FIRST TIME RV-ER QUESTIONS

[mpac165]

Hi, Thanks for Reading; I am a wannabe full-time RV'er, and, I have some questions...Here goes!

Okay, so, I am a low income adult with disabilities, living on social security. My apartment is becoming a bit too expensive, and, I'd like to travel, and end up on the west coast.

SO, I've decided to buy a (used, older) motorhome (on payments, hopefully, of no more than $300/mo/40mos).

My plan, is to Live IN the motorhome, parked locally, for at least several months, perhaps up to a year. A friend of a friend has a warehouse and would let me park my motorhome there, and get (virtually free) electricity and water for the duration.

Now, I need to learn a lot about rv-ing. Such as, I assume that if the vehicle engine isn't running, than I have to run the house off of the batteries, of the generator, or plug into an electrical outlet.

1)...How much will propane cost?
1b)...How long will it last/hours?


2)...On the road, how much does it cost to dump the waste tank?
2b)...and, how much to fill up fresh water tank?

3)...How about tolls? Is there a way to find out how much my tolls will cost before I embark on my journey?

4)...What is 'good sams'? Is it worth it?

5)...RV insurance for full-timers/cost?

No matter what, I will not jump on the road until the motorhome in in tiptop shape and A-One Condition Mechanically, Electrically, and other 'ally's...That is another reason I want to live in the RV for at least a few months--so I can afford any necessary repairs and preventive maintenance, as well as anything that pops up along the way. Speaking of which;

6)...what are the most common 'on the road' repairs for motorhomes? Tires? brakes? belts? overheating/radiator? starter?

Am I missing anything?
Horsepower for going uphill?
Slideouts--good? or bad? (I heard some leak)

RV-Motorhome inspection: can I get a motorhome inspected by the state, or does it have to be a 'licensed professional'/I heard they can charge several hundred, upto a thousand dollars per inspection?

What are the Necessities/Must Haves for On The Road, and RV Parks?

Are (older) Motorhome bathrooms as bad as they say?
Bad toilets?
Showers that run out of hot water?

Options for TV and Internet?
I have to assume that the motorhome that I get will not have a kingdome satellite dish/receiver, so, I Do know that my laptop can use my smartphones cell connection--and at that--I can surf the internet, and watch my favorite shows either on my laptop, or the RV televisions (I know that I can hookup a wire to most televisions from a laptop). Once I am parked out west in an RV Park--I've researched that many include cable tv/elec/water/internet. I've also heard that most internet from rv parks, is lousy--and, at that--I could get a usb wifi card for my laptop--and solve those issues.

STILL, I'd love to have a dish, or other reliable tv and internet services, on the road, and in the rv parks. Any suggestions, tips?

Is there a AAA/Triple A--for Motorhomes? Towing is expensive for cars--it must be sky high for RV's. How much does on-site maintenance and repair cost? Are there insurance plans for that? Costs?

While I am on the road, I (hopefully) only plan to stop for fuel, and to take out the trash--I have a cat that is my traveling companion---litter stinks...trash will be emptied as often as possible.

In the months to a year that I will live in whatever motorhome I get, I will get to know as much as I can about my RV, about Driving and Parking an RV, and about Living in an RV...and its' costs...

My dream is to try to get a motorhome WITH Slide-outs--hopefully, there will be no leaks, and I can have more square footage living area.

Thank you for your help!

Mark

[mpac165]

Very Cool...Thanks Again!!

[Tinstar]

My insurance runs about $400 a year. They don't care if I'm full timing or go once a year.

[cjoseph]

Forgot to post earlier. i have no experience using this site, but have heard good feedback on forums. If you page through to the end of the RV section, you will see closed bids with the final prices. If you're not comfortable with such a purchase, it is still good to see the rock bottom deals that are available out there.

Cranky Ape Repo site

When we were considering use, I loved browsing CrankyApe! Still do actually.

[mpac165]

You guys are great...all great advice....Thank you VERY Very Much....MUCH APPRECIATED...SERIOUSLY.....

[Dale_Traveling]

mpac165 rather than camp grounds in San Diego or Florida look at mobile home parks or trailer courts for your stay if you plan to plant yourself in one spot for months at a time. I pulled up a Google map of San Diego and searched for mobile home parks which reveled a lot of them. The second one I looked at had RV spaces for rent by the month for $500 a month with a $200 security deposit. Beyond the deposit that would save you some. Granted it might not be as nice as a camp ground but $800 a month verses $500 is something to consider. (Shady Lane RV Park)

One item no one has mentioned is you might need transportation once you and your new home get to your destination for simple trips such as groceries, general supplies, sightseeing or other outings. Using the coach for such is a bit of work with set up and break down plus a bunch of potential hazards anytime you are out on the road. I'm thinking a pick-up and trailer might be a better option. Many older class A's only had a 3500 pound towing capacity which can be very limiting. Also the added cost of hardware needed to tow a second vehicle and other additional expenses. Just something to consider.

Good luck.

[Gjac]

427435 wrote:
Remember that the purchase price of an old MH is just a down payment on future expenses. If you are not already very mechanically inclined, that education will also be expensive.

This is very true. Just to give you my experience I bought an older MH in 2004 and paid $30k for it to see if I liked the life style and to learn about MH's. I liked the lifestyle and learned a lot fixing all kinds of problems. I spent another $5000 to fix and repair things like exhaust manifold leaks, front end repairs, chassis repairs etc and another $5000 in maintenance, eng,trans,rear end,fluid changes etc over 10 years. If you have free electric while at your friends place, it will probably take you a year to fix and repair an older MH to your liking. Electric heaters will kept the MH warm enough to work on it. I would buy one now stay in your apt while you are working on it through the cold winter mo's. Plan on moving into it in March live in it for a while to get all the house stuff working. Then embark on your trip. By then your biggest expense will be gas. Being disabled you can get 50% off of Govt CG's which will be about $5-$10/ night. Travel north in the summer and south during the winter and stay out of expensive FHU CG's except once a week to recharge your batteries,dump and fill, and do laundry. I would encourage you to pursue your dream but just understand the costs and what to expect before you start. Other posters already answered your detail questions the only thing I would repeat is to try to get a campsite host job at a Govt or state CG where the give you a camp site and a small stipend for your word. Even if the costs turned out the same this would be better than living in an apt and watching TV all day. It cost me between $70-100 per day to travel in the MH and I move a lot. If your stay a week in one spot it will be less per day. Good Luck to you.

[xctraveler]

Just to add some ways to save a buck here and there:
Passport America offers a directory to campgrounds that offer 50% off to members with certain conditions (not when they can sell out for full price). They are usually a bit out of the way and either new, just getting started, or old and a bit rundown.
Escapees which is a club for all RVers, but is especially good for Full and Most Timers. They provide an answer to how to handle mail, and many campgrounds at reasonable prices. Check them out at escapees.com. To my way of thinking they are not a luxury like FMCA.

If you are on SS Disability, I believe someone mentioned the Access Pass which provides free access to many federal parks and half off at most accommodations in those parks.

I will not join in the chorus that says this may not be the best idea. It can be made to work if you are willing to make the adjustments to make it work. It probably will not save you any money relative to renting an apartment and the argument against renting - you pay and get no equity - also applies to your coach, you pay and end up with no equity.

Just for an idea of values. WE bought new an '04 Southwind 36E for $125K (give or take) we lived in it most time for 8 years and drove it 110,000 miles. When it was time to trade, most dealers considered it worthless because of the miles. I can't say the engine wasn't going to breakdown in the next 10,000 miles, but it was the Chevy 8.1L and it had been very carefully maintained and had never missed a routine service interval. I figured it had another 50,000 miles before needing a major overhaul. A coach like that would be worth 10,000 to 15,000 today. So don't avoid high mileage, to get there you have to use it and maintain it which is better than leaving it sit in the yard or campsite year after year with very little use.

[mpac165]

So Much Help!! Wow...Thanks again!!

Mark

[darsben]

As someone mentioned previously in passing. Workkamping is a viable alternative for you.
A little work for a free spot for your rig. There are plenty of opportunities for this with the national park service and state parks in warmer climates.
The last I knew the TONTO National Forest in Arizona was actively recruiting workkampers.
Volunteer 20 - 40 hours a week in exchange for a spot with electric, water and sewer. Plus the workkampers living areas tended to be located together giving a sense of community and a chance to socialize

[Mr_Mark1]

mpac165 wrote:
Wow...GREAT INFO....THANKS!!!
The only thing I will add, is that I have already found monthly fees at RV Parks in San Diego for about $800 a month....and, I have already decided to not live on the RV in this cold weather here in New Jersey, but to directly move to a warmer climate (like Clearwater, Fla) before heading to San Diego.

mpac165, that sounds like a good plan!

It will also be good for the motorhome too to be out of the winter weather.

Good luck on your search and keep us posted on what you decide!

MM.

On edit: mpac165, look at www.pplmotorhomes.com in Texas. They have gas and diesel motorhomes that will give you an idea of what the prices are running.

[mpac165]

Wow...GREAT INFO....THANKS!!!
The only thing I will add, is that I have already found monthly fees at RV Parks in San Diego for about $800 a month....and, I have already decided to not live on the RV in this cold weather here in New Jersey, but to directly move to a warmer climate (like Clearwater, Fla) before heading to San Diego.

[bsinmich]

As stated previously, older RVs aren't all well insulated. We had a Pace Arrow 35' MH in 10F for 2 nights. We had to fill the propane tank every day.

[tatest]

With careful, patient shopping you should be able to find a 20-25 year old motorhome suitable for single living and with low enough mileage to have some travel left in it. A friend got one (32 foot Brave) for under $1000 two years ago but that was a special find. Here are some examples of what is on the market today:

26-foot 1993 Flair.

31-foot Allegro Bay

35-foot Bounder

22-foot Warrior

I selected those because they are a range of sizes, not too much mileage, all described in good condition and under $15,000. They are all in East Texas (Houston, specifically) where there is a good size market in RVs. I don't know if there is an equivalent market in the Northeast, I would not consider going to snow and salt country to shop for used RVs.

You are talking about payment schedules, I think you may find that RVs at this age and price level are difficult to finance, as they have nearly zero value as collateral. Think about saving up for the purchase, and whatever preparation is needed.

At your price level, I would shop for a house in good to very good condition, moderate mileage (30,000 to 80,000), and expect to buy new tires (another $1500-3000 depending on wheel and tire size) and need only moderate service on other mechanics. You might find a lot of motorhomes in this range that need quite a bit of work (and should be selling at scrap prices) but you don't really want to put this much money into a junker when there are better examples at the same price, if you only keep looking until you find one.

Travel is going to cost you about 50 cents a mile, maybe a little more, maybe a little less. Compared to costs of fuel and tires, everything else is minor: tolls, propane for heating, dump fees.

Places to stay range from free overnight parking (no services), $10-45 a night in public campgrounds with partial or full hookups and short stay limits, $20-80 a night for RV parks with full hookups and some amenities. There are modest parks, resort-like parks, destination parks, but the primary factor determining cost is location. I do most of my traveling in the middle of the country, staying away from vacation destinations, and pay an average of $30 a night for RV parks, half of that in public campgrounds. But the same facility on a lake will be higher, in a densely populated metro area higher yet, and prime locations and facilities sky high. There are places where people pay $400 to sleep in a tent; you don't want to go there.

Long term, not moving around, your big cost is going to be rent. On my social security, I can afford to live in the South, East Texas or South Texas, some of the lower-scale snowbird destinations. Most of those $30 RV parks I use have monthly rates in the $300-400 range (electricity billed separately). Some are even waterfront: rivers, lakes, reservoirs but not beaches. There are parks in the Mississipi Delta country where you can stay for less than $200 a month, my senior discounted rate at a COE campground is higher than that.

I don't think I can afford to live in Southern California, and I have a lot more resources than Social Security. A nice RV park in the area between Los Angeles and San Diego is going to cost $1600 to $2400 a month, and resort parks will be even higher. Even South Florida will be not much more than half that (though WDW's campground may be even higher).

Another alternative for long term (but not necessarily in urban California) is dry camping on public lands. There are places you can stay for free two week before moving, and there are long term visitor areas with flat fees for a designated season: four in California eastern Sierra for $300 March through October; Imperial Dam (Yuma) in Arizona $180 September through April; and LaPosa (Quartzite) in Arizona $180 September through April. You have added costs of buying fuel to generate electricity, fuel for heat, having water brought to you, and having your waste hauled away.

Yet another option, depending on your abilities, is work-camping. You work for your parking space, and maybe for a small wage. Work might be clerical and customer service, it might be physical, or it might be both. The physical work can get pretty heavy when there is brush to clear and timber to handle. Work might be anything from 20-60 hours a week, and your status might be "volunteer."

I question whether parking outside for a year or more in New Jersey, to prepare a RV for a trip and to save money, is going to work, simply because getting through the winter is going to be a struggle in a place with long periods of sub-freezing temperatures. Compared to New England, or the Mid-West, winter in your area is fairly mild, but it might not be mild enough for a RV to be comfortable.

When you get started on this venture, I suggest you first go south, at least past Savannah, check out the southern part of the Atlantic coastal plain, then across the southern tier of states in the area between I-20 and I-10, then Louisiana, East Texas, and the Texas coastal plain inside the box defined by connecting Houston, San Antonio, Brownsville, and Corpus Christi. These are all places with a livable winter climate (livable year-round if you can stand the heat) and in the rural parts a much lower cost of living than any densely populated place in California.

Getting into a few of the details.

I know slideouts are "in" and they do make the living space feel more open. I have two. But for motorhomes in your price range, slideouts were just starting to appear, and add $5000 to $10000 to the price of a used A gasser of equivalent length. Part of the reason for this was that slides were appearing only in the premium-price model lines, and the extra weight (500-1000 pounds per slide) forces the manufacturer to use a heavier-duty chassis. For the space you will gain with each 8-foot slideout, you gain the same for much less cost by going 18-24 inches more in length. In the early 1990s, what you usually get with the first slideout is a foot to a foot and a half extra space in front of the couch. It wasn't until later that decade that slideouts were used to make change bedroom configurations for more walkaround space or storage.

All the motorhomes of this era have enough power to go up any hills encountered in U.S. highways. They just don't go up as quickly as you might in a passenger car. Power to weight ratios for motorhomes built on the Chevrolet "P" chassis will be 40 to 60 pounds per horsepower, unless further weighed down by slideouts. This is in the range of subcompact import cars of the 1950s to 1960s; RVs will accelerate slowly. This is not as bad as heavy trucks, which might be 200-300 pounds per horsepower ans climb long grades at a crawl, but also not as lively as any modern sedans or light trucks, which might be 20-30 pounds per horsepower for an economy subcompact to as low as 12-15 pounds for a mid-size V6 sedan. We who drive motorhomes have learned to adjust our performance expectations.

Things like insurance for roadside assistance, comprehensive and collision coverage, satellite TV, mobile Internet connections, might be seen as luxuries when income is low and we reduce our standard of living accordingly. We prioritize are wants, figure what are the real needs, and look for low-cost solutions. Cranking up the antenna to watch TV is free. Pay-as-you-go smart phones provide a low-cost connection, if your data usage is low, much cheaper than paying monthly for big data limits that go unused.

Insurance is a bit different. Borrowing on the motorhome, you might be required by the lender to insure the collateral, but at the age and price level we are discussing, a loan on the vehicle is unlikely and an insurance company is equally unlikely to cover it for the purchase price. I've done that several times when the annual premium for collision and comprehensive got close to a quarter of the market value of the vehicle.

You might also be in a situation where it is useful to pay for comprehensive and collision insurance in the case of a total loss, just to have an exit for that situation, even if the insurance company is not going to make you whole again. You might also find yourself in a 'no fault' state where you are required to carry insurance to cover your own losses.

[Crazy_Ray]

www.rvbascis.com great site to read and learn