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Hi everyone my name is Matt, looking at the possibility of full time in two years as I will be retiring. My girlfriend (Deb) and I really enjoy camping in the mountains of Idaho. We would love to venture out and see this country of ours. Currently have a 94 Winnebago Brave 30ft, no slides and gasser. We are looking to the possible upgrade of larger motorhome before I retire.
Evening Matt, you've come to the right place. I would suggest you look around the site and ask questions here in the forum. Welcome aboard and good luck.
Welcome. If the Brave is in good condition camping in it will bring many smiles from your fellow campers. A classic.
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Winnebago TT 2101DS & 2020 Silverado LTZ Z71. 300 watts WindyNation solar w/MPPT, 2 Trojan T-125s. TALL flag pole. Prefer USFS, COE, BLM, USF&WS, NPS, TVA, state/county camps. 14 year Army vet-11B40 then 11A - old MOS 1542 & 1560.
Thank you I have already enjoyed a bunch of the info that is available, We are thinking about a 35-36ft Motorhome with towing a small enclosed trailer. really trying to decide on a Diesel or not. really like to get something with several slides.
Thank you I have already enjoyed a bunch of the info that is available, We are thinking about a 35-36ft Motorhome with towing a small enclosed trailer. really trying to decide on a Diesel or not. really like to get something with several slides.
Diesel is superior in all respects save one ... price. They go up and down mountains much better and the MPG is usually better. I am not a motorhome guy, but others here are and can provide more specifics.
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Ron and Janice
2016 Ford F350, King Ranch, DRW, 4x4, CC, 6.7 PS Diesel, remote control air lift system
2017 Durango Gold 381REF, Lambright furniture, MCD shades, morRYDE IS, 8K Disc brakes, GY G114 LR H Tires, 27,320 lbs CGVW
For a full-timer that is looking for multiple slides and planning to tow a utility trailer, I'd highly recommend diesel.
I'd also recommend thinking long and hard about towing a four-wheels-down vehicle rather than a utility trailer, especially if you plan to move a lot each year (which it sounds like you will). Dealing with a trailer at a campground every time you move is a bit of a hassle and you may find yourself limiting your camping to RV parks with long, pull-through sites to avoid having to unhitch the trailer and finding a place to park it.
We've been at this a long time, and we've seen a lot of folks with motorhomes that started out towing trailers give up on that idea after a fairly short time unless they move infrequently. You may still go with the trailer, but just consider the practical aspects and weigh all the pros and cons.
I've got to echo what Howard said. I started out wanting to pull a trailer with my motorcycle and a small pick up/jeep. For a trailer with 10,400 of axle capacity you get about 6,000 lbs of cargo capacity which would leave me with about 1,700 lbs of cargo capacity after the bike (1,000 lbs) and a jeep (3,300 lbs). However you lose about 1,000 of cargo capacity in the motorhome due to tongue weight. In essence what you pick up is about 700 lbs of cargo capacity with the trailer. Even then, if I tow my F150 I get about another 500 lbs of cargo capacity in it after I load it up with my bike. So for having another vehicle that I have to feed and care for I get about 500 net gain cargo capacity with all the attendant hassles of dropping the trailer every time I stop in a campground etc. This doesn't even address the cost of the trailer which unless you own it already would not be insubstantial. However towing a vehicle isn't cheap either, between a tow bar, brakes and a driveline disconnect I will be spending in the neighborhood of $3,000 to $3,300. If you go with a more expensive (non-surge) braking system add $700 to $1,000 to that number. I don't think you're going to find a trailer of any size for that kind of money. If you're talking about a 8 or 10 foot trailer you're probably OK, but then what will you do for a toad?
Welcome Matt. You are in the right place for sure. Tons of info here.
Just remember everybody fulltime a little different. And if you have never spent extended time in a Rv,think long and hard about the way you think you will live.
To small a unit for your style will for sure take you back off the road pretty fast.
Take the time to set in different size units and maybe even Rent a few different ones before you buy.
Take your time doing your research and don’t worry about changing your mind more than a few times about how you will do this. You have the time so stay open minded and flexible.
Pick a budget for your New home and make sure you understand what your monthly budget can be to live the style you want.
Some can live on 3,000.00 a month and others can spend 7-10,000 per month it just all depends on you. The more you want to see and do the more it will cost.
Good luck and keep doing a ton of research.
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Bob C
The fulltime Dream begins, class of 2016
2016 Dodge Ram 5500 HD Classy Chassis hauler bed/air ride
thank you everyone I am in the process of looking at and researching Motorhomes as I write. I spent the week in Parker Arz. last week and loved the area and enjoyed the time in my Brave found out really quick that it would not do long term. the search goes on.
A diesel motorhome may also come with air bag suspension for a superior ride. We invested in an older higher end diesel motorhome when we went fulltime and it worked out very well. Also, proper maintenance is much more important than mileage when considering diesel platforms.
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USAF Retired 2010. Began full timing June 2015, ended Dec 2018. 2007 Allegro Bus 40QSP with 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland TOAD. Our blog: keepingupwiththejonesrv.blogspot.com.
