Community Forums

Slow Lane · 12-27-2016, 04:33 PM

Hi George,

That's true. I remember a friend whose brother had an old Citroen (I think) and it was very difficult to find someone who could work on it. He loved the car but dumped tons of money into it, and it sat in the shop for days and days. Good advice. My family might disown me if I subjected them to that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by George Schweikle

trimacon makes a good suggestion. An issue for an older Prevost-based RV is that chassis maintenance and repairs may be restricted to specialized locations. We have a friend with a 1990 Marathon Prevost conversion, and some of his system issues require specialized assistance. A somewhat similar example is when a neighbor's son bought a well-used BMW 8-series. My comment to him was that, while this was an inexpensive old car to purchase, buying parts would still be for an expensive car.

Slow Lane · 12-27-2016, 04:44 PM

Thanks, Gary. This has been in the back of my mind...how will I react when I have to make that first tight turn...during rush hour, etc.

I have a friend who owns a tour bus company and I'm sure once I explain my plans, he'd let me get behind the wheel of one of his big units (in his lot), just to get a feel for turning, backing up, etc. Maybe my wife could also give it a try to give her a little confidence.

I don't have any worries on the campgrounds. Like you say, we'll find a place to park.

Jerry

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer

Rig length gets a lot of attention from newbies, but it's not as significant factor as most think. Even a 29 ft RV is double the length of most cars, so they are all "big" in that sense and require some learning as well as extra attention once off the major highways. North of 34 ft you will begin to encounter campground roads and campsites that are not very friendly to large RVs. Older parks were designed when rigs were smaller, so roads and sites are less accommodating. Private parks get updated more quickly because of the financial motivation of attracting high value customers; public parks have other priorities as well as budget constraints and typically lag behind. That said, you will always find some place to accommodate even 40-45 footers. It's really not a concern unless there is some specific campground you are strongly attracted to and that happens to be one of the length-restricted ones.

Driving a Class A is different because of the driver seating position as well as length, so any Class A is going to be a bit daunting initially. "Muscle memory" from years of passenger car driving can be challenging to overcome. However, once you get over the learning curve, driving a 40 footer vs a 33-35 footer is little different.

Pulling a car has little effect on the drivability either. Generally it tracks along behind just fine, but in a tight turn one must remember that it may "cut the corner" a bit and keep an eye on it while swinging extra wide (if possible).

Slow Lane · 12-27-2016, 05:05 PM

Hi Tom,

Yes, the responsiveness of this board is terrific. I know I found the right place to get prepped for this lifestyle change.

Thanks for the warranty info. Good to know.

I'm sure the driving skills will pick up quickly.

On the wifi, this is an important issue as part of my work is with videos. While I can cut them down to a degree, I'm still going to have 400-500 MB (and larger) files that will have to be uploaded. Even with mediocre wifi where we live that only takes a few minutes. Hope it's not too much worse on the road. Like anything else, with good planning it will work out.

Thanks.

Jerry

Quote:

Originally Posted by TLGPE

Hi Jerry,

Glad you are getting into the community here and are getting good advice. Lots of good stuff here, just filter it and apply as needed.

You asked about warranties for older rigs; the cut-off is usually miles, not years. Our '05 is eligible for that type of insurance, but the cut-off is 100K miles. We got ours at 102K, so we can't get it. We have had a couple of spots where it would have paid off, but considering the yearly cost, we are probably about even.

As several others have mentioned, driving forward is pretty much the same in a 22 ft. rig or a 45 with toad; it's the parking and close quarters that may cause you some concern. After four years, we just pay attention and avoid tight spot if we can. There are plenty of us out there, and although we are "special", the driving part is just learned skills.

We use a hotspot for wifi when campgrounds don't offer it, and when we are driving. Hotspot data is expensive, so you should do your downloads at campgrounds where possible, even if it's in the middle of the night.

Keep working at it; the pieces will fall together.

Tom

Slow Lane · 12-27-2016, 05:10 PM

Thanks, Snufy.

Our boy is on board with the plan, as he can keep up with his friends via streaming video with one app or another, plus the thought of meeting a lot of people and seeing things that most people will never encounter outside of books and Websites. I think he'll love it.

I appreciate the tip on the Escapees site and will grab a look.

Jerry

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snufy1

I think your plan is great. Home schooling your son as you travel what a great experience for all of you.

This is a great site you can get a lot of great information from it. I also use the Escapees forum for for full time living information. I do spend more time on this forum

beamisl · 12-27-2016, 05:26 PM

Jerry,

Some info for when you get your rig. Camp in the driveway the first few times with your rig or a close by local CG. Why you ask? There will be things you forget or think you do not need and if you're close enough to home you can go get them if you really need them. This let's you figure out your systems and learn your rig. It's just practice.

Then take it for an hour away. Talk with people in the CG about anything.

Take the rig to a large Walmart or Meijer's parking lot at night. Practice backing up (make sure there is a lot of room). You can also practice your turning with cones to see how many you drive over. Just gives you an idea how much room you need for that back end to swing around without taking something out and damaging your rig. If you do this in nice weather you can have the non-driver outside the rig giving directions. We have walkie talkie's for this. Hand signals also work.

Your wife will be fine driving. It just takes time to get used to the space the thing takes. We drove country roads to get used to turns and driving in tight places. We drove just the rig until we got comfortable and then added the tow. If you are only camping an hour away one of you can drive the car. It didn't take long really.

We love our rig! Get a in-line water filter and pressure regulator. Pressure can be high at CG's and water often needs filtered. When you stop and store it, empty the hot water heater or you get foul smelling water in it.

When we first got ours I didn't know to turn on the water heater and took a cold shower the first day and it was really cold. It's OK to laugh, you will make your own mistakes. It is a bit humbling what these rigs can do. Just keep a positive attitude about it.

We use a HotSpot too. Works great at CG's or on the road when we want to find a CG for the night. Look one up, call ahead, and then drive there and set up.

RVParky.com for CG's. We have a digital flat screen TV we put in. Use the batwing antenna on the roof. added a HD attachment to it. At some CG's we get 12 channels and at others 47. 2 slides would probably give you a nice rig under 38 feet.

Just look at PPL for floorplans and then go to RV shows. Have fun and keep coming back to ask questions.

Lynne and Jerry

Slow Lane · 12-27-2016, 06:39 PM

Thanks Lynne, this is just great information.

Camping in the driveway or at a nearby park seems so obvious, but it hadn't yet crossed my mind. Same with walkie-talkies, water filters/regulators, and dumping the hot water heater. We've never done that at home so there's no way I would have thought of that.

All this information is going into a database with each item tagged for easy reference. By the time we're actually in gear on all this, I'll hopefully have a good library of strategy and tips to make things smoother.

Much appreciated.

Jerry

Quote:

Originally Posted by beamisl

Jerry,

Some info for when you get your rig. Camp in the driveway the first few times with your rig or a close by local CG. Why you ask? There will be things you forget or think you do not need and if you're close enough to home you can go get them if you really need them. This let's you figure out your systems and learn your rig. It's just practice.

Then take it for an hour away. Talk with people in the CG about anything.

Take the rig to a large Walmart or Meijer's parking lot at night. Practice backing up (make sure there is a lot of room). You can also practice your turning with cones to see how many you drive over. Just gives you an idea how much room you need for that back end to swing around without taking something out and damaging your rig. If you do this in nice weather you can have the non-driver outside the rig giving directions. We have walkie talkie's for this. Hand signals also work.

Your wife will be fine driving. It just takes time to get used to the space the thing takes. We drove country roads to get used to turns and driving in tight places. We drove just the rig until we got comfortable and then added the tow. If you are only camping an hour away one of you can drive the car. It didn't take long really.

We love our rig! Get a in-line water filter and pressure regulator. Pressure can be high at CG's and water often needs filtered. When you stop and store it, empty the hot water heater or you get foul smelling water in it.

When we first got ours I didn't know to turn on the water heater and took a cold shower the first day and it was really cold. It's OK to laugh, you will make your own mistakes. It is a bit humbling what these rigs can do. Just keep a positive attitude about it.

We use a HotSpot too. Works great at CG's or on the road when we want to find a CG for the night. Look one up, call ahead, and then drive there and set up.

RVParky.com for CG's. We have a digital flat screen TV we put in. Use the batwing antenna on the roof. added a HD attachment to it. At some CG's we get 12 channels and at others 47. 2 slides would probably give you a nice rig under 38 feet.

Just look at PPL for floorplans and then go to RV shows. Have fun and keep coming back to ask questions.

Lynne and Jerry

Allegro XIII · 12-27-2016, 10:10 PM

Slow Lane

In you OP you mentioned Tiffin, I know I will catch heat over this but..... I bought my first new to me RV three years ago and lucked into a 1992 Allegro Bay by Tiffin. I got a good deal and knew nothing of the brand name. From the education of my father (an RV'er for 30+ years) I knew what brands to avoid, Tiffany was not one of them. I have been a reader here since I bought the Allegro and have intently read mods and add on's others have done to their rigs. My old Tiffany had most of them already! 🤔 I have found that my old rig had a lot of "upscale" amenities that don't come standard even today.
More importantly just this week after a catastrophic water leak under the kitchen sink, I found my Tiffan is solid WOOD, from the drawers to the cabinets to the the 3/4 inch hardwood ply floor!
I have dried her out and nothing falling apart.
I have seen on this site mods where rigs are stripped down for remodeling and the floor base is OSB and the cabinets are MDF, and I am talking about brands like Newmar $$$$$$$$.
Point being is do lots of research and BRANDS do matter, often folks overlook the fact quality base material make the "house".

And you have have the right site for a wealth of RV knowledge and great folks! I rarely post but read constantly! 😀

Good travels!

trimacon · 12-28-2016, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_D

What engine do you have? Some of the pre DEF units had problems. Yes, I learned first hand!!
Wish we had kept the '02 DSDP 4090, it was the most reliable unit we ever owned since I started RV'ing in 1957.

Our coach has a 500 HP Cummins ISM, requires no DEF. I bought the coach in '15 w/6000 miles, now has 16,000 miles. Only engine issue has been a low faulty low oil pressure indication, had fixed at Cummins SVC center.

monkey · 12-28-2016, 10:32 AM

As hinted at for driving/parking, Always plan your way out before you get in ... Makes things much less stressful. This could be as simple as gas stations... Good luck with your adventures !!!!
Monkey

twogypsies · 12-28-2016, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slow Lane

Thanks, Gary. This has been in the back of my mind...how will I react when I have to make that first tight turn...during rush hour, etc.

As a full-timer you'll soon learn that you shouldn't be near any 'rush hour'. You don't have to drive through big cities at any time. Take the secondary highways and you'll see a lot more of the country.

For full-timing with a child you might look into this site and there are many more family full-timing bloggers with good ideas - just 'Google'. I will say that junior high/high school age is a very difficult time period for teens so make sure he's onboard for this adventure. Many families start when the children are younger. He will mostly be around adults, not children his own age. If he enjoy sports he won't have that opportunity. It can definitely work but just think it all through.

https://www.fulltimefamilies.com/