How do we get started?

Lady_Katie wrote:
When we were looking around, what I did like, however, was a very small, compact motorhome. I know next to nothing about these things, but I think this thing might have been considered a class B or possibly a small class C. Either way, it was small.

How do I know how small is too small?

We are a family of four. Our kids are 15 and 13. We own a 32' Class C Motorhome with 2 slides and a bunk house. When we bought the motorhome, the kids were 8 and 6. We used it primarily for weekend and week-long trips. We too homeschool our children and a few years ago we started spending our summers in the North. I own my own business and work out of the house and camper.

You said your husband can work remotely, is that with a computer? Even with a laptop, in a small Class B or Class C, I think he will find it a little cramped. Does he need to make phone calls while he works? There's not much privacy in a small Class B or C motorhome to make business related calls.

Our Motorhome is too small for us. We made due the last two summers, but it we really need something bigger. We are looking at getting a destination Travel Trailer for our summer camp site. If you don't plan to use the camper the rest of the year, your best option is to look at Park Models or destination Travel Trailers. Either would be more like a small house. A Park Model would be best as they have a shingled roof.

If you plan to use the camper throughout the year, I would suggest something with an actual room where your husband would be able to work. I think a 5th wheel or large Travel Trailer would offer the best options there. Large 5th wheels are easier to tow than long Travel Trailers. My biggest hassle is setting up my mobile office every day. The only place I can do that is the dinette, which we also use for eating. I don't usually make phone calls, but our "master bedroom" has an actual wooden door I can close if I have to make phone calls.

Keep in mind, if you do buy a Motorhome, you will probably still need to tow a car when you camp for the winters. It gets really old quick, having to break camp any time you need to run to the store. It's an inconvenience when you are camping for the week, but when you live in it for a few months, it is a real hassle - especially if you have to level the camper.

You won't know what you need until you actually do it long term. We love our motorhome and thought it was so big and spacious, but once we started living in it full time for months at a time, it became a lot smaller, especially as our kids got bigger. You can rent RVs to get an idea of what you can expect, but unfortunately, you won't know what it is going to be like to live in for months at a time until you actually do.

-Michael