Looking ahead

Only you can figure out how much living space you need. I'm OK alone with the roughly 22x8 of my 30 foot C, it was OK for a couple weeks with two people, total madness with 5 or 6 for any more than a few days. I could do OK with a little less, have friends who go long term alone in 16 foot travel trailers, and have met couples full-timing in an A-frame pop-up on a 12-foot box. Others will consider nothing less than the 45-foot maximum for motorcoaches and want an additonal 100 sq ft in multiple slideouts. Obviously what works for me doesn't work for them.

You need to get into many different RVs of different sizes. Try out the space.

Best place to do that is a fairly large RV show. RV shows are put together by dealers or groups of dealers, the larger the group to more variety you'll see. Mostly the bring stock they are more pressed to sell, because at show buyers can be an easier sell. Sometimes, not often, they will bring used stock.

But don't worry about new vs used at the show, you are going there to figure out what fits you, not to buy. We visited three very large shows, a half dozen smaller local shows, and many dealers working on "what do we want," but when we got that sorted out it didn't take long to find what we wanted slightly used.

Keep in mind, full timing means you don't have a home base. That means you'll be carrying everything you own, or at least everything you think you'll need. That means a lot more space than needed for occasional use, or even for the kind of snowbirding where you have one place at each end, and might have stuff in storage at each place (like my cousin's 30 foot boat he leaves in Florida, uses a different one in Michigan).

Many shows DO have used units - we just bought one at a show. Granted it was put on by two of our local dealers but we did well. I will give you some ADVICE (not advise). Go into as many rigs as you can. Look at the layouts. Find a few you like. Bring in the slides and see what it is like to travel with them closed. Can you get to the fridge and bathroom with them in? Lots of play in the asking versus buying price in the used market. Get someone to go with you who KNOWS about RVs - where to look for issues, leaks, etc. Make sure you have a proper towing vehicle (TV) and don't be in a hurry.

Some consider a 30 footer "little"; others, like me consider it about as big as I would ever consider. If you want 30 ft. to be big enough, it sure can be. For years, we workamped and lived up to 12 weeks in a 25 footer with no slides; no problem. Now we have a 30 ft. Class C motorhome with 2 slides and it is plenty big.

......or rent one for a week! Remember your living room will be the outdoors.

If your living room is big enough, block of a 30 x 8 foot section. Mark it with tape on the floor. Set up a bed, dinette table, a television, a couch and a couple chairs. Get a small dresser for your clothes. And then try to live in that space ONLY for a week. You can cheat by using your kitchen for food and bathroom facilities. Consider the bathroom facilities as a campground shower house. Live in this space and see if that's big enough! Remember, you can only use the items you put inside that space. Everything else is off limits. One week, and see how you feel.

RV dealers have used units...Camping World, PPL, et. al. lists used units on the Internet. A Google search will reveal thousands of units for sale.

To get started click on RV SALES at top left of this page.

I have never seen a show that features used units, but when you figure out what you want for what price, give the salesman your contact info. He may take a nice unit in on trade.

Are there shows that have used rigs? Is there a huge regional show or just local ( city) shows

Well you gotten 1st and 2nd best bits of advise......

Might I add......be debt free

Buying used is the best advise anyone can give you. Getting enough truck for current and future purchases is the second best bit of advise. Find floor plans you like, then go shopping places like used dealers and craigslist for that floor plan.