Advice/input?/Soon to be "full time"

[TylerandBrittan]

First post, pretty excited. I have been stalking the forum for the better part of a year now. I'd like to say that there is an enormous amount of information here and am very thankful for that.

I will be finishing up a 5 year enlistment in the Navy. My wife and I (currently stationed in San Diego) will be moving back home to Texas to start a new adventure. The next three years have me in school to finish up a degree. We have been discussing for awhile our plans for those three years. Long story short (and with out coming across as shooting from the hip) we have decided to make those three years a full time RV adventure. We will start in Kingsville for a semester and end up in Lubbock to finish out.

I have spent a fair amount of time doing research on a lot of different topics. RVing is something new to both of us, besides a few trips with family members. I consider myself pretty handy, patient, and easy going... All qualities I feel like would help make full timing possible. Financially our debt only consists of our Truck and the soon to be 5er. My ideal price range floats around 35k. We will both have stable income. I have always been the "buy used" guy, so naturally I am drawn to the used trailers. I can't help but to also look at the new inventory as well.

We have an 08 F-450
I am 27 and amazingly good looking, she is 23 and amazingly beautiful
We plan on being in the 5er for 2 months before heading back to Texas
Plan on making the purchase from the San Diego area but not locked into that

I hate leaving this post open ended and am not even sure if it is allowed (there are a lot of rules) but I am basically just looking for advice , thoughts, and input. We are looking mostly at Montana's, a few Heartland brands, and also at Open Ranges. There are a few higher quality coaches we have looked at but are not sure we want to spend more than we have discussed. Used or new? Am I crazy for wanting to do this?!

Thanks for any input.

-Tyler

[sdianel_-acct_c]

Thank you for your service and we want pictures of you and your wife for proof that you are both amazingly beautiful! LOL.
As long as you are in the military you can use the famcamps. Once you leave unless you are retired or 100% disabled veteran you can't use them. You need a DOD Card for access.
Sounds like you have a good plan, you just need to find the right unit. 2 ACs definitely! I would go with a good used unit not too old, for depreciation reasons. Good quality unit and inspect it carefully, then once you narrow it down, post the info on this forum for input.

[edbehnke]

try renting a camper from your famcamp....see if you like it. the trailer will be a small one but try it.

[ngreen]

We have spent the winter in Kingsville while by DH worked. If you are looking for a place to park it, PM me

[Ivylog]

Sorry for taking your additional info the wrong way and Thanks for your Service. With your F450(6.4)I'd recommend buying more trailer than you think you need... one time as trading can be expensive. I'm a used guy too but water leaks are often a problem. Any wavyness to the sides of soft spots is usually water damage. Any stains to the inside is suspect so crawl all over the roof looking of any seals/seems that have a crack in the sealant. I am not a fan of rubber roofs so a fiberglass roof would be a plus. I would look for a 5-6 year old (4 season) rig that's been store under a roof but it will probably need new tires. I only put two year old used takeoffs tires from a PU on my many trailers as they age out before you wear them out.

[TylerandBrittan]

I have spent*** the most time

Always looking and reading! If there is one thing I am picking up on, you can't do enough research. Thank you everyone.

[jmtandem]

Congrats on going to school. You will never regret it. As far as getting an RV, sometimes it is just better to get something preowned to learn from that what you really want in an RV. That way somebody else spent the depreciation dollars and you did not. Research models up to a point, then just dive in. The learning curve in RV's is steep. You will learn quickly. I would eliminate any RV that is designed for weekend recreational usage and focus only on those that are four season like the Arctic Fox/Keystone Montana, etc. designed for full time living. Enjoy!

[TylerandBrittan]

amandasgramma wrote:
We just decided recently to go full-time. We're considerably older than you, but my advice is DO IT! Not a better time!

We looked at all the RVs mentioned, and our theory, as with buying cars/pickups, is if there's a lot of them on the resale market, there must be something wrong. I know a lot of people here disagree with us, so be it. We bought a used Open Range -- 34 foot. I'd suggest, if you can do it, buy a larger one -- you don't know when your family may increase in size. 🙂 As for the Open Range.........neither of us have been happier with a rig!!!!! The kitchen layout is the easiest to work in kitchen I'v ever had. Everything about this rig is top of the line. I understand they've been bought out this last spring so I can't vouch for the new ones. My understanding is the new company will accommodate the older rigs and be as good as the old ones. There is an Open Range forum, too. We scoured it before buying and found that most of the problems were in the trailer line.

Good luck and thank you for your service!!

I had spent the most time looking up reviews and opinions on the Open Range. I have been trying to get into the OR forum but my internet connection does not allow it at this time. I love hearing that y'all love your rig. Reading your post was very relieving, thank you.

[TylerandBrittan]

Fred,

Thank you so much for your response, great information. I am stationed out of Coronado to be specific, we have found two great locations (30 day limit) that we are planning on using while in the area before moving back. One of which is a mile or so down the Silver Strand at "Fiddler's Cove". I am most excited about that location. We will definitely be checking out the RV dealers you have mentioned, as well as the camp grounds also. The coolant water filter is something I will look into also, I appreciate the input as far as the truck goes. Again, great information! I am loving this. Much appreciated.

- Tyler

C-Bears,

Thank you for your service! And thank you for the response. Greatly appreciated. I am finding a lot of good information on these owner's forums.

[pianotuna]

Hi Tyler,

Welcome to the forums.

I'd recommend you rent for a month before committing to a particular type of RV.

Living in "close quarters" can be a challenge. You might want to try spending a week in your present accommodations where you only use the bathroom and the kitchen.

Buying used can save thousands of dollars, but don't buy anything that has any sign of a water leak. I would not buy new unless I were a seasoned RV'er and was ordering a custom built unit from a quality manufacturer.

Most RV people are a bit different (it is all the fruit cake we eat? *grin*).

If you are buying from a dealer, it would be best to buy in the area where you are going to live, so that any warranty issues can be taken care of.

The tow vehicle looks good--but make sure to upgrade the suspension. Active air bags would be a good place to start. Add a tranny cooler?

My favorite web site for finding places to stay is free and low cost campsites

TylerandBrittany wrote:
The next three years have me in school to finish up a degree. We have been discussing for awhile our plans for those three years.

RVing is something new to both of us, besides a few trips with family members.

I have always been the "buy used" guy, so naturally I am drawn to the used trailers.

We have an 08 F-450

We plan on being in the 5er for 2 months before heading back to Texas
Plan on making the purchase from the San Diego area but not locked into that

There are a few higher quality coaches we have looked at but are not sure we want to spend more than we have discussed. Used or new?

Am I crazy for wanting to do this?!

Thanks for any input.

-Tyler

[TylerandBrittan]

Ivylog wrote:
Glad to know who good looking you both are as it 's going to really help answering your questions. I usually thank you for your service but I do not want to explode your head. If you were looking at MH's I'd say only a Prevost would be good enough.
Good luck.
"I am 27 and amazingly good looking, she is 23 and amazingly beautiful ":S

I was not sure how to follow up the "age reveal" comment, I figured a little humor may up my "forum cred". Hopefully it did not come across too rude, please forgive me if it did. I appreciate your response.

[Ivylog]

Glad to know who good looking you both are as it 's going to really help answering your questions. I usually thank you for your service but I do not want to explode your head. If you were looking at MH's I'd say only a Prevost would be good enough.
Good luck and I doubt there is anything I can help you with.
"I am 27 and amazingly good looking, she is 23 and amazingly beautiful ":S this is not Twitter.

[amandasgramma]

We just decided recently to go full-time. We're considerably older than you, but my advice is DO IT! Not a better time!

We looked at all the RVs mentioned, and our theory, as with buying cars/pickups, is if there's a lot of them on the resale market, there must be something wrong. I know a lot of people here disagree with us, so be it. We bought a used Open Range -- 34 foot. I'd suggest, if you can do it, buy a larger one -- you don't know when your family may increase in size. 🙂 As for the Open Range.........neither of us have been happier with a rig!!!!! The kitchen layout is the easiest to work in kitchen I'v ever had. Everything about this rig is top of the line. I understand they've been bought out this last spring so I can't vouch for the new ones. My understanding is the new company will accommodate the older rigs and be as good as the old ones. There is an Open Range forum, too. We scoured it before buying and found that most of the problems were in the trailer line.

Good luck and thank you for your service!!

[C-Bears]

Welcome to the forum. From one old vet to another soon-to-be younger vet, thanks for your service to our country.

We were not experienced campers when we purchased our first FW. Like you, we did some research and pretty much knew what we wanted. I limited my search to approximately the surrounding 500 miles. It took me a couple months but I located and purchased a gently used 2008 Montana 3400RL.

It already had several upgrades, including G rated tires. It was 38' long and the floor plan fit our needs.

If you haven't been on the Montana Owner's Forum (MOC) you should check it out. There are thousands of members and the tech advise on there reference the Montana line is unmatched.

Good luck and safe travels my friend.

[Golden_HVAC]

Hi,

Welcome to the forum, and yes there is a LOT of great information here.

Going to south Texas, you will want dual air conditioners in a 35' unit. The F-450 is very capable, yet has a problem with plugged oil cooler that causes the exhaust cooler to overheat, and crack, then leak water into the engine - a bad thing. All of this is prevented with a simple coolant water filter. Stop by your local Napa store and get part #FIL 4019 to mount it in the truck heater hose line, and FIL # 4070 for the filter.

I would be recommending a higher end unit because you will be living in it for 3-4 years, perhaps longer if you enjoy it. They come with higher quality sinks, furniture coverings, ect.

Check with your base, and see where you can park your fifth wheel. There are military bases across the USA, and while you are still in, you can camp for a very reasonable cost. I am not sure what the cost will be when you get out, but you can find out soon! They should have a website with locations coast to coast. I know there is a base campground at Pendleton. It might be a lot less expensive to move into the RV sooner than later, and start living at a base campground now. .

Montana is a great RV for full timing. I have looked at the Heartland toy haulers, and was also impressed with them.

You can also look at RV's at Giant RV in San Bernardino, and I bought mine at Thompson's RV in Fountain Valley Ca.

You can also look at RvSearch.com

Have fun looking!

You might also want to look up FreeCampgrounds.com I posted a couple of area BLM places to camp.

I lived in my RV and traveled full time from 2006 - 08, and then lived in nearby Lakeside on a ranch from 2009 to 2013 in the RV. I moved out of the RV in May 13, and am living in Portland OR now.

Escapees.com is a camping club who started by a electrician who decided to take to the road in a new 1960's truck and trailer. They home schooled their kids, and traveled across the country to new job sites. They started to build campgrounds, and planed to have many of them across the country, but regulations prevented them from building anymore. It is just to expensive to develop a new campground anymore. One is a few miles east of Temecula, and they all offer sites that are about 40X60 feet, and offer a low cost rental of the sites while the owners are out traveling.

There are two or three campgrounds in Texas, with Livingston being their headquarters.

I am sure that today you will get several more replies!

Fred.