How do you use your class A?

FULLTIMEWANABE wrote:
Started off as weekend warriors in late 90's with a 5er, then March 2003 bought our gas A MH. So weekends plus an extra day or two where possible for fishing, kayaking, white water rafting and skiing in the winters generally. Coupled that with a 10 day easter trip most often to Vegas area and surrounds, and every two out of three years a summer trip of between 3 to 5 weeks. Used on average 40 to 60 days most years.

There have been odd times since 2011 (built a home in FLA where hubby lived in it during construction 2009/10), where we've not used it for over a year, and we have done weekend fishing for hubby within 2 hour drive, kids for ATVing and snowboarding weekends here and there. We've done lots of longer trips on some consecutive years, to Alaska, West Coast, East Coast, Colorado/Dakotas/Wyoming, Utah/Idaho Panhandle, across Canada from West To East Maritimes etc, and so on typically of 5 to 8 weeks. Now older and looking back grabbed where we could "just in case", covering 9 provinces, 47 states inc Alaska and Hawaii but now want to do it all again a lot, lot slower and savour small town Americana and natural beauty moreso.

Hubby desperate for a Tiffin/Newmar/Entegra DP, but I love our floorpan, know her intricacies, how to do maintenance and repairs cheaper than with a DP, and feel the old gal (14 years old) still has plenty of life in her, just gets to the top of the mountains a minute or several later LOL.

OP for what it's worth, and your personality will dictate what you decide, when we bought annual family passes for skiing when younger, we forced ourselves to go probably more weekends than we really wanted to because we'd paid the big bucks for them and wanted to get our "monies worth", so to speak. When we got our 5er and 3 years later the Gas MH we still have and personally wouldn't change back to any form of towable, albeit I cringed at the upfront cost at the time, yes we made the effort to use it more than we might have a cheaper form of camper so to speak. I'm actually grateful we forced ourselves to make these efforts in our lives as they've been enriched more than anyone else we know that "couldn't be bothered" so to speak.

What helped make it easiest for us to get more use and fun out of our RVs, than the many friends who bought and 3 years later sold them, citing "too tired after work to bother packing it all up blah, blah", is we've always packed our RV at the start of the season ready to go and only need to add in the food and drinks. When we winterize everything is put in two huge totes and stored after quick cleaning in the basement ready for the next spring. We even camp on occasion locally in -30, just not using the water tank.

Heck sometimes when we are locally within hour or two white water rafting or fishing for the day, we'll even take the RV to prep lunches, have showers etc and really ......... "just because we can" LOL.

Current plan: Now we've sold all our properties except the main acreage, hubby has turned 60 and retired totally and I am self employed we will be going on longer and longer trips (3 to 8 month plans) as well as a lot more several week neighbouring provinces and states on a slower "smell the roses" more type speed. When youngest daughter eventually finds her life partner we hope to then be totally full time in the RV living.

Obviously don't cripple yourselves financially but seriously "if" it's something you really want to do, are prepared to commit to making the effort to make the trips happen, and those close to you are equally enthused then for heavens sake DO IT! Life really is too short to wait, and we've witnessed way too many folks put things on hold til retirement that sadly never came!

Happy & Safe Travels