Newbie with a lot of learning to do.

[Ted1]

Hi everyone, thank you in advance for taking the time to read my post and for all the help I'm going to receive.
I have never RV'ed in the past but me and the misses are on a 5 year research journey to go on a 10 year adventure as full timers. I am not mechanically inclined and thus whatever we end up getting will have to completely roadworthy and livable for a long time (our budget is between $150k and $200k).
Our plan is to rent an RV next summer for 3 weeks to begin getting the feel of the lifestyle and do that every year till our dream can be realized.
The goal is to see all of North America over ten years and do a lot of golfing and fishing. Our monthly budget will be around $7k a month.
Given the above information, my first question is 5th wheel or motorhome? I see pros and cons for each but do want to make the right choice for someone who can see himself spending a week or two at a place and then moving on to the next location.
The second question is: Are there any books you would recommend my wife read. She prefers to read books than look at a computer screen as she does a lot of screen gazing in her job. (We will both be retired in 5 years).
Again thanks for your help in advance and I look forward to soaking up all your vast knowledge.

[JimnDawn]

Congratulations on your exciting plans! I can't speak to your question about choice of rigs. Renting an RV is a good choice but I've read that the rental units are nothing like what you'll eventually end up with. It should give you some idea about whether or not you would enjoy the RV life. I have, however, spent the last year reading lots of RV blogs & watching YouTube videos about RV maintenance, travel & tips. Pinterest has a wealth of information as well.

There are a lot of people out there who are living your dream & blogging about it. They appreciate comments & are experiencing RV life to the fullest. In no particular order, here are some of the blogs I enjoy & have found helpful:
The Bayfield Bunch
Watsons Wander
WheelingIt
Me, My Dog & My RV
RVSue & her Crew
The Chouters & Scoopy
Travels with Emma
Going RV Way
Just Wanderin'
RV Travels

And a question--have you considered an Airstream? They are gorgeous...

Planning is great fun--enjoy!

Dawn

[Medico]

Welcome and glad to meet you!

[MSHappyCampers]

Hi Ted! Welcome to IRV2! It's great to have you join the gang!

If you're going to do a lot of long-distance traveling I would go with a Class A diesel pusher. One that I like is the 2008 Tiffen Allegro Bus. you can find them around $175,000.

Hope the fulltiming works out good for you!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

[Hudgens]

Welcome to the irv2 gang, Ted! I agree with Dawn...planning, finding the right pieces to your puzzle...all of it can be great fun. If you've ever been to one of the big RV shows like in Hershey, you know how many different approaches to RV there can be. Jump right in and ask questions, search these forums and connect with the folks here.

[beamisl]

Ted,

Enter "used motorhomes" in a search engine and see what is available in the price range you have. Then think about the fact that most here say new or old there will always be repairs. Maybe spend $100k to $125k on a DP (Diesel pusher) and keep rest for repairs or items that you will want.

Floorplan, floorplan, floorplan is the info you will see. If you are putting in a lot of miles definitely a DP or 5th wheel with diesel pick up. That is a personal choice I would think. I am looking for a gas MH because I want to go to a place and park for 1 to 4 months and drive the car around otherwise. If you have a 5th wheel, then you have to drive the truck around. If you don't mind that, then it is ok.

Lot of info here though. Go to a few RV shows and look, look, look. Walk through and see what you want and need and absolutely have to have. Will kind of make the decision for you I think.

Good luck and welcome to the forum, Lynne

[Chiefbvfd]

Welcome aboard and good luck....

[JohnRR]

Good luck with your plans and choices.

[homeless]

dhowdy

[easywind]

Welcome, with over 20 years of RVing I have changed rigs almost 10 times. Shop carefully, expect the unexpected and try to buy something that has taken the depreciation hit already.

[Ted1]

It is a really confusing world out there and I know I have a lot to learn.
I agree with those that say "buy a unit that has a lot of the depreciation factor taken out". So far (and this is still really early in my research phase), I'm leaning towards either an American Coach or Tiffin Phaeton if it's a motorhome or a New Horizon 5th wheel pulled by a RV hauler. All of these option cost a lot of money but I figure I have 5 years to win the lottery.

[pasdad1]

Here is a book for your wife....

[Full.Monte]

5th Wheel or Motor Home? That could start an argument around here.
One thing I read once is that when you are towing a trailer, the vacation starts when you get to your destination. When you drive a motor home, the vacation starts when you leave your driveway. We enjoy the better visibility of being in a Class A. We are up higher than the traffic and can see more.
Disadvantage is you need a toad. Once I park my MH, I don't want to move it to go sightseeing. Another thing to consider is breakdowns. When you have one vehicle with an engine, a breakdown means a tow. With a MH and a toad, you can park the MH and drive the toad to get help if needed.

[Ted1]

Went looking at Class A MH's for the first time a couple of days ago. My first impression is that they are real nice (I looked at the Tiffin Allegro Bus). I liked a number of the features and it is very high end so a half a million dollar price may be appropriate but way out of my budget. How much do these thing depreciate over the first couple of years?