Advice for first time rv buyers

First off, 25-30% off sticker price for a new rig is what you should aim for. When you go to sell it you might only get half what you paid for it.

But if it were me with four kids and two dogs for 2.5 years, I would forget the RV as it will be way to small for that crowd. Plus you must figure in the rent for a place to park it. I'd use the money, instead, to rent a house to give my family 3 to 4 times more room and comfort.

Rent an apartment...trust me.

The problem with moving a lot is: "No matter where you go, there you are" Yogi Berra. You will loose with depreciation, so try to buy a house with owner financing, it's just like rent, and many will give you a deal if you rent a while fixing it up then buying. It's best the family sets down roots and becomes friends in one place. No RV will be big enough for your family.

Surviving Montana winters in a RV would be a big challenge.

The Fusion will be a good camper, but in Montana, full timing with any camper will be a challenge in the winter months. You'll constantly be struggling with water freeze-up. By the time you invest in the camper, invest in rent for your camping site, invest in the amount of propane it will take to heat the camper in the winter, (and you'll probably be going through 2 - 30 pound tanks a week in the camper, and if it get's colder it will demand even more.) That's approximately $22 - $30 for one tank, so, $44 (for 2 tanks) a week will add up to $176 a month. At $30 a tank, that's $240 a month for heat, and that's if the weather is "with you!" Then you'll have the constant challenge every time you move to underskirt the camper in cold weather, otherwise you'll REALLY experience heat expenses.

Now the summer months will probably be nice, the kids can sleep in a tent giving them more room. Wet dogs in the camper ... (and dogs get wet)... is not pleasant either.

How old are you're kids. If they are young, they'll be as flexible and adaptable as a string of spaghetti in boiling water. But if they are older (approaching teen years ... NO HOUSE is ever big enough!

Here's something to consider.. a mobile home rather than a trailer. They are built to live in, better insulated, they are still mobile, you still have all the issues of preventing water freezing in the winter, but you'll have more room and the cost's will probably be less, because they're made for cold weather.

Otherwise, you'd probably be better off living in a house. RV's are really not a cheep way to live, nor are they simple. They demand constant work and attention, can become very small very quick, and demand a very disciplined life style (everything has to be though out, planned, executed, and maintained. Otherwise you'll go crazy in a camper). It takes discipline, because unlike a house, they become junked up VERY fast if everything is not kept in it's place all the time!

You're idea is noble, but you're setting yourself up for some real challenges. There again, nothing is impossible! People live in trees and eat bugs and live a happy life on the top of some mountain no one' ever heard of and make it too. But you also have to consider, it's not just you, it's your entire family involved.

Saw this in rvtravel.com newsletter
"If you think snowbirding can be a challenge in your RV, one family who took on winter living in an RV in North Dakota's oil fields say they're now happy to have a stick-home. Interviewed by a Williston, N.D., paper, they recalled living with frozen hair after showers, and taking 20 minutes to thaw the rig's door before being able to exit. Said the family head, "Living in an RV is extraordinarily difficult in the winter. It is survivable but it is not for the faint of heart."

We are in Mississippi and have two electric heaters and furnance going to stay warm.
But there are alot of families out there living in their rvs - you might try to find some of their posts on here and talk to them about issues. And look at used rvs - you'll save a lot of money -

I have to agree with the other posters. RV in Montana winter is NOT a good idea. 2.5 yrs stationary with 2 adults, 4 kids and 2 big dogs? You might get along OK but that rig may not be travel ready after all that.

With that many in the RV you're going to have a lot of humidity, something that isn't good for most RVs. Most RVs are just not really designed for full timing let alone full timing in extreme weather conditions.

You're spending a lot of money on something that will depreciate, and worse yet if you have a problem you have no place to go. If you full time in it chances are you will also void your warranty.

With the family you have I really think you'd be better off in a house or apartment for the next couple of years. Then depending on where you wind up reconsider your RV options.

Wow! Thanks for all of the replies. I have to admit that I am surprised that each reply warns against fulltiming with kids. I guess maybe I am shooting for the almost impossible. I just thought because of how often we move it would be better than what we spend on moving expenses and rent. Rent here is expensive at $15,000 a year and each move costs thousands. Winters are not as cold as you might expect. We live in what is called the banana belt of Montana, near the Flathead Lake that keeps temperatures on the moderate side. A little background on life circumstances may be in order, here. My husband lost his job in Pennsylvania about a year and a half ago. We came to Montana so that he could go to school for forestry. So we have already done what most would never do with kids.
The salesman (I know he is trying to sell us a rig) said that the Keystone Fusion was made for Montana's weather. Is he just trying to sell it to us or is he telling the truth. He said we would have no trouble with lines freezing up because the basement areas are heated.
I can feel my excited bubble popping right now and I am feeling sad. I thought that this could mean freedom from budget breaking rent and mortgage payments. I respect all of you who are giving me advice and I really appreciate you taking the time to give me a dose of reality. So glad that we have the internet where we can connect with people who have been there, done that! Thank you!

$1250 a month to house 6 people and two dogs; that's a bargain in CA.

Double pain windows, better than average insulation and sufficient heaters (I doubt the typical 50 amp service will give you enough to run electric heat but you could use a portion of it to supplement the propane.