Limitations and access issues of 40' or better?

I think that a 40 ft MH would be ideal for two people. When I started out on this forum the advice was you want 36 ft or more to be comfortable for two.

I bought a 36 ft 2000 Bounder (gas), then less than a year later traded it for a 38 ft 1999 DSDP, and then within a few months bought a 40ft 2003 DSDP (had two DP for a few months - 3 MHs in 18 months!!!):S

The first was a learning experience and finding out that the gas was noisier than I liked and I hated climbing over the engine doghouse, but it was under my budget (50K total for MH and toad).

I traded the Bounder for the 1999 DSDP (same toad), it was much better in ride, comfort but still lacked a few things I wanted, like 10,000lb towing capacity and a washer dryer combo and it only had one slide.

The 3rd (and last for a while) was at a price that I couldn't afford to pass up and it had everything we wanted. Paid cash for it and then had to sell the 2nd one. No more funds left but happy with the 2003.

So, like others have said (and few have done) buy your last MH first!
On the other had, I have no regrets (and really didn't loose much financially moving up) and I enjoy the "hunt".

Oh yeah, also no problems finding places to stay.

(((Don't tell the DW but 40-45ft SuperC's (like the Dynamax)look real intriguing))

Good Luck

Chris

Our first MH was a 40' Beaver and now we have a 43'. If there are any limitation to this size we have not yet found them.

Sure we need to be a bit careful going into relatively tight spaces but that's just a matter of perhaps scouting first...don't forget to look up, and making good decisions.

We weren't sure about an RV when we started. We rented a class C for two weeks to try. We then bought a six year old 33 foot gas. A year later we traded up to a two year old 36' DP with two slides. Three years later we traded up to a four month old 40' DP quad slide, our current coach for the last six years. Don't regret the move up and this coach is as easy to use as the first gas coach was.

Hello,

Most of the AF and ANG Crew Chiefs I knew would be very pleased with a 40 foot DP with 400 ISL and Allison 3000. Good luck.

Crespro

JeffCarol wrote:
Thank you Wolfe, my concerns with the V10 are with spark plugs blowing out of cylinder heads (expensive/time consuming) repairs and scheduled maintenance.

My background is in aircraft maintenance and it's been my experience that few people take it seriously. This is a relatively well documented V10 shortcoming.

The problem with the spark plugs is Ford recommends replacement at 100,000 miles. If you go that long one might have a blow out, and all of them become more difficult to remove (if not blown out first). Ford came up with a kit to replace blown plugs. In the alternative, change them at 80,000 miles to minimize that problem. Other than the plugs, I don't recall any V10 issues that are significantly different than the alternative, the 8.1.

Jeff, I made the mistake of starting with a 36' DP (fortunately used) because of post on here about not being able to get into many NP, SP, USFS, BLM...... did not take long to learn that was not true so traded for a 40'. Once we became half timer a 42' four slide is what we wanted and that was 10 years ago. Trading IS expensive.

Most of the places we stay at out West do not have a phone and by arriving late Sunday or Monday it's not a problem as the weekenders have gone home. A 40' DP will have bigger tanks than any gasser which makes for easier/longer boondocking. We usually boondock for five days/week and then travel and resupply on the weekends staying at a CG where we can dump and get water.
As for the DW driving, there is not enough difference in a 37' gasser (biggest I'd go with a gas engine) and a 40+ DP to notice other than the DP will almost always handle better. I do the 1500 miles from GA to CO in two days and the 2100 from MT back home in 3 as I love driving mine that much. Rarely does the DW drive other than for an hour on a interstate if I want to take a break.

pkunk wrote:
Early V-10s had 2 threads in the cyl head so blowing a plug is a possibility especially if new plugs were improperly installed. My '99 has 82k and gets a steady 8.2 mpg, no plug problems, $25 oil & filter change, and will run with the big boys. Choose the rig that suits you and don't be concerned with the V-10. Less upfront $$ means more travel $$ when funds are limited.

I also had a 1999 on a 37 motorhome. We drove it over 100,000 miles with no issues from the engine/chassis. We now have a 43 diesel and since it's new, I take it to freightliner for oil changes/service. Figure about $1000 + for the annual service compared to the $25-$30 for the Ford. Regarding size, we never had any issues with the 37'-- but with the 43' we do have some restrictions... I always call ahead to see if we can be accommodated at a park. Some of the older places are not suitable for the larger units

If you're asking about size, you will not have issues with a 40'. We full-timed in one for 10 of our 16 years. We boondocked down miles of gravel roads and primarily used public parks - national, national forest, state parks, county and city parks. We also traveled to Alaska. We've never been turned down because of size. Of course, we did our research before going to certain parks.

Early V-10s had 2 threads in the cyl head so blowing a plug is a possibility especially if new plugs were improperly installed. My '99 has 82k and gets a steady 8.2 mpg, no plug problems, $25 oil & filter change, and will run with the big boys. Choose the rig that suits you and don't be concerned with the V-10. Less upfront $$ means more travel $$ when funds are limited.

The V10 spark plug problem does not occur until the plugs are replaced. The OEM plugs are rated for 100,000 miles so put that fear to rest. I'm at 10 years and 50K miles and not a hiccup.

Think of RV's in the same light as boats. The four foot gain from a 36' to 40' may seem small but has a dramatic effect. You may run into problems at government parks with a 40' rig but with preplanning shouldn't be much of a concern. If your budget will support a 40' diesel is a good all around coach if you plan to use it, a lot. As a first timer maybe a 36' gas coach s few years old might be a better fit for the first few years.