Length Consideration

[bruceisla]

All good advice. As mentioned above, keep in mind the number and location of slides .... sometimes width can be more of an issue than length. When looking at RVs, make sure you also look at livability with the slides NOT extended. Usually not an issue at private campgrounds but some State/County/National Parks can be pretty tight ... you may not be able to extend 1 or more slides or only on 1 side.

[ChileRick]

Originally Posted by NWLanding

Great replies! Thanks to everyone's thoughtful contributions. I think we're going to enjoy this forum and the community that participates.

Fortunately we have about 6 years to go before we embark on the next chapter in our lives. As an analyst, I'm used to patiently plodding along and looking at things from multiple angles. So I'm confident that we'll make a god decision and I'm sure that there will be twists and turns along the way...........

We're going to do some rental trips between now and the time we buy to help us refine our understanding. It's been 32 years since I've done any RVing and that was a trip down the Baja Penninsula to La Paz. That was great fun and I'm looking forward to all the experiences, good and bad that will come along.

Thanks! I'm sure you'll continue to hear from us!

We looked and researched for 2 years and as a retired process designer the DW looked at this thing from what I thought was every angle and we still actually use our coach differently than we thought. "User testing" is a very important step in any decision making process. Glad to see that you will rent for a couple trips. Be sure your rental trips are the types of trips you will do in your own rig, especially the length of time and location, boon docking and all hooked up and the type of rig you're considering.

[PyrateSilly]

Length has not been that important while traveling around. What seems to be more of a problem has been width and usually that's in older campgrounds or those with lots of trees.
Go to every dealer and go into every RV that you want. Pretend to "live" there with the slides (if there are any) in AND out. Really check out the storage in them and imagine all the stuff you want to take with you in them. Both of you get in and out of the bed, "watch" TV, cook, eat dinner. Look at how much room there is to stand in the aisle. Some of them even one person would have a hard time standing without being sideways and walking that way down the aisle of the coach. Find the floor plan that you both could live in and with.

[MandG-Fun]

Originally Posted by Mr_D

What two day "cooling off rule" are you talking about?

The one that hopefully prevents you from buying a big mistake because you were blinded by the bright and shiny new toy that some sales guy is telling you won't be here tomorrow if you don't fork over your cash right now.

[NWLanding]

Originally Posted by CampDaven

We are F/T in a 33.
Fits everywhere we have been.
Others would feel confined in it, but what we aint got we dont need.
Happy trails!

I agree! I'm looking forward to downsizing and simplifying. I think I'll be quoting you about: 'what we aint got we dont need.'

Thanks

[NWLanding]

Originally Posted by Excell

Friends of mine lived in a 33 ft full time for 6 years .So it can be done .

When I think about some of the places I lived in my 20s I think 33' seems expansive!

[NWLanding]

Originally Posted by ChileRick

We've found great places just outside of every park we've visited that provide the hook-ups we need and interestingly enough, length is not an issue.

Thanks. We're planning on a toad so that would be a good strategy.

[NWLanding]

Originally Posted by H. Miller

especially Corp. of Eng.) parks.
We're at 40' and never had a problem with length. Can't even imagine full timing in less than 30'

Corp parks weren't on my radar thanks for the tip. We're increasingly drawn to the 33-34' size so, even though on the low side, it sounds like it's doable.

[NWLanding]

Originally Posted by SkipRD

"Get the smallest boat you can be comfortable in for the longest time you expect to be aboard."
Skip

LOL! I've read too that the longer you plan on staying at one place the longer the motor home should be.

Originally Posted by SkipRD

So, it seems like the comfort value goes up as size increases, and you'll need to get above a threshold value for your lifestyle. The campsite availability value goes down as the size increases, and you'll need to stay above the minimum level for your traveling preferences. Hopefully, there's a range of sizes that meet both constraints. We struck an acceptable tradeoff at 30'. Your range of 27' to 33' would be about the same range I'd come up with for our comfort/traveling priorities.

Well put. Thanks for validating our thoughts. We won't have a lot of space hogging toys and we're not clothes hounds so I think we should be pretty comfortable ~ 33'

Originally Posted by SkipRD

Good luck.

Full-timing would be wonderful. I envy you!
Skip

We're getting quite excited about the apparent opportunities available through full-timing, although admittedly we are in our infancy of learning. But it's as much about the process as the destination right? After 40 years in the salt mines I'm psyched about this next chapter!

[NWLanding]

Originally Posted by MandG-Fun

make a list of the things that are important and the way that you will use the coach... then rank the list. You need to consider a lot more than just the length.

This doesn't exclude us from many parks, but it also gives the amenities and mechanical systems that we wanted. A few items on our list included as large of a diesel that we could get since we are frequently pulling a Jeep over 10,000' mountain passes. We were also partial to Cummins over CAT engines. We were lucky to find a 34 with a Cummins 350. We also really liked the idea of AquaHot heat/hot water. We took out time and the perfect coach found us last November.

Don't rush the process, we spent 1 year researching and thinking it over. Don't buy emotionally, if you see something that grabs your eye, get all the info and go home to talk it out in detail and use the 2 day cooling off rule before making a decision. Research, research and more research. There is no end to the learning process.

Have fun! If you're not havin' fun you're doin' it wrong.

Thanks MandG, great comments and considerations. Can you elaborate on the benefits of a diesel over gas?

Marc

[NWLanding]

Originally Posted by bruceisla

All good advice. As mentioned above, keep in mind the number and location of slides .... sometimes width can be more of an issue than length. When looking at RVs, make sure you also look at livability with the slides NOT extended. Usually not an issue at private campgrounds but some State/County/National Parks can be pretty tight ... you may not be able to extend 1 or more slides or only on 1 side.

We've been trying to envision the effects of retracted slides. We're going to start pocketing a tape measure on our trips to dealers and getting a better idea of what the remaining space will be. I've also printed off floor plans and scale off the slide and sketched the closed foot print. A few seem tight but for a night or too survivable.

Good stuff, thanks bruceisla

[NWLanding]

One model we're currently attracted too is the Winnebago/Itasca 33C, configured with the buffet console with a power-lift TV, extensible table and chairs, and Rest Easy sofa. The galley seems to have an adequate amount of counter space , drawers, pantry storage and 4-door fridge. Anyone have this model and/or willing to comment on it? One downside that concerns me is the seemingly limited basement storage.

[CampDaven]

Originally Posted by NWLanding

I agree! I'm looking forward to downsizing and simplifying. I think I'll be quoting you about: 'what we aint got we dont need.'

Thanks

Cool. thanks! I'm proud of that one.
Some more:
Not paint brush nor snow shovel will ever touch my hands again.
Never cold, never hot, and truely happy with what we got.

The Journey is Our Destination!

We started with a pup tent 45 years ago. On a dark night, it is blacker than the inside of a cow inside one of those!

We know how to go "minimal", and to improvise. Our rig is nicely equiped, but others have gizmos and gadgets that would make a very long list of what we aint got.

Happy trails!

[flaggship1]

I still say ya need rope lights.