bill h
coastal reconquista
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Joined: 08/02/2001
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Rent the biggest MH you can and take a trip. Talk to every full-timer couple you see parked at campgrounds. Your first RV trip is a tremendous learning experience.
Actually, your first RV is a tremendous learning experience, so it is better to learn as much as you can before-hand during a few weeks of renting.
NOTE: Any incorrect spelling is intentional to prevent those annoying popups.
84 Barth 30Tag powered by HT502/Thorley/Weiand etc, Gear Vendors OD.
Siamese Calvin and Airedale Hobbes, 4WD Toyota toad
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Birddogman
Pennsylvania
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Joined: 08/02/2005
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I would agree that a 40’ DP with slides would be the way to go – the only way as far as I am concerned. I would not presume to advise you as to what particular brand/model, other than to say that you get what you pay for and better, is, well… better. Getting the right floor plan for you and your wife is perhaps the most important thing. Remember you will need a toad, as well.
You will save money by buying used, but if you plan to use the RV for a long time, you might want to give some thought to buying new. If you are going to keep the coach until it is essentially worn out, depreciation ceases to be an issue and you will KNOW that all of the maintenance has been done properly because you will have done it yourself. That was essentially our rationale, in addition to having made a truly stunning deal for cash when the RV market was at its bottom. We are probably good for 15 more years of RV travel before we get too old – I figure our coach, bought brand new in 2008, will last that long. After that, I don’t care.
But, I think you are focusing on the wrong thing by focusing on the vehicle, rather than the fact that you’d be living in campgrounds!
For me the reality of fulltiming - living in campgrounds - is too terrible to contemplate. We live way back in the sticks, in a wonderful home we built to perfectly suit our unique needs and desires. We are about as self-sufficient as people can be in this modern world. We have our own huge automatic generator system for when the power goes down, our own well, plenty of land to farm, lots of game, we heat with wood cut on our place, etc, etc. I can run my dogs, hunt, fish, shoot, ride or do just about anything else I want without ever leaving my own place and without anyone able to impose their rules on me or otherwise try to tell me how to live my life.
Campgrounds are crowded places with all of the countless onerous rules needed when you have so many people living cheek-to-jowl in such limited space. Many non-resort campgrounds seemed to be packed with people who are not there by choice – sad for them, but I’ve worked my whole life so I don’t have to live in a slum (mobile or otherwise). Plus, there seem to be a large number of people with nothing better to do than to wander around the campground looking to meet their new best friend and they will “visit” you on your site to regale you for hours with tales of their latest medical procedures, grandchildren, etc – and what are you going to do – say “Excuse me, I’m heading home now?” You are trapped. On weekends, campgrounds seem to fill with people who are there for their one big blow-out of the year, with lots of noise, loud music, drunken behavior, etc – all 10’ from your front door.
This week I’m doing a seminar in Hershey, PA, on federal death tax for tax lawyers. I decided to take the MH, so the dogs could go with me. I am “camped” at Hershey Highmeadows campground – a very well regarded place – and am crammed into a tiny site with hundreds of other people - all of whom seem to be on raucous party-hardy vacations – see pic.
It’s much better than staying in a hotel, and the MH itself is totally comfortable in every way, but I would never want to spend the rest of my life living in campgrounds like this one – I’d rather live here, where I don’t need to even see another person if I don’t want to:
Having a regular home, a MH makes a great way to travel, especially if you can avoid campgrounds (usually I am “camping” in remote places in the west for upland bird hunting). It also makes a good way to visit kids (because you can take your “home” with you and go back to your own “home” when you’ve had enough visiting). Having both a nice, well equipped, home and an nice RV to go wherever you want, whenever you want and for as long as you want is, to my mind anyway, the best of both worlds. The MH is totally comfortable to live in for extended periods; and I'd rather live in my MH than in any urban or suburban setting, but barring complete financial disaster, I would never choose to live fulltime in it.
To me (and I know there are those who will disagree), the only reason to fulltime is financial. It is certainly less costly to just live in a MH than to own and use both a regular home and a MH.
2008 Winnebago Journey 39z DP
2004 Jeep Liberty toad
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frmAloha
Oregon (OR-y-gun)
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Joined: 04/05/2007
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You didn't mention whether you've traveled in an RV before this. If you haven't, I'd suggest renting to find out if you enjoy this mode of travel and to better understand what you like and dislike in a coach.
Oregon Native
Retired w/
2000 31' SurfSide
Class A
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gonesouth
Tatamagouche, NS
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Joined: 02/16/2005
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We aren't fulltimers, but our business is seasonal so we leave for 6 to 7 months every year. We've rented apartments, houses, and condos in various locations with various kinds of weather. We've also owned motorhomes and stayed in 'campgrounds'. We've enjoyed it all.
Our take is that any type of stick house gives you the apartment building experience - you see people once every couple of months and say hi in the elevator, but otherwise don't speak.
Meanwhile, in campgrounds you get a different experience. There are 'community events' like campfires, dinners, concerts, jam sessions, helping your neighbour, etc. And you will get to know people, some of which you may still be friends with in 10 years, and some you will be glad to leave behind when youu move on....
For us, we have decided that we like the campground experience, and as well, we find it easier to visit the kids when we have our own home to retreat to. These were the key reasons to get a motorhome again.
Our best advice is what one wise man told us, "go far enough up the chain so it has better quality than you're used to at home, and then old enough you can afford it" In our case we have had a 90 Allegro, which was the >$10,000 test, then a 40' 90 Beaver Marquis (no slides), and now a 40' 98 Beaver Marquis with one slide. We figure it and we should be ready to park it permanently in about 2025. Total investment without deducting what we sold the first two for is under $100,000. Yes, it can be done!
Looking for Free Wifi I noticed SSID " HRM_Police_Surveillance_Van_#2" Think it's safe to connect?
fulltime 6 months/year FMCA 368297
98 Beaver Marquis, one slide, CAT425HP, 2 stg Jake, Allison MD4060, Aquahot, 10KwOnan, 3Kw Xantrex, HWH Air Levelling
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nalcon
SE Texas
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We purchased a low cost used class A a year ago with the intentions of full timing in 5 years when I retire. We joined a local RV club. The group has local campouts every month and we have a ball.
A year later we realize that we will never want to full time in a motor home, no matter how nice or expensive the model. We will however want to take some long trips and then come home.
I'm telling you this because a year ago we couldn't wait to fulltime. Now I'm glad we only spent 25k on a MH.
Good luck with what ever you decide.
Charlie and Sherrie
'99 Fleetwood Southwind Storm 31'
'10 Honda CRV EX-L
FMCA F417071
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sowego
northwest panhandle of Nebraska
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Joined: 03/14/2006
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After reading many of the responses...I will add...We are not fulltimers either and by choice. We are in transition mode while our home is being built. We rented out the stick house and moved to another state where we'll build our new homebase. We've been out long term on the road for as long as 9 months several times. And we've lived in our rig right now since October of 2008 so we are coming up on 2 years. We can honestly say...it's too long in such a small space! It's not for everyone. We will resume travel mode and enjoy it more knowing we'll once again have a homebase.
If you fulltime you'll have to decide what time of year to be where in the country. If you love snow then it will be tough wintering in the rig. We've wintered in snow country for 4 years and have come to deal with it without complaints. We'd rather do that than snowbird. Snowbirding is a whole new deal. Some love it, some don't. We don't.
The our fulltimer friends have settled into homesbases rather than rambling around a lot. They winter in exactly the same place and summer in the exact same place. Both have opted to build permanent homes after fulltiming for a few years.
The rule of thumb is...if you make it 2 years and aren't crazy..then you can fulltime for a long time. But, many do give in and find a homebase somewhere to give them the opportunity to get out of the coach. Even a million dollar bus gets mighty tight.
Give it a go but keep you options and mind open.
2002 Tiffin Phaeton
2005 Malibu Maxx toad
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StanleyandIris
Louisiana
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I would buy a high end, used DP that has MOST of your "wants" and "needs" (these change after time - for us a king sized bed will be the next "must have" but a jacuzzi bathtub will not be on the list). Close up the house and travel for a year to see how life on the road suits you. If it is better than you expected, then sell all your stuff and the house, invest and save the money for that rainy day or a change of plans and have a great life.
If you like the road, but not full-time, and the house is still more than you want, sell it, buy a smaller home/condo and travel when it suits you.
If you don't enjoy the road and the house it too much to keep, sell house and MH, keep your stuff and land somewhere else that you found on your travels.
All options are open to you.
Iris
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EdandLynne
Indiana
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Check out the website http://www.escapees.com this is a site that has a lot of fulltimers on it. It also has a discussion groups that you can get an idea of what they think of it.
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wa8yxm
Wherever I happen to park
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Joined: 07/04/2006
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travlinjayco wrote:This is a very serious consideration for my wife and myself. We have raised our kids, live in a fairly large space, space we do not need or keep cool or warm. We have 8 kids together, scattered all over the United States. We are seriously considering living in a class A, being able to take off for which ever state that the kid begs the most. lol
We would like feed back on your experiences. Brands that seem reliable more than others. How loud is the interior with generator running, both diesel pusher and gas coach.
I'm going to stop there.
First.. I can not speak for you and your wife, For my wife and I it is heaven on earth.. Of course we have planned and dreamed for over a quarter century to be where we are... Today. (THANK YOU GOD!)
Now that's out of the way
I'll take the generator issue.. My rig is a Gasser, the generator is mounted roughly "Amid-ships" (About the middle on one side) and sleeping with that Onan 5500 pumping noise into a Gen-Turi is no problem at all.. Kind of a deep throaty purr (The Gen-Turi tuns it down a couple of octaves by the way) very relaxing in fact.
Without the Gen-Turi, the CO Alarm gets kind of annoying.
(MORAL.. Install Gen-Turi)
I can not compare Diesel to Gas, nor can I compare models.. But we are happy with our 2005 Damon Intruder 377W Gasser.
I can make one recommendation though.. The rig I am sitting in just now is a bath and a half model.. In short, 2 holes, no waiting.
That too.. is one of the greatest inventions of our time.
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business
Kenwood TS-2000 housed in a 2005 Damon Intruder 377
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travlinjayco
Arkansas
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Joined: 01/21/2008
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Travlin Jayco says thanks to all who offered input to our question.
Some very thought provoking good ideas mentioned. When we said full time, we will have a home base for the motor home, acreage we have kept. We are just tired of heating and cooling a lot of space we do not need. We are going to rent a class A and get an idea of how it might be as home. Most of our travel would be to see 8 kids and seeing the country from time to time. I do wood working, mostly a hobby. I built a large shop 4 years ago and we have thought of the motor home and taking half the shop about 750 ft and have a nice small well insulated home base.
Mostly wanted to thank all who have contributed to our post. We are much more informed now, Thanks again, Happy Trails and God Bless, Jerry and Colleen
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