Advice on RV Type
My wife, Linda, and I have not yet purchased an RV. We are planning to end our winters in Illinois in the near future, so we would appreciate any advice as to the type of trailer/vehicle that might be best-suited to our needs, based on your personal experiences.
First, let me say that we have been researching this topic for quite a while from and understand the differences between small trailers, large trailers, 5th wheels, and Class A, B and C motorhomes. We have read a lot about the pros and cons of each and frankly, they all seem so good, I don’t know how we’re going to choose! Everything I have read indicates that, in the end, the choice of RV comes down to personal preferences. So, at the risk of boring all of you, let me tell you about us and what we would like to do.
Our plan is to leave central Illinois after the first week in January each year, travel to places like Texas, Arizona and California (as long as it’s at least 45 degrees, and not too hot, we’re happy), returning to Illinois in middle-to-late March.
I told Linda that the first thing we needed to do was figure out what we hoped to get out of this experience. Here’s what she said: “We want our own bed and bath. We want to bring the cat. We want to walk around while in motion. We want to have food with us. Need ease of driving, parking, etc. Don't need much space: TV and place to sit while watching, whether LR or bed. Need to be able to drive to places we want to be.”
Anyway, that’s Linda, but I have another requirement: I want to bring my Honda Gold Wing Trike. While Linda doesn’t care much for riding on the highway with me on the Trike, she does enjoy scenic rides and riding through small towns. In past years, Linda would pull an enclosed cargo trailer with a pick-up truck and I would ride the Trike. When she got tired of driving, or if the weather deteriorated, I would pull the Trike into the trailer and drive the truck. That worked out pretty well, but we stayed at hotels and ate at restaurants.
While we are fine living in close quarters (we are perfectly happy in a full-size bed), we have very different lifestyles. Linda is very happy just sitting around. During the spring, she likes to work in the garden and she always does the yard work on her own. She hates to fly and would prefer driving. I, on the other hand, have traveled for a living the past 25 years, flying around the country, and love it. I am always doing something: riding the Trike, target shooting with revolvers and rifles, socializing, etc. As I often say, we have divided up the household duties as follows: Linda is responsible for everything inside the house and outside the house and I ride the Trike and shoot. Well, OK, I help her with repairs and moving around cement urns and building cement footings and arbors and stuff like that, but I enjoy being on the go all the time—not much into sitting around. But if I’m out gallivanting about on the Trike, it would be convenient if Linda had a way to go to the store or take a side trip.
Two more considerations: Our budget will allow us to get something in the $35,000-$60,000 range and we don’t want to pull a “toad”.
What we’re thinking is that we should probably focus on a toy hauler, either 1) a small 5th wheel, with a used heavy-duty diesel pickup truck or 2) a small used Class C motorhome. I know that you aren’t supposed to be walking around in a 5th wheel in some states, but we would be discrete if that winds up being our choice. With a 5th wheel, Linda would have the pickup truck; with a small Class C, she could drive the RV to make side trips while I’m somewhere else on the Trike.
Any and all advice is welcome!!
First, let me say that we have been researching this topic for quite a while from and understand the differences between small trailers, large trailers, 5th wheels, and Class A, B and C motorhomes. We have read a lot about the pros and cons of each and frankly, they all seem so good, I don’t know how we’re going to choose! Everything I have read indicates that, in the end, the choice of RV comes down to personal preferences. So, at the risk of boring all of you, let me tell you about us and what we would like to do.
Our plan is to leave central Illinois after the first week in January each year, travel to places like Texas, Arizona and California (as long as it’s at least 45 degrees, and not too hot, we’re happy), returning to Illinois in middle-to-late March.
I told Linda that the first thing we needed to do was figure out what we hoped to get out of this experience. Here’s what she said: “We want our own bed and bath. We want to bring the cat. We want to walk around while in motion. We want to have food with us. Need ease of driving, parking, etc. Don't need much space: TV and place to sit while watching, whether LR or bed. Need to be able to drive to places we want to be.”
Anyway, that’s Linda, but I have another requirement: I want to bring my Honda Gold Wing Trike. While Linda doesn’t care much for riding on the highway with me on the Trike, she does enjoy scenic rides and riding through small towns. In past years, Linda would pull an enclosed cargo trailer with a pick-up truck and I would ride the Trike. When she got tired of driving, or if the weather deteriorated, I would pull the Trike into the trailer and drive the truck. That worked out pretty well, but we stayed at hotels and ate at restaurants.
While we are fine living in close quarters (we are perfectly happy in a full-size bed), we have very different lifestyles. Linda is very happy just sitting around. During the spring, she likes to work in the garden and she always does the yard work on her own. She hates to fly and would prefer driving. I, on the other hand, have traveled for a living the past 25 years, flying around the country, and love it. I am always doing something: riding the Trike, target shooting with revolvers and rifles, socializing, etc. As I often say, we have divided up the household duties as follows: Linda is responsible for everything inside the house and outside the house and I ride the Trike and shoot. Well, OK, I help her with repairs and moving around cement urns and building cement footings and arbors and stuff like that, but I enjoy being on the go all the time—not much into sitting around. But if I’m out gallivanting about on the Trike, it would be convenient if Linda had a way to go to the store or take a side trip.
Two more considerations: Our budget will allow us to get something in the $35,000-$60,000 range and we don’t want to pull a “toad”.
What we’re thinking is that we should probably focus on a toy hauler, either 1) a small 5th wheel, with a used heavy-duty diesel pickup truck or 2) a small used Class C motorhome. I know that you aren’t supposed to be walking around in a 5th wheel in some states, but we would be discrete if that winds up being our choice. With a 5th wheel, Linda would have the pickup truck; with a small Class C, she could drive the RV to make side trips while I’m somewhere else on the Trike.
Any and all advice is welcome!!
