Earl E
Where the RV is parked (formerly OR)
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Fizz wrote:Juggler wrote: We like the rear living room style with the single big slide over the axles for the sofa and dining room table.
Just a note of caution here.
I'm not a big fan of large living room windows that look out the back. You see these mostly on 5th wheels. The problem is you are often parked back to back in these large Snowbird parks, all you see is the other guys large window.
And that is what I like most! If I'm staying more than a night or so I always ask for a back in site where my rear window will have some kind of view. In the middle living area set-ups all you ever see are other rigs. Different strokes for different people, I guess. 
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John&Joey
Some Location
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Harvard wrote:If we had it to do over again we would have skipped the RV part and rented a Park Model for the first Snowbird trip, then decide on RV vs Park Model. Our intent was/is to get away from the snow as opposed to being mobile in the south. A Park Model without an add on is about 399 square feet (in AZ).
Much wisdom in this statement. Might not be what the OP is asking, but if a person is more into settling down then traveling around renting a place south is really the way to go at first (from a $$$ point of view.)
IMHO, to make an RV make $$$ sense you need to be gone for more then three months each winter. Anything less an you're better off driving a car south and renting a place. Not a lot of people can live in a mobile RV for more then 3 months at a time.
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John&Joey
Some Location
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WTTCS wrote:What the heck is snowbirding all about then? Heated underbelly? R values? Insulated ? If it is under 60deg or over 85deg you are in the wrong place SNOWBIRDING.
No kidding, last year we were in the wrong place all winter (Texas.) Didn't have the $$$ or guts to pull up stakes and head out to Arizona or California on the chance it would be better. In hind sight, that would have been the right choice.
Only thing that we really wished we had last winter was double pane windows. The condensation was unreal the month of December while in Rockport. Even then, what do you do with that big windshield in a Class A. Every morning was the microtowel mop up of the windshield. Hard to imagine it is any different for any other Class A.
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WTTCS
freedom , U.S.A.
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Joined: 07/28/2003
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Wellll I was at the Ancient Oaks rv park in Rockport in Jan and part of Feb. When those things happened, I simply put my swimming suit on and made a day of it in the heated pool and hot tub. Then went down the street and ate the best mexican dinners you can have down there.
LOL aint it fun !!
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John&Joey
Some Location
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WTTCS wrote:Then went down the street and ate the best mexican dinners you can have down there.
Are you talking about that one story place with the bars on the windows? Yep, great food once you get past the front door.
If you like BBQ, and are in Victoria, try Mumphord. Same thing with the bars, but what a brisket. Getting hungry just thinking about it.
Sorry to the OP, but food is one of the great things about snowbirding.
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Jim,Rosemary, Sandy
Florida/Michigan
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Last winter was one of the coldest on record in most of the country. So what happened last year, and what people's bad experiences were last year, might not be typical every year. We were in Fort Pierce, Florida, and I went through a 30 lb. refill on my propane every week, (all of January and February)and yes I also use a portable ceramic heater. One thing is for sure, in selecting a trailer, don't buy anything that sleeps more people than necessary. It's just wasted space and unused furniture. Ours sleeps 4, but there are only 2 of us. The extra sleeping comes from a very uncomfortable sofa bed. I bought a 2' by 4' sheet of sanded 3/4" birch plywood and put it under the cushions just to keep from sinking in when I sat on the couch. The sooner it wears out, the sooner it's gone. I agree with whoever suggested an extra (AC) refrigerator. We saw that need almost immediately. Our fifth wheel is supposed to have 322 square feet. I don't think we could live for 6 months in anything too much smaller. The other thing we do is to take our 40 inch TV from home. The built in 23 inch just doesn't cut it. The 40 inch tv weighs about 40 pounds and I just lay it on the bed when we are on the road. If your trailer is already pre-wired for a second air conditiner, chances are it is big enough that it needs a second air conditioner down south. We only had one A/C unit in the Florida Keys. We had to cook all of our meals outside. As soon as you turned on the gas stove, the heat was more than a single A/C unit could handle. If you buy a second A/C unit, don't pay extra for the heat strip option. It does not work. The heat is not that intense, and since it is already at ceiling height, it does little good at all. If you are considering a washer/dryer, buy separate units. We bought the combo unit. It results in very wet lint that gets clogged in the vent. Buy separate units, or don't buy any at all.
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DaSu
St. Cloud Mn.
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Our first year of snowbirding ( last year) we noticed that alot of RVs had 3 slides . I would highly suggest , if you are absolutley postive that snowbird life is the life style you will choose for a long time AND you want to be mobil , 3 slides could make your life a lot more comfortable . We have 2 and had no problem , but always had thoughts of "what would 3 be like ?" One last thing , if you found a place you decided you really loved to snowbird at, and you had the bigger RV , you could "tie it down" and be well set up for the next year. Second last thing , if you want to really see the country and be on the move for the winters , a smaller RV i.e. truck camper , small class C is what I would suggest . You can intermix staying in the smaller RV with Hotels to regain your sanity . The thing about this , is the fact that you can stop just about anywhere. A big honkin Rv takes away from impulse stopping along your route. Many things are missed because we didn't know how we could turned around if we did stop .
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WTTCS
freedom , U.S.A.
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LOL yea they have the bars and the place really dont excite you when you walk in , but man that food is the best. Enchiladas and Do sock e beer. LOL.
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badbuckeye
Ohio
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Joined: 03/11/2005
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We snowbirded in Florida this past winter. We have a 2009 Jayco 30'TT with one big slide for the dining/living area. We have a front BR with no windows. The rear has 2 swivel chairs. We, too, have a truck with a cap that is so handy because we leave our beach gear, fishing poles, etc there. Storage should not be an issue, because you are camping, not invading Iraq. One A/C is fine, and one Frig is okay, you just have to go to the store more often. We have lots of windows. Naturally, when it rains, any RV will be tight. And with today's modern weight distribution and equalizer, the TTs are very easy to tow. Things we had to buy when we got there include, ceramic heater (thanks cold), sweatpants, and propane every 10 days. We looked at 5th wheels, and decided that we did not want to compromise our truck space. If you do more than snowbird, such as cross-country travel, I would not go bigger than a 30.
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Sea Dog
Ontario Can.
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Fizz wrote:Juggler wrote: We like the rear living room style with the single big slide over the axles for the sofa and dining room table.
Just a note of caution here.
I'm not a big fan of large living room windows that look out the back. You see these mostly on 5th wheels. The problem is you are often parked back to back in these large Snowbird parks, all you see is the other guys large window.
To each his own!
This is the view from inside our fiver on our leased lot in Florida!
Edited to reduce photo size.
* This post was
edited 07/29/10 08:10pm by an administrator/moderator *
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