Full timing FW

[wannabervin]

We've been towing a travel trailer for a while, but are planning to buy a FW and tow vehicle and start full timing. What features should we look for in a FW, with a view toward full timing? I'd imagine that it should have plumbing for washer/dryer: heated holding tanks; and space for a generator. Anything else? Recommended makes/models?

[JimK-NY]

For those of you who think I need to get out more, I can only say that for the first two years after I retired, my wife and I and two cats full timed. The average cost of camping was $7/night. For the past 3 years I have only gone out for a few months of each year. I have camped in almost all of the 48 States. Sure there are places for big rigs that don't require $25 plus costs per night. And some big rigs can get by very well without hookups. (Not with laundry operating, however) There are also a great many places available to smaller rigs that will not accommodate a big rig.

It all comes down to what you want. I like to travel and see beautiful locations. I rarely park in one location for more than a few days, if that long. I want to be comfortable when I travel but I can give up the laundry, bathtub, sewing machine, home entertainment system, walkin closets, 30 cubic foot refrigerator, and 40" flat screen TV. With all the traveling I have done, I have never even tested to see that my small TV works. I do travel with computers, lots of photography gear, archery equipment, emergency tools, and 4 seasons of clothing to handle all but severe winter conditions.

Handling several weeks of dirty laundry is not an issue. I don't put my clothing away wet and sweaty. I store it in a laundry bag outside the camper in the wheel wells of my truck. Even at home I rarely do laundry more than every 2 or 3 weeks. Over the years, I have passed by a handful of Laundromats. Those of exceptions. Laundry facilities seem to be highly competitive and most facilities are clean and low cost. While the machines are running I usually do the heavy cleaning on the RV, including waxing the floors and cleaning all the windows.

[jnharley]

True, everyone RVs differently and we do not spend everyday, all day doing laundry. We do it first thing in the morning while we are lounging around or in the evening while we are watching TV and would not be out site seeing during those times anyway. The pee in the dryers is true and we have run into many laundries with poor machines and bad water. At least I know no one's oily clothes or pet bedding has been in my washer. I have no clue what others have washed in a public laundry. We also love to camp in public parks with no hook ups. I also cannot imagine having 14 days worth of dirty laundry in my RV. Heck, I do not even own that much clothing.

[2gypsies1]

jnharley wrote:
I cannot imagine carrying around 30 days of dirty laundry. I can take care of laundry while sitting around in my pjs in the morning or evening. And I know what was washed and dried in my stackables. Once we stayed at a military campground and someone urinated in the dryers. Would you want to dry your clothes in those machines after they wiped them out?

This is hilarious. If you don't have a picture it didn't happen.

Everyone RVs differently. We'd take a public park with no hookups over a RV park any day.

We did 10-14 days of laundry in 1-1/2 hours in town where we also did grocery shopping or errands. Then we didn't have to think about laundry and could get out of the RV and enjoy ourselves. Honestly, we have never seen a bad laundramat. Clothes are washed and rinsed. Nothing's going to contaminate them. You wash your clothes in unthinkable dirt, too! 🙂

[jnharley]

I cannot imagine carrying around 30 days of dirty laundry. I can take care of laundry while sitting around in my pjs in the morning or evening. And I know what was washed and dried in my stackables. Once we stayed at a military campground and someone urinated in the dryers. Would you want to dry your clothes in those machines after they wiped them out?

[wannabervin]

Us out West wrote:

JimK-NY wrote:
On another thread someone is complaining about the high cost of campgrounds. Actually I call them RV/mobile home parks. If you get a big rig that is where you will stay.

Really Jim? You need to get out more.

Here are just a few examples where we go with our 40' rig;

Merrill Campground is a unique US Forest Service facility located in the Eagle Lake Recreation Area of the Lassen National Forest North of Susanville, CA.



This is where I wonder about those who advise against getting a rig with a generator. Unless you like to do without lights or AC, you are restricted to parks with electric hook ups. I like the idea of camping in national parks.

Beverly Beach State Park Newport, OR



Lost Dutchman State Park - Apache Junction, AZ



There are many other places we go that are NOT , what you call, RV/mobile home parks.

[Us_out_West]

JimK-NY wrote:
On another thread someone is complaining about the high cost of campgrounds. Actually I call them RV/mobile home parks. If you get a big rig that is where you will stay.

Really Jim? You need to get out more.

Here are just a few examples where we go with our 40' rig;

Merrill Campground is a unique US Forest Service facility located in the Eagle Lake Recreation Area of the Lassen National Forest North of Susanville, CA.



Beverly Beach State Park Newport, OR



Lost Dutchman State Park - Apache Junction, AZ



There are many other places we go that are NOT , what you call, RV/mobile home parks.

[2gypsies1]

JimK-NY wrote:
On another thread someone is complaining about the high cost of campgrounds. Actually I call them RV/mobile home parks. If you get a big rig that is where you will stay. There are plenty of choices for small rigs that have solar and will allow you to stay virtually anywhere.

I don't know where you heard this but big rigs do not need RV parks. They do not need hookups. They are self-contained like a small rig. They can use reasonably-priced public parks with no hookups or they can boondock in gorgeous places on national forest or BLM lands.

We had a 40' motorhome and did without RV parks for 16 years of full-time travel. It may surprise you but it can be done. 🙂 We also had solar.

[JimK-NY]

On another thread someone is complaining about the high cost of campgrounds. Actually I call them RV/mobile home parks. If you get a big rig that is where you will stay. There are plenty of choices for small rigs that have solar and will allow you to stay virtually anywhere. Of course, you will give up the laundry. Instead I made an investment of about $100 and have a months worth of underwear, socks and T shirts so a visit to the Laundromat is infrequent.

[wannabervin]

Understand! We drive a Suburban, and it requires a two-step approach to get into a parking space: turn and pull up to the next car over, back up and point into the parking space, then pull in. I look for two contiguous spaces, even if it is further out, to avoid the "Suburban two-step" dance. I can imagine that the duallies would be even more of a hassle.

[jnharley]

These trucks are darned expensive and of course you do not want damage so finding an adequate parking spot is difficult. We always park way out and have to take up 2 spaces for length. Parking garages are just about out of the question. If it is a pull in spot, we usually back in because it is easier to pull out. I agree with PawPaw that spots seem to be shrinking in size and trucks seem to be getting bigger. Be prepared to walk from the back of the parking lot.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

wannabervin wrote:
Duallies a pain to park? Is that because of the with added by the extra set of wheels?

The basic problem with dually pickups is that they are physically much larger than the average vehicle, and parking spaces in parking lots are getting smaller.

It's not just width. Most duallies run 21 to 22 feet long. A LOT of parking spots are only 18 feet long today.

With my hitch for my TT - the truck is 22' 4 1/2" long.

From outside to outside of my towing mirrors, my truck is 8' 9 3/4" wide. Quite often we fold in the mirrors. Though not a dually, I need at least 9' 6" to park if I can get a long straight shot into the parking spot. And then I can only use one door. I really need 11' of parking spot width.

Duallies also have long wheelbases so they take a wider lane between parking spots to get turned into.

There were many places in New England last year where I took up four spots in the parking lot.

I'm starting to see some newer parking lots in Texas, where my truck is too large for a standard spot.

(For me, it is easier in tight quarters to back the truck into a parking spot.)

[wannabervin]

jnharley wrote:
Just my personal opinion that if you are going to buy a big heavy RV for full timing, you will probably need a dually. Any of the big 3 will work although one needs to be careful with used models since there have been some well documented problems with some like the 6.0 Ford diesel. Are dually trucks a pain to park, yes! The security when towing is worth it. I will also give a shout out to Kansas RV in Chanute, KS. They morphed into a dealership after closing down production for HitchHiker 5th wheels. They honored all warranty claims after shutdown and kept open their stellar service department. Make an appointment, show up at the appointed time, and a team is assigned to work on your rig. That is where we go when we need service. By the way, we have stackable washer and dryer and they work well. The dryer is 110 so it takes longer to dry than a residential model. And we dry camp on occasion so the generator is great but that need can be taken care of by a portable unit. We worried about theft so we added the built in generator.

Duallies a pain to park? Is that because of the with added by the extra set of wheels?

[jnharley]

Just my personal opinion that if you are going to buy a big heavy RV for full timing, you will probably need a dually. Any of the big 3 will work although one needs to be careful with used models since there have been some well documented problems with some like the 6.0 Ford diesel. Are dually trucks a pain to park, yes! The security when towing is worth it. I will also give a shout out to Kansas RV in Chanute, KS. They morphed into a dealership after closing down production for HitchHiker 5th wheels. They honored all warranty claims after shutdown and kept open their stellar service department. Make an appointment, show up at the appointed time, and a team is assigned to work on your rig. That is where we go when we need service. By the way, we have stackable washer and dryer and they work well. The dryer is 110 so it takes longer to dry than a residential model. And we dry camp on occasion so the generator is great but that need can be taken care of by a portable unit. We worried about theft so we added the built in generator.

[RVcrazy]

We purchased a used Nuwa Hitchhiker from Kansas RV Center. They refurbish used units before reselling. This is the former factory location for Nuwa. We were able to hold our unit for later pick up after our truck arrived. Doing this, we knew exactly what we were buying and what we would need in a truck. How big will you want to tow? We wanted to use a SRW 1 ton diesel, so we chose an appropriate RV to fit. After being FT for 2 years, we wish we had skipped the W/D. I can do our laundry 2 times a month in about 2 hours each. One small load in our combo w/d takes 3 hours... We don't boo dock, so we don't need a generator. We do love having a heat pump, 2 a/c s and a fireplace. Your choices may be different. Good luck with whatever you choose.