Bitcoin wrote:
I stumbled across this thread through a link from another website. Many thanks to IAMICHABOD for the thread and to all the good people who have posted so much info.
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and am considering an RV for full time living and travel for the next six months and perhaps more. I moved to the USA twenty years ago and worked mostly in software until I became too old for this industry and I want to see the country before I'm too old for that.
The area has changed and IMO not for the better. My girl friend wants to move back to her home state of MN which she says is a gentler, calmer way of life. I'm okay with that but not to move now, so I want to be touring in the RV, maybe head south. I don't know how I'll deal with the winter in MN since I have SAD and don't mind joining her in the spring.
I'm thinking of buying an rv from cruise America. I checked El Monte today but I don't see the mileage for each RV on their website. The RV is for me and my girl friend when she'll want to join me.
I have a small online business I should be able to run from the RV with a decent internet connection.
I think a 23a would be good though I am open to the bigger ones, the 27g looks really nice but I'm concerned about the size and gas consumption and they seem to have higher mileage.
I'd probably buy both extended warranties, for the house and vehicle. If I do so does it make any sense to pay about $6,000 for a vehicle with lower mileage ... 80,000 instead of 130,000? On the other hand I read that some people say the extended warranties are not worth much, is that true of cruise America warranties as well?
Would I be able to put solar panels on them, they don't come with ladders? Do they have enough batteries for that. I like the idea of being in nature, not necessarily with a hookup somewhere.
Hpw do I make sure I'm getting a good vehicle? Should I look for an RV tech and hire them to check out the vehicle? Since I am a complete newbie and it is a serious chunk of change it is somewhat daunting. Are these companies thrustworthy?
Myself I say forget the extra warranty, especially the coach if you are handy with minor repairs, put some money aside and use the one year engine that comes with it to get past any major issues then do your own repairs on the coach.
The smaller ones have no space on the roof for solar so check before you buy if you want solar (I was hoping for enough space int eh 19G but no). A 23 you should have some empty space but don't know if it will be enough for a panel. The larger ones should be fine but check the roof layout for vents, etc to make sure.
If you get a generator then make sure that you have a good group 31 battery and you should be fine for most camping with the exception of cold nights running the furnace. I added more batteries and went without the generator although I have one that I can take if needed.
All companies are questionable, read some of the posts on new units and some expensive units at that! A RV tech can help but even problems can escape them. Remember you are taking a house and putting it through a major earthquake everyday that you are driving it so one day things are great and the next you may have a leak that was not there the day before - it may check out 10 out of 10 one day and the next you are mopping up a water leak. At least a extra set of eyes never hurts!!
