Guidance for fulltime

[slark]

I first introduced myself in 2016.  A lot has changed...for all of us! My husband and myself along with 2 dogs will be moving into RV, soon. We downsized 5 years ago to this 700 sq foot trailer in over  55 community in Puyallup WA.  We're in good health and can no longer afford to live here. After lots of research, (you-tube, Bob Wells, and all of you) we're looking to buy class C from Cruise America. Reason being we've never traveled in class c.  We've loved camping, in tents and upgraded to pop up years ago. This is not a good time to purchase! You see the prices for ANY class c rv. Our thought is to by a former rental class c. It's basic, no slides, has been maintained, and we need  experience. We  are looking for feedback from you! In our 60's and are open to thoughts.  Thank you so much!

 

[gizmotron]

Are you planning to go the membership campground way or the Boondocking off grid way?

 

[jacqueg]

The only advice you need when buying used - hire an RV diagnostician. 

I will add that I think your instinct to buy as simple a vehicle as you can find is right on.

 

[slark]

Boondocking. We're very lucky, my husbands Air Force retirement allows Air Force base campgrounds, first come first serve for the most part. That also would come in handy for any urgent medical care via Air Force Base. This isn't a decision we're taking lightly. My husband and I have been miserable living in this place. We go to parks and drives to be in nature. This is no way to live our final years.

 

[slark]

P.S.  We plan to sell our mobile home for $60,000 along with our 2017 car for this next chapter

 

[slark]

The only advice you need when buying used - hire an RV diagnostician. 

I will add that I think your instinct to buy as simple a vehicle as you can find is right on.

Thank you!

 

[gizmotron]

That and solar and you are on your way.

 

[slark]

Agree! Thank you

 

[RvNaut]

We  are looking for feedback from you! In our 60's and are open to thoughts.  Thank you so much!

I am about to launch my FT life in an RV..literally weeks away.. I have sold my home. The closing is in 3 weeks, and then I head west to pick up my new-to-me RV.

Thoughts:

Yes a C is easier to work on for many small town or other mechanics. It is the one potentially big advantage.
There are fewer Cs out there and they are more expensive than they should be for what you get out of them.
A used rental RV is either a great deal or a nightmare.. if it was not abused and well maintained, you have a great one... ??

I beat this up a lot. "They say" that in an accident that Van front end will crumple as designed, protecting you.... yet.. it is the contents of the rib that coming flying fwd that may be more dangerous.. so a C is not necessarily safer than and A.

A Class A will cost a lot less going in year for year/ foot for foot. You get a lot more storage, and I decided that for myself, going full time with an RV as my sole residence, more storage is better.

A Class A meas way way way more choice. there are 10 times as many As on the market as there are Cs.
There just were not that many Cs built in comparison to As.

I would urge you to consider a Safari Trek ... Over 6' tall, go 2003 and up, shorter and you can get away with '02 and down.  One of the problems with a class A is perceived size, but a class C at similar length isn't much different in terms of handling/driving.  One of the problems I have with them is carrying around a 10x 8 room in the back that you are unconscious when using, and not using when you are awake ( excepting other ..err.. activities)  and so is a huge waste of space, added weight less gas mileage, added costs.. etc etc

A 24-30' Class A will carry several thousand more pounds than a similar length class C. Take a close look at the weight capacity of a class C, then fill-up with gas and water and propane, and you, and all your stuff and you will be at or over the weight limits on most Class Cs. As delivered you have maybe 1500 pounds to deal with, or less, and once you add 50 gallons of fresh water ( 400#s) and a tank of gas 2-300 lbs you have eaten up a third to a half of available capacity. Now ask yourself if people renting Class C's paid any attention at all to this.. 

A class C will not get better gas mileage....  you are looking at 8-12 mpg regardless.

Did I mention storage. Most class A are built on top of the frame setup, meaning that there is just more space underneath for storage.

The Trek and the bed. The entire concept of a Trek is that the bed is stored in the ceiling when you are not using it, thereby giving you the space of a 34' rig in a 24' or similar. Here is a list of brochures from most years they were made.
https://www.nwtfc.com/about-the-trek-2/about-the-trek/the-history-of-the-trek/

Here is the story of how the Trek idea was conceived and eventually produced
https://www.nwtfc.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Treks-The-Early-Years.pdf

Because of an enthusiastic owners community for the Trek, there is not only willing help to new owners, but an archive of specific data that addresses nearly any thing that could go wrong with one.

In the first year I started with an Aim to a Fleetwood Flair, but soon moved on to the trek for a lot of the above reasons. Initially I was aiming at a 24' model, but then realized I would need more storage, and compromised on a 28' in the 1997 and up models. This past summer I finally saw one in person and pretty much instantly knew it was not right for me. I am 6'3 and all-the-way-up the bottom of the bed is at 6'. The bed is positioned directly behind the driver/co-pilot seats, over the couch and opposite seating or desk ( depending on model- see brochures) and so is in an area where moving about standing, it would really be in the way for me... those of shorter stature LOVE their treks...

In 2003  SMC (Safari Motor Coach) was bought out by Monoco and changes started to happen. In '03 a model revision upped interior space under the bed to 6'2", slides were added as an option and a different and longer layout was put out that put the living room in the back, along with the bed, putting bath and storage in the middle and kitchen dining and driving up front... in '04 they changed that long model to a Trek 31SBD, the model I pick up in 3 weeks.


If you would like to talk more about this send me a PM and I will send my Phone number.. or feel free to ask specific questions here.  I am sure I left out some of my reasoning and thoughts...

 

[slark]

Interesting! Now my husband have another trail to research! Thank you so much for explaining these points, we appreciate your comments!

 

[gizmotron]

One thing. Safari's were almost worthless piles of crud for a while. Their Class A models cost around $200,000 and went back to be fixed the entire time their owners used them. I had a friend that had three of them, all lemons. They were dependable. They needed work on them all the time. Now once Monaco took them over I have no idea if they fixed all these problems. But the ones I'm talking about are before that move. I just want to say if you can see the maintenance records that it might be useful before buying it.

 

[RvNaut]

Interesting! Now my husband have another trail to research!  Thank you so much for explaining these points, we appreciate your comments!

Over the last 18 months I have gleaned much from this resource, and I will make a point to "pay it forward" in areas of knowledge that I feel I have a valid point of view.

feel free to reach out if you have specific questions... I know more about Treks than a lot of the people that own them...

good luck... please do come back to this thread and tell us your progress, your thoughts as you navigate the terrain,  and what you end up deciding..

 

[Random Painted Highway]

We bought a used 19' class c rental and have no complaints.  We also did not want a slide and wanted to keep the layout simple and glad we did, plus it was a bargain too.  We have had it almost five years, and though we still are not FT due to health issues, i am confident of its capabilities.  Best of luck!

 

[Freelander]

What I did was make a list of things I wanted and things I didn't, and then started down the list until I found what I wanted to buy. My biggest concern was maintence, I wanted something easy to work on and simple. I didn't want slides because over time they will leak and its something else to have to work on. I did this with the entire list I looked at every item and researched it.

It would also help to visit some RV dealers in your area to get a better look at what you are looking for, the pictures are for sells purposes and there is. nothing like looking at the real thing. I visited 4 or 5 dealers until I had a good idea what I wanted and then went on line and found the one I bought.

Ask a LOT of questions.

 

[slark]

We much appreciate these words of guidance. It speaks volumes that we can still have a conversation with helpful advice from others.  Thank you

 

[RvNaut]

What I did was make a list of things I wanted and things I didn't, and then started down the list until I found what I wanted to buy.

Ask a LOT of questions.

This is what I did.. but what I found was, that what I thought I wanted radically changed as I became more in touch with the entire RV scene, and then as I started evaluating the feedback from hundreds of other in regard to living full time on wheels, I slowly changed my mind on so many issues... inexperience has so much potential influence.. ugh.. and there is no way around this obstacle outside of many hours of research to dig into the issues that are important to us. Freelander, when did you buy in, after how much digging, and how would you evaluate your choice? WHat would you chnage after living in it for"xx" amount of time? (see below about others experiences being important to read and share)

I started with an intense dislike for slides, and now I am buying a rig with two. It is a compromise. I am accepting that they will be a pain in the butt in the long run and the trade off is more space in my living environment. In my case, I am likely goign to be moving around less than most, and a trip to Alaska, although so desirable, is too costly,and the wear and tear... I will be "not moving" 95% of the time I am in the RV.. or more... *if* I saw myself traveling more, it would have swayed my decision...

I started with a hard line of a 24' rig so I could be in any state park and get into those small camp sites, but as I evaluated how hard was I goign to push adventure mode, versus living mode, i slowly change to a 38' and then this 31'..  I started with "only a 158" wheelbase" for all the great reasons that brings you in a box RV, C or A...  I stretched that to the 178"wb this trek has, and this beast of a thing has a massive rear overhang, which *will* be an issue in dips... but again I made a compromise with how I wanted to live and the space I am in... in most RVs if I stood in one place, held my arms out and spun around, I'd hit something...

I think a lot of people buy the wrong rig. From what I have read and seen, it mostly came down to ignorance... being in a state of just not knowing... I really dislike being in that situation.. it is a compulsion.. I need to understand how something works, in detail, ... annoying trait at times, but pays off when digging into a complete resorting of one's life at 60+ years of age... the last 18 months of research has made me the best informed person that hasn't ever done it, which could be me making my own bad decision (doh!) ( side track - is not DOH! one of the best expression of the previous century?)  I feel fairly confident that I have made a better decision for myself than I would have made even 5 months ago.

What I sought out, and what the OP is wisely doing, is seeking as many alternative thoughts on the whole process as possible/practical. There are known unknowns and more importantly, the unknown unknowns, ya know?     We just do not know what we do not know...  

The OP should venture a RV lot and or go tire kick a few local listings, get areal feel for how your day to day life would be in the various spaces.

.. ok.. enough outa me.. I need to be packing and sorting...

 

[slark]

I don't think any bad can come from hearing all points of discussion!  You all have experience, your thoughts and opinions are valuable to us. What we do with all of these comments is take them, absorb the information, research and as you said, get out there and kick the tires. The timing of buying a RV, could NOT be at a worst time. We have each other, and we've been through many challenges and we will make it through this too! I guess besides the timing, it's the feeling of vulnerability at our age. We want to enjoy the rest of our lives and we're asking for help navigate this next stage. Sorry for the long post! Again, thank you :heart:

 

[jacqueg]

Another thing to keep in mind - what kind of traveling do you envisage yourself doing? Yes, larger RVs have a number of advantages. But they have some significant drawbacks too. The main ones - fuel costs and campsite limitations. So as important as it is to understand the various kinds of RVs out there - including DIY RVs - it's even more important to understand what you yourself mean when you talk about full-time RVing.

 

[Freelander]

Also part of my thinking on no slides, is if I want to pull into a Walmart or a Cracker Barrel for the night I didn't want to have to push out a slide just to go to bed. I planned to be more mobil in my RV and some others. I wanted something short so that is would fit in place better. Even when towing my car behind me, I am only about 42 feet long.

Since I am single I really didn't need a lot of space, my living area is about 6 feet square and I am OK with that. I use the overhead bunk for storage. I still have to much stuff in here.

Also most class C in this length have very similar floorpans, so there wasn't a lot of choice there.

Part of my list was for no more than 35 feet, Chevy engine over Ford, as large of storage tanks as I could find. 

Want I found was a 25 foot, Class C on a Chevy frame, fresh water is 50 gals, black is 22 grey is 28, and propane is 16 gal. My goal was to be able to boondock for at least 14 days, I can now boondock for closer to 30 days. I have 400 watts on the roof and 300 amps of batteries.

I am sitting in an RV park in Texas fore the winter, but I plan to be back on the road next summer. I had a few little things I needed to work out before hitting the road full time again.

 

[Freelander]

Somebody mentioned about the size of the storage space in a Class C, well the way see it 'Do you really need all that stuff?'

I have cleaned out and gotten rid of stuff twice and I still have to much stuff that dont use, I have a brand new still in the box Coleman Camp Stuff, I have a brand new never used Charcoal Grill, and brand new still in the box Camping cookware, when I get back up to Oklahoma I have a buddy that will take all of this stuff I never use.

I have found ways to hang or mount things inside and use up and much free space as I can, and I still have a lot of free space to go.