Newbie from Northern Virginia

[WanderingKat]

Greetings to all,

I have lurked on this forum for a couple of months now. Having found great advice, solid information and nice people, I decided it was time to join.

At the moment, the only camping gear I have is for tent camping by either car or backpack. Many years ago, my (late) husband and I had an old TT and had great fun fixing it up including a rotted out floor. We never figured out exactly what the model was aside from what was listed on the title. Once it was fixed up, we pulled it around a number places in Michigan (born and bred there; still miss it). I gave up the trailer when I moved to Virginia (had to get a job somewhere) and went back to tent camping with my son with friends and eventually in Boy Scouts (yes, I was an assistant scoutmaster; what blast!).

Now that I have grandchildren (3 girls), I'd love to introduce them to camping; DIL doesn't--period so a MH would be a nice way to have time with them and introduce them to the wild outdoors. Also, I can bring along my two kitties when I want to visit family back in MI or friends sprinkled around the US. The cats have flown before so it's not them but flying is not a nice adventure anymore. Other things I want to do with a MH is go to sewing seminars in other states, go to rallies to make new friends, or just run away from home for a change of pace. I've even thought about camping near work at a campground that's about 4 miles away just to avoid the commute sometimes like when there's major holiday traffic or some nasty storm coming to mess up the roads.

Hmm.. seems I have a lot of reasons for my wanderlust. Could be in my genes--my parents had a TT after most of us kids were grown.

[Steve N Sal]

Glad you decided to join us. As you have already found out there is plenty of great information to be had here. The folks are just great. Hope you enjoy your camping travels and good luck looking for that perfect motorhome. Take your time and find the one that works best for you. Floor plan is the most important thing to take into consideration. There are plenty out there for sale so take your time. Well, be safe and Happy Motoring!!!

[bsirby]

Hello and Welcome! I hope you can find the right MH for you. Our dog and cat love to travel and it is so nice to have them along without any hassle or extra expense. And the Grandchildren......They love our house on wheels and love to go with us. We tent camped when our kids were young and they have fond memories. Now we are making memories with the Grandkids. Good luck with your search and don't be afraid to ask questions, before and after you buy. Happy Tavels.

[ghoststories]

Hello and welcome to the forum....

[John H...]

Welcome to the forum...

[Travaleen]

I too just joined and I am not as far as you are. I am in Hawaii waiting for the time to pass when I can return to the mainland and buy my truck and fifth wheel. Thank goodness, I am all ready retired and that part of the wait is over. Hope I will see you on the road when I get everything completed but for now, I need to figure out my own thread because I have some questions for the members here before I take the final plunge.

[WanderingKat]

Steve & Sal,

Thanks for the welcome. It's nice to see someone from "back home". I grew up in Port Huron and lived some early adult years around Ann Arbor (where my son was born). I moved here to Northern Virginia in the early 80s when the MI economy tanked badly.

I see you are Newmar fans so I may ply you with questions since this is on my short list albeit a few years past new.

[WanderingKat]

Brenda and Frank,

Hey, we are practically neighbors statewise! Thanks for the lovely welcome and I see you too have a guard cat. Kootie, who is my guard cat, can sneak up even though she has a jingle bell on her harness. I'm looking forward to spending time camping with the grandkids and really getting to know them. It seems I'm at work or dead tired so often that I don't get to see them even though they are only about 17 miles away.

I see that you are Monaco owners so I may ask a few questions of you when I get a bit more focused on what I want. (They all seem so nice!) This manufacturer is on my short list because they build good quality like Tiffin and Newmar.

[WanderingKat]

ghoststories,

Thanks for the very nice welcome from more people from near back home. I wasn't expecting any replies and I already feel like have a whole new family of friends.

I see you have a rescue furry friend. Good for you! Until I got my current two, my kitties were all rescues or what I call over-the-back-fence pets (those from friends) and I was never disappointed. It was the last set of these that led me to find Norwegian Forest Cats and this was because through some online research I found they were part that breed (and their father may well have been the result of a moonlight stroll of a breeder in the neighborhood they came from...sure looked like that bunch).

Your camper's coloring reminds me of a MH that I've given some passing thought of taking on. It's a Safari Zanzibar (2001, I think) that needs a lot of TLC but the price is sure right at $50,000--practically pocket change for a class A rig. I'll start a thread and get some input though.

[WanderingKat]

John H,

I appreciate your welcome and I see that you are a "neighbor" to my north. I noticed that your rig is a Damon product and I have looked at a couple of them because Damon/Thor seems have some interesting takes on a MH. I have looked at a Thor Serrano several times but no test drive yet. The mid-entry door is one nice feature making a nice floor plan (easy to carry stuff like groceries in) as is the fuel-sipping FRED engine. I'd like to hear how you like your rig. Personal experience carries more weight than salesman saying their stuff is great.

[WanderingKat]

Traveleen,

Just keep looking and asking questions and you will find what you want and need. I read a lot online and do many search engine quests with whatever crazy thought is in mind at the time. Sometimes I don't get an answer right away because I haven't posed the right question to the search engine...like what in the world is that spray thing beside some toilets? that I found by accident but just reading all I could on RV systems.

I'm sure I'd just crack up experienced owners with some questions or at least make them quietly wonder but no one gets smarter just sittin' around. I started by first figuring out what I would do in an RV and that turned out to be a longer list than I thought. I keep that list in my computer in case I get the lost feeling because there are so many RV choices out there. It also reminds me why I want a MH versus another type.

The other piece of advice that's been given to me is take your time. It's like buying a house so be sure it fits your lifestyle. I've been looking for a few months now but it takes time to figure out where to go look since there aren't many dealers near me. Ah well, it's all part of the fun of the thing.

[MSHappyCampers]

Hi Sandy, and welcome to IRV2! Happy you decided to join us! Good luck on finding the right MH for your needs! Have fun & God bless!

[bdaball]

Welcome to IRV2. We have all of the answers here! Any subject, any time. We know it all...!!

What do you know about Rt 301 around DC and Balti? Someone has suggested we take that route south this year. Any comments?

[Travaleen]

It saved me from investing in a truck that was a screaming deal. I learned it would not carry the 5th Wheels I am interested in. It paid for it's self within an hour of purchasing. Not selling this company. I bought the e-book and have been reading a lot. Hope this book is right because I am learning quite a bit. Like, the most important quality to look for in a MH is the frame, drive train, engine, suspension and exterior construction, once you locate companies to deal with, then look at the floor plans. WanderingKat I hope this helps you in your quest for the perfect MH.