Community Forums

bm5k · 06-12-2014, 11:17 AM

My wife and I are self-employed and thinking about full-timing. No kids, just us + two small dogs. We’ve got no ties to a house or apartment. We already traveled quite a bit in our car moving from family to friends to hotel room. We want to travel more but like the idea of bringing our home with us. We’ve been looking at used motor homes.

These are some of our criteria:

class A (leaning toward diesel)
no less than 30’ long
hideaway bed in the couch (basically able to sleep more than 2, just in case)
descent kitchen surface (covered stove top and flush covered sink)
larger refrigerator (not a mini-fridge)
good storage

These are some of the things that are important to us. Our first question is what should we really be looking for? We’re totally new to RVing so what other questions should we ask? What are problem areas or things to look at in a used motor home? We think size and cost are most important. What else do you think is important? We don’t have any kind of route or destination in mind but are thinking of setting up different places every 1-3 months so we can see more of the country but also keep fuel costs lower. Is there anyone that has done this? Is it a good idea?

We’re really looking for advice, thoughts, and opinions from you experienced full-timers so any feedback is greatly appreciated.

al2ride · 06-12-2014, 11:36 AM

You can get a new Georgetown for ~90k with everything you are looking for. Gassers are cheaper to run and maintain.

**TonyDi** · 06-12-2014, 12:15 PM

Glad to have you here with us.
There are a lot of variables when looking for an RV to do what you want. If you are going to be pulling a vehichle and if you are going to be in hilly/mountainous country then a Diesel pusher is the way to go.A diesel will also offer you air ride which makes traveling distance a little more comfy. A gasser is cheaper to maintain but the mpg will not be up to a diesel. Plus if you are planning to keep it a diesel will outlast a gas engine. JMO.

myshaggydog · 06-12-2014, 12:26 PM

Welcome to the Forum. We started fulltiming about 6 months ago after we sold our house. We bought a used DP because we planned to move around every 2-4 weeks and we needed the extra space. We did not want to maintain items in a storage area and pay the monthly costs so we sold, donated and gave our kids all of our household items.

So far we love this lifestyle and have not looked back. Pick up some books on fulltiming, they helped us a lot in planning our adventure.

Best of luck.

Happy RV'ing

Medico · 06-12-2014, 12:35 PM

Welcome and glad to meet you!

Gordon Dewald · 06-12-2014, 12:36 PM

Another option to consider is a 5 wheel. Not what you are wanting but with infrequent moves you will have the best of both. Once you set the 5er up it is good until you move. Costs can be substantially less than a MH both in purchase and maintenance.

bm5k · 06-12-2014, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myshaggydog

We did not want to maintain items in a storage area and pay the monthly costs so we sold, donated and gave our kids all of our household items.

We downsized quite a bit, and everything we own fits in a 10x10 storage unit. We're looking to get that down to a 5x10 before full timing. Lots of "can't live without" crap is going to goodwill. I just wish we'd gotten rid of more before spending thousands on storage.

Quote:

Originally Posted by myshaggydog

Pick up some books on fulltiming, they helped us a lot in planning our adventure.

Do you have any recommendations?

sbowerman · 06-12-2014, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gordon Dewald

Another option to consider is a 5 wheel. Not what you are wanting but with infrequent moves you will have the best of both. Once you set the 5er up it is good until you move. Costs can be substantially less than a MH both in purchase and maintenance.

Hi, I'm BM5k's wife. There are definitely some fifth wheels that we've liked, but our vehicle just can't tow them. Thanks for your response.

bm5k · 06-12-2014, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyDi

If you are going to be pulling a vehichle and if you are going to be in hilly/mountainous country then a Diesel pusher is the way to go.

We are planning on towing our vehicle (a 2007 Honda CRV) and mountains are likely, at least occasionally. Cost is probably our biggest concern, so we've been looking at length first, then engine. Do we need to reconsider that opinion?

Gordon Dewald · 06-12-2014, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbowerman

Hi, I'm BM5k's wife. There are definitely some fifth wheels that we've liked, but our vehicle just can't tow them. Thanks for your response.

No worries. I just saw the initial post was talking about used. If you look around the combination of 5er and TV could be less than a comparable MH.

We will be moving to a MH in about a month. Already we have noticed there will be less storage space in the MH.

I will follow the post. Let us know what you end up with.

Wave as you pass us. We will recognise you by the big smiles.

MCJones · 06-12-2014, 02:04 PM

I'm suggesting getting at least 40 ft of motor home. I've had 5ths and 2 class A's and would not go back to a 5th. I would also suggest getting a tag if it is over 40 ft and in any case stretch now to get as much motor home as possible, otherwise you may be trading in a year or two. Consider an extended warranty (5-7k $) if you buy used and especially if you buy diesel (which I would recommend for towing and overall ride/luxury) A good dealer near where you will be much of the time would be a wise choice unless lyou have the cash to lay out on a private deal, but then you still need that warranty to cover the surprises. How old? I'd look for a 4-5 year old coach that you like the layout, and colors. Take your time and enjoy the search. JMO.

MSHappyCampers · 06-12-2014, 04:03 PM

Hi folks! Welcome to IRV2! It's great to have you join the gang!

I suggest you spend some time over in the full-timing area of the forum. I'm sure those folks can answer all your questions. Enjoy the forum!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

Gadget63 · 06-12-2014, 04:13 PM

Howdy from SC and welcome to the forums. We shopped and shopped until we found our Bounder. We love the floor plan. Kitchen area is adequate with enough counter space. Having a washer/dryer was a definite plus. We don't like the separate shower so common in a lot of MH's out there and our Bounder has the shower in the same room as toilet and sink where it should be.

myshaggydog · 06-12-2014, 04:26 PM

bm5k:

One of the books we bought probably 10-15 years ago was by Bill and Jan Moeller called "Complete Guide to Full-Time Rving" or something like that. They both have passed on and the book is probably outdated but the majority of what they discussed would still be pertinent. Another book that is more current is: Retire to an RV: The Roadmap to Affordable Retirement by Jaimie Hall Bruzenak and Alice Zyetz. Just google fulltime Rv'ing or check Amazon.com. There are many books out there. We probably bought 4 or 5 different books but once we started fulltiming we left at a campground book exchange.

Best of luck