Decisions

[road__king]

This will be long sorry...lol
My wife and I are getting close to retirement. We debate the Class A/C or TT everyday.
The main point is to be mobil and travel travel the country. My worries about class A or C is maintenance costs. If we go that route we will pull a trailer with my HD in it or a small car. We can stay in truck stops, walmart, rest areas etc,.

Concerns about a TT ...
Getting a truck to pull one.
No generator???? I think not sure on that.
I have never pulled anything ever!

Just looking for different points of view.
Thanks

[PAtrailtrim]

I too am getting ready to retire and did the A/B/C or TT dance. After weighing everything and looking at enough units I could have started selling them, I went with a small A.

Right ratio of convenience and space in a drivable unit. I do tow a small car behind. Each time I drive it things become more natural. Even the first trip from the dealer was not hard, but I was very cautious none the less.

[MSHappyCampers]

Hi ! Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!

We pulled a 5er for 10 years before getting the MH. It was great back then when we were still working and taking weekend and occasional 2-week trips.
After we retired and wanted to travel around the country we quickly decided that a MH was the way to go. Hope you find the perfect rig for your needs.

Noticed you are kinda new on IRV2 and wanted to say hello! Have fun and keep her between the ditches!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

[twogypsies]

We've had tents, travel trailers, 5th wheel, Class C and Class A.

The Class A won for ease in setting up, driving, handling and living.

[Isaac-1]

Motorhomes win hands down on convenience, particularly class A's with leveling jacks, though upkeep on them may be more difficult than maintaining a pickup truck and a travel trailer.


Let me give you a couple of examples from my own experience where a motorhome wins out over a towable hands down.


1, Being stuck in a stand still traffic jam on I-10 outside Tallahassee (thanks to someone flipping a travel trailer and blocking all west bound lanes for almost 4 hours). With the motorhome I was able to crank up the generator, run the roof air conditioner, cook lunch in the microwave, tune the TV into the local news to see what the mess was up ahead, all while being able to be back in the drivers seat and moving on 10 seconds worth of notice. It can also be very handy when pulling off in rest areas, gas stations, etc. having immediate access to the kitchen and bathroom.


2, They are quicker to set up camp, pull into a campground RV site, lower the leveling jacks and connect the power, for overnight stops I will rarely even bother connecting water or sewer thanks to amp water tankage (80 gal fresh, 40 black, 40 gray in my case). This is particularly handy when dealing with bad weather, such as we experienced on our way home on a trip last summer, we were 75 miles from home, when a nasty looking thunderstorm started rolling in, so we decided to stop for the night at an RV park a few miles ahead and drive on in the next morning. We pulled into the RV park just before the storm hit, the wind was blowing and the first big rain drops were peppering down as we pulled into the site. Being in a class A, we simply parked, lowered the leveling jacks and settled in until the rain stopped 2 hours later at which point we went out and plugged in the electric cord.

[followingsea]

It depends on what you are doing.

When the kids were little and a Suburban was a good family car and good for towing, a TT was great.

When retiring without a TV, a used Class A was a great choice. Been full time since. Upgraded to a larger diesel pusher and now have a small TOAD. It is easier to drive and the engine in the rear is not as loud when climbing hills.

If you are part time or plan on taking the grand kids a Class C may be a good choice.

[road__king]

Thanks guys. That is why I joined the forum. Chatting with people who have been there done that.
We think we want to see the country. The ease of the MH appeals to me.
Do any of you use trucks stops while you are traveling?

[puttin]

I agree with Isaac-1. In addition, we have no toad- we rent a car when we get to our destination. This may not work for you but it saves us $$.

[BZTS561]

Lots of pros and cons to consider, regardless of the type of RV you choose. For the two of us it was Class A, mostly because of the self contained aspect and the ease I found of driving one. Having put 25,000 miles on over the last two and a half years of full-timing, I feel I made the right choice for us.

We tow a car, which we have put roughly 35,000 miles on during the same time, so it was worth hauling one along. We have found a park between two places we want to see is more convenient than multiple moves in the motorhome. Often more cost effective too.

As for truck stops, not unless absolutely necessary. With a Passport America membership, and some planning to travel to hot spots in the saddle seasons, we have managed to find a great selection of RV parks for $15 to 17 a night. I'll take the comfort of hook ups at that price.

Enjoy your planning and safe travels when you get on the road .

[Maynard78]

We have done the tent , pop up and TT route. Bought our used 2003 coachman mirada this year. We are still a handful of years from retirement and full timing it. Hitting the road for the first time this weekend. I say go with what you can be comfortable in. Our MH is small enough for us and a dog, but big enough to have family along if we wish.

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by road__king

We think we want to see the country. The ease of the MH appeals to me.
Do any of you use trucks stops while you are traveling?

If you want to see this gorgeous country then you'll need to get off the interstates and drive the secondary roads. There are plenty of ways to cut your camping costs without having to stay at truck stops or WalMarts.

Also, if you want to do intensive siteseeing, towing a car behind the motorhome will make it a lot more enjoyable. You can drive gravel roads that will take you to awesome places. You'll be able to park easier in towns or exploring national parks.

[Isaac-1]

I have spent 1 night at a Flying J truck stop since buying my current coach, and it was by far the most miserable night I have spent in an RV, well maybe other that 13 degree F night in a camper van with no heat 25 years ago.

[timjet]

Originally Posted by road__king

Thanks guys. That is why I joined the forum. Chatting with people who have been there done that.
We think we want to see the country. The ease of the MH appeals to me.
Do any of you use trucks stops while you are traveling?

Isaac pretty much nailed it when it comes to a Class A. It is the most convenient. If that is your main criteria, now you know. But a class A diesel pusher will cost more to purchase and more to maintain. Diesel pushers have more systems to maintain like air suspensions & brakes so more maintenance and diesels just cost more sometime way more to maintain.

A gas Class A is cheaper to maintain and operate but you give up several of the advantages of a diesel, like ride quality, more noise, and generally a diesel has more quality built in from the chassis up.

A bumper pull or 5th wheel does take more time to set up and is not as convenient to use stopped along side of the road, but you pull it with a truck and a well maintained truck is more reliable and cheaper to maintain than a Class A, either gas or diesel.

So it really comes down to what you want and what your budget will allow.

You didn't mention Class C's which are good when having the grand kids because they generally have more beds than A's. But usually less cargo capacity than an A.

In 2 yrs of camping and 8 months on the road I have so far avoided truck stops and parking lots. But I will go 20-30 miles off our route to get a campsite.


We love our diesel pusher, but I did the research before purchase so I knew what to expect.