Welcome aboard, Devon. There is a wealth of information (links from the main page) covering every aspect of transitioning to the full-time lifestyle. You might also check out the Escapees RV Club, their web site and forums. Escapees is a a great organization for providing domicile and mail support for full-timers.

This is just my two cents worth, but if I were single and planning to full-time, I would be looking at a small to mid-size class A or large class C with a car in tow. I can handle all aspects of the fifth wheel by myself, but backing into sites and getting situated is SO much easier with two of us (and two-way radios). Also, as a single female, if you find yourself in a situation where you don't feel secure, you don't have to get out of the RV for anything if you don't want to - you can just pull in the slides, pull up the levelers, and head out (assuming the car is still hitched up). As for large trucks (a 1-ton truck is the starting point for most large fifth wheels, though smaller fivers can be towed with a 3/4 ton) and sightseeing... my wife drives separately in a Toyota. A 1-ton dual rear wheel truck is not something we want to take into large cities like DC or places like Sequoia National Park. In a motorhome you could just cover your bird cage and secure it for travel - she would be right there in the air-conditioned or heated RV with you while you travel. With a truck and trailer, you would need to move your parrot to the truck with you each time you travel. The trailer would be too rough, noisy, and hot/cold for the animals to travel in.

Good luck to you on your new adventure!

Rob