RV'ing?

[Elmo T]

OK - the Mrs. picked up an RV'ing guide book at a rest stop on I-80 when coming back from Cleveland. We also saw some last summer at the big Cabela's place outside Harrisburg. She is seriously pondering how an RV might benefit family travel plans.

When in doubt, consult the internet forums for opinions... ;)

Any serious RV type folks here?

She doesn't seem to like the travel trailers and a Class A seems like a serious investment. Does size matter? Must have options? New/used? I've also read some innerweb stuff on buying your RV in Canada for a better price. Is this like buying a boat (two best days of a man's life are when he buys a boat and...) ?

[nissan gtp]

you can spend a whole lot of nights in a nice hotel for the cost of an RV

[cameraman]

Rent one and find out if the experience is worth a ton of your money.

And remember in many towns you can't park it on your property so you have to pay to store the thing when you are not using it.

[Brickman]

http://www.lancecamper.com/home/index.html

From cozy to behemoth... and you get to use the truck the other months in the year. Flat screen TV Sat Dish, great for everything.

www.holidayrambler.com

Quality.

Shadow's preference:

http://mikescomputersllc.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7483

I tend to use them 6-8 times a year. Had a 98' Holiday Rambler and only lost $1,000 a year for the six year we had it. Name and quality helps resale.

RV Dealers?? :thumdown: :thumdown:

If you aren't paying 8 - 10 thousand under sticker (Trailer) you are paying too much. Get to know the product at a local dealer, and shop. I traveled 17 hours round trip to save thousands. It was a sale they normally wouldn't get, so they dealt a good deal.

[mapguy]

Do what I do.

http://www.eurekatent.com/images/product/large/51_1_.jpg

No hassles on where to park the RV, clean it, etc...

Plus with the money you save you can bring good beer instead of Bud, Coors, etc....

[Elmo T]

Renting one is on the agenda - purchasing is further down the road. We generally research these big purchases for a long time. Resale seems to be a big part of the purchase, but we keep our cars till the wheels fall off - not sure if that philosophy works with an RV.

I like the idea of a nice trailer (then I get to buy a truck), but she likes the motorhomes. I see the obvious advantage of the trailer being a truck you use all year long and being able to drop the trailer and run around with the truck.

[Warlock!]

The wife and I used to be big into tent camping. However, after the kiddies started coming out left and right (well, they all came out the center, but you know what I mean), we bought a big pop-up in 2000. It's got a king and queen bed, plus a couch-puzzle double bed and another twin. Inside/outside stove, fridge (propane/electric), sink, dinner tables, canopy, lotsa storage cabinets, a huge front storage bin, and A/C. I picked it up brand new for $6K. It's gone to a lotta campgrounds and just as many races ever since, and it's elevated the comfort level to the nth degree compared to tent camping. It's been well worth the money we gave for it.

That said, I'm gettin' tired of it. It's got all the conveniences of home with 5 times the setup/teardown time we used to have for tent camping. I'm thinking about a good-sized travel trailer in the upcoming year or two. They can be had for $10-30k, and the only setup you have is leveling it up when you get to your destination. You also will have your pulling vehicle to do any running around you might need (likker/beer/ice), with the same home away from home feel you'd get from a big pusher and all the amenities you'll ever need.

Just go to a few big RV shows in your area. You'll know what you like when you see it, and it'll give you a bit of an idea of what you can get for your budget. Convenience-wise, I don't think you can beat a nice 25'-30' trailer, maybe bigger/smaller depending on how many people are going to be using it.

Good luck.

[rosawendel]

the suggestion from my dad for long term purchase consideration: Get the largest single-rear axle RV you can find. double axels tend to chew up the tires when turning, because they want to turn at different radiuses.

[sadams]

I've had a Lance Camper for about 8 years. We 've been to Mid-Ohio, Elkhart Lake and we use it for air shows and similar events. Keeps the beer cold and you have a place to cook your own grub and use you own facilities which makes the wifey happy. Slides in in minutes and the 3/4ton Dodge Diesel rides a lot better with it up there.

[cameraman]

Unless you are going to be on the road for over half of the year I can't see spending the $100-300,000+ that those big motorhomes cost. You can get a really nice Airstream Safari for $45-70,000.

[Wabbit]

Do research, a lot of it, and then do some more. All RV's are NOT build the same.

Things to think about...

Pop-ups (had one) - If it rains, you must dry it out before mold happens. If you live in a very wet area, you will be opening it a lot a home to let the canvas dry out. Advantage - can be pulled by mid-sized SUVs. Small and lite. Disadvantage - Can be a long setup and teardown time. Very insecure.

Trailer/5th Wheel (current) - Mostly just need to park it. There is a large amount of floor plans available and manufacturers. Quality varies greatly. Advantage - Short setup/teardown time. Tow vehicle can be used for other purposes. Disadvantage - Requires at least a 1/2 ton truck/Big SUV(Suburban/Excursion). Check weights and capacities of both vehicles before purchasing. An undersized tow vehicle will cause you great problems down the road.

Motorhome - Mostly just need to park it. Large amount of floorplans and manufacturers. Quality varies greatly. - Advantage - No hook-up time or special vehicles needed. Can usually pull most small-mid-sized vehicles. - Disadvantage - Usually quite costly for initial investment. If the MH breaks down, you are out of your home if you are on the road while it gets fixed.

Look at the open road forums. There are a lot of nice people on that site. They will help you get what you need. A lot of them have been doing it for a long time and can also help you avoid the same mistakes they made.

As always, be careful of the salespeople. They will tell you, "Oh yeah, you can pull it with what you have", when it really wouldn't be a smart thing to do. Always assume that the GVWR of the trailer is what you are pulling and give yourself at least 20% more tow capacity for the truck. You also need to consider the wheelbase of your vehicle. Just because you have a V-8 or a Hemi, doesn't mean you can pull whatever is out there. There are a lot of gotchas that only experienced people will be able to tell you. After 5 years, I am still learning some of the little things.

RV'ing is fun. The best part of it is that no matter where you are, you are home. The trailer really becomes a second home. And contrary to popular belief, overall it is a lot cheaper then hotels.

The wife and I went the RV route because with both of our jobs, it is difficult to try and arrange to have a whole week off at the same time. It is a lot easier for both of us to leave early on a Friday, or take a Friday off. We get a lot more time away from home, and get to go different places. For the kid it's great because she likes making new friends whereever we go.