How much does size really matter (of RV!)?

[SeeTheUSA]

Well, my wife (of 38 years ) and I have been retired for two years now and we need something to do. We're trying to decide if an RV would scratch that itch. We generally get along well, but I have been relegated to the dog house in the past - fairly infrequently (my feet have moved further from my mouth over the years). We're both in our mid fifties, so we hope we're kept in the game for a fair while longer!

So what SIZE and TYPE of RV would serve us best? We have NEVER had any RV in the past. We anticipate traveling 12 to 14 weeks per year, most likely between April and October. Some trips each year would be for a week or two, but might occasionally be for a longer period than that. We don't anticipate staying at any one location for more than two or three days, but that could happen if the golly-gee-whiz lasts. We're not "lakers" or "bikers" or "hikers," but really just want to "See The USA." We're thinking a fairly small Class B or Class C would work. But here's what we're wondering:

--Would something as small as a 21 footer with no slides and no permanent bed be advisable?
--Should we plan right from the start to have a tow vehicle or can we skip that hassle and expense?
--If we buy a new coach, what typical discount from MSRP can we reasonably attempt to negotiate?
--Any thoughts on buying a used coach for our first attempt at this?

I know much of this is subjective, but I've always benefited from others' experience, so THANKS for your thoughts . . .

[SeeTheUSA]

Well, my wife (of 38 years ) and I have been retired for two years now and we need something to do. We're trying to decide if an RV would scratch that itch. We generally get along well, but I have been relegated to the dog house in the past - fairly infrequently (my feet have moved further from my mouth over the years). We're both in our mid fifties, so we hope we're kept in the game for a fair while longer!

So what SIZE and TYPE of RV would serve us best? We have NEVER had any RV in the past. We anticipate traveling 12 to 14 weeks per year, most likely between April and October. Some trips each year would be for a week or two, but might occasionally be for a longer period than that. We don't anticipate staying at any one location for more than two or three days, but that could happen if the golly-gee-whiz lasts. We're not "lakers" or "bikers" or "hikers," but really just want to "See The USA." We're thinking a fairly small Class B or Class C would work. But here's what we're wondering:

--Would something as small as a 21 footer with no slides and no permanent bed be advisable?
--Should we plan right from the start to have a tow vehicle or can we skip that hassle and expense?
--If we buy a new coach, what typical discount from MSRP can we reasonably attempt to negotiate?
--Any thoughts on buying a used coach for our first attempt at this?

I know much of this is subjective, but I've always benefited from others' experience, so THANKS for your thoughts . . .

[Allegro Happy]

I can give advise on some things. Other things will have to wait on someone else. The bed.....first of all you are no spring chickens. Can you and will you be able to crawl around and make a bed EVERY night? Do you want too? They are really tight places you have to get to. You should have a bed already there and made up so that if you are traveling a great distance and get to a campground late, you can just crash. The length of TT .....If one is mad at the other you can go outside, as long as weather is nice as in Florida. The new ones are ok, but you will take a crash$$$ as soon as you pull it off of the lot. My advise is to look at used ones. MAke real sure they don't leak, every appliance is working, etc. If you find one, stop back here and ask questions. We will help you out. AS far as a toad, if you have a small MH and don't mind the unhooking of all your water, sewer, electric every time you want to go away. And try to find a place to park it at stores, museums, you will not needs a toad, BUT they are handy. Hope this helped.

[53 Merc]

Gee, so much of your answers depend on your likes and dislikes. Are you determined on a motorhome? Do you presently own a tow vehicle of sufficient size to tow a travel trailer or fifth wheel? Have you looked at a trailer type?

To me, owning a small motorhome is like a spare foot. Another engine and running gear to keep running for intermitent use.

This is just my $0.02 worth, but I would look at a 5er somewhere between 24 and 30 ft with a slide. You would need a "3/4 ton or larger" pickup to handle it, but the pickup could be used for other things, such as a daily driver.

As far as a permanent bed in the unit, you will quickly not like sleeping on the table or couch. Those things are made for guests that you would rather stay only for one or two nights.

If you decide on a MH, you could probably use your present transportation as a toad. Just need a braking mechanism and a tow bar or dolly.

After all my long winded OPINION, just get something and get out there. You will find this great country has a lot of things to see. We have found that having an RV makes us want to see and do more.

Camp On!
Ken

[Novi]

We are the same age but have been RVing for 35 years. We had of many the same questions. My wife has a not so good back, so a good quality mattress on a full RV bed was a must. Also a good night sleep is a must if you are going to enjoy and last at travelling. A good nights sleep and regular meals like you are used to are a must, or you will not last long. You do not " have to" have a toad, many RVers do not at first but it sure makes life/travelling easier, especially if you have a larger rig. The smaller ones get into and around places quite well. The smaller rigs do weekending and short trips nicely, but the longer the trip the more space and storage space you need. If you have never RVed before, why not rent one for a week or two? It is expensive, but, not as expensive as buying one then finding out it is not for you. Most RVers I have come to know have started with a used rig. I saw a stat recently that said only about 14% of RV's are brand new, that means about 86%, or at least the huge majority of us have used units. You will have more room in a class A and it is nicer for extended trips and they are usually fancier with more options. Of course the more things you have the more things can and will go wrong. As one fellow said Murphy rides with all of us. You are right about compatability we know many couples who would not survive RVing. You are also right about the whole thing being subject opinion, but there are some commonalities to all of us. You will probably get a lot more ideas than what I have said and that is the whole idea behind these these RV sites. Good luck and hope you enjoy the life style.

[Ken Lenger]

Here's my take on the motor home vs towable debate: Motor homes are for RV'ers who like to travel and towables are for RV'ers who like to camp. Sounds like you might fit in the 1st group, but since you have not been RV'ing yet, you really don't know. With the higher fuel costs we have now, traveling less and camping more makes sense. I think that you would find moving every few days to be tiring. Another factor in what size RV to get, consider how long you plan to on the road on any given trip. I think you can get by in a smaller RV for a week or two at a time, but if you plan to be gone for a month or more at a time, I would think that a larger one would be desireable.

Which ever way you go, do lot's of research and make the correct purchase the 1st time. Most of us here have propably traded RV's and / or tow vehicles a few times to get what we ultimetly wanted, and doing so costs $$$$.

RV'ing is a wonderfull activity and can accomodate many diverse hobbies while on the road.

[Magoo]

My wife & I raised our 3 children with many weekend trips in a popup. When we decided on an RV 3 years ago, we opted for a small (22 ft.), used class C motorhome. Our reasoning was that by the time that we bought a trailer & the tow vehicle that we would have at least $75,000.00 invested. My wife got her fill of it within 3 months. The bed was in the corner of the coach, & she had to sit in the middle of it to make it up. Our next purchase was again a used class C (27 ft.). This one had twin beds, & much easier to make up. No slides, too small. We kept it a year then traded it in on a used class A (36 ft.) with a big couch, dining area slide. We are very happy with it. Lost $$$ on the way to happiness. Now we want 2 slides (1 in the bedroom). Wants never cease. You'll always find something that you would like to change. You will be remarkably lucky if you find the perfect RV the first time. Spend lots of time looking at lots of different kinds of RVs at lots of sales lots. Leave your checkbook home. Buy used so you can trade without losing too many $$$. When you find the type of RV you like, rent one if you possibly can to make sure. Look at several RV websites for owner information & thoughts. Escapees.com is a good site as well as this one & RV.Net

[Rapid Ray]

Size is very important for how you want to travel and stay. Smaller size is much easier to get around the country where bigger units are just easier to get around in without bumping each other. Rent a RV of different classes and lengths. Remember you are really buying into a life style. If you want to be money ahead just use your car and use motels or lodges along the way. Remember to stop and smell the flowers however you go. The interest off your money in the bank can buy a lot of gas and lodging. Rent first may be the most important factor to determine your life style preferences.

[Lorna]

Whatever size or type of RV you get, take it to a local campground a couple times to get the hang of parking, setting up & knocking down. When I say local I mean within 30 minutes of home if possible and no more than 1 hour. This will allow you to run home to pick up anything important that you might have forgot (like the sewer hose ). I would recommend that you get a permanent bed (island is easier to make up) and STAND in the shower stall (even if you never plan to use it) as well as sit on the toilet seat (both of you!!). You wil be "living" in less than 300 sq ft for extended periods of time so make sure the place is laid out so that you can work around one another during a 2 day rain. You might get a used vehicle first then after a year or so move up (or down) and get something that will suit you better. It's also better to ding up a used RV than a new one! The thing about a used RV is that you are more willing to make "modifications" that will suit you better. Go to a campground on a weekend or even during the week to talk to folks who are actually camping. During the week you will find more full- & semifull-timers. Talk with the folks who have older vehicles as well as the newer ones.

[CyberVet65]

Wow! This is good stuff! So many folks with good ideas.
And some great ideas for folks like me who have camped for a long time.
I think I am going to a MH in the future. I have had most anything that you can tow. But my wife and I are travelers. We will be ready for the hit with the fuel bill and plan accordingly.
Size does matter. Especially in many of the older RV parks. They were built in the '30s and are not large enough to support a RV 50+ feet long. Many of the National Park campgrounds out West limit size to 30 foot max. The way the sites are laid out and the roads in and out are not wide enough. A good example is in Zion N.P. where a MH larger than 35 foot must get an escort through the tunnel because the walls are too close for two way traffic!
Vist manufacturer's web sites. Check out on line customer reviews. Go to a lot of RV shows before spending money.
Another example.
When I retire in about six years all of those $500,000 diesel pusher motorhomes will be selling for about $30,000. If fact I can buy about 15 30 foot or larger diesel pusher MH's for $30K. Check out http://www.rvtraderonline.com for some ideas.
Chet

[JudyandJim]

If you plan to spend only a few days at each stop, then setting up camp in a motorhome is usually much easier and faster than a 5th wheel or TT. While I push a button for the jacks, and another button for each slide-out, then put the rugs back down and unstowe the kitchen, Jim is hooking the power/water/sewer and pulling out the patio stuff. Ten minutes, tops and we are setup. Ditto for getting ready to leave.

Access to your kitchen when on the road with slides IN is another desireable feature. Our kitchen is on the living room sofa slide-out side... so part of it disappears when the slide is in for driving. I can still function, but don't have access to all drawers/cupboards/cooktop while enroute. However, I can access the micro/convection and part of the sink, so it works for quick lunches on the go. Also, that floorplan gives us some other nice features in our living room that I really like.... so it works for us.

If you plan to take a laptop with you... consider where you would put it. We have a slide-out desk at the co-pilot seat, plus a small desk/dresser in the bedroom. Either one works great, but one must be stowed when we travel, so it isn't as convenient to use unless we are parked for a while.

Sit in one for a while with the slides IN and then with them OUT... pretend you are cooking, watching tv, etc. Can you both get dressed without bumping into each other? Can you get to your closet when the bedroom slide is in? See if it "fits".

Think about where you plan to park... state parks, rv parks, etc. We found that many state parks and older rv parks can't accommodate our 39+ foot MH. Many have 33' or 35' restrictions.

We spend May to October in our MH, so having a comfy, roomy home on the road was important for us. For shorter lengths of time, I would vote for a 33'.... of course I would have to leave most of my shoes and clothes at home..

Welcome to our forum. Good luck with your search for your RV....

[FatDog]

You are young. And retired.
Looking for something to do in the summer months. For a week or two at a time.
Will RVing scratch that itch?

You have beaten me to that decision by a handful of years.
If I was with that decision, I would weigh the financial side in respect to what we were going to get out of it.
I am sure you have penciled in some trips to the National Parks in your immediate part of the U.S. But, do you have Alaska loosely penciled in? Canada? Quartzite? the SouthWest up towards the NorthEast?
Maybe meeting up with some of the great folk here on this site at the Texas Boomers Club? maybe the NorEasters Club for one of their Rallys?
One of our National Rallies? That is coming up, would give you a good time to talk to a lot of people who have done this penciling already. Not only can you see the USA, but there are some really great times as well.
Boy, some of these sure could end up taking longer then a week or two, if you are lucky.

It seems to me that there are some incredible opportunities out there. I just cannot wait. But I have been doing this for a while and I know what it is all about.
I would second what McManigal and others have brought up, maybe rent a 30' Class-C or Class-A for your first little outing. Was that trip fun? Too short? Way too short?

I am going to circle the USA. We will have something with a couple distinct little living areas, like a rear bed area and a front living area. She can sew while I read "with my eyes closed" , she has her hobbies, I have mine. And you may or may not want to "set up" a 5er everytime you roost, although 5er layouts really can give you some options .
Keep that Class-C rental in mind, and give us all a shout from all along the road on your first trip.
Hope to see you out there.
Mike and Cordie

[rayw]

SeeTheUSA

Well june, you've asked for it now - all kinds of advice coming your way. Per our experience, you will spend at least a year learning about RVs of all shapes and sizes. This includes visiting as many RV shows and showrooms as possible; and as always, talking to as many experienced RVers as possible.

The first question that needs answering is: will you and your significant other like RVing? Next question: what kind of RVing? Next question: what will you budget for RVing if you are compatible? Next question: What type of RV?

I have two suggestions that will go a long way towards answering the above questions: read, read, read and visit, visit, visit.

I think the first thing to do is put a positive spin on things and combine a vacation with a fact finding trip. As Plano is not too far from Sefner, FL, I suggest you travel to just outside Tampa and book a room for a week near Lazy Days in Sefner. I will not describe this RV retailer because you would not believe it. This outfit has over 1,000 RVs of all types (open) for your viewing pleasure - and the staff is older and very experienced. This will get you started on getting some info on the various types of RVs and their costs.

Next, I would probably rent something and camp for a week to see if you can live thru the experience. This will be your first opportunity to talk at length with experienced RVers. If you have driven a truck or pulled a trailer that would be helpful. In any event, take it slow and thoughtfully and try not to be overly optimistic.

Good luck and be aware that false pride will cause mistakes...

[begete]

I think I posed the same question on this board last summer - except my husband and I are not yet retired. We wanted to try this out for a variety of reasons before we retired.

Here is what we did : We bought a used (1993) 24 foot Class A motorhome with generator, etc, most bells and whistles, but no automatic levellers and no slideouts. We are your age.

Here is what I think : When our old Windstar dies, we will buy the smallest vehicle we can find that will tow a 5th wheel or trailer, and then we will sell the motorhome and buy a 5th wheel or trailer.

Although we do like hiking and outdoor activities, we also like being tourists and visiting museums, eating in nice restaurants, etc. It is really hard, if not impossible (for us) to drive a big motorhome through downtown areas of cities, let alone park one there.

Size - a walk around bed with a good mattress is imperative. Making a bed that is up against 3 walls is like me (at 5'3") getting into the ring with the world heavyweight champ!! No way. we use sleeping bags on the bed. Never again.

Automatic levellers are also a requirement. We just had our first experience trying to level the blasted thing in the rain......never again!!

Finally, my husband is 6 feet tall. We need a larger bathroom for comfort reasons.

We would buy the smallest unit that met those requirements because like you, we would not travel in it more than 2 to 3 weeks at a time and there are only 2 of us and a cat.

Motorhome v Class C? I think we would have been happier with a Class C because it is really inconvenient not to be able to exit the vehicle from the driver's and passenger's seats. In a Class A there are no doors there.

Motorhome/ClassC v 5th wheel or trailer? We really do like being able to get up and use the bathroom or get something out of the refrigerator without parking and getting out of the vehicle. Also the cat is happy having lots of places to sleep and wander.

However, we are NOt happy with our inability to visit cities without towing a car or renting one at our destination. Also, we are still waiting for that mechanical breakdown that - from the more experienced folks we have talked to - seems inevitable - and without a toad, we will be really stuck. The equipment needed to tow a car would cost another $1,000 and we aren't prepared to spend that on our "experiment".

The economics of our purchase was such that if we get 6 - 7 weeks of travel out of it, we will have spent less to buy it than it would have cost us to rent a comparable motorhome.

Finally - the smartest thing we did was to make our first trip to an IRV2 rally nearby. We got tons of help from many really nice people who were able to answer all of our many, many questions.

I strongly advise any newbies to do the same.

Good luck.