Start by reading about everythng on the main RV-Dreams site, http://www.rv-dreams.com/ .  Then once your brains are ready start going through topics here on the forum, maybe using "Search", to see earlier answers.  You will end up with answers to your questions but reading will generate more even more questions you want answers for. 

We know multiple people who have decided to full time, jumped in and thrived.  Many who haven't camped at all.  

Washer Dryer is a personal preference.......there great in a pinch , but to some they try to do all there weekly laundry in a day and most onboard systems cannot handle it.....

As far as a 5vr.........threads on here will guide you through it.......if you find a unit you like , shop around look prices are dropping and there are good deals to be found!!!!



hope to see you out here.....................Good luck

Thank you all for your replies and advise.  Husband and I have been reading a lot on this site.  Lots of helpful information! I will also check out the free blog for more  information. 

I hope to meet some of you soon!

Robin 

We've been full-timing for 4 weeks now.  We purchased a 2013 DRV Tradition and a 2012 Ford F350 Super Duty Diesel Dually.  After living in our RV for only a month we have learned so much about what we like and don't like about it.  We looked for a long time for the right 5th wheel and while we love ours, there are things we would do differently if we had a do-over. 

Check the slides.  When our slides are in there is a space of about 5' x 3' that is accessable.  We can access the refrigerator and one pantry cabinet but that's it.  In order to access the living room, bathroom or bedroom, all three slides have to be extended.  The living room/ kitchen slides work in tandem so there is one switch and they extend together.  In order to get up the stairs to the bedroom or bathroom, the living room/kitchen slides have to be extended.  If I had it to do again, I'd pay attention to what you can access with the slides in.  There are times when we might need to get something at a rest area or some other quick stop but we just can't put all of the slides out. 

Washer and dryer.  I LOVE my washer and dryer.  I don't have the combo unit, I have a separate washer and dryer.  The thing to remember is small loads.  If you don't overfill them, they do a great job... clean clothes with no wrinkles.  I have an aversion to laundry mats. 

I don't like my oven.  I have never cooked in an RV oven before and while it bakes just like a normal oven, it does not brown anything.  If I had a do-over, I'd get a microwave/convection oven  and a cooktop but no oven.  Ours came with a regular microwave and a stove/oven.  I'd much rather have the cabinet space.  I will be having a microwave/convection installed when I get a chance.  I did read up on RV ovens and purchased a pizza stone to dispurse the heat evenly so that is not a problem.  However, the pizza stone broke in half the first time I used the oven.  It's still in there...just in two peices instead of one. 

We love our level-up system.  Every time I see someone manually leveling their RV I send up a special thanks for the Level-up Automatic leveling system.  We looked at many used 5th wheels and saw automatic leveling systems on some of them so even on a used unit, it's a possibility. 

Just some things to consider.  Have fun getting set-up.  It's a crazy ride. 

Rosie

I would venture to say that if one is moving regularly, the ability to reach certain areas with the slides in is important.  In our case, we haven't started traveling yet so we don't have that issue.  If you prefer to have the access, then avoid any floor plan in an RV that has a side bathroom where the shower, sink and commode are all in one room on the off door side.  Split bathrooms have the commode and a sink on one side of the coach and the shower and another sink on the other side.  That leaves one with access through a centered door to the bedroom.  Other floor plans may have the access door to the bedroom on the door side of the coach which would also allow one to enter that area without opening slides.

Most times when we travel and need a bathroom, we are usually stopping at a truck stop or rest area anyway.  With access to part of the refrigerator, we can still make a sandwich, or whatever is quick, and then travel on.  The few times we've towed our coach somewhere, we've never felt the real need to have access to any part of the coach.  But, that is just us.

Our Mobile Suite has the hallway on the off-door side because of us having a side bathroom.  I have even found a reason for why I like that bathroom like it is.  Back in January, I had a bout with a stomach virus and spent the night one night suffering from nausea and diarrhea with episodes at about 30 minute intervals from midnight until 5:00am.  At one point, I nearly passed out, and I was reclined on the bathroom floor.  After posting about that, someone commented that they were surprised that I had room to pass out and lie down.  So, I created a blog post showing the differences between a side bathroom and its size and a split bathroom and its size in the commode area.  If you are really interested, here is a blog post showing some pictures........of the bathrooms, not of me in my sick state.

I KNEW There Was a Reason

Jo and I have a separate washer and dryer set by Whirlpool.  While we occasionally use the big washer at the RV park next door for the big blankets for the beds, Jo prefers to wash and dry at home so she can do other things while the laundry is working.  In the past, he has been doing about 2 loads, every other night after work.  Lately, because of her need to wash on a daily basis for a spell, she washed and dryed a load each evening.  Now, she is even considering doing that more often as it limits the amount of work she has to do each evening that she does wash.  Bedding and towels are generally washed on Saturdays.

Overall, I suggest looking at a lot of RV's and picture yourself doing the normal day to day things in them to see how things might be a problem....or not be one.

Good luck with the research and planning.  It is definitely a "trip."

Terry

We bought our Mobile Suite used so did not have the option to order. We did look for the model we wanted that had the things on our list that we had to have. We do not have a washer/dryer. We probably would have if ordering new. If we find it difficult to do laundry then we may add them at some time. As we do volunteer work and usually spend from a month or two at a place there are usually full hookups and when we do travel we usually stay at a part with full hookups every few days.

Even though we have had a regular oven in a previous RV my wife wanted one in our fulltime unit. We have both in our new unit and I think she may have used the regular oven one time. She has used the convection oven for everything else. If the regular oven could easily be removed and replaced with a cabinet I would do it.

We don't have level up but that is something I think we will add as resources become available.

Like many who have replied,we spent a lot of time on this forum as well as taking more than a year to decide what we wanted in a full-time RV.We were not new to this,but were new to full-time,so we tried to be as careful as we could be, knowing we were going to be living in it for some time to come. We are getting on to two years now of being fell-time & remain very pleased.

No matter what brand or configuration you choose,remember that once you are full-time, anything major needing repair will make you "homeless" if it needs to be kept for a while. We had two major warranty issues, each of which required the rig to be tied up for a week. So, if buying new, the length of wnt'y is a factor,if buying used, have a thorough independent inspection done, if at all possible. If buying new or used,from a dealer, the dealer and its abilities are of utmost importance. Our dealer was able to do the wnt'y work. Others on the owner's forum in which I'm active have had problems with a dealer ill-equipped to do the needed fixes. Our mfgr., (Open Range), has been stellar about fixes, but I've seen on the Owner's forum that some folks had to go back to Indiana to the factory service center, because their dealer was unable or unwilling to do timely repairs (one thing if you are a week-end camper, quite another if it's your home).

Spend a lot of time "in" not just looking "at" potential rigs. I don't know how many times we went back to the dealer lot and asked to be left alone for a long time in a particular unit. After a bit of "quiet" (no salesman) time in a rig we were able to get a sense of what we liked or didn't. Just prior to finding ours we "lost" one we decided on, but was sold when we went back. Worked out fine for us, because we found ours the next week. It felt right for us. As luck would have it, it had the auto level (a godsend), and the layout with three slides permits access to the kitchen,bath and the bed,(but not the dresser), when slides are in, but I admit, even after all the looking we did, I hadn't sought these features.

This IS a big event in your lives. You are right to feel some anxiety.If anyone who has ever taken such a big step can honestly say that there aren't things they would do over, I've not met them. So many considerations, based on plans that could always possibly change, there are bound to be adjustments later on. You'll do fine, I'm sure. Travel Safe.

Richard