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1000 questions !!!

bjsketti44
Explorer
Explorer
My husband I want to sell our home and buy an Rv to retire at the coast in. We have an idea of the floor plan we want. But there are a million questions now in my mind. LOOKING FOR ALL ADVICE AND EXPERIENCE. 🙂

From you veteran RV retirees....what advice would you give on deciding what kind of (we want a 5th wheel) RV to buy? What problems have you had? What good results have you had? What brand do you recommend?

We hope to be able to pay cash...what experiences have you had with warranties? used RVs?? things I might not think about? lol What do we have to have to pull it with? Weight problems? Septic problems? Electrical?

Does anyone have experience with putting their RV on private property, vs. in a park? What do I need to know about park leases?

Insurance? replacement parts and repair? etc...

Please...we need all the help we can get!!

Thanks so much.
21 REPLIES 21

hitchup
Explorer
Explorer
Some of the lower end 5ers have some great floor plans, but very poor insulation and quality. R-value and build quality took priority on our list. Then came comfort and other residential features.

We like Suites (this is our 3rd one) because we customized it. Each year they add a few features as standard. Those built after ours have even more features in the pkg.
2014 DRV Mobile Suite Estates 38RSB3....our custom home
2014 Ford F450 KR CC 4x4......his office
2015 Lance 1172 TC.....mobile Motel FOR SALE
Working Fulltimers since 3/2005

"Shoot for the Moon! Even if you miss it, you will land among the Stars."

RoadLife
Explorer
Explorer
Are you planning on moving around in the RV, or just parking it near the coast? If you aren't planning on moving around, then look at park models.
ROADLIFE

RV Part Timers Blog

2003 40' Allegro BUS - 2 slides
2013 Ford F150 XLT 4X4 OffRoad 2014 XC60 Volvo
Shasta - Australian Shepherd; Boomer - Brittany;
Pancho - border terrier

bjsketti44
Explorer
Explorer
thank you! good points 🙂

kca87
Explorer
Explorer
I think you should first decide where you want to go in your RV and how you want to use it. We went full time and then bought a small place in La Paz. We park our RV at our house here and continue to use it but integrate it with our home. Then, we travel throughout the US during the summer months in our 5th wheel.

So our specifications for an RV were based on the fact that we wanted something sturdy, but not necessarily new and something we could travel safely on mountain and narrow roads - especially where we go in Mexico. We also didn't want something too big because it limits the parks we can go to and the places we can boondock.

So first think about where you want to go and what you want to do. That will dictate size, new or used, floor plan, whether you need some extra money for solar (if you want to boondock), etc.

Do you also want to be able to haul bicycles, kayaks, or some other small toys? What hobbies will you engage in after your go full-timing that might dictate size, construction, extras, etc.

Good luck!

donn0128
Explorer II
Explorer II
bjsketti44 wrote:
My husband I want to sell our home and buy an Rv to retire at the coast in. We have an idea of the floor plan we want. But there are a million questions now in my mind. LOOKING FOR ALL ADVICE AND EXPERIENCE. 🙂

From you veteran RV retirees....what advice would you give on deciding what kind of (we want a 5th wheel) RV to buy? Decide how you are going to use it. Park for a week or more at a time or move every day or two? What problems have you had? What good results have you had? What brand do you recommend?Again, this depends on how you intend to use it.

We hope to be able to pay cash...what experiences have you had with warranties? used RVs?? things I might not think about? lol What do we have to have to pull it with? Weight problems? Septic problems? Electrical? Budget? You will usually get more with a TT, a little less in a fifth wheel and a lot less in a motor home for any given $$$

Does anyone have experience with putting their RV on private property, vs. in a park? What do I need to know about park leases?

Insurance? replacement parts and repair? etc...Too many variables to really give you much here. Age, condition have a lot to do with it.

Please...we need all the help we can get!!

Thanks so much.


First of all, decide how your going to use it. Second, get to a RV show and visit as many floor plans and as many brands within the type YOU think you will be happiest with.. Each of you take notes on likes and dislikes paying particular attention to brands YOU like best. DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT BUYING. Next, start shopping both online and at local dealers for the floor plans that you feel fit your dreams best. Finally after all that start shopping for the best deal you can get on what you want.
Best thing we ever did was once we found a floor plan we thought we could be happy with we got rid of the salesman and played house for a half hour or so. We make believe we were taking a shower, using the toilet, sleeping, making a meal etc etc. At the end of the day we eliminated a couple of brands because they did not have a place for a garbage can in the kitchen, and steeled on the one we current are living in. This trailer is 9 years old and still fits our needs perfectly.

path1
Explorer
Explorer
After reading you posting it does bring up a 1,000 questions. You might want to see what interests you in this "stickey".
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/264829.cfm
When we first got into it, we soon learned that RVing was like any other thing. It's own terminology and learning curve.
2003 Majestic 23P... Northwest travel machine
2013 Arctic Fox 25W... Wife "doll house" for longer snowbird trips
2001 "The Mighty Dodge"... tow vehicle for "doll house"

HappyKayakers
Explorer
Explorer
That's a LOT of questions! Sent you a PM.
Joe, Mary and Dakota, the wacko cat
Fulltiming since 2006
2006 Dodge 3500 QC CTD SRW Jacobs Exhaust brake
2017 Open Range 3X388RKS, side porch