RV decision
Hello all, my wife and I have been kicking around the idea of buying our first RV. We have been retired for about 2 years now and this option has been on our minds. Originally we were leaning towards ...
Forum Discussion
Being in Florida puts you in the best area for a used unit. Like you I'm "handy". RV's are put together in sub module units. You may have study a bit on how to access something you want to fix. Don't let it scare you.
The wife and I spend 5 months in Florida in our 34' 5th wheel with 3 slides and are quite comfortable. We've had truck campers, Class C MH, 31' TT and a couple of 5th wheels.
Get out there and enjoy while you still can.
Roofs, our TT had one piece alum sheet. To work up there you had to play leap frog with a couple of plywood squares to spread the weight out. It never leaked, even after looking like a dimpled golfball after a hail storm. We bought it new and had it for 18yrs. One 5er had a rubber roof, not impressed. Our present 5er has a PVC roof, love it. I built a antenna boom out of PVC once thinking I'd get a yr or 2 at the most. It suvived over 10 yrs, 30ft in the air in central Indiana. I wash it with Turtle Wax car wash soap and it's so white you best wear sunglasses.
I've replaced a bedroom slideout floor, changed carpet out for a vynil floor, redid a bathroom floor and the with some help from the wife we replaced two axles that got recalled and all the hardware from the lug nuts to the schackle mounts. Some floors have soft spots, beware of water intrusion but I've had 2 caused by deterating styrofoam. In my case I think mine have been from all my weight being placed in a small area from useing crutches.
Some times I enjoy working on my rig and other times I can get fustrated. Oh well, I still say go for it. Sit down and try to think of things you would like to do. Go to an RV show and write down things you like and things you don't. Then for a 1st rig, I'd try to find a reasonably priced used unit.
My in laws liked a new 5er with a front living room and a rear bath. Before the 1st month was out they hated it. I bought a pop-up truck camper that had damage but something I though I could fix. We didn't plan on keeping it long. One trip, 13,000 mile over 2 months to Alaska. After being in larger units we called it Nabisco, our cracker box but what a trip.
The wife and I spend 5 months in Florida in our 34' 5th wheel with 3 slides and are quite comfortable. We've had truck campers, Class C MH, 31' TT and a couple of 5th wheels.
Get out there and enjoy while you still can.
Roofs, our TT had one piece alum sheet. To work up there you had to play leap frog with a couple of plywood squares to spread the weight out. It never leaked, even after looking like a dimpled golfball after a hail storm. We bought it new and had it for 18yrs. One 5er had a rubber roof, not impressed. Our present 5er has a PVC roof, love it. I built a antenna boom out of PVC once thinking I'd get a yr or 2 at the most. It suvived over 10 yrs, 30ft in the air in central Indiana. I wash it with Turtle Wax car wash soap and it's so white you best wear sunglasses.
I've replaced a bedroom slideout floor, changed carpet out for a vynil floor, redid a bathroom floor and the with some help from the wife we replaced two axles that got recalled and all the hardware from the lug nuts to the schackle mounts. Some floors have soft spots, beware of water intrusion but I've had 2 caused by deterating styrofoam. In my case I think mine have been from all my weight being placed in a small area from useing crutches.
Some times I enjoy working on my rig and other times I can get fustrated. Oh well, I still say go for it. Sit down and try to think of things you would like to do. Go to an RV show and write down things you like and things you don't. Then for a 1st rig, I'd try to find a reasonably priced used unit.
My in laws liked a new 5er with a front living room and a rear bath. Before the 1st month was out they hated it. I bought a pop-up truck camper that had damage but something I though I could fix. We didn't plan on keeping it long. One trip, 13,000 mile over 2 months to Alaska. After being in larger units we called it Nabisco, our cracker box but what a trip.
