First RV for Retired Couple

BirdSongPlace,

Some of the very reasons we have always had a truck camper at all times among our TT's, 5th wheels, and Class A's & C's MH's. They are literally perfect for driving about anywhere especially to Alaska etc, camp anywhere and especially on the very tight sites, boondocking where you want to (legally of course) by a lake or on a mountain top or you name it, and you still have the truck as a great safe vehicle. We always buy a 4X4 so even roads are not needed with or without the TC on the back. You can take the TC off when home or if desired pr leave it on and it's even a grocery etc getter or your own conviences of home vehicle anywhere you drive it to when not traveling/camping. Get a pizza or a meal to go and park at any lake, park, game, the woods, etc and enjoy to the max. Still pull and easily launch a boat or etc when desired. Most states only require a registration plate for the truck and TC insurance is ultra cheap. An extremely universal rig!

The newer TC's have so much usable room and many models are not claustrophobic even on a long rainy weekend. Have everything inside that TT's, 5th wheels, amd MH's have for human needs without having the length issues. Increasing numbers are full timing in the new TC models now offered. Some even have a foot/reclining couch with having a very comfortable fixed large dinette and liquid holding tanks (fresh, gray. and black) the size of many of the tow behinds and MH's. Having a TC on a crew cab truck lets you use the back seat of the truck for so much more storage of clothes, canned dry etc goods or anything esle you desire for long time length and distance trips and still fit in about any CG site or boonie site.

Also, better fuel economy and much easier to drive on crowded or busy roads/streets etc.

Have you considered a truck camper? The ones being built today are very different than the ones what were on the road when I was a kid. If you plan on doing a lot of traveling they are wonderful! You can park just about anywhere! Their size makes going to hidden sites pretty easy. If you drop the camper you can use the truck as a vehicle for sightseeing. Ours has a slide out and I find that with the camper storage and the back seat of the truck. I have room for everything I need. The truck camper is not as good for long term camping. A rainy weekend can be a little claustrophobic. If you go to a RV show be sure to look at truck campers. I think you'll be surprised!

You sound just like DW and I when we first started rving. Fortunately I decided to rent and try the MH we were thinking of before buying. I'm glad I did; testing, studying, researching all made the difference in our final choice. Study, research, check them out, leave no stone unturned and DON'T believe what the salesmen tell you. Also the owner's manuals do NOT tell you nearly all the things you need to know about how your rv works. Luckily there are a ton of people on RVNET that know everything about how any rv/mh works, so you'll always have experts here for help. Like me you need to remember it's your wallet and your brain that's going to have to make everything work in the end. Good luck and enjoy your search.

To help you decide on what RV to buy you could go to www.rvknowhow.com and read Joe and Vicki’s suggestions and/or download their e-book `RV Buyers Homework’, which walks you through the process of choosing the best RV for your needs, selecting the right floor plans and features, determining the RV’s cargo-carrying and towing capacities and evaluating its livability. (Nov-Dec Highways, pg. 21)
RVtravel.com and the Better Business Bureau have a DVD that covers the same subject and Chuck Woodbury has an ebook with similar advice that can be instantly downloaded from www.rvbookstore.com.

tatest,

Yes, later Georgie Boy later was taken over by Coachmen etc but our 1965 Georgie Boy 8' TC was made in Red Bay, Alabama and at the very same street address that Allegro was listed at being on the ident/serial no. tags on the 4 Red Bay, Alabama made RV's we'd owned. We had one Georgie Boy TC RV and 3 Allegro MH's over the years and noticed it so many times. Granted, 1965 was many years ago and lots of RV manufacturing owners, locations, and changes have taken place over the last 48+ years. Some very interesting changes for sure!

Some replies are excellent - some just plain nuts!.:R

What works for one person, may be another's nightmare.
Only *you* know your skill and do-it-yourself abilities.
(Or the size of your wallet)

Decide what you *think* is best for you - then go verify.

Decided how much you will use it.

Remember that an RV with an engine, transmission, six tires, etc. - requires
care and "feeding".

A MH may *not* be the best choice for a "starter" RV.

In many instances, owners change their mind and take a "bath" on what they paid. (May work well for the next buyer - but you don't want to be the guy in the bath water!)

Get out there and look & drive - new & used, from dealers and private parties.

Good luck!

~

Georgie Boy (which became part of Coachmen) and Damon (a Thor company) each made motorhomes starting at entry price levels, and from there on up to mid-price range.

If there are a lot of RVs of this brand for sale, I suggest that in the area you are looking, a lot them were sold new.

Any RV is a maintenance project, like a house regularly shaken by earthquakes and blown around by storm winds. Make the RV a motorhome, and you add the maintenance of a large truck, which is something more than maintenance of a car, but only in scale.

People most happy with RVs tend to be those who are handy, like to tinker, and regularly inspect and repair things as needed (house, RV, car, lawn mowers, etc). Farmers, ranchers, mechanics tend to enjoy RVing, as those coming over from a "happy boat owner" experience.

If you are not handy, then you have to pay money to someone who is handy. Without regular inspection and preventive maintenance, things are going to break, and you will be inconvenienced until you can get someone to take care of the problem. For the handy and mechanically inclined, it might just be another little fix-it project.

What! We have been RVing since the mid 1960's starting with an 8' Georgie Boy truck camper before Georgie Boy became Allegro in Red Bay, Alabama. Have had over 2 dozen RV's since then and always 2-4 RV's at any given time as one type isn't the best for all travel and/or RV uses. We have had many TC's, TT's, class C's, large class A's, and large 5th wheels.

I/we find the "large wallet" references for owning an RV due to things breaking or repairs to be generally greatly exaggerated. On average it's true that the depreciation, insurance costs, mandated repairs, and fuel cost will be much higher on a class A in general followed by a Class C costs of ownership and use. Considerably lower overall costs are the norm with TT and 5th wheel rigs including a decent tow vehicle properly equipped and engined. Lowest cost of use and ownership of the RV types mentioned would be a truck/TC rig. Buy a cheap/cheap built RV and you'll get a cheap built RV! Nothing is given away by a manufacturer or a dealer! Pay me now or keep on paying me later!

Used certainly depends on the true overall condition of everything from the ground up with both the vehicle protion and the coach portion and their contents. Used is used and yes the condition and it's past maintenance is ultra important but no matter what condition and entry level/cheap RV is in it's still a cheap built unit and it won't get any better built over time but will most likely get much worse. You can dress up a sickly pig with glitz and glamour etc and make it look fancy and good but it's still a sickly pig underneath. Buyer beware!

The OP has a lot of research, planning, and defining to do if he wants to make a right for him decision the first time. Also, observing, perhaps renting, and using of a unit for what they intend on a smaller time scale will help them to making a right decision for their wants and needs and avoiding the so-called large or thick wallet scenario some have suggested. Our nearly 49 years of extensive RV'ing have been very inexpensive in our experience and we learned new tips and things every year doing it. Every state including Alaska trips and all but 3 provinces of Canada that do not or did not have roads for reasonable traveling and both CG's and boondocking when and where we wanted and only a few repairs ever incountered and listed below.

Total of 3 tires in over 48 years went bad and not one blowout when traveling. Had to have a broken exhaust system hanger welded in Fairbanks, AK back in 2002. Replaced a furnace sail switch, a on-off humidity rocker swith on a refrig, 2 control boards replaced with one for the furnace and one for a frig. A few burned out light bulbs replaced and a couple other minor things. That's it in over 48 years of RV'ing and over a couple dozen decent quality made RV's. So far from being "expensive"! Yes, I do make sure everything is properly manitained and checked before we even leave and extra attention to our tires which are never cheapies and always max inflated Michelins as it's a good way to minimize breakdowns and problems when traveling and ruining an otherwise wonderful fun time!

A reminder: If you air the tires up to max cold in 30 F temps, they will be 5-9 PSI higher cold when in 80 F temps. Important to keep tabs on it and adjust accordingly. Underinflated tires blow due to increased flexing and tire footprint friction heat build up and the compromising of the tire's structure. Tires are to be checked cold and inflated cold and are designed to operate at normal inflation heat built up higher inflation beginning with cold tire inflations. Adding in the increase from higher ambient temps causes dangerous over-inflations.

What worked for us is to look and ask. While we were tent camping, we would walk around and look at how everybody camped in their own way and how different RVs were. I will never forget the couple sipping wine outside their motorhome. It was a Trek. They said, "have you ever seen one of these?" I said no. He said, "Go in and have a look." That sold us on what we wanted to get. We made the right choice he first time.

Think about ...
- what kind of camping you like to do
- where you plan to go
- how much space you need
- set your budget
- buy as much quality that will fit within your budget.

And then, as said above, go have fun, break something, and see how many friends you have among the RV family.

A;so drive them. When that dealer suggests for you to take a drive they think they have a sale. Don't pass up the opportunity. You don't have to buy just because you drive it. They may act upset when you walk away but that is too bad.