Hey folks! My name is Chad. My husband, Jon, and I will be beginning our full time RVing adventure toward the end of January. We are currently in San Francisco and will be chasing the sun. We are sti...
Welcome Chad! There are a multitude of tips we could give you about the world of RVing that could fill a book. So it would be most helpful if you could narrow your inquiry. Are you first looking for advice on which RV to buy? Do you know if you want a motorhome (and if so, with or without a tow car), truck and trailer, truck and 5th wheel, camper truck, camping van, etc.??
You might want to consider buying a good well-taken care of used unit rather than brand new. New units greatly depreciate as soon as you drive them off the dealer's lot. Even the brand new ones have problems to work out as you use them. Whereas hopefully, a slightly used unit will have had some kinks worked out by the first owner.
I would always recommend a newbie take a practice trip or two nearby home before getting rid of your home and starting full-time RVing. You need time to learn about your RV while using it in a real-life situation at a campground before diving in to using it full-time.
There are a plethora of online resources to find campgrounds/RV parks. There are private commercial parks, public lands (including Nat'l Parks, State parks, County/City parks, BLM, etc.), some Walmarts and Casinos to dry camp (without hookups), and more. The public lands are usually peaceful...but you could occasionally run into some partiers...especially on weekends and holidays! I've been in many many commercial RV parks that are also very quiet.
Hopefully you've researched full-timing and are good with the finances of it all. The money outlay doesn't end with initially buying an RV, because RV's seem to always have one thing or another going wrong. Sometimes it's just a little thing you can fix yourself, but other times you need professional help, and that costs money.
Since you are starting in winter, I'd say you should take a southerly route (like I-10, for example). RVs are not necessarily built for all-weather camping. For example, water could freeze and burst your inside piping, without taking proper precautions. So always watch the weather forecast as you travel. (Not just for cold, but tornados, hurricanes, etc. that you would not want to be involved in.)
Well, that's a few of my tips (without writing a book!). I've RV'd for over 30 years and am still coming across new things/ideas/fixes!
Thank you so much for that! Sorry for the delayed response. We purchased a 95 Winnebago (Ford E350). Its in pristine condition and was very used as a residence. Lots of upgrades to the engine and all brand new tires as well. We got a really great deal on it.
We have been researching like crazy but still don't feel as prepared as we would like. This wasn't just a decision made to do, but literally our best option due to our living/life circumstances. We have a little bit to live on but didn't have a house to sell or anything like that. We will definitely be staying southern in our routes, likely starting in Sedona, Arizona to even just rest for a minute in a peaceful environment.
The plan is to make it to the East Coast to clean out our storage unit in Virginia before deciding on our next move. Have you used Thousand Trails at all or KOA for campsites? The membership deals looked pretty great but I don't know anyone that used them. Are they worth it or is better to find campgrounds and parks?
Not to rain on your parade but set aside a good chunk of cash for maintenance and repairs.
A 30yr old rig that's been sitting for a long time would be a true unicorn if it was really in pristine condition. I would lean towards a rig that gets regular use because that requires regular maintenance. If the rig isn't moving, it's easy to skimp on maintenance and it won't show up until you get out on the road bouncing around.
Not saying it won't turn out to be a good rig for you just be prepared before the repair bills roll in
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My name is Chad. My husband, Jon, and I will be beginning our full time RVing adventure toward the end of January. We are currently in San Francisco and will be chasing the sun. We are sti...","body@stringLength":"460","rawBody":"
Hey folks! My name is Chad. My husband, Jon, and I will be beginning our full time RVing adventure toward the end of January. We are currently in San Francisco and will be chasing the sun. We are still learning about all this. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. I feel like there are a million things that we haven't thought of as we transition to this new life. Thanks 🙂
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Thank you so much for that! Sorry for the delayed response. We purchased a 95 Winnebago (Ford E350). Its in pristine condition and was very used as a residence. Lots of upgrades to the engine and all brand new tires as well. We got a really great deal on it.
We have been researching like crazy but still don't feel as prepared as we would like. This wasn't just a decision made to do, but literally our best option due to our living/life circumstances. We have a little bit to live on but didn't have a house to sell or anything like that. We will definitely be staying southern in our routes, likely starting in Sedona, Arizona to even just rest for a minute in a peaceful environment.
The plan is to make it to the East Coast to clean out our storage unit in Virginia before deciding on our next move. Have you used Thousand Trails at all or KOA for campsites? The membership deals looked pretty great but I don't know anyone that used them. Are they worth it or is better to find campgrounds and parks?
Thanks for all your insight!
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Thank you so much for that! Sorry for the delayed response. We purchased a 95 Winnebago (Ford E350). Its in pristine condition and was very used as a residence. Lots of upgrades to the engine and all brand new tires as well. We got a really great deal on it.
We have been researching like crazy but still don't feel as prepared as we would like. This wasn't just a decision made to do, but literally our best option due to our living/life circumstances. We have a little bit to live on but didn't have a house to sell or anything like that. We will definitely be staying southern in our routes, likely starting in Sedona, Arizona to even just rest for a minute in a peaceful environment.
The plan is to make it to the East Coast to clean out our storage unit in Virginia before deciding on our next move. Have you used Thousand Trails at all or KOA for campsites? The membership deals looked pretty great but I don't know anyone that used them. Are they worth it or is better to find campgrounds and parks?
Welcome Chad! There are a multitude of tips we could give you about the world of RVing that could fill a book. So it would be most helpful if you could narrow your inquiry. Are you first looking for advice on which RV to buy? Do you know if you want a motorhome (and if so, with or without a tow car), truck and trailer, truck and 5th wheel, camper truck, camping van, etc.??
You might want to consider buying a good well-taken care of used unit rather than brand new. New units greatly depreciate as soon as you drive them off the dealer's lot. Even the brand new ones have problems to work out as you use them. Whereas hopefully, a slightly used unit will have had some kinks worked out by the first owner.
I would always recommend a newbie take a practice trip or two nearby home before getting rid of your home and starting full-time RVing. You need time to learn about your RV while using it in a real-life situation at a campground before diving in to using it full-time.
There are a plethora of online resources to find campgrounds/RV parks. There are private commercial parks, public lands (including Nat'l Parks, State parks, County/City parks, BLM, etc.), some Walmarts and Casinos to dry camp (without hookups), and more. The public lands are usually peaceful...but you could occasionally run into some partiers...especially on weekends and holidays! I've been in many many commercial RV parks that are also very quiet.
Hopefully you've researched full-timing and are good with the finances of it all. The money outlay doesn't end with initially buying an RV, because RV's seem to always have one thing or another going wrong. Sometimes it's just a little thing you can fix yourself, but other times you need professional help, and that costs money.
Since you are starting in winter, I'd say you should take a southerly route (like I-10, for example). RVs are not necessarily built for all-weather camping. For example, water could freeze and burst your inside piping, without taking proper precautions. So always watch the weather forecast as you travel. (Not just for cold, but tornados, hurricanes, etc. that you would not want to be involved in.)
Well, that's a few of my tips (without writing a book!). I've RV'd for over 30 years and am still coming across new things/ideas/fixes!
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Welcome Chad! There are a multitude of tips we could give you about the world of RVing that could fill a book. So it would be most helpful if you could narrow your inquiry. Are you first looking for advice on which RV to buy? Do you know if you want a motorhome (and if so, with or without a tow car), truck and trailer, truck and 5th wheel, camper truck, camping van, etc.??
You might want to consider buying a good well-taken care of used unit rather than brand new. New units greatly depreciate as soon as you drive them off the dealer's lot. Even the brand new ones have problems to work out as you use them. Whereas hopefully, a slightly used unit will have had some kinks worked out by the first owner.
I would always recommend a newbie take a practice trip or two nearby home before getting rid of your home and starting full-time RVing. You need time to learn about your RV while using it in a real-life situation at a campground before diving in to using it full-time.
There are a plethora of online resources to find campgrounds/RV parks. There are private commercial parks, public lands (including Nat'l Parks, State parks, County/City parks, BLM, etc.), some Walmarts and Casinos to dry camp (without hookups), and more. The public lands are usually peaceful...but you could occasionally run into some partiers...especially on weekends and holidays! I've been in many many commercial RV parks that are also very quiet.
Hopefully you've researched full-timing and are good with the finances of it all. The money outlay doesn't end with initially buying an RV, because RV's seem to always have one thing or another going wrong. Sometimes it's just a little thing you can fix yourself, but other times you need professional help, and that costs money.
Since you are starting in winter, I'd say you should take a southerly route (like I-10, for example). RVs are not necessarily built for all-weather camping. For example, water could freeze and burst your inside piping, without taking proper precautions. So always watch the weather forecast as you travel. (Not just for cold, but tornados, hurricanes, etc. that you would not want to be involved in.)
Well, that's a few of my tips (without writing a book!). I've RV'd for over 30 years and am still coming across new things/ideas/fixes!
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Starting in January 2025","moderationData":{"__ref":"ModerationData:moderation_data:3681703"},"body":"
Not to rain on your parade but set aside a good chunk of cash for maintenance and repairs.
A 30yr old rig that's been sitting for a long time would be a true unicorn if it was really in pristine condition. I would lean towards a rig that gets regular use because that requires regular maintenance. If the rig isn't moving, it's easy to skimp on maintenance and it won't show up until you get out on the road bouncing around.
Not saying it won't turn out to be a good rig for you just be prepared before the repair bills roll in