Oh No! Friend making big RV mistake...again.

lizzie wrote:
I will get philosophical and add that for my friend, the RV has a lot to do with the dream that he has for changes in his life. His friends can question whether his choices are realistic, but he doesn't see it that way. So it isn't really about the rig, it's about the dream. lizzie

A real estate agent once told me that he wasn't selling a home or real estate he was selling A DREAM.

If he did not listen to you the first time, he isn't going to now. Some people just like gab then make up their own minds. Perhaps he won the lottery and likes to throw his winnings to the wind.:R

Lizzie, without knowing all the details, I'm just shooting in the dark. But it sounds like he listens to sales pitches, instead of going to the source of much wisdom, the TC forum here. Just my opinion, but he needs to consider making himself more educated by reading (studying, really) the 'Truck Camper University' stuff there. Then he needs to make the dealer make the TC right, involving a lawyer if needed.

He may also need to do some upgrading of his truck. Common sales tactic, as we all know, is to assure the unwary customer that "Oh, yeah, you've got plenty of truck to carry this 'un." A lot of the guys on the TC forum have added mods to their trucks to make them better suited to the task.

A single man wanting to camp in NF & NP CG's _should_ be quite happy with a pretty new upmarket truck camper, if the truck is matched to the weight, and all on the camper functions right. My Tiger is close to a small TC, and I could do that very happily if it was my goal. Yes, he might need to hire a lawyer, or even return to the factory for repairs. Still better and probably cheaper than sticking himself with a too-long TT that he will find out to have its own issues after he buys it.

Jim, "The old expert. Often wrong. Never in doubt."

Give him a copy of "The Long, Long Trailer" starring Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball.

lizzie wrote:
Thank you for asking this question from Dr. lizzie. I suspect that you have a deep-seated aversion to the dullness of living in a house and long for the free-spiritedness of the RV. If you will send me a photo-copy of your palm I will give you more valuable information. My friend bought a large TC (ordered it custom) from a dealer that is not popular on this forum. He had mucho problems with it from day one and he was not comfortable driving it or taking it on and off his truck. Now he is interested in a 34' TT. He has never towed or parked a TT and he enjoys camping in National Parks, State Parks, etc. He has been told that a unit this long will not be a problem. Maybe not.

Now were getting somewhere, although, as you have hinted, he may not listen.

Some don’t learn so quickly, if at all.

Would have thought, he would have SAW some of the benefits of a smaller units with the TC in National Parks, State Parks, …… along with traveling with a smaller unit.

Yes, a 34 foot TT, is mighty long, and if he plans on traveling, more than just camping at locations for longer peionds, there will be a lot of stress with pulling & parking a long TT.

If he never got comfortable with driving a large TC, ask if he thinks pulling a 34 trailer will be easier (remind him traffic, gas stations, turn-around situations, short stops, finding campsites to accommodate a 34 foot & truck).

Sounds like he doesn't really know what type of camping/rv'ing he wants to do. May be awe struck with all that space versuses the TC, although a BIG red flag on comfortablility on driving something like that.

Good luck!

Markiemark :C

Thank you for asking this question from Dr. lizzie. I suspect that you have a deep-seated aversion to the dullness of living in a house and long for the free-spiritedness of the RV. If you will send me a photo-copy of your palm I will give you more valuable information. My friend bought a large TC (ordered it custom) from a dealer that is not popular on this forum. He had mucho problems with it from day one and he was not comfortable driving it or taking it on and off his truck. Now he is interested in a 34' TT. He has never towed or parked a TT and he enjoys camping in National Parks, State Parks, etc. He has been told that a unit this long will not be a problem. Maybe not.

lizzie wrote:
I will get philosophical and add that for my friend, the RV has a lot to do with the dream that he has for changes in his life. His friends can question whether his choices are realistic, but he doesn't see it that way. So it isn't really about the rig, it's about the dream. lizzie

Now it's getting DEEP............................

You still have not said why he was unable to use the first one?

Also why the trade in is even a poorer decision?

Although he is taking advice from sales-people and RV shows, versuses actual RV user's out here in inter-space or from a friend.

Now it isn't really about the rig? :?


I have learned it's hard to explain, justify, rationalize, the RV lifestyle to non-RV people. Is there some under lying psychological something going on, where I rather be in the RV, than my home?

MArkiemark:C

I will get philosophical and add that for my friend, the RV has a lot to do with the dream that he has for changes in his life. His friends can question whether his choices are realistic, but he doesn't see it that way. So it isn't really about the rig, it's about the dream. lizzie

The last place I want to find about RV stuff is from a dealer. The first time (early 2010) I went to look at a TT, the dealer I went to said that towing capacities were just fake numbers vehicle makers used for legal eagle stuff, and that a late-90s half ton could pull 11k pounds without breaking a sweat in real life. Of course, coming from the IT industry where if a program asks for 7 CPUs and you give it four, the program vendor will not help, nor support you, I smelled the nitrogenous cow waste quickly.

Sometimes, I end up the one explaining to a dealer about something because I do a lot of research before making a sale.

Of course, this doesn't mean I don't make mistakes. I blew it somewhat when I made my current RV purchase. I didn't realize that the time I spent driving to where I store my rig, prepping it, hitching it up, driving to a CG, unhitching, then repeating the process, takes a huge part of my minimal vacation time (usually a weekend, if not 3-4 days at most.) So, for me, other than a festival that I drop my TT at for a quarter of the year, I am far better served by a small motorhome that I can park in the driveway, then on Friday, take it to work instead of my daily driver, and once work is done, hop in, vacation starts. However, I have learned a lot from my first rig... such as basic upkeep, electrical and plumbing issues, what I need and don't need for sleeping space, and what my RV-ing habits are.