Some people should not RV

[adamfolger]

I am with RVM1 and my other fellow Mutants. WE love this RV life and have no intention of succumbing to the opinions from the naysayers. The whole point of dreaming is reaching for something which may not be attainable. A man knows that he is old when his regrets outnumber his dreams. On my last day I intend to have as few regrets as possible.....All you normal people need to give it a rest....

[Bucky1320]

Originally Posted by stepside454

The same way most drag racers learn how to be drag racers . Your jump in , make mistakes , make friends , learn from them etc

Fortunately that is NOT how most folks get started in drag racing. The two ways most get involved in drag racing are:
1. They have friends or family that introduce them into it. They either grow up around it, or hang out watching or helping.
2. They start in their street car which is very much like, well driving your street car.

I think we can agree that most racers do NOT buy a $80,000 purpose built race car as their first experience to racing, and go to the track and "jump in". This wouldn't be safe for them or anyone else...and it would likely prove to be an economic disaster.

My statement the entire time has been that some people get into this way over their head because they don't consider easing into it, and have had nobody to guide them. Suggesting a test doesn't mean they are forever excluded from RV'ing. It would simply give them an assessment about how prepared they are to "jump in".

I see some folks have even found a way to be offended by my suggestions. No one is suggesting that anyone "succumb to the opinions from the naysayers" and stop rv'ing. Where did that even come from?

[Bucky1320]

How many people become members of sites like this BEFORE buying their first RV?

[adamfolger]

Bucky, my post was not in any way a response to your comments, rather toward the overall theme of the general responses. I find it amazing how many people want to tell others what they should or should not do and then expound at great lengths. There sure seem to be a lot of negative threads lately. Note to self, "Don't bite".

[Bucky1320]

Ok cool. Your screen name caught my eye since we race with a nice fella with the same name.

[MartySQ]

Originally Posted by stepside454

That's what I'm sayin . Criticizing someone for buying an RV they no nothing about is no different .
When I bought our first RV I was clueless . I bought cheap for 2 reasons . I didn't have any money is a pretty good one . Secondly I thought it would be a good idea to learn on an old cheap one first . It worked out pretty well for us .

I agree, and the older ones (like my old Honey) Don't have all the fancy schmancy stuff for me to worry about... no washer, no ice maker, no slides... simple to learn how to level (yes, more time consuming), hookup, and dump. I am no mechanic, and we spent more at the mechanic than we had hoped to... but I plan on enjoying her for quite a few more years. NO plans for fulltiming... only plan to upgrade when Honey wears out or Hubby actually decides he likes it enough to do more camping and wants to get a a bit larger unit... but I want to be able to drive it comfortably, and do all the set up and hookups, etc. myself as far as the camping stuff... Big maintenance goes to hubby or the mechanic. ( I can tighten screws... even been thinking about remodeling the bed/dining table area a bit.)

[CampDaven]

Bravo, Marty!

[UFO Pilot]

Originally Posted by adamfolger

Bucky, my post was not in any way a response to your comments, rather toward the overall theme of the general responses. I find it amazing how many people want to tell others what they should or should not do and then expound at great lengths. There sure seem to be a lot of negative threads lately. Note to self, "Don't bite".

Could not agree more. I am sure glad we still live in a free country where we can decide what works best for ourselves. I would never tell someone else how to live their lives based on my belief system.

Ditto on the many negative threads and responses lately.

[biker art]

I do believe there are some people that should NOT have an RV. I had a neighbor that bought a 20' trailer and got it home an did a little work on it an took it camping. One day I was outside doing yard work watching him back it up into his driveway. back and forth,back and forth. After an hour io this I had to go over and do it for him. I can back up a trailer or MH into my yard as long as I have a few inches on either side. If he can't do this how in heck is he going to park in a RV park with big expensive motor homes around . Finally he sold it. My first motor home was a 30' class A and we lived in it for a year all the time renting out our house before moving back into it. My second was a $250 vintage 13' trailer I rebuilt ans sold for $4000. Now I'm working on a class B vintage 77 Dodge. We will keep for a while and then sell it along with my Fore f150 and move up to a newer class B. Boats, the best time is buying and selling. Been there done that.

[PatStab]

I'm the oddball out. I am the wife that likes RVing, mainly it was an enjoyable way to take DD and roam around the country. Not as often as I wanted but ok. I had 2 before this old one, one of them being a 2006 Sightseer but couldn't keep it from getting blown off the road by wind and semis. My husband did everything to it trying to make it more stable, just couldn't and I was about to give up. He found our old Eagle which he has been working off and on ever since. LOL!

He worked overseas for 15 years so was home only every 8 weeks, here 3 then gone again. Think he had enough traveling. He had worked away from home over 25 years total I guess so traveling really isn't his thing. He will go some and thankfully doesn't care if DD and I go. He actually enjoys working on the thing which I find odd. He enjoys that more then the going. He also keeps one because our DD enjoys it so. She is mentally challenged and we want her to have all the enjoyment she can while we are still able to do so.

So it got to where it was using to much oil, ran fine, no issue but there would have been and maybe when I was in the middle of Arizona or someplace so it was fix it or buy another. Almost did last year till we found the guy told us the wrong mileage. We don't really think he intended to lie, we think he was elderly and just couldn't remember and had issues. But I was there with check in hand and DH got concerned about what else was wrong and he had not maintained so we didn't buy it. We kept looking but for a high end one it was at least $80k to $100k and was still old we worried that we could pay that much and end up with the same issues, so decided to keep what we had and knew what we had.

Now I enjoy it a lot but would not give up our home to fulltime, even one with slides and bigger just would not find enjoyable all the time. It is a hobby, it is expensive, there is no payback from it other then the fun we have. Perhaps foolish, but I've never really been foolish with money before so this is my guilty pleasure. Yes, we can afford it and yes we could afford newer, but I think this is the wisest choice for us being my age and how many more years I can drive it. But I sure get that twinkle in my eye when I see these bigger newer ones and sure would like one if I were younger. But its ok and I'm just happy to still be healthy enough to do what I enjoy for as long as I can and DD still loves it too.

[PatStab]

And I forgot to add, this way we can also take my old 20 year old cat with us, she nestles by the diesel engine, why I don't know and off we go. Couldn't do that in a car or TT very well. Can't leave my old baby.

[tcg]

Originally Posted by biker art

I do believe there are some people that should NOT have an RV. I had a neighbor that bought a 20' trailer and got it home an did a little work on it an took it camping. One day I was outside doing yard work watching him back it up into his driveway. back and forth,back and forth. After an hour io this I had to go over and do it for him. I can back up a trailer or MH into my yard as long as I have a few inches on either side. If he can't do this how in heck is he going to park in a RV park with big expensive motor homes around . Finally he sold it. My first motor home was a 30' class A and we lived in it for a year all the time renting out our house before moving back into it. My second was a $250 vintage 13' trailer I rebuilt ans sold for $4000. Now I'm working on a class B vintage 77 Dodge. We will keep for a while and then sell it along with my Fore f150 and move up to a newer class B. Boats, the best time is buying and selling. Been there done that.

Were you born with that ability or did you practice or maybe someone taught you?

When I first got my boat on a tandem axle trailer I couldn't back it down the ramp(or anywhere else), it took lots of practice to get me where i am now, being able to backup anywhere.

Everyone starts somewhere, give the new guy a break.

[Pigman1]

I'd give the new guy a break if he shows the slightest inclination to help himself. However, I've met too many who revel in their ignorance and stand there complaining and wringing their hands instead if taking it to a parking lot to practice, or asking someone to TEACH THEM, NOT DO IT FOR THEM. Some people should not own an RV.

[lakewoodpaul]

Originally Posted by okmunky

Life is a series of adventures, both good and bad. Personally I think it's how you approach each of those adventures that determines which column they will fall into.

I jumped right into the RVing deep end 5.5 years ago. Sure there have been speed bumps along the way, but I consider them as mole hills and not mountains. The wonderful people I've met and the marvelous experiences I've had would have been impossible without my "money pit".

It's all about your attitude.

X2!