Information overload

[aging rocker]

I’m not sure where to post this but the General Discussion topic seems to be the best I think. Mods, if this belongs under a different topic, please let me know and I will repost it. Thank you.

TL;DR – We are more confused than ever but may have narrowed down our options.

As I said in our introduction, we are new to RVing and feel as lost as a 2-year-old in the forest. Yesterday we spent 10 hours visiting five dealerships throughout the metro area, looked at 32 different options and are more confused than we were before we left home. The first salesman was exceptional. We told him up front that we were just doing research and have no intention to buy in the near future. Despite this, he spent three hours showing us various trailers (that’s all they sell) based on our initial criteria. The second dealership was almost as pleasant. When we asked the salesman questions about trucks and towing, he admitted that he knows almost nothing about trailers and mostly sells Class A&C. He introduced us to another salesman that spent 25 years selling GMC trucks and was a wealth of knowledge regarding towing options. Two dealerships barely acknowledged our presence and the last one ignored everything we said and kept pushing the Super C’s, which are well above the amount I am willing to spend.

We took pages of notes then discussed the possibilities over dinner and after. As of today, subject to change without notice, we see our options as:

1) A used thirty-five to forty-foot Class A with HXDL trailer to tow our car and motorcycles. This allows us to keep our low mileage and paid for car and lots of luxury. We saw several low mileage options in the $75-90k range that were exceptionally nice inside. We need more research into different makes/models, maintenance cost, gas v. diesel, etc.
2) Twenty-six to twenty-eight-foot bumper tow trailer behind a 350/3500 with the bikes in the back of the truck. A low mileage used truck cost about $45k unless we get a fleet model. We fell in love with a 26’ KZ connect that was listed at $25k. All in on this package is about $70k.
3) Our least favorite option is a 35-45’, fifth wheel, toy hauler. A 37’ KZ Sportster would cost around $40k plus the truck ($45k). A Venom goes for around $70k. The pro to this option is the ability to secure the bikes in the garage, out of the weather when we are moving or not using them and the extra storage space in the garage. If we took out the extra beds (which we don’t want or need) there would be tons of storage space even with the bikes. The biggest con is restrictions on length by many campgrounds. Also, our “living are would be greatly reduced over the other two options.

We would greatly appreciate any input, stories, additional options, places to look, etc. We plan on attending a RV Expo this weekend and hope to get more information there.

[Mr_D]

Sounds like you are doing exactly as you should. I haven't ever owned 5th whell and traded off my last TT in 1988 for a 17' Type B mh since the kids were gone. Then we got two dogs and needed a bigger rig.

[Jean n Steve]

Rocker,

If you’re buried and struggling I recommend you take a quick step back and focus on just one thing.

Background: my wife and I have spent the best part of two years figuring out we want and looking for it. With luck, that process ends next week.

There is SO MUCH information out there that you need to know before making a smart decision that you have to eat it like the proverbial elephant – one bite at a time.

What we did was figure out how much space we needed to live in comfortably, full-time. Not the actual floor plan, but just the feel of the space. We waffled on motor home vs. fifth wheel for a while, but that wasn’t as important as deciding how large we needed to go. We did that by going to RV shows (we had no intention buying anything new, but we checked out the available spaces) and to dealerships. It didn’t hurt to start relationships with our local dealers that way, either.

I found some good advice that helped us decide the MH vs. fiver issue: If you’re going to be staying places long term (subjective term), buy a trailer. If you’re going to move more often, get the motor home. It depends on how much you like setup and teardown, I s’pose.

Floor plan is important too. What do you want? Garage? Big kitchen? Office/mancave? How about televisions and where you’re going to sit to watch them? Bathrooms…how many…privacy…shower/tub…

After you know (or think you know, in our case) what you want, start looking at brands. Get the good, bads, and uglies. Of course your main source of information is the Internet, so take what you read with that grain of salt. But if you research enough, the information patterns start to show up. And ask questions here, too.

Research the individual years of the trailer/coach you’re researching. Some years are better, some are not. In the case of Country Coach, it’s debatable whether some from their last year in operation were even built by them!

Motors…boy howdy. Diesel, gas. Ford, GM, Mercedes, Cat, Cummins, Detroit… Even great manufacturers can have off years.

Don’t rush. Don’t get emotional about a great find. Or about a loss when someone buys “your RV” out from under you. There are LOTS out there. More than you know.

I really can’t pile two years’ worth of our process in here, but I hope you got the idea. I’m glad I took the time. Yeah, we wish we could have been on the road earlier, but when you’re spending a lot of money, why not make the best decision?

Steve

[Isaac-1]

With your needs have you considered a toy hauler motorhome, perhaps like the Safari Simbas Toy Haulers built between about 2004-2008? Similar to this one that sold at PPL last year.
https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/used-r...simba_rv-30874

[jimcumminsw]

Hi, and welcome first.

Before you look at a tow vehicle you should decide on a travel trailer or 5th wheel. If you do not want to tow a trailer than you need to decide on a motor home which have three different classes.

I did not want a motor home since this is another chassis to maintain along with my truck and car that we already have.

So, we chose a 5th wheel since these are easier to tow and have no to very very little sway when towing. I am now on my third 5th wheel and have grown in size every time we have purchased one.

As far as length my unit is 37' long and 13-6" tall, I have a Cedar Creek 34RL, with a TrailAir pin box, which we like. This can be towed with by a 3500 SRW truck. I use a diesel engine vehicle with a 6 speed automatic transmission and a DEMCO Auto Glide hitch.

As for bikes (the pedal type) I have a ladder mounted bike rack for our two road bikes that we travel with. Our former Keystone Cougar had a rear bike rack that pulled out and this could carry bikes. So, a 5th wheel can carry bikes with no problem. As far as storage, the Cedar Creek has some of the largest storage bays and capacity available in the 5th wheel line.

When looking at a trailer of any type do not get sway by the glitz and décor of the trailer. The structural components such as frame, suspension and electrical system are the most important things to consider. We have the 12 gallon hot water tank VS the 6 gallon that most trailers offer. I prefer the 6-point hydraulic level up system over the 4 point stabilization system that some trails have. We also prefer the residential fridge over the propane/electric fridge that some trailers offer. We do not boondock and the residential fridge has more food storage for our needs.

We mostly state in private campgrounds since this caters to our needs better. Now I have had no problems with national parks and COE parks but my only requirement is the site must have full hook-ups and 50 amps. Which we have found a few.

Good luck and let us know what you purchase!

[NCC-1701A]

It sounds like you are asking dealers and yourself the right questions for you. What might be missing is an organized way to view all your data.

My wife and I spent 2 years learning and consuming "data" for our first Diesel Pusher purchase back in 2001. We spent hours going through brochures, days at shows and events, and also walking dealer lots looking, learning, and talking to salespeople (the last being the worst place, IMO, to learn much of value since they tended to not really know much at all.)

We decided what was important to us, which included the QUALITY of the unit in terms of materials used, how heavy the structure was, the insulation values, reputation among other owners, etc. We also had our wants of available amenities, like dual pane windows as just an example. Then we put all those on a spreadsheet. Some were MUST HAVE items. Any unit that did not have those was out...period. Then there were items where a rating was devised, like insulation values, etc. where each was rated 1,2,3, etc. It doesn't take long to start to see what is best for you and narrow down a list pretty quickly to just a small handful of those that pass YOUR test (which may not be MY test). Then it comes to price and negotiation.

Maybe I misunderstood your dilemma, but it sounded to me like what you have is a LOT of information and no way to digest and organize it to make some decisions. If that's the case, you might want to try the method we used to narrow your choices.

[RI Expat]

You are doing and asking all the right things. My method was a little different and may not work for everyone. I bought a very used and very old Class A that had a extremely clean and fully functional coach area. Took a few trips with the wife to see if we would both come back alive and to scout out places for to hide the body if not. We survived and decided this was something we would want to do in a serious way. But the relatively small expense of the first coach was where we learned exactly what we wanted and needed without guessing. We also make lots of mistakes. For me, a Class A is the right answer and a tow dolly makes more sense to my vehicle needs so I don't have to invest in mods and plates for the various possible toads. Size of shower was important as the 24" tub style was not comfortable for us at all. We got a real good feel for how much room we needed to feel comfortable on a rainy day. Discovered the gadgets that we just couldn't live without and those that were just cute toys. From that experience, I just bought a coach that meets most of the must haves. Setup for this one will be easier. The old coach got donated to charity instead of going through the hassle of trying to sell something that old and tired. Best investment I've made in years. All the dishes and stuff mostly transferred so no wasted money there....except for upgrades and splurges. Take your time and don't compromise too much and you will be happier in the long run. Best of luck and see you out there soon!

[okmunky]

I knew absolutely nothing about RVs when I first started looking for one. All I knew is that I wanted to travel and an RV was the only way that made sense to travel with a monkey.

First I decided on my budget. Next I started thinking about how I would live on the road. Being a single female I was somewhat concerned about safety and security. For that reason I chose a motorhome knowing that I could jump in the driver seat and drive away from any perceived danger.

I bought a new class C motorhome because I don’t know much about auto repair. At that time the warranty seemed very important. I lucked out and found a promotional model that is a clone of the Forest River Forrester. They were deeply discounted and had everything I needed. At that time I only considered needs not wants.

That was eight years ago and I really lucked out. There were no warranty issues in my new coach and we have live comfortably in it since May 2011. We are full timers. I have since made a lot of modifications and upgrades on my own. And I learn as I go doing most of the work myself or with the help of friends.

Don’t listen to people who say your first motorhome should be your last motorhome. Make sure you like the lifestyle before you invest heavily. Also remember that much of your time will be spent in a nice climate so having lots of space inside is not as important as it would be in a house. You’ll be spending a lot of time outside the RV.

RVs are not the place to do hobbies that require a lot space, tools and materials. You just can’t afford to carry around all that extra weight. Carefully consider how much stuff you plan to take with you and how much it weighs. The cargo caring capacity of each RV can be dramatically different from model to model.

At first you’ll seem very lost. RVing is a big adjustment for most people. The most important tool for you to pack is PATIENCE, especially with your traveling companions - 2 and 4 footed.