First Time Buyer...Updated 03/06/2006
This post is intended to be helpful to the first time buyer of a motor home. For those of you who don't fall into that category or believe this post is incomplete or off the mark, do us all a favor, a...
Forum Discussion
James it sounds like you are considering doing two new things at the same time so your cup may be full. Taking short term nursing positions in different locations can be interesting I am sure. Living fulltime in a motor home can be interesting I hear.
Unless you are 100% certain about both you may consider picking up a very nice used motor home say for $40K - $50K even although you could find some really nice stuff in the $20K - $30K range. As I am sure you have read on this site some do not have full access to their new coaches for the first two years as sometimes they come with factory defects like things do no work correctly, they leak or have other issues being complex machines. While going with a late model used one does not insure no problems either but one way or the other you might consider purchasing one at least 6 months before you would take a position as a traveling nurse and do a lot of 2 day trips in it to learn the ropes of towing and living on the road if this is actually your first time.
While I believe in being positive if both of these major life changing decisions do not work out and you decided the full time MH living was not for you then you could give away to a needed group a $50K used motor home and still be $$$ ahead over buying a new $250K+ rig. If you are going to be working at a new job in a strange city leaving your wife in a strange RV park every few months I expect you can find a way to test the waters even if it meant getting an apartment the first time or two out.
Doing what you are planning could be the best or worse move you will ever make and while you can hear some thoughts on here remember adjusting to a different career and living style can be more of an emotional adjustment than a physical one. Best of luck and my thought is if you really want to make the move then go for it. Regrets can be expensive emotional things as well. :)
Unless you are 100% certain about both you may consider picking up a very nice used motor home say for $40K - $50K even although you could find some really nice stuff in the $20K - $30K range. As I am sure you have read on this site some do not have full access to their new coaches for the first two years as sometimes they come with factory defects like things do no work correctly, they leak or have other issues being complex machines. While going with a late model used one does not insure no problems either but one way or the other you might consider purchasing one at least 6 months before you would take a position as a traveling nurse and do a lot of 2 day trips in it to learn the ropes of towing and living on the road if this is actually your first time.
While I believe in being positive if both of these major life changing decisions do not work out and you decided the full time MH living was not for you then you could give away to a needed group a $50K used motor home and still be $$$ ahead over buying a new $250K+ rig. If you are going to be working at a new job in a strange city leaving your wife in a strange RV park every few months I expect you can find a way to test the waters even if it meant getting an apartment the first time or two out.
Doing what you are planning could be the best or worse move you will ever make and while you can hear some thoughts on here remember adjusting to a different career and living style can be more of an emotional adjustment than a physical one. Best of luck and my thought is if you really want to make the move then go for it. Regrets can be expensive emotional things as well. :)
