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Old 08-01-2006, 04:11 PM   #1
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Hi all,
my wife and I are finally reaching retirement.After 33 years in a tent we are seriously looking at buying an rv.
We love to travel and see the sightsand for a while would expect to be on the road a lot with short stops.Latter, who knows when, we hope to put in more time doing extended stays in fewer places.
We are struggling with size. We really like the 22 footers such as the Forest River "Lexington" or Coachmen "Concord" as well as the Coachmen "Freelander".On the other hand the 26 footer Lexington seems to be more reasonabl for the multi use we are looking for.
I do not want to pull a car .
Is anyone familiar with these models and have a comment on how to get the frist vehicle size right?
Don
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Old 08-01-2006, 04:11 PM   #2
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Hi all,
my wife and I are finally reaching retirement.After 33 years in a tent we are seriously looking at buying an rv.
We love to travel and see the sightsand for a while would expect to be on the road a lot with short stops.Latter, who knows when, we hope to put in more time doing extended stays in fewer places.
We are struggling with size. We really like the 22 footers such as the Forest River "Lexington" or Coachmen "Concord" as well as the Coachmen "Freelander".On the other hand the 26 footer Lexington seems to be more reasonabl for the multi use we are looking for.
I do not want to pull a car .
Is anyone familiar with these models and have a comment on how to get the frist vehicle size right?
Don
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Old 08-01-2006, 04:22 PM   #3
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Cavareno

One thing to keep in mind is what are you towning with. This will make a big difference. Towing a trailer that weighs the limit of your tow vehicle's capacity is not the best thing to do. You need a little weight room between your trailer and allowed towing capacity. Also, I hope you get a trailer with a slide. This makes a big difference. Get one that will allow you to get to the bath room while on the side of the road. One that doesn't require you to put the slide out to get to the bath room. Welcome to the retiree club. Its great. You'll have to find a way to find the extra time to do all the stuff you think you'll have time to do. LOL s/Toby
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Old 08-01-2006, 05:11 PM   #4
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cavareno, WELCOME to iRV2!!

Looks like you'll be joining the ownership ranks here shortly and it also appears you're on your way to getting your questions answered...

Keep us informed of your progress and good luck with your search!!
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Old 08-01-2006, 11:19 PM   #5
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Cavareno, welcome to iRV2.com. We are glad to have you join us here and we look forward to reading of your adventures and experiences. I am sure you will enjoy the forum. You will find we are a group of fun loving RVers that like to help each other where we can. Any questions you have, just ask. Take care and stay safe.
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Old 08-02-2006, 12:49 AM   #6
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">One thing to keep in mind is what are you towning with. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


Toby...
He isn't talking about towing a trailer - the Lexington & Concord are small motorhomes.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> ...have a comment on how to get the frist vehicle size right? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Caverno,
Get the larger one. Nobody ever buys one large enough the first time. Or sometimes even the 2nd time! Seriously, they always look huge when you are shopping, but after spending a few weeks at a time in the rig the walls shrink. Especially if the weather gets crappy and you aren't outdoors as much. And it costs and arm and aleg to trade up a late model rig - the depreciation is horrendous!! Better to buy some extra space right up front.
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Old 08-02-2006, 01:01 AM   #7
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I would get the bigger one also.Its amazing how much a MH shrinks after the first week of ownership. A good friend of mine bought a BTcruizer and was out of it after the first year into a class A. Try and rent something close to the one you want to buy.3 days should be enough time to know if will work for you. Good Luck and welcome to the site.
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Old 08-02-2006, 03:03 AM   #8
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cavareno,
There is no absolute right answer, the responses so far all touch on important items. I recently went through the process you are experiencing now and bought a 26 Winnebago Aspect. I too looked at Coachmen and Levington among others. I found the 26 ft Aspect to be the right solution for my needs. I am a single traveler; however, for a couple the corner bed could be problemmatic(entry and exit for inside person).
Even though you do not think of towing a 'toad',you may change your mind in the future. Mose of this class rig have the capacity to tow a dingy, this should not be a problem in the future. Consider having leveling jacks installed, they are a great addition while setting up at a variety of sites. Slides add a tremendous amount of living space and enjoyment to your camping experience.
Good luck and good camping, iRV2 is a great group and look forward to meeting you at a rally.
Solebury Tom
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Old 08-02-2006, 06:13 AM   #9
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Welcom to iRV2 Forum ! I agree with Frankie, Rent one close to the size and floor plan you are looking at, After you load all your stuff any MH gets small, You never figure that you had that much to put into it !!

Good luck , Earl
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Old 08-02-2006, 06:33 AM   #10
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Go bigger than you think you will ever need, it won't feel too crowded so fast. Look for storage space and enough carrying capacity to be able to use the space.

Glenn
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Old 08-02-2006, 07:25 AM   #11
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I too would say get as big as you feel you can be comfortable with. It costs a lot of money every time you trade up.(we know)

Remember no matter how big the rig, there is an old saying "It drinks 6, eats 4, sleeps 2"

Enjoy the RV lifestyle.
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Old 08-02-2006, 08:24 AM   #12
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thanks everybody, you are right about how big they look when you walk onto a lot and do not own one and also about how much "stuff' we seem to think we need when traviling.
We have just started our first serious search. we liked the fell and layout of the lexington 26 footer but did have the Wini aspect on our list to look at.
is there a significant advantage of a diesel over a gas engine in over all performance? and is it worth the extra money?
I also see ni my notes from the last RV show we went to that I wanted to check out the BT Cruiser.Did someone say they had one ?how was it?
also does anyone have any experience with a Winnebago View?
Don
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Old 08-02-2006, 06:31 PM   #13
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A diesel will deliver more power when you really need it (e.g. hill climbs) and better fuel economy in just about all sitiuations. Not enough better to pay for the price difference, but it helps. Downside in a front engine motorhome is additional noise in the driving area.
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Old 08-03-2006, 04:31 AM   #14
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Cavareno,

Welcome to IRV2!

The folks here are friendly and helpful. This is a great place for asking questions and getting assistance with RV research.

All of the answers you have received so far have been on the money. I am not familiar with the particular brand MHs you are researching but I am familiar with the size issues as mentioned by others, so I will comment on size.

I started out with a sleeping bag and a back pack. After a vehicle accident I had trouble with the back pack and sleeping on the ground.

I upgraded to an air mattress and the back of a pick-up.

Years later I upgraded to a tent trailer. (Kids).

Then years later I upgraded to a 26' fifth wheel (one slide). Within three years of buying the 26' fifth wheel I purchased a 31' fifth wheel (2 slides). After owning the 31' fifth wheel for 4 years, this year we upgraded to a 34' MH (kids gone / retirement approaching).

My point being that the vast majority of folks seem to start out small and invariably upgrade one or more times, for various reasons. Very few downgrade in size or amenities.

I highly recommend, as others have suggested, that you research your options and rent one or more units for more then a weekend to get a feel for size, floor plans, and amenities. You will make your purchase with alot more confidence and avoid the coulda, shoulda, woulda, down the road.

You are off to a great start by stopping by here and asking for opinions and answers!

Good luck in your search and enjoy your purchase.

Edit:

Re. The diesel...financial reasons for a diesel have diminished considerably with the increase in fuel cost. However, reliability, power, economy, and longevity are still excellent reasons to opt for a diesel engine.
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