New need advise
Hello everyone, I am trying to purchase RV but I am completely new to this life, I want to live in the RV full time with my dog, I need some suggestions about best used class C RV's out there th...
Forum Discussion
Loaitayem,
Welcome to the Forums!!!
I think it would be helpful if you could provide us a bit more information about how you intend on using the RV.
For example: You said you want to live in it full-time with your dog.
Are you retired or are you working? Budget is a HUGE part of the planning process. Living in an RV is not necessarily cheap, depending upon where you need to be. That $75k you mention, I would suggest you have at least another $10k set aside as a safety net for on-the-road repairs. Knowing whether or not you're on a fixed income or have the ability to earn more money, if needed, can be useful. I ALWAYS over-estimate my expenses for projects of this magnitude. You don't want to commit most of your resources to find out you can't swing it and then have to sell everything at a huge loss.
When you say "full-time", does that mean you will have no "sticks & bricks" location to leave the things behind you won't be able to fit/bring in your RV?
Understand that all RVs have weight limits which should be obeyed. Just because there may be large storage bins on the rig, doesn't mean they can all be filled up. This is all part of the shopping process you should be familiar with BEFORE you put your money down or even get too serious. Some rigs run close to their weight capacities loaded just with fuels, water and minimal supplies.
How handy are you? Do you tend to do your own vehicle and home maintenance? If you can do a lot of the work on your RV yourself, you can save A LOT of money over the years. BUT...now you need to devote a good part of you storage space to carrying the tools you'll need. And some campgrounds are not too keen on any major work being performed in their campground.
It was mentioned that a van or even a pickup truck with a trailer would be a better option for you. At this point, I'd tend to agree with that. Perhaps in a few years after you get more comfortable with the RV lifestyle and you learn more about the ins and outs, then you could investigate the motorhome options. But it will probably be least expensive to do a truck/van and separate RV trailer. It just offers more flexibility. It does come at the cost of reduced convenience when setting up...BUT...having a separate vehicle while camped is, in my opinion, indispensable. Others do it, but if you need to run to the store to pick up something, breaking camp and bring the entire RV can get old quick.
That said, towing is a learned skill in itself. It's certainly easier (in my opinion) to back a motorhome into a spot than a trailer, but in the end, it comes down to what will work best for you.
I would also echo the recommendations to keep things as simple as possible. The newer the rig, the more likely it is to have fancy remote controlled devices. They're great when they work, but my preference is an appliance with a control panel of buttons and knobs! ;)
Well, Good Luck. Please feel free to ask additional questions. Just be patient. You have a lot of learning ahead of you. :)
~Rick
Welcome to the Forums!!!
I think it would be helpful if you could provide us a bit more information about how you intend on using the RV.
For example: You said you want to live in it full-time with your dog.
Are you retired or are you working? Budget is a HUGE part of the planning process. Living in an RV is not necessarily cheap, depending upon where you need to be. That $75k you mention, I would suggest you have at least another $10k set aside as a safety net for on-the-road repairs. Knowing whether or not you're on a fixed income or have the ability to earn more money, if needed, can be useful. I ALWAYS over-estimate my expenses for projects of this magnitude. You don't want to commit most of your resources to find out you can't swing it and then have to sell everything at a huge loss.
When you say "full-time", does that mean you will have no "sticks & bricks" location to leave the things behind you won't be able to fit/bring in your RV?
Understand that all RVs have weight limits which should be obeyed. Just because there may be large storage bins on the rig, doesn't mean they can all be filled up. This is all part of the shopping process you should be familiar with BEFORE you put your money down or even get too serious. Some rigs run close to their weight capacities loaded just with fuels, water and minimal supplies.
How handy are you? Do you tend to do your own vehicle and home maintenance? If you can do a lot of the work on your RV yourself, you can save A LOT of money over the years. BUT...now you need to devote a good part of you storage space to carrying the tools you'll need. And some campgrounds are not too keen on any major work being performed in their campground.
It was mentioned that a van or even a pickup truck with a trailer would be a better option for you. At this point, I'd tend to agree with that. Perhaps in a few years after you get more comfortable with the RV lifestyle and you learn more about the ins and outs, then you could investigate the motorhome options. But it will probably be least expensive to do a truck/van and separate RV trailer. It just offers more flexibility. It does come at the cost of reduced convenience when setting up...BUT...having a separate vehicle while camped is, in my opinion, indispensable. Others do it, but if you need to run to the store to pick up something, breaking camp and bring the entire RV can get old quick.
That said, towing is a learned skill in itself. It's certainly easier (in my opinion) to back a motorhome into a spot than a trailer, but in the end, it comes down to what will work best for you.
I would also echo the recommendations to keep things as simple as possible. The newer the rig, the more likely it is to have fancy remote controlled devices. They're great when they work, but my preference is an appliance with a control panel of buttons and knobs! ;)
Well, Good Luck. Please feel free to ask additional questions. Just be patient. You have a lot of learning ahead of you. :)
~Rick
