Newbie who needs advice and an RV!

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PWDoodle

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Hi All!

I have been stalking this site and the You Tube Channel for a few months.  I am in the middle of the wild storm of cleaning, clearing, tossing and boxing up 53 years of my life, preparing to start a freer, more nomadic life.  I close on the sale of my house on August 31, then off I'll go.  Well, hopefully.  I am searching obsessively for a new nomadic-friendly home!  I want to have room for my kids and/or my parents to join me often, so it seems like a small class c is my best option, but I am quite open to other ideas.  
I would love any leads on great deals and advice you have!

Polly
 
Welcome Polly to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you. highdesertranger
 
PWD: Fare thee well, fare thee well

Most solo women I have seen have either cargo vans or small to midsize Class-Cs. A regular van would be too small to accommodate guests. Larger vehicles and trailers are problematical to park and setup unless you are more than one person. However. Blanch who is around here somewheres enoying the eastern Sierra tows a 30' trailer, so she should have some advice. If you have a good tow vehicle you could probably get by fine with a somewhat smaller than 30' trailer. So that's another option besides Class-C. 

Check out Carolyn, she's a pro and drives a Class-C. RVSue has traveled around for years towing a small 16-foot trailer. Some women have larger high-top vans which might be just large enough to have a couple of guests in.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfqr5I-0RKK8Ha1PeKi0_ig
http://rvsueandcrew.net/


A wild stormy life change is always good, but it's easier to get into this sort of thing "one step at a time". Get a rig and start out with small trips to get the feel of it. Put stuff in a storage locker, rather than spending a lot of time getting rid of everything, so you can hit the road sooner. Every trip you take will give you new and different ideas.
 
Welcome!
I started out in a class c thinking I'd like to have friends and family join me. I had two guests join me in 3 years. Downsized to a van. I miss some of the amenities but I love the simplicity of my van so much more.
My point being, do what works for you
 
Keep in mind you will not really be living in an RV, rather you will be living out of an RV.
 
Hi Polly and welcome to the forum!

My advice about being in the dreaming/planning stage of RV buying would be to take almost everything that any salesperson says with several large pinches of salt. Some of them will straight up lie to you about their products, trying to get you to think they're helping. Like in response to my question about an AC - "This won't be comfortable in 90° temps". Or at another dealership about the location of the plug on the outside of the trailer - "We'll have to get you a generator too, to charge your batteries, shore power won't work".

Going to a dealership and actually stepping inside the different units/models is a very good idea. It's a way for you to get a feel of how that RV will work for you.

The dealership doesn't have that same goal for you that you have for yourself. Their goal is for you to spend as much money as possible. Often that means trying to steer you into choosing an RV that's way bigger than you need, want, or ask for. Or trying to convince you that you require a service they provide. Or some accessories. Or camping gear. You get it...

For me the most irritating thing was trying to get me into a longer trailer. I said several times to the salespeople that I didn't need anything bigger than the 20' trailer I ended up getting, but two different dealerships kept finding ways to bring up that choosing something bigger would be a better deal. Ya know... cuz I'm "saving" money by spending thousands more, lol. Needless to say I didn't buy from them.

If you tour enough RVs, maybe rent one for a night or weekend, do your research, and end up deciding on a particular model, DON'T let the salespeople talk you into buying something you don't want. Their job is to sell every last unit on the lot. Your job is to think honestly about your needs, do your research, find a unit that fits into your life, fits your needs, and is a tool you can use to live your best life how you want to live it.

So, #1 - I'd recommend taking someone with you who can help, maybe someone with a little experience with RVs, or even anyone who might LOOK LIKE they would know about RVs or mechanical things. It sucks but it's a cruel truth that uninformed and uneducated people sometimes get taken advantage of.

#2 - Tell the salesperson you aren't going to be buying today, that you are there researching a future purchase. Ask for information from the manufacturers. It'll have the spec sheets so you can apples to apples compare models later.

And #3 - research the manufacturers/makes/models. Does a particular RV model tend to age nicely? What do the owner reviews say?

Good luck + have fun,
~angie

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk
 
THANKS, everyone! I am really appreciating all of your advice!
 
I read somewhere that you should buy/build what you need for yourself, for everyday living, and not what you might need for potential visitors. As I've thought more about that, it makes sense.

A suggestion to think about instead: carry a tent that could be used for guest quarters and which you might also end up using for other purposes as well. Keep us posted!
 
Hello Polly,
I'm new here too and I hope I can give you some Ideas. Since I don't know how handy you are when it comes to construction, Here are some Ideas for you.
You should visit UTube and search for RV Conversions. You will find vehicles from school busses and shuttle busses to box trucks. IMHO RVs are nice and already finished but their construction is not all that durable and quite flimsy compared to the other vehicles I've mentioned. You can also design your own layout and put things, such as beds, bathroom, shower, kitchen and closets, where YOU want them and where they make sense to you.
I strongly encourage you to look around RV lots and look at the various models available and decide on YOUR vehicle for YOUR comfort level.
Don't forget to test drive any vehicle you like so you can get a feel of how it handles. There is quite a difference of driving a car or van to driving a RV, bus, or truck.
 
BTW, in regards Class-C RVs, I've been watching CamperVanKevin's youtube channel for some time, and due to the low-slung nature of the plumbing on his Class-C, he has been beating the heck out of it in the typical BLM and other boondocking places. Just something to think about...

Every single choice you make requires some sort of compromise.
 
Welcome Polly, I am envious I dream of the day I can cut loose and just drive. My wife and I still work full time and live the rat race live but occasionally we nomad it around in our 2009 Silverado pickup pulling a 4900lb 27' travel trailer and we love it.

Ours a Keystone Hornet Hideout 27b, The Silverado does decent on gas getting 11-13mpg pulling the camper and 18-22 without it. It all depends on if I have my foot in it or not.
 
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