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Old 06-09-2010, 04:49 PM   #1
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thinking about rving and need the pros and con

Hi there:

husb. and I are thinking of selling our home and buying rv. We have never been rv'rs but love the idea of seeing the US. right now the thought of just downsizing to a smaller home...just seems boring. we dont want to be stuck just in a house. (for right now that it ...maybe when alot older).
so i was wondering just what the pros and cons of rving and having that rv as your home is like.

thank you
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Old 06-09-2010, 05:23 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lucyloo View Post
Hi there:

husb. and I are thinking of selling our home and buying rv. We have never been rv'rs but love the idea of seeing the US. right now the thought of just downsizing to a smaller home...just seems boring. we dont want to be stuck just in a house. (for right now that it ...maybe when alot older).
so i was wondering just what the pros and cons of rving and having that rv as your home is like.

thank you
Wow. Have you ever used a RV? I'd suggest renting a class C motorhome for a couple weeks before you make a decision. My wife and I took 7 years of planning to get to where we are today, 7 weeks away from full timing in our coach. I would suggest reading some books about RVing and try to learn as much as possible about driving, maintaining, setting up camp, on board systems and full timing. Talk to others who are doing this by visiting RV camp grounds, most of us are pretty friendly about talking about our life style.
Now to get to your question and I'm sure others will chime in as well, the pros and cons. Generally you can live cheaper while RVing than living in a sticks and bricks. But if you end up going out for every meal and paying for entertainment every day your cost of living will tilt in the other direction. Freedom is our number one PRO. Being able to pick up and move to someplace new by plan or a whim. You think you would be "down sizing"? Our living room is right outside our coach door and it goes to the horizon. Another PRO is learning how to live with less. Another is meeting more new people. RVrs we have met so far are some of the friendliest you can find, sure there are a few old grouches, but we just ignor them.
CONs? There's a lot to learn about operating and maintaining. Having problems on the road, get the right roadside assistance. Health insurance. Im sure there will be others that will tell you more.
Good luck.
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Old 06-09-2010, 05:41 PM   #3
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Hi lucyloo,
Welcome to iRV2. In addition to what Vegasdan posted, this is a way of life. If the way of life agrees with you the cons will never amount to much. If it doesn't, the cons will become overwhelming. Not knowing your age, health, likes and dislikes it is difficult to get an in site as to the best way for you to experience the lifestyle.

My initial suggestion is to pick a place within a several of hundred miles from where you live. The place should have many tourist things to do. Examples might be Myrtle Beach, SC for the east coast. Branson, MO for the central USA, etc. Rent a coach for a month. Go there and camp. Rent a car to drive to the activities that interest you. After a month, you'll know if you can live with each other in less than 400 sq feet.

We are here for you. Post often with your questions.
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Old 06-09-2010, 06:41 PM   #4
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Go For It...

Does not matter your age. Go for it
.
Keep in mind that tomorrow as you are about to turn left at the light two blocks from your stick and brick some FOOL that is following his dream driving a 40 foot RV (which he bought just last week) comes thru the light and T'Bones you.

You are gone, Your dreams of seeing our great nation ( while it lasts) are gone.

Go get the BIGGEST RV that you can NOT afford and just DO IT.

Have fun, take a driving course and join us on the quest to lower your blood pressure and see America.
P.S. Join Passport America and save a bunch.
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Old 06-09-2010, 07:14 PM   #5
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Quote:
Keep in mind that tomorrow as you are about to turn left at the light two blocks from your stick and brick some FOOL that is following his dream driving a 40 foot RV (which he bought just last week) comes thru the light and T'Bones you.
I believe this would be a con.
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Old 06-09-2010, 07:24 PM   #6
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Hi Linda and welcome to iRV2.

We started camping in a 9x9 tent and worked our way up to a class a motorhome.

Short and sweet. If you've never done it don't sell the stick house until you think you can love rving and the only way you will know is by experience.
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Old 06-09-2010, 07:28 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WeBeGone2 View Post
Does not matter your age. Go for it
.
Keep in mind that tomorrow as you are about to turn left at the light two blocks from your stick and brick some FOOL that is following his dream driving a 40 foot RV (which he bought just last week) comes thru the light and T'Bones you.

You are gone, Your dreams of seeing our great nation ( while it lasts) are gone.

Go get the BIGGEST RV that you can NOT afford and just DO IT.

Have fun, take a driving course and join us on the quest to lower your blood pressure and see America.
P.S. Join Passport America and save a bunch.
I'm not sure of the logic behind this post.
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Old 06-09-2010, 07:59 PM   #8
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Welcome lucyloo to irv2.
Here is a link to our Full Timers forum that you may find interesting covers just about every question you may have.
I would say go for it and enjoy do not get to overwhelmed things will fall in place.
Renting a Class "C" or small "A" and just go camp some where close to home or just live in it on your driveway for a few days maybe fun.

Now if you decide its for you here is some LINKS that will give you an idea of what you need to know before planking down all that hard earned cash.
Like I have said take it slow and don't get overwhelmed things will fall in place above all enjoy the experience.
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Old 06-09-2010, 08:04 PM   #9
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As suggested, rent a class C or small A and try it to see if you could stand ebing that close for extended periods of time. Next visit lots of RV dealers and see what you like and do not like. Take your time and do not get "love at first site" bit and let the salesman sucker punch you.

And for a first RV, I'd buy used and look for a 3 to 5 year old unit that is a bit higher end than a new unit.

Ken
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Old 06-09-2010, 08:57 PM   #10
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As has been wisely said - rent one a few times for a trial - if YOU can't sell YOURSELF on the lifestyle from actual use, the worse thing anyone here could possibly do is to try to "sell" you on the idea - could easily be the bigge$t and mo$t expen$ive mi$take of your life!
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Old 06-10-2010, 04:47 PM   #11
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do you have a friend with an RV?

It sounds to me that you have never been in an RV. Do you have a friend with an RV?

If you do ... I suggest you contact them and ask if you can visit them in their rig ... you actually have two choices for full timing ... a motorhome or a 5th wheel (maybe a travel trailer) ... if possible you should visit friends in each of these rigs ...

There are advantages / disadvantages with both rigs depending on how often you move your RV.

If you live near a campground (or when on a weekend drive) stop by a campground and chat with folks in various types of RVs. You will see a wide variety of rigs ... some smaller units that are generally used by families for weekends ... to larger units where people full time ... knock on doors ... ask questions ... I don't think anyone will chase you away ..



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Old 06-10-2010, 05:33 PM   #12
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I wanted to RV and I had no idea if my little Princess would like it at all (not a real bug fan to start) so we rented a Class A RV for a long weekend. Well, I dang near couldn't get her out when the weekend was over. We then rented 2 more RV's (another Class A and a Class C), took a couple more trips, thought about the good and bad of each type and made a choice. We knew we wanted a Class A but the choices are endless. After you rent a couple and take a couple of trips you should see if you can find a large RV show with multiple RV manufacturers represented. DO YOUR HOMEWORK and find an RV with a floor-plan that makes sense for your lifestyle and meets your needs. We turned from part timers into full-timers in 1997 (not the original plan) and we have never been happier!
Talk to everyone you can. Visit every RV dealer you can find. Talk to your spouse and listen to what you spouse says. Be sure that the reverse is true as well. Sometimes you may hit an impasse, a real deal breaker. Do not blow this off as it could make your future RVing life miserable. There are sometimes certain things that are simply non-negotiable. If you happen to run into one of these issues, be sure that it is resolved before going forward.
Oh, by the way, ALL RV DEALERS WILL LIE TO YOU! If they say the RV comes with heated floors, be sure they demonstrate the feature before you buy. Ensure you do this with every single feature and/or option BEFORE you sign anything so you do not have any remorse after the sale.
I hope you do make the choice of becoming an RVer as I think most RVers have a great life. There is so much to see and do here in the US that I sometimes regret having taken so many oversees vacations when I could have been discovering the beauty that is found right here under our noses!
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Old 06-11-2010, 09:01 AM   #13
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Sone real good advice from Bill.

The number one rule of RV shopping is:

1. RV sales people seldom tell you the truth. So educate yourself and forget what the dealer tells you.

2. You can always tell when an RV sales person is lying...his lips will move.

Ken
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Old 06-11-2010, 09:40 AM   #14
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No matter what you decide, just remember to take your time, relax and be careful. It's a wonderful experience for many.
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