Class A vs 5th wheel
I am getting ready to full time rv. I have sold most my stuff and just have the home to sell. It will be me and my wife. My question is what is the preference of most full timers? Class A and a towed ...
Forum Discussion
> Is it possible to buy a good dependable class A pusher that's 10 years old and wont completely drain my SMALL emergency savings in a couple years on the road?
I love RVing, and am currently fixing up a 1988 Winnebago Chieftain that I picked up for a song (for good reason), and I'm a firm motorhome addict. But I have to point out there are very real financial risks in RVing. You could pick up an RV, of any kind, that looks good, a qualified mechanic checks it out and doesn't find any problems, the price is reasonable, you buy it and before you make it home something breaks. Or you can use it for a decade and have almost no repair costs. There is just no way to predict. Since you mentioned your small fixed income and small emergency savings, I would consider the following before you invest in an RV:
- Where is the money coming from to purchase an RV? If savings, will that leave you an adequate cushion? If from selling your primary residence, where will you live if something happens to the RV and/or if one of you becomes unable to travel? If you intend to finance it, how much will you have left to live on after the RV payment? If the RV payment will be "instead of" a house payment, remember an RV will not hold its value like a house will in most cases, so you won't be able to get back when you paid for it.
- Just like a house, there are maintenance costs for all types of RV. How much can you do yourself? You may have had friends or neighbors at home who would help with house repair issues, but you won't in a strange location. RVers are a friendly group and you can probably find someone willing to show you how to do a repair or even to help doing it, but the only people (that I know of) who would be willing to help with a big job are those who expect to be paid.
- There will also be maintenance costs for whatever vehicle you wind up with, whether a truck pulling something or a smaller car behind a MH.
- Finally, are you and your spouse both in good health, or do you have known medical problems? How would new or existing problems affect your fulltimming lifestyle? Getting medication refills can be problematic on the road, plus medical expenses would be a further drain on your limited resources.
Many, many retired seniors do fulltime quite happily, but your concern about repair costs makes me think you should consider worst-case as well as best-case scenarios before making a large financial commitment. These aren't questions that need to be answered here (or anywhere publicly) but I think you would be wise to consider them. An RV lifestyle isn't for everyone. Maybe your travel desires would be better met by short term trips, housesitting, or other ways to see the world without risking your retirement savings.
I love RVing, and am currently fixing up a 1988 Winnebago Chieftain that I picked up for a song (for good reason), and I'm a firm motorhome addict. But I have to point out there are very real financial risks in RVing. You could pick up an RV, of any kind, that looks good, a qualified mechanic checks it out and doesn't find any problems, the price is reasonable, you buy it and before you make it home something breaks. Or you can use it for a decade and have almost no repair costs. There is just no way to predict. Since you mentioned your small fixed income and small emergency savings, I would consider the following before you invest in an RV:
- Where is the money coming from to purchase an RV? If savings, will that leave you an adequate cushion? If from selling your primary residence, where will you live if something happens to the RV and/or if one of you becomes unable to travel? If you intend to finance it, how much will you have left to live on after the RV payment? If the RV payment will be "instead of" a house payment, remember an RV will not hold its value like a house will in most cases, so you won't be able to get back when you paid for it.
- Just like a house, there are maintenance costs for all types of RV. How much can you do yourself? You may have had friends or neighbors at home who would help with house repair issues, but you won't in a strange location. RVers are a friendly group and you can probably find someone willing to show you how to do a repair or even to help doing it, but the only people (that I know of) who would be willing to help with a big job are those who expect to be paid.
- There will also be maintenance costs for whatever vehicle you wind up with, whether a truck pulling something or a smaller car behind a MH.
- Finally, are you and your spouse both in good health, or do you have known medical problems? How would new or existing problems affect your fulltimming lifestyle? Getting medication refills can be problematic on the road, plus medical expenses would be a further drain on your limited resources.
Many, many retired seniors do fulltime quite happily, but your concern about repair costs makes me think you should consider worst-case as well as best-case scenarios before making a large financial commitment. These aren't questions that need to be answered here (or anywhere publicly) but I think you would be wise to consider them. An RV lifestyle isn't for everyone. Maybe your travel desires would be better met by short term trips, housesitting, or other ways to see the world without risking your retirement savings.
