.

Jim

heyduke · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks for the welcome.... I am sure to have many questions as time goes on.

tumwatergal · RV-Dreams Family Member

Welcome to the forum! We're fulltimers and love it. Don't know what your budget is for an RV, but if at all possible try to get one with at least one slide-out. With F/T living it can really make a difference.

Happy Hunting!

Happytrails · RV-Dreams Family Member

Welcome to the RV Dreams forum!! Have you gone to a lot and driven any MHs? The Class C is on a truck frame and the A is on a chassis (depends on the manufacturer as to what chassis). Roz is right in that most MHs in that length are going to be the Class C. I also agree with Margie in looking for something with at least one slide especially at that length. Check the basement storage.....in full-timing you will need that storage. Check the CCCs also. Full-timers carry everything with them so usually the CCC needs to be at least at 2000lbs but you will have to be careful at that number. More would be better.

Good luck with your search!!

heyduke · RV-Dreams Family Member

well i have been reading a lot... and we will attend a RV show in Houston Texas in Feb 2010. We do indeed want a lot of storage and we plan on purchasing a 4WD truck or jeep as our toad. we have not driven anything yet as we are still on the steep part of the learning curve... I am hoping to purchase used less than 6 yrs old for 50K or less and then sink about 10K in it for internet, solar etc..

-- Edited by heyduke on Monday 16th of November 2009 09:43:34 PM

Speedhitch · RV-Dreams Family Member

It only took 11 RV's for us to figure it out. Many have figured it out with fewer...so good luck on your decision. By the way we started in 1974 so it is not like we changed RV's every year.

heyduke · RV-Dreams Family Member

Fun to go back in time to this post and see how research has changed my mind... we are now just under 100 days before retirement (99 to be exact :) ) And the evolution of what we seek is now changed to a 35-38 foot class A and the budget has swollen to about 100K ... man was I dreaming when I first started down this road... we have a long list of things to get done and have documented them on our blog so we can check them off as we get closer... now if only the house will sell :)

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

It is amazing what trails we sometimes start on and then find "forks" everywhere. With Jo and I it was starting with a 36 or 38 ft fifth wheel, then it was a 40 or 42 ft motorhome because I mentioned having something (a toad) to drive around. Then after exploring that option, it was back to a 36 to 38 ft fifth wheel. Then it was perhaps a lighter fifth wheel so our truck wouldn't have to be so big.

THEN.....

We stumbled upon a used Ford F450 for half of what we would have had to pay for a new one. With that one fortunate occurrence, we were back into the heavier unit with the savings in cost helping pay for the Mobile Suites.

Yep. It has definitely been a roller coaster ride with dips and hills, curves and switchbacks, but a thrill just the same.

Keep having fun with it.

Terry

Blars · RV-Dreams Community Member

I've got a 28' Rexhall class A, so short ones do exist. Older class C's frequently have problems due to the flexing in the overhang, and tend to leak (especially if there is a forward facing window). IMHO you'll find better quality motorhomes from the smaller makers rather than the huge ones.

Check out <a href="http://blars.us/blog/">blars.us/blog/</a> for some shopping advice and what I wound up with.

Elaine NB · RV-Dreams Family Member

lol good for you I was reading your other posts with the 26-29 ft rig....We've been rving for approximately 7-8 years...we are on our 5th rig...talk about not getting it right the first time...go for the gusto and maybe you'll only have to do it once..we love the MH we have now..but we are not fulltimers yet (next yr 2011) and already we're talking about going bigger..ughhhhh

Good luck with your preps....safe travels...

TXRVr · RV-Dreams Family Member

First, welcome to the forum. I think that you will find this forum one where you can get some forthright, honest, and tactful opinions. Best of all, most of them will be submitted in a spirit that is intended to help each other.

It just so happens that I am helping a friend - who is a newbie to RVing - find a suitable RV for his needs. The first thing I told him was to put his wishes and wants on paper and then start the process. I told him to do his research and find something, based on that piece of paper, that he thought would work for his lifestyle.

He wants to buy a Class C from the pre-owned market. In helping him with that research, even I was surprised at the range of prices for other those and other types of RVs that would met his needs.

Just one Major piece of advise. There are few of us who actually got it right the first time because we didn't do enuff research. As an example see Speedhitch's comment below.

Speedhitch wrote:

It only took 11 RV's for us to figure it out. Many have figured it out with fewer...so good luck on your decision. By the way we started in 1974 so it is not like we changed RV's every year.

That is a wise comment. The good news is that it only took two mistakes for me to understand it. smile

-- Edited by TXRVr on Wednesday 1st of December 2010 07:51:46 PM

Froggi · RV-Dreams Family Member

Welcome to the forum...added your blog to my list!

When you look at rigs be sure to allow at least an hour in each. Go through the daily motions of living...cooking, washing dishes, one at counter - one opening frig, sitting on toilet, laying on bed, finding stuff on nightstands in the dark, opening drawers while both in the bedroom area, taking a shower...you'd be surprised what you will notice that way.

Also, if the rig has slides check out what you can and can't do when the slides are in. In some cases (like our toy hauler) you have to sacrifice things (we can't walk through when slides are in...big slides due to 10' garage). For example, will you have to throw out a slide to watch television? What about getting into the frig to make a sandwich.

Keep us updated!!