RV.org rating question-snowbirding vs. fulltiming

S-n-L wrote:
Thank you all for the responses. Our plan is to launch our fulltime life in May of 2014. Our house sold much sooner than we were expecting so this has opened up the door for a possible DP purchase sooner than we expected as well. In all likely-hood we will buy this coming winter.

This have given me a lot of food for thought. I do realize that the rv.org is only one source and not the be all end all.

I have been reading the forum a lot and was just wondering if I was missing something in the design or construction of one brand vs another. It does seem that there shouldn't be much difference between living in a DP for 6 months a year vs. fulltime. Both take a lot of wear and tear.

The other thing(s) you need to think about is:

• that FT'ing might not be what you dreamt it would be and cut your adventure short.
• What you thought you needed in a floor plan doesn't work once you're on the road
• The perfect size now, isn't the perfect size once you're "doing it".
• Maybe your choice in RV's will change (i.e. Class A vs 5'ver).

So stay flexible and don't assume your choice now will be the last and only one. People FT and snowbird in everything that you can imagine. Their happiness is dependent on attitude and money, with attitude being the most important. I don't think RV.org has that column in their spread sheets.

I have friends who have been fulltiming in a 2005 gas Itasca 33 foot
Suncruiser for 8 years, Carpets and upholstry are fine. You just need to look at a lot of MH's and see which are quality and which are just eyecandy.

Go with the highest end used coach you can afford. Look at 8-10 year old coaches from Newell, Foretravel, etc. You might be surprised at what you can afford and how well built those coaches are and how their technology stacks up surprisingly well aside of entry level DPs today.

Don't be take in by glitz. You want solid wood cabinets, etc. I'd be looking at a 6-10 year old Foretravel if we were buying right now.

Barb

Thank you all for the responses. Our plan is to launch our fulltime life in May of 2014. Our house sold much sooner than we were expecting so this has opened up the door for a possible DP purchase sooner than we expected as well. In all likely-hood we will buy this coming winter.

This have given me a lot of food for thought. I do realize that the rv.org is only one source and not the be all end all.

I have been reading the forum a lot and was just wondering if I was missing something in the design or construction of one brand vs another. It does seem that there shouldn't be much difference between living in a DP for 6 months a year vs. fulltime. Both take a lot of wear and tear.

It all depends on your needs. If you stay in one spot all year vs if you boondock for extended amounts of time. If you like to travel and only stay in full hook up RV resorts for a week or two that's a another consideration. You need to go kick tires I don't think you are going to find your definitive answer in a book. Look around see what other full timers living you style prefer. I full timed in a 38 ft. gas rig for 6 years. Was everywhere from Seattle to Cancun. Worked fine for me.

n7bsn wrote:

wny_pat wrote:
I'm still trying to figure out how someone can review a motorhome that they have never been in, they write a book about it, and publish and sell that book, all in good faith??? ...

What makes you think they have "never been in" the rigs they rate? Something some sales-geek told you? Something you read some internet "x-pert" wrote?

Now I've actually talked to the people behind the RV Consumer group, and understand how they do, what they do. It starts with actually looking at rigs, inside and out. They also tour factories and ask questions of the builder and builder-reps. Sometimes they even get answers (not always)

Some RV companies dislike them, a lot. Some years back a couple manufacturers (the old Fleetwood among them) got the people behind the Seattle RV show to "ban" known people from the RV Consumer Group from attending the Seattle RV show (to the point of being escorted out).

You sound suspiciously like an Internet x-pert in this post. If you read all their disclaimers they tell you that most of their ratings are derived from facts, futures and specifications in manufacturers literature. If you are portraying these guys as experts who drive and/or inspect a large number of the units they rate you are doing a disservice to the OP's question.

I have read their ratings and they can be one small part of forming an informed decision to purchase a motorhome. Much, much more important are facts gleaned from these forums and visits to rally's and dealers.

I have lived full time in a Monaco Signature for over 6 years now and can't imagine a better full time home. J. D. Gallant, the founder of RV.org hates slide outs of all kinds and has a deep love affair with the west coach class c builder Lazy Daze. I'm not knocking Lazy Daze at all but it does reveal something about JD's mindset and priorities.

S-n-L wrote:

We have just sold our house, well closing date is in a few weeks, and we are shopping for a used DP to fulltime.

You didn't give yourself much time. People have done it in less time, but . . .

S-n-L wrote:

I have purchased the RV.org ratings for MH and would like to get some feedback on their ratings. DP such as Monaco products, Signiture, Exexecutive, Patriot Thunder, Navigator are rated as appropriate for snowbirding. However, Newmar Essex, American Coach Eagle, CC Magna are all rated for fulltime.

From what I have seen the Monaco products seem to be made with as good materials as the others and was wondering what specifically creates this inconsistency.

I think the RV.org ratings are interesting and informative, just don't take them as written in stone.

On the other hand, some responders think the best source of info are coach owners. Yes and No. Check out the owner forums on Yahoo -- people in these owner groups tend to be more candid about their brand than posters on the RV.net forums.

Finally, are some brands better for full timing than others? Probably, but your best bet might be to compare individual RVs with your specific needs and wants as you search. Good luck.

All the manufactures mentioned produce a very good coach that are generally suitable for potential full time living. Ratings can be a bit subjective. What might work well for some might not be a feature other consider necessary. Since your search has you looking at used rigs construction methods and material play a roll but prior owner maintenance routeen will have a much greater effect. A 10 year coach that has been well maintained might in better condition than a four year that was used once and has been parked ever since. As such going just by a rating might not serve you best since its very rare to find a coach that has been review several years after the initial review.

The ratings guide has helped you narrow down potential builders and product lines. At this point you might be best served by getting out and start kicking tires. Narrow down the general floor plan and features you want. Be prepared to fly half way across the country to look at a potential coach but if you don't feel right about it just walk away. Put the wife in charge of the interior while you concentrate on the chassis, exterior and mechanical systems.

Good luck and have fun searching.

Rollnhome wrote:

John&Joey wrote:
Honestly I wonder about RV.org recommendations. I think all they are doing is figuring FT'ing is 12 months vs 6 months or less of living in a RV and the wear and tear on the inside due to it. Theory being the more costly units will stand up to the wear and tear better.

IMO, it's not the RV, but the owners of the RV that will determine the longevity and answer what you're asking that makes a good unit.

X2

AMEN!

The owners of RV Consumer group DO NOT RV. They don't own an RV and they don't spend a lot of time looking at RVs. Years ago they had friends that did give them a lot of feed back. Now, I think there are a few, but mainly they get brochures/web site info on the units and plug that into their "formulas" in some spreadsheet and come up with 'ratings'. Touring RV Manufacturers was probably confined to Oregon and Washington (meaning Country Coach, Monaco and Alpine) but neither state has manufacturers left - I'm not sure if Marathon 'builds' in Oregon or just services, since that is well beyond our price range.

Personally, I wouldn't spend money on anything written by NON-RVers when it comes to buying an RV. The very best info about a particular brand is going to come from asking questions on an owner forum. But enough people do buy their stuff to keep them (meaning the husband and wife) going.

Barb