Planning to Snow Bird need Advise

arcticalleycat wrote:
I'm Planning to Snow Bird just as soon as I retire (7-9 years from now). Just Purchased my tow vehicle (2013 Chevy 3500HD Dually). Would a toy hauler be a good choice for full timing? I really like the idea of having a garage, even if I don't have toys, as a space I can use for whatever (a place for the gun safe perhaps). Love the outdoors, hunting, fishing, hiking, etc. and see this space as a great way to not drag the outdoors in. I welcome all inputs, I'm a complete newbee to RVing and looking for advise from all of you experienced folks. Thanks!

IMO, a garage-style TH would be better than one with an open back. You can have your gear back there and not cluttering up the living area. It's also out of sight from "new neighbors" until you get to know them. You can seal the ramp to make it less drafty. I even saw one guy who cut a man-door into the ramp since he was using the garage as a work shop. If the garage area is going to mostly be storage and not living or working, you might get away with only 1 15k BTU AC unit but if you're going to plan in being in the garage much at all, I'd go for 2 units. I do agree with the others that getting a used RV (or 2 or 3) before you retire and make a decision, is the way to go. Sounds like you've got a way to try out a number of different configurations, so you're miles ahead of most people. One thing to remember, is that most bed pedestals raise up and would make a nice "gun safe" with the addition of a couple locks. I had planned on doing this until I found out that our pedestal is fixed in place. Never forget that if =she= doesn't like something, cross it off your list. ;-)

Lyle

@ Vulcaneer, I guess I mean sunbird, see how much of a newbee I am. II have a place that I can rent various 5th wheels from, and do plan to try all of them. It'll just be me and the Misses.
@ Artum Snowbird, I have been reading, and will continue to do so, and I've been visiting the various dealers to look, I never make snap decisions
@ 2oldman, yes, camping now, not to worried about the truck being 10+ years old, I'm very maintenance oriented, never miss a service, My 1997 S-10 has 247,000 miles on it and runs like day 1, this one's a diesel, I should get better from it.
@ Me Again, thanks for the links, very nice
@ John Bridge, good points I hadn't thought of.
Thanks all of you, still looking for more.

Living in San Antonio you will probably be "sunbirding," that's what we do. We go north in the summers to escape the heat. :)

I like toy haulers, too. I think they are a very good idea even if you have no toys. When the time comes, though, you should custom order one from the factory. You wouldn't want on board fuel tanks, for example. Also, toy haulers assume you'll be partying most of the time. The kitchens are short on storage space usually. That might not matter to you, though. :)

I have thought having a Snowbird toy hauler was a great idea. I would like to be able to take our golf cart South in the winter. The trouble I have is that just about all the new available toy haulers are made for a family and are NASCAR ugly!

TV is placed all wrong from extended viewing. Bunks are and seating are for large families.

Then I found one. Here is a video of one. It is missing the theater seating in the living room, but it goes directly across from the TV.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvO5llv9Iu4

Here is another one that was sold, but have pictures.

http://www.berrylandcampers.com/toy-haulers/escalade-sportster/escalade-sportster-41cks-toy-hauler-n085034.html

Chris

Your truck will be 7-9 years old by then. I take it you're camping now?

Very few RV'ers get to their happy place the first time they buy. Likely the best suggestion will be to go to each of the individual sub-forums in this huge forum, and read as much as you can. Look through all the first must read stickies at the front of each forum and at all the pictures. Read the stories extensively, many are trip reports and talk about what they take, how they use their rig, where they can go and where not to go.

Get some ideas about what will work for you, then go looking in RV shows, used RV places, and examine construction, take notes, then come back to the forum and put in your findings and ask questions.

Remember, you are not buying, just learning. Salesmen are excellent at selling, and will offer you deals that will seem over the moon. Do not be swayed.

After a year or two of looking and learning, if your choice has become clearer, consider buying a smaller unit first.

If you are planning to snowbird in seven to nine years, any planning you do now will need changing by the time you actually implement your plan.

But think about a few things. You live in San Antonio...Where will you be snowbirding to. RGV? San Diego? I never thought San Antonio got that cold for that long. Maybe you'll need to "SUNBIRD"? You know...run to the deep North to escape the high summer heat? Another thing...Are you going it alone? Have a partner? You want a trailer or a MH? In 9 years you might want another newer vehicle.

Now forget snowbirding for a while. And get into RV'ing. You know...summer trips here and there. Maybe get a 5th wheel now or a TH. Go out one weekends, holidays, week or two vacations. See if you like the RV lifestyle, before you actually make the commitment to 'part-timing'...like snowbirding is. Then in seven to nine years, you'll have a better idea what you can do...and what to expect.