What size and type RV do you use to full-time?

[DallasSteve]

What size and type RV do you use to full-time? I am leaning towards a Class A about 35 feet long. I'd like to go a little larger, but there are several well-known advantages to going a little shorter, too. A 40 foot Class A begins to look like a monster.

[jpbuch9309]

We LIVE full time in a 5th Starcraft Solstice 377rden with five slides and it is just me my wife and two medium size dogs in TX and we were actually talking about it being too big one of the slides is a third couch. Remember your first RV is the learner the second is the one you want.

[whizbang]

We full timed for two years and traveled all over the country.

The overwhelming majority of full timers where either large Class A's (35-40 feet) or large 5ers. We had a 38 foot diesel pusher with a Jeep in tow.

Smaller rigs are easier to drive or tow, but, as a full timer, you spend a lot of time indoors and a little extra space goes a long ways..

[valhalla360]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi valhalla360,

-5 f is shirtsleeve weather. Heating the space is not the issue. Let's try to bring that slide in at -40.

valhalla360 wrote:
Don't buy the argument that you can't go into cold weather areas with slides. We have been down to -5F and the furnace kept up (it did use a lot of propane but so will a no-slide RV). The space lost is just too much to give up.

That's why they put wheels on them, so you don't have to be where it's -40F.

Our experience with -5F was due to freak record cold in New Mexico. 2 days later, it warmed up, we pulled the slides in and were on our way. We could have pulled them in at -5F but didn't want to go on the roads in icy conditions and didn't have anything pressing.

Most people talking about cold weather camping won't see anything worse than the teens. If you want to spend winter in the arctic circle, the rules change but very few actually do that and it's not relevant to the typical cold weather camping question.

[2oldman]

pianotuna wrote:
-5 f is shirtsleeve weather

At -5 I couldn't jog because it would freeze my lungs.

[2gypsies1]

We full-timed and traveled constantly. Our first choice was always public parks or boondocking on remote public lands. We stayed in many national parks, national forest campgrounds, BLM and forest service lands plus city and county parks.

We had absolutely no problems with our 33' 5th wheel for 8 yr. and our 40' motorhome for 8 years. We've stayed in the same places. Yes, you can even go to Grand Teton Nat'l Park, Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Rocky Mtn., etc. with a 40' motorhome.

Get what you'll feel most comfortable living in. The one thing we really disliked with the 5th wheel was driving the big truck around. We much preferred the Jeep and motorhome combo and the Jeep gave us unlimited fun exploring the backcountry narrow, rocky roads and mountains.

[DallasSteve]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi valhalla360,

-5 f is shirtsleeve weather. Heating the space is not the issue. Let's try to bring that slide in at -40.

Question: Where is it -40 degrees?
Answer: Nowhere that I will ever be.

[ependydad]

Bigger isn't better.

Smaller isn't better.

What works for you is best.

And that might change over time.

--

My family of 4 is in a 42' bunkhouse fifth wheel. We are likely moving into a 43' toy hauler fifth wheel.

It works for us. We move weekly on average- 56 stops in 2017.

We have friends in much shorter Airstream with 4 kids, 2 adults, and a dog.

We have other friends with 2 kids considering a truck camper.

And we have friends with 4 kids and 1 or 2 dogs in a 45' toy hauler fifth wheel.

It runs the gamut.

[pianotuna]

Hi valhalla360,

-5 f is shirtsleeve weather. Heating the space is not the issue. Let's try to bring that slide in at -40.

valhalla360 wrote:
Don't buy the argument that you can't go into cold weather areas with slides. We have been down to -5F and the furnace kept up (it did use a lot of propane but so will a no-slide RV). The space lost is just too much to give up.

[valhalla360]

How many are in the traveling party and what do you like to do?

If you are a single guy who mostly hangs out outside the RV with simple hobbies that don't require much stuff, 35' may be overkill.

If you are a family of 4 with hobbies that require taking a lot of stuff, 40' may be too small.

Don't buy the argument that you can't go into cold weather areas with slides. We have been down to -5F and the furnace kept up (it did use a lot of propane but so will a no-slide RV). The space lost is just too much to give up.

[arhayes]

42.5' 5ver Toy Hauler. The "garage" is my Ham radio shack and her sewing room once the motorcycle is removed. Been on the road close to 4 years and would not change a thing. We love that there is a separate room that one or the both of us can retreat to and work when we want. YMMV

[rockhillmanor]

Really doesn't matter what everyone else has.
What fits YOUR needs is all the counts.

I have parked next to every single type of RV's that people were full timing in.

I met a lovely lady traveling alone Full-Time in a Casita.
She was the happiest RV'er I have met on the road. :C

This is what a Casita looks like.

[Dutch_12078]

Our 33' no slides gas Class A served us well for a number of years, and now our 34' super slide gas Class A serves us even better. We have not found a park yet in areas we've been interested in, whether private, state, or federal, that didn't have sites we could fit in, often without needing to unhook our toad.

[Dick_B]

The October 2017 issue of Trailer Life has an excellent article on 5ers supposedly built for full-timing including what to look for in a rig to be used for that purpose.

[khager76248]

We like staying in the National Parks, and it is my experience you have to stay under 35 feet and sometimes 30 feet, for those. But if you only want to stay in commercial parks bigger is probably better.

[Bill_Satellite]

40' no slide bus conversion. Strangely enough, no chandeliers, bowling alleys or swimming pool but it goes where ever we need in any weather. If we can't stay at a park due to size there is one nearby where we can. That's what the toad is for. Yellowstone? Yep! Devil's Tower and Mt. Rushmore? Yep! We go where we want. We do what we want when we want. 40' is not going to prevent you from doing any of those things.