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.

[Aridon]

What do you want to do with it?

If you're a vagabond that wants to sleep on the streets of major cities then smaller is better.

If you're insistent on avoiding any campground at all costs then smaller is better.

If you're insistent on being an off road warrior, smaller is generally better.

If you're the kind of camper that continually is in and out of state parks, smaller is probably better.

___________

Aside from being an outlier above, in general, floor plan is by far the most important thing. We've been in 26ft TT, 43ft DP and a 45ft Fifth wheel, never had a size issue. I think in 10 years out FT we had one or two instances where the park we wanted to stay at couldn't fit us. That includes state parks. In every case there were other parks more or less a mile or two away that fit the bill.

So size was never an issue for us. We aren't allergic to commercial campgrounds and we do our boon docking while traveling like the rest of the RV folk. No issues.

[JD5150]

dadwolf2 wrote:

JD5150 wrote:
Most of you full time in big motorhome, trailer or fifth wheel. I'm not full time just camp a few times a year. I own a 35 foot Montana fifth wheel and really don't like it. It is too big. I could not full time in anything big. I will full time some day and it will be something that I can get into the boonies with. I like to get away from it all not camp in an RV park. If I'm going to have neighbors I may as well keep my house and stay here :B

Truck camper is on my list as #1. Might even do a pop up Truck camper so I can really get back in the boonies :C. Takes a special person to not have hardly anything and I'm certainly one of them. Life to me is more simple with less **** and that is what I will be shooting for 🙂

My wife and I currently own a truck camper and are looking for something else to use when I retire. We love our TC for weekend to 2 week trips and it's ability to go anywhere, especially the boonies. But we are pretty sure we are headed to a Class A when we will be gone for months at a time. Especially as we age, we need something convenient and comfortable.

Yeah, I do own a full size MR Ford Transit van that I use in my business everyday. I still haven't thrown out a van yet. If I don't go with a TC I will go with a van. Be easier to get in and out of and still be small compared to pulling a travel trailer, fifth wheel or driving a big motorhome. I might not be able to get way back in the boonies but still be able to get where I would be happy camping. I could do 4x4 on a van and get back in the woods :B

[DallasSteve]

I saw this thread at the top of the Active files and I thought "That looks like an interesting topic". Then I saw that I started this thread. LOL. I forgot.

[dadwolf2]

JD5150 wrote:
Most of you full time in big motorhome, trailer or fifth wheel. I'm not full time just camp a few times a year. I own a 35 foot Montana fifth wheel and really don't like it. It is too big. I could not full time in anything big. I will full time some day and it will be something that I can get into the boonies with. I like to get away from it all not camp in an RV park. If I'm going to have neighbors I may as well keep my house and stay here :B

Truck camper is on my list as #1. Might even do a pop up Truck camper so I can really get back in the boonies :C. Takes a special person to not have hardly anything and I'm certainly one of them. Life to me is more simple with less **** and that is what I will be shooting for 🙂

My wife and I currently own a truck camper and are looking for something else to use when I retire. We love our TC for weekend to 2 week trips and it's ability to go anywhere, especially the boonies. But we are pretty sure we are headed to a Class A when we will be gone for months at a time. Especially as we age, we need something convenient and comfortable.

[JD5150]

Most of you full time in big motorhome, trailer or fifth wheel. I'm not full time just camp a few times a year. I own a 35 foot Montana fifth wheel and really don't like it. It is too big. I could not full time in anything big. I will full time some day and it will be something that I can get into the boonies with. I like to get away from it all not camp in an RV park. If I'm going to have neighbors I may as well keep my house and stay here :B

Truck camper is on my list as #1. Might even do a pop up Truck camper so I can really get back in the boonies :C. Takes a special person to not have hardly anything and I'm certainly one of them. Life to me is more simple with less **** and that is what I will be shooting for 🙂

[2gypsies1]

nodepositnoreturn wrote:


You may want to think about getting what my wife and I use currently,a Lance truck camper, talk about getting into remote places! I remember going down a fire road on the north rim of the Grand Canyon and backing up to a place called marble canyon if I remember correctly. 10 feet out my back door we had the entire view of the canyon. For free. Many similar trips like that. you’ll need a stout 3/4 or 1 ton truck.

Lee's Ferry National Park campground is in Marble Canyon right on the Colorado River and can accommodate a 40' RV. We've been there.

[nodepositnoretu]

CSCustomCars wrote:
If I may, I’ll offer another opinion.

I purchased a 26ft Keystone Zeppelin Z261 with a slide. I am full timing in it now.

However, after driving to my first stop which is an RV park so that I learn what it’s like to live in a trailer full time, I have found that this thing is too BIG!

I am working on a deal right now for a new trailer. 19ft Gulfstream Innsbruck 199rk. Single axle. 5000 GVWR. Much smaller and more efficient than what I have now. I realized that this 26ft isn’t conducive to the places I want to be able to get to. I want to get to places where I won’t see another human for 4 days. For me, that means small, light and efficient.

In other words, do what you think I’d right for YOU, but think about where you want to go. Make sure you buy something that can get into places you want to be.

That’s what I think anyway. I’m not an expert in anything, but it’s how I feel.

You may want to think about getting what my wife and I use currently,a Lance truck camper, talk about getting into remote places! I remember going down a fire road on the north rim of the Grand Canyon and backing up to a place called marble canyon if I remember correctly. 10 feet out my back door we had the entire view of the canyon. For free. Many similar trips like that. you’ll need a stout 3/4 or 1 ton truck.

[dahkota]

We have been full timing for four years so far in a 34' class A with 2 slides. We wouldn't trade it for anything larger. We stay mostly in state and federal parks; while many have sites that accommodate 40' rigs, there are less spaces of that size and some great campgrounds won't accept anything larger than 35'.

Someone posted something about full timers being inside a lot? I would disagree, but that could just be us. We also move quite a bit compared to other full timers - at least once per week rather than long stays in one place. Like Roy and Lynne, we would go smaller. Unlike Roy and Lynne, we don't yet have the guts to downsize any more. 🙂

[gotsmart]

My requirement for Full Timing is: No loans. Everything is paid for by day 1.

[Roy_Lynne]

I think it depends on the kind of camping you plan to do. If your idea of camping is staying at private campgrounds, plugged in and rarely moving, I would go bigger the better, but if you want to tour the USA and plan on seeing sites, the smaller the better. We are the latter, and have gone from a Class A, to a Class C and now we are down to a B. We can go anywhere we want, get good gas mileage.

[Aridon]

The size that works for you.

For us, we prefer more room. We can go anywhere we want with a 45ft that we can with a 30ft. We like the extra space and we aren't into finding dirt roads to wander down and being around other people doesn't bother us. So regular RV parks work just fine for us.

People can live in tents, have dirt floors in their homes, go without running water or **** in a hole. Asking what you need in an RV is like asking how much money you need. People do it on <$1000 a month and others couldn't get by on 8x that amount.

Before you buy an RV to FT in, spend a few days on the lot during business hours and pretend to live in it. Chill out, read a book, figure out where you will put stuff, go about your pretend day and see how it goes.

So long as you are comfortable, it doesn't matter what anyone else needs.

[CSCustomCars]

If I may, I’ll offer another opinion.

I purchased a 26ft Keystone Zeppelin Z261 with a slide. I am full timing in it now.

However, after driving to my first stop which is an RV park so that I learn what it’s like to live in a trailer full time, I have found that this thing is too BIG!

I am working on a deal right now for a new trailer. 19ft Gulfstream Innsbruck 199rk. Single axle. 5000 GVWR. Much smaller and more efficient than what I have now. I realized that this 26ft isn’t conducive to the places I want to be able to get to. I want to get to places where I won’t see another human for 4 days. For me, that means small, light and efficient.

In other words, do what you think I’d right for YOU, but think about where you want to go. Make sure you buy something that can get into places you want to be.

That’s what I think anyway. I’m not an expert in anything, but it’s how I feel.

[FunnyCamper]

DallasSteve wrote:
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, You said it right here. You want to go a little larger, than do just that 🙂 GET WHAT SUITS YOU.but there are several well-known advantages to going a little shorter, too. A 40 foot Class A begins to look like a monster.

yes there are advantages for shorter IF THAT is a monster deal of how you camp. We do 99% state/fed parks. Out of the way places. We need a shorter rig so we will stay 34 total length or shorter when we buy a new camper in like 7 years for our full retirement rig. But I could live in our 34 ft toyhauler we own now easily 🙂 Just buy what suits you and your camping style.

[aviator]

45 foot diesel coach, it is now 10 years old and still looks and operates as near new. Marble floors and shower, granite counter tops, dual vanity, king sleep number bed, stacked washer and dryer and beautiful solid wood cabinetry. We enjoy the room and the facilities it provides. Sure there are parks we won't fit in, but there are many that we do. We plan and go where we want, we have not had a problem on a trip because the coach was too big. Five trips to Alaska and many across the country and Canada, it is what you make of it and desire. Enjoy your travels. Oh, by the way we have not installed the bowling ally as was mentioned earlier. This post was to counter the party that said you should travel as he wishes. Get what you want, love what you have, and take care of it.

[Bill_Satellite]

Better to work hard on your research and buy your 2nd RV 1st. You will save a ton of money!