Getting Started in Indiana - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Over55 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Getting Started in Indiana

Melstar · RV-Dreams Family Member

Welcome ....you will love our "COMMUNITY" here and lots of wise advice and encouragement!

Bill Adams · RV-Dreams Family Member

There are several rallies going on the in the Elkhart and Goshen, IN areas. You might want to check and see if you can make any of these. The information that you can gather at any of these rallies (especially when you can talk one on one with the experts) can be invaluable once you do hit the road.

Jim01 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Welcome Art and Mary,

Glad you decided to join in. If you have any questions, be sure to ask. I'm sure that by now, you know that someone on the forum will more than likely be able to help.

Jim

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

Welcome Art and Mary! You've found a great bunch of folks to share the journey with!

bzffr8 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hello Art and Mary
We are from north central Indiana as well. You found the best place for information and advice.
We could not have made the jump without the help from Howard and Linda and the family that makes up
RV-Dreams. Best group of folks anywhere. Welcome!!

Over55 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Dave and Maxine

Thanks for the welcome. I see you are bringing your Goldwing with you and that is pretty cool. My wife doesn't quite share my 2-wheel love (which is fine) so I'm selling my Honda 1800 VTX along with some of our other junk. According to some of your pictures it looks like you are driving a Ford 350 dually diesel....and that is exactly what we are looking to get. Are you satisfied with the diesel and the Ford in general?

Anyway....we hope to meet you on the road next year...meanwhile I here trying to cheer on Butler in the NCAA tourney....but it doesn't look good.

Blessings.

Art and Mary

Over55 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Duh....I guess I should have looked at your signature line to see what you are driving. So do you like the F450?? Art and Mary

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Welcome, Art and Mary.

If you've been reading any time at all, then you know this is a bunch of friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable folks. There are answers here for almost any question. We do look forward to your questions and your comments.

While I will let Dave tell you himself his opinion of the F450, I can give a little praise for our Ford F450. We pull a Mobile Suites that when filled will gross out around 18,500 lbs. (That is GVWR for that model.) We don't really have it loaded for full-time, but we did take it to Carthage, MO from Oklahoma City back in October. That has been our only "lengthy" trip in the truck and pulling the trailer.

While the mileage isn't great, the truck didn't seem to think it had anything behind it. It was a pleasure for pulling and handling.

Terry

bzffr8 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Art and Mary

Sorry you are going to sell your VTX. We know how it is though. Maxine had to sell her Goldwing when we went fulltime. We could not bring both unless we went with
a toy hauler or doubled towed. Neither option was good for us. It is still worth the sacrafices once you get the freedom of the road.

Like Terry and Jo we also have a Mobile Suites which is pretty heavy. I bought the Ford with a few mixed feelings. I retired from GM and now I am considered a traitor by some and get lots of comments from others.
Still, I was not going to buy the type of fifth wheel I wanted just to stay in a GM product. GM did not have anything available to handle the load we were going to pull that satisfied my margin of saftey regarding weight ratings. Some people pull a heavey Mobile Suites with a GM 3500 just fine. I just wanted to make sure I had a big enough truck for any fifth wheel we may pull in the future.

So far I love the Ford. The mileage is not great at about 7.5 mpg pulling the trailer but it does the job very well. Diesel prices are getting high enough now to keep us a little more grounded but as long as we do not see snow all is well!

Today I would not hesitate on either a Ford or GM product. Both are capable trucks. If I had the patience last year to wait 6 more months we probably would have bought the new 2011 GM 3500. It has the weight rating to pull 20,000 fifth wheel. Our mileage would have been better and it has an integrated exhaust brake. But then I would have had to compare it to the new designed 2011 Ford which also has better fuel economy....and the comparisons go on and on. I think you can not go wrong with either truck. Just my 2 cents.

We will be in Indiana in May and if you haven't sold the VTX by then maybe we should meet up for Ice Cream some where. Gotta ride somewhere right! :>)

Dave and Max

Over55 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Dave and Max

Thanks for the feedback. We are looking at buying new when we get a truck and it looks like the GMC or the Ford will do the trick.

We live in Upland Indiana so if you come through we can go and have ice cream at our local hot spot called Ivanhoe's.

http://www.ivanhoes.info/

Art & Mary

RickandJanice · RV-Dreams Family Member

Art and Mary,

Like others have said, check out the factories before deciding on a rig. If I may suggest, do as much research as possible first to narrow down your search. Then take factory tours to decide what type of construction is used and what you like and dislike about how each unit is constructed. You will be surprised at some of the different techniques used and reasons behind them. Since you are already close to allot of the manufactures, this really makes this easy for you!

bzffr8 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Ivanhoe's it is. We have been going there for years. It is our motorcycle chapters first ride of the season.