Getting ready for the road

[chisel101051]

I will be retiring in October, thinking of again getting an RV. Had a Monaco Dynasty back in 2003 and did the fulltiming for about 3 years. I had lots of trouble with that rig and finally sold it at a 30% loss after three years.

I basically want to travel the states, probably staying in certain areas, campgrounds for maybe a month at a time. I am reluctant to go back to a class A with all the troubles I had and strongly considering a 5th wheel. There will just be my girlfriend and I, probably staying South and west in the winters and north in the summers. I have a home and 3 vehicles to sell and do not have a big pickup, but would be willing to purchase one if the 5th wheel happens.

Any thoughts versus the two would be helpful. Thanks for the help and hope to see some of you on the road!!

Dave

[BarbaraOK]

30% reduction is about right for newer MHs, they depreciate at about 10% a year for the first few years. Did you really think you could get all of your money back.

If you are planning on sitting a lot then maybe the her would be a better option for you - of course that would mean you would have the big truck as your daily driver. Only you can decide which option is better for you and the way you want to travel. BTW - have you sat down and discussed all of this with your girlfriend and is she really willing to do this?

Barb

[CincyGus]

I see nothing wrong with your plan. We are not retired yet but plan on using a toyhauler for our fulltimer rig when we get there. I wouldn't let a bad experience scare you off of a class A if you liked it otherwise though. There are benefits to each rv type and you can get a bad one with any type so if that is your main reason for making the switch, it may not solve your issue.

Was it a Used rig or New? Were the problems things you could have or should have caught during inspection prior to purchase or just bad luck? I guess what I'm getting at is maybe being more experienced as an RV buyer now, you'll know what to look for better and what to avoid. If not, maybe you can have it checked out for a fee by an uninvolved party such as a RV shop that is not involved in the sale of the unit or a good friend that has RV experience and mechanical aptitude.

Good luck in round two!

[donn0128]

MH's are by far the most expensive form of RV travel. Many people are willing to sacrifice the expense for the "luxury" and convince. Fifth wheel is the way to go IF, you dont mind the stairs, do not need a bathroom or are willing to stop and walk outside to use it, are comfortable driving a large dually truck all the time and are comfortable towing a large trailer behind you.
They also afford more interior room for a given length and are by far cheaper to buy and own.