RV owners - please tell us what it's like
 

I'm thinking I'd like to buy a used RV before I retire. Traveling across the US in an RV with a small crossover SUV in tow sounds like it can be a lot of fun. I could put our bicycles on a hitch off the SUV and the kayaks up on the roof. We'd pull into an RV park and jump into the car and just roam. Sounds like a lotta fun but I'm sure there are headaches.

RV owners, please tell me what it's really like? I'd like a motorhome that can climb the Sierras or Rockies with ease while towing a vehicle in the middle of summer. How much would something like that in great but used condition set me back? What's the average cost of RV storage?

How's this?

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/rvs/1266506681.html

The RV you linked is gas, front engined. I think most people with experience will tell you to get a diesel pusher in anything over 30-35ft

Get one, and you will drive 55.

Look how much I learned already just from the first response. Thanks!

lol

Yes you want a diesel pusher with an Allison Auto tranny.

If you like having to set up all your crap every night and don't mind using a mediocre bathroom all the time its fine. I mean if you are going to go and stay for more than a night its great but if you are going to move everyday its cheaper/easier to stay in motels. I mean you have to figure time to get the RV in place and set up and all your stuff unstowed etc.

I guess it really depends on what type of traveling you want to do.

almost new RV's are dirt cheap in Fla


ps: AirStream is still the best afai know

Do the math.

Factor in depreciation and gas and insurance etc. You could probably spend almost two full years is 4-star hotels for the price of the RV you are considering...

It's not all about the dollars and cents; you can't fling open the door of a 4-star hotel and cook breakfast outdoors next to a mountain stream with only the sounds of birds and the stream in your ears.

I'd like to have a small trailer and pull it behind my truck.


KT

Yes but a 4 star motel doesn't shuck a belt on the way to said mountain stream and leave you stranded. I wouldn't even consider it if you aren't a fairly ingenuitive DIYer. There are lots if things that can and usually do go wrong with these things. It's a house on wheels. Now imagine what would happen to the plumbing in your house if you say twisted it from each end or bounced it up and down. There are sone safe guards built in sure but the crap still breaks. The beds usually suck too FWIW

Do a Private Party rental for a week or a month and give back when your done.

Some things you should rent and not own. (boats, planes, women)

Hmm, RV rental eh? Sounds like a plan.

or - get a trailer and tow it behind a diesel pick-up.

There are TONS of costs involved in owning an RV!!! And when things break...

Wife and I have joked about buying a used pop-up trailer. It is a really sick joke!!!

Like people have said, RV'ing is fun but if you do not get something fairly new you will have some minor (in most cases) problems. Growing up we had an old camper and broke down a number of times. The last time we broke down we were in Georgia and the crankshaft cracked. We had to rent a car and drive back to MA.

+1

On the other hand, sometimes you can't find good hotels close to the places you want to visit.

An option to consider is renting. Ooops. I see that was already suggested! My BIL wants to do what you've proposed, cantdrive, and his wife is not so hot with the idea. I mentioned renting, but he's still stuck on the ownership idea. At least he's thinking about a used RV.

I want to do this when I retire.

My main concern is how the heck do I get my bills paid?

Although many have already mentioned renting another option is renting! Only you own it and a rental company rents it out when you are not using it. All damages are covered by the rental contract and fixed to like new condition every rental. Here in Canada it also qualifies as a taxable write off of some sort. I have friends who did this for about 10 years on several different rv's and never really had to make any loan payments. They now own a brand new diesel pusher with two slides for almost nothing. This one they do not rent though.


Might be an option

There are some other similar threads here so be sure to search for them.

Number one rule, Fer God Sakes, don't buy new! Whatever you do... These things depreciate faster than any other thing on the road. Buy even 1-3 years old and save 40%/

Not sure how long of a trip you are planning... A week or amonth? Rent. A year? Probably should buy. Lots of deals to be had. My family loves the RV, though 90% of our usage is at the racetrack 3-6 hours from the house. Someday the wife and I would like to see the country in one.

That's the other thing, remember that once you park in an RV park, you're stuck so you might need to tow-behind a car if you wnat to go sightseeing. Diesel pushers are the nicest, but come at a high premium. Towing through the mountains basically requires one. We have a front-engine gas and even though we tow a 24' trailer, the midwest is so flat it's okay.

I want one of these.

http://www.adventuretrailers.com/ima...artrailer3.jpg

http://www.adventuretrailers.com/ima...artrailer7.jpg

http://www.adventuretrailers.com/ima...artrailer8.jpg

Private Party Rentals

http://www.privatemotorhomerental.com/

You can check out these for lots of information.

www.gorving.com

www.goodsamclub.com

Setup time is not a big issue, it gets to be a routine takes a few minuetes.

Turbo Deisel is the way to go if you want to tow and go to the mountains.

I had a Freightliner chasiss with a 15L turbo Cat and I was able to pass cars at 8000 and 9000 ft. and up.

Long term they will require maintenance, more on the coach than on the chasiss and drivetrain.

If you get a deisel drivetrain make sure you also have a deisel generator. I know it sounds logical, but.....

Used 1-2 year would yield best value/condition. They take a huge dep first year and most equipment is still in warranty. Most have 3-5 year warranty on appliances and equipment. Check this as these can be expensive repairs when on the road.

There are lots of places that service RV's all over and most RV parks have lists of shops that will come to the RV park for service.

Taking a trip in a rental is a good idea to see if it suits you. It is a big step to take to buy without knowing what you are getting into. All the comments about boats, planes, RVs and the two happest days of your life are true, but there can be lots of other happy days in between.

A trailer seems more logical. Cheaper to buy. Easier to get towing, parts and service for a Ford/GM/Dodge pickup than a big-ass motorhome. You're not towing an extra car. Airstream trailers are actually pretty, I wouldn't mind one sitting in my back yard (if I had a big enough yard) whereas storing a motorhome in the back yard is an eyesore.

RVs are great. Nothing like waking up at the race track.

Downside is there is ALWAYS something breaking on them. It's not always an expensive thing, often just a PITA thing. The RV will become a hobby in itself. If you enjoy that kind of thing you'll get along fine.

Not my thing, BUT I have known several people over the years who did exactly what you plan to do. Then after the big trip the things just sat in the driveway rotting away while they were still making payments, paying taxes, upkeep, etc.

RV's can be fun but they are the only vehicle I know that depreciates faster than a Landrover. I say RENT a nice diesel pusher and enjoy! then when you guys finish just drive it back to their lot.

And while on this subject.........................................I read some time ago that Mick Jagger rents everything. He does not actually own anything including property on good advice from his business manager

Curious, What kind of personal experiance do you have with RVs. What kind of RV have you had. Although things can happen, plenty of people had different experiances then that. I'm one of those people that getting to the destination is part of the experiance. I'm packing up the 37ft Tiffin for a 6 day trip today and We are going on a two week trip to Yellowstone in August.

I would say rent a few times and figure out what works best for ya, then buy a couple year old used one.

Depending on what you want to spend, our small Class C RV ended up being way cheaper than hotels. When you add in the fact that you have to eat 3 meals out a day in a hotel at high prices, the convenience factor, etc...

It also depends on how much you'll use it. We'd pay $150-$200/night in a hotel. That's $500-$600 per weekend, another $300 for restaurant food, then 1.5 times per month. That's $1250/month for hoteling for us. Motorhome cost? It's less even including the payment.

I've had pretty good luck with my RV maintenance. Last one (93) only had needed a new water heater and gas line in 5 years. New one (06) needed $16 in parts in 2 years. (KNOCK WOOD!)

Can't be that bad.

My 1995 RR LWB County cost appx $75K new (I didn't buy it new). Now in 2009 I am going to sell it for $500. And it'd been burning $2-3K/yr in repair costs for the last 5 years of its active life. Incredible.

just a repeat

I've seen some serious RV people over the years. From fathers taking family to the lakes of N Alberta for the summer while he commutes to work to couples traveling N to S, depending on weather and season, for years at a time.

they always had an Airstream




BTW.. the MB van with owner added big wheels is the van to buy for camping. 5 cyl d gets 20 mpg at 75 mph. Steady as a rock at speed or in high winds and able to climb the Rockies without issue.

I have been towing a 5th wheel for our vacations for over ten years. I would never own a motorhome for several reasons. Unless you tow a car behind you are stuck where you park it w/o transport into town or sightseeing. Motor Homes have all the systems of a vehicle and all the systems of a house all in one.

I have always been happy with my set up which is a Dodge Dually diesel...first a '95 and now an '06. The trailer has had to be repaired on occasion mostly because of my sometimes off road excursions. Most trailers and fivers have a crappy under carriage and not suited for the weight. It would be wise to upgrade the springs and add shocks right away.

It's a great way to travel. I can't stand motels and can't eat at restaurants all the time either. With a trailer, once you un-hook you're free to go where you want in your truck. Friends of mine who went with a motorhome mostly regret it.

I've never understood Land Rover ownership. An old Defender maybe. But that's it.

We're on our 3rd Land Rover and I don't get it either ;) Actually, our reliability experience has been pretty good but yes they depreciate nearly as fast as an RV. Never buy a new Land/Range Rover or RV and you'll do much better.

I second the idea of renting an RV for the first few trips to see if it's really what you want. I grew up with RV parents who used it nearly every other weekend. Drive off on Friday afternoon and come home Sunday late. It was a 25' class A motorhome and served us well - much more fun than hotels and restaurant food. Renting can be very expensive (charge for mileage) so try to find a private party to do business with.

My parents upgraded to a large diesel pusher, a Monaco signature, that sold for something like $500K new. They bought it 2 years old for the high $200's and drove it for 5 years. Now in their late 70's it was too big for them to manage so they sold it for $140K and went with a smaller Mercedes diesel bus...I have not seen it yet.

A chest of drawers on wheels?

Florida is full of RV bargains like someone else said. I've heard stories of retirees buying an RV and are ready to kill each other after 2 states and come home and sell it for 75 cent on the dollar.

I thought of towing an RV trailer but I think a motorhome makes more sense for us. Isn't it true that while the RV trailer is being towed there cannot be anyone in it? I'd think half the fun of RVing is being able to drive while someone's cooking up popcorn and watching the tube.

The kids go in the trailer with a padlock on the outside. Parents ride in the truck.

Makes sense if you're going to drive a lot of the time, But I think you'd want to keep the driving-to-stationary ratio low anyway.

Imagine driving your motorhome to your destination, listening to your favorite song on the old iTunes while someone's melting cheese on top of nachos for you. What's that, you're lactose intolerant and need a restroom? No worries. Have your wife take over the wheel while you walk to the potty. Heaven.

Rofl:d

True story - My brother was a cop here in Tampa and worked a wreck on I-4, the major road from Tampa to Disney World. There was an RV that had run off the road. Come to find out the Middle Eastern man and his family had just picked the RV up from the rental place and got on I-4 headed to Mickey Mouse Land. He was driving along without a care in the world when he needed to use the potty. So he set the cruise control just like the man said and got up and walked to the bathroom. Luckily no one was seriously hurt.