We pretty much counted on Verizon for internet. Switch over to VZ from Sprint for the coverage and we were without internet for exactly 1 night in Ark. Used the free tablet VZ gave us for switching as a hot spot and also for Waze and navigation. What a deal. I think we hit 30 GB one month (streaming videos), but most of the time 20 gb was enough. Verizon lets you bump it up and down every month and now they let you carry over unused minutes from the previous month.
We usually stayed in one place for a week. We also tried to travel on Wednesday, which made it easier driving and easier to get a reservation. A few places we stayed only 3 or 4 days, a couple we stayed at for 10 days and one state park 2 weeks.
I put some money into the OTA antenna (Wingman and a Sensor Pro booster) and that paid off getting digital OTA TV in places with no cable. You may think TV is a luxury but it kept the boredom factor down on days when we needed to stay inside. It also helps to be able to get a picture of the local weather.
If you go older than 10 years, there are a lot of nice class As on the market. Matt C said 10 years old is a magic number, but I notice he has an 80's GMC (really nice rig BTW Matt). The only downside is that some buyers will also believe in the 10 year old magic number and it will be a little harder to sell when you're done.
We did exactly what you're thinking of doing. We brought a cheap 20 y.o. gasser and kept it for a couple of years to figure out 1. if we liked the lifestyle and 2. what we wanted in a class A. Sold it for more than I paid for it (but not more than I had into it).
