RV’s???

[Instigator]

Been watching, thinking, looking at doing something like this for decades.

Interested in any input positive or negative from you guys who are doing the RV/motorhome thing.

Keep bouncing back-and-forth between a towable camper or a self-contained RV and think we’re doing the RV thing.

I have a 1 ton van capable of towing 6700 pounds but don’t think I want to go that direction.

Looking at used, probably 30 foot or less, $20,000 range that we can load the dogs up and head south for a couple weeks to escape the Ohio winters.

The actual camping part, shore power, pump outs, etc. I totally get as I’ve been doing similar style boating all my life.

Questions/concerns:

1. Stability while underway.
I’ve seen some scary stuff while following RVs in wind, hills, ****ty roads etc.

How bad is it?

2. Slides.
Yes or no?

3. Powerplants.
Within my price range.

Good, bad etc.

4. Towing?
Thinking of my 25’ Checkmate which is approx 5500 lbs, loaded.

Or a small car, or Cheryl’s Jeep Sahara.

Probably a deal breaker for most, which I totally get.
We want to go south which means mountains, which chews up and spits out wimpy vehicles, let alone houses towing something up them!

5. Campsites?

I was ready to pull the trigger on an RV a year ago until I researched the price for camp spots.
At that point I basically threw my hands up and walked away!

You can stay in a decent hotel for as much!

Since then a friend has told me it totally depends on where you stay.

As in the KOA is twice what a regular, more basic site would be.

Also see many people overnighting in Walmart parking lot.
Curious as to logistics on that.

Understand you would be totally self supportive but do you have security people knocking on the door at 3 AM asking you to move?

6. Generators?

Yes/no?

Also get that as my last cabin cruiser had one which was mandatory on my shopping list.
And of course after getting it we never used it!

I can see it being different though if you chose to spend a few days in your RV off the grid.


7. Batteries?

How much can/do you depend on them when you are not attached to shore power?

Also did a lot of this on the boat, understood it very well, did very well at it but with 1/10 of the electrical demand that a 30 foot RV would have.

8. Class A or C?
I see pros/cons to both.

9.
Campers?

Guess I haven’t totally ruled one out.
We actually had a gorgeous 28’ bought until it failed pre-delivery inspection due to bad roof and damaged slide.

I like the idea of leaving it at campsite and driving off in our van.

Based on 6700 lb towing, looks like we could do 24 -26’ if careful.

A strong positive for a camper, for us is, find a place we like, leave it there than go get the boat.

Thanks in advance for the education fellas!

Gary

[rock]

I have had both and I liked, hands down, the motorhome by far. We used it to chase Nascar around the country. 17 straight races at Talladega and visited almost all the tracks in the country. Las Vegas being the only one we flew to. I would recommend a class A coach as opposed to the wood frame type. They, the wood framed, are lighter in general but the movement tends to take a toll sooner. We had a class A with a huge Chrysler engine that really liked fuel. Built on what is basically a school bus frame we put thousands of miles on it with few issues along the way. Mine had an Onan 5K generator that used way too much fuel. On a 5 to 6 day outing we on occasion would run the tank dry which was no big deal as we almost always in a group and a trip for fuel was not a big deal. We never went to camping locations so I cannot comment on cost compared to motel. Walmart has always allowed free overnight parking which is why you see them there often. My guess is the changes in technology have made them much more user friendly but far more costly. Overall, a motorhome is a lot of fun.

Rock

[Instigator]

Great info Rock!

Exactly what I’m looking for.

[rock]

I never towed a car but did tow my 20' Champion. No issues.

Rock

[LakeFever]

Thats a lot of detailed questions. Been trailering/RV'ing my whole life. Been to every state except Hawaii and every Canadian province with a trailer or RV. My thoughts are if you love the road trip you cannot beat an RV they are so much fun in that respect. If you want to camp for a day or three an RV is really incredible. Where the RV lacks is if you want to stay somewere longer you need a tag along vehicle because once set up its not exactly convenient to take a run for more beer or groceries or whatever with an RV when your set in your site your there til you depart. A trailer on the other hand does not have this problem.

If you go RV I agree with Rock 100% skip right over the class C crap and get into a class A and if you really want to put the miles on and live the high life a diesel pusher is top tier. Tow a jeep and never know its there and negligible impact on fuel mileage. Its a big price to get into one of those but the fuel mileage and range really adds up fast in savings vs a big gas hog.

RV also requires a lot more maintenance than a trailer its same as any other vehicle where a trailer is only bearings tire brakes. The downside of trailers is most become shot within ten years. There are some that last much longer but you pay for this. Airstream for instance very popular and hold incredible value over time. Once piece fiberglass units tend to be the the driest. Keeping them dry is the biggest challenge they are not the most robust things out there.

Either way its tons of fun and really its not a $ saver vs hotels in any way whatsoever. Its more expensive but it is a ton of fun. RV cruising is really some serious fun. We took a 40' RV int downtown Manhattan once, costs us 300 per day to park it lol. Could barely squeak it around some of those streets haha those were great times. Great times. Summer of 2001, when New York was really magical.

[Instigator]

Lakefever——-, INCREDIBLE!

And yes to the road trips.

I am over due.

Another issue for us are our dogs.
We have a special needs dog, w/a bum leg and just picked him up after a 5 day kennel stay and it was not good.
The Mrs says never again.

So regardless, if more than a weekend the kids go w/us.

Been teasing the wife that in another year or two we sell everything and buy an RV and disappear :-)

[JPEROG]

Look for an old Calasta brand if you can. They are fiberglass one piece molded roofs and are much less prone to leaking, (all R.V.s leak), and that is the beginning of the end for them. Most class C rigs are built with the least expensive materials that you can imagine and you need to keep them dry and sealed.

I have had a couple of the Calastas over the years and they were great for us and the dogs to run around with and small enough to use at most boat ramps. My current rig limits us to where we go "especially with a boat or trailer".

Joe

[largecar91]

I vote class A. I had a Monaco diesel pusher and pulled my 28' race trailer loaded down. Top Jellico at 65. You gotta pee while traveling, just pull over and walk to the back.

[LakeFever]

Ya rv road trips are like a yacht really. The only person working is the driver everyone else is literally in a living room with access to the washroom/shower and kitchen. Only downside is side out rv’s are not great for this its better to get a long straight side if this is your plan. Once parked side outs really open things up nice and make the stay part a lot nicer.

[David - WI]

Most slide-outs that I've seen are really poorly done.

You can make a lot of miles traveling with a group in a motorhome... not stopping all the time for someone to pee, eat, stretch, gas up cut hours off our 14 hour trips to Talladega.

[LakeFever]

Side outs are also even more prone to leaking. In a trailer with side outs if it doesnt have two entry doors typically you cannot access the washroom unless you slide out the slideout which really sucks if the mrs needs to take a leak while your on the road its easy to pull off and let her run in. Not so easy to pull over slide the thing etc

[Riverratt]

Your biggest hurdle will be the $20,000 budget with todays prices to get into a really nice rv. I have had class a and class c. I actually liked driving the c better. It was a 32'. You do have to watch the towing capacity. Some of the frame extensions to the chassis from the factory are scary

[FUJIMO]

...since you said it was for a couple weeks...the wife & i, a few years back, simply jumped in our nice new car and started driving. stayed at nice, to very nice hotels each night. went up the east coast to a waterfront bed & breakfast in beauford north carolina. then on to grove park inn, in ashville north carolina. stayed there 3 nights it was so beautiful (biltmore estate tour, breakfasts on the veranda, etc.). proceeded north in the same fashion, up all through michigans both sides into traverse city, etc. & the grand hotel by ferry & then into the upper penninsula. did a different route coming all the way back south, staying at incredible hotels & places. we will never forget it all, we enjoyed it so much. costs a bit more, but no headaches. ( i left out an enormous amount of places & fun details to keep the post short, but you get the idea of what we did).

[JPEROG]

When you have dogs that travel with you, its tough to beat a motorhome. We use ours to go to from FL. to MO. and MI. You can stash so much gear in the basement compartments and stop as you want whenever you want. I have had a decent selection of them over the years and the biggest thing that bothered me with most was a lack of power.

A step up in money but still can be bought reasonably is an early 2000s Gulfstream Endura. We had one of these for a couple years and it served us well. Gale Banks offered a kit that really helped with the Duramax motor being able to run good highway speeds while pulling a 28 foot enclosed trailer full of bikes. The wheel base is short enough to offer a short turning radius as well "that can be a really big deal with boats in tow".

After having bigger and smaller rigs, this one works well for us today with a 515 HP Cat and 150 gallon fuel capacity.

Joe

[Instigator]

When my dad retired he/they looked at all options of vacationing/traveling.

Him being an engineer, he did the math……., all ways possible.

I pushed hard for the RV.

After much calculations, he chose flying/driving/hotels due to cost and lack of permanent upkeep/cost of RV.

We did that last fall.
The driving tour.
W/the dogs.

We drove all through the Fla panhandle which I had wanted to do for yrs.

Problem arose when every neat little town we wanted to overnight at, explore, had no pet friendly hotels.

An RV would rectify that.

As to budget, it may change accordingly.
Objective at this point is to get into it as cheaply as possible to see if we even like it.

May even rent one for a trip to try it out.

...since you said it was for a couple weeks...the wife & i, a few years back, simply jumped in our nice new car and started driving. stayed at nice, to very nice hotels each night. went up the east coast to a waterfront bed & breakfast in beauford north carolina. then on to grove park inn, in ashville north carolina. stayed there 3 nights it was so beautiful (biltmore estate tour, breakfasts on the veranda, etc.). proceeded north in the same fashion, up all through michigans both sides into traverse city, etc. & the grand hotel by ferry & then into the upper penninsula. did a different route coming all the way back south, staying at incredible hotels & places. we will never forget it all, we enjoyed it so much. costs a bit more, but no headaches. ( i left out an enormous amount of places & fun details to keep the post short, but you get the idea of what we did).