Moving back to the USA - Need Advice!

[WonkoTheSane]

Hi,

I have been living outside of the USA for about 10 years now.  My wife and I will be coming to the US at the end of the year (based on her visa being approved) and what we want to do is to travel around the US for 3 - 6 months so she can get a feel for the country before we choose a place to settle down for a while.

We don't plan to spend a lot of time in RV parks or similar higher cost places, otherwise we might as well just stay in hotels/motels.  The goal is to do this at a reasonable cost while still allowing me to work.  I work about 4 hours per day online doing teleconferencing with clients, sometimes more, sometimes less.  I need excellent internet.  It doesn't have to be the fastest internet (minimum of about 3 - 5 Mbps for work, but faster would be nice for other times), but it has to be stable and available wherever I am working.  Likely at least 100 gigs per month of data.

We don't have much interest in large cities, but we do want to look at small-medium sized cities (~30K - 50K pop.) along with small towns to find a nice place to settle down at the end of our journey.

We also want to see the sights and natural beauty of the USA.

The things that are important to us:

Interior:
1. Full bathroom (toilet and shower) - Doesn't have to be big, but my wife is absolutely going to shower two times a day, and would be aghast if I suggested otherwise.
2. Cooking area
3. A place for me to work - I need a good looking, well lit area along with comfortable seating for my laptop and possibly extra monitors.
4. A place for my wife to relax while I work.
5. A good sleeping area that we don't need to convert from a seating area each time.
6. It would be great if it was walkthrough from cockpit to cabin, but that may be impossible with other requirements.

Exterior:
1. Small enough to fit into parking so we can go hang out on small towns, etc. and see the sights.
2. We want to avoid towing primarily because I have no idea where to safely leave a trailer when we want to go explore a town or city.

I've been thinking that a truck camper might be the closest to what we can do reasonably.  Class B+ are very expensive, I really don't like the size of anything but the smallest Class Cs for parking in the city, and the roofs and build quality always look very suspect to me.

I'm figuring a 2003 - 2007 Gen3 Dodge Ram 3500 8' bed with the 5.9l Cummins (preferably a 2003 - 2004 HO for the best balance of fuel economy and power) which I should be able to pick up right around $10K with under 250K miles and hopefully new injectors and a manual transmission.  

Along with that, another up to $5K for the camper.  If the camper is in excellent shape and just needs some sprucing up, then my wife and I can do that for future resale (inside paint, new upholstry, etc.).  Of course we would have competent mechanics check each one before buying.  Nothing with leaks or water damage that hasn't been repaired correctly.

Does this seem like the right RV for us considering our needs?  Should we be rethinking? 

Some concerns I have:

I have to work on Asia time zones, so I'll be using electricity for my computer and lighting in the middle of the night.  I feel like running a generator at night might be an issue with noise for others (though I'm considering mounting it under the truck and adding a muffler, which should help a lot), but solar looks extremely expensive since I would need to work during the times that the sun is not shining, leaving me relying on having enough battery capacity to last through the night.

While I've read tons about it, I'm still not sure what I should do to ensure that we always have a place to park.  I don't want to make Walmart a regular thing, but I can't park in the wilderness without a data connection.

I'm looking at an AT&T business plan that gives me 100 gigs of hotspot data per month for $85.  It's incredibly expensive compared to where I live now, but I am not relying on a reseller that could go out of business on me or could have my data de-prioritized.  I also hear AT&T has less coverage than Verizon, but I don't know by how much in the places I plan to be.

I'm sure there's a lot more, but that's enough for now.

Thanks for any insight or advice!

 

[bullfrog]

It will have to be very short showers so as to use very little water or you will be spending all your time running to fill and dump tanks. Possibly once they open you might join a national gym plan but those are usually in larger cities. Running a generator at night isn’t going to work at a lot of places. Many places like truck stops would be okay but almost all Parks do not allow it during the night. Most truck campers have a dinette and a over cab bed and very little floor or counter space. You most likely will have to convert something to have a work space. You might be better off using the cab of the truck for your work space. You are asking a lot for such a small space of a truck camper.

 

[WonkoTheSane]

Thanks so much for the insight!

How much water does a typical shower use per 10 minutes?  That's a really good point.  We live in a developing country right now, so limiting water use won't be a huge surprise to us but it depends on how limited.  My showers are about 10 minutes (with water off much of the time while I soap and scrub), but my wife's are closer to 15 minutes.

What would you recommend for power?  Just extra batteries and some way to charge them up during the day?  I think my work will be under 200 watts, my laptop draws 14.2 watts at idle and maxes out at 111 watts with a full stress test.  Likely around 50 watts is typical during my actual working.  A second monitor would be about 35 watts, so I figure even with a few LED lights on we're looking at about 200 watts maximum.  From this website (https://www.batterystuff.com/kb/tools/calculator-sizing-a-battery-to-a-load.html) a 250 AH AGM battery bank should be more than enough enough for 6 hours.  Does that seem reasonable?

Worst case scenario, I could switch to a lower draw laptop and/or forego the extra monitor, I really don't need much, just enough to do video conferencing with clients.

When I look at the truck campers, it looks like the dinette should be big enough for my work area, I don't need much, really.  Just my laptop, a monitor right nearby for reference materials, and a mousepad.  When we get to the states we plan to find a dealership just to do some walkthroughs to see if we're on the right track.

Do you think I should be looking at a B/B +?  With one of those I can swivel the driver's seat and set a table up with a curtain behind me for my work area.  My concern is that the showering facilities on those look REALLY small in comparison with the truck camper and the age of the camper I could afford would be higher with a gas engine instead of diesel.

I appreciate the response! 

 

[Camper]

With three long showers a day, I predict you will dump the grey water tank every two or three days.

In my area, Dodge diesel trucks start at $15k, and are very hard to find.

In the winter, my heater fan will drain one battery overnight.

Your water pump for these long showers will take lots of power too..... it all adds up.

 

[WanderingRose]

I agree completely with what bullfrog has said.

I have had a ClassB for 13+ years, and one of these with front seats that swivel would allow you that area as an office space.

You and your wife will both need to work to modify shower routines, or dumping and refilling with water will consume a lot of time each week.

Renting a campground spot for a few weeks or a month at a time, to allow you to explore an area, is something to strongly consider, as you would have electricity as well as shower facilities.

Many who work on the road do this.

I think that spending some time looking at various small RV’s before buying something is critical, and not something that can be done well remotely.

Although rentals are pricey, you might consider this to try some out before purchasing.

Good luck!

 

[Camper]

I just read that the average RV shower is 1.5 gallons a minute. That doesn't sound like much but do the math for a day.

Changing out the shower head to one gallon a minute will help some.

 

[bullfrog]

Most of us follow the weather and make compromises to try to live cheaply. Your space, water and power needs may seem small to you but realistically may not be. When you have to carry and dump water as well as be your own power company you soon learn to appreciate how easy “living on the grid” is compared to what you will need to do. For example AGM batteries storage capacity should not be allowed to go below 50% if you want them to last longer you need to start charging them completely at a much higher percentage. Most people that have your power and water needs have larger RVs (with larger tank capacity) and large solar systems and an efficient second vehicle. Many do stay at RV parks regularly to have access to services when they need them. Since monthly rates are cheaper they use the RV Park as a base camp and the efficient vehicle ( a Toyota Prius is unique in that it has the capability to automatically keep you warm or cool plus act as a generator, while being extremely quiet and fuel efficient) to explore the areas around the park. Covid 19 has hopefully temporarily changed a lot of what it is possible to do as well and needs to be considered. It is expensive and difficult to create an apartment on wheels especially if you are not able to make many compromises.

 

[WonkoTheSane]

I agree completely with what bullfrog has said.

I have had a ClassB for 13+ years, and one of these with front seats that swivel would allow you that area as an office space.

You and your wife will both need to work to modify shower routines, or dumping and refilling with water will consume a lot of time each week.

Renting a campground spot for a few weeks or a month at a time, to allow you to explore an area, is something to strongly consider, as you would have electricity as well as shower facilities.

Many who work on the road do this.

I think that spending some time looking at various small RV’s before buying something is critical, and not something that can be done well remotely.

Although rentals are pricey, you might consider this to try some out before purchasing.

Good luck!

Thanks Rose, I started looking at class Bs and they do look doable, though expensive to my eyes (but I'm not experienced with the resale market on those).  What do you think of the Rialtas?  Are there specific Class B RVs you recommend?  Do you have any other advice about them you could give me?

I talked to my wife and she is up for changing the shower routine.  Maybe just 1 time per day for a few minutes each would be fine.

What kind of prices do you see for renting campground spots for a week or two?

I was seeing prices around $40 per day, which means between that and much higher gas cost I almost might as well buy a smaller car and just stay in hotels/motels or AirBnBs.  The goal here is to avoid spending tons of money on this trip and hopefully sell the RV at the end for near what we paid.  We've figured that we'll spend about a month or two looking, and hopefully that will be enough.

I appreciate all the input and help from everyone!  Even if I didn't quote your post please know I took what you wrote seriously and am considering all of the advice I receive.   :thumbsup:

 

[shadowmoss]

Look at the Cruise America website for their sales side. They go through the rental rv from top to bottom and 'recondition' to to where everything works. These are class C RVs. They then sell them as the brand Majestic, and they run in the$30K for as nice an rv as you will easily find in that price range. They have a couple of different models so don't be put off if you don't like the first few shown. They have sales offices in a few places in the US, listed for each model as to where it is located.

 

[WonkoTheSane]

$30K is well out of my range, thanks.

 

[Gypsyjoe#1]

Start checking craigs list for the area you are looking to start out. I bought my 1994 Damon Challenger class A with 68,000 miles on it for $4,000 and it has everything you are looking for except the size you want. When I bought it it is like brand new and the only thing I had to do was change the fan on it. So some excellent buys can be found on craigs list.

 

[bullfrog]

You might consider a combination of camping and AirBNB especially during Covid. When we were camping my wife required a long hot shower every 3 days (in between spray bottle sponge baths), so we would return to base camp or visit a truck stop or park with showers while fully charging batteries and dumping and filling tanks. Using a routine like this you might get by with a truck camper, or maybe a Prius and a tent even.

 

[WonkoTheSane]

Start checking craigs list for the area you are looking to start out. I bought my 1994 Damon Challenger class A with 68,000 miles on it for $4,000 and it has everything you are looking for except the size you want. When I bought it it is like brand new and the only thing I had to do was change the fan on it. So some excellent buys can be found on craigs list.

Thanks, yeah, I'm really hoping!  I love the interior of those Damons!  I looked at them long and hard but I just have no idea what to do with it while my wife and I are exploring a town.  Otherwise I would look for a good, cheaper class A like that and spend some money on solar and batteries so I would be totally free of the grid and able to work silently.

I'm honestly open to buying the RV anywhere.  I'll be starting out in Michigan but I can hop a cheap flight or drive to anywhere to pick up the RV if it saves me money and gets me what I want.  Michigan is the land of rust, after all... 

You might consider a combination of camping and AirBNB especially during Covid. When we were camping my wife required a long hot shower every 3 days (in between spray bottle sponge baths), so we would return to base camp or visit a truck stop or park with showers while fully charging batteries and dumping and filling tanks. Using a routine like this you might get by with a truck camper, or maybe a Prius and a tent even.

Great idea, my wife and I had talked about using motels, AirBnBs and hotels when and where it made more sense. If I can just work out the power for work, I think we're pretty good to go. We can work around just about anything except not earning money.

I chatted with my wife today about it and she said she's fine with less showers, though I'm sure she would want a daily few minutes to scrub up.  For her it's not about long and hot showers, it's about being a bit of a clean freak.  As long as she can scrub up she's happy.  As for me, I'm basically a bear, I shower because my wife tells me I have to.  I'd still be sleeping on a piece of foam I bought at an industrial supply store for about 6 bucks if she didn't put her foot down and tell me there was no way she would marry me if we had to sleep on that filthy thing every night.  

I really like Rose's idea of a Class B, and my wife loves the idea of not having to get out of the vehicle to go to the back.

 

[highdesertranger]

between the water usage and the power usage a truck camper ain't going to cut it. in fact with the showers and power usage in the middle of the night a full hook up RV park is really your only choice. now with a big enough vehicle you could solve the power issue but the water? your wife is going to have to rethink this or you are going to be stuck in cheap motels. highdesertranger

 

[Gypsyjoe#1]

Thanks, yeah, I'm really hoping!  I love the interior of those Damons!  I looked at them long and hard but I just have no idea what to do with it while my wife and I are exploring a town.  Otherwise I would look for a good, cheaper class A like that and spend some money on solar and batteries so I would be totally free of the grid and able to work silently.

I'm honestly open to buying the RV anywhere.  I'll be starting out in Michigan but I can hop a cheap flight or drive to anywhere to pick up the RV if it saves me money and gets me what I want.  Michigan is the land of rust, after all... 

What part of Michigan will you be starting out in? I am in the Traverse City area until the first of December and know of a few places to look so could do some looking for you and send you the info. If you were interested in the Damons I know of a couple and you could have a toad behind them for your sight seeing. 

 

[WonkoTheSane]

What part of Michigan will you be starting out in? I am in the Traverse City area until the first of December and know of a few places to look so could do some looking for you and send you the info. If you were interested in the Damons I know of a couple and you could have a toad behind them for your sight seeing. 

I'll be starting out down south, about 30-45 minutes west of Detroit.  Near the Ann Arbor area.

When you want to sight see, what do you do with your Class A?

Where can you park it?

What kind of mileage do you get?

Are they tough to re-sell later?

 

[Gypsyjoe#1]

For me I don't have a toad I just take my class A where I want to sight see most of the time it works out just fine. As for mileage its not the greatest, about 8mpg. As far as reselling I have been offered twice what I paid for it, but only have a few more months to live so will be donating it to howa at the RTR hopefully they can sell it or find someone who needs it.

 

[ridgeway]

As others have said the water usage you guys desire is not realistic in a self contained RV. The average person in a US household uses like 60gal of water a day in an RV people usually use closer to 10gal a day. Campgrounds, RV parks, gyms, hot springs, swimming pools, Airb&b's, hotels all have basically unlimited hot water. Amenities on the road cost $$ no way around it really. You can "score" cheap and free stuff but.. it usually cost more time and gas then just paying a nightly fee and using it.

Where you are looking for an RV is considered the "Rust Belt" for a couple of reasons. One is they heavily salt the roads in the winter so vehicles get very heavy rust in a few years. This causes many problems and will make the resale value very poor.

 

[WanderingRose]

Thanks Rose, I started looking at class Bs and they do look doable, though expensive to my eyes (but I'm not experienced with the resale market on those).  What do you think of the Rialtas?  Are there specific Class B RVs you recommend?  Do you have any other advice about them you could give me?

I talked to my wife and she is up for changing the shower routine.  Maybe just 1 time per day for a few minutes each would be fine.

What kind of prices do you see for renting campground spots for a week or two?

There are lots of ClassB’s out there, some more expensive than others, some very high tech while others and older models more low-tech.

I prefer older, and low tech.  I have an older ClassB on a dodge sprinter chassis with a MB Diesel engine. I love it, get good fuel mileage and it is a fully self contained house on wheels.

They are a bit more pricey, but you have a vehicle and an RV, and personally I feel it is the best way to travel.  Well maintained and with workhorse Diesel engines, their resale value is higher than you might expect.

If you can do small, which everyone cannot, and if you get along very well with your partner.

The ClassA’s are serious gas guzzlers, and that and their sheer size makes them prohibitive for many of us.  I would not have one, even if I could afford it.  Their size also limits campground options.

Campground rates vary widely, from free to $100 or more a night, depending on the type, area and time of year.

I like the AllStays app, which gives you private and public campgrounds, their rates and amenities.

We have always had the “spend less, do more” mindset, opting for less expensive campsites so we could afford to travel and see the country.

As a widow these past almost 7 years, I tend to go more to favorite places and stay longer, still mixing it up in terms of campgrounds but sometimes opting to spend more for a longer stay with full amenities in a beloved place.

As for showering, there are lots of tips and tricks for minimizing water usage, and as you get down to the wire perhaps explore some of those threads here.

If you have never camped or RV’d, I would suggest caution in plunking down lots of money for something until you have a pretty good idea of what you really want and what you really need.

 

[WonkoTheSane]

For me I don't have a toad I just take my class A where I want to sight see most of the time it works out just fine. As for mileage its not the greatest, about 8mpg. As far as reselling I have been offered twice what I paid for it, but only have a few more months to live so will be donating it to howa at the RTR hopefully they can sell it or find someone who needs it.

Hopefully you mean the RV only has a few more months!  If it's you, I hope your days are pain free and filled with as much joy as you can handle!