Single dad, new to RVs and needing some advice

[TucsonAZ]

Hello everybody and thank you all for helping put together such a wonderful resource!

So here's my situation, I'm a single full time dad and I'm on disability so money is a huge factor as it's rarer than hen's teeth for me. Due to my health issues the worst of which being MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity) I really need to get into nature more and away from indoor air. I have been attempting to go in this RV direction at the very least 3-4 months a year and have managed to save up about $9,000 to get me on the road.

I bought a truck, fixed it up, installed a 5th wheel hitch myself and so on. Next I found a 5th wheel but it made me sick due to the previous owners using air-freshener I hadn't noticed. I think, no big deal, I'll do some repairs to it, sell it and start over. 5th wheel number 2, less of an issue but still having some problems with it making me sick, it's hard to find one (in my price range anyway) that hasn't had some leaking issues so maybe it's a mold thing. Alright, frustrating but, I'll sell this one and buy another.

Now for the monkey wrench, my daughter (18) decides she wants to go along with me and my boy (13), so now I have a chance to travel with my two teenagers before they no longer want to hang out with their dad. I'm pretty much ready to sell a kidney (mine are healthy after all) to make this happen.

So I will sell 5th wheel number two because I can't fit us all in the standard cab F-250 stick shift I bought to pull it with.

This will give me a budget of around $9,000 to spend on something to cart us around but I need dependable and I don't get to just pick anything because I need something that's outgassed the chemicals (15ish years old), hasn't had air fresheners in it, wasn't just detailed by an RV sales place and, isn't full of mildew or anything.

Clearly you can see I'm in a tough spot but hoping somebody has an idea I haven't thought of yet as I'm feeling stuck and discouraged. There are many class a motorhomes floating around, many from the 90s under $10,000 too but I am not sure what to look out for with these, what's "high miles", what's the better engine, or what's going to become a money pit. I just need it to hold up for 20k miles and I would be happy as a lark!

Any advice, input, thoughts, wisdom or otherwise would be really wonderful as I really want to make this happen. I could do a little financing (say $200 a month) if I really had to but that may put me into the dealers and those aren't really safe for me.

[OhhWell]

I'd say probably a mid 90s Fleetwood product not too much longer than 30' on the ford F53, even though my engine preference would be the 454 in that age range.

[trnfla]

Tucson, look at this blog Bumfuzzle and read back about 2-3 months to see how he bought an old RV and redid it and is traveling the country with his wife and 2 kids.

Might be the place to give you some ideals.

Good luck, I still think an older Class C would be the best option.

[TucsonAZ]

dayakster wrote:
You know....it sounds like you've dabbled around with enough units to know what you want or at least what you want to try next. 😉

We have a disabled child and our neighbors are probably thinking that we need our MH like we need a hole in the head but regardless of the cost we bought it so we could have some adventures with him and our other kids when we retire next year.

My son is non-verbal autistic, not totally potty trained and is prone to meltdowns and they can happen when he's exposed to certain allergens so there would be no way I'd ever take a chance on getting on an airplane with him and turning our trip into an international incident with the way things are flying now days.

I'm from California and haven't been able to get home in 15 years because it is just too hard and I don't want to go without my kids. (My mother moved here with us so she would travel back and forth when she was able.) Now she is 84 and afraid to fly back and forth because she missed a connecting flight last time and had to be rerouted from MN through Portland and then down to SAC. We have to puddle jump out of Wisconsin to get anywhere. My son could very well decide that he can't walk up a ramp and there we'd be stuck somewhere like Chicago or Minneapolis with no where to go. Changing him in public restrooms clear across the country is another nightmare I wanted to avoid.

We don't smoke, drink, golf or do much of anything else with our dollars so who's business is it if we decide to devote it to maintaining an older rig? Only YOU know what your situation is and what is right for you.

ETA: We lucked out because we already own a car that is great for towing so that helped in our decision. It's still going to cost $3K to get a towing system that is California legal. 😞

Good luck to you OP!

I can relate to much of this in terms of really needing to be able to control the situations or environments to travel without more anxiety than is manageable or relaxing knowing if something does come up it's okay and can be dealt with in a way that's familiar or comfortable for everybody.

I actually grew up in Wisconsin, the thought of being able to show my kids some of my favorite places in Kettle Moraine or northern Wisconsin is an amazing one but something I've all but given up on for the same reasons, I can't fly, I can't be certain I will have a chemical free place to stay when I get to a destination if I drive and I haven't been able to afford an RV.

What people don't see to notice is that I'm willing to spend $9,000 on an RV, that's more than a year of my income, not something more people have sitting around. So if I managed to save that much and I'm willing to spend it on this it's well thought out and isn't low on my priority list.

Awesome job on your end in making things happen, my dad always says "some people make things happen, some people watch things happen, and some people wonder what happened".

If there's anything I can ever do to help you on your path let me know.

[J-Rooster]

I suggest a Class C no shorter than 24' Good Luck

[TucsonAZ]

If this were a parenting forum and I was asking how to raise kids, have a house, maintain a car and so on with $721 I'm sure I'd be told it was impossible. I don't expect what I'm looking for to be easy but a little resolve goes a long way, I don't have a single thing in my life worth having that was also easy. There's good, there's easy, and there's cheap, pick two (:

My situation may not be the ideal one but if I have to knit a RV from organic yarn and tend to a flock of hamsters in little wheels to power it I'm going to do just that to make sure this happens.

My question wasn't whether or not this was a good idea or even possible but what to look for and what to avoid on a rig this old. Remember, I couldn't buy a new one even if I wanted to so no matter what my budget I would be resolved to getting one that was from the 90s at the very newest.

I can build, fix, fabricate or manifest anything I set my mind to and living on $721 a month with two kids requires a level of resourceful that most wouldn't be able to comprehend. There may come a time I do have to build my own RV but doing so with the materials that are chemical free comes at the expense of added weight and I simply don't have the time to design and build that right now. I'm also not certain what my needs would be until I try it out on a smaller scale.

So does anybody have any guidance with what to look out for, motors to avoid, brands to stay clear of in that sub $10,000 range?

The other suggestions are great so thank you for all of the input there.

[dayakster]

loulou57... Thank you for the story and encouragement. Those grands definitely are saints.

[loulou57]

dayakster.....

Good for you for not allowing your sons disabilities interfere with your ability to share the love of camping with your children. Sadly, there are still folk who think it is too much effort.

Years ago we saw a MH modified to suit a young girl who had severe disabilities. The door was changed to have a lift for her chair and the master bedroom was modified to suit her needs, hospital bed, bathroom etc. Her elderly grandparents had custody of her. She was a paraplegic and blind. Grandpa took her every day and held her in the lake so she could feel the water ripple as she heard the loons or other children playing in the water. Those grandparents were devoted to that child and deserve sainthood some day!

[dayakster]

You know....it sounds like you've dabbled around with enough units to know what you want or at least what you want to try next. 😉

We have a disabled child and our neighbors are probably thinking that we need our MH like we need a hole in the head but regardless of the cost we bought it so we could have some adventures with him and our other kids when we retire next year.

My son is non-verbal autistic, not totally potty trained and is prone to meltdowns and they can happen when he's exposed to certain allergens so there would be no way I'd ever take a chance on getting on an airplane with him and turning our trip into an international incident with the way things are flying now days.

I'm from California and haven't been able to get home in 15 years because it is just too hard and I don't want to go without my kids. (My mother moved here with us so she would travel back and forth when she was able.) Now she is 84 and afraid to fly back and forth because she missed a connecting flight last time and had to be rerouted from MN through Portland and then down to SAC. We have to puddle jump out of Wisconsin to get anywhere. My son could very well decide that he can't walk up a ramp and there we'd be stuck somewhere like Chicago or Minneapolis with no where to go. Changing him in public restrooms clear across the country is another nightmare I wanted to avoid.

We don't smoke, drink, golf or do much of anything else with our dollars so who's business is it if we decide to devote it to maintaining an older rig? Only YOU know what your situation is and what is right for you.

ETA: We lucked out because we already own a car that is great for towing so that helped in our decision. It's still going to cost $3K to get a towing system that is California legal. 😞

Good luck to you OP!

[Francesca_Knowl]

TucsonAZ wrote:
I could do a little financing (say $200 a month) if I really had to but that may put me into the dealers and those aren't really safe for me.

:h
"Not safe" in what way?

Per your desires/needs/budget:
Frankly, I doubt all can be met. Any Class A over 15 years of age and in your price range will likely need work, which work may be beyond your capacity to do yourself given your chemical sensitivities and whatever other disability prevents you from working. This not to mention that used rigs will probably have been exposed to/"contaminated" with something that will cause new symptoms.

[et2]

I'm not trying to be negative, but realistic. I think your going to have a issue trying to find a trailer without chemical issues. There are many chemicals and glues used in the manufacturing of these. Every time you turn on the furnace and heat things up gasses and smells can be released. Something gets wet or moisture collects someplace could cause a release of something into the air ( water getting to the wall or particle board).

We've owned 7 rigs and everyone had distinct chemical smells that never completely went away. I hated when having to turn on the heat, so we used electric oil filled heaters. I have allergies and there have been many rigs I couldn't even walk in when looking as they made my throat and nose close up from just sitting in the summer heat.

I don't know the extent of your health issue, but if it's that bad it isn't going to be easy for you.

[HappyKayakers]

I'll play devil's advocate here. Having major health problems and SSI disability your only source of income really doesn't sound like a match for RVing. RVing, even part time, can be very expensive when you add up fuel costs and campsite/lot rents. Since you're looking for an older RV, repairs can also be very expensive. Sounds like you're a DIY kind of guy but what happens when you're camping 300 miles from home and something breaks. No tools or parts available to fix it.

If you're just looking to get away from city air and spend time with your kids, you might want to consider setting up an older TT on a seasonal site. Just tow it there once, then use a vehicle that suits you and your kids to go back and forth for mini-vacations.

[T-Karma]

OP, have you looked into an Ozone machine? It may help your sensitivity to chemicals.

Now, to help with your original question, maybe look into an older TT that you and your kids can gut and do as you will with it. The complete build would be controlled by you, any cleaners will be what you normally use. All fabrics, furniture, etc. would be of items that you know you can handle.

[wannavolunteerF]

I know you think you want a 5ver, but you may find a TT in your price range easier. See many more bunkroom TT's so the kids can have a little more space. Having been the parent of teenagers wtih some age difference, you need to give them some space. They may still have to share "a room" but at least it will get them away from you. Lots of folks say the TT doesn't haul as well as a 5ver, but I don't really believe that is so. If you have sufficient tow vehicle and a GOOD weight distribution/sway reducing hitch, you can pull a TT comfortably. A TT gives you options on tow vehicles as well, because a 3/4 ton van or SUV will work as well as a pickup. This will give you more room inside too. I had a TT that would have been perfect for you.. 32 ft TT, had front master, then living/kitchen area, then walkthrough bath, to bunkhouse with 3 beds and storage. I sold it at 5 years old for only slightly more than you are looking for. My DD had gotten old enough she didn't want to go, and DS was involved with things that took his time, so he didn't want to go either.

[trnfla]

I think a Class C might be a better fit since most mechanics can work on them due to they are a normal van/truck when it comes to mechanical issues.

IMHO

I was a single dad too with a 9 yo boy and 12 yo daughter. Good luck.

[rgatijnet1]

Here is a recent topic about a couple that bought a really nice Class A for $1500.00 so inexpensive RV's are out there if you search. Their first trip
Finding one that will suit your needs is the same problem that all of us have when we look to buy an RV. Good luck with your search.