Comparing Class A Cost To Travel Trailers

2gypsies wrote:

holstein13 wrote:

msturtz wrote:
There are few if any TT manufacturers that permit or build their units for full time use. As far as I know there are no TT manufacturers that permit this. Many MH manufacturers do.

I would be curious which MH manufacturers warranty their units for full time use. I bought a top of the line Newmar King Aire and on page one of the user manual, it says it is NOT warranted for full time use. Are you aware of any who specifically warrant their units for full time use?

Hmmmm. We bought our Newmar new and full-timed in it. We also had a few little warranty items corrected with no problem and they knew we were full-timers. Many, many full-timers have Newmars.

No doubt. I full time as well and all my warranty issues have been addressed. But Newmar specifically indicates that the motorhome is not intended for full time use in their manual. I'm guessing it's a CYA type of thing and rarely invoked, but it's there, nonetheless.

holstein13 wrote:

msturtz wrote:
There are few if any TT manufacturers that permit or build their units for full time use. As far as I know there are no TT manufacturers that permit this. Many MH manufacturers do.

I would be curious which MH manufacturers warranty their units for full time use. I bought a top of the line Newmar King Aire and on page one of the user manual, it says it is NOT warranted for full time use. Are you aware of any who specifically warrant their units for full time use?

Hmmmm. We bought our Newmar new and full-timed in it. We also had a few little warranty items corrected with no problem and they knew we were full-timers. Many, many full-timers have Newmars.

msturtz wrote:
There are few if any TT manufacturers that permit or build their units for full time use. As far as I know there are no TT manufacturers that permit this. Many MH manufacturers do.

I would be curious which MH manufacturers warranty their units for full time use. I bought a top of the line Newmar King Aire and on page one of the user manual, it says it is NOT warranted for full time use. Are you aware of any who specifically warrant their units for full time use?

Permit? Do you mean warranty? There are people who live in vans, pop-ups and in cargo trailers that they converted themselves - without asking anyone's permission. I don't see how they could stop someone from living how they choose in this free country of ours. That fulltime living is not the intended use of many RVs, I have no doubt, but a used unit would not have a warranty to void anyway.

One of the biggest drawbacks to FTing in a lightweight RV of any type is that most are not insulated very well. But like many snowbirders, I have no intention of living where it freezes, even though the Sprinters that the OP and I are considering have upgraded insulation packages that are independently tested in from 0 - 100 degree weather. http://www.keystonerv.com/media/2109279/sprinterastrofoil.pdf

Forest River does build a couple lines of destination trailers designed for FT use, but they are considerably longer, heavier and don't appear to be built to the same standards as their Sprinter line, being of the old style stick, and tin construction, like a mobile home. The Sprinters, on the other hand, are of modern, more durable design with all aluminum framing and floor joists, steel roof trusses, smooth fiberglass exterior, 100" wide-body design, new, high-tech slide mechanisms, etc. - not what I would consider cheaply constructed.

Chip

There are few if any TT manufacturers that permit or build their units for full time use. As far as I know there are no TT manufacturers that permit this. Many MH manufacturers do.

dahkota wrote:
Our first six months full-timing was in a Sprinter tt. It was not up to the task. The Sprinter we had was not built for full time living (well, it might be if you don't move it a lot).

We have been in our Bounder for ten months now. The difference in build quality is night and day.

Not to hijack a thread, but as the OP is also considering FTing in a Sprinter, I think he might also find of interest, What problems you had when you were FTing in your Sprinter? We plan on moving monthly or every couple weeks if boondocking. I wouldn't know if that would be considered frequent moving for a FTer or not.

Were there serious, expensive problems with the frame, delamination issues, problems with the new cable slide mechanism sticking, etc? Or were youe problems simple to fix, yet annoying little things? Do you think the problems you had were model specific? Have you heard of others having these same problems with others on the Sprinter forum?

Inquiring minds want to know, as you might save us both some grief.

Thanks,

Chip

This being a class A forum, and my being totally politically incorrect at every possible opportunity....

I've always love the view out of that huge motorhome windshield. There is nothing like crossing the missouri river on I80, 90, or 94, and you look ahead through that 8 foot wide 4 foot tall windshield, and say "Holy crap, I'm not in Kansas anymore...."

Our first camper was a class A. Our second a DP. And damn I love driving that DP. And I love setting it up in a campground, or not if it is raining.
We just fit 900 watts of solar on the roof, now we never need to plugin!

I am simply not going to consider budget. Because it wasn't really an issue, this was what we wanted, this is what we got. And in 17 days, we hit the road fulltime and debtfree, YAY!!!!

I agree with your logic in general but your numbers are not supportive in your example.

That Montana and the truck under it weigh more than your coach and the truck underneath the coach.

Our first six months full-timing was in a Sprinter tt. It was not up to the task. The Sprinter we had was not built for full time living (well, it might be if you don't move it a lot).

We have been in our Bounder for ten months now. The difference in build quality is night and day.

Dallas Steve, I would suggest you post this exact same post in the travel trailer forum. I'm guessing you will get a vastly different response. ;-)