Am I expecting too much

[abqdan]

Everyone has doubts about large purchases. I wouldn't worry about it - you already paid for it! And I can say, as we shop now to replace our 1994 Fleetwood, that the build quality on new rigs SUCKS. Missing screws, badly fitted trim, rats nest wiring - there seems to be very little pride in the assembly of new units. Older in this case is better!

[airbusdriver]

Not the age of the unit so much as the care it has received. Previous posts are correct. Get those brakes serviced and reseal that roof. Best advice I ever received was when my father said of my first car, " I don't care how fast it goes, show me that it STOPS!!

[bobfrommaine]

I have a 1920 Model-T Ford. Tires are likely NOT original, but I've taken 150 mile trips repeatedly in this car. It's had 2 flat tires, one carb ice-up in roughly 5,000 miles. You've done the right thing. Take what enjoyment you can find in this life. There are certainly risks, but they really do NOT outweigh the pleasure.
I'm 73, started full-timing after selling everything in the spring of '18. It's worth it!
Bob '14 Winnebago 37F Adventurer; Jeep Toad

[GOODFUNGUY]

unless Abraham Lincoln was your Little League Coach go for it. I'm 76, single for 47 years and just up graded from a 27 ft. to a 33 ft. Note. There are more women over 75 then Men. Fund a nice lady and Hit the Road jack.
Rev. Bob

[Lloydrs]

Good advice here from all the others, but my 2 cents is that neither you or the trailer are too old. Go for it! I'm 77 and been a widower for 2 years now, and traveling has sort of brought some fun back into my life. Have fun!

[DocHaley]

make certain your truck is in good shape, maintained and kept up. check the rear differential and it needs to be a high 3.00 or a low 4.00. your mechanic can look at the tag on the differential and tell you exactly which rear end you have. then you just have to be certain the truck is scheduled to tow the weight of your travel trailer plus any additional 'stuff' you might carry. Leaving out water in all 3 tanks when traveling is sometimes helpful.
I travel the entire states of AZ/NM/Texas and have rv-ing spots I use in all three states plus a cabin in Carson National Forest (9000 plus feet elevation). You may have to stay on the flats and avoid the mountain areas if you are on the bubble in terms of ability to safely pull the trailer which reminds me you need a trailer brake.


Go enjoy life. I'm 68, been retired for 15 years and have never regretted it. I enjoy my kids/grand-kids every year and then hunt/fish/golf and just thank the big guy for the chance to enjoy this spinning rock.


Cya
Doc

[Vandave]

Have it gone over for leaks and ensure everything is in working order before you pull out. Make sure the brakes and bearings are up to snuff. Enjoy your time on the road. Talking with an experienced RV traveler before you head out can provide you with lots of good advice.

[AnotherMike]

Originally Posted by r0ckykansas

Thanks to the replies. I am more concerned with the wisdom or lack of in planning a trip with a 20 yr old TT. I plan to travel through New Mexico, Arizona to CA and then who knows.

Suggestion: Do a simple "trip" before you go cross country. Park the TT in your driveway and LIVE IN IT for a week. The idea is to learn how the TT systems work, what you need, what you have and really don't need, etc. Pretend you are a bunch of miles away from home - don't go into your house for a week except for something you forgot to load in it before you "left" - like extra toilet paper. Keep a clipboard handy to take notes about what you forgot, what you might need in the future, etc.

Make your second trip to the nearest RV park for a few days to a week, and use that experience to learn how to back into a campsite parking spot (i.e. don't pay extra for a drive through spot, make it a back-in spot), how to set up your trailer, pack it up, etc. Get to know the folks in the adjacent campsites and ask them "What do you know now that you wish you had known when you made your first few trips?"

There are a number of "newbie" (new to RVing) comment threads on this web site, do a search on them and spend a few evenings reading them. There are a LOT of good suggestions and a lot of good advice and free checklists.

One of those threads suggested to me to save money and:
1) buy a half-case of pint bottled water.
2) buy an assortment of Crystal Light powder flavors. (Much cheaper than Snapple, Gatorade or soda drinks, and better for what teeth us old farts have left)
3) mix up one bottle of each flavor and let it sit overnight (some flavors take a several hours to fully dissolve).
4) the next morning shake each bottle well and then sample the flavors.
5) get a 12 volt RV compressor refrigerator ($100-$120 or so at Target). A friend has two of the ARB brand in his MH, one dialed up to to be a freezer and the other as a fridge... He removed the old propane fridge after it almost caught fire and repurposed the space into a washer-dryer stack.
See

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knqdSWqKCv4

Then load it up with those pint bottles of water/Crystal Light or with just water... and your sandwiches.

You can bungie-cord the little fridge near the drivers seat or move it to the trailer, wherever you are. In either location just connect to an unswitched +12v outlet. I use Anderson Power Pole connectors for all my 12 volt stuff. Beats the cigarette lighter plugs all to heck. The spring center pin unplugs and breaks the connection way too easily.

Mike

[NeilV]

Is that a 26 or a 27 as the book lists slides on the 1998 only available at 27 feet or longer. Around 6,000 lbs with the aluminum frames so it depends on how your 2013 Ram 1500 is set up on whether its up to pulling it safely over the long haul. If yours has the 3.21 rear axle then the Hemi V8 version is the only one that's rated to pull it.

See: https://www.ramtrucks.com/assets/tow...wing.Specs.pdf

Note that we traveled with a couple who had the 4 Door Ram 1500 with the 3.21 axle and the Hemi but although it was rated to pull it the fuel economy dropped to around 4.5 mpg when towing their trailer.

Which version of the 2013 Ram 1500 do you have V6, 4.7 V8, 5.7 V8 Hemi, Standard/Crew/Quad Cab, Size of Truck Bed, Axle Ratio, etc?

On the trailer its tires, wheel bearings, brakes, good loading, the right hitch and brake controller that's usually the most critical. Caulking, window/roof vent seals and mechanisms along with door hardware next. Plumbing and electric depends on how handy you are around the home. For some I understand its a mystery but its really pretty simple stuff for the most part especially on a trailer with no generator, transfer switch, etc.

If you have the owners manual you should be golden otherwise check to see if its available on-line.

[Piros1]

Originally Posted by r0ckykansas

Hello everyone, I am a newbie here and love all I've seen here. OK, so here is my quandary. I am 67 and a widower for 2 years now. My wife never cared for camping but I have always loved it. So being on a fixed SS income I decided that I want to roam the country. I found a 1998 Skyline Nomad 26 ft long with a slide out. It had been purchased and parked since new used sparingly as a cabin. It still has the original tires! which I am replacing. Along with several other items to bring it to like new. I have a 2013 RAM 1500 to pull it. So now I ask myself, did I buy too old a trailer (yes it is heavy) to chase my dream??? I was able to purchase it barely and I can't wait to head out.
Am I beating my self up? Already installed a distribution hitch, sway bar, electric tongue jack, new lights. everything else is like excellent and not a road dent or even wear to the underside.

I haven’t read every post but I want to say welcome to the forum as other have said. A lot of info here and a lot of good folks willing to give you good advice.

I agree with that you are not to old and if this is your dream follow it. As a few have said make sure you have some cash set aside for repairs and the unexpected as they will show up eventually, this happens on new and old rigs alike. It is not discriminatory as it happens to us all no matter what our rig cost or how mage age it has on it.

As it has been said please check your wheel bearings, replace if they show any wear and pack them full of grease. This is something that should be done once a year. If you replace the bearings also replace the race’s as well. Sitting can cause them to rust and pit. If you are not capable of or don’t feel comfortable doing it then have it done.

Also check your brakes as said but if this were my trailer and it has been sitting this long I would replace the brakes and the magnets at a minimum along with the wheel bearings. Sitting is just not good for anything.

Hopefully your rig was under roof all this time while being used as a cabin. Check all your roof vents, AC deal, tank vents, and throughly check your roof for cracks and damage. Check all your window and door seals, clean you refrigerator vent tubes and inspect, inspect your hot water heater and all other appliances. Check your gas valves and all gas connections.

Once you have all the above completed hook up and go enjoy your life. It sounds like you are pretty excited to get out and I’m happy to see you chasing your dreams. Safe travels.

[CIDE]

I’m 72 and drove 38k miles last summer across the USA and Canada, solo. Left on April 15th and returned home on November 15th. Never once wished someone was with me, yeah, introvert. Blew the tread completely off one rear dualie near High Plains, Canada. That took two days, happened on Sunday, ordered tires on Monday, installed and driving on Tuesday. The thing about this trip, I didn’t plan ANYTHING, got in the RV, turned key, steered - went where the road took me. (Well, ok, I had a plan - drive a giant X across the USA and Canada - but no schedule or planned stops, just drive)

This summer I drove the full width of Labrador (both directions) and around the perimeter of Newfoundland. Spent 4 days sitting in a North Dakota Chevy dealership waiting for parts after hitting a deer at 60 mph early in the trip. 12,500 miles.

I was winterized and ready to Netflix the winter away when I got an invite to a side by side rally (think two seat atv) near St. George, Utah; unwinterized, left home Nov. 3 and still drivin’, maybe return by Christmas, or not. Up to 19,600 miles now. I just got chased out of Nevada by a giant snow storm, how rude.

Life’s fer livin’ (an’ drivin’).

My lunatic SxS driver, luckily I decided to get out to take photos.

[wdgpcfr]

Camping is at an all time high. I am sure you could ask around and find someone you could accompany to a campground (separate campers). Also people are very helpful at campgrounds. If you have a question camp staff or other campers will be happy to help you.

[vandelhearts]

hi.. the best tires I have found.. which I had put on my TT is the Goodyear ST Endurance tires. they are USA made, have a higher speed rating than the original trailer king tires that were on my rig.. thats important because tires will heat up going down the road. And I hope you did get ST tires, they are made especially for TT's & 5th wheels. If you need to re-seal around any vents/seams on your roof.. I use DICOR, comes in a tube and applied with a caulk gun. they have self-leveling for flat service and non-leveling. Also if you do get a leak, and know where it's at.. for a quick fix you can use eternabond tape until a proper place and time for full repair.

[rjoney55]

The RV you purchase has to be what "YOU" want. Don't worry about anyone's opinion. If you love it, that is all that matters. I can assure you that your older RV won't be equipped with a lot of bells and whistles like something you will find new. But as long as it serves its purpose and is in as good shape, go out and see the country. The gas mileage you get may be less that an ultra-lite from today's market but I would venture to say you bought it at a good price. So that should make up for it. Besides, you do not have a 15 or 20 Year loan to worry about either. So just go out and enjoy yourself. Quit worrying.....YOU ARE RETIRED, REMEMBER?