RV or TT

[VJG1977]

<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">If stealth parking was not a concern, if you had access to a place to park with electric, water and sewer, would you prefer to have a class C motor home or a travel trailer with a tow vehicle.&nbsp; Keeping in mind that you want to make 3 or 4 trips a year that may last for up to a month.</span></span>

 

[akrvbob]

I'd get the Class C and a high mpg economy car. I'd much rather get 40 mpg out of my daily driver instead of 15 in the tow vehicle. I think Class Cs are easier to drive than Class&nbsp; As and use space better.<br>Bob

 

[Seraphim]

We spent two years looking when we decided to replace out van. In general, we were finding we could get more for our money, and there was a larger variety of floorplans, with a TT. Bob has a point about mileage, so it depends which is more important to you. You're living in it 24/7. Comfort is important, and there's a psychological aspect as well, especially with two people.

 

[owl]

&nbsp; I currently full time in a fifth wheel and have lived in everything from a van to a TT. A fifth wheel tows much better than a travel trailer and has a shorter footprint for the same lenth. TTs are less expensive and can be towed by more vehicles without the special hitch the fiver requires. I think a van towing a TT is an ideal setup because the van can be used for short trips away from the home base.

 

[mockturtle]

All good points.&nbsp; A class C with an economical toad is a good choice IF you do a lot of daily driving.&nbsp; If you're going to remain parked in one place most of the time and <em>don't</em> do a lot of driving, a TT would be the most economical choice.&nbsp; Cheaper by far to buy, insure and maintain.&nbsp; I once had a very comfortable lightweight trailer that I towed with a full-sized SUV so that might be a good compromise.&nbsp;

 

[user 423]

I'd go with a 3/4T pickup and a TT with a small dual-purpose motorcycle either mounted at the front of the PU or hauled in the bed under a camper shell. A van as a TV would be OK also but the weight would be higher. A pickup is better if you do your own major repairs as pulling the engine is easier than from a van. But then the van has many plusses also...<br><br>Decisions,decisions. It's terrible for someone with ADHD <img src="/images/boards/smilies/crazy.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">

 

[Ravensoracle]

I'm looking for a 24-26' toyhauler. The garage would let me carry my motorcycle and gives me a nice large room in the back that can be reconfigured easily to whatever I needed. I like the idea of having the large bed that raises to the ceiling in the back. If you have it setup as a living room, it also allows you to drop the back as a deck and setup a screened area. That would make it nice on those hot days when you don't want to run the generator for AC.&nbsp;<br><br>The toyhouler's also tend to be designed from the factory to be decent boondockers. Several I looked at had a gas station, generator (not many TT I see have genny's) and a battery bank. I came across a used one with a nice solar and wind setup added aftermarket. Having the truck would also allow me to carry a blue boy and a water bob so that I could refill water and remove waste without having to hookup the trailer and move it.&nbsp;

 

[VJG1977]

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">A lot of great suggestions and I hope to try several of them.&nbsp; While I am still working I plan to get a 24’ class C.&nbsp; Until I retire, I’ll ease into the lifestyle by taking it on vacations and several long weekend trips each year.&nbsp; These trips will be used to locate a property to use as a Home Base.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 13px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">As I get closer to retirement I want to setup a Home Base with a carport type structure to park under, similar to the one that akblack10 has.&nbsp; </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: windowtext;"><a href="/post/OffGrid-HomeBase-for-the-RV-Dweller-5865012" rel="nofollow">https://vanlivingforum.com/post/OffGrid-HomeBase-for-the-RV-Dweller-5865012</a></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">After I retire I hope to add a larger Travel Trailer to the Home Base.&nbsp; This would be parked under a shed roof structure also. &nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Location requirements would include: centrally located between family, outside of any city limits, no zoning restrictions / building codes that would preclude RV living, available electric / water.</span></p>

 

[Elf]

I have a 14ft TT towed with a 1/2 ton 4WD, so maybe I am biased, but..<br><br>I would go TT towed with a pickup - mostly because the pickup is so handy. <br><ul><li>I can toss my bicycle in the back and not have to worry with a bike rack.</li><li>I can also carry along a generator in the truck bed for power outages, or if I want to go dry camp for a while.</li><li>I can pack extra water and equipment for long stays</li><li>I can put a small boat in the bed to putter around lakes and rivers</li><li>Since the truck is 4 wheel drive, I never have to worry about getting out and about even in bad weather - a real concern here in the hills of WV.</li><li>Your last post makes it sound like you will be near family.&nbsp; Having a pickup can make you the most sought after family member - at least when something needs hauled <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></li></ul>

 

[SirJoey]

<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">After I retire I hope to add a larger Travel Trailer to the Home Base.&nbsp; This would be parked under a shed roof structure also. &nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Location requirements would include: centrally located between family, outside of any city limits, no zoning restrictions / building codes that would preclude RV living, available electric / water.</span><br>

<br><strong><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">PRECISELY what I've done! Home base, in the boonies, <br>under a carport, "permanently" set up as a mini mobile home:<br></span><br><span><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">

</span><br><br><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">

<br><br>She's even got a couple cinder block pillars &amp; a heat lamp for the tanks underneath.<br>Since these shots were taken, I've added "permanent" sewage hookup &amp; water supply, too.&nbsp;<br><br>The only thing still screaming "TEMPORARY", is the yellow, 100' power cord strung across the yard.&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/eek.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"><br></span><br><br></span></strong>

 

[VJG1977]

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">

</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;"> <br> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br> <!--[endif]--></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">Your last post makes it sound like you will be near family.&nbsp; Having a pickup can make you the most sought after family member - at least when something needs hauled<span class="apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" oreferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/> </v:formulas> <vath o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/></v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:11.25pt; height:11.25pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/VICTOR/AppData/Local/Temp/msoclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" o:href="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif"/></v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><img rel="lightbox" src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" class="bbc_img"><!--[endif]--></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">

</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">When I said, “Centrally located between family” what I didn’t say was, with two brothers and two sisters that live in four towns in two states, it is 750 miles between two of them. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I just checked google maps and from Greenville, SC. (SirJoey, I believe that’s your neck of the woods).&nbsp; It is 380 mile to my brother in Hamilton, AL and 370 miles to my sister in Washington, NC.&nbsp; During a trip to Washington I would pass by a sister in Greensboro, NC and a brother in Greenville, NC.&nbsp; I think there is a nephew near Myrtle Beach SC about 250 miles away.&nbsp; </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->&nbsp;<!--[endif]--></span></p><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">SirJoey, I like your setup.&nbsp; With the carport roof keeping the sun and rain off the roof of the TT the maintenance should be a lot easier.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span>